Eating for good health

Making sure your body is getting enough water is very important for maintaining good health, it:

• removes waste products from your body in urine
• lubricates your joints
• transports nutrients around your body
• controls your temperature
• helps your skin look good.

Keeping hydrated

As a basic guide, you should aim to drink 6 to 8 glasses of fluid a day. Water, lower fat milk and sugar-free drinks, including tea and coffee, all count!

The amount you should drink can vary from person to person depending on things like your:

• Age – your body stores less water as you get older and your kidneys don’t work as well as they used to.
• Level of physical activity – the more exercise you do, the more you need to drink.
• Environment – you need to drink more if it's hot and you're sweating a lot or if you’re in a warm house or office with either central heating or air conditioning. Both air conditioning and central heating can dry the air.

You can find out more about water, drinks and your health on the NHS website.

Dehydration

If your body loses more fluids than you take in, you can become dehydrated. If this is not treated, it can get worse and become a serious problem.

Signs that you are dehydrated

You could be dehydrated if you:

• are feeling thirsty
• have dark yellow, strong smelling pee
• feel dizzy, lightheaded or tired
• have a dry mouth, eyes or lips
• pee small amounts, and fewer than 4 times a day.

You can find out more about dehydration, including how to treat or reduce the risk of it, on the NHS website.