To really swear by drinking water ?

[Jumell]

I’m currently on a diet /exercise plan and trying to aim for drinking 2 litres of water a day.

I don’t mix my water with anything else - it’s just straight tap water but omg it makes such a difference to everything. It improves my

Skin
Digestion

Can speed up weight loss but ONLY as part of a calorie controlled diet and exercise plan - won’t make you lose weight on its own !

So yes - something this simple really makes a huge difference to wellbeing and 2 litres of tap water a day costs next to nothing

I was thinking yesterday as well that clean drinking water is something we take for granted in a rich, developed nation like the UK. Was thinking that if I lived in one of the world’s Least Developed Countries I might be walking 10 miles a day for this privelege!

So yes - water I think is an excellent ‘superfood’ as they say - or ‘superdrink’

And I say this as someone who isn’t really a ‘natural’ water drinker - I don’t really like drinking it - much prefer drinking Diet Coke/Pepsi Max if given a choice ! But this is why I space my water drinking out throughout the day - so 500 ml every 3 hours or something ! Makes it easier !

So in short - highly recommended!

I like roibos tea, but I need to use 2tea bags per cup, find it quite weak otherwise.
I sometimes drink it with a bit of milk too.

I feel a lot better when I wake now I’m drinking more water. Used to feel a bit groggy & headachy, like I was a bit hungover. Thought it couldn’t be dehydration as I always have a mug of herbal tea before bed, but turns out I wasn’t drinking enough fluids throughout the day.

I try but I really don’t like drinking water.

I really like rooibos tea so maybe will try to drink more of that.

This is so encouraging

yes so true, especially while people get older the thirst disappear, so people need to drink for the sake of it not because they feel thirsty.

Haha OP you’ll love thread [[https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5233459-water-water-everywhere-but-no-real-need-for-it-why-do-people-not-believe-this www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5233459-water-water-everywhere-but-no-real-need-for-it-why-do-people-not-believe-this]]]] absolutely bonkers! I agree with you!

You do know that naturally filtered water will be filtered through rocks containing naturally occurring chemicals such as arsenic, lead, mercury and cadmium. It doesn't necessarily have to be a negative effect though, for example, lithium is routinely used in psychiatric medicine. Schrauzer & Shrestha (1990) reported that the average incidence rates of suicide and violence (i.e. homicide and rape) in 27 counties of Texas, USA, over a 10-year period were consistently lower in counties with relatively high natural lithium levels in the drinking water compared with those with medium or low levels.
When was your water last tested?

Studies have shown that drinking diet drinks, especially while eating, causes people to over eat and consume more calories in total than people who drink the sugar version of the drink. Sweeteners have also been found to cause a negative effect on gut bacteria. It's not the worst thing in the world but it's certainly not harmless.

I agree 100%, drinking a fair bit of water every day is important and I have done that for many years. Yes, we are fortunate to have so much water, I can't imagine being without it.

No amount of water drinking is going to make you lose weight unless your goal is to fill your stomach with water until you feel sick instead of hungry. You can assess your level of hydration by looking at the colour of your pee: straw coloured = fine, dark yellow = have a drink. I drink when thirsty and the only time I exceed this is when the weather is hot or I'm unwell.

This.

The whole "keeping hydrated" thing was invented by one of the American manufacturers of "sports drinks".

Yes, you can get dehydrated if you ignore your thirst. But otherwise it's just going in and straight out.

I think that a lot of people also imagine that they are "flushing out toxins", like their body is a can of soup and they are rinsing the inside before putting it in the recycling. But your liver and kidneys do a great job of "detoxing" all by themselves, and if you drink enough you can end up flushing out your electrolytes.

I am aiming for 1l a day. Have a bottle with markings . Plus tea and apple juice. Thsi is a huge improvement from zero litres a day. I have frequent UTIs and constipation which contributes.

Haven't noticed any benefits yet (weeing in the night can get knotted).

I just don't like water and love tea so when thirsty I have tea. So I am struggling. I'm old enough to think drinking water is newfangled!

Hi, I'm not sure of the background to this, so please ignore if it's unwanted advice.
In terms of health benefits, any non-alcoholic, drink will di her good.
Elderly people, particularly with dementia often forget to drink, and thirst triggers become less reliable. Upping the other triggers (visual, social) will help. So... Make sure drinks are offered regularly, stop together for teatime, make drinks visually appealing and tasty, so nice cups, different flavours of squash etc.
Water doesn't just have to be in a drink. Wet foods (custard, jelly, soup etc) will all increase fluid intake. You can even get water sweets that help people to "snack" on water. www.alzheimers.org.uk/blog/jelly-drops-sweets-tackle-dehydration-dementia

Agree one of the best things you can do for your health. I aim to drink 3l a day and it honestly does make a difference I would recommend this to anyone

I am a big water advocate which sounds a bit stupid to say but I know so many people who hardly have any! DH is included in this, will come home saying he has a head ache and when asked will say he's had no water at all which I find unbelievable! I think it helps that I'm a naturally thirsty person so it's not even like I have to make a conscious effort. I just have my water bottle close all the time and am constantly taking sips but my skin is pretty good (don't get spots etc.) and I've always had a very regular digestive system.

If I drink too much water, I feel sloshy and it comes back up..... Sorry, disgusting I know.

I am old enough that my generation only drank water at home, when thirsty. We often survived all day without it! We were thin, our skin was fine, we managed to work and play, and even think adequately.

Of course staying hydrated is important, but you honestly don't need litres of plain water a day, you just pee it out.

This is interesting thank you - I would tend to agree with you if we were talking about someone else, apart from if I have a week where things slide water wise I do notice the difference, even with no other changes. A friend, in comparison, noticed absolutely no benefits to drinking lots of water and has stopped - amazing how we are all so difference.

If she's a fan of sweets then you could try these https://www.jellydrops.com/?gadsource=1&gbraid=0AAAAACM9CXkMCC4GH8vBHqHIcMdb4eC6F&gclid=Cj0KCQiA1Km7BhC9ARIsAFZfEItticBSuGrDM10RtMiV3LElX5iJTzogpoptCJneWkyzW0fRUQQvtAaAmtyEALw_wcB

We get then for Great Gran who will happily sip on wine all day but turns her nose up at a glass of water 😂 at 96 with a touch of dementia we reckon she can drink what she wants though.

I've drank 2-3l water a day for the last few years and it's made a huge difference to my life. Everyone comments on my skin, I have so much more energy, think clearer, I manage my weight more easily, and I feel my body generally crave it now.

I totally buy in to the fact that any liquid could probably do the same but I can't imagine being able to drink as much volume of anything else through the day so easily, cheaply and almost without thinking with no other consequences - lots of additives in fizzy drinks, sugar in fruit juice, hidden calories from calories from milk in tea or coffee...

So it's maybe not just the hydration benefits from the volume of liquid, but the fact you're avoiding anything else unnecessary as part of getting it? And the consistency that comes from being able to access it so easily?

I drink at least 5 litres on a normal day... Sounds like a lot, but I don't take tea, coffee, fizzy drinks. Have done for years, so no worries about internal drowning lol. I don't get up to pee at night either 🤷🏻‍♀️

Ah thank you !

No not disgusting don’t worry - what you mention in 1st paragraph also happens to me at times !

We have a filter on our fridge so the water tastes great , I drink about 4 pints a day plus herbal tea (caffeine really doesn't agree with me, I can't sleep if I have any after midday)

I really struggle with drinking cold water at this time of year, plus I'm on anti-epilepsy meds that have a diuretic effect so it's very easy for me to lose too much sodium. So I drink when I'm thirsty, as a pp suggested and if I want water, I have it hot with a splash of fruit cordial or fruit juice.

"When it is cold I am never thirsty, and I have to be thirsty to fancy a drink of cold water, so I would get deydrated if I wasn't a tea drinker."

I agree. A cold drink of water just doesnt press my buttons in winter. Try starting the day with a warm or even hot water - somehow so much more satisfying!