Being well-hydrated also improves sleep quality, cognition, and mood. Experts recommend drinking roughly 11 cups of water per day for the average woman and 16 for men. And not all of those cups have to come from plain water; for example, some can come from water flavored with fruit or vegetables lemons, berries, or orange or cucumber slices , or from coffee or tea.
Chan School of Public Health. The body is made up of 50 to 75 per cent water. Water forms the basis of blood, digestive juices, urine and perspiration, and is contained in lean muscle, fat and bones. The amount we need depends on our body size, metabolism, the weather, the food we eat and our activity levels. Most foods, even those that look hard and dry, contain water.
The body can get about 20 per cent of its total water requirements from solid foods alone. The process of digesting foods also produces a small amount of water as a by-product which can be used by the body.
The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend that we drink plenty of water but how much is enough? Some people may need less fluid than this. For example, people:. Other people might need more fluid than the amount listed and will need to increase their fluid intake if they are:.
Although activity levels affect the amount of fluid needed, there are many factors that influence the fluid needs of athletes during training and competition. For example, it is likely that athletes exercising in mild conditions will need less fluid than athletes competing at high intensities in warm conditions.
Fresh water is the best drink because it does not contain energy kilojoules and is best for hydrating the body. Water from the tap is also mostly free and generally available wherever you go. However, milk is about 90 per cent water and is an important fluid, especially for children. Just remember to choose full-fat milk for children under two years old and low-fat and reduced-fat varieties for everyone else.
Tea can also be an important source of fluid. Tea can help you meet your daily fluid recommendations, and is a source of antioxidants and polyphenols, which appear to protect against heart disease and cancer. Commercially bottled mineral water contains salt , which can lead to fluid retention and swelling, and even increased blood pressure in susceptible people.
Limit the amount of mineral water or choose low-sodium varieties less than 30 mg sodium per ml. If you prefer bubbly water, think about getting a home soda water maker so you can just use tap water and make it fresh when needed. An additional benefit of drinking tap reticulated or mains water in Victoria is that, in most areas, fluoride is added to the water. Bottled water does not usually have good levels of fluoride. Fluoridation of tap water helps prevent dental decay and is a safe and effective way of providing dental health benefits to everyone.
Find out if your area has water fluoridation. The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend all Australians to limit their intake of drinks containing added sugar. This includes sugar-sweetened soft drinks and cordials, fruit drinks, vitamin-style waters, flavoured mineral waters, energy and sports drinks. Having sugary drinks provides additional energy kilojoules to the diet, but no other essential nutrients.
There is strong evidence of the association between having sugary dinks and excess weight gain in both children and adults, as well as reduced bone strength and tooth decay. Artificially sweetened drinks add very little energy kilojoules to the diet and therefore do not contribute directly to weight gain. They may also lead to decreased bone density as people may drink less milk and contribute to tooth decay due to their acidity.
Dehydration occurs when the water content of the body is too low. This is easily fixed by increasing fluid intake. In extreme cases, dehydration may result in death. Older people may have less sense of thirst or forget to drink Older people may avoid drinking fluid late in the day to avoid going to the toilet at night A wee problem can turn into a big problem Some older people avoid drinking fluid in the afternoon and evening as they are worried about getting to the toilet during the night.
Which drinks count towards your fluid intake? Water: water is a great thirst quencher. Milk: milk is also a good source of calcium for strong bones and strong muscles. Flavoured milk: flavoured milk is a good source of calcium for strong bones and protein for strong muscles. Smoothies: smoothies can be a good way to get an extra serve of fruit or dairy into your day. Milk on cereal: cereal with milk is a great way to get extra fluid at breakfast time Jelly: if the older person has diabetes, a sugar-free or low-joule jelly may be a better choice.
Custard: custard is also a good option if a client has trouble chewing or swallowing food. Tea: caffeine has a mild diuretic effect but tea and coffee still count towards fluid intake.
Coffee: making a milk coffee is a great way to get some extra protein and calcium. Juice: fruit juice can also count as a serve of fruit for the day.
Cordial: cordial counts as a fluid, although it is high in sugar. Soup: soup is a good way to get fluid from a meal, as well as vegetables for fibre and meat for protein Which drinks do not count towards your fluid intake?
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