Adequate fluid intake is essential for our bodies to function properly. If our fluid intake is too low, we can experience various symptoms including headache, feeling light headed and dry lips. Drinking plenty of fluids is especially important in hot weather and when exercising. Women need about 2.5 litres of water a day. Around a fifth of this (0.5 litres) will come from food and the rest needs to be fluid intake. In order to make sure you stay fully hydrated, a good target to aim for is 8 glasses of water a day. The water tracker (see below to download) will help you to keep track of your water intake and you can use the hydrate stickers as reminders to have your water.
Does it have to be water?
Water is natural and calorie free, so it’s the healthiest choice. Herbal and fruit teas are also good choices, as is ordinary tea without sugar. Coffee is OK (without sugar) as long as you keep your caffeine intake in check. Fruit juices contain beneficial nutrients, but also contain fruit sugars, so you should only have 1-2 glasses per day. Squash and carbonated drinks are high in sugar or artificial sweeteners, so not a good option. Alcohol is dehydrating, as well as being high in calories. In summary, aim to take as much as possible of your fluid intake as water, but it’s fine to mix in a few other drinks as long as they’re not high sugar.
Download the hydrate stickers and water tracker
Both printables are downloadable in PDF form, plus there is a PNG version with a blackout for easy tracing if you have a cutting machine.
Sign up for My Fitness Planner updates and get the download link e-mailed to you:
After you sign up, you’ll get 2 e-mails, one will have a link to your printable download and the other will be a welcome e-mail.
If the e-mails haven’t turned up within a few minutes, please check your junk folder, as some service providers have very strict filters.
Related to hydrate stickers
