SO HOW much of the magic liquid do you get?

Coffee? Diet Coke? Beer? Prosecco? No none of them.

Water!

Yes water, the elixir of life. The one thing the human body just cannot survive without.

We all know this, we’ve all seen the literature telling us to drink two litres a day to keep us hydrated and healthy. Help flush out our hard working kidneys and detox our bodies. Keep our skin clear of blemishes and just generally keep our bodies healthy.

Why two litres though? Well there isn’t any evidence that proves that two litres is the magic figure. But about two litres, or eight glasses, seems to be the consensus amongst experts. But in reality as long as you’re drinking regularly throughout the day you’ll know if you’re drinking enough.

So how do you know if you need to increase your fluid intake? Well if your mouth is constantly dry, you lack energy, your skin is dry and lacks elasticity then you probably aren’t getting enough fluid in.

Does it have to be water? Well no, not just water. But too much tea and coffee isn’t great so no more than three to four cups a day go towards your fluid intake.

What about fruit juice? Fruit juice is okay but fruit juice tends to be high in sugar so we have to limit the amount we drink. I normally advise clients no more than one or two small glasses a day.

What about ‘no added sugar’ drinks? Well that’s what they are – no ADDED sugar. They still have sugar in but no more added so the same rules tend to apply.

Fizzy pop? If you read this column regularly I don’t think you need me to answer that.

One of the issues many people have is drinking enough. Clients tell me they struggle to get the drinks in. If you hardly drink at all, which a surprising large number of people don’t, then there is no way you will start drinking enough overnight.

You will need to gradually increase the amount you drink. This gets you into good habits and allows your bladder to adjust so you don’t spend half your day in the bathroom.

To increase the amount of water you drink I suggest to my clients that they employ the following strategies, which seem to work:

• Always have a water bottle in the car and at work

• Drink water with meals rather than tea or coffee

• When having a cup of tea/coffee have a small glass of water before this will result in you drinking less of the tea/coffee and eventually replace it

• Drink extra during exercise

• Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning.

Over time these little tricks will ensure you drink enough water and you WILL feel the benefits.

Always remember that water you drink during exercise needs to be on top of your daily intake. And if you’re trying to lose body fat/weight, you will find it hard if you’re not hydrated enough!