How, And Why, To Drink 2 Litres Of Water A Day

When we start working on a client’s nutrition, the first thing we do is check if they currently drink 2 litres of water every day.

‘Drink 2 litres of water a day’ is advice most people have heard at some stage, yet most people fall far short of this recommendation, with some nasty consequences.

The truth is, some people need less than 2 litres a day, and some people need more than 2 litres. Bodyweight, activity levels, age, medical conditions, and many other factors, can all affect how much water you need to take in.

Drinking 2 litres a day is plenty to ensure that most healthy people stay hydrated, is a very achievable target to hit, and is very easy to measure and track.

From experience, it’s also 1-2 litres more than most people are currently drinking, and is therefore one of  the quickest wins when trying to improve a clients nutritional habits. 

What are the benefits of getting hydrated?  

There are many, including: 

• Lubricating joints so they move better
• Helps transport nutrients & oxygen around the body- super important if you’re serious about long-term health
• Regulates body temperature so you don’t overheat
• Keeps you fuller for longer so you’re less likely to snack on calorie rich, nutrient poor junk foods
• Boosts energy levels
• Increased mental clarity and ability to focus
• Improved productivity and decision making at work and in your personal life
• Improves performance in the gym and in your sport

Drinking 2 liters of water everyday his enough to avoid dehydration for most healthy people, which can have a massive negative impact on your body, and quality of life in general.

Living in a constant state of dehydration can cause:

• Excessive thirst- which often gets quenched with sugar-laden fizzy drinks, alcohol and juices
• Dry skin which can rob you of your good look and vibrant complexion!
• Fatigue and weakness that make it a struggle to get out of bed, exercise, commit to your hobbies, and fully enjoy many other aspects of life
• Increased body temperature 
• Muscle cramping- I’ve never met anyone who has said “I got a lovely cramp last night!”. Cramps are nasty so lets do everything we can to avoid them.
• Headaches & migraines that can stop you in your tracks from doing the things you love in life. They can also massively affect your quality of work, enthusiasm for family activities, memory, and much more

A quick rule-of-thumb to check if you’re adequately hydrated or not, is to monitor the colour of your urine. Ideally, your urine should be a colourless to light-yellow colour. The darker it is, the more dehydrated you are. 

Note: Some medications and supplements, such as multi-vitamins, can discolour your urine even if you are fully hydrated, so be sure to keep this in mind.

Tips for hitting your 2 litres a day?

Here are our favorite tips on getting started on drinking 2 liters of water everyday until it becomes 2nd nature: 

• Drink 500ml of water first thing in the morning
  
• Have a glass of water with each meal throughout the day
  
• Keep a water bottle on your work desk and in your car
• Fill a 2-liter bottle of water every night so it’s ready to bring with you the next day
  
• Add some flavor to you water if you find it too boring on it’s own, slice of lemon or few chopped berries
• Drink an extra 500ml during your workouts
  
• Increase an extra 500ml+ during hot summer days
• Set a reminder on your phone at the start and middle of everyday to make sure your on top of your water habit
• Add in 1-2 cups of green or white tea. These are a great option when in restaurants, meeting a friend, etc.

 What to avoid: 

• Drinking too much too soon. If you’ve been drinking very little or not water, build up to 2 liters a day over the course of 1-2 weeks
  
• don’t start drinking your 2 litres too late in the day. Start drinking when you wake up and finish 2 hours before bed- you don’t want to be up all night running to the bathroom!
• Avoid drinking lots of coffee throughout the day in an attempt to hit your 2 litre target.
• Avoid sugar laden drinks such as juices, fizzy drinks and…….. 5 cups of tea with 2 sugars in each one!!

If you fall off the band wagon any day, and fail to hit your 2 litre target, just jump back into it the next day. One little slip isn’t be a big issue, but 3 or 4 is so don’t use this as an excuse not to drink water for several days- Steve said it was ok!!

Staying hydrated should be your number one priority at the start as it massively impacts every area of your life. Commit to it until it becomes second nature to you and never look back.

ARE YOU DRINKING YOUR 2 LITERS OF WATER EVERYDAY?

If not, get started today with some of these tips above and watch your quality of life improve in just a few short days.