Time to #EnjoyMoreWater

Water, water everywhere and more than enough to drink. As we looked out on the old Victorian reservoirs that form the location of the London Wetland Centre the rain kept coming down. For most of us though the amount of water we drink on a daily basis is simply not enough.

I have to admit I don't drink very much during the day. I drink at set times and inbetween it's not something I think about. On hand during our day at the London Wetland Centre was independent nutritionist Helen Bond who has been working with Robinsons to help us understand the importance of hydration.

Water is the key to life. Without drinking we would be dead within a couple of days. A scary thought but with us in the UK having the luxury of clean drinking everywhere there is no excuse not to get enough. Astonishingly the majority of the human body is made up of water. In men around 60% of the body is water, for females it is between 50-55% and in babies this is as high as 75%.

As the weather gets warmer we can feel ourselves getting thirstier but water isn't just just for that immediate thirst quencher. It has a role to play in most chemical reactions in the body. Water makes up around 75% of our brains so even slight dehydration can have a noticeable effect on our concentration levels as well as other functions.

Many people are happy drinking nothing but water throughout the day but I for one find it quite boring unless I am very thirsty. Keeping hydrated isn't just about drinking pure water as our liquid intake can come from many sources. Water is the main ingredient in all beverages so you can have a wide variety of drinks. There are pros and cons for each type of drink you can consume. Pure water may hydrate in normal circumstances but may not be sufficient after intense exercise. Tea and coffee all contribute to your water intake but be careful on the caffeine intake.

One of the main concerns for people surrounding drinks these days is the sugar content. Fizzy drinks and fruit juice may taste nice but if drunk on a regular basis can contribute to dental caries and enamel erosion. The British Dental Health Foundation have stated that after water and milk the next best alternative is diluted, no added sugar fruit squash. The Robinsons no added sugar range now contains eleven flavours such as Orange, Apple and Blackcurrant plus also Pineapple, Mango and Passionfruit. The range has been reformulated so the majority of flavours have had aspartame removed from them.

Of course the final big question is how much should we be drinking? Water can be found in both food and drink and it is suggested that around 80% of your water intake should come from drinks. According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) women should be aiming for 1600ml from drinks alone and men 2000ml. This equates to around 8-10 250ml glasses. For children the levels are lower with around 1280ml for ages 4-8. For the older tweens this rises to 1680ml for boys aged 9-13 years and 1520ml for girls of the same age. I think it's now time to go and top up those levels.

Do you drink enough water during the day? What's your favourite daily drink?

We were guests of Robinsons at the London Wetland Centre for the day as part of their #EnjoyMoreWater campaign.