Drinks

Drink at least 8-10 glasses of fluid a day.

In order for your body to function properly it needs to be well hydrated.

• The best drink to keep yourself hydrated is water. Aim to drink at least 5 glasses of plain water a day (can be flavoured with slices of lemon or lime and/or mint leaves).
• Herbal teas are another great source of hydration and can be consumed without restriction (read the labels as some do contain sugars or sweeteners – try to avoid herbal teas that contain those, there are plenty to choose from)
• 1-2 glasses of low fat milk per day are acceptable.
• Tea and coffee is okay.
• Minimise your intake of fruit juices and smoothies to 150ml a day because they contain a lot of natural sugar.
• Try to avoid non-diet cordials, soft drinks (fizzy drinks), fruit juices that are not 100% fruit and energy drinks because of their very high sugar content. Even the diet variations of these drinks are not ideal because of the artificial sweeteners that are used to replace the sugar in the non-diet versions.
• Alcoholic beverages do not provide you with hydration; the alcohol acts as a diuretic, which causes your body to lose more fluid than you consume through excessive urination, leading to dehydration. There is also a very high amount of sugar in most alcoholic beverages. This along with many other detrimental health benefits associated with alcohol consumption means you should keep it to a minimum. When you do drink alcohol, drink one glass of water before you start drinking alcohol and have a glass of water after every alcoholic beverage you consume. The recommended maximum alcohol intake recommendations are:
  • 2 standard drinks a day for women and no more than 10 standard drinks a week
  • 3 standard drinks a day for men and no more than 15 standard drinks a week.