How much water should we drink?

As well as drinking water and other drinks (eg. juice, tea), we get much of the water that we need from food. Many fruits and vegetables are up to 90% water, and most food contains some water.

How much water we need depends on several things, including the weather, what we are doing and how healthy we are.

• If you are healthy, thirst is a good guide to when and how much you need to drink.
  • Being thirsty is a sign of needing a drink, not of dehydration.
  • If you are able to get drinks when you feel thirsty, and if you are well (you are not vomiting or do not have bad diarrhoea) you will not get dehydrated.
• More drinks will be needed if you are exercising.
• Water is much better than juices and soft drinks.
  • The high sugar content in these drinks can damage your teeth and cause you to put on weight.
  • Juices and soft drinks can interfere with your appetite so you may not get all the nutrients you need.

Some recommendations suggest that an adult needs to drink 2 litres of water and other fluids a day, but there does not seem to be much evidence that you need that much. If you drink more than you need to stop that thirsty feeling, you will just make more urine and be making lots of trips to the bathroom – 6 or 8 drinks (around 200mls at a time) of water or other fluids (tea, coffee, soft drinks) a day is probably all that is needed unless the temperature is very hot, or you are playing strenuous sport or doing hard physical work.

Myth buster 1

You do not need to drink a lot of water to ‘flush’ toxins out of your body. Your kidneys are flushing chemicals out of your blood all of the time without the need for a lot of extra water.

Chamomile as a Sleep Aid

Chamomile (Matricaria camomilla) is a common flowering plant that is indigenous to various parts of central and southern Europe (Germany, Croatia, Italy, Hungary, and Slovakia), and northwestern Asia.

Chamomile is now widely cultivated in the United States, Australia, Argentina, Egypt, and northern Africa. The dried leaves and flowers are commonly packaged as a tea and can be purchased over the counter in both bagged and loose form.

Chamomile has been used throughout the ages as a very effective sleep aid. It has been administered in a variety of ways including being brewed as a tea and used in a sachet placed underneath a pillow.

Unlike some herbal sleep remedies, chamomile does not have to be used on a regular basis to be effective as a treatment for insomnia. It can be used on the spot to provide quick relief for sleeplessness and anxiety.

Chamomile tea, which is made from the dried flowers and leaves of this common plant, is most effective when sipped a half an hour to forty-five minutes before going to bed.

It has been found that chamomile can be especially helpful in relieving the symptoms of mild insomnia (a.k.a. transient insomnia).

Chrysin, a flavonoid component of Chamomile, is the chemical attributed to Chamomile’s ability to relieve anxiety and promote sleep.

Chrysin can also be found in Passionflower (Passiflora incarnatus), another plant that has been found to be effective in the treatment of insomnia and anxiety.

Chamomile is also known to reduce the histamine-based swelling produced by allergic reactions, and is an excellent solution when congested sinuses or food allergies contribute to sleeplessness.

It should be noted that it is not uncommon for Hay fever sufferers who exhibit an allergic reaction to ragweed and its close botanical relatives (such as chrysanthemum and aster) to have a similar reaction to chamomile.

Chamomile Tea Recipe (One serving)
Ingredients:
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp. dried chamomile flowers
• lemon juice
• honey

Preparation:
First, bring the water to the boil in a saucepan. Add the dried chamomile flowers to the water (either directly or using a tea infuser) and boil for thirty to forty-five seconds with the lid on. Remove tea from the heat and let the flowers steep for another minute. The loose flowers can then be removed from the tea using a strainer. Served with honey and a little lemon juice, this tea is a tasty way to unwind after a busy day and its calming properties usually begin to take effect within a half hour of drinking a cup. For added sedative effect, substitute a few leaves of Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) for the lemon juice.