BUSINESS TIP: Water all-round

When sitting in an air-conditioned building all day and running to and from back to back meetings, you can forget that you need to keep your fluids up - an this doesn't mean coffee after coffee. Water is essential for the body - you go live longer without food than you can without water. It makes up about two-thirds of your body weight and is needed to transport nutrients around the body, absorb nutrients from food and remove waste products.

Water is continually being lost from the body in the form of perspiration, urine and through breathing. However, despite its importance, it's easy to forget that your body continually needs to be topped up with water. If you don't drink any water for an hour, your will be at least 1-2% dehydrated and this is enough to affect performance.

At least eight glasses of water needs to be consumed each day, and this figure will increase if you're active, living in top temperatures or are a big sweater.

Signs of dehydration include:
· Thirst
· Dry mouth, tongue and lips
· Dark coloured urine
· Reduced urine
· Dry, loose skin
· Muscle cramps and weakness
· Fatigue
· Headaches

It's important to keep an eye out for the above signs. If you are experiencing theses you may be dehydrated. Another way to determine if you are dehydrated is to look at the colour of your urine. If it is a deep dark yellow colour (as you'll have first thing in the morning), you are dehydrated. Ideally you want to have plain yellow or clear urine.

If you are someone who struggles to drink enough water each day, here's tips on how you can increase you intake and meet you needs.

Strategies for hydrating at work:
· Carry a water bottle with you at work.
· Have water bottles in convenient places at work.
· When you wake-up in the morning drink a glass of water when you brush your teeth.
· Every time you go to the toilet, drink a glass of water.
· Try drinking herbal teas, or adding fresh lemon or lime juice to water if you don’t like drinking plain water.
· At meetings always say yes to a glass of water.