TRUE or FALSE

How much do you know about staying hydrated this summer?

1 You must drink eight glasses of water a day - more in summer  True  False 2 Hot drinks count towards your water intake  True  False 3 There’s no such thing as drinking too much water  True  False 4 If you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated.  True  False 5 Bottled water is better for you than tap water.  True  False 6 If your urine is clear, you’re hydrated enough.  True  False

the healthiest ways to hydrate as it has no calories or sugar. In hotter conditions, you may require more.

2 TRUE Drinking tea and coffee counts towards your daily water intake. If the drinks are caffeinated or have sugar added, then limiting intake to around three or four cups a day is usually fine. Try hot water with a slice of lemon as an alternative. 3 FALSE It is possible to reach a state of over hydration. This happens if you consume high quantities of fluid in a very short period of time. In extreme cases this can cause a condition known as hyponatremia, but this is very rare. 4 TRUE Thirst is one of the indicators of hydration status. However, it should be recognised that age and whether we are healthy can

affect how much we can rely on thirst. Other indicators of dehydration include constipation, dark coloured urine, a dry, sticky mouth and tiredness.

5 FALSE Both provide healthy hydration. However, bottled wateroffers a choice of naturally sourced waters, which aren’t chemically treated, in both still and sparkling varieties. It can also be a handy way to keep hydrated when you are at work or on the move. 6 (PROBABLY) TRUE As a general rule of thumb, if you are healthy and wellhydrated, your urine will tend to be straw-coloured, and becomes progressively darker the more dehydrated we become. Urine that is dark brown in colour can indicate severe dehydration.