Drinking enough fluids Me pēhea e mākona ai

You need about 8 to 10 cups (2 to 2.5 litres) of fluid each day to keep your body working properly.

If you do not drink enough, you can get dehydrated. This can cause:

• headaches
• tiredness
• poor concentration.

It also increases your chances of having hard poos (constipation) or kidney stones.

Healthy fluids you should be drinking include:

• water— try to make at least half your fluid intake plain water
• milk or milky drinks, such as smoothies made with fruit, yoghurt and milk
• tea and coffee — limit to 5 cups a day or less, as these drinks can make you wee
• herbal or fruit teas
• soup
• custard
• fermented drinks such as kombucha and kefir.

Limit drinks that are high in calories and low in nutrition. These include:

• fizzy drinks, cordial and soft drinks
• fruit juice and fruit drinks
• sports drinks
• energy drinks
• tea and coffee with added sugar
• alcohol.

Diet drinks, while low in sugar and calories, are acidic and can damage your teeth. They have also been linked to increased risk of weight gain, diabetes and heart disease.

The easiest way to see if you are drinking enough is to check the colour and amount of your wee.

It should be almost clear, and there should be plenty of it. If your wee is dark yellow, you are not drinking enough.

You may need extra fluid if:

• the weather is hot and humid
• you are doing a lot of physical activity
• you have hard poos or have runny poos (diarrhoea)
• you are breastfeeding.

Some foods, medications and vitamin supplements may change the colour of your wee even if you are hydrated.

• Have a drinking routine. Drink a glass of water with every meal and snack.
• If you are going to be out for the day, take a water bottle with you.
• If you do not like tap water, try mineral water (still or sparkling). You can also flavour water with lemon slices, mint leaves or a little lime cordial.
• If you take medications, take them with a full glass of water.
• Use mugs for hot drinks. Mugs hold more than cups.
• You get water from the vegetables and fruit you eat. Choose plenty of these foods each day.
• Other foods have a lot of fluid, such as soup, yoghurt and custard. You can count these as part of your fluid intake.
• When you are at a restaurant, always order water for the table.

If you need to wee often or if you have loss of bladder control (incontinence), you should:

• limit alcohol and drinks with caffeine such as coffee, tea, energy drinks and cola drinks — these can irritate your bladder and make you wee more
• try not to drink for a few hours before you go to bed
• drink 6 to 8 cups of fluid a day — many people with urinary incontinence try not to drink fluids, but this only worsens incontinence because it lowers your bladder's ability to hold fluid
• try to only go to the toilet when you feel the urge — going 'just in case' can also lower your bladder's ability to hold fluid
• try to empty your bladder as much as possible and take your time when you wee.

Talk to your healthcare provider for more advice.