This is a tough one. There’s nothing quite as refreshing as drinking a tall glass of water, but there’s much more to water than meets the eye—or dry mouth.

We can find countless reports from many sources as to what we should be drinking on a daily basis - everything from eight glasses a day to half your bodyweight.

Now if I drank half my bodyweight, I would most likely drown!

There is a really easy way to know if you are drinking enough. Before you flush, have a little look.

So if your urine is the colour of a glass of water, clear, then you’re probably drinking a little too much. It means that what you are taking in, is being filtered straight back out.

The purpose of urine is to actually filter that bad stuff. So if you are taking the clear stuff back out, you’re filtering it straight through. You're actually wanting a bit of colour.

However, if your urine is the colour of olive oil, a dark yellow and has a bit of an odour, you’re probably not drinking enough.

And in the same sense the colour of a banana, still a bit on the yellow side, drink a bit more.

There is an exception though, and that being if you are taking a vitamin B supplement. They will turn your urine a really bright yellow. So make sure you know how your medications will affect the colour.

Ideally, your urine should be the colour of melon skin, a pale yellow.

When in doubt, listen to your body. Studies show that humans feel thirst before any negative effects of dehydration begin. So when you’re thirsty, drink up! 🚰

Nicola Robertson

Registered Physiotherapist

How much water should we really drink?

This is a tough one. There’s nothing quite as refreshing as drinking a tall glass of water, but there’s much more to water than meets the eye—or dry mouth.

When in doubt, listen to your body. Studies show that humans feel thirst before any negative effects of dehydration begin. So when you’re thirsty, drink up! 🚰