Benefits of drinking water

Thousands have lived without love, not one without water

- W. H. Auden

It's that time of the year again when even mild dehydration can easily lead to headaches, exhaustion and irritability.

We have already had one of the hottest days on record this June and rumours abound that we are in for a truly scorching summer.

I am often asked why I always carry around a bottle of water and if it is really that important to drink so much water. The short answer is yes, and after reading this article I am sure you will agree with me.

My two sons won't go anywhere without a bottle of water, and although I have driven them crazy with my nagging about it since they were small children, I am happy to say it has become second nature for them now.

Mum, dad, grandma, the baby - we all need to drink more as the temperature rises and air-conditioners are switched on.

It is said the human body is made up of around 75 per cent water. Humans can live for many days, even weeks, without food but only a short time without water.

I believe that apart from oxygen, water is the most important thing you can consume, and food is of secondary importance.

If you are not drinking sufficient amounts of water then your body will be unable to receive maximum nutritional benefits regardless of what you eat.

I also believe that parents who don't ensure their children are properly hydrated (fizzy drinks don't count) are in my opinion guilty of child abuse. Why? Well, just continue reading and discovering what havoc even one per cent dehydration can wreak on your body and you will want to offer a glass of water to every child (and adult) you meet.

It is vital that we drink at least two litres of water a day to replace lost fluids, maintain good health and ward off disease.

Losing body fluids does not mean you have to be visibly sweating. By the time you have finished reading this article, your body may have lost up to a half pint of water through natural excretion.

On a cool winter's day, with minimal physical exertion, our bodies lose at least two litres of water a day. Now, imagine it is a typical 40C summer's day in Bahrain and it's easy to understand how simple it is to become dehydrated.

Take it a bit further and try to imagine how construction workers and others who work outside in such extreme conditions, struggle to remain hydrated and healthy.

Thirst is not an accurate indicator of dehydration, as by the time your brain registers thirst, you are already dehydrated.