Hydration Rules: The 4 Facts & Myths You Need To Know About Water

There is nothing on earth as simple as a glass of water. And yet our habits and understanding of H2O are a bit murky. Some of us still stubbornly resist hydration, even though it could ease some of our daily worries. Others drink water based on outdated advice. That’s why we decided to create the hydration rules: a few simple and effective practices to get you drinking more water.

The hydration rules start with awareness. If we truly understood how fundamental water is physically, mentally and emotionally, we would stop holding back the river and befriend the tap. It’s also about making hydration easier, and that’s where Twinings Cold Infuse™ cold water enhancers come in. Because when your water is infused with subtle herbal and fruit flavours like Watermelon & Mint, drinking water no longer feels like a chore.

Getting into the habit of hydrating is the first thing you can do for your well-being, so let’s take it one rule at a time.

Rule: How much water should you drink each day? This is different for everyone.
While drinking eight glasses of water a day won’t hurt you, there’s no specific science behind this age-old recommendation. So where does this myth come from? It is thought to have originated from a report published by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council in 1945… In other words, it is time to update our thinking.

The modern approach: There is no single formula for determining the amount of H2O needed for ideal hydration. Instead, listen to your body’s thirst signals and drink accordingly. More officially, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine estimates that men should drink about 15.5 cups of water per day and women about 11.5 cups. If that sounds like a lot of water, it is. But achieving this goal is significantly easier with Twinings Cold Infuse™ flavor enhancers. Simply drop a Strawberry & Lemon infuser into your water bottle and enjoy the excitement of flavored water without any sweet ingredients.

Rule: The best time to drink water is throughout the day.
There is a lot of talk about the importance of hydrating first thing in the morning. But studies have shown that drinking water in the morning has no specific effect on our overall hydration level. Instead, we should hydrate regularly throughout the day. The different flavours of Twinings Cold Infuse™ are an easy way to do this. Set a goal to try two flavours in one day, such as lemon and ginger and peach and passion fruit (that’s already two bottles of water!), and sip them throughout the day and when you’re on the go. The mouth-watering flavours will keep you coming back for more.

Rule: Don’t drink too much water.

Yes, it’s possible – and it’s called hyponatremia, which means “low blood salt”. Drinking too much water in a short space of time causes the concentration of sodium in our blood to drop to dangerously low levels. As our kidneys cannot remove water from our body quickly enough, the excess water dilutes our blood and makes our cells swell. This is also known as “water intoxication”, and symptoms include headaches, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and mental fog. Instead of gulping down your bottle of water, sip water throughout the day to get the most out of hydration.

Rule: Drink water when you are thirsty – your body is talking to you.
The key to staying on top of hydration is to listen to your body’s thirst signals. Scientifically, thirst is caused by an increase in plasma osmolality (the balance between water and electrolytes in the body) as low as 2%. According to the experts, we are not technically “dehydrated” until we have lost 3% or more of our body weight (or a 5% increase in plasma osmolality), but thirst indicates that we are heading in that direction. So keep a reusable water bottle handy, and when you feel thirsty, take a break and make water a priority. Trust us, this won’t be hard to do if you have Twinings Cold Infuse™ Blueberry & Apple nearby.

The bottom line: Listen to your body!
One thing we forget in a chaotic and hyper-stimulated world: Our body is constantly talking to us. It sends us signals and clues about what it needs most. Tired? You probably need to lie down. Hungry? Time for a sandwich. Thirsty? Pour a glass of water and drop in your favourite Twinings Cold Infuse™ flavour enhancer. The rules of hydration are not complex: Drink more water throughout the day, not too much, and make it a pleasure! Listen to your body and let the H2O flow.