The NHS recommends drinking at least six to eight glasses of fluid per day, but many people are drinking a lot less.
According to the NHS, a water deficiency can make you tired, dizzy or lightheaded – and it can also affect your skin elasticity.
To check whether you are drinking enough water, a simple skin test can check your body hydration – and it is backed by the National Library of Medicine.
Capable of determining whether you’ve consumed your recommended glasses of water or if you need to start chugging, you simply pinch the skin on the back of your hand with your thumb and index finger.
Hold for a few seconds and then let go. If the skin bounces back immediately, you are hydrated. If not, your skin’s turgor is telling you it needs some H2O.
According to the National Library of Medicine, skin turgor is the skin’s elasticity – or the ability of skin to “change shape and return to normal.”
Skin with normal turgor is capable of snapping back immediately – whereas skin with poor turgor can take time to return to its normal state.
Or, if you wanted to determine your hydration through a different route, the colour of your pee can be an accurate measurement.
If your pee is clear and smell-free, your water intake is right where it is supposed to be. But if your pee is dark yellow, or has a strong odour, you may want to grab your water bottle.
Recommended fluid intake can also include other beverages, but you have to be careful you aren’t overdoing it with sugar or calories.
Coffee and tea can help you get to your daily goal, along with fruit juices, although coffee can also be dehydrating and fruit juices or smoothies can have tons of hidden sugars, so make sure you check the contents before you start guzzling.
According to the NHS, your combined intake of fluid from fruit juice, vegetable juice, or smoothies should not exceed more than 150ml a day, or a small glass.
Additionally, drinking too much water can also be bad for your body.
Water intoxication is a well-documented symptom of consuming too much water and can be deadly, with symptoms including nausea, vomiting, headaches, and in some cases, brain swelling, confusion, seizures, coma, and death.
To avoid any risks associated with water, and to keep your skin and pee healthy, stick to the recommended six to eight fluid glasses a day.
This article was originally published in July 2018
