Watching The World Cup? What Are You Drinking?

It's World Cup time!  Knocking back a few pints with your mates as you watch the world's best teams (and England) bid for glory, and commiserating with their misfortunes – has anyone *not* seen Green's slippery hands that allowed the US to equalise, and the non-event that was the Algeria game? There's nothing wrong with having a few pints during the match but perhaps they should be pints of water and not beer...

World Cup water

Keeping hydrated is a must at any time but it's even more important if you've become a temporary couch potato. Alcohol and crisps (typical footie-watching fare) can leave you dehydrated but you can lessen the effects and keep yourself healthy by taking some healthy swigs of drinking water at intervals during the day. It's a great way to flush out toxins and keep our bodies ticking over. Sitting on the sofa for hours on end could lead to backache and headaches, but drinking plenty of water can lessen the effects of dehydration. Joints and muscles will be kept lubricated too, just in case you need to spring up and run round the lounge shouting "Gooo-ooo-oal!"

Hydration for health

With three matches a day in the opening stages, anyone would get tired. Adrenaline only carries you so far, especially if England aren't playing. The good news is that water relieves fatigue, so drinking water while you watch the football action will leave you less tired at the end of the day. If you feel healthy you'll probably be in a good mood, whatever the result. If you're lucky enough to have the football on at work, it's all the more important that you drink water and stay hydrated so that you can't keep your concentration levels high. That means you can continue to work productively without phasing out into watching the football! So, how much water should you drink while you're watching the World Cup? It's back to those pints again. Many experts recommend a couple of litres a day (that's between three and four pints) to get the best health benefits.