Winter water advice

As the days get cooler, we're more likely to have a lovely cup of tea than think of drinking water. We all know about avoiding dehydration in summer but it's just as important to drink water during the winter. Winter or summer you need to drink 2.5-3 litres of water. Since your body doesn't store the water you drink this is a daily requirement. Just as you put petrol in your car to keep the engine running, you put water in your body to keep your system running. Water is not just for cooling you down; it serves a lot of other purposes too.  Here's a quick reminder of some of the things water does in your body:

• it keeps your skin soft and youthful by supplying it with moisture
• it keeps your joints and muscles lubricated so they function effectively
• it flushes toxins out of your body, maintaining your health

It's even more important to keep hydrated if you're an active participant in winter sports. Skiing, skating, snowboarding and other strenuous winter activities can soon deplete your hydration levels, and cold, dry air at high altitudes won't help either. And let's not forget about winter heating - that can cause dry air and you can become dehydrated. So do yourself a favour.  Drink some water before you head to the slopes or visit your office water cooler before you join your colleagues at the ice rink. You'll be glad you did.