In climates such as in the UK, we should drink about 6 to 8 glasses (1.2 litres) of water, or other fluids, every day to stop us getting dehydrated.
A unit is half a pint of standard strength (3 to 5% abv) beer, lager or cider, or a pub measure of spirit. A glass of wine is about 2 units and alcopops are about 1.5 units. For good health, it is a good idea to spread your drinking throughout the week and avoid binge drinking.
Drinking heavily over a long period of time can damage the liver.
When the weather is warm or when we get active, our bodies need more than this. But avoid drinking soft and fizzy drinks that are high in added sugar.
Alcohol
There is nothing wrong with the occasional drink. But drinking too much can cause problems. Alcohol is also high in calories so cutting down could help you control your weight. Women can drink up to 2 or 3 units a day and men 3 to 4 units a day without significant risk to their health.
SALTS
Do you know how much salt you consume as part of your daily diet?
SUGARS
Sugars can occur naturally in food and they can be added to food.
FATS
To stay healthy we also need some fat in our diets. What is important is the kind of fat we are eating.