Is water bad for you?

I thought I would start today's blog on the subject of hydration, Without getting to gross one of the main ways I check whether I am hydrated is to check my urine, the colour of your pee is usually a good indicator of your hydration levels. If your pee is dark then this may not only indicate dehydration but may indicate something more serious. I have always believed that drinking a lot of liquid is generally good for you but a study from two scientists in Philadelhpia may suggest otherwise. Dr Dan Negoianu and Stanley Goldfarb from the university of Pennsylvania found no evidence that drinking 8 glasses of water a day had any health benefits, instead they found that those subjects who did drink 8 glasses of water in the day subsequently had lower levels of sodium in the blood which posed other health dangers.

The scientists went on to say that they were not implying that water was bad for you but that there was no evidence to suggest that increasing your water intake had any positive benefits either. The results have left me a little confused, I do drink a lot of fluids, mainly in the form of herbal tea and ale! I do supplement my fluid intake with mineral water but not daily, I also use milk as a way of hydrating my system when training. I suppose the old argument of moderation comes back into play, drinking too much water can be as unhealthy as being dehydrated and too much water can actually kill you however the body does need fluid so a happy medium is called for, whatever that may be!

For those who you who read my blog on Saturday you will know that I was planning to celebrate the life of a dear friend who died 10 years ago, but that didn't happen due to a phone call regarding another friends death. Andy Piper died tragically whilst on holiday in Spain. I have seen many of my friends pass away over the years and it highlights to me how short life is, you just don't know what is around the corner so you just have to live for each day. My thoughts are with Andy's friends and family at this awful time. picture below of Andy courtesy of the this is plmouth website.

I am off to watch one of my favourite events of the yeartonight, the British fireworks competition on Plymouth Hoe, this event is truly spectacular and has become an annual event bringing thousands of people onto Plymouth Hoe to watch the night sky lit up by thousands of amazing pyrotechnics.

You may want to check out Jo's blog for live pictures of her dancing in Egypt. Since her departure I have done about 20 hours of teaching and my shoulders and back are aching badly! No more staff holidays ever!

Stay Healthy,

Sam x