- You're supposed to drink six to eight glasses of water every day.
- If you've lost count, there is an easy skin test you can do to determine if you're hydrated.
- Pinch the skin on the back of your hand for a few seconds.
- If the skin immediately returns to normal, you're fine. If it doesn't, you need to drink some water.
It's easy to forget to drink enough water, but now that summer is approaching, it's especially important that we keep our bodies hydrated. If you don't drink enough, you can get headaches, feel nauseated, and find it hard to concentrate.
The NHS recommends six to eight glasses of water daily, but you may lose track with everything else that goes on in your life. Thanks to Medicine Plus, there is a simple skin test you can do to determine whether you're hydrated enough.
It relies on "skin turgor," which is your skin's elasticity, or how easily it changes shape and returns to normal when pulled or pressed. Skin with normal turgor should be able to snap back very quickly.
You can test your skin turgor if you pinch the skin on the back of your hand for a few seconds. If it immediately returns to normal, you are hydrated enough; if it doesn't, you need to drink more water.
Ali Webster, a dietitian from the International Food Information Council Foundation, told Business Insider that you can get your six to eight glasses of water a day from tea and coffee if that's what you drink — it won't dehydrate you.
Caffeine does have a diuretic effect, but it's minimal in comparison to the benefits of hydration you're getting by drinking the water in tea and coffee.
Juices, smoothies, and soda all contribute to your daily hydration, too, but be wary as they contain a lot of sugar.
Credit: Business Insider