Water consumption, is it generational?

I remember hearing an interview with Mary Rand, the runner. She was saying that back in her day there was not this fixation with drinking water and "hydrating". But then again, sportspeople even smoked back in the 60s!

I've never got into the habit, personally, and it's too late now to start overtaxing my 70-year-old bladder.

Same here JackyB though my bladder is a little older than yours!

(I've just checked: Mary was a long jump champion and pentathlete, not primarily a runner. Sorry.)

Whilst I dont think you need to get uptight by lack of a bottle, (there is usually a tap close by) I think it is good to drink a fair amount of water a day. We as children used to usually drink only with meals or if we got thirsty, but made no problem about it, but I think we would have been better to have drunk more water. i think you could look up and see what is a good amount to drink for an adult and check it against what you drink now

You see all these youngsters carrying a bottle of water. Perhaps I should too. I don’t drink enough liquids and as I’ve got older, I notice my bowel habits are changing. It might be age, on the other hand, it could be due to dehydration.

I believe that in order to keep hydrated and to keep your kidneys functioning you should drink plenty of fluid.

I come from a water drinking family who always drank with food (usually water) and I brought my children up to do the same. My GCs all take water bottles to school.

My MIL never drank water and thought it odd that I needed water with meals. However, I think she kept hydrated by drinking endless cups of tea between meals. Anyway, she lived well into her 80s.

I think previous generations drank a lot more tea? Certainly my grandparents did, they had big teapots with cozies on, and seemed to me as a child to drink cup after cup.

People need about 2 litres of fluid a day but that can come from water in food, milk, tea and coffee and other drinks. As a child, I don’t recall drinking much plain water but lots of milk and cordial. The adults drank a lot of tea and Camp coffee. My gran swore by a bottle of stout every day as well as copious amounts of tea.

I drink a large glass of plain tap water in the morning, a small glass of water with meals and a large glass before bedtime else I wake up up feeling very dry. I figure my body is absorbing it as I don't need to get up in the night. I take water with me when I go out walking and keep some handy when gardening. I know that if I become thirsty, a headache will often follow.

Years ago someone gave me a tip about headaches. Before taking a painkiller, think: Am I hungry or thirsty, too hot or too cold? Those things can be the cause of a headache so addressing those things can mean no painkiller is necessary after all.

My mother would never drink water, and the majority of residents in her care home were the same. To ensure enough fluids they gave them small glasses of weak squash several times a day, as well as the usual tea and coffee. Plus ‘watery’ foods such as soup, stewed fruit and custard, jelly and ice cream.

Don't forget that many people (most?) have central heating now.
Often our houses are quite dry.

I drink several large glasses/cups of tea, kefir or water a day now since having a kidney stone during covid.. That was a very big wakeup call.. and something I never want to experience again..

NotSpaghetti

Don't forget that many people (most?) have central heating now.
Often our houses are quite dry.

Oh get you showing off about being able to afford having the central heating on!
🤣🤣🤣🤣

I’m not a water drinker, never have been. In fact, the only cold drink I have is the odd glass of wine!
I often think the drinking of large amounts of water these days is simply habit - it’s what someone’s system gets used to. I’m rarely thirsty and force myself to have 4 cups of tea a day, plus a latte if I’m out. It concerns my SisinL when we’re on holiday, but really I’m fine.

DGS1 has to take a water/squash bottle to school.

I always carry a bottle with me having been on a train journey with a friend who had a fit of coughing and no water between us. I really thought she was going to choke. So we are never without.
Another good friend used to say "I never need water".... but then would drink mine when out for the day!!
I drink a large glass of warmish water every morning when I wake up. It makes me feel better.

I love the word ‘hydropot’.
It means water drinker.

If you felt ‘panicked’ by not having your wattle bottle by your side I’d say it’s become a habit. Constant ‘sipping’.

The program the doc put me on said to drink at least 5 glasses of water per day, but there was no indication of what size the glass should be.
I remember a Doc Martin program where he told (I think it was his aunt) about the need to keep hydrated for your brain’s sake. Dehydration could cause symptoms that could be mistaken for dementia.

I've never drunk much water, except when in a hot climate when I can drink liters! I drink enough liquid to satisfy my thirst - 2 or 3 cups of coffee during the morning, a cup of tea after lunch, glass of wine with dinner and that's usually all for the day. OH is the same, except when on treatment for prostate cancer when he had to drink a lot of water before radiation therapy. One daughter always has a water bottle with her and blames all ills on not enough hydration.

Sister in law visited recently and drinks even less! She doesn't drink tea or coffee, hardly any plain water - prefers the fizzy sort, and not much of that. She's 65, has excellent skin and health - we were looking for the "senior" rate when visiting an attraction and she was asked for ID to prove her age. (OH and I weren't asked, but both over 70).

I think the constant water drinking is a fad - there may be times when you need more but mostly drinking to satisfy thirst is enough. Friend's mother never drank much - hated the taste of water but lived to her late 90s.

Sometimes I long for a glass of stone cold tap water like when I was little and had been out playing say; but somehow since mixer taps became a thing and now in a flat (with excellent water pressure) it does not come out the same. 🤗

I think that in this country and climate carrying water around all the time started as a fashion and is now almost an addiction.

We know more about body functioning these days. Kidneys are extremely important, heart/kidneys/lungs work in tandem, if one weakens then the others weaken and so the body starts to deteriorate

Thirst mechanism also reduces as we age, the natural process so drinking needs to be programmed into the psyche, unless we want to go along with keeping poisons within and hastening deterioration.

Thicker blood happens to those that don`t drink enough. You don`t need to be an athlete to lose water vapour, it comes out of our lungs every time we breathe out, this is yet another method of excretion and getting rid of waste products. How many have constipation because of lack of water? How many have poorly functioning membranes, including the protective mucus membranes in the entire gut

Carrying water around is good

Am I alone in associating the growth of the habit of carrying water around with the introduction of bottled spa water and the accompanying marketing?

We ensure that we stop for a drink of any sort at least every two hours plus water with meals and a glass of water is consumed during the night.

The mugs of tea or coffee are a good half pint. We also ensure that we consume a minimum of 5 a day water rich vegetables and fruit.

Very conscious of consuming sufficient fluids for reasons given in the constipation thread.

I do think that if you panic because you don’t have your water bottle with you, things have got a tad out of perspective😊

I drink a lot of liquid , including water , tea and coffee. Tea and coffee are only flavoured water after all.
Apparently insufficient hydration can cause kidney stones??
On that basis I'm unlikely to get kidney stones but I pee a lot!!
I seem to be becoming thirstier as I get older. I always take water out even on a short (1 hour) walk around a nearby lake where I live whereas when I previously used to walk my dog I took only water for him. I didn't seem to need it for myself.
Makes you think !😕😉😊