In the summer it's easy to stay hydrated, you don't really need much of a reminder to have a glass of water; but when the temperature starts to fall our thirst takes dips as well; so keep an eye on your water intake! In the autumn and winter months many of us can go all day without even thinking about drinking water purely because we don_t sweat as much and, therefore, don_t feel thirsty. But not taking on liquids is very unhealthy because the change in seasons makes very little difference in how much water the body needs. When the mercury drops we tend eat more, which is thought to be down to our animal instinct to fuel up in order to survive cold weather; and to hasten the process of digestion water is needed by the body. By not drinking the right amount of water, digestive problems such as constipation can occur. And water is also needed to keep the skin supple, soft and moisturised during the winter months when there isn't as much moisture in the air. The amount of water you need to drink varies; for men it's around eight to 10 (200ml) glasses a day, and for women about six to eight. If you're planning to exercise after work then it makes sense to drink more during the day, so aim for a total of 10 to 14 glasses for men and eight to 12 for women. You might find it isn't always easy to drink just water all the time so try to stay hydrated in other ways by, for example, drinking herbal tea. These are rich in antioxidants and some of the more popular flavours are ginger, lemon, cinnamon, fennel and peppermint. You could also try a bowl of clear soup before each meal which will, not only, fill you up and provide nutrition but also increase the water content in your body.