We’re with Cristiano Ronaldo – there’s nothing better than water

As Cristiano Ronaldo urges people to drink water and pushes Coca Cola aside, here’s some of the many reasons to hydrate with water.

Euro 2020 Preview Package (PA Wire)

Cristiano Ronaldo has made it very clear his ideal drink isn’t a nice cold beer and especially not an icy Coke, but a long, cool glass of water.

At a press conference before Portugal’s first Euros match against Hungary the football star removed two bottles of Coca Cola – a sponsor of Euro 2020 – from in front of him, and said in Portuguese: “Drink water!” He then grabbed his own water bottle and kept it with him throughout the interview.

We all know water is the best way to stay hydrated, but for many people – although clearly not Ronaldo – it’s a bit, well, boring. The NHS recommends we drink six to eight glasses of fluids a day – preferably water, or if not, then lower fat milk and sugar-free drinks, including tea and coffee.

So why should you drink water? Water makes up two-thirds of our body, so common sense dictates that drinking the pure stuff should be high up on the daily to do list. The NHS points out that good hydration can help prevent many health problems including urinary tract infections, headaches, constipation, dizziness and kidney stones.

Part of the reason why water is good for your health is because it helps flush away toxins, excess sugar and salt from the body when we urinate. Plus, it’s free as well as healthy – what’s not to like about that? It also contains no calories at all, and no sugar either, so it won’t damage your teeth.

There’s plenty of different varieties, so if you don’t fancy plain old water, you could try sparkling, or a flavoured water with no added sugar. Alternatively, add a slice of lemon or lime to plain water to jazz it up a bit.

Don’t forget it’s great for your skin – it keeps it hydrated, flushes away toxins and helps helps maximise your physical performance – which could be one of the reasons Ronaldo’s such a big water fan. It’s particularly important when you’re exercising hard or it’s hot. So, move over fizz – we’re all about the H20.