The myth of eight glasses of water a day ðŸ§
Keep an eye on your hydration levels by looking at the colour of your pee (and your gut will thank you for it)
A quick book update!
Yesterday my publishing team at Penguin couriered over a copy of my book, Genius Gut!
This is the first time I’ve seen the finished book in the flesh, it stirred up a lot of emotions, and yes - I might have had a little (happy!) cry after!
The countdown has officially started, with only one month to go. Genius Gut is out 25th July and it’s coming up fast.
(UK only, but soon Netherlands, China, Russia, Spain, Greece, and more).
The very first page says ‘This is for you’.
Because really what I’m most excited about is for you to read it. That’s why I wrote Genius Gut, so you have a go-to guide on how to feel amazing through your gut-brain connection.
So that you know what to eat, how to eat, and to answer all your gut health questions.
It’s a simple breakdown of the very latest gut-brain science (with 300+ references), brimming with advice and tips that won’t break the bank, to transform your gut microbiome for your mood, cognition, and overall well-being.
I want to say a huge heartfelt thank you to those of you who’ve pre-ordered the book already, I’m amazed by how many we’ve had - it’s wonderful. It’s a great signal to book stores to order in Genius Gut, so we can spread the word on the gut-brain connection. It means a lot!
The myth of eight glasses of water a day
Many experts recommend eight glasses of water a day, and while this can be a useful guide similar to the advice to walk 10,000 steps a day, it’s not actually based on any real evidence.
We each have different fluid needs based on the sizes of our bodies, and your own needs can change day to day too - depending on how hot the weather is, how much salty food you’ve eaten, and how much exercise you’ve done.
On average most people drink only half a litre of water a day and over 65 percent of us are chronically under-hydrated. And this is even more important on hot sunny days.
So what is optimal hydration?
The easiest way to know if you’re hydrated, or not, is to look at the colour of your pee.
Drinking too much: Completely clear pee
Hydrated: colour of translucent pale lemonade
Need to drink more: dark yellow/concentrated apple juice colour/darker
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb4171750-ae45-442a-8fad-36420fc7b59c_1000x482.avif)
You don’t have to hydrate by only drinking water; coffee and tea count too. You can add herbal teas to cold iced water rather than hot for a cool flavoured drink.
And try flavouring your water with slices of cucumber, lemon, and herbs like mint and basil.
Your gut microbes care too
Your brain is one of the quickest organs to suffer when you’re dehydrated, with just a 2% loss in hydration making you feel tired, sluggish, and struggling to focus.
Your gut, and gut bacteria, care how hydrated you are too.
Staying hydrated helps to keep the food passing through your gut nice and soft, making it easier to have regular bowel movements.
For your gut bacteria, this means they have more ready access to ‘new’ food rather than having the same meal hanging around for too long.
Chat soon, Emily xx