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If one of your New Year resolutions for 2019 is to start drinking 2 litres of water per day, you're definitely not going to be alone. 

A survey has revealed that only 18% of Irish people drink the recommended 2 litres of water per day.

The survey, carried out by Aldi in conjunction with their healthy food range, also showed that 36% of people only drink 1 litre or less on a daily basis.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommends a daily water intake of 1. 6 litres for women or 2.0 litres for men, who reside in a moderate climate and partake in normal physical activity – so Ireland if you walk around a lunchtime basically. 

Water is hugely important for the human body – and drinking lots of it has additional benefits such as helping to clear skin and kidney function. 

Carbonated drinks have long been a controversial option instead of water, but surprisingly, only 5% of people admitted to drinking a carbonated drink more than once per day, with 36% of people stating that they never drink carbonated or fizzy drinks.

12% admitted to having a least one per day, and the majority (47%) consume one or two per week.

If your resolution is to drink more water, here are some hints to get you started: 

1. Start the day off right
Keep a glass of water by your bedside locker or pour yourself one first thing before you begin your morning routine. It's an easy way to get more water in and it'll help wake you up too. Add a slice of lemon to help your body detox naturally and to aid digestion later in the day.

2. Keep it filled
Keeping a large bottle of water on your desk and refilling it every time it drops below a certain level is a surefire way to ensure you sip throughout the day. If you keep forgetting to bring a bottle or to keep one to hand, invest in a reusable bottle. Once you've shelled out a few quid, you'll be far less likely to lose or forget about it.

3. Make it tasty
A slice of lemon, a handful of mint leaves, some cucumber or even some ice cubes to cool it down are a great way to make your water fresher and easier to drink. If you want to get super fancy, freeze some strawberry, blueberry or raspberry pieces in water in an ice cube tray and add them to your glass. DELISH.

4. Get hydrated with your food
Certain foods have a higher water content than others and are a simple way to ensure your body is always getting the hydration it needs. Watermelon, celery, tomatoes, oranges and courgettes are good places to start.

5. Be wise with your other drink choices
High-caffeine options like coffee, tea and fizzy drinks are natural diuretics, meaning that in the long run your body will lose more water than it takes in. Swap that morning coffee for a glass of water, or sip some water before and after.

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The hosepipe ban just got serious. A warning has been issued regarding the water supply in greater Dublin area.

Irish Water has upped its attempt to conserve water as they caution usage.

“"We've about 70 days of usable water left,” said head of Irish Water, Jerry Grant.

That calculated number of days is in accordance with Dublin’s population of 1.6 million people.

Despite recent showers, there has been significantly less rainfall when compared to the previous three years.

According to Met Éireann, when averaged together, the last three years have seen 165 mm of rainfall recorded during the months of May, June, and July.

This year there was only 63.9 mm across the summer months, showing a significant water shortage problem.

"About the 10th or 12th of May, we had 150 days storage in Poulaphouca [Reservoir]. It's an enormous resource of water and it saves the city year in, year out.

“We used 80 days of that storage in 83 days. In other words, almost nothing was contributed to the storage in that period,” the head of Irish Water explained.

The hosepipe ban and water restrictions remain in place around the country.

It has also been reported that Ireland is the worst performer in western Europe for pipe leakage from water main pipes. It showed a measurement of 49% leakage across the country.

As a result, a leakage reduction project is underway in Hospital Co. Limerick.

The greater Dublin area has been urged to continue to conserve water as often as possible.

Check out these everyday steps one can take to save water around the house on Water.ie.

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Following the national hosepipe ban which came into effect on Friday, the Irish Independent reports that Irish Water has said it will take a number of days to gauge any difference it may have made. 

Irish water has said they expect the nationwide hosepipe ban will have improved improve water conservation, but that it was too soon to tell exactly how much at this point.

The national ban was due to remain in place until the end of July, but reports are saying that this could be extended further, depending on the amount of rain due to fall in the coming weeks. 

A high-level meeting of senior management will take place today to discuss if further restrictions are required with more updates expected this afternoon, according to Independent.ie. 

Irish Water said it is looking at the issue on a "day-to-day" basis with demand still at a critical level with high temperatures set to continue.

A national ban on using hosepipes for watering gardens, washing cars or filling paddling pools or ponds will help conserve the supplies we currently have.

Legally Irish water can introduce the ban under section 56 (16) of the Water Services Act 2007.

 

Anyone found ignoring the regulation could face a €125 fine. While most have complied with it so far, the utility reports around 40 complaints have been made so far of those not complying with it. 

Irish water has said they are "really grateful" to those that have complied with the ban so far and urged people to continue to do so. 

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Listen, we all know that water is a crucial part of our existence.

We try to drink enough, but nine times out of ten we’d rather chug a diet coke than a pint of aqua, right?

Anyway, have you ever genuinely looked into why we should drink water? Because holy shit, the benefits are endless.

Water is literally the elixir of life, adn we should really be getting a couple of litres a day (minimum)

Why though? Well allow me to hit you with some knowledge…

Energy levels

Have you ever found yourself absolutely exhausted in the afternoon, for literally no reason? Yes, same. WELL, you are probably dehydrated, and there is no tiredness quite like it. Our brains are made up of 90% water, so drinking it helps us think, focus and concentrate better and be more alert. As an added bonus, your energy levels are also boosted!

Prevents headaches 

So moving on from my point about our brains being made up of mostly water… a lack of H2O will probably result in a headache. Even if you are slightly dehydrated, your brain will start to get pissed off, and pain will ensue. Drink up, and avoid those headaches.

Clear skin

For fine young ladies like ourselves, this one will be particularly close to our hearts. It is a well known fact: clean drinking water will help improve your skin! Certain toxins in the body can cause the skin to inflame, which results in clogged pores and acne .Water does flush out these toxins and can reduce the risk of spots – magical news.

Hangover cure (yes, really)

We all know that hideous feeling when you wake up after a night out, and your mouth is so dry it almost hurts. Well, this is actually your body reacting the all the booze you drank the night before. When you eventually manage to haul your arse out of the bed, be sure to drink a few pints of water – your body will thank you!

Can aid weight loss

Honestly, I despise fad diets, and I just cannot get down with them at all! However, I can get down with the idea that water will aid weight loss, if you let it. Water can increase satiety and boost your metabolic rate, and ultimately water simply helps people feel full, and as a result consume fewer calories.

Needless to say, we should all drink up!

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There are few among us who don't – on some level – know that we should be drinking more water.

And while we may chug a litre before, during and after a work-out or drink it by the bucket-load when we're hungover, not all of us are as judicious when it comes to staying hydrated on a day-to-day basis.

If you respond well to limits and like to know when you're hitting a target, then it might be worth considering your water intake in relation to your body weight.

Here's what you need to do:

Establish your weight in lbs and divide that figure in half. This figure is the number of ounces of water you need to consume per day.

And since we work in litres here, you should know that there are 33 ounces to every litre.

It's also important to note that this calculation is based on the body at rest which means when you're sitting at your desk or pottering around your house, but it's a good starting point, right?
 

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If you have an early-morning flight it might be a bit too much to lash down the vino before 9am.

Therefore, you (begrudgingly) ask for a tea or coffee when the air hostess comes around.

airplane, airport, flying

However, anyone who has tasted coffee on an airplane will know that it's no barista style americano…

According to Travel & Leisure, the reason tea and coffee tastes so different (i.e. rank) on planes is because of the water they use – and it can't be avoided.

adult, beverage, blue

It's understandable that the water in the tanks on board isn't the purest, but the publication reports that "an EPA report found that 12 percent of commercial airplane water tested positive for coliform bacteria, which usually indicates other gut-rocking bugs like E.coli are present."

Ew.

Well, there's one more reason to stick to the prosecco when flying…

Oh, and while we have you; don't forget to have your say in the inaugural SHEmazing Awards this May! It's time to vote, and you can do it right here!

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We all know we should drink eight glasses of water a day, but in reality few of us manage to actually hit that target on the regular.

But if you knew your sex life would enjoy a boost based on your H2O consumption, you'd probably be more likely to drink up, right?

Well, according to those in the know. when you skimp on your water intake, you run the risk of a drier vagina which, unsurprisingly, makes for a less stimulating time in the bedroom.

"The skin of the vagina is susceptible to dryness if not taken care of properly," women's health expert, Sherry Ross, explained while speaking to Glamour magazine.

And while downing bottles of water will apparently do wonders for our sex life, we'd also do well to remember that no body part is less important than another when it comes to care and maintenance.

Using a comparison we should hope everyone already knows, she added: "A healthy vagina needs the same hygienic attention as any other part of the body, similar to the way we care for our face."

Well, you heard her, ladies. Drink up, and get down.

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We don't know why Justin Bieber stills insists on water drowning him while performing on stage – he's fallen on his face about three or four times now.

However, his latest mishap is the funniest one yet.

While taking to the stage in Jacksonville, Florida on Wednesday night, he fell flat on his ass yet again, but the reaction from his back-up dancers is something to covet.

Did they help him up? Scramble to hide the incident? …Nope. They just kicked water right in his face.

 

A video posted by Purpose Tour (@purposetourofficial) on

They did manage to help him get back on his feet again, but we think for his next tour he should just skip the slip-and-slide altogether.

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We love a great tasting menu just as much as the next person. You get the chance to try something you may not have tried before and discover new favourites. What's not to love, right?

But one coffee shop in Dublin has gone a bit overboard with their new tasting menu… and the Internet has gone into meltdown. 

3FE is fast becoming a coffee lover's favourite among the Dubs and last week it launched a new tasting menu for the adventurous coffee types out there who "want to take the time to have a more taste-orientated experience at 3FE."

But one item on the menu is causing major outrage. Water tasting. 

As you can see from the coffee shop's Instagram snap, it's four shots of water priced at €3.50. Which is a pretty hefty charge for water and customers are less than impressed. 

The Daily Edge contacted 3FE and spoke to Colin Harmon who told them: "What we're trying to achieve is an awareness of water and how it affects the taste of coffee. If you drink a cup of coffee, it's 98.5 percent water."

Colin also says that the quality of your water – whether it's hard or soft for example –  has a "massive effect on how the coffee extracts and how it tastes."

The water tasting menu includes bottled water, soft water, boiled water and 3FE's own water. They then want you to learn about which one makes the best coffee. 

Colin also told the DE that "not a huge amount" of people have tried the water tasting menu yet… go figure. 

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We certainly know how to make the most of a beer garden 'round these parts. 

Indeed, if there's a hint of sunshine – even in the depths of winter – hoards of Irish folk are more than happy to transfer outdoors to finish their pints and chats. 

Gas heater switched on; an extra geansaí applied; a sturdy disposition: with the right, can-do attitude even freezing temperatures and the occasional sprinkling of rain can be cheerfully endured. 

However, we could only shake our heads in wonder when we spotted two particularly hardy chaps finish their beer garden pints… while waist-deep in flood water. 

With the nearby river bursting its banks amid heavy rainfall over the weekend, a pair of patrons at the Kirkstall Bridge Inn in Leeds very much took matters into their own hands.

John Kelly and Steve Holt, the plucky individuals in question, run the Kirkstall Brewery that owns the pub. They told BuzzFeed they were "irked by the river’s inconsiderate nature" and decided to reclaim it by taking their beers outside.

And while the water was initially only knee-deep, the flooding continued until it soon reached their waists.

The pair reported afterwards that "the beer was spot on… but we only had a couple". They eventually departed when they "got told off by Steve’s missus and had to get out".

Reckless; dangerous; just a bit of good fun? Well, they're all over social media anyway. And one thing's for sure too – a bit of November beer garden chill doesn't seem so bad now after all.

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While most of us try to stick to a diet or exercise regime, we can wander off it from time to time. And that's totally OK, we all need some time off, but it doesn't mean your figure has to suffer.

So, here are five great ways to make your tummy appear flat, without any nagging diets or gruelling workouts:

Perfect your posture

Standing straight and having the correct posture will instantly make you appear slimmer. 

"When your posture is good, you're automatically engaging and toning your stomach muscles," trainer Kim Lyons tells Cosmopolitan. So just dot a few Post-It notes around your room so you remember to stand tall. 

 

Down it

Keep the water flowing! "Being dehydrated causes the body to hoard water," says Kim, which can lead you to carry up to FOUR excess pounds around your stomach area.

Now that's something to remember the next time you pass on a glass of H2O. 

 

Give up gum

Chewing gum forces you to swallow more puff-producing air, which can keep you from squeezing into your skinny jeans. If you need to freshen your breath, you're better off buying some mints. 

 

Keep chewing

Rather than devouring our meals (like most of us do), make a point of chewing your food at least ten time before swallowing. 

"The body has to work overtime to break down food in the stomach and intestines, which can lead to major gas and indigestion."

 

Relax

Take 20 minutes a day to relax and de-stress, because worrying too much can actually lead to weight gain. 

"Stress amps up the production of cortisol, a 'fight or flight' hormone that sends excess fat directly to your midsection in its attempt to protect your vital organs." … And nobody wants that!

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Some people just don't like coffee, simple as that. But when the rest of the world resort to it for an energy boost, it can be difficult to find another solution to kickstart your body into action. 

And even if you do like coffee, chugging too much of it can sometimes worsen fatigue. So, before you pop the kettle back on (again), try these natural energy boosters to get that buzz back into your system:

1. Hydrate

If you're feeling a bit sluggish, it's probably down to dehydration. Instead of reaching for coffee or a sugary snack, chug down some H2O. 

It'll perk you up without all that nasty sugar. But make sure to keep hydrating until bed time, then you'll really notice the difference. 

 

2. Move around

You knew this was coming! But it's true that a little physical activity really gives your mind a jolt.

Moving requires you to be a lot more alert than when you're sitting, so even just walking around your office for five minutes will do the job. 

 

3. Peppermint essential oil

This is an easy way to stimulate your mind and increase your focus. Have a little bottle at your desk and smell it whenever you need a kick.

Dabbing some on your wrist also works wonders for when you're lagging in energy.

 

4. Citrus fruits

A great way to put your mind and body into action is to chomp down on some citrus fruits in the morning. 

Another alternative is to squeeze some lemon or lime juice into your water when you first wake up – it might be even better than coffee!

 

5. High-energy snacks

Oatmeal, celery and dark chocolate (yes!) are great snacks to get your body moving. And just a couple of bites of chocolate increases blood flow to the brain. 

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