The Age-Well Project

Change the way you age

Get our posts direct to your inbox

  • About The Age-Well Project
  • Books
    • Our Books
    • Reviews
    • References
  • Blog
  • Recipes
    • Recipes By Ingredient
    • Breakfast
    • Dessert
    • Dinner
    • Drinks
    • Family
    • On The Go
    • Soups and Salads
    • Treats and Snacks
  • Contact
  • Events
  • Press

STAYING HYDRATED, GUT HEALTH AND WHAT TO DRINK

February 28, 2022 4 Comments

One question that comes up time and time again when I’m coaching is “how much water should I drink?”. Often followed by “but water’s so boring!” Which is true, so read on to discover my new favourite ‘tipple’. The honest answer to the first question is that we’re all different and the amount of water (or non-caffeinated, non-sugary liquid) we consume varies according to how active and how big we are. A woman of four foot 10 doesn’t need as much fluid as a six-foot man. Frequent exercisers need more, and so on. But the sweet spot is around – very roughly – 1.5-2 litres a day.

THIRST AND AGEING

As we age, our thirst sensors become less sensitive so it’s important to drink before we start to feel the need for it. By that point, we’re heading towards dehydration. And there are plenty of other causes of the early symptoms of dehydration – dry mouth, fatigue, dizziness – so it’s easy to overlook and pin those symptoms on something else.

Research published late in 2020 found that, as we age, we need to drink more water. This is because our bodies become less adaptive to variations in body temperature caused by exercise and our environment. When we’re younger, our body ensures we don’t sweat so much that we become dehydrated during exercise or hot weather. As we get older, this system becomes less efficient, so we need to make sure we consume enough water to compensate.

WATER AND GUT HEALTH

We know that staying hydrated is important, but a report published last month has got me thinking about what else water does for us. It seems that the source and quality of our drinking water can impacts our gut microbiota. This makes sense, of course, as there’s no other substance we consume more of, and our microbiota respond to everything we ingest.

A French research team looked at a variety of water sources – tap, bottled, filtered and well – and compared the impact on the microbiome of over 3000 people. They found the greatest microbiome diversity in those consuming well water. Not an option for many of us, obviously. They also found that people drinking less than a litre of water, of any type, each day, were more likely to carry a higher concentration of bacteria linked to food poisoning. A reminder of the importance of drinking enough water, and of the sensitivity of the gut.

GUT HEALTH AND COGNITION

Talking of which, I want to share a new paper with you which is a clear reminder of the importance of good gut health. In research published earlier this month, scientists looked at the microbial diversity and cognitive abilities of 600 people, with a mean age of 55. They found that participants who had higher levels of specific microbiota, including Akkermansia, performed better in cognitive tests. The research team believe this may be because microbiota like Akkermansia produce short chain fatty acids which have a beneficial effect on the gut-brain axis. Keep your Akkermansia well fed with cranberries, walnuts, oily fish and tea.

WHAT TO DRINK WHEN YOU’RE NOT DRINKING

There’s been much debate about what to drink when we’re ‘not drinking’ among attendees of my Eat Well to Age Well course. There have been lots of great suggestions like Seedlip, the non-alcoholic ‘gin’. I like kombucha, a fermented tea which is good for gut health, but costs about the same as a reasonable bottle of wine. My favourite suggestion from the group is one that’s both cheap and beneficial for health: a spoonful of apple cider vinegar in sparkling water. Try a teaspoon of ACV in 250ml of fizzy water if you want to give it a go. With ice and a slice of lemon it tastes like a not-gin, for a fraction of the cost. Apple cider vinegar consumption has been linked to lower blood sugar after high carb meals, a more stable insulin response and even weight loss. Definitely my new tipple of choice.

 

Susan

 

 

Photo: Camille Brodard on Unsplash

« ARE YOU GETTING ENOUGH LIGHT? ENOUGH DARK?
WHAT’S IMPACTING YOUR SLEEP AND A FREE YOGA NIDRA SESSION »

Comments

  1. C Holtam says

    February 28, 2022 at 6:38 pm

    Water is delicious. Has always been my favourite drink. Not boring.

    Reply
    • Susan Saunders says

      March 1, 2022 at 5:28 pm

      I think you’re absolutely right! But not everyone agrees….

      Reply
  2. Diana Hargrave says

    February 28, 2022 at 6:40 pm

    I am concerned that drinking apple cider vinegar and fizzy water could be bad for my dental health. I love fizzy water and also lemon sliced in warm water but am sure I have heard that all these drinks may cause tooth decay. What do you think? I love your blog and books and would value your opinion.

    Reply
    • Susan Saunders says

      March 1, 2022 at 5:31 pm

      Thanks so much for your kind words, Diana. I think it’s all about moderation – I only have a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of fizzy water now and again as a substitute for an aperitif. I’m not drinking it all day. And similarly with lemon water, it’s not an all-day drink. But if you’re concerned it would be worth chatting to your dentist.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Welcome to The Age-Well Project

Welcome to The Age-Well Project!
Here you’ll find easy changes for a longer, happier life. We’ve immersed ourselves in the science of longevity and distilled the research to make it work in our everyday lives. You can change the way you age: here’s how.

Favourite Posts

WHY I’VE THROWN OUT ALL MY BEAUTY PRODUCTS (nearly…)

Why Alzheimer’s Is A Women’s Issue

HOW HAVING A DOG CHANGED MY LIFE

GREEN SPACE IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH

SUGAR, CHOCOLATE, SADNESS AND BRAIN-BOOSTING BISCUITS

WHY ‘INFLAMM-AGEING’ COULD START IN THE GUT AND HARISSA-ROASTED VEGETABLE SALAD

POLYAMINES – THE NEW SECRET WEAPON FOR AGEING WELL & MOROCCAN SPINACH AND CHICKPEAS.

THINNING AGEING HAIR – WARM CHICKEN LIVER SALAD

About The Age Well Project

This site is for anyone who wants to make the second half of their life as healthy, happy and disease-free as possible. Sign up to get the latest research on ageing – and delicious recipes to match – direct to your inbox.

agewellproject

⭐️Change the way you age
📚The Age-Well Project + Age-Well Plan ⭐️Get tips & recipes on our blog - sign up ⬇️

The Age-Well Project blog
Everything we’ve learnt about ageing well points Everything we’ve learnt about ageing well points to a time (for women at least) in their mid-60s when the chronic conditions of ageing, like diabetes, heart disease and dementia, are - statistically - more likely to kick in. 

And we know that our reproductive hormones do so much more than prepare us to have periods and babies, we have receptors for them throughout our bodies and brains. 

Oestrogen, in particular, helps keep bones strong, blood vessels flexible, brains firing and inflammation levels low. Essentially, it wraps us up in a cosy protective cloak to keep us safe and healthy while we're able to reproduce, but once the eggs have run out - we're on our own! 

Between the average age of menopause at 51, and that time in our 60s when the chronic conditions of ageing are more likely to kick in, we have a decade or so in which it’s vital to focus on our health.

And how to do that? It’s on the blog - link in bio

#longevity #womenover50 #agewell #ageingwell #agingwell #longevityblog #healthblog #agewellblog #over50bloggers #womenover50 #healthspan #womenover60 #menopause #menopausehealth #postmenopause #postmenopausefitness #postmenopausal #oestrogen #hormonalhealth
If you’re lucky enough to have good metabolic he If you’re lucky enough to have good metabolic health you might want to thank your Mum today. Recent studies have found that women who move around during their reproductive years and during pregnancy and then breastfeed for a bit pass on a compound in their milk called 3SL which provides lifelong protection against poor metabolic health. The offspring of moving, breastfeeding Mums appear to have a lower lifetime risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and other chronic metabolic disease. Even gentle strolling during pregnancy and while nursing can produce this compound. So today we thank our Mums for that - as well as everything else.  Susan’s mum in the hat. Annabel’s mum in the pony tail. 

#mothersday #mothers #move #agewell #goodhealth #longevitylifestyle #longevity #walk
There’s been lots of good news for walkers recen There’s been lots of good news for walkers recently. A study published last month found that over-60s who walked between 6000 and 9000 steps a day cut their risk of heart disease (including strokes and heart attacks) by 40-50 percent, when compared to a more typical 2000 steps a day. In fact this study found that for every additional 1000 steps walked, the risk fell still further. 

How far are you walking to age well? Let us know in the comments and there’s more on the power of walking on the blog - link in bio

#longevity #womenover50 #agewell #ageingwell #agingwell #longevityblog #healthblog #agewellblog #over50bloggers #womenover50 #healthspan #womenover60 #walking #womenwhowalk #womenwhohike #reversewalking #backwardswalking #walkingbackwards
A big hug from us to you to mark International Wom A big hug from us to you to mark International Women’s Day! 

The campaign this year reminds us to embrace equity as a way to recognise that each of us has different circumstances, and we need different resources and opportunities to reach an equal outcome. Of course, this is as vital in ageing and health outcomes as in every other field.  

So we’re embracing our age and hoping to grow older in a more equitable society ❤️

#internationalwomensday #embraceequity #embracequity2023 ##longevity #womenover50 #agewell #ageingwell #agingwell #longevityblog #healthblog #agewellblog #over50bloggers #womenover50 #healthspan #womenover60 #iwd2023 #madformidlife
We’ve learned to love walking backwards! So many We’ve learned to love walking backwards! So many benefits when it comes to ageing well. 

If you’re not sure how to start or are worried about looking silly (we were) - there are lots of tips on the blog, link in bio. 

If you’re a backwards walker, let us know in comments below! 

If you’re planning to start, save this post for when you’re ready for some reverse walking 

#longevity #womenover50 #agewell #ageingwell #agingwell #longevityblog #healthblog #agewellblog #over50bloggers #womenover50 #healthspan #womenover60 #walking #womenwhowalk #womenwhohike #reversewalking #backwardswalking #walkingbackwards
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Contact Us

For any enquiries please email theagewellproject@gmail.com.

Copyright © 2023 The Age-Well Project