It's been a strange old day, much input with little tangible reward, almost akin to pushing water uphill with a rake....which brings me neatly onto my next topic; hydration.
The one thing that links all living organisms is the need for moisture. Rather like Laurel needs Hardy, Cher needs plastic surgery and I need the latest pair of Louboutins, everyone needs to slurp down something or other on a regular basis to keep body and mind working at their optimal level.
I would like to share with you my ultimate guide to hydration. This is a daily regimen that should be undertaken by anyone who would like glossy hair, dewy skin, bright eyes and lots of vitality... and no, I am not encouraging you to scarf down a tin of Pedigree Chum; although according to their marketing spiel the results are remarkably similar!
Almost all of the diet, fitness and wellbeing blogs (plus the numerous books I have read) recommend at least two litres of water per day, which is all well and good if you are young and sprightly but anyone over 40, or who has had more than two children, or finds sneezing a 'challenge' might first want to invest in some Tena Lady!
For me, hydration starts the moment I wake up. You could start with a glass of hot water with lemon thus embarking on your 5-a-day fruit portions or get some more of your daily ration of fruit and veg via some delicious coffee beans; there is NOTHING that cannot be achieved after two double espressos, and as you are having two you are doubling your fluid intake.
If you are at home and/or have access to an endless supply of Andrex you could consider sipping water throughout the morning. Be careful not to overdo it as the bottle can be heavy and we are not tackling weight training until tomorrow's blog.
As lunchtime hoves into view it is time to turn to something more fortifying. If you are finding it hard to increase your fruit and vegetable consumption now is the ideal time to ingest some; perhaps in a more liquid form. Juices are only supposed to comprise one portion of your 5-a-day, so boost this by having a Bloody Mary with a celery stirrer for added fibre. In fact, I find Bloody Marys so delicious, it's not unusual for me to drink more than one. If you use a Pint glass, you will be well on your way to the two litre mark by mid-afternoon! This will enable you to spend the rest of the day in a darkened room contemplating the exercises you would like to perform and you will find this very easy technique outlined in my first blog post.
We now progress onwards towards evening. As it is Summer and I shall be walking alongside a canal, I am concerned about the likelihood of contracting malaria. To allay this fear I have been trying to build up a natural resistance with the daily ingestion of quinine, habitually in the form of a very large gin & tonic......or three.
By this time, I have normally consumed the suggested 2 litres of liquids but I feel it is my solemn duty to reach optimal hydration prior to such an important sporting event. My chosen beverage contains many of the vital nutrients required for peak performance in one handy bottle.
MY chosen beverage is primarily made up of grape juice which is one of my 5-a-day. Unfortunately, once the fruit is picked and the juice squeezed out, it can start to deteriorate very rapidly. By the judicious application of fermentation, the juice is transformed into wine and is therefore no longer subject to spoilage as plain grape juice would be.
Let me leave you with one thought: I never drink water because of the disgusting & unspeakable things that fish do in it.
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