by Fern Shaw | Jul 15, 2013 | Health and Hydration
Or as Martha sang, ‘Heat wave …. uh … Heat waaaaaaave …’
Or as a fellow FB’er posted … ‘Don’t we just call this summer?’
Anyhow, tamayto, tomado, whatever the weather *cue all-knowing sniggering* the fact remains, when the temperatures soar, do you know how to keep hydrated?
Here’s a refresher (thanks for this, AquAid compadré) about keeping yourself refreshed and hydrated through this blistering (and no, do not mean this in a sexy way) heat. To make it super easy, I’ve repeated keeping cool ideas for home, work and all around.
In the workplace:
- Stay hydrated! Set an alarm clock if necessary to make sure that you visit the water cooler as often as needs be to replenish your drinking water.
- Chill your wrists: Run cold water over your wrists for a minute every hour. Try not to do this using the cool water from the water cooler – it’s messy and I doubt the water cooler station is meant to be used as a private bathing area. Rather use the taps in the bathroom.
- Drink cool (but not icy cold) liquids to help lower your body temperature. Yep, the water cooler station is perfect for this.
- Turn off electronics: If they’re not being used, unplug electronic devices to keep them from generating unnecessary heat.
At home:
- Chill your wrists: Run cold water over your wrists for a minute every hour:
- Stay hydrated! Kids may not feel thirsty, but it’s essential to stay hydrated, so make sure young ones are getting lots of water. If you’re planning to leave the house, freeze some water bottles and take them with you.
- Drink cool (but not icy cold) liquids to help lower your body temperature.
- Try to keep water refrigerated prior to drinking, if possible.
- A little help from some fans: They may be little, but those battery-operated personal fans can make a big difference.
- Frozen flannel: Freeze a flannel and then plop it on the back of your and your family’s necks – instant refresher.
- Turn off electronics: If they’re not being used, unplug electronic devices to keep them from generating unnecessary heat.
- Stay downstairs: Downstairs areas tend to be cooler. Herd kids into an air-conditioned basement, if available. If not, stay on the ground floor.
- Don’t cook: Feed your family fresh foods such as salads and fruit. Not only will this cool the body’s core, it’ll also keep cooking-related heat from filling up the house.
- Postpone laundry: Plan to do heat-generating activities after the sun goes down. Do laundry at night, for example.
All around:
- Shut windows and pull down the shades when it is hotter outside. If it’s safe, open them for ventilation when it’s cooler.
- Avoid the heat: stay out of the sun and don’t go out between 11am and 3pm (the hottest part of the day) if you’re vulnerable to the effects of heat.
- Keep rooms cool by using shades or reflective material outside the windows. If this isn’t possible, use light-coloured curtains and keep them closed (metallic blinds and dark curtains can make the room hotter).
- Have cool baths or showers, and splash yourself with cool water.
- Drink cold drinks regularly, such as water and fruit juice. Avoid tea, coffee and alcohol.
- Stay tuned to the weather forecast on the radio or TV, or at the Met Office website.
- Plan ahead to make sure you have enough supplies, such as food, water and any medications you need.
- Identify the coolest room in the house so you know where to go to keep cool.
- Wear loose, cool clothing and a hat if you go outdoors.
- Check up on friends, relatives and neighbours who may be less able to look after themselves.
- People who have epilepsy or heart, kidney, or liver disease; are on fluid-restricted diets; or have a problem with fluid retention should consult a doctor before increasing liquid intake.
- If you’re sweating a lot, be quick to replace lost salts and minerals as well as water. Fruit juice or sports drinks with electrolytes are good choices, but do not take salt tablets unless directed to by your doctor. Taking calcium supplements, however, is a good idea.
- Drink cool (but not icy cold) liquids to help lower your body temperature. Try to keep water refrigerated prior to drinking, if possible.
by Fern Shaw | Jul 15, 2013 | Health and Hydration
I know I’m always blathering on about drink water, keep hydrated, drink water, hydration, drink water, but honest-to-goodness, when you do the type of research that I do, trust me (no, I’m not a doctor, but a humble blogista with some common sense) there are monster-sized reasons for this advice.
But, just for today, I’m going to reverse the blather and look at it from another perspective. *Look up at the heading*
Not Drinking Water Means:
- Even mild dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism by as much as three percent.
- One glass of water shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost one hundred percent of dieters investigated in a University of Washington study.
- Lack of water is the number one trigger of daytime fatigue.
- A mere two percent drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
- Preliminary research has shown that up to eighty percent of people suffering from back and joint pain could have these pains significantly reduced by drinking between eight to ten glasses of water a day.
- Our digestive systems need a good amount of water to digest food properly. Not drinking water leads to too much stomach acidity and constipation.
- By not drinking water, the thirst mechanism becomes so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger. We all know where that leads.
Reason enough, I would say, to begin to understand why I am turning into a bit of a water warrior (I was going to say an H2O agony aunt, but that’s just rather unappealing).
Keep in mind that I am one of the turn-up-my (rather pretty) nose at water type of people, but the evidence continues to mount up, that by not drinking sufficient water, we are actually doing ourselves the greatest disservice and this, in an age where we have cool drinking water available to us at the turn of a tap or a press of a button, is just quite illogical.
Water is Life! Drink Up and Enjoy.
by Fern Shaw | Jul 5, 2013 | Health and Hydration
Cereal. I personally have never been a fan. Bo-ringggg. The name itself conjures up an image of sleepy-eyed morning zombies sitting at the kitchen counter cud chewing their way through their morning repast.
I’ve always been more of the ‘Breakfast? Pah! Breakfast is for sissies’ type of roller. Me, I chug-a-lug 2 mugs of industrial strength coffee, come ten o’clock, I’m invincible. We won’t mention that come two thirty-ish, you’d invariably find me in a little heap draped around the water cooler, sobbing piteously without enough energy to raise my Despicable Me water bottle to the spigot.
Anyhow, I digress. Consequently, as with most bad eating habits, there came a point when my poor digestive system rebelled. Quite painfully. So I realised I had to woman up and start eating breakfast. But not the full Monty type of breakfast; bacon, eggs, tomatoes, toast, etceteraa, but … cereal type of breakfast.
I remembered in the mists of time that I had once tried muesli. Not the sugar coated, candy type of muesli, but rolled oats, dry as the desert and enough seeds and nuts to keep an aviary of seed cracking birds happy for a week type of muesli.
Apparently, the muesli I was after is called Bircher’s Muesli:
Etymology (fancy term for the origin of a word and the historical development of its meaning.)
Originally known in Swiss German as Birchermüesli or simply Müesli, the word is an Alemannic diminutive of Mues which means “puree” or “mash-up.” See, enuff said – “mash-up” says it all!
History
Muesli was introduced around 1900 by the Swiss physician Maximilian Bircher-Benner for patients in his hospital, where a diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables was an essential part of therapy. It was inspired by a similar “strange dish” that he and his wife had been served on a hike in the Swiss Alps. Bircher-Benner himself referred to the dish simply as “d’Spys” (Swiss German for “the dish”, in German “die Speise”). Muesli in its modern form became popular in Western countries starting in the 1960’s as part of increased interest in health food and vegetarian diets. Traditional muesli was eaten with lemon juice and not milk. Goodness gracious, lemon?
Packaged muesli is a loose mixture of mainly rolled oats together with various pieces of dried fruit, nuts, and seeds. It commonly contains other rolled cereal grains such as wheat or rye flakes as well. There are many varieties. This dry packaged muesli can be stored for many months. It can be served quickly after mixing it with milk, yogurt, coffee, hot chocolate, fruit juice, or water.
So, if you, like me, have been given a serious health slap by your very own body, take a page out of my book. Skip the caffeine charging coffees on an empty stomach; pack your moo-oo-sli into your ‘lunchbox’ every morning and meet your workmates around the water cooler, (so that you have company while you cud chew your way through your brekkie), pour water into your breakfast of champions and you’re set for the day.
by Fern Shaw | Jul 5, 2013 | Health and Hydration, water cooler, Water Coolers
In short, no.
But the following all contain water (clever that), so is it a conundrum? Water is found in most liquids, antioxidants are found in some of those liquids so whereas an antioxidant can be water, water can’t be an antioxidant. Excuse me, I have to sit down, my brain is hurting. (Clearly, not enough water). Okay. So, not a conundrum, it’s something else. Moving swiftly along!
What are antioxidants?
Antioxidants are phytochemicals, chemicals found in plant foods. In our bodies, antioxidants protect healthy tissues from “oxidants,” also called free radicals. Over time, free radicals can damage cells and cause disease. Antioxidants are like microscopic police officers who seize these bad guys that plan to harm our cells.
Which do you crave in the morning—a cup of java or a spot of tea? Popular belief labels tea as a health drink and coffee as bad. Not so! Mounting evidence suggests that both are good for you because they’re brimming with antioxidants.
All teas contain a group of antioxidants called flavonoids.
Tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world, next to water. Green tea is especially popular in Japan and China.
According to studies carried out tea drinkers take in 20 times more flavonoid antioxidants per day than tea non-drinkers.
Experts say tea provides as many disease-fighting flavonoids as fruits or vegetables. Many brands of tea list antioxidant and caffeine content (in milligrams per serving) right on the box.
What about fruits and veggies?
Since coffee and tea are high in antioxidants, can they replace fruits and vegetables in our diets? Absolutely not! Fruits and veggies supply fibre, essential vitamins and minerals, plus a variety of different antioxidants that promote good health.
A word of caution
Plain coffee and tea are healthful, calorie-free beverages. Be careful how much cream, sugar, and flavourings you dump into your cup. Just 1 tablespoon of cream and 2 teaspoons of sugar can add up to 80 calories and 6 grams of fat. Squirt in flavoured syrup, pile on whipped cream, and your once-healthful drink becomes a rich dessert.
Which is better—coffee or tea?
Science can’t really say one is superior to the other, so fill your mug with whichever brew you like. To benefit from both sets of antioxidants, try this: drink one or two cups of coffee in the morning, then enjoy tea throughout the day.
For all your cool and hot water requirements for said antioxidant drinks, remember that AquAid have all that you need. We supply bottled water coolers; mains-fed water coolers; desktop coolers; water boilers and in-cup drinks.
If what you require isn’t listed here, drop us a mail, we’ll be more than happy to provide you with a solution.
by Fern Shaw | Jun 28, 2013 | Health and Hydration
This week I thought I’d take my foot off the proverbial history; good-for-you, bad-for-you, beat you with the facts and dates accelerator and trip the light irreverent with some more trivia:
Channel Tunnel
To dig the Channel Tunnel, 11 tunnel boring machines were used to extract 8 million cubic meters of chalk, clay and soil. At the end of the drill one of the boring machines was buried in the side of the tunnel. (I wonder if our water coolers were installed down there during construction? I’ll have to ask!)
The tunnel has over 100 miles of railway lines, 1200 telephones and 20,000 lighting fixtures over its length. The building of the channel tunnel involved 15,000 workers.
Scaremongering
Thanatos is a term widely used in psychoanalytic theory to represent the encouraging to destruction, or an apparent pleasure in seeing the worst outcome. It seems that much of the UK press knows this term all too well with headlines like ‘House Market Throttled as Loans Fall 56%’ – the article then explained that mortgage issues were down by 56%.
What the press is failing to explain in the headlines or the articles (in many cases) is that measures such as this only use part of the total loans i.e. new loans and do not account for all the mortgage market – and especially remortgages.
Agatha Christie
The only statue in the world of the prolific crime writer Agatha Christie is a bronze bust on the seafront at Torquay (her birthplace) opposite the Grand Pavilion. It is believed that the Grand Pavilion is where her first husband proposed to her.
The Guinness Book of Records lists Agatha Christie as the best-selling fiction author of all time estimating 2-billion of her books have been sold in 103 languages worldwide. Her first novel, published in 1920, was “The Mysterious Affair at Styles” and she received £26 for it.
Champagne Bubbles
Britain pops the cork on champagne bottles to the tune of 40 million times a year, which is pretty impressive, and something to celebrate particularly when you consider that is twice as many as the next biggest market – the USA. In fact the only people to drink more champagne than the Brits are The French, but then, they do make it. (As delicious as bubbly is, remember to keep hydrated with water in between all that bubbles quaffing – your body will thank you).
And finally …
Steeple chasing
Steeple chasing began in 1750’s when two riders in Ireland decided to test their horses’ speed by racing across country between two churches – steeple to steeple. (No, no, AquAid did not provide the refreshments, the first water cooler was a hundred years or so away!)
by Fern Shaw | Jun 7, 2013 | Health and Hydration
I always remember my mum and her ‘home-made’ remedies – most of which I disliked intensely, as they involved gaggingly horrible ingredients like molasses and cod liver oil (I kid you not) and other such horribles.
Now, as a fully-fledged adult (as I would have you believe) I realise that my mum was (and is) a very wise and advanced individual when it came to such good health benefits.
Apart from the whacking great tablespoonful of said clo & m (or clom) every morning, part of my mum’s morning ritual would be the juice of half a lemon, freshly squeezed, in a glass of hot water. When it looked like a cold might be coming on, a tablespoon of honey (which we’ll chat about in another blog) would be dissolved in with the lemon water.
Here’s the sweet and the sour of it:
- Boosts your immune system: Lemons are high in vitamin C, which is great for fighting colds. They’re high in potassium, which stimulates brain and nerve function. Potassium also helps control blood pressure.
- Balances pH: Drink lemon water every day and you’ll reduce your body’s overall acidity. Lemon is one of the most alkaline foods around. Yes, lemon has citric acid but it does not create acidity in the body once metabolised.
- Helps with weight loss: Lemons are high in pectin fibre, which helps fight hunger cravings. It also has been shown that people who maintain a more alkaline diet (see #2) lose weight faster.
- Aids digestion: Lemon juice helps flush out unwanted materials. It encourages the liver to produce bile which is an acid that required for digestion. Efficient digestion reduces heartburn and constipation.
- Is a diuretic: Lemons increase the rate of urination in the body, which helps purify it. Toxins are, therefore, released at a faster rate which helps keep your urinary tract healthy.
- Clears skin: The vitamin C component helps decrease wrinkles and blemishes. Lemon water purges toxins from the blood which helps keep skin clear as well. It can actually be applied directly to scars to help reduce their appearance.
- Freshens breath: Not only this, but it can help relieve tooth pain and gingivitis. Monitor this, as too much citric acid can erode tooth enamel.
- Relieves respiratory problems: Warm lemon water helps get rid of chest infections and halt those pesky coughs. It’s thought to be helpful to people with asthma and allergies too.
- Prevent kidney stones: Drinking one half-cup of lemon juice every day raises citrate levels in the urine. Studies have shown that this could protect against calcium stones in the kidney.
- Potassium power: Bananas aren’t the only way to get a big helping of potassium in your system. In addition to vitamin C, lemons offer 80 milligrams of this mineral that helps your body stay strong and nimble.
If you’re one of those workaholics who arrives at work pre-dawn and you haven’t yet mastered the art of carrying your kettle with you, never fear. With AquAid’s range of water coolers, water boilers and in-cup drinks range, all you’ll need to stock up on is a lemon. Pour yourself a mug / thick glass of hot water (water from source I’ll have you know) add lemon (or squeeze, who needs a stress ball) mix and drink. Lemon power to you!
