by Belinda Ollewagen | Feb 18, 2019 | instant tap, water cooler
We’re all in need of a good laugh sometimes, and there’s never a better time to share a good joke or chuckle than when we’re gathered around the office water cooler or waiting in line to use the instant taps in our breakout area for that much needed cup of coffee.
When they say ‘laughter is the best medicine’ – they actually mean it. ‘Study after study has pointed to the health benefits of laughter: Research from Loma Linda University showed that laughing improved the memory of adults in their 60s and 70s; University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers found that hilarious movies improved the function of blood vessels and increased blood flow in a group of 20 thirty-somethings. And other research has shown that laughing can improve immunity, help regulate blood sugar levels, and improve sleep.’
Laughter definitely lifts our spirits and whatever makes us positive, generally also makes us more productive, so the next time you’re at the water cooler grabbing your glass of water or busy with your caffeine fix, here are 5 of our favourite, safe-for-work, delightfully silly jokes to bring a little joy into everyone’s day.
- Yesterday I saw a guy spill all his Scrabble letters on the road. I asked him, ‘What’s the word on the street?’
- What’s the best thing about Switzerland? I don’t know, but the flag is a big plus.
- Hear about the new restaurant called Karma? There’s no menu: You get what you deserve.
- A man tells his doctor, ‘Doc, help me. I’m addicted to Twitter!’ The doctor replies, ‘Sorry, I don’t follow you …’
- A German walks into a bar and asks for a martini. The bartender asks, ‘dry?’ The German replies, ‘nein, just one.’
Okay, so they’re definitely not going to win any awards, but I’ll bet they brought a goofy smile to your face none the less, which is another interesting fact about laughter – it’s contagious. ‘When you see people laughing, you just can’t help but smile, right? That’s because your brain makes it nearly impossible not to. That’s the result of research from the lab of Sophie Scott, a neuroscientist at University College London. When she monitored subjects’ brains while she played laughing sounds, she found that the premotor cortical region of the brain, which prepares the muscles in the face to move, was activated.’
So go ahead and share silly, funny moments – make that office water cooler chat a positive experience for everyone and spread the joy!
Source: Reader’s Digest
by Fern Shaw | Feb 18, 2019 | mains fed water cooler, water cooler, water cooler
You may be aware that AquAid has, since their inception some 21 years ago, donated in excess of £14 million to charity. This extraordinary achievement is due to their commitment to ensure that, since their first day of operations, a portion of their sales is donated to charity.
Charities where the principle focus is the implementation of sustainable water projects across the globe and from AquAid’s perspective, specifically throughout Africa, where a large percentage of the world’s poorest people reside.
What you may not be aware of is that for every bottle of water purchased and for each Mains Fed Water Cooler installed, a donation is made to the charities that AquAid has supported since 1998.
The charities AquAid support:
Christian Aid – AquAid have to date donated over £3 million to this charity, resulting in sustainable water projects throughout Africa aiding more than 338,000 people.
The Africa Trust – AquAid began this charity in 2010: 19 years later, over £6 million in donations has meant more than 1.2 million people have gained access to clean drinking water through the implementation of sustainable water projects such as the Elephant Pump.
What can you do?
If you’re considering installing a water cooler, we recommend AquAid. Not only will your organisation benefit by having constant access to refreshing drinking water readily available, but for each sip you take, you’ll be making a positive change in other’s lives by enabling their access to clean drinking water.
The possibilities are truly endless. Contact AquAid today.
by Fern Shaw | Feb 12, 2019 | water cooler
Tough question, this one. Slightly risqué too, we know. But at AquAid we’re a pretty determined and well-rounded (mentally, that is) bunch, so we believe we can tackle this question with aplomb.
The answer is: drinking water is most definitely romantic! Stealing from The Bard, let’s count the ways:
- When you’re parched, whether from a marathon think tank talk at work, from exercise or simply because you lapsed with your hydration, there’s nothing nicer than the feeling of satisfaction you experience when you slake your thirst.
- A feeling of satisfaction can help with releasing endorphins. Water stimulates the flow of nutrients and hormones that release those feel-good endorphins you need to feel happy. Drinking more water will satisfy your thirst and health.
- When you up your drinking water habit and put dehydration behind you, not only do you feel better, but you look better. Drinking enough water isn’t just a health benefit: it plumps up your skin, makes your hair glossy, keeps your eyes clear and bright and generally makes you look and feel more youthful.
The points above are perhaps something to consider this romantic month of February. If you have an intended in mind and would like to be murmuring sweet nothings to them come Valentine’s Day, what could be better than to present yourself at your most appealing – clear eyed, hydrated and healthy. A clear pathway to feeling more romantically inclined.
And the best bit is: even if you don’t have romance in mind, installing a water cooler still remains a very good idea, precisely because it will give you an uninterrupted supply of cool, clear, refreshing drinking water 24/7/365, enabling you and your co-workers, (whether they’re love bugs or not) to not only perform at your best, but look your best too.
by Belinda Ollewagen | Feb 11, 2019 | instant tap, water cooler, water dispenser
The weather is still pretty grim and as much as frequent visits to your office’s instant taps or water cooler might help you stay hydrated, it can be a little challenging to keep drinking that much liquid during the cold winter months; so another option is to up your intake of water-rich fruit and vegetables!
Not only does certain produce help with water intake, but fruit and vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories, and they’re an important source of many nutrients including potassium, fiber, folic acid, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. These nutrients help our bodies maintain healthy blood pressure, reduce blood cholesterol levels, regulate our bowel movements, aid healthy fetal development in women, and protect against various infections – the benefits are endless. For all this, in addition to aiding hydration, it’s easy to see why we should include more of this food type in our diets.
So, if you’re struggling to drink those eight glasses of water each day from the water cooler, consider eating more of the following – in order of highest water content:
FRUIT
Watermelon holds the highest percentage of water at 92%, followed by Strawberries 92%, Grapefruit 91%, Cantaloupe 90%, Peach 88%, Raspberries 87%, Pineapple 87%, Cranberries 87%, Orange 87%, Apricot 86%, Blueberries 85%, Plum 85%, Pear 84%, Apple 84%, Cherries 81%, Grapes 81% and Banana 74%.
VEGETABLES
Cucumber holds the highest percentage of water at 96%, Lettuce (iceberg) 96%, Zucchini 95%, Celery 95%, Radish 95%, Tomato (red) 94%, Cabbage (green) 93%, Tomato (green) 93%, Cabbage (red) 92%, Cauliflower 92%, Peppers (sweet) 92%, Spinach 92%, Eggplant 92%, Broccoli 91%, Carrots 87%, Peas (green) 79% and Potato (white) 79%.
Whether it’s a fruit salad you bring along to the office, or perhaps a home-made soup, be sure to include more of these in your diet and then you won’t need to visit the water cooler dispenser quite that often in the chilly months.
by Belinda Ollewagen | Feb 11, 2019 | water cooler
On Thursday it’s Valentine’s Day and if you’ve had your eye on someone special at the office, but haven’t yet taken that all-important 1st step, then use these fun Valentine’s facts to plant the seed when next you’re standing around the water cooler having a chat.
- We all know Valentine’s Day is named after the Christian martyr, St Valentine who lived in the 5th century, but did you know that when the Roman army banned its soldiers from getting married, it was Valentine that would perform the marriages in secret?
- In 1797 printers had begun to produce cards with verses and sketches, called ‘mechanical valentines’.
- In the US, mass-produced Valentines first made their appearance around 1847 – the idea came courtesy of Esther Howland who had received an English Valentine from an associate of her father.
- In the early 19th century Fancy Valentines were made with real lace and ribbons and in 1835, 60,000 Valentine cards were sent by post in Britain.
- Today on average one billion cards are sent worldwide – around 145 million in the US and around 25 million in the UK.
- It was only in the 20th century that flowers and chocolates were included along with the cards.
- And for some, Valentine’s Day is the perfect day to propose – apparently around 10% of all marriage proposals happen on the 14th!
- But be warned, in the US more than 50% of women said they would break up with a partner who failed to remember Valentine’s Day and strangely enough, divorce filings are said to rise by 40% around the same time.
Okay, so maybe don’t mention the last two facts, you don’t want to scare off your prey (um, I mean crush) – after all, your harmless Valentine’s banter is supposed to help you get a foot in the door, not the other way around. So get your facts straight and head for the water cooler – they’re bound to need a drink or two at some point during the day!
Source: London Loves Business (https://londonlovesbusiness.com/14-valentines-day-facts-that-even-cynics-will-love/)
by Fern Shaw | Feb 11, 2019 | Water Boilers, water cooler
We often, somewhat mistakenly, assume that keeping hydrated during winter is less important than in summer. As it turns out, the opposite is true.
In winter, in an effort to keep warm, we rely on using heaters, hairdryers and hats which quite literally suck the moisture and oils right out of our bodies, skin and hair. When we’re outside, low humidity and gusty winds don’t help much either.
The good news though is that there are a number of easy hydration options available to keep you smooth skinned, glossy haired and properly hydrated internally too:
Wear layers
Trapping small pockets of air between layers is better than wearing one big chunky coat. A wool or fleece layer is a good idea, as it will be soft and lightweight, and warm air is more easily trapped in the fibres. Fabrics with a piled, terry or textured finish will also be effective at trapping air.
Exercise and keep hydrated!
The urge to hibernate when it is cold is understandable, without the sunshine outside enabling us to soak up Vitamin D; hibernation is a completely natural reaction. That’s why it’s especially important to keep active wherever you can, whether that involves brisk walks (weather permitting) and other alternate forms of exercise: yoga is a good example – it doesn’t have to be a gym.
Because you also need to keep drinking water when the temperatures dip, try to develop a routine at work where you sip throughout the day. One option whether at home or at work, is to use a smaller glass or water bottle. It may mean more trips to the water cooler, but if you’re walking more, that’s being active and when it’s colder, every step counts.
Body scrubs and oils
Frigid temperatures and dry indoor heat cause water to evaporate from your skin because there’s more moisture in it than in the air. Bundling up doesn’t help matters – all those layers keep skin from breathing. Fight back with a one-two punch of body scrub and moisturising lotion or oil. Once a week, exfoliate with a body scrub to help slough off dead cells that make skin look dull. You’ll also find that giving your skin a brisk scrub will warm you right up too. When skin is freshly exfoliated, lotion and oil are better absorbed. To maintain hydration, smooth on the lotion daily after a shower.*
‘Eat’ your water
Fruit and veggies are packed with water, that high water content adds volume and keeps you satisfied without the calories. Soups are also a great way to sneak in some extra water. At AquAid we offer a range of hot and cold water coolers and water boilers which allow you to make your favourite hot water drink while at work or at home.
Maintain a good drinking water habit
Drinking enough water, as boring as it sounds, is still the simplest route to maintaining good ‘external’ physical health. We need to be well hydrated in order to maintain supple skin and unfrizzed hair.
Being fussy can help
A lot of us just don’t like drinking water, period. Try adopting a different approach. Try drinking your water at room temperature. If you’re into branded gear (this isn’t just a children’s domain), then use your favourite cartoon character branded water bottle to drink from if it makes your happy. Figure out what appeals to you. And since your ability to recognise your thirst worsens as you age, today, early this New Year is a good a time as any to start to begin a ‘maintaining good hydration’ habit.
*updated from an 8 Jan 2015 blog
