Should I Drink Less Water during Winter?

Should I Drink Less Water during Winter?

Now we’re in the New Year and skating full tilt in winter, as we gear up for the colder weather and perhaps, we’re already cutting back on our exercise and gearing up for more indoors and less out and about.

You may also think that with the colder temperatures this means that you shouldn’t be drinking as much water as you were during the (hot!) summer months.  Reducing our water intake during autumn and winter, however, is a common error, as irrespective of the seasons, adequate hydration is necessary throughout the year.

To maintain optimal health, your body needs a regular and sufficient water intake as water literally feeds your entire body and is responsible for your get up and go – to maintain your basic health and body functions, you must remain hydrated.

Every single atom of your body consists of a high-water component e.g. as much as 83% of your lungs and overall, 73% of your entire body is made up of water.

So, whereas you might be adding on more layers and opting for Netflix marathons instead of exercise marathons, you still need to maintain your water ‘habit’.

That’s why, now, as with each season, is not the time to be ignoring your water cooler, or indeed, cutting back on refilling your water bottle every day, whether you’re at home, work, school or play.

Maintaining your water ‘fix’ not only helps keep you in good health during the colder weather, but it will also ease the transition when you begin upping your water consumption for the warmer months.

Eventful December at the Water Cooler

Eventful December at the Water Cooler

December is a month chock full of occasions, annual observances and traditions.

A brief glance:

03 – 04 Dec –Tree Dressing Day

06 Dec – St. Nicholas Day

11 Dec – International Mountain Day

21 Dec – Winter Solstice

the list goes on.

This may be due to December being a pivotal period of the year as we enter the final transition from late autumn to winter and the close of yet another year.  Although the dropping temperatures and increase in blustery weather may make it difficult to believe, it’s still officially autumn until 21 December.

With so many observances, traditions and events on the go this month it’s easy to understand that we may let our changing hydration needs slip by the wayside despite there being a simple and cost-effective solution. A solution as simple as switching from a chilled drinking water dispenser to a cool and piping hot drinking water dispenser.

With AquAid, you’re spoilt for choice – we supply a wide range of top-quality water coolers, water boilers and Instant Taps – all backed by our superlative services pre, during and post installation.

We invite you to visit our informative website and browse our water cooler selection, suitable for all industries and any size staff contingent, then contact our helpful team via e-mail, telephone or at the website.

Water Cooler Health Benefits – How Water helps maintain Liver Health

Water Cooler Health Benefits – How Water helps maintain Liver Health

Maintaining sufficient water consumption is a valuable health benefit. With the end of the year drawing closer, there are many of us getting into the festive spirit – attending year end functions, going to parties, and possibly overindulging with food and drink. All of which can place enormous strain on the liver.

The liver is one of the largest (it’s bigger than your brain) and most complex of our internal organs.

Your liver consists of 96% water (the water is inside the cells and in blood) and can regenerate itself – even if only 25% of it is still healthy, your liver can regenerate itself into a full liver again.

The major functions of the liver:

  • Makes and stores fuel.
  • Cleans your blood.
  • Filters out toxins from your bloodstream.
  • Produces bile to break down fats.
  • Help absorb nutrients in the intestine from the processed food.
  • Regulates blood composition to balance protein, fat, and sugar.
  • Produces essential chemicals to aid blood clotting.
  • Destroys old blood cells.
  • Stores minerals, iron and vitamin A.

The liver is a complex, hard-working, multi-tasking organ, tirelessly performing many functions. The efficiency of your liver function directly relates to your health and well-being.

Water is largely responsible for the fluid content of blood.  As the organ that filters the blood, its viscosity affects the liver’s detoxification abilities. Accordingly, not drinking enough water will increase the blood’s thickness and make it harder to filter.

At AquAid, we’re fully cognisant of the vital part regular water consumption plays in your ability to maintain good health overall and help maintain good body health.

So, the next time you’re about to skirt the water cooler to get to the office party, don’t.  Rather take your water bottle or water glass and make the water cooler station part of your daily work break routine: fill your bottle and drink your way to a healthier liver and consequently, a healthier you.

On the Way to the Water Cooler – More Strange Spills

On the Way to the Water Cooler – More Strange Spills

Quite some time ago we recounted stories of some of the oddest recorded road spills around the globe. Read about them here.

Time for an update we thought. So off we flew to the ether gathering information. Turns out, the best spill stories happen to come from an unexpected source!

20 tonnes of yeast extract

*A lot of yeast extract ended up across the M1 in South Yorkshire in 2011.

Specialist clean-up teams were needed to help clear the sticky black stuff off the motorway. It took 12 hours to clean up and fix the damage.

Thousands of lager cans

When a lorry shed its load of lager cans following an incident in Coventry in 2011, highways teams had to pick up every beverage by hand before reopening the motorway.

Powdered cement

Cement poses problems after a motorway spill. Specialist teams were called out to help clear the road before the cement could get wet and start to set. It eventually took 18 hours to clear the road.

I suppose, in this sea of rather sticky accounts of spills and mishaps, it’s nice to know that should your water cooler malfunction to such a degree, the worst thing spilling will be water – really not hard to clean up and no sticky, messy residue.

Even better and more reassuring though is that as per WHA guidelines, AquAid’s WHA accredited service technicians sanitise all bottle-fed water coolers every 3 months and all mains-fed water dispensers every 6 months, thus ensuring these high-quality water dispensers continue with their seamless delivery of refreshing drinking water.

*source: from an article at GOV.UK

Now that it’s Cooler – Hydration and Fitness

Now that it’s Cooler – Hydration and Fitness

The majority of people are under the impression that dehydration is something that happens only to athletes. The truth is that it happens to everyone, across all lifestyles and of all ages. Athletes just experience dehydration faster, with signs that are more visible.

Whether it is during a long walk to the office or during physical training, our body heats up when it works hard. To try to cool your body down enough to prevent heat stroke and to reduce core temperature, our bodies have to perspire. The perspiration evaporates to assist the body to reduce temperature. The drawback is that during warmer weather or constantly being in heated environments the perspiration is not efficient, and your body continues to sweat to try to reduce heat. As a result, dehydration accelerates.

There are a few tips that can assist you in avoiding dehydration during your exercise and fitness training and daily life. The most important tip is to keep hydrated, and not to wait until you are thirsty.

Drink water often, and at regular intervals. By the time you feel thirsty, you are already short of close to 1.5 litres of body fluids. It can take over a full day to recover from that type of dehydration. If you continue to work, train or exercise without sufficient hydration, your body can suffer from heat stroke. Dehydration affects everyone however; it usually affects unfit, elderly adults and overweight individuals far more quickly.

About 0.5L of water 1-2 hours before your exercise should assist you to stay cool, increase your performance and reduce your risk of heat stroke and dehydration dramatically.  Avoid coffee, teas and any drink with alcohol in it, as these will cause you to urinate more often, and increase your fluid loss. Remember that after your exercise, long walk or strenuous activity to drink lots of water. Do this as soon as possible to give your body the help that it needs to recover.

Need access to a constant supply of refreshing drinking water but don’t currently have a water dispenser?

There is an easy solution. Contact AquAid’s experienced and professional in-house agents. We offer a free on-site survey to assess your water dispenser requirements. This obligation-free service helps establish whether you are best served installing bottled or mainsfed water coolers.