by Fern Shaw | Jul 30, 2025 | Health and Hydration, water cooler, Water Coolers
Staying properly hydrated ensures that all of your bodily functions are … well … functioning. You can only go three days or so without water, and as your body loses its hydration, you will experience all kinds of awful side effects. Dehydration can cause irritability, lethargy, dangerously low blood pressure, rapid heart rate, headaches, shock, and even death.
The average adult can usually maintain proper levels of hydration by drinking enough water. That being said, extreme heat or exertion can be draining on even a healthy adult. Kids and the elderly are more susceptible to extreme dehydration than the average adult … so if you have kids or older adults in your life that are important to you, the tips outlined below can be especially important for them (and for you!)
- Pick the right water.
As a general rule, try to avoid hydrating beverages that have added sugar. In addition to having fewer calories, it’s important to choose hydrating beverages that don’t have sugar in order to prevent spikes in insulin levels. Going into a sugar crash compounded with the already-unpleasant sensation of dehydration is not the way to go. Plus, if you happen to be sick with diarrhoea during a hot summer day, sugary beverages can actually worsen your symptoms.
- Snack on the right foods.
Fresh veggies and fruits are good snacks this time of year, and not just for dieters. Fresh produce has a very high water content, so it’s a great way to hydrate without having to drink a ton of water. For example, an apple is up to 85% of water by volume.
Pickles (and pickle juice) are higher in electrolytes than beverages like Liquid Power or Powerade, and have been shown to reduce cramping cause by exertion in high temperatures. The acetic acid in pickles and pickle juice are considered superior to the citric acid found in commercial sports drinks, at least when it comes to rehydration properties.
Another food you should add into your diet when staying properly hydrated is a concern are chia seeds. In addition to being high in protein, the seeds themselves help you to retain water by absorbing many times their own weight in water. If you can’t find the actual seeds, you may be able to find a chia seed gel at runner’s/sporting goods or health food shops.
- Drink constantly, not occasionally.
You should be constantly drinking fluids, rather than guzzling multiple litres of water all at once.
Another way to explain this (in a rather radical comparison) is when you go to the hospital and get an IV drip, it’s a DRIP … meaning that you get a slow but steady introduction of fluids. You never see anyone getting an IV drip at the speed of a gushing fire hose.
It is better to have frequent, small amounts of fluid … especially if the dehydration is severe. Too many fluids at once can induce stomach upset or vomiting.
The amount of water you need in a given day depends on the environment, your activity level, and what other food and drink you have consumed.
Break up that amount of water into a cup or so every hour, and you’ll have a good, healthy intake of water. Drinking too much water in a very short period of time can put too much strain on your eliminatory processes, so finding the right balance is important.
- Avoid diuretic behaviours.
Don’t do anything that you know will dehydrate you. In addition to exercise, also watch out for alcohol and caffeine. You might feel groggy when you get to the office … avoid your usual The Hulk sized mugs of coffee and go for a large glass of water. You might be surprised at how much more effectively the water perks you up.
- Make it easy on yourself.
It’s hard to stay hydrated when you don’t have water nearby. At the office it should be easier – and practically impossible to avoid if you have a water cooler on the premises.
If you don’t, speak to the powers-that-be and ask them to drop AquAid a line, so that you get your water cooler tout suite.
Chia!
by Fern Shaw | Jul 30, 2025 | Water, water cooler
For the last few (gloriously hot and sunny) weeks, the focus has been on how to stay hydrated when it’s hot. But before everyone gets carried away filling paddling pools, pressure-washing patios and watering every leaf in sight, a stern internal voice (think Sergeant Major, broad as Stockton, moustache bristlier than Bristol) barked: “Water conservation at all costs, people!”
So now we have our hydration sorted, the focus shifts from personal hydration (still important, mind) to looking after our green spaces without soaking the planet. Here are six simple, sensible ways to keep your green spaces thriving while still being kind to water supplies:
- Raise That Mower Blade – Cutting the lawn too short in hot weather is like sunbathing without sunscreen. Set the mower to a higher level – taller grass shades the roots and helps the soil retain moisture.
- Sprinkle with Purpose – Sprinklers are best for large patches of grass. For smaller areas or container plants, a watering can (or even a humble cup) is much more precise – and far less wasteful.
- Avoid the Heat of the Day – Midday watering does more harm than good. The heat can cause water to evaporate before it even hits the roots – or worse, scorch the leaves. Early morning or evening is best.
- Inspect Sprinklers Like a Pro – Leaky valves or clogged heads? That’s water literally down the drain. A quick once-over every few days can save litres – and your lawn will thank you.
- Skip the Windy Watering – Watering on a blustery day is a bit like trying to drink from a straw in a hurricane. Most of it misses the mark. Save it for a calmer moment.
- Choose a Smarter Fountain – Fountains that trickle, or cascade lose less to evaporation than those that spray into the air. And during hotter spells, it might be best to switch them off – unless, of course, they’re affordable water fountains or essential for visiting wildlife.
And a final word from around the Water Cooler
As tempting as it may be, please don’t take a jug from the office water cooler to douse your flower beds – unless it’s for your prized bonsai that lives in the shaded corner of the conference room. (We see you, Bartholomew Bonsai from Finance.)
Because whether it’s a heatwave or just another sunny spell, conserving water is always in style – and the Sergeant Major wouldn’t have it any other way.
by Fern Shaw | Jul 15, 2025 | Water, water cooler, water dispenser
When the temperature climbs, having easy access to drinking water becomes more than just a comfort – it’s essential. While most people know hydration is key to staying healthy in the heat, there are plenty of reasons it matters that aren’t always top of mind.
Hot weather naturally increases thirst, but it’s easy to underestimate how much fluid the body needs to stay comfortable and focused. Even mild dehydration can leave people feeling sluggish, less alert, or more irritable than usual. Regular water breaks help boost energy levels, support clearer thinking, and can even improve general mood. Wherever the location, having a water dispenser on site, whether at work, the office, store, shop, gym, sports centre lobby, or job site can make a genuine difference, encouraging people to drink regularly without thinking twice.
Children, older adults and those with health conditions are particularly vulnerable in high temperatures. They might not always recognise the signs of dehydration or be able to help themselves, so it’s important that others check in and offer water often. The same goes for pets, who can’t ask for a drink and wildlife, who may struggle to find water during dry spells. Even placing a shallow bowl of water outside can be a lifeline.
Helping each other stay cool and hydrated isn’t just thoughtful – it’s vital. Making water easily available and encouraging regular sips throughout the day is a small effort that can prevent serious problems. Whether it’s through personal care or simply having a water station nearby, keeping water within reach can keep everyone – from colleagues to pets – a bit safer in the heat.
by Fern Shaw | May 19, 2025 | Water, water cooler, Water Coolers
This World Bee Day is the perfect time to give a big thank you to the tiny pollinators who keep our world blooming and our plates full.
Bees might be small, but their impact is huge. Around one-third of the food we eat relies on pollinators like bees. They help plants reproduce by spreading pollen – a vital step in producing fruits, vegetables, and seeds. Apples, strawberries, tomatoes, courgettes … even coffee and chocolate owe a lot to bees.
Without bees doing their daily buzz-about, many of our favourite foods would become rarer, pricier, or disappear altogether. Farmers count on them to pollinate crops, and entire ecosystems rely on their work to stay balanced and healthy.
But bees can’t do it all alone. They need safe habitats, food sources, and something we often overlook – water. Like us, bees get thirsty! They need clean, shallow water where they can safely land and drink without the risk of drowning. A small dish with stones or floating corks makes an easy, bee-friendly watering spot in any garden.
So, this World Bee Day, let’s give back to the bees. Plant some wildflowers, skip the pesticides, and pop out a bee-safe water dish. Every little effort helps protect these brilliant buzzers and, in turn, the food we love.
Bee kind, bee thankful – and keep buzzing for change!
by Fern Shaw | Feb 12, 2025 | Water, water cooler, water cooler
Valentine’s Day, for some, is both one of the most dreaded and alternatively, most anticipated days in the February calendar, for a variety of reasons.
Dreaded because the day seems to have morphed into a commercialised and forced day of having to publicly declare your feelings of love and affection to a significant other.
Anticipated because the expectations of many objects of affection wait anxiously to see what the day will bring them.
Sadly, the tradition and meaning of Valentine’s seems to have been lost, which is a pity as the real aim (har har) of the day was rather lovely (and quite passionate!)
Examples through history:
*The earliest surviving valentines in English appear to be those in the Paston Letters, written in 1477 by Margery Brewes to her future husband John Paston “my right well-beloved Valentine”.
Valentine’s Day is mentioned ruefully by Ophelia in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet (1600–1601):
To-morrow is Saint Valentine’s day,
All in the morning betime,
And I a maid at your window,
To be your Valentine.
Then up he rose, and donn’d his clothes,
And dupp’d the chamber-door;
Let in the maid, that out a maid
Never departed more. ~ William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5
In the Victorian-era there was a language of flowers, sometimes called floriography, a means of communication in which various flowers and floral arrangements were used to send coded messages, allowing individuals to express feelings which otherwise could not be spoken. This language was most communicated through a tussie-mussie (flower posy), an art which still has a following today, if in a much simpler manner.
The nuances of the language are now mostly forgotten, but red roses still imply passionate, romantic love; pink roses denote affection; white roses suggest virtue and chastity and yellow roses still stand for friendship or devotion.
Things to perhaps consider for this Valentine’s Day – whether you choose to celebrate the day or not. If you are presenting/receiving a tussie-mussie to/from your intended, remember to give it water.
Just a friendly heads-up: please don’t use the water from the home, office or school water cooler. That’s for us humans, and we kind of need it to, you know, live.
Plus, think about it: if someone doesn’t get a Valentine’s, they’ll need that drinking water to keep their skin looking all youthful, glowing and plumped-up. A bit of hydration can work wonders, whether it’s for a pre-date glow-up or just to help them plot their (hopefully more successful) strategy for next year.
Happy Valentine’s!
*source: Wikipedia
