by Fern Shaw | Aug 4, 2014 | Health and Hydration
As we all know – and as Gravesend especially knows – a recorded 25.7 °C two weeks ago – summer is most definitely here.
Being all things water, one can imagine that I’ll be coming out with reams of ‘drink thy water’ tomes, but just for argy bargy’s sake, today, I’m not.
Yep, you read right, today I’m not going to be talking drink water; today I’m talking about how to keep hydrated externally. Watch this sportsfans!
See that sponge? That’s your skin, that is! (If not looked after …)
Seriously though, are there ways other than drinking sufficient water to keep your skin well moisturised and plumped up smooth or this just an old wives tale?
Blogista Shaw went walkabout (cyber style) and came across some pretty good tips:
- 1. Wear protective clothing over your skin. A lot of clothing in outdoor stores and fashion stores has a UV protection rating. The UV protection rating is a good indicator of how clothing can act as an excellent barrier against the sun’s rays. Cover up as much skin as you can, using lightweight fabrics when it’s really hot and uncomfortable. Choose fabrics that won’t itch, scratch, or overheat you and choose light colours over dark ones, to keep the heat level down. My own personal jury is still out on this light colour clothing vs. dark, but that’s for another time.
- 2.Wear a hat. Your facial skin will benefit enormously from a permanent ring of shade over it in the heat of the sun. This I can attest to. I have the coolest soft cowgirl style hat that I’ve had for years that’s all UV protected as above and it has served me well. Plus, it looks very styling!
- 3. Give your skin a break. By watching the weather over summer, you can work out the days when you won’t need to slather on the chemicals, such as when it’s pouring with rain or it’s a very overcast day. Be sure to pop on your hat and cover clothing as usual because UV rays still penetrate the clouds; you can at least allow your skin a break from the sun cream.
- 4. If you’re going on holiday and you’re driving, then take your make-up off before you leave as it gives your skin time to breathe. Leave your make-up off as often as possible while you’re on holiday. This is a great opportunity to let your skin breathe and be free from the chemicals in cosmetics.
- 5. Rinse skin after swimming. This is especially important when you’ve been swimming in chlorinated environments as the chlorine can dry out your skin and for some people it can even result in an allergic reaction. And whereas the salt in the sea can be very healing for cuts, grazes and unhappy ‘winter feet’, the same can’t be said for chlorinated water.
Now you know. More in the next insert. ‘Peace an’ love, peace an’ love, people’ as Ringo says!
by Fern Shaw | Jul 14, 2014 | Health and Hydration, Water
Refreshing Fruit, Veggie, Herb and Spice Infused Water
You may remember that at the beginning of the year, we had a Drink Water Daily Challenge. I was impressed by how many AquAid customers accepted the challenge and threw themselves into the fray with wild abandon. Even more impressive was the staying power and the results. At the very least, I’m hoping it increased some people’s daily water intake.
Now, in the height of summer, we’re loosening up a bit and having a bit more fun with our water. Here are a few recipes to get you started:
Lemon, lavender and mint infused water:
- Add 1/2 cup of dried lavender, a handful of fresh mint and one sliced lemon to a litre of water.
- Place the infusion in the fridge for approximately 25 minutes, drain the liquids and you should end up with a light pink cool drink that really tastes like lavender, mint and lemon!
I’ve some other marvellous ideas. The amount of water and the period for infusion is pretty much the same as for the above recipe, but as with most infusions, the longer the infusion time, the more chance the fruit / veggie / herbs / spices have to, well, um … infuse:
* Creamsicle: Orange slices and one vanilla bean, sliced down the centre.
* Blackberry: Handful of blackberries, lime slices and mint sprigs.
* Garden: Fresh sprigs of rosemary and/or basil.
* Herbs: Fresh sprigs of rosemary, mint, lemon and cucumber slices.
* Berry Basil: Fresh strawberries, sliced (green tops on for aesthetics) down the centre and handful of fresh basil.
* Ginger Cream: Slices of fresh ginger and one vanilla bean, sliced down the centre.
* Citrus: Slices of oranges, limes, and lemons.
* Melon: Slices of watermelon and limes.
* Tropical: Slices of fresh pineapple, watermelon and lime.
* Mojito: Sliced fresh pineapple, a slice or two of fresh ginger, handful of mint sprigs.
* Peaches and Cream: Slices of very ripe peaches and one vanilla bean, sliced down the centre.
The only things that I would avoid are fruits that tend to mush easily such as mango or raspberries. In my opinion, these are too soft to withstand all the ice bumping against them. After an hour, they will look less pretty and more like a blob of mushy ick. Not what you’re going for, I assume.
Mason jars with pretty colour chequered tops seem to be all the rage. If you’re not bovvered about looks, any old glass (or plastic if you’re on the go) container will do.
by Fern Shaw | Jul 8, 2014 | Water, water cooler, Water Coolers
Image ~ Darrin Gatewood
I thought my parrot had finally fallen off its perch when I read the headline.
Water cooling your PC? Mais oui, according to various articles.
Whether you’re using a desktop or laptop computer, there’s a good chance that if you stop what you’re doing and listen carefully, you’ll hear the whirring of a small fan. If your computer has a high-end video card and lots of processing power, you might even hear more than one.
In most computers, fans do a pretty good job of keeping electronic components cool. But for people who want to use high-end hardware or coax their PCs into running faster, a fan might not have enough power for the job. If a computer generates too much heat, liquid cooling, also known as water cooling, can be a better solution. It might seem a little counter-intuitive to put liquids near delicate electronic equipment, but cooling with water is far more efficient than cooling with air.
A liquid-cooling system for a PC works a lot like the cooling system of a car. Both take advantage of a basic principle of thermodynamics – that heat moves from warmer objects to cooler objects. As the cooler object gets warmer, the warmer object gets cooler. You can experience this principle first hand by putting your hand flat on a cool spot on your desk for several seconds. When you lift your hand, your palm will be a little cooler, and the spot where your hand was will be a little warmer.
Well, colour me watercated.
What’s even more impressive is apparently you can fit your own pc water cooler system in your own home. I’d suggest trying it at the office too, but fearless guinea pig that I am, I tried and well, let’s just say that my fans were working overtime once I received the response that I did.
Before any of you get into hot (harf harf harf) water in your work place, I’ll save you the trouble and tell you that asking if you can experiment and replenish your water cooling system using water from the office water cooler is most likely to get you a big, fat ‘No!’ in reply.
by Fern Shaw | Jul 8, 2014 | Health and Hydration
As I’ve said – okay, typed – before, drinking water = power (or energy) but who would’ve thunk it, that apparently, naps too = power.
Before you get the idea that I’m trying to propagate my ‘Sloths Rule!’ philosophy, let me assure you, this power nap deal is not only true, but a fact!
From the blogista’s friend Wiki:
A power nap is a short sleep which terminates before the occurrence of deep sleep or slow-wave sleep (SWS), intended to quickly revitalise the subject. The expression was coined by Cornell University social psychologist James Maas.
Characteristics
The power nap is thought to maximise the benefits of sleep versus time. It is used to supplement normal sleep, especially when a sleeper has accumulated a sleep deficit.
Various durations are recommended for power naps, which are very short compared to regular sleep. The short duration of a power nap is designed to prevent nappers from sleeping so long that they enter a normal sleep cycle without being able to complete it. Going beyond sleep stages I and II but failing to complete a full sleep cycle, can result in a phenomenon known as sleep inertia, where one feels groggy, disoriented, and even sleepier than before beginning the nap. Brief naps can improve alertness directly after awakening without the detrimental effects of sleep inertia associated with longer naps.
Scientific experiments and anecdotal evidence suggest that an average power nap duration of around 30 minutes is most effective. Any more time, and the body enters into its usual sleep cycle. People who regularly take power naps may develop a good idea of what duration works best for them, as well as what tools, environment, position, and associated factors help induce the best results.
This I can certainly attest to.
I’ll come clean though, I never actually have had a power nap at work – what I have had though, is a power nap when I’ve been running on empty between Job A and Job B in one day. So, let’s say that I leave Job A, zoom home and I have a gap of an hour or so before needing to leave for Job B. Let’s also say that perhaps I’ve been a little naughty on my water intake for the day (yes, it does happen) and my battery is blinking red. I’ve been known to sit down on my evil couch, lean back and close my eyes. When I wake up, magically, 20 to 45 minutes later, without any type of alarm, I definitely feel better, not groggy or tired at all, as mentioned above.
I can’t say that it will work for everyone as I believe everyone’s make-up is different, but I can say that it most definitely does work. So, more power to you, fellow nappers, as you embark on the Journey of the Power Nap.
by Fern Shaw | Jul 8, 2014 | Health and Hydration
Recently my colleague Belinda sent me a link to an interesting article about recycling the other day. Have a look-see here.
While perusing the how-to’s, I saw a bit about glass. Faster than Spidey’s sticky web, my attention was caught fast.
One of my many, many fascinations has to do with glass. I always thought that in another reality, I would have been a champion glass blower. I really love most things glass. Venetian glass; smoky glass; swirly patterned glass; glass bowls; glass vases; coloured drinking glasses …
Something that I wasn’t aware of though is how incredibly important it is to recycle glass. I think perhaps because I know that glass is made out of sand (how amazing is that!?) I imagined that it would somehow decompose. This is not the case. In fact, it’s the complete opposite. If one doesn’t recycle glass, it can take thousands of years to decompose and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
So, how exactly is glass recycled? From the average Joe(ess) perspective, it’s really pretty simple:
- Your part is to collect your glass and throw it into a marked recycle bin. The glass recycling image will generally look similar to the image above.
- Glass is taken from the bin and taken to a glass treatment plant.
- The glass is sorted by colour and washed to remove any impurities.
- The glass is then crushed and melted, then moulded into new products such as bottles and jars. Or it may be used for alternative purposes such as brick manufacture or decorative uses.
- The glass is then sent back to the shops ready to be used again.
- Glass does not degrade through the recycling process, so it can be recycled repeatedly.
Debate rages about whether one uses more water rinsing out glass at home – an idea is to use your dirty dishwater to do this.
A recent campaign has indicated that the recycling of one 750ml wine bottle can power a single globe for ½ an hour. The more bottles are recycled, the energy that it provides increases exponentially.
So, whereas we may think of recycling only in terms of watching our water usage or cutting down on something like tossing away plastic bags willy nilly; the fact is that being kind to ourselves, future generations and most importantly, to Mama Earth, is about far more than this. I for one, will most certainly be taking all my glass to recycling points in future. Shall you?
