Water, Blobbing and You

by Fern Shaw | Apr 19, 2013 | Health and Hydration

I’ve been reading through my notes for the blogs for this week and it all became a little overwhelming. So I let my brain head out West and the rest of me went to top up on the Java.

Then my brain knocked politely, ‘Coo-ee, I’m back’ it warbled.

‘What?’ the coffee-enjoying-rest of me replied. ‘You come up with anything useful out West?’

A lengthy discussion ensued ….

Anyhow, as it turns out, the brain told me it got to thinking about all the other lesser (according to it) but just as vital (according to all of them) organs that we humanoids are blessed with and guess what? ALL OF THEM need sufficient water to keep the g-g-greased lightning performance.

Kidney and Liver Function

One of the liver’s primary functions is to metabolize stored fat into energy. The kidneys are responsible for filtering toxins, wastes, ingested water and salts out of the bloodstream. If you are dehydrated, the kidneys cannot function properly and the liver must work overtime to compensate. As a result, it metabolizes less fat, your metabolism slows down to conserve water, which leads to weight gain and can contribute to belly fat.

Hence the blob factor mentioned in the heading.

The Heart

Dehydration can cause insufficient oxygenation of the tissue of the cardiovascular system. The heart rate increases in response to the tissue oxygen deficit. Tachycardia, or a heart rate greater than 100 beats per minute, occurs.  Severe dehydration can trigger irregular heart rhythms, especially in people with an underlying heart condition.

Command Central i.e. The Brain

Brain cells require the right amount of water and minerals in each of the cells.  If there is too much water, the cell’s membrane can break; if there is not enough, the cell will shrivel up. When there is brain dehydration, less water is available for brain cells to use.

Importance of Water

Almost two-thirds of the human body is made up of water and water acts as a natural appetite suppressant. It also helps to regulate your metabolism. When you become dehydrated, your metabolism slows down, affecting how your body burns fat. Your body mistakes thirst for hunger, which leads to increased calorie consumption. This can lead to stubborn fat gathering around your stomach, which is difficult to lose. There’s that blob factor again.

Bearing all of this in mind, also remember that water weight is not the same as ‘blob’ weight, so whereas you may think that because your body is retaining water it means you’re gaining weight, this is not the case. Your body is desperately trying to tell you, by retaining water, that it doesn’t have enough to function properly.

So, celebrate and revel in the fact that in the U.K., clean, fresh drinking water transported from source to your office, school or site is readily available from AquAid through our range of water coolers.  Drink up!

Ways with Water for Spring…..Spring has sprung, the grass has ris’ ……

by Fern Shaw | Apr 9, 2013 | Health and Hydration

Spring is apparently upon us, so hopefully with temperatures on the rise, the keeping fit and getting in shape for summer is becoming priority One.  This means (hopefully), that one’s water intake will increase too. To make your water intake more fab and fun, herewith a range of suggestions that should keep you feeling marvellous, looking more fit and keeping hydrated:

• Add cucumber. If you prefer a flavour that is less sweet, add just a few slices to your glass and the subtle flavour gives your water a fresh, spa-like taste. If you have more time, fill a pitcher with a handful of cucumber slices and let it sit in your fridge.
• Make yourself feel cocktail-ish. If drinking water can seem too bland, try it with a twist of lime or a splash of sugar-free fruit juice – cranberry or pomegranate juice are great options. Try different combinations, how about grapefruit and blackcurrant? Yowzer.
• Mint cubes. Make mint ice cubes by throwing a small sprig of spearmint, peppermint, or lemon mint into the ice cube tray, add water and freeze. You can also do this with your favourite herb, like rosemary or basil.
• Go Herbal. Add powdered or freshly sliced ginger, bruised mint leaves, or lemongrass to amp up your H2O. Or go floral. Lavender and rose hips are loaded with vitamin C and may help ease arthritis pain.
• Make It ‘Sassy’. Stay hydrated with a stomach-soothing recipe for Sassy Water.  It combines fresh ginger, cucumber, lemon, and spearmint for a tummy-pleasing cocktail.
• Water as a Meal.  If downing water all day is what bores you, try treating it as a meal—or, better yet, three meals. Try drinking water to a comfortable fullness 3 times a day. On colder days, it might be less; on warmer days, more. But comfortable fullness should be enough to stay hydrated. This will lower the amount of calories you eat for roughly an hour afterward.”
• Switch It Up. Simply change the way you drink water – out of a glass instead of a bottle, for example. Or drink it at a different temperature. If you change the temperature, you can change the experience and that can be enough to alter your water intake. Remember, cold water takes longer to drink. If you want to down it faster – to get your water-intake over with – drink it at room temperature instead of icy cold.

Remember, whether commuting; exercising; not exercising; working; relaxing; socialising – in fact, pretty much every –ing except sleeping, keep hydrated this Spring – it can only be good for you.