by Fern Shaw | May 16, 2021 | water cooler
With so many of us working remotely and our usual workplace habits out the window, it’s no surprise that we may have adopted somewhat unhealthy practises, which are now adversely affecting our health and well-being.
From not eating regularly, snacking when hungry to not taking water cooler breaks; it’s easy for healthy habits to fall by the wayside.
But how do we return to these structured good habits? It’s actually easier than we think.
Begin the day right
As we may no longer be commuting to the office or workplace, we still have that time at our disposal. Time enough to drink a glass of water before or after showering, to eat breakfast and even to prep lunch.
Define a workspace
Space can be a problem when working remotely, especially if you share space with others – be that family or housemates. To be productive in such an environment, it’s important to create an office space that is separate from your home life – even if your office consists of a cleared table or room corner. A designated workspace helps provide a mental and physical trigger that it’s time to leave home and ‘go to’ work.
Swap sitting for moving
Whereas you might not be heading to your office water cooler station to replenish your drinking water, it’s still important to maintain hydration. Even if you have bottled water on your desktop, train yourself to get up, walk around – a water cooler break of your own creation.
Remain social
Isolation can become more attractive the longer you’re at it. The inclination to become Howie or Hetta the Hermit can be overwhelming, but don’t give in to it. Whether it’s allocating time to think tank with colleagues or ‘meet’ and catch up with friends or family, make it happen.
Be negative to stay positive
Implementing boundaries can be hard, but they are doable. Learn to say ‘no’ to well-meaning friends, family or even colleagues who feel that as you’re not in a defined workspace or office, you are readily available. Ignore the temptation to drift over to social media or other online distractions. Rather have a drink of water – maintaining hydration counteracts a loss of focus and helps us concentrate.
by Fern Shaw | Apr 20, 2021 | instant tap, Water Boilers, water cooler
Some time ago, we blogged about how drinking water can increase belly health. As the belly (or stomach) is seen as a second brain, keeping it hydrated is vital, contributing to sustained belly and digestive health and indeed, our body’s health overall.
A few benefits of drinking water on an empty stomach are:
Flushes Toxins – helps in flushing out all the toxins from the body, cleansing the system. It’s also a great way in which to kick-start your metabolism.*
Increases Red Blood Cell population – stimulates the red blood cells to populate at a faster rate, an increase in oxygen reaching your cells, which in turn boosts the energy levels of the body.*
Increases Metabolism speed – can mean an increased metabolic rate of around 25%. This can also lead to a faster digestion, aiding a more healthy weight loss.*
Cleanses Your Bowels – drinking water on an empty stomach helps in cleansing your bowels. It creates an urge to move the bowel and therefore helps to regulate your digestive tract.*
Prevents Kidney Stones – water dilutes the acids and prevents the formation of stones in the kidney. Drinking water can also help prevent bladder infections. However, fluid intake must be carefully monitored should a person have a kidney disease or is on a treatment like dialysis. Always consult with a healthcare professional.
Strengthens Immune System – flushing out all the toxins and preventing infections from spreading through the body. This ultimately strengthens the immune system thereby reducing the likelihood of infections.*
Wherever you require a plumbed in (mainsfed), bottled (bottlefed), water dispenser, hot water boiler or hot or cold Instant Taps for your home, office, workplace or worksite, delivering a constant supply of refreshing drinking water – day and night – contact AquAid Water Coolers.
*source: from a blog at Manipal Hospitals
by Fern Shaw | Apr 19, 2021 | water cooler
Feeling lethargic during seasonal change is nothing new. How you counter that lethargy though, could be new as well as quite life changing as to how it affects your day.
One of the simplest methods to counteract sleep lethargy impugning on the rest of your day is to drink water as soon as you wake up.
Drinking water first thing in the morning:
Jump-starts your metabolism. The food we consume on a daily basis is metabolised and transported by way of water throughout the body. Having a sufficient amount of water in your system helps fire up your metabolism; it can also help with not eating too much. When we’re not adequately hydrated, we often mistake thirst for hunger, which can lead us to eat more.*
Helps fuel your brain. When it comes to daily productivity, hydration is crucial. The human brain consists of 73% water, so staying hydrated is especially essential for maintaining optimal brain activity. It is, of course, a daylong process, but starting with a glass of water right away is a step in the right direction.
The mornings set the tone for the rest of your day. If you feel sluggish, it will reflect in your morning activities/workouts, productivity at work, in fact, any daytime routine.*
Immediately helps rehydrate the body. Sleeping for hours is a long time to go without any water consumption. Drinking at least a glass (or two) of water right when you wake up is a good way to quickly rehydrate your body. So before you reach for that cuppa or coffee, rather refresh with water and kick start your day in the right manner.*
Increases your level of alertness. One of the biggest indicators of lethargy or low energy is that you are dehydrated. Because water aids in both body regulation and brain function, it is also closely related to balancing out our moods.
After a long period without anything to eat or drink, the first thing you consume in the morning can be a shock to the body. If that first thing is water, it will get the body working and can boost your alertness and low energy levels.*
Remember AquAid for all your water cooler and fresh drinking water requirements. With our decades of experience, you can rely on our expert knowledge to guide you in which of our high-quality range of water dispensers is the perfect install for your hydration needs.
sources: *from an article at Business Insider speaking to Nutritionist Rania Batayneh
by Fern Shaw | Apr 9, 2021 | water cooler
Eyes contain a whole universe their own. Some of the names of parts of the eye include trenches, radial contraction folds of Schwalbe, cones, rods and more Latin than one can oculus.
Whereas we often refer to how vital drinking enough water is to our body’s health and well-being, and in particular, how much water is needed for optimal organ function, there is a tendency to focus on the more obvious, such as heart or kidney health.
The truth is our eyes, just as with any other body part, require us to drink enough water in order to stave off reduced function, infection and poor eye health.
Dry eye occurs when there are insufficient tears to nourish the eye, and tears are necessary for providing clear vision. Tears wash away foreign matter in the eye and help reduce the risk of eye infections. Symptoms of dry eyes include irritation, excess watering, blurred vision and feeling foreign matter in the eye. As a symptom of dehydration, the best treatment for dry eye is rehydrating by drinking plenty of water.*
It’s also wise to be mindful of how much you blink: in an age where the average adult’s screen time is 8 hours and 41 minutes per day, and screen use has been found to reduce the amount we blink, it makes sense to close our eyes a little bit more. Each time we blink, we moisten our eyes with tears, banishing some of the classic, uncomfortable dry eye symptoms.**
What has become a common problem is referred to as ‘computer vision syndrome’ – an umbrella term for conditions that result from looking at a computer or smartphone screen. According to Dr. Matthew Gardiner, an ophthalmologist with Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, “It’s most prevalent with computers, and typically occurs when looking at a screen at arm’s length or closer.”
All said it’s rather encouraging there is potentially such a simple solution to healthier, hydrated eyes – drink water and blink more. Should you wish to find out more about installing an AquAid water cooler, providing a constant supply of refreshing drinking water, leaving not a dry eye in the house (or premises or your organisation), contact us.
sources: *from a blog by Kate Green, Optimax Eye Surgery **from an article at essilor
by Fern Shaw | Mar 30, 2021 | water cooler
Traditions at Easter are observed and celebrated globally and have been for centuries – many of which are common knowledge – irrespective of the faiths and beliefs one might follow. However, there are quite a few a little more obscure which may not be that well known – although they are certainly interesting!
Easter Crime in Norway
Every Easter, hundreds of thousands of Norwegians indulge in crime fiction, known in Norwegian as påskekrim (Easter crime). Television channels run crime shows and a slew of new detective novels are commissioned to come out just before Easter. People across the country escape into their mountain cabins and spend the weekend with the ‘Whodunit’ television shows or books.
The phenomenon was triggered by the immense popularity of a crime novel in 1923, set on the famed Oslo to Bergen railway.
The world’s biggest Easter omelette in France
Every Easter Monday, the residents of Haux crack more than 4,500 eggs into a gigantic pan to create a massive Easter omelette that serves over 1,000 people.
Each family breaks the eggs in their homes in the morning and they gather in the main square where the eggs are cooked for lunch. And dinner. And breakfast the next morning…
In Greece, red Easter eggs and red Easter Poppies
Easter is known around the world for multi-coloured, decorated eggs. However, in Greece you will find only red eggs. Red is the colour of life, as well as a representation of the blood of Christ.
From ancient times, the egg has been a symbol of the renewal of life, and the message of the red eggs is victory over death.
According to legend, Demeter, the Greek goddess of the harvest, created the poppy after the loss of her daughter, Persephone. The twin brothers Hypnos and Thanatos (gods of sleep and death) are typically depicted wearing crowns of poppies or carrying poppies in their hands. In the Greek Orthodox Church, crimson poppies represent the blood of Christ on the cross on his journey to Golgotha.
Last but by no means least; it wouldn’t be an AquAid blog if we didn’t provide a water reference:
A time to splash out, Hungary
In Hungary, in the Paloc community of Holloko, there is an Easter water pouring ceremony where on Easter Sunday women dress up in traditional clothes and water is splashed over them. Traditionally men and boys pour buckets of water on women and girls. The men recite a poem to the women before the pouring, asking for their permission.
From our perspective, all we’ll add is water would be flying in all directions, irrespective of gender and, we recommend not using the water from your water cooler for this ceremony.
sources: Omelette and Norway crime: Life in Norway and Wanderlust; Eggs and poppies: Wanderlust and Katerina’s Kouzina, Water ceremony: BBC and Wanderlust.
by Fern Shaw | Mar 16, 2021 | touch free water coolers, water cooler, water dispenser
Dehydration is serious for all of us, but not more so than to our children. Children, especially those younger than ten, are often unaware of the need to drink water regularly and will only do so when they are already thirsty. By this time, their cognitive function is already reduced, by up to 20%. This loss of function affects their ability to concentrate, assimilate information as well as easily perform both mentally and physically.
Here, at AquAid, we understand how vital it is to have easy access to a constant supply of drinking water throughout the school day. This is why we have made sure that we have a range of high quality water coolers available, specifically designed to cater for a high demand of refreshing water on a continual basis.
High capacity water dispensers like the AquAid Hydrator. Designed specifically for use in schools and high usage areas, this mainsfed unit can supply up to 40ℓ of cold drinking water per hour.
Another suitable option is the AquAid Ecofill Touch-Free water dispenser; offering a host of features that include a non-contact dispense point; large bottle clearance height; ‘Freshield’ anti-microbial components and electricity free function.
The AquAid Hydrator and AquAid Ecofill Touch-Free are but two examples of a range of suitable water dispensers ensuring children have easy access to drinking water.
After all, a properly hydrated child means a healthier and happier child – more able to pay attention in class, a better capacity to learn while having sufficient (but not sugar-filled) energy to get through the day.
Not sure which water cooler is best for your school’s requirements? Not to worry, contact us at AquAid and one of our experts will guide you to establish the optimum water cooler for use at your school, gym or play area.
