Useful resources for employers
Watch the webinar
Resources & links
Hydrate and feel great!
Water really is the ‘Essence of Life’ and staying hydrated is crucial to our overall health.
The average adult’s body is made up of 65% water and even mild dehydration can have a significant impact on the body’s ability to carry out the functions it needs to do to keep you healthy. Water is needed to breathe, to transport nutrients in the cells, to carry oxygen in the blood and even to keep your joints moving smoothly.
This topic will help you to understand why staying hydrated is so important, and what can happen if we don’t. There are some activities, top tips and a short webinar to help you understand a little more about hydration and what we can all do to improve our hydration levels.
There’s a also a great factsheet to download along with a poster to help you share the activities and resources with your colleagues.
Did you know?
Sources:
(1) National Hydration Council; (2) Women’s Health
Webinar: Hydrate and feel great!
This short webinar will help you to understand:
- Why staying hydrated is so important to our health
- The WATER method of staying hydrated
- How much water you need based on your own personal circumstances
- Find help and further resources if you need it
Why not get yourself a glass of water and watch the webinar!
A poster and factsheet to use in your organisation
There’s a handy factsheet which includes a crossword puzzle and a handy ‘Pee chart’ to help spot dehydration quickly; as well as a poster. Feel free to download and share, print and put them up, or email them to your employees.
When it comes to hydration, it’s not all about what you drink. Some foods are more water than others: cucumbers are 97% water, cauliflower 92%, spinach 91%, strawberries 91%, cranberries, pineapple & oranges 87%.
Hydration status depends on the individual and is affected by things like gender, age, height, weight, activity levels, alcohol intake and diet. Environment also plays a big role for example working in air conditioned buildings and the different seasons play a large role in our hydration needs/status.
Read on for some great hydration hacks and how to recognise if dehydration has kicked in – why not have a listen to the webinar too!
How to stay hydrated
Being adequately hydrated is vital for the normal functioning of our bodies and can help with focus and concentration so aim to:
- Carry a water bottle around with you and keep refilling it
- Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day
- Replace coffee, tea and fizzy drinks with water at every opportunity
- Drink a glass of water with every meal
- Stay hydrated if you are in a hot, humid environment or being physically active
- Have hydration meetings – drink water rather than coffee
- Keep a glass of water by your bed and if you wake up in the night take a few sips. In the morning drink what’s left in the glass to kick start you daily hydration journey
- Try a work strategy – when waiting for a page to load or document to open, grab your water bottle and take a drink
- Use your tech – if you have a SMART watch or phone, use it to set regular reminders to drink water throughout the day. There are plenty of free downloadable apps that can help you with this – we have suggested some to use in the resource section below
How to spot when you’re dehydrated
Our bodies lose approximately 2.5 litres of water each day just by breathing, sweating and going to the toilet. Consequently, if we don’t pay proper attention to topping up our water and/or fluid intake, it’s easy to become dehydrated. Here are some signs:
- Dry and irritable skin – often starts on the hands, face and lips. If you are regularly seeing patches of dry skin you could be dehydrated!
- Poorer performance – dehydration often leads to a decrease in your overall cognition, concentration and performance
- Tired and lethargic – often when dehydrated we feel tired, our immediate reaction is to eat something sugary. Instead try and reach for a glass of water
- Check your hydration levels when you go to the toilet – your urine should be the colour of straw or dry grass, any darker and you need to drink more water
Below is a short crossword to download and complete. All of the answers can be found by reading all about why hydration is key for our body to function and what can happen if hydration levels are not maintained.
Brain
Your brain tissue consists of 85% water so when you’re not properly hydrated it may be your brain that starts to feel the effects. Symptoms include headaches, poor concentration and even reduced short-term memory.
Blood
Your blood, which is what carries the essential nutrients to the cells in your body is made up of around 95% water. If you are dehydrated the systems that regulate blood pressure will not work, which may cause an increase in blood pressure.
Skin
Our skin consists of around 70% water and we lose a percentage of our body’s water everyday by evaporation through the skin. Air conditioning, low humidity, and even simple things like soap and cleaning solutions can damage the protective outer layer of the skin, reducing its moisture. You may then notice your skin feeling dry and the best solution is to reach for a glass of water and moisturise from the inside.
Cells
Every cell in your body depends on water to keep it working properly. The average person is made up of between 50% to 75% water, two-thirds of which is carried in the cells. If there isn’t enough water in the body, these cells cannot effectively do the job they are supposed to do, such as transport nutrients and eliminate waste.
Bones
Even your bones have a high level of water in them – approximately 22%. Water is necessary to ensure the smooth movement of bone joints. The cartilaginous tissue at the end of the bones retains water to lubricate the movement of your joints. When fully hydrated the two opposing surfaces slide smoothly; if the cartilage is dehydrated, the damage from friction increases, causing deterioration of the joints and leading to pain, such as arthritis.
Heart
The heart consists of around 77% water. Clinical studies have shown that adequate hydration may improve the way your heart works and reduce your risk of developing heart disease.
Source: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/what-percentage-of-the-human-body-is-water#where-in-the-body
Kidneys
The kidneys are made up of around 80% water and their function is to remove waste products from the body, which are dissolved in water. When there isn’t enough water, these waste products are not removed effectively which can cause damage to the kidneys. The National Kidney Research Foundation recommends that drinking two litres of water a day can reduce your risk of developing kidney stones.
Liver
The liver converts the body’s fat into energy it can use and consists of around 73% water. But if the liver is forced to help in the work of the kidneys due to dehydration, the body will accumulate extra fat that would have been burned if there had been adequate water intake.
Lungs
Your body needs water to breathe and the lungs consist of around 85% water. To be able to take in oxygen and remove carbon dioxide, our lungs must be continually moistened with water. The average person loses between half to one litre of water per day just by breathing. When the body is dehydrated, it tries to prevent respiratory water loss by producing histamines which close off the capillaries in the lungs. This reduces the water loss, but makes breathing more difficult.
More resources
All the videos and links to further information shared below, have been peer reviewed, continue to be free at the time of writing this topic.
Hydration
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-guidelines-and-food-labels/water-drinks-nutrition/
https://www.nutrition.org.uk/nutritional-information/hydration/
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/salford/about-us/improving-nutrition-and-hydration/drinking-well/
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-guidelines-and-food-labels/water-drinks-nutrition/
Apps and ideas to help you track your water intake
Water reminder apps can help you stay hydrated by sending reminders and tracking your water intake. Some of the water reminder apps include:
If you don’t want to use an app, why not find an empty 1 litre water bottle to write on ‘drink by’ target times. E.g. half a bottle by 11am and 3pm. This will ensure you are on the way to hydration.