Drinking Water

 

 

Drinking Water

What are the main health benefits of drinking water? It improves digestion, regulates body temperature, improves circulation, aids in weight loss, increases energy and prevents muscle cramping.

How much should I be drinking? In general, women should drink six to eight glasses of water in a day. You should drink a little more when pregnant. Another good rule of thumb that’s a new fitness craze is half your body weight in water (in ounces), if you’re active and burning calories and eating a lot.

How do I know if I’m getting enough water? A good way to determine is how clear your urine is. It should be a pale yellow or clear color. Signs of dehydration include headache, constipation, dizziness, fatigue, and dark or strong-smelling urine.

How does getting enough water affect my health? It is very important to your health. It keeps you hydrated. When you don’t get enough, you can become dehydrated, get headaches and dizziness. It depresses your immune system. People who drink coffee, pop, anything with caffeine in it, should add an extra glass of water for every one caffeinated beverage.

How can getting too little water negatively affect my health? Besides the above, during pregnancy, it can lead to preterm labor because you don’t have enough water in your system. Your uterus can become irritable and you can start to have contractions. In women who aren’t pregnant, especially with the summer months coming, you can suffer heatstroke or heat exhaustion. And then if you are a runner or you’re very active, you’ll get muscle cramps more easily. People can also pass out easily.

Can drinking too much water be a bad thing? Yes. Water toxicity can occur when you drink a large amount in a short period of time, so try to spread your water intake out throughout the day. It decreases the amount of sodium in your body and causes your cells to overfill and swell.

Can I damage my body by not going to the bathroom? You can get urinary tract infections. A lot of nurses and waitresses who are busy and don’t stop to go to the bathroom will often get urinary tract infections. Most of us are well aware that drinking enough water every day is not only great for you, but also a necessity. Multiple studies have revealed that staying hydrated is a key factor in becoming a more productive, successful, and generally healthier person. Truly, all healthy roads on the path to well-being seem to lead to drinking more water. Health line reports with every glass, drinking water helps: Control calorie consumption, Improve energy levels and brain function ,Aid in digestion ,Boost kidney function, Improve skin health, Aid in weight loss, Prevent and treat headaches

However, despite this knowledge, most employees are guilty of not maintaining proper fluid intake either because they’re too busy working or they’re simply not a fan of the workplace water supply that’s available. This can be an incredible obstacle to both an organization’s workplace morale and productivity. If staying hydrated feels more like a chore than a healthy habit for you or your employees, you need to reevaluate your water supply. We’re taking a closer look at the importance of water intake and 5 easy strategies to employ that can help you stay hydrated throughout the workday.

The Value of Workplace Hydration

The majority of adults today are dehydrated. In fact, it’s been consistently shown that 75% of adults in the U.S. suffer from chronic dehydration, failing to drink the recommended 8 to 10 glasses a day. Hydration has a significant impact on mood and productivity, and dehydrated employees aren’t reaching their full potential in the workplace, which has adverse effects on your bottom line.

 

How can you tell if you’re dehydrated? The main symptoms to look out for include: Dry mouth, lips, and eyes, Fatigue, Vomiting, Headaches, Dizziness or lightheadedness, Confusion. These are clear signals that an individual isn’t drinking enough fluids and if this continues, it can quickly lead to chronic dehydration. This is often associated with negative health impacts such as high blood pressure, joint pain, muscle damage, and an increased risk of kidney stones and heart illness, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Tips for Drinking More Water at Work

Luckily, there are a few simple ways anyone can improve water intake and mitigate water loss throughout the workday. Here are 5 ways employees can drive hydration and workplaces can promote greater water consumption at work:

Add a natural fruit to make a tasty infusion. For those that find water bland and tasteless, an easy way to take your replenishing experience to the next level is with fruit-infused water. This can be anything from orange or lemon slices and watermelon chunks to kiwis or raspberries. Some people even freeze the fruit beforehand and use it instead of ice cubes to cool their drinking water while adding an extra touch of flavor. 

For workplaces, it can be difficult to provide infused water. Fortunately, flavored sparkling water is an effective alternative to consider. This gives employees access to drinking water with a natural fruit flavor and carbonation that can help them avoid soda or energy drinks with a substantial amount of added sugar.

 Use a drinking water app. Believe it or not, there are multiple apps available that can support employees on their journey to proper hydration. Drinking water apps can track how many glasses or ounces of water an individual is consuming to help them gain better insight into their daily hydration habits and stay on top of their water intake at work. There are even smart water bottles available that connect to an employee’s phone to log sips and remind them how much they have left to drink that day. A simple notification alert can get an employee back on the hydration track.

Take advantage of a reusable water bottle. A simple yet effective option for supporting greater water intake at work is a reusable water bottle. Employees can bring their refillable bottles to work, or workplaces can consider distributing them to employees, both to reduce single-use plastic at work and promote hydration. New or custom reusable water bottles can encourage workers to stay hydrated while motivating them to regularly refill their bottles throughout the day.

 Eat water-rich foods like fruits and vegetables. There are several fruits and vegetables with a fairly high water content that can help employees take in extra water throughout the day. Water-rich foods include:

As an employee, you can incorporate more of these foods into your diet or typical lunch to stay hydrated. Employers, on the other hand, can promote consuming these foods by integrating them into cafeteria or lunch program meals where applicable.  It’s important to note that while fruits and vegetables can be a good source of extra water, they won’t be sufficient to fulfill the required daily water intake on their own. Therefore, it’s always recommended to drink water throughout the day as well.

Use a bottle less water cooler. For employees or workplaces that take advantage of single-use plastic bottles, this system is not only costly and burdensome, but it also has significant environmental impacts to consider. For an alternative that mitigates the issues of bottled water while promoting greater water intake, workplaces can introduce a bottle less water cooler.

A bottle less dispenser is installed and connected directly to a building’s existing water line, giving workers access to a limitless supply of filtered and chilled water each day. These point-of-use coolers are designed to be more cost-effective and space-efficient while improving sustainability. With an endless supply of great-tasting, fresh water, employees are much more likely to keep themselves hydrated and productive throughout the workday.

With these simple tips and tricks, your workforce can learn to love the taste of water, prioritize their sips, and lead a healthier and more fulfilling life — all while maximizing productivity and helping you drive business results.

The Benefits of a Hydrated Workforce Ensuring your employees, guests, and customers have access to clean, great-tasting drinking water at work is not only essential for supporting their well-being, but it also leads to an abundance of valuable benefits.

The main health advantages for employees include: Supported kidney function: Kidneys regulate the fluid in our bodies and dehydration can quickly lead to kidney stones and other significant health issues. By improving water intake in the workplace, you can support the functioning of your valuable team members’ health. Improved well-being inevitably helps drive employee performance as your workforce continues to feel their best and work to their full potential.

Improved digestion: Proper hydration is a key element in mitigating digestive problems or an overly acidic stomach (which increases your risk of heartburn and stomach ulcers). Drinking enough water is an incredibly effective way to support digestive health and reduce the issues associated with dehydration.

Boosted immunity: Drinking water can help improve the overall immunity of our bodies and by staying hydrated; employees can naturally eliminate any pathogens or toxins that cause infection. This may be especially true for workplaces that take advantage of advanced filtration system .