Stay Hydrated or Face up to the Consequences

We hear it everywhere and few dare to question it, but why is it is important to stay hydrated? It is up there, with ‘eat your 5 a day’ and ‘exercise 5 times a week’, but is ‘drink 8 glasses of water a day’ really a rule we need to stick by? The easy answer is yes, but the reason behind it is not quite so simple. There are numerous reasons why staying hydrated at work and in your personal life is important. Whether you are trying to lose weight, get a promotion or simply improve your health, drinking plenty of water and staying hydrated can actually help.

We all need water in our system for many reasons and although most foods have a high water content, it isn’t enough to assume that our food will keep us hydrated. We all know that feeling of dehydration and it certainly isn’t a pleasant one. Some mistake it for an oncoming cold or the flu as the symptoms are often similar. Dehydration can cause headaches, nausea, poor concentration and fatigue. If you’re feeling run down, hungry or generally lethargic there is a good chance that you simply haven’t drunk enough throughout the day. The popularity of coffee and tea in modern society is also a contributor to dehydration as these drinks are diuretics, which means that for every cup of coffee you drink, your body expels a cup and a half of water.

When the New Year comes around and everyone starts going on a detox and flushing out all those mysterious toxins from their bodies, what they are really doing is rehydrating themselves. This allows the body to renew broken down cells, improving skin clarity, reducing water retention and generally giving a healthy glow to the entire body. Increased hydration also improves concentration and helps to clear the mind. This is one of the many reasons whyplumbed water coolers and chilled drinking fountains can be found in nearly every office. Dieting magazines are not the only ones who are recommending drinking lots of water; many employers have found that a simple plumbed water dispenser can increase positivity in an office environment as employees feel better in both body and mind when they are hydrated.

Finding a balance between staying hydrated at work, where there are often recessed water coolers or chilled drinking fountains available, and staying hydrated in our personal lives can be difficult. However, once you get into the habit of drinking a glass when you wake up and before you go to bed, in addition to compensating for any water lost through exercise or drinking alcohol will help to ensure you feel healthy and happy at all times. It can even help weight loss in some scenarios. If you don’t yet have a chilled drinking fountain at work then have a word with the office administrator, as it will significantly help your chances of staying hydrated throughout the day.