Keeping your body well-hydrated is essential for good health, brain and body function, and because we lose water throughout the day, it is essential that we drink water throughout the day, especially in the heat of summer.

Everyone is vulnerable to dehydration and should ensure sufficient intake of drinking water at all times, but the very young and the elderly are especially vulnerable because youngsters need more water and the elderly’s thirst system doesn’t function as well as a younger person’s.

Dehydration can cause a dry mouth, dry eyes, headaches, confusion, impaired kidney and liver function, stiff joints, muscle cramps, and can also cause cholesterol problems, reduced blood pressure, fatigue and constipation.

Tips for Staying Hydrated

Making sure that you are always fully hydrated will ensure that you have a nice, plump and elastic skin, no urinary or kidney problems and that your body works as optimally as possible, including your brain, which is 90% water.

You can do this by:

  • Starting your day with a nice big glass of water that will hydrate you after a night without any liquids and kick-start your metabolism;
  • Not waiting until you feel thirsty to drink water; by then you are already around 2% dehydrated and this can lead to decreased mental and physical performance.;
  • Encouraging your boss to invest in a water cooler for the office and get one for your home too, especially if you have young children or elderly relatives staying with you;
  • Taking regular water breaks – get up from your desk or work-space and go and get some chilled water from the watercooler;
  • Monitoring the colour of your urine – if it is darker than a pale yellow you are dehydrated and need to drink some water;
  • Alternating each glass of beer or wine with a glass of water – alcohol is a diuretic which means that it makes you urinate more, thereby dehydrating you;

Investing in a water cooler always encourages people to drink more water, especially children and the elderly, as filtered, chilled water from a water cooler tastes better than tap water and is easily accessible.