Water challenge week!
It’s Nutrition and Hydration week and because staying hydrated is so important for health, we wanted to set you a little bit of a challenge…
All you have to do is drink an additional glass of water before every meal this week 💧
Not only will doing this will help give your hydration levels a boost, but water can also help with weight management too if it is consumed instead of sweetened juices and sodas. “Preloading” with water before meals can help prevent overeating by creating a sense of fullness. 👍
Other benefits of drinking water include:
- It lubricates the joints: Cartilage, found in joints and the disks of the spine, contains around 80 percent water. Long-term dehydration can reduce the joints’ shock-absorbing ability, leading to joint pain.
- It forms saliva and mucus: Saliva helps us digest our food and keeps the mouth, nose, and eyes moist. This prevents friction and damage. Drinking water also keeps the mouth clean. Consumed instead of sweetened beverages, it can also reduce tooth decay.
- It delivers oxygen throughout the body: Blood is more than 90 percent water, and blood carries oxygen to different parts of the body.
- It boosts skin health and beauty: With dehydration, the skin can become more vulnerable to skin disorders and premature ageing.
- It cushions the brain, spinal cord, and other sensitive tissues: Dehydration can affect brain structure and function. It is also involved in the production of hormones and neurotransmitters. Prolonged dehydration can lead to problems with thinking and reasoning.
- It regulates body temperature: Water that is stored in the middle layers of the skin comes to the skin’s surface as sweat when the body heats up. As it evaporates, it cools the body.
- It helps your digestive system: The bowel needs water to work properly. Dehydration can lead to digestive problems, constipation and an overly acidic stomach.
- It helps maintain blood pressure: A lack of water can cause blood to become thicker, increasing blood pressure.
- It helps your airways function: When dehydrated, airways are restricted by the body in an effort to minimize water loss. This can make asthma and allergies worse.
- It prevents kidney damage: The kidneys regulate fluid in the body. Insufficient water can lead to kidney problems.
- It flushes body waste: Water is needed in the processes of sweating and removal of urine and faeces.
Find out more information from the NHS for staying hydrated and healthy.
