Water is the most important element in keeping us alive. Without water the human body can only survive for 3 to 4 days. With this in mind do we do enough for our bodies when it comes to keeping ourselves hydrated? Many of us have already realised the importance of drinking water. Maybe you have always maintained a healthy lifestyle or maybe a health scare has forced you to re-evaluate what you put in your body. Wherever you’re coming from the question remains clear – are you drinking enough water?
What happens when we are dehydrated?
Water is essential for our organs to function properly. During the day and night our bodies constantly lose water through breathing, sweating and urinating. If we don’t replenish this water loss, then just a small percentage reduction will start impacting the way our bodies work. Our heart will need to work harder and we will find it more difficult to carry nutrients to where they’re needed and flush out waste, leaving us run down. Our digestion process becomes compromised and we may find ourselves constipated with problems occurring in our bladder, liver and kidneys. Mild dehydration can be detected in the colour of our urine, headaches, dizziness or fatigue. If we don’t respond to these signals when they happen then we run the risk of severe dehydration which can lead to loss of consciousness and sometimes death.
So, what do you do when you’re thirsty?
When we are thirsty it is our bodies signal to our brain that we are dehydrated. Sometimes the feeling of thirst can be misread by our conscious minds as hunger. Some may reach for a glass of water, some of us will snack (especially children), some may prefer a drink with sugar or caffeine, and some may reach for a cold beer.
So, let’s break down the effects that these choices will make on our bodies.
| Choice | Health Pros | Heath Cons |
| Water | Good Hydration
Minerals |
None |
| Plant Infused Water | Good Hydration
Some Nutrients |
None |
| Vegetable or Fruit Snack | Some Hydration
Good Nutrients |
None |
| Electrolytes | Suitable when dehydration occurs through illness or sports. | Consuming too much may be harmful. |
| Other Snack | May increase energy | Salt or Sugar may increase dehydration |
| Milk | Good Hydration | Calories, possible weight gain |
| Juice | Good Hydration | Calories, high sugar, possible weight gain |
| Tea / Coffee | Some Hydration | May dehydrate with added sugar.
Caffeine can dehydrate and raise blood sugar.
|
| Soda | None | Will Dehydrate
Calories = Weight Gain |
| Alcohol | None | Will Dehydrate
Calories = Weight Gain |
When we consume a drink high in sugar, caffeine, sodium or alcohol, our bodies react by sucking water out of our cells in order to metabolise it. We are instantly using up more water than we are gaining to flush out the toxins we are ingesting through these drinks. Although caffeine is only a mild diuretic, your kidneys still require extra water to complete the process. So next time you feel the urge to reach for an ice-cold beer or a sugary soda when you feel thirsty on a hot summer’s day, think again. You may be doing the exact opposite of what your body needs.
The Australian Department of Health recommends that adult males should drink approximately 2.5 litres of water per day, adult females 2 litres and children between 1 to 2 litres depending on their size and age.
Do you think you are drinking enough water?
We challenge you to write a drinks diary for a week to accurately record what you are drinking and how much. You may be surprised.
What do you drink when you wake up? If you are like me then you will start your day with a caffeinated drink of tea or coffee, possibly followed by a glass of water. Maybe during the day at work, you keep a water bottle next to you which you sip throughout the day, but at lunch go for a soda. Do you stop for after work drinks or maybe have a glass of wine with dinner? Perhaps you exercise in the evening after which you have a sports drink.
It is important to take control over your daily water intake. But what can we do if we are not meeting the recommended target? Some of us are happy to drink pure water but some of us find this more of a struggle. Maybe we have family members – children or elderly parents who are just not that interested in drinking water. Maybe we find ourselves with a medical condition such as diabetes or obesity which forces us to cut down on sugar intake. Maybe we have become sober-curious or interested in fasting.
How can we help?
We have created an alternative so you now have the option to choose delicious drinks that will hydrate every cell in your body and leave you feeling renewed and ready for action. You no longer need to turn to sugar or additive laden drinks if you are looking for something to quench your thirst. We make drinks from 100% dried plant infusions. They do not contain sugar, artificial sweeteners, calories, or additives. We provide bespoke blends (loose leaf), brewbags for water bottles and carbonated drinks – bottled and on tap. We also supply events such as weddings, baby showers, kids parties, sports meets and conferences. Come and visit our Cold Brew Tea Bar at 14 Shields Street, Cairns City. We offer free tastings so you can find the perfect blend for you, and will happily refill your water bottle with H-tea-O (butterfly pea flower infused water).
You can find all the refill water stations in and around Cairns on the link below:
https://www.plasticfreecairns.org/watermap
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