Zip Water's Ultimate Guide
to Hydration
THE ZIP WATER HYDRATION GUIDE
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Ultimate Guide
to Hydration here
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Water is the
elixir of life
It’s a phrase we’ve all heard. But, so often, we take water for granted; we turn on a tap and it’s, well, there. Since our pre-human history, water has been a necessary element for existence. We’re 60 per cent water, and organs like the brain and heart are 73 per cent water – so it’s safe to say that we have an uncanny affinity with H20.
70%
The NHS recommends 1.9 litres or at least 6-8 glasses of water every day to maintain a healthy fluid balance.
Yet, according to a survey of 2,000 UK residents, 70 per cent of people often go 7 or more hours without drinking a glass of water. When asked why, two-thirds of people cited being ‘too busy’ during the working day.
Consequently, dehydration can be a killer. It’s serious, yes, but the remedy is ever so simple: drink water. But current research indicates we’re not drinking enough.
In this guide, we’ll cover all things H20, answer your frequently asked questions, and offer essential tips for keeping your workplace hydrated.
As experts in all things hydration, we’re on a mission to get people drinking more water – to improve their health, happiness, and sense of wellbeing.
What is dehydration?
By learning about them, we can begin to recognise the beginnings of dehydration and take early action to not only improve our health but also facilitate thousands of bodily processes that rely on water.
While dehydration can be serious, many milder symptoms will set in first before anything extreme happens.
Dehydration occurs when the body loses more fluids than it takes in and, as a result, fails to function properly. As a species, we’re reliant on water; and that means we’re incredibly sensitive to acute changes in fluid levels and hydration.
A 1 per cent decrease in hydration will trigger the bodily sensation of thirst.
So, what actually is dehydration?
Mild dehydration elicits a number of symptoms. Specialised neurons (messenger cells that send important signals through the body) detect a negative shift in fluid balance and trigger a series of biological mechanisms to generate discomfort.
Although this makes it difficult to perform tasks, these uncomfortable feelings are meant to motivate us to consume water.
+ Dry mouth, lips, and tongue
+ Headache
+ Dark yellow pee that has a strong smell
+ Peeing less often than normal
+ Sunken eyes
+ Loss of appetite
+ Nausea
+ Feeling dizzy, confused, or lightheaded
+ Fatigue or tiredness
+ Seizures or convulsions
Symptoms of dehydration:
Diabetes
Heatstroke
High Temperature
Too much alcohol
How to tell if you’re dehydrated
With any symptoms of dehydration, the first thing you should do is hydrate by drinking fluids. But how do you know if you’ve drunk enough?
Luckily, our bodies have a handy colour-coding system for the hydration scale - and, if you’ve not guessed already, yes it’s your urine!
Use the guide below to approximately determine how hydrated you are:
Although everyone is susceptible to dehydration, it can occur more easily in some people due to individual factors like illness or environmental factors like activity levels.
Although everyone is susceptible to dehydration, it can occur
more easily in some people due to individual factors like illness or environmental factors like activity levels.
Vomiting
Diarrhoea
Excessive perspiration
Hot conditions
Dehydration occurs when the body loses more fluids than it takes in and, as a result, fails to function properly. As a species, we’re reliant on water; and that means we’re incredibly sensitive to acute changes in fluid levels and hydration.
During challenging or athletic events, from a 100m sprint to a session of mixed martial arts, you can lose up to 10 per cent of your total body weight – just from sweating.
Some medications can also make you urinate more frequently, leading to a higher risk of experiencing dehydration. Elderly people are also more vulnerable to dehydration since, as we age, we experience reductions in renal function and the sensation of thirst.
Always aim to be within the ‘healthy pee’ range. This is strong evidence of a good hydration level. Whereas, if your pee is dark in colour, then you need to increase your fluid intake throughout the day.
Dehydration at work
According to the Office for National Statistics, UK adults in full-time employment work 36.7 hours each week or 7.3 hours a day. That’s a significant proportion of our lives.
Under the UK’s Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, it’s a legal requirement for workplaces to provide “an adequate supply of wholesome drinking water” for all employees at all times. The regulation also states water access is to be clearly signposted for health and safety reasons.
Nevertheless, dehydration is still a huge issue at work; symptoms like low mood and poor concentration mean workers are more likely to make mistakes and find focusing a challenge.
As such, it’s important to reduce the chances of dehydration by encouraging your employees to drink the recommended 2 litres of water per day while at work. But how?
Skip to our downloadable guide with our five top tips for doing just that.
As we’ve discussed, on a macro level, water is essential for all life; but, on a micro level, it’s also necessary for a selection of bodily functions.
To begin with, water is the very first building material used when a cell is created. It’s the foundation for all that’s to come – and in that sense, it’s the foundation of you.
The benefits
of water and hydration
HydroTap Classic Plus in bright chrome
Is water the only option
for staying hydrated?
It’s important to note that water improves hydration. Not just bottled mineral water or sparkling water or distilled water. Any kind of water will hydrate you, including tap water.
The main thing is that you’re consuming water, in one form or another, little and often, throughout the day.
Not everyone enjoys the taste of tap water – or even bottled water for that matter. In the aforementioned Britvic study, just 22.85 per cent of people said they loved the taste of water, while 80 per cent said they would normally opt for an alternative drink.
Celery
Tomatoes
Spinach
Mushrooms
Yellow melon
Blueberries
Sprouts
Apples
Oranges
Broccoli
91%
92%
93%
95%
95%
85%
86%
86%
86%
90%
Water rich foods
Did you know that cucumber is 96 per cent water?
Eating foods with a high water content is a great way to not only improve hydration but also take in essential vitamins and fibre.
How water filtration affects hydration
People often ask whether filtration affects hydration. Perhaps it’s because many find that filtered water tastes cleaner.
In our 0.2-micron MicroPurity filter systems, we combine carbon and sediment into one cartridge, which not only removes bacteria, microplastics, and contaminants from water but also up to 97 per cent of chlorine and 99.9 per cent of microbiological cysts