Water

Adequate consumption of good quality clean water is critical in helping with mental focus, clearer communication, higher problem-solving abilities and mental retrieval capacity. Drinking more water is a simple and easy self-care opportunity for Carers.

Drink water for health is another part of Caring for Carers

So How Does that Help in Caring for Carers?

I think I’ve spent most of my life chronically dehydrated.  And yes, I knew that water is so vital for my health.  What I didn’t realise was just how important – well, vital, or more accurately critical!

I don’t drink much of anything, no coffee, tea, alcohol, soft drinks (rarely), except for water and organic apple juice.  This had to change!  I knew I wasn’t bringing my best to any conflict situation if I was coming to it being severely dehydrated.  I just wasn’t in a fit state to problem solve!

Water:

  • Activates the brain for efficient storage and retrieval of information
  • All academic skills are improved by adequate hydration
  • Improves concentration (alleviates mental fatigue)
  • Enhances communication and social skills and useful for stress release

My Solution?

I needed to be reminded to drink.  I seemed to have lost my body’s ability to identify when I was thirsty, which by that time meant I was dehydrated.

Enter an app called WaterMinder that I have found very useful to remind me to drink!  It’s loaded on my iPhone, which is normally located nearby, so it’s easy to hear when the reminder goes off.

WaterMinder App Icon useful to remind caring for carers to drink more water
WaterMinder App for IOS devices

Water is best absorbed by the body when provided in frequent small amounts and is most easily absorbed at room temperature.  Don’t drink water from the fridge, it’s too cold and it can put the body into a shock response (see References for more information).

I like to mix my water consumption up and my favourite essential oils to add are the following doTERRA essential oils:

  • Grapefruit
  • Lemon
  • Wild Orange
  • Fennel

I add a drop or 2 of any of the above oils, give the water a quick stir and drink. Delicious!

By having my water glass on the kitchen bench at all times, when that WaterMinder app goes off, it’s a quick walk to the kitchen to fill up the glass.  It’s also there to visually remind me to drink between the official “reminders”.  I have to say, this has been a very effective strategy.

Flavouring your water with essential oils for yummy deliciousness

Important Water Facts

  • Water makes up approximately 76% of body weight (varies depending on which resources you use)
  • Every living cell requires water
  • Reduce by 1% – you become thirsty
  • Reduce by 5% – there’s a loss of muscle strength and endurance and you become hot and tired
  • Reduce by 10% – your vision blurs and you can become delirious
  • Reduce by 20% – results in death

Water acts as a:

  • Solvent: the fundamental solvent for all biochemical processes in our bodies
  • Transporter through
    • Blood – moving nutrients throughout the body
    • Urine – removing waste products. Not drinking enough water means you can’t produce enough urine and your toxic levels will build up in the body.
    • Sweat – removing toxins through the skin
  • Lubrication: lubricates our joints and cartilage, the saliva in our mouths (water based) helps to facilitate chewing and swallowing and it moistens our eyes. When we are dehydrated, the body rations water away from the joints.
  • Chemical reactant: we use it to digest food, to access stored energy in muscles and countless body reactions
  • pH regulator: water reacts with carbon dioxide to maintain our pH of 7.4
  • Electrolyte balancer: water flows in and out of our cells to maintain a correct electrolyte balance in our body. Electrolytes are needed for nerve impulses and muscular activity.
  • Temperature regulator: through sweat we maintain our body temperature

Some More Interesting Water Facts

  • The purer the water the more body toxins can be released into it and the more nutrients can be carried to the body’s cells
  • Ionizes salt, increasing electrical potential across membranes. Water is an excellent conductor of electrical energy.
  • Essential for protein form and function in nerve nets
  • Whenever we feel confused, irritable, tired, craving or imbalanced in any way – drink water
  • Mild dehydration is one of the reasons we feel daytime fatigue
  • Water is essential for proper lymphatic function
  • Improves physical coordination
  • Working with electrical equipment is dehydrates the body

References

Your Body’s Many Cries For Water by F. Batmanghelidj

The Essential Guide to Water and Salt by F. Batmanghelidj and Philip Day

5 Reasons Why You Should Not Drink Chilled Water This Summer

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