Nutrition and hydration are important factors that all of the care workers at Nurseplus are trained to promote to all of our service users.

And what better time to discuss the importance of it than during National Nutrition and Hydration Week.

Drinking plenty of water is crucial to maintaining a healthy body and mind. But a daily intake of a 500ml bottle isn’t going to cut it when it comes to getting the very best benefits from nature’s juice. Water makes up 60% of an average humans bodyweight – so without proper hydration, vital functions that our ever clever internal organs undertake can’t do so effectively. As well as supporting optimum blood circulation throughout the body, it helps maintain core body temperature, acts as a lubricant for the internal organs and helps to flush out all the bad stuff that makes its way into our bodies. So if that isn’t enough of a reason for you to reach for the tap, here are five reasons why staying hydrated is one of the best things you can do during your day.

1. Staying hydrated supports your immune system

A build-up of toxins within the body is one of the key reasons why people get sick. Staying hydrated and allowing your body to naturally flush out these horrible toxins minimises the risk of a whole host of illnesses, from headaches to heart attacks. When your body is dehydrated, your blood vessels dilate which causes your organs to swell, resulting in headaches and general aches and pains. Leading experts believe that staying properly hydrated can assist in the prevention of joint complaints such as arthritis too and has even been linked to helping to avoid Dementia. This extra pressure on your blood vessels can also be one of the reasons why the body develops blood clots which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

2. Staying hydrated fights fatigue

Feeling a bit sleepy? Don’t reach for caffeine, have a glass of water! People often think that drinking caffeinated beverages will instantly make them feel more awake, and while this may be the case in the short term, the long-term effects of having too much caffeine are not good for you. With your body being made up of 60% water, it makes sense that in order for it to function properly, your water content needs to remain at a constant. It’s not just athletes that should stay hydrated, every single one of us, without perhaps realising it, exerts their body, just by getting out of bed in the morning. As well as the effects dehydration will have on physical fatigue, it will also affect your brain function. So those times when you’re feeling a bit tired and the crossword you normally complete quite easily becomes a little tricky, have a glass of water – it’ll rehydrate your body and your mind.

3. Staying hydrated keeps you looking younger

Like all of the other cells in your body, your skin cells are made up of water, so staying hydrated will naturally help to keep your cells in tip-top condition and will help you stay looking younger! We can’t promise that drinking an extra two litres of water a day will instantly knock ten years off of you, but we can tell you that it will most certainly assist in maintaining your skin's elasticity, thus reducing fine lines and wrinkles.

4. Staying hydrated can help you lose weight

It’s not uncommon for people to confuse being thirsty with needing to eat! More often than not, drinking a glass of water will help your body rebalance itself, and will most likely reduce your feeling of hunger. It’s obviously important to eat a healthy, nutritional diet, but often, people will overeat unnecessarily because they are in need of a glass of water! Eating foods with a high water content can assist with this too, so stocking up on fresh fruit and vegetables such as strawberries, spinach, pineapples, broccoli and tomatoes are a good idea when you next do your weekly shop.

5. Staying hydrated helps keep you regular!

Although the discussion is not one that most of us want to have, the fact is, having regular bowel movements is important in maintaining a healthy gut. Being dehydrated causes our colon to take its required water from our stool, thus resulting in constipation. Constipation can lead to a range of problems, from feeling bloated to getting haemorrhoids and in more severe cases, can contribute to abnormal cells developing in the colon which can lead to other, more serious health conditions.

So whether you choose to drink water from the tap, from a bottle or perhaps with a slice of lemon or ginger, make sure you keep your body hydrated throughout the day. It really will have a positive effect on your body and your mind.