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Why Hydration is So Important to Your Health in the Winter Months!

Jul 22, 2024

With Covid-19 still around for the 2nd winter in a row, its best to do all you can to protect your health and boost your immune system. Make sure you get sufficient winter hydration at all times it is critical to keep your family fighting fit during the winter holidays. Therefore, Culligan ZeroWater is here to outline just why hydration is so important to your health during the cold winter months! To help keep your family fighting fit and healthy during the cold, Covid season follow Culligan ZeroWater’s advice surrounding hydration. With the government reinforcing many rules and restrictions in order to protect the vulnerable and prevent the spread of Covid-19, it’s clear that we are in for a tough winter, so hunker down, hydrate and do all you can to stay as healthy as possible. Within this article you will find: the dangers of winter hydration, the benefits of staying hydrated during the winter months and some handy tips on how to drink enough water to be sufficiently hydrated this winter.

The Dangers of Winter Dehydration

Many people associate dehydration with sweltering summer days; but don’t be fooled, dehydration isn’t limited to hot weather, you CAN still get dehydrated in cold weather. As the weather cools, we find ourselves wrapping up in more layers and turning on the heating. This artificially warm environment is coupled with the dry air of artificial heating leads to winter dehydration. Winter dehydration is harder to notice – particularly if you are not sweating and you are feeling cool. You may not have realised that you haven’t drunk any water during the day, particularly as your body’s thirst response significantly diminishes in cooler weather. Dehydration occurs when your body doesn’t have enough fluid to function properly and can cause significant impacts to your well-being. It is vital you keep hydrated to regulate your body temperature, allowing your blood to carry important nutrients and oxygen around your body and remove toxins from your body. But since people don’t necessarily associate dehydration and cold weather, they may be less likely to make a point to stay hydrated during the winter than during the summer. Therefore, it’s important to remember that your body loses moisture all day, every day, through respiration, perspiration, urination, and bodily function, regardless of the temperature outside. So it is crucial that you replenish your fluid levels by drinking water regularly throughout the day, not matter what the weather!

Culligan ZeroWater’s Top Tips for Staying Hydrated this Winter:

We at Culligan ZeroWater know that it is hard to remember to drink enough water regularly let alone in the cold winter months. So here is our list of top tips for staying hydrated this winter:

Don’t rely on thirst to tell you when you need to drink water. Make a point to drink a certain amount of water each day. A great way to ensure this is to invest in a reusable water bottle. This means you can carry water with you wherever you go to drink throughout the day. We recommend the Hydratem8 water bottle as it reminds you what time to drink a certain amount of water to ensure you drink enough throughout the day. We also find that it makes drinking the right amount of water more manageable as it breaks up the amount into smaller, less daunting chunks! As Hydratem8 states, it’s never been easier to track your hydration levels: “Simply follow the hourly timings and take small but consistent sips throughout the day to hit your recommended daily intake of water.”
Eat fruits and vegetables! You can get water from the foods that you eat. Not only are fruits and vegetables good for you, especially during the winter to get the nutrients and vitamins that your body needs to be healthy, but they also help you stay hydrated.
If you find it difficult to drink water when it’s cold outside, drink warm beverages like decaffeinated hot tea or herbal tea, as these will also help to keep you hydrated.
Try to avoid alcohol and caffeinated drinks that can cause dehydration. This is easier said than done especially around the festive season of Christmas and New Year but it’s a good tip to bare in mind for the sake of your health this winter.

The Benefits of Staying Hydrated in the Winter!

We all know the importance of staying hydrated during the warm summer months, however for many of us our water intake declines over winter. However, it is even more important to drink lots of water during winter than it is during summer.

Here are five key reasons why you should up your water intake to stay healthy and hydrated over the winter months.

As previously outlined, by drinking enough water you will fight off winter dehydration. It is important to know the signs and symptoms of dehydration, for if you can recognize the signs of dehydration this can help you remember to drink more water and stay hydrated. Thirst, dark-coloured urine, dizziness, fatigue, and dry skin can all indicate dehydration. Keep on top of your water intake this winter to stave off dehydration!
Hydration protects your immune system as the winter months can be a testing time for our immune systems, with the many airborne viruses, especially this winter as Covid-19 continues to be spread world-wide. Dehydration can seriously weaken our immune systems barriers. The lack of water can dry out the mucous membranes in our lungs and sinus passages which can reduce their resistance to infections. Keeping well hydrated during winter ensures that the barriers used to protect your body from colds and flu are fully functional and completely intact. To ensure you stay fighting fit during the winter, make sure you keep drinking water regularly and fight back against the viruses.
You will have more energy! Keeping well hydrated will ensure your bodily functions are supported and running efficiently. When you are dehydrated your body functions slow down and use up your extra energy resources, leaving you feeling tired and sluggish. Taking sips of water regularly throughout the day will keep you alert and energetic during the day.

Feel & Look Your Best this Winter by Staying Hydrated!

Drinking enough water can also improve your skin as the dry and often stagnant air created from central heating can really take its toll on your skin. The dry air and the contrast between being in a warm room to going outside in the cold can cause your skin to crack and chap. Water is vital in keeping your skin cells full and hydrated, reducing the risk of chapping and peeling. Dull skin is another winter problem with the combination of dry air and a lack of hydration. Keep your skin glowing and healthy by drinking water at regular intervals, even if you don’t feel thirsty.

Hydration can help to fight winter weight gain. When the weather is miserable and the days are dark our bodies crave comfort; often this manifests itself in comfort food. But we suggest before snacking this winter why not drink a glass of water beforehand? Our brains often mistake thirst for hunger and after drinking water that hunger trigger has been satisfied. This means you may not feel the need to snack or eat more food. Being well hydrated also helps our digestive systems to function and process food better, which is vital during the months when we tend to over consume. Make sure you drink plenty of water to give your body a hand in digesting food this festive season.

Invest in a Culligan ZeroWater Water Filter Jug to Prioritise Your Families Health & Hydration this Winter!

At Culligan ZeroWater, we want to guarantee your family is as healthy and hydrated as possible by providing you with Premium 5-Stage Ion Exchange Water Filtration Systems. Our systems successfully outperform all other 2-stage filters on the market such as Brita Filters. While simplistic 2-stage filters are only able remove around half of all dissolved solids, our advanced filters guarantee to drastically reduce the amount of ‘Total Dissolved Solids’ and contaminants in your water! When tested in accordance with the NSF's protocol based on a 40 gallon filtration (double the rated usage), Culligan ZeroWater reduces 97% of Lead and 99.9% of Chromium from your tap water. They are also third party tested to reduce 96% of Mercury, 93% of Arsenic and 99% of Copper, among many other contaminants!