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Children's Art Week Competition: Win A filtadapt® Countertop...
Grab the pencils, crayons and paints, as we're launching our Children's Art Week competition! We're giving children the chance to create their very own design of a Doulton filtadapt® Countertop water filter Kids, your mission: design an eye-catching, water-themed wrap for Doulton's filtadapt® system a popular choice of water filter for the kitchen. If you're the winner, we'll make a real version of the wrap you designed. To get the kids started, simply grab a piece of A4 paper and set them to work on creating their very own masterpieces. Design your own wrap for Doulton's filtadapt® tap for Children's Art Week. Of course, it's free to enter. Once you've submitted your design, you'll be in with a chance to win a fantastic prize... The winning design will receive a filtadapt® system and a standard plain sleeve, as well as the wrapped version. The prize draw opens for entries on Monday, 8 June at 12:00 BST (midday in the UK). Entries close on Sunday, 21 June, at 23:59 BST, so you'll have around two weeks to prepare your work of art! Once the design is ready, scan it and send it over to: competitions@doulton.com You can also show off your design on social media, using the hashtag #ChildrensArtWeek and tagging us (@DoultonWater). We can't wait to see some of the exciting, water-related designs that you all come up with. The lucky winner will be chosen at random by Friday 26 June; we'll get in touch by 3 August if that's you. One last thing” make sure to check out the terms and conditions for the competition over on our website Happy designing! Check out our water solutions now!
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Hydration & Physical Performance: What's The Link?
Water is essential for our everyday health and wellbeing - but it's even more important during exercise. In addition to ensuring you are making suitable food choices and following an appropriate training programme, staying hydrated is important for optimising sports performance. In this blog post, we'll examine ways to enhance your athletic performance with good hydration. One of the best sports drinks for hydration is simple, plain water and lots of it! Check out our water solutions now! Hydration and Exercise Why is it important to drink water during exercise? During exercise, the body maintains its optimal body temperature by removing heat through sweat. The amount of sweat that we produce increases with exercise intensity, as well as in environments with high temperatures and humidity. Just a small loss of fluid through sweat, equal to just 2% of body weight, can result in a decrease in physical performance. As well as impairing performance, dehydration during exercise can place stress on the cardiovascular system and increase the risk of illness and injury. Mild levels of dehydration during exercise can also affect mental performance, resulting in decreased motivation. The good news is that rehydration can reverse these effects. Therefore, drinking water is necessary to replace the fluids that have been lost through sweat during exercise. How to Stay Hydrated During Exercise We should aim to be in a well-hydrated state before starting any physical activity, so seek to drink appropriate levels of water as part of your normal routine. You can read more about how much water you should be drinking here. You can estimate your sweat losses during exercise by weighing yourself before and after training; each kilogram of body weight lost during exercise represents a fluid loss of approximately one litre. This can help you to estimate how much fluid you need to consume during exercise. We should aim to lose no more than 2% of our body weight through sweat during exercise, for the reasons outlined above. After Exercise It may not always be possible to take on water at the same rate that it is lost through sweat. Therefore, it is important to continue drinking after you've finished exercising. Pay attention to your thirst levels and toilet habits to indicate your hydration status. If you notice that you are going to the toilet less often than normal and/or passing small amounts of urine that are any darker than pale yellow, you are dehydrated and need to drink some water as soon as possible. What Should I Drink? For low to moderate-intensity exercise that lasts less than an hour, water is an effective choice. For higher intensity sessions that last longer than an hour, sports drinks that contain electrolytes are ideal. This is because we also lose crucial electrolytes, such as sodium, through sweating. Ensuring these are replaced will help to prevent any negative effects on health or performance. You can make your own electrolyte drink at home by combining 800ml of filtered tap water with a pinch of salt and 200ml fruit squash. For the best electrolyte drink, you'll want to ensure that your fruit squash is NOT sugar-free. You can also buy ready-made isotonic sports drinks such as Lucozade water. Maintain good hydration levels during exercise. Use filtered water for great-tasting, healthy water with up to 99.99% of some common contaminants removed whilst the naturally occurring minerals are retained. Explore our range of high-quality portable water filters and discover the Doulton difference today. Check out our water solutions now!
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Effects Of Dehydration On The Body: An Evidence-Based...
Water is essential for life but drinking too much or too little water can be harmful to health. If untreated, dehydration can get worse and can cause serious health problems. This blog post provides an evidence-based overview of the effects of dehydration on different organs and systems within the human body. Check out our water solutions now! The Brain Mild dehydration can negatively affect cognitive function, reducing concentration, alertness, and short-term memory. It can also result in significant changes to our mood, with increased feelings of fatigue, confusion, and anger. Studies have shown that rehydrating can quickly reverse some of these negative effects, resulting in increased alertness. Older adults are particularly susceptible to the cognitive effects of dehydration - it's a major risk factor for delirium (which is common in older people with dementia). Dehydration has also been linked with headaches, with some evidence indicating that insufficient water intake can trigger and prolong migraines. The good news is that rehydration may help to relieve dehydration-induced headaches in as little as 30 minutes. The Kidneys Our kidneys are responsible for regulating fluid balance and blood pressure. They also filter out and remove waste products from our bodies in our urine. The kidneys require a steady supply of water to ensuring that our natural, in-built filtration system is working optimally. During dehydration, the kidneys adapt by producing concentrated urine (i.e. darker in colour). However, this puts a greater strain on the organ, so remaining well hydrated helps to protect the kidneys. Dehydration may also increase our risk of developing urinary tract infections (UTIs). In people at high risk from UTIs, a rigorous and structured approach to hydration has been shown to result in a large reduction of cases. The Skin Water is important for maintaining healthy skin - in fact, water contributes 30% of our skin mass. People who have a consistently low water intake may be able to improve their skin thickness, density, and hydration by increasing their water intake and remaining well-hydrated. However, there is no evidence available to suggest that dehydration is directly related to the onset of skin conditions such as hives and eczema. The Heart Our fluid intake influences our blood volume. Therefore, the loss of body water, for example through sweat during exercise, can result in a decrease in blood volume. This can result in increased heart rate, reduced blood pressure, and occasionally fainting. Prolonged low water intake is also associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease. These effects can be prevented or reversed by ensuring sufficient hydration. Always protect your health by staying well hydrated. Discover the daily recommended water intake. Doulton® Water Filters manufacturers a range of high-quality installed and portable water filters. Discover which water filter is best for you to enjoy the taste of Doulton filtered water. Check out our water solutions now!
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Symptoms Of Dehydration In The Elderly & How...
Adequate hydration is essential to maintaining good health. Most adults are able to monitor and respond to their hydration needs. However, this becomes more difficult as we get older, meaning elderly people are more susceptible to becoming dehydrated. In this blog post, we'll look at the symptoms of dehydration in the elderly and ways to help older people to meet their hydration needs. Check out our water solutions now! Why are older people at risk of dehydration? Water makes up a large proportion of our bodies. You can read more about hydration needs in different age groups here. Up to 20% of older adults are dehydrated, especially those in long-term care establishments. As we get older, our ability to sense thirst decreases. Poor mobility, cognitive decline, and physical ailments (including problems with swallowing) are also potential barriers for staying hydrated. Certain patient groups are at even greater risk of dehydration. For example, people with dementia or Alzheimer's Disease may be disorientated or forgetful, which could make it more difficult to recognise and respond to thirst. Certain medications such as diuretics and laxatives can also result in an increased risk of dehydration due to fluid losses. Research has found that some older people may consciously limit their water intake due to fear of incontinence or to avoid relying on others for help with going to the toilet. Consequences of dehydration in older people Dehydration is associated with poor health outcomes at all ages, but the effects can be more pronounced in elderly people. Dehydration in older adults has been associated with pressure sores, urinary tract infections, increased risk of falls, and unplanned hospital admissions. Even mild dehydration can affect cognitive ability, resulting in confusion and delirium. If dehydration is not addressed quickly, it can result in a rapid decline in an older person's health, which could result in increased disability, loss of independence and even death. How to encourage older people to stay hydrated Relatives, friends, carers and healthcare professionals can help to encourage older people to stay hydrated. Here are some suggestions: Provide a range of drinks that they enjoy make water more palatable using a ceramic water filter. You could also mix water with other beverages such as fruit squash, fruit juice or cordials. Offer hydrating foods such as soups, stews, smoothies, lollies, yogurts, ice cream, fruits, and jellies. Ensure they always have a drink during mealtimes. Offer regular drinks between meals too such as water, milkshakes, tea or coffee. Leave a jug or refillable bottle of water in an easily visible and accessible place. Encourage older people to incorporate hydration into their social activities - why not invite an older person over for a cup of tea or suggest that they attend a local lunch club with friends. Prompt them to drink little and often throughout the day - if an older person has memory issues, you could pin a note to remind them to drink in a visible place in their kitchen. Check out our water solutions now!
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How Much Water Should We Be Drinking?
Drinking enough water to stay well hydrated is a key aspect of maintaining good health. However, there is a lot of conflicting information about how much water we actually need. In this blog post, we will explore what the recommended daily water intake is, how to ensure you're consuming the right amount of fluids and how to meet these daily hydration requirements. Check out our water solutions now! What is water used for? Water is essential for life. Water makes up around 60% of our bodies and has many significant functions, including: Removing waste products from the body Transporting nutrients in the blood Helping regulate body temperature Therefore, maintaining an adequate level of hydration is crucial for keeping us healthy. Drinking enough water, i.e. the recommended daily amount of water is also important for helping to maintain a healthy weight. We constantly lose body water through urine and sweat, so it is essential to replace this lost fluid by drinking enough water. Know how much you need Many different factors have an impact on how much water we need. An individual's age will affect their water requirements. As a rule of thumb, adults between the ages of 18 and 60 require 35ml of water per kg of body weight; adults over 60 require slightly less - 30ml per kg. Children also have specific hydration requirements. Other factors include: Gender - males have higher body water content than females, meaning they generally require more water. Exercise levels - people who undertake a high level of physical activity are likely to lose more water through sweat, and therefore require a higher intake. Environment - living in a warmer climate increases the water requirement. Air-conditioning and central heating can also increase an individual's water needs as they speed up the evaporation of sweat from the skin. Health status may also impact water requirements. If an individual is losing a lot of fluid due to a health condition, or symptoms like sickness and diarrhoea, they may require more water. In these situations, it is best to consult with a doctor for advice. How to assess if you're drinking enough water The simplest measure of hydration that we have is thirst - if you feel thirsty, this is a good indicator that you need to drink more water. Another reliable indicator is urine colour. Ideally, urine should be a pale yellow straw colour as this indicates a good level of hydration. Anything darker suggests that you need to drink more water as soon as possible. Other symptoms of dehydration include: Feeling dizzy, lightheaded, or tired A dry mouth, lips, and eyes Urinating fewer than 4 times a day There is such a thing as too much While drinking enough water is vital for good health, drinking too much can also have adverse health consequences. We drink too much water; this can lead to an electrolyte imbalance called hyponatremia. This is when the salt levels within the body become too low and have potentially fatal consequences. You can work out whether the amount of water you're drinking is right for you by paying attention to how you feel, your thirst levels, and urine colour. Stay hydrated and keep track of how much water you're drinking by carrying a water filter bottle. Doulton® Water Filters make a range of high-quality static and portable water filters. Discover which water filter is best for you to enjoy the taste of Doulton filtered water. Check out our water solutions now!
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What Is Coronavirus & How Does It Relate...
What is Coronavirus? Coronavirus (COVID-19) is an illness that can affect your lungs and airways. In the UK, our Chief Medical Officers have raised the risk to the public from low to moderate. As you are aware, the number of people infected with the virus is changing on a daily basis. For up-to-date information about Coronavirus, please visit the Government's online advice and for medical advice from the NHS. What are the symptoms of Coronavirus? The symptoms of coronavirus include a cough, a high temperature and shortness of breath. 80% of people infected have mild symptoms, but some people will require hospital treatment. Even if you have these symptoms, it doesn't mean you have the coronavirus, it could be another type of virus, like a cold or flu. How is it spread? As COVID-19 is a newly identified virus, the exact way in which it spreads is not yet known. However, similar viruses are spread via droplets from coughing or sneezing. What can I do to protect myself? The advice provided by the NHS is to: wash your hands with soap and water often. Do this for at least 20 seconds Always wash your hands when you get home or into work Use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze Put used tissues in the bin straight away and wash your hands afterwards Try to avoid close contact with unwell people Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean. Will filtering my tap water help protect me from contracting coronavirus? Doulton® ceramic filter candles are able to filter a number of different impurities, including bacteria, cysts, heavy metals, disinfectants and particles, including microplastics. However, the virus particles are too small to be filtered out. It is important to remember that tap water in the UK is considered safe to drink and is routinely treated via a number of different processes. To reduce your risk of becoming infected with coronavirus, follow the advice provided above. For up-to-date information about Coronavirus, please visit the Government's online advice and for medical advice from the NHS. Check out our water solutions now!
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Is Drinking Water A Natural Anti-Ageing Remedy?
As with all aspects of health and wellbeing, the key to anti-ageing is a long-term approach. The important link between drinking water and anti-ageing is that it supports a healthy lifestyle, which is essential in ageing well. Ageing is about more than just lines on your face; it is about mobility, energy, wellness and mental sharpness. Taking care of yourself should be a life-long, holistic concern. Many of the factors that contribute to wellness into old age can be supported by drinking water. These include exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, brain health and hydrated skin. Check out our water solutions now! Can drinking water reduce wrinkles and make you look younger? As much as 60 per cent of the body is made up of water, so drinking water is inevitably important to protecting your health. Skin that is hydrated retains its elasticity, helping to prevent the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The natural plumpness of skin decreases through time as collagen levels drop. Adequately hydrated skin will retain its movement better despite this, helping with the appearance of wrinkles. Drinking water helps to ensure that the body has enough water to function properly and that skin remains hydrated. Drinking water to support healthy ageing While wrinkles are a natural part of the ageing process, lifestyle choices such as smoking, drinking alcohol excessively, sun exposure and eating too much sugar can all have an impact on their appearance. Exercise and healthy eating, in particular, are important to staying healthy throughout your life and into old age, protecting mobility and helping to fend off illness. This is due to the myriad health benefits they bring as well as helping to maintain a healthy weight. Making the right choice in what you eat and drink will protect joints and bones as well as reduce your chances of suffering heart disease or a stroke. Drinking water supports a healthy lifestyle by controlling how much you eat, preventing fatigue through dehydration and helping you find the mental and physical energy to make the choices that will help your body age well. In particular, drinking water is vital to brain health, which is incredibly important in the ageing process. The lifestyle factors that are important to ageing well are also essential in protecting the health of the brain and cutting your chance of being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Drinking water is so important to the health of the brain that severe, prolonged dehydration can even age the brain. Drinking water is part and parcel of a commitment to protect the body from the signs of ageing by making the right lifestyle choices. Remember it is never too late to make a change. Commit to a healthier lifestyle today and reap the benefits in years to come. Using a water filter improves the taste and quality of drinking water from the tap to help you drink more. Discover the best system for your home at Doulton Water Filters. Check out our water solutions now!
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Supporting Children With Hydration Needs
Hydrating with water is crucial for our health and it's important that both adults and children consume enough fluids to meet their daily hydration needs. Due to their physiology, children are at greater risk of dehydration than adults. However, children don't always recognise thirst and if they aren't reminded, they may forget to hydrate. In this blog post, we share simple ways to help your child to meet their hydration needs. Check out our water solutions now! Know how much they need The amount of water a child needs depends on a range of factors including their age, gender, physical activity levels, and the weather. Children should be having 6-8 glasses of fluid per day, with older children needing larger servings. As a rule-of-thumb, guidelines from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) say that you should be encouraging your child to drink the following amounts: Age (years) Amount (litres/day) 4-8 1.1-1.3 9-13 (girls) 1.3-1.5 9-13 (boys) 1.5-1.7 14 + Same as adult requirements (i.e. 2-2.5) This guidance assumes that 70-80% of the water in the diet comes from drinks, with the remainder being obtained from food. As well as encouraging your child to drink more water, try to incorporate hydrating foods into their diet. Suitable suggestions include soups and stews, milk and yoghurt, and fruits and vegetables such as melon, strawberries, cucumber, lettuce, and tomatoes. Don't wait for them to get thirsty Encouraging children to have a regular drink is important as they may not remember to do so on their own. Young children have lower heat tolerance than adults and they are also less sensitive to thirst. Therefore, by the time that some children recognise their thirst, they may already be dehydrated. Offer water regularly throughout the day, especially when your child is physically active or the weather is warmer. Have water readily available As well as actively encouraging your children to drink water, consider making it easily accessible to them in your home. If they are unable to reach the tap you could set up a jug or water dispenser with some cups in a place where they are able to help themselves. Always pack a water filter bottle in their bag for school or other activities, as well as on long journeys. Using a ceramic water filter helps to retain naturally occurring minerals within the water that other water filters can remove. Removing these naturally occurring minerals can lead to over purification of your tap, meaning that your child could miss out on these all-important nutrients. Lead by example Demonstrate to your children the importance of drinking water by acting as a role model. It's important to drink water with them at mealtimes and also ensure that they see you drinking water throughout the day so that they consider this to be a normal, healthy habit. Many children arrive at school under-hydrated, so make special efforts to ensure that you always have a drink with breakfast as a family. You can also help your children understand the importance of drinking by teaching them about hydration. Make hydration fun! While all drinks contribute towards fluid intake, sugary drinks like fruit juice and soft drinks contain free sugars, which are associated with weight gain and tooth decay in children. Water is the best choice for hydration as it contains no added sugar. You can also make water more interesting by adding fruits, veggies or herbs. Some ideas include frozen berries, lemon, fresh mint, or cucumber slices. To make drinking more exciting, try providing a special cup that has their favourite colour or cartoon character on it, use crazy (non-plastic) straws or ice trays that make cubes in fun shapes. If your children aren't keen on the taste of water, using a ceramic water filter system will reduce the added chlorine in tap water; improving the taste and odour whilst retaining the naturally occurring minerals which are important for overall health and give water its great taste. Doulton Water produces a range of static and portable water filters to suit all needs. Discover the Doulton difference today. Check out our water solutions now!
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How To Have A Healthy Heart
A healthy diet and lifestyle can go a long way when it comes to our heart health. Some of the best ways to look after your heart include eating a Mediterranean-style diet, hydrating with water, avoiding smoking, and getting some regular exercise. The good news is it's never too late to start making changes, but for many of us, that's easier said than done. Check out our water solutions now! In this blog post, we share simple and small lifestyle tweaks that can make a big difference to your overall heart health. Discover how to have a healthy heart! Eat a Mediterranean-Style Diet Eating like the Spanish and Italians can do a lot of good for our hearts. The Mediterranean way of eating is built around plant-based foods. It's rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and pulses with moderate amounts of lean meat, oily fish, and dairy. There's strong scientific evidence to suggest that a Mediterranean-style diet can help to lower our risk of heart disease and strokes. Snack on Nuts Consuming a handful of nuts several times a week has also been shown to reduce our risk of heart disease. Nuts can help to lower 'bad' LDL cholesterol levels, which have been associated with heart disease. Remember to choose unsalted nuts, as too much salt in the diet can raise blood pressure. A portion of nuts is one ounce (30g), which is equivalent to a small, cupped handful. Stop Smoking Avoiding smoking is one of the best ways to reduce your risk of heart disease. Nearly 20,000 heart and circulatory deaths in the UK are linked to smoking each year. The good news is it's never too late to quit smoking - experts say that you can experience improvements in breathing in as little as 2-12 weeks after quitting. There's plenty of support available if you're ready to stop smoking. Move More! Most of us know that getting some regular exercise is good for our heart health. It's recommended that we try to do some exercise for 30 minutes per day at least five days per week. This doesn't mean you need to pound away on a treadmill. From walking to cycling to dancing, there are so many options available. The most important thing is to find a form of exercise that you enjoy and can keep up in the long term. Cut Down on Booze Drinking too much alcohol in the long run has been linked with an increased risk of heart disease. In fact, some scientists go as far as saying there's no healthy level of alcohol intake. Like everything, it's all about moderation. Remember to try to stick to the recommended drinking guidelines - no more than 14 units of alcohol per week with several alcohol-free days. 14 units of alcohol are equivalent to: 6 pints of beer 9 small (125ml) glasses of wine 14 shots of spirits 6 large (175ml) glasses of wine Drink More Water If you're trying to cut down on booze or you're trying to lose weight, water is the perfect solution for heart-healthy hydration. It's sugar-free, fat-free, and calorie-free! We should all be aiming to drink at least two litres of water per day. Don't forget to carry a refillable water bottle with you when you're out and about to help cut down on single-use plastic. Using a ceramic water filter system helps to reduce common contaminants from drinking water, improving the taste and odour. Learn more about the health benefits of drinking filtered water here. Check out our water solutions now!
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