Chronicle Editor
Andile Tshuma on Health
Keeping hydrated is vital for general health and well-being.
However, many people still do not consume enough fluids each day.
Despite numerous calls by health experts for people to consume more water, some people still fail to take the recommended eight glasses of water a day. A lot of people however would find it really hard to go for a day without their favourite brand of fizzy or softy drink.
For some, a bottle of Coke has become a daily fix and a day cannot go by without a glass of two bubbly carbonated beverages.
This festive season has not been very easy for most Zimbabweans due to shortages of some commodities in shops and the price hike madness on the available goods only worsened the situation.
Social media platforms were awash on the days running up to Christmas with a lot of people lamenting shortages of many beverages and calling this year’s festive season a bleak one.
For a moment I was also nostalgic of the township Christmas back in the day, late 90s and early 2000s where Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day were the only days we would each get a whole bottle of Coke, just to drink and be merry.
The satisfaction that came with waiting for your turn to use the Coke bottle opener and open your drink, and drink not from a glass but straight from the bottle was incomparable. Carrying the bottle to the gate; a Coke on one hand, and a few cookies on the other, on most years it was the Charhons biscuits and Fanta orange for me. Orange crush was a taboo on Christmas Day as it was synonymous with the school lunch boxes. Ohh boy, gone are the good old days. This year, soft drinks have been so scarce and landing hands on one has brought the same feelings in me as I had in the days of my childhood.
However, after some conversations with friends on how people now buy bottled water because it’s the only beverage available in most fridges in supermarkets made me realise that there was actually nothing wrong with water and people actually needed to start drinking more water.
This summer, I’ve seen more people walking around with either bottled water from shops or some carrying convenient Tupperware bottles around the city centre.
It is such a pleasing sight; we are drinking more water. It may be painful that the current situation may be forcing water down our throats, but I think at some point, we needed this, some force to remind us we need to drink water. I’m not saying the state of the economy is ok, it is bad and something needs to be done about it. I am praying for better fortunes for the country in the coming year and beyond. However, it is my hope that our water consumption culture will stick.
On average, around 60 percent of the human body is made up of water, and around 71 percent of the planet’s surface is covered by water.
Perhaps it is the ubiquitous nature of water that means drinking enough each day is not at the top of many people’s lists of priorities.
Water is important in our bodies as it lubricates the joints. Cartilage, found in joints and the disks of the spine, contains around 80 percent water. Long-term dehydration can reduce the joints’ shock-absorbing ability, leading to joint pain.
Water forms saliva and mucus, delivers oxygen throughout the body, boosts skin health and beauty, cushions the brain, spinal cord, and other sensitive tissues and regulates body temperature.
Dehydration can affect brain structure and function. It is also involved in the production of hormones and neurotransmitters. Prolonged dehydration can lead to problems with thinking and reasoning. Therefore with the temperatures that we have been experiencing in Bulawayo and across the country in general, I think drinking water must not only be left until you are really thirsty but should be a habit.
Our digestive system depends on water for proper function as the bowel needs water to work properly. Dehydration can lead to digestive problems, constipation, and an overly acidic stomach. This increases the risk of heartburn and stomach ulcers. Water is needed in the processes of sweating and removal of urine and faeces as it also works to rid the body of waste through flushing.
Health and nutrition researchers argue that water may also help with weight loss, if it is consumed instead of sweetened juices and soft drinks. “Preloading” with water before meals can help prevent overeating by creating a sense of fullness.
At this time of the year, water may be even more useful as it also helps in reducing the chance of a hangover. When partying, unsweetened carbonated water with ice and lemon alternated with alcoholic drinks can help prevent overconsumption of alcohol.
Water helps dissolve minerals and nutrients, making them more accessible to the body. It also helps remove waste products.
The kidneys play a key role in balancing fluid levels. These two functions make water vital to the kidneys.
The amount of water needed each day varies from person to person, depending on how active they are, how much they sweat, and so on.
There is no fixed amount of water that must be consumed daily, but there is general agreement on what a healthy fluid intake is. The Ministry of Health and Child Care in Zimbabwe, in line with the World Health Organisation, recommends that adults take a minimum of two litres of water per day.
As we continue with our merry making, drinking and eating, celebrating the end of the year in anticipation of better things to come in 2019, ensure that you keep your health in check and stay hydrated. How about substituting every third sweetened or alcoholic drink with plain water? Whether coffee, tea, a cider, amahewu/ maheu, a beer or whiskey, it would make a difference if you just add some water to your beverages. – @andile_tshuma
derick.khumalo