Hello. I’m Danny, and when I’m not working in the customer account team at Twist, helping to share the brand with suitable cafes, corporates and social media followers, I’m studying for a degree in nutrition.
This of course links well to our blends and the functional benefits of tea, and one aspect of the brand that really excites me is our ‘Blends With Benefits’. In fact I’ve talked to Claire, Nicky and Fraser so often about how great they are for you that they’ve asked me to use my expertise to write a blog.
In this blog – it’s my first so be gentle! – I’m going to share some thoughts on the importance of hydration.
Considering humans are 60% water, it seems obvious hydration is important, yet around 60-75% of people do not take in the required fluids (between two and three-and-a-half litres a day) to perform at their best. However, many people find water boring so can’t motivate themselves to drink it. Fortunately, Twist can contribute to that fluid goal. There’s absolutely no down side to our caffeine-free cold brews, herbals and rooibos blends, and while our black teas don’t hydrate quite as well as plain old water, if it helps you increase your liquid intake, that can only be a good thing.
So, what are the benefits of being properly hydrated?
Firstly, increased focus. As blood is 90% water, the more hydrated you are the easier the body will find it to transport it with oxygen-rich nutrients to the brain. This also adversely helps maintain blood pressure as without water the blood will become thicker, meaning it’s harder to transport. People often drink coffee to get a boost of energy and focus, yet, due to its high caffeine content it is a slight diuretic if drunk a lot. So, I tend to have a cup of our
Choffee Mint tea instead, for a hit of coffee flavour with far less caffeine and more hydrating effects.
Secondly, reduction in joint pain. The role of a joint is to connect two or more bones together. Water helps lubricate the joints as the cartilage between is made up of around 80 percent water. Therefore, the more hydrated you are, the more flexible your joints are when moving. Arthritis is often the result of cartilage wearing away over a long period of time due to poor lubrication. This causes rubbing between the bones the joint, showing the importance of hydration. Although, if you’re like me and find drinking water really dull, to help I will often chuck in one of our cold brews – usually
Strawberry & Rose, or as I prefer to call it, Strawberry and Danny Rose – to liven it up a bit.
Thirdly, weight loss. Water improves the effectiveness of the digestive system seeing fats being eliminated from the body more efficiently. It also boosts your metabolism and acts as an appetite suppressant. Maybe try switching out that fizzy drink, for a nice glass of water, or even better, a delicious herbal tea like
Ginger Snap that has the flavour to match!
Finally, it helps exercise. During exercise we produce the energy needed through cellular respiration more specifically through Krebs Cycle. This is essentially the series of chemical reactions in the body to generate energy, and if you are dehydrated, Krebs cycle cannot work as efficiently, meaning you will have less energy to perform, leaving you tired and fatigued. This is why before I play football or go to the gym, I make sure I drink lots of water during the day so that I can perform at the top of my game! After workouts, water helps flush out toxins such as lactic acid which is often what gives you aches within your muscles, meaning hydration will help speed up your recovery time.
Right. That was exhausting. Time for a brew…
