Take Away Points
What have we covered so far? Water is very important. A large portion of our bodies is water. Water is necessary for many functions that are critical to life. We use or lose water all the time so we need to replace losses by regularly drinking water. There are many reasons why we make not drink enough water. In this topic we will address some of these and suggest some solutions.
Claim: Water Has No Taste!
Solution: Infuse flavor into the water by adding slices of lemon or cucumber or pieces of herbs like thyme. Try different things until you settle with flavors that you like.Â
Claim: I never remember to drink water!
Solution: Get a water bottle that you can take around with you. Fill it with the amount you need to drink for the day then drink throughout the day. Set an alert on your watch or your cell phone if you necessary.
Pace yourself. If you have not been drinking a lot you may start urinating a lot until your kidneys adjust. Try to drink most of the water in the morning and during the day so that you don’t have get up to pee at night
Claim:Â Â It does not matter if water is hot or cold!
Truth: It depends on the situation as the figure to the right illustrates. There are times when cold water is preferable. There are also times when warm water is preferable. Many people like to drink cold juice while eating a meal. It is preferable to not drink cold fluids while eating. Some even suggest drinking a glass of warm water before starting meals.Â
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Claim:Â Bottled water is better then tap water.
Truth: Both tap and bottled water are held to the same minimum safety standards. Many landfills are full of discarded, non-recyclable water bottles which damage the environment. Bottled water is also very expensive relative to tap water. Alternatives: a good whole house tap water filtration system and a reverse osmosis system for potable (drinkable) water. The latter removes minerals from the water so make sure you either take a good MVI or are on a wholesome diet.
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Make sure your water bottles are BPA free. BPA is an industrial chemical added to many products, including plastic food containers that has proven to be harmful.
Make sure you don’t leave water bottles in a hot car. Chemicals in the plastic can leach into the water.