Water the best drink for your child and you

Water is a God given drink.We are always rushing off to give our children sweet fizzy drinks but nature;'s own drink water is still the ultimate drink
Benefits of drinking water includes:

* Apart from the air we breathe, water is the next most important substance for life.
* Our body is approximately 70% water – factors such as age and the amount of body fat that is being carried by the body will affect this figure. However you can see that water makes up a substantial part of our body mass.
* Your body will absorb approximately 1 litre of water from the food that we eat – obviously this is influenced slightly by the type of diet you eat. The rest of your water intake is made up by what you drink.
* Most of the chemical reactions within the body’s cells require water.
* Water is used as a method of transport for all the nutrients within our body.
* The digestive system requires plenty of water to function, especially for solid foods and then also to aid good absorption once the foods are broken down.
* Water is required for the kidneys to function correctly, if the kidneys cannot complete their full workload then the work that is left over is forwarded to the liver. One of the main tasks for the liver is to metabolise stored fat – break down fat so that it can be used for energy by the body – if the kidneys are not functioning to their full potential the liver has to stop some of its own work to compensate for the kidneys. This will result in the liver metabolising less fat in the body and hence the body may not be able to lose weight or may even start to gain excess body fat. Studies have shown that a decrease in the water intake can cause fat deposits to increase, and an increase in water intake can reduce fat deposits.
* Water will help to suppress your hunger and appetite naturally. Have a drink of water if you start to feel slightly hungry, sometimes we confuse thirst as being hungry. A glass of water can take the hunger pangs away and you will be able to keep going through to your correct time for eating.
* Due to the body being made up of a high content of water, it requires plenty of water to flush through the stored fluid. If you do have enough fluid coming in, your body could think there is a threat to survival and hold onto as much fluid as possible – this is where fluid retention can occur. If you do not drink enough fluid your body will store what you do have in extra cellular spaces – that is outside the cells but in the skin – usual signs of this are swelling in the hands, feet and legs. Sometimes the fingers may feel tight when the fist is clenched; this is due to slight swelling that may not be obvious to the eye.

* Water is required for regulating the body temperature.
* Water helps to flush out impurities that build up, especially in the skin.
* Joints in the body require water to help with the lubrication process. Cartilage tissue needs to be well hydrated to protect the joints.
* Muscles require water to function.
* The Brain tissue is approximately 85% water. Both chronic fatigue and depression have been associated with the body not having enough water and hence causing dehydration.
# Benefits of drinking water - your skin will look radiant and youthful when hydrated rather than dull and tired when dehydrated

* Benefits of drinking water - your digestive system will function with ease.
* Benefits of drinking water - your body will feel alive and alert because there will not be a build of toxins within your system.
* Benefits of drinking water - both the kidneys and the liver will function to their best ability, this will help with the elimination of toxins as mentioned above but also with the break down and metabolisation of fat. Fat is a massive energy source for the body to use for fuel, if you are doing a sporting activity or something manual and need that energy supply to your muscles then you need to liver to do its job. If you are on a weigh loss program you definitely need your liver to be able to metabolise your fat.
* Benefits of drinking water - reduce the risk of water retention, avoid those swollen hands, feet and puffy ankles.

You should aim to drink on average about 8 full glasses of water per day, which is approximately 2 litres – this is for an average sized person. If you are quite overweight and trying to lose weight then I would suggest drinking slightly more perhaps 2.5 – 3lts per day.

Your body will use more water while exercising – this is due to the energy systems that are working and also because you lose excess fluid through sweating and breathing. Always have water available while exercising.

The benefits of drinking water are huge and far exceed the disadvantages of not drinking it. It is very easy to drink plenty of water and the cost is minimal compared to buying cans and bottles of sugary drinks that are on the market.
So please don't overload your children with sugar but offer water instead the majority of the time.
Comments are most welcome!