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3 Surprising health benefits from water

Water does a lot of work behind the scenes, beyond quenching our thirst. H2O is an integral part of our lives with more than half of our body made up of it and with our body constantly craving water in our diets.

While we know that we need water to prevent dehydration, it helps our body in many ways that many people might not realize.

Read on about all the other amazing ways water assists our body’s functionality and this might encourage you to reach for another glass from your water cooler!

Healthy skin

If your skin’s radiance and elasticity is important to you, then you’ll be glad to hear that water is a simple solution to help maintain its appearance. Thirty per cent of your skin is made up of water and by regularly replenishing your body’s water balance, you’re also improving your skin’s thickness and density. Since your skin is an organ, which is made up of cells, these cells need water to function. If it doesn’t receive enough, your skin will become dry and flaky, which is also more likely to wrinkle.

If you have acne, it’s been reported that drinking enough water helps clear your skin overtime, but don’t expect results overnight.

Healthy skin goes beyond appearances and your epidermis helps protect your body’s organs and tissues from harm’s way. But since water reaches your skin last, you should use other moisturizers right after a bath or shower to keep your skin well hydrated.

Weight loss

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic with many people around the world diagnosed with underlying conditions caused by obesity. Water can help you in your quest to lose weight since it’s an inexpensive beverage that has no calories, but is still able to keep you satiated. Within an hour of drinking a glass of water, your body’s metabolism produces more heat and you expel more calories. (Also, by refilling your water bottle, you’re reducing your environmental footprint.)

A study in Germany found that if water’s importance was taught at schools and filtered water was available to children, they increased their water intake by 220 mL per day, which also reduced the risk of obesity by 31 per cent. The year-long study showed that it’s crucial for water to be offered at schools as a healthy habit for children to adopt when they’re younger.

Shock absorption

When you go running and your feet hit the pavement, your body functions in a way that absorbs the impact of the force. This is done with the help your cartilage, which is primarily made up of water and proteins that are found at the end of your bones. When your joints move, your cartilage adapts its shape, reduces the friction and absorbs the impact, which can only be done properly due to its high water content. When you’re younger, your cartilage is made up of about 85 per cent water and as you age, this can drop down to about 70 per cent. If your cartilage has lost most of its water content, your joints can absorb less shock and this can lead to conditions such as osteoarthritis. Once your body loses the molecules which keeps a high volume of water within the cartilage, the water can’t be replenished once it’s lost.

How to convince your kids to drink more water

Water will always be an important part of our lives, no matter how old or young you are. Just as you would encourage a child to start reading when they’re young to help their literacy, you’ll want to encourage them to reach for a glass of water to quench their thirst so they stay healthy and hydrated.

Children’s bodies function differently than adults’ and since their body weight is much less, they retain less water.

A study found that many children (84 per cent) were mildly dehydrated at the start of a school day. Children who drank water during the day performed better on evaluations testing their ability to recognize the relationship between words, while those who didn’t, had trouble remembering the numbers they heard. The study analyzed the drinking water habits of 168 children between the age of 9 to 11 to see how dehydration affected their vigor and fatigue levels.

Mild dehydration alters our brain’s structure and functionality, which can impair our ability to concentrate, stay alert, do arithmetic and retain short-term memories. But these changes aren’t permanent and once your thirst is satisfied, your brain will return to normal functionality.

We know H2O offers great benefits, but a challenge faced by many parents is convincing their kids to pick up a glass of water when they’re thirsty.

Children between the ages of one to three years old should be drinking 1.3 litres of water each day and this should increase to 1.7 litres when they’re four to eight years old, according to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. As they grow older, children should be drinking more water. Girls between the ages of 9 to 13 should drink 2.1 litres each day and boys of that age should drink 2.4 litres each day.

We scoured for some great tips and tricks parents have taken on:

Make drinking water cool. Put on your creative hat to think of ideas that help your child enjoy drinking water. Don’t underestimate adding a small decoration to their drinking, such as crazy straws, quirky cups, neat ice cubes or innovative water cooler machines. Let them decorate their own one-of-a-kind water bottles that they can show off while on the go, which makes kids excited to use them. Dressing up water in a different way every time can help your child warm up to the idea of reaching for a glass of H2O, despite its “boring” taste.

Explain why it’s good. Help your young ones understand the importance of H2O in their lives. Explain to them how not enough water in their bodies can affect their day-to-day and books can help illustrate and demonstrate how our bodies rely on water.

Water makes up more than 50 per cent of our bodies, but it makes up a greater percentage when you’re younger. As a baby, water makes up 78 per cent of your body, but within a year, this drops down to 65 per cent, according to a professor of pediatric neuroscience at Allegheny University.

By showing your kids how to easily fill up their water bottles, you can also sneak in some good lessons about the importance of practicing green habits and how their actions affect the environment.

Make it easy to access. Parents aren’t around to watch their children all the time, which is why it’s important that if children are feeling thirsty, they know where they can find drinking water. Make sure your children know where their cups or water bottles are stored, but also encourage them to tell you or their caregiver when they’re thirsty, especially on warm and humid days. If they are too young to get hot water by themselves, make sure there’s a system in place. Also, whenever they’re out and about, keep water on hand so they become accustomed to taking small sips throughout the day.

Slowly introduce them to the change. It’s the same with breaking any bad habit, whether it’s trying to eat healthier or stop smoking, going cold turkey doesn’t go over well for most people. In many cases, this has the opposite effect. If you want your kids to drink water more frequently, the solution isn’t to pour it down their throats and ban other beverage options; you need to have them slowly switch habits on their own so it sticks, even when you’re not around.

For example, if your children have become accustomed to having juice and pop available at meal times, on a few days a week, have water as the only beverage option at the dinner table. Once your kids become accustomed to this, turn water into the primary drink of choice and make other beverages an occasional treat. Also, you can lead by example and when your kids see mommy and daddy always drinking water, they’ll want to too. By refilling water bottles with a water cooler, you’ll also save yourself money with this change.

Maternal hydration and amniotic fluid volume

(Photo credit: Kelly Hunter/Flickr)

Every mother wants her children to grow up healthy and strong. Doing everything she can to ensure this happens begins long before she starts telling them to eat their vegetables or get some exercise. It begins in the womb, where the fetus needs proper care to grow strong as it develops.

Research indicates that one way you can help promote the health of your baby in utero is through staying well-hydrated. This is especially important because it can help prevent the development of an amniotic fluid deficiency.

This deficiency, called oligohydramnios, affects 2.3% of pregnant women.

Amniotic fluid levels change over time due to a number of factors. Maintaining sufficient fluid levels is vital to the health of both the mother and the fetus. The fetus ‘breathes’ this fluid, which helps its lungs form, and its ingestion helps in the formation of the gastrointestinal system. The amniotic fluid also acts as a cushion surrounding the fetus, protecting it from potential harm and giving it the opportunity to develop bones and a skeletal structure.

Without sufficient amniotic fluid, a pregnancy can face a number of potential complications. Oligohydramnios restricts the fetus’ growth, can create physical deformities, impairs the development of the heart and lungs, and can lead to meconium aspiration, among other problems.

While oligohydramnios can be the result of a number of factors, one way to potentially avoid this condition is simply by drinking more water.

[custom_blockquote style=”eg. green, yellow, purple, blue, red, black, grey”] What is the Amniotic Fluid Index (AFI)?

The AFI (score in cm) is approximate amount of amniotic fluid in the womb. It also serves as an index of the fetus’ well-being.

An AFI of 8-18 is considered normal, with a level of 5-6 indicating a state of oligohydraminios. Median AFI level is usually around 14 from week 20 to week 35, after which it begins to reduce in preparation for birth. [/custom_blockquote]

Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand, Lis Maternity Hospital in Tel Aviv, and the University of Parma in Italy all found close association between increased hydration and an increase in the Amniotic Fluid Index (AFI) in pregnant women with a low AFI. The studies included women consuming water both orally and through intravenous means.

In the Tel Aviv study, researchers examined the effects of increased hydration on 30 women with low AFI. The study group was compared to a control group of 30 women matched for age and gestational age, with normal AFI.

The results of the study were clear. AFI levels increased from 8.1 to 11.8 in just one week among the women with low AFI. The authors concluded that “long-term maternal oral hydration seems to significantly increase the AFI in selected women with reduced fluid and possibly prevents oligohydramnios.”

It’s always a good idea to stay hydrated, but this research indicates it’s especially important when you’re pregnant. Give your child a better chance to grow up healthy by staying hydrated when you’re pregnant. And, once you’ve had your baby, don’t stop there! Maintaining an adequate level of hydration is important your whole life, from in utero to your old age.

Maintaining the Body’s Water Balance… What is lost must be returned

(Photo credit: Gabriele Diwald/Flickr)

You are primarily made up of water. This is true of you and of every other person on the planet.

On average, adults are 60% comprised of water, while newborns can reach as high as 75% water. If we are to maintain our strength, well-being, and ability to function in our day to day life, it is essential that we sustain healthy levels of hydration.

The body needs to preserve its water balance in order to avoid dehydration. This means that for every drop of water released from the body, another must enter it. Keeping this ‘water homeostasis’ is extremely important for your health.

Water loss is a regular part of life. Sweating, urination and other bodily functions lead to the loss of water every day. These are normal processes that contribute to your body’s operation. More dramatic, yet still manageable, water loss can be the result of heavy physical activity or extreme heat. Whatever the causes, when your body loses water you become thirsty, which incentivizes you to look for water to rehydrate.

[custom_blockquote style=”eg. green, yellow, purple, blue, red, black, grey”] Did you know?

You may need to modify your total fluid intake depending on your age, how active you are, the climate (temperature and relative humidity) you live in, your health status (illness, fever, vomiting or diarrhea) and whether you’re pregnant or breast-feeding. [/custom_blockquote]

While the body aims for homeostasis, it can still function at a water deficit. A 3-4% water decrease doesn’t cause problems for most people, while a 5-8% decline leads to fatigue and dizziness. By the time you reach a 10% deficit dehydration begins to have more severe effects, including physical and mental distress. A decrease in water levels of 15-25% is fatal.

Fortunately, when people have access to clean water, the body naturally regulates water levels through the feeling of thirst, which encourages you to drink when levels are low and reducing fluid excretion. Although “water intake and output are highly variable,” according to the European Hydration Institute (EHI), they are “closely matched to less than 0.1% over an extended period through homeostatic control.” Fatal levels of dehydration are usually the result of severe illnesses, such as cholera.

In order to increase your hydration and achieve homeostatic levels, there are three main sources of water ingestion. The primary source of water is from drinking water and other fluids; this accounts for 70-80% of water intake. Food is also a significant source of water, accounting 20-30% for most people. The final source is very small, with only 250-350 ml of your water intake coming from the oxidation of macronutrients.

Under most circumstances, the EHI finds that the average person loses and needs to replace approximately 2-3 litres of water a day. Your body regulates this process very well, and a loss of 1% of your total water will usually be returned within 24 hours.

Water is a vital component of our bodies. Nurture your body by staying hydrated and maintaining your water balance every day.

Our shared water monuments

(Photo credit: Slunia/Wikimedia Commons)

For millennia, people have marvelled at the beauty of water. In many of the world’s great cities, public fountains celebrate that most primary of resources: water.

In ancient and pre-modern societies, fountains served multiple purposes. Greek, Roman and Muslim societies were all known for their magnificent public and private fountains.

Fountains were often the end of aqueduct systems, which used gravity to bring fresh drinking water from rivers and streams into the cities. Greek fountains frequently ended in sculptures of animal heads, with water spouting into marble and stone basins.

The Romans are legendary for their aqueducts, public baths and fountains. Their skill at moving water from the mountains to their cities and farmlands is one of the major reasons their civilization was so successful. Fountains were more than just a way to provide drinking water; they also served as entertainment for the people and as monuments to the empire’s leaders and Gods.

(Photo credit: Ismael zniber/Wikimedia Commons)

Fountains and water gardens were also prominent across the Islamic world. From the fountains of Arab rulers, where many of the Roman and Greek engineering practices were maintained, to Persian water gardens, and to the famous fountains of the Alhambra in Muslim Spain, fountains were an important part of life. They provided water to the people, relaxing gardens for rulers, and held religious significance.

In more recent times, the need to distribute water to the public via fountains has decreased. Our fountains today are much more often for display, serving as exhibitions of the magnificence of water or to commemorate individuals or moments from our common past.

Many fountains have gone beyond simple displays and have now achieved the status of monuments to water itself. The great musical fountains are especially noteworthy, as they take these spectacles to a new level of magnificence, incorporating music, lights and multiple spouts. They are a truly arresting show.

(Photo credit: Jon Sullivan/Wikimedia Commons)

Cities like Las Vegas in the United States and Kolkata in India have made names for themselves through their fantastic aquatic displays. One of the best shows in Las Vegas is outside the Bellagio hotel, where numerous water spouts create jaw-dropping displays. These fountains are state-of-the-art, with computer-guided systems operating over a thousand water nozzles in a choreographed dance in a nine-acre lake.

Like the Bellagio, the CESC Fountain of Joy in Kolkata adds music and lights to create the most unique water show in India. With a three tier fountain pool, 150 spouts, lights and music, it provides a stunning exhibition. Its central display is 6 metres high and 18 metres wide, with specially designed valves that allow it to launch water spouts at unbelievable speeds.

What are your favourite water fountains? Does your community have any noteworthy monuments to water?

Is a Glass of Water the Cure for your Headache?

(Photo credit: Lisa Brewster/Flickr)

We have all had headaches. That gnawing pressure in the temples or the pain crawling up the back of your neck.

For many of us, the first response to a headache is to reach for a bottle of pills. Acetaminophen, acetylsalicylic acid, ibuprofen, whatever your favourite brand name, they are for many of us the go-to response to a headache.

Research suggests, however, that instead of heading for the medicine cabinet, we could instead head to the kitchen. The solution to your headache may not be in pharmaceuticals, but rather, in one of nature’s most fundamental components: water.

As many of us already suspect, some headaches may be the direct result of dehydration. Researchers from the University of Maastricht, in the Netherlands, found in a 2012 study that increased water intake had a positive impact on headaches for 47 percent of the patients in their study group. The researchers argued, considering the patients positive reaction, “it seems reasonable to recommend headache patients to try this non-invasive intervention” when first experiencing a headache.

Most of the patients suffering from dehydration-related headaches found their symptoms were gone within 30 minutes to 3 hours of rehydrating.

So, if you have a headache, consider grabbing a glass or two of water to see if that helps. Even if the two aren’t related, chances are good you could use the extra hydration anyway.

[custom_blockquote style=”eg. green, yellow, purple, blue, red, black, grey”] Did you know?

Research shows that drinking water provided relief from headaches for some individuals within 30 minutes to 3 hours. [/custom_blockquote]

But what about more severe headaches? What if you suffer from that most difficult and debilitating headache: the migraine? You may be able to look to the healing power of water for migraines, as well.

Dehydration can serve as a trigger causing migraines and can act to prolong their length. Studies from the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London, UK, in 2004 and 2005 found that not drinking enough water may play a role in migraines.

The researchers found that a large proportion of migraine sufferers self-reported that dehydration could trigger migraines and that it could prolong an attack. Clinical studies also found that hydration levels appeared to have a direct impact on some patient’s migraines.

[custom_blockquote style=”eg. green, yellow, purple, blue, red, black, grey”] According to European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), adults need to consume at least 2.0 L/day for females and 2.5 L/day for males. [/custom_blockquote]

While the exact nature of the connection between drinking water and migraines is not known, it’s probably a safe bet to try drinking more water to stave off the attacks.

The advantage of trying out the curative effects of water is straightforward; whether it works for a headache or not, your body needs water, and lots of it!

So next time you feel a headache coming on, head to your WaterBar and grab a cool, delicious glass of water. We’re sure you won’t regret it!

What’s in your ice cubes?

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Most of us have been there. It’s been a long day at work and you’re finally on your way home. You’re on the train or the bus, it’s roasting hot and you’re thirsty. Parched, even. And, your water bottle has run dry.

You peer around, hoping that some kind passenger has a spare water bottle, or maybe you happen to be on a train with dining service, but to no such luck. As a commuter, you’re left with two choices, ride it out or get off the bus. So you sit there and suffer.

Considering any and all possibilities, it occurs to you for a brief moment that just down the aisle, in the public washroom, there is water flowing freely from the tap. You could just walk into the washroom, turn on the tap and fill your bottle. But would you?

Likely not.

In Canada, we have come to expect clean, safe drinking water. And yet there remains one public space, used by millions of Canadians everyday, that has fallen behind the times in its water safety regulations.

Despite the many advances in water filtering and purification, the federal regulations governing water quality on public transportation have remained sadly behind the times. To be exact, they haven’t been updated since 1954; that’s 60 years.

To put it into perspective, the first mass vaccination of children against polio was in 1954. Yes, polio.

It was also the year the first Burger King opened, the first commercial transistor radio was sold, and, perhaps most significantly, the year Godzilla first terrified Japanese audiences from the silver screen.

The point is that this was a long time ago and, needless to say, our scientific standards for water quality and the technology to filter and purify it have improved a great deal over the past 60-years.

There’s no excuse today for us to be subjected to 1954 water quality standards.

Fortunately, efforts are underway by the federal government to update the Potable Water Regulations for Common Carriers (PWRCC), which governs the quality of water provided on public transportation, including drinking water on buses, trains, airplanes and water vessels.

That doesn’t just mean the water for washing your hands at the back of the GO Bus. It also includes water used in your ice cubes during a flight or to prepare your food in the train dining car. Pretty important stuff.

The Public Health Agency of Canada is modernizing the PWRCC with more rigorous regulations in the areas of quality control, sampling, testing and record keeping. Testing of water samples, for example, will occur more regularly and records will be kept for a period of three years.

With these new reforms, Health Canada and companies that operate public transportation systems will have a more accurate picture of their overall performance in maintaining a high level of water quality.

We’re glad to see this step being taken.

With today’s technology, there’s no reason we can’t have clean, pure water in all of our public places, as well as in the transportation methods we use to get to them.

A Strauss WaterBar could easily connect into your train’s water system, cleaning the water of 99.9% of the microorganisms and bacteria in it, as well as removing the taste of chlorine. The result: a clean and crisp tasting glass of water with no harmful contaminants.

Unfortunately, the PWRCC won’t come into effect until at least 2015. So, in the meantime, make sure to bring your refillable bottled water with you on your commute and maybe avoid those ice cubes on your plane.

Bottled? Tap? Strauss Water?

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We all need water to survive; there’s no question about it. But it’s where we get it from that’s up for debate. Depending on your lifestyle, there’s a vast array of sources to choose from: well water, a mountain spring, municipal tap water – as is, municipal tap water – filtered by a whole home system, municipal tap water – filtered with a POU or jug system, individual-use bottles, commercial water delivery, etc. There’s definitely something for everyone; it’s just important to know more about the water you’re drinking.

Bottled Water

Canadians bought 2.4 billion litres of bottled water in 2013, which is a five per cent increase in sales from 2012, according to Euromonitor International. A 2006 study by Statistics Canada found that about three in ten households rely on bottled water as their main source of drinking water and of those households, one third of them were families with working parents and children under the age of 18.

Bottled water is an easy, grab-and-go solution and it’s good to have around the house when you’re running late to your kid’s soccer game, but there are some aspects to be aware of when choosing it. Canadian researchers discovered that 70 per cent of the bottled water brands they tested had high levels of heterotrophic bacteria, which is a type of bacteria that grows in an area with dead organic matter. While these bacteria are unlikely to cause any diseases and researchers haven’t found any signs of bacteria that would, the water could be a risk to seniors, pregnant women, infants and Canadians with compromised immune systems.

Some people prefer the taste of bottled water to tap water and the quality of bottled water is regulated by Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which ensures the water you’re drinking is safe for consumption.

Tap Water

Canadians are lucky to have access to some of the safest tap water in the world. All levels of government are involved in providing safe drinking water to residents, with provinces and territories following Health Canada’s Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality. These guidelines address concerns including microbiological quality, chemical and radiological quality as well as aesthetic and operational parameters.

We only access water from taps at home, work or school, but there are three main elements involved in providing us with clean water to fill our glasses: the water source, the water treatment system and the distribution system. Each part of this system needs to remain free of contamination for our own health and safety. The 2000 Walkerton tragedy is an example of what happens when our water is tainted and the importance of proper monitoring.

Health Canada continues to monitor water quality by conducting surveys of tap water and water treatment facilities to measure the presence of any potential contaminants, by-products or inorganic substances. Some households continue to boil or filter their water to ensure its safety.

Added benefit: most municipally sourced tap water has fluoride added to it. This mineral protects us from dental decay, which happens when bacteria feeds on sugar found in some foods and creates acid. This acid breaks down your tooth’s outside layer, the enamel, which over time leads to tooth decay and ultimately cavities pain, infections and tooth loss, if left untreated.

Strauss Water

Strauss Water Canada’s WaterBar gives Canadians another water option. Health Canada offers many checks and balances in your bottled and tap water, but our WaterBars can give you that extra peace of mind.

Our triple water filtration and purification process kills 99.9% of micro-organisms and bacteria, while absorbing the chlorine that can impair the taste of water. WaterBars use an activated carbon filter, a micro-mesh filter and ultra violet light to deliver safe, great tasting water, which is packed with essential mineral elements including calcium and magnesium.

Avoid dehydration this summer, but ensure that the water you’re drinking is good for your health. If your kids need some convincing to stay hydrated, there are liquid water enhancers and natural ways to add flavour and quench their thirst.

Why water is important to World Cup players

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The World Cup showcased soccer at its finest with teams duking it out in matches in Brazil over the last four weeks.

The event happens every four years, but before it begins, athletes participate in rigorous preparation. Soccer players focus much of their training on their dribbling and mental prep, but come game time their food and water regimen goes a long way.

Water breaks for the first time

History was made at this year’s World Cup when a water break was imposed for the first time ever during a match. According to ABC News, temperatures soared to a blistering 84 degrees Fahrenheit (29 degrees Celsius) with a humidity index of 70 per cent during the game between US and Portugal, making it difficult for players on both sides who were sweating within minutes of the match’s start. A one-minute water break was called 40 minutes into the game to allow players to rehydrate and cool off before continuing to play.

FIFA was ordered by the Brazilian Court to implement water breaks within 30 minutes of each half when the temperature climbed higher than 32 degrees Celsius on the Wet Bulb Globe temperature index, which measures the amount of heat stress. Although FIFA has its own guidelines related to water breaks, the court felt the ruling was necessary to ensure they followed through. If they didn’t, FIFA organizers would pay the price with a hefty 200,000 Reals ($96,738 CAD) fine for each match.

What causes cramping?

England’s players saw firsthand how not drinking enough water can hurt their game. It was a shame to watch players suffering from cramps during the country’s match up against Italy where the intense humidity in Manaus, a city within the Amazon rainforest, forced them to tone down their playing intensity. The English team’s manager, Roy Hodgson, admitted that players cramped during the second half from lack of hydration. “We’ve worked very hard on that (hydration). We still did cramp up quite a lot,” Hodgson told MLSSoccer.com. “But the tempo of the game was quite fast … It was played at the proper tempo and the heat and humidity did take its toll.”

It’s a little known fact, but it’s common for athletes to be dehydrated, says a Kinesiology professor at the University of Connecticut. If you’ve lost one or two per cent of your body weight to dehydration, it isn’t a big deal, but more than that and your performance takes a hit. England served as an unfortunate example of that.

When dehydrated, the body works harder than it needs to; the heart has to work harder to pump blood to the brain, skin and muscles, and the more weight lost to dehydration, the higher the body’s temperature will rise. For every one per cent of weight lost, the body heats up by 0.15 to 0.20 degrees Celsius; and that’s something you don’t want.

For sports such as track and field or baseball, it’s easier to take a break and drink water, but the same can’t be said about the faster-paced soccer. Also, if you’re from a country that isn’t as humid, the situation is only exacerbated, which was the case for players from dryer/more arid European countries.

A study published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine found that during a 90-minute soccer match, the average amount of sweat ranged from 1,672 to 3,138 ml, but soccer players only replenished about (about 30 ml) of fluid for each pound of body weight a day to keep their bodies in tip top shape.

Proper hydration can make or break a team in any sport; once muscle cramps set in, it’s difficult to recover quickly. After the match, athletes need to take part in contrast bathing, which is when they alternate between bathing in warm water and then cold water for short periods of time to relieve pain and reduce muscle damage. Rest is also a must on the agenda in order to give their bodies the necessary time to recuperate; but this reduces their time to prep for the next match, a disadvantage most players can’t afford.

Sometimes it’s easy to forget the importance of drinking water, especially when you’re competing to win. If you don’t enjoy water’s taste, you’re not alone; why not try a few ways to make it a little bit more bearable? Liquid water enhancers with fun flavours like iced tea or fruit punch will take plain ol’ H2O to the next level and there are also natural ways that pack a flavourful punch and deliver some needed nutrients.

What you need to know about water enhancers

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For the first time in 15 years, Coca-Cola saw a one per cent drop in its sale of carbonated drinks in the beginning of 2014. With obesity becoming a worldwide issue, people are looking for healthier beverage options.

According to the American Beverage Association, with 20 per cent of households already buying bottled water (which has its own health and environmental ramifications), flavour enhancers for water, such as Mio and Crystal Light, are the soda-alternative that has quickly cornered the marketplace. Liquid water enhancers were first introduced to grocery stores in 2011 and they’ve become a popular way to add flavour to H2O; so popular in fact that, according to a report by Zenith International, the category produced $412 million worth of sales in the US alone in 2013.

These may sound like a great way to spice up your water, but if you take a look at the labels, there are many ingredients you may not recognize.

What’s in it?

Some products include propylene glycol; and while Health Canada has approved it as a food additive, the chemical has a wide range of uses such as being an ingredient of antifreeze and cosmetics and is even used when creating artificial smoke. A test by NBC Chicago into various water enhancers found that, on average, propylene glycol accounted for 12 per cent of the product’s weight; this isn’t a toxic amount if only taken in small doses, however, if a 110-pound teenager drank the entire bottle in one shot, they would be ingesting five times the daily limit.

“He could well be potentially damaging himself at that kind of dose over that period of time because we do know there is an intermediate toxicity that affects the kidneys, the liver,” University of Illinois toxicologist Dr. Peter Orris told NBC Chicago.

Take sugar in moderation

Also, while many flavour enhancers boast that they are “calorie free”, they often contain high doses of artificial sugars that would affect your glucose levels. It is important to review the ingredients in such products to see if they include ingredients such as sucralose, acesulfame potassium (otherwise known as Acesulfame-K), aspartame and corn syrup, which are artificial sugars that shouldn’t be consumed in large doses.

A report published in the Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism Journal found that those who drank artificially sweetened drinks faced a greater risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome and excessive weight gain as compared to people who don’t drink soft drinks. Also, the World Health Organization has been urging people to limit their sugar intake to below 25 grams per day, which is about six or seven teaspoons and only five per cent of a person’s daily calorie intake.

Caffeine

It is also important to note that some of these water enhancers contain caffeine, which is not recommended for consumption by children. Too much caffeine can be detrimental to a child’s health, leading to headaches, anxiety and sleep issues. Depending on the child’s age and weight, Health Canada recommends limiting the maximum daily intake of caffeine between 45 mg and 85 mg, which is about one to two cans of coke.

Moderation is key

With their easy to carry miniature bottles and a vast array of fun flavours to choose from, using enhancers can be a real treat. Besides offering delicious taste (which makes drinking the recommended 2-3 litres per day a little more palpable) many of the liquid enhancers on the market also boast benefits like having zero calories, being made with natural ingredients and containing added vitamins, potassium or salt. The great thing is that you can easily track the amount of flavouring (and therefore control the quantities of the additives going into your body) used by counting the number of drops you add to your drink. Being well hydrated is key to your body’s functionality; so as long as they’re used in moderation, liquid water enhancers are a great option for parents looking to encourage their children to drink more water.

If you’re at home with a little more time to spare, there are natural water flavouring options you can whip up in no time.

Strauss Water Canada’s WaterBar provides pure, great tasting water for better tea, coffee and hot and cold drinks, at your fingertips. Our triple water filtration and purification process kills micro-organisms and bacteria and absorbs the chlorine that can impair the taste of water. Water will be boiled instantly and dispensed at the touch of a button, which means no more buying, carrying or storing water. Tap into an unlimited supply of drinking water with our WaterBar.