essential body fuelwater

water everything you

03water - are you getting enough?

05 water - don’t wait until you’re thirsty

07water - is just... water, isn’t it?

09water - are kids drinking enough?

10water - part of your lifestyle

cont

ents

need to know

You’re not gasping. So that must mean you drink enough water

It might surprise you but many of us are slightly dehydrated. Very few of us drink theright amount of water to keep our bodies in tip-top condition. Which means that manyof us are probably operating below our physical and mental best, for a lot of the time.

So, why do we need water? Forstarters, it’s the essential fuel thathelps our bodies function. After all,we are three quarters water, sowithout it, we wouldn’t amount tomuch at all. Water keeps us going:it makes up 95% of our blood, whichcarries oxygen and nutrients to allour organs; it helps regulate ourbody temperature, by enabling us tosweat; it also eliminates waste and

toxins – whilst all the time giving usenergy and helping us concentrate.

Water’s important for the way welook as well. Because it is caloriefree, it can help you stay in shape.Your skin benefits too: no moisturiser(however expensive), can work itswonders without a bit of innerhydration. And finally, water cansimply make you a more pleasant

person to know, because goodhydration is important for fresh breath.

So how much should we aim todrink, to make sure we’re keepingour body functioning as it should?Two litres a day. Just 8 glasses. Notso difficult when you think about allthe good it does.

03

waterare you getting

everyday, right?

No moisturiser(however expensive),can work its wonderswithout a bit ofinner hydration.

04

enough?

Without water though,we couldn’t last morethan a few days.

How often do you get thirsty? A few times a day?

05

water don’t wait until

Thirst is actually a complex warningsignal that’s designed to let youknow you body needs water. It’s asign that it’s dehydrated, and isstarting to get you ready torehydrate.

The key is not to let your body get tothe “I’m gasping” stage. Think aboutwhen you’re looking after a plantfor example. You don’t wait until it’scompletely wilted before you water it.You give it a bit of water regularly,to keep it moist and hydrated. It’sthe same with your body.

What you should be doing, ishydrating your body all the time –not simply quenching thirst. Welose over 2 litres of water a day,even when we’re sleeping. In fact,we shed almost a litre every 24hours, just through breathing andperspiration alone (and that’s noteven on a hot day).

It’s not like we can store it in ourbodies in case of a shortage either,like we can with food. The bodycan potentially go for weeks withouteating, drawing on its fat reserves

for sustenance. Without waterthough, we couldn’t last for morethan a few days.

That’s why we need to make surewe constantly replenish, and not justwait until we’re feeling dehydrated.(It gets even more important, theolder we become too – becauseas we age, our sensation of thirstdiminishes, so we don’t notice somuch if we’re thirsty.) So, get startedon those 2 litres now and keep yourbody in tip-top shape.

06

you’re thirsty

With natural mineral water,

07

Other Drinking Water(incl.Tap Water)

Spring Water

Natural Mineral Water

Bottled atsource, sourcespecified

Must be wholesome in its natural state

Must specifymineral content

Cannot be treated

Must have aconsistent mineralcomposition

Safe to drink

water

There are two main types of bottledwater: spring water and mineralwater. Spring water is collecteddirectly from the spring where itarises from the ground and must bebottled at the source. It must meetcertain hygiene standards, but maybe treated in order to meet the EUlimits set on pollution.

Mineral water is water that emergesfrom under the ground and then

flows over rocks before it iscollected. As a result of this, mineralwater has a higher content ofvarious minerals, which are pickedup as it flows over rock. Unlikespring water, natural mineral watercannot be treated except to removegrit and dirt. Different brands ofspring and mineral waters willcontain differing amounts ofminerals, depending on where theyhave been sourced.

Water labelsLabels on bottled mineral water arerequired to state exactly what is inthe water and where the water wassourced. It is an offence to marketwater as natural mineral waterunless the water complies with the provisions of the EU CouncilDirective 80/777/EEC and SI No of 2004.

spring water and tap water available to us, what’s the difference?

08

is just... water, isn’t it?

So how much is ‘enough’? Here’show much yourchildren shouldbe drinking:

9

A top parenting tip: keeping children properly hydratedcan help them concentrate.

Drinking is just as important as eating – particularly when kids are active. Childrenare much more susceptible to dehydration and overheating than adults and areless likely to realise they need water.

Water is the best option for quenching thirst. Make drinking more fun with anovelty water bottle. Bottles with sports flip tops are handy and easy to drinkfrom. Keep water in easy reach and encourage regular sips.

Active kidsneed water

water are kidsdrinking enough?

Ages Adequate daily intake in litres

1.3

1.7

2.4

1.3

1.7

2.1

1 -3

4 -8

9 -13

mal

e

female

10

part of your everyday life.With water making up three quarters of our bodies, it’s part of our lives – literally. So how do we make that vital 2 litres a day a part of our lifestyles too?

The 2 litre rule may seem a lot – butwhen you think of it as eight glasses,spread across a whole day, it’ssimply a glass with each meal,three throughout the day, and twomore in the evening.

To work your 2 litres a day into yourlifestyle, it helps to always keep abottle of water handy; in your car, in your bag, by your bed – andeven in your locker, for when youneed to override that 3pm energyslump. It's far better to sip watercontinuously throughout the day

than gulping down several glassesonce you're already gasping, sostart each day with a bottle of naturalmineral water. A bottle on your deskwill remind you to keep topped upand help you keep track of your 2ltrsa day target.

Drinking 2 litres of water every day,is one of the simplest (yet one ofthe best) things that you can dofor your body. By drinking enough,you can hydrate yourself from theinside-out – and beauty and healthexperts around the world agree:

water part of yourlifestyle

Start today....Make waterpart of yourlifestyle, drink8 glasseseveryday,equivalent to 2 litres.

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