Our bodies are made up of about 70% water. It is an essential part of living, we can only live a few days without water we can live much longer without food. Thus we should prioritize water consumption. It is the staple of healthy living and comes with so many health benefits.
Why drink water
Prevent dehydration: Dehydration can affect you in many different ways; such as mood swings, weight, energy, dizziness, muscle spasms and cause headaches. In more serious cases dehydration can lead to death.
Flushes toxins & Maintains Regularity: Our digestive system needs water to operate properly! Toxins are flushed out through sweating, urine and bowel movements. Drink water to keep your digestive system running smoothly!
Prevent Cancer: Research says staying hydrated can reduce colon cancer by 45%, bladder cancer by 50% and could reduce breast cancer.
Immune system: Staying hydrated ensures that your blood can carry plenty of oxygen to the cells in your body. Thus allowing your body to function properly, your immune system functions best when your muscles and organs are functioning well.
Save Money & The Environment: Water bottles are a 13 billion dollar industry, which is pretty impressive since water is generally free. Avoid paying for bottled water and contributing to plastic pollution by buying a reusable water bottle. If you currently drink one water bottle a day that’s 365 bottles a year, at a dollar a bottle (in most convince stores) that’s $365 spent on water per year. Not to mention that’s 365 bottles that are endangering the environment, that could easily be replaced by one reusable water bottle.
13 Best reusable water bottles of 2018
Boost Productivity: A class of water could help you stay focused. Keep a glass of water near your desk to help curve hunger and stop you from being distracted by snacks.
Clear Skin: Water flushes out toxins that can cause the skin to become irritated and clogged pores. It is suggested that water can help reduce wrinkles and make skin smoother, but there is no research to prove or disprove this. It doesn’t hurt to try!
Kidney Function: Kidneys are responsible for processing 200 quarts of blood per day, sifting out waste and sending urine to the bladder. Water plays a very important role in these processes and can aid in preventing various UTI’s.
Weight loss: Water is very filling, so you feel fuller and eat less. A study found that by drinking water before a meal, you consume less. Water also allows your digestive system to run efficiently, kicking your metabolism into gear, allowing you to get the most benefits from your food.
How much should water should I be drinking?
It is recommended we drink eight 8-ounce glasses (2 litres) of water a day, as well as obtain water from foods such as fruits and vegetables. For some people, eight glasses may seem like too much, but for others, it may not be enough. Water requirements vary from person to person, but a general guideline suggests the total we should have is between 2-3 litres a day from all sources.
To keep it simple, if you’re thirsty drink, if you’re not thirsty don’t drink. If you’re exercising or experiencing a heat wave drink more to keep your fluids up.
Naturally Flavour Water with Fruits and Teas!
Water can be pretty boring, especially if you’re trying to reach the recommended eight glasses a day. Here are some ideas to flavour up your water without adding unnecessary sugars and dyes.
Add Fresh Fruit! Citrus fruits, limes, lemons and oranges are high in vitamin C and antioxidants that help protect cells from damaging free radicals.
Berries, pears and apples are full of vitamins, antioxidants and flavour making them great alternatives for sugary drinks.
Add them to a diffuser or squeeze the juice into a pitcher of water for a tasty drink.
You can purchase diffusers for personal water bottles or pitchers.
Adding fruits give that bit of flavour making water more enjoyable and a healthy alternative to sugary store-bought drinks.
Add Natural Fruit Juice – Juices can be very sweet and high in sugar, dilute them with water to give it the juice flavour. Try and go for juices that are all natural, with no added sugar. Tart juices like pomegranate, cranberry, grape and apple are delicious when diluted, takes the bite out of the tart.
Add some bubbles! If you really enjoy carbonated sodas switching to carbonated water would be the healthier choice. Carbonated waters can be on the pricey side at the stores, but you could purchase a Soda Stream for homemade carbonated water. Here are the best soda makers of 2018.
Herbal Teas -Herbal teas are a great tasting low-calorie alternative to fruit juice. Most fruit teas are just as delicious served cold as they are served warm. Celestial Seasonings teas are free from artificial flavours, colours and preservatives, making them a great brand to look into while exploring water alternatives.
Teas are a delicious healthy alternative to drinking plain water. Although you should always research before serving to a child, some contain caffeine and are not child-friendly. Dr. Lisa Watson has a great guide on Tea for Tots.
W5Go’s UNSDG Water Goals and Water Mobile App
W5Go is a project for social edification created by Ecocarrier. W5Go aims to encompass as many of the United Nations Sustainable Development goals as possible with every episode we release.
In this episode on Water, we aim to spread awareness of the importance of clean water, how it affects the environment and who depends on clean and reliable water sources. By teaching children how to conserve, clean and protect water we are encompassing UNDSG’s 6th Clean water and Sanitation & 14th Life below water goals.
Explore the who, what, where, when and why’s of Water! In this augmented and virtual reality enabled the mobile app, discover the many forms of water and why it is a vital part of life. For children 4-12! This app is free, contains no ads, no in-app purchases and does not require wi-fi.
Available Now!
w5go.wordpress.com 
I never think of flavoring my water naturally… these are awesome ideas! 👍🏻
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A well-written article, I especially like the part about adding fruits to your water for flavour. What about adding cucumber? That’s what we do at home and it makes the water feel more refreshing each time you take a sip!
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Great Idea! You can add fruits, vegetables and even herbs like mint for some extra flavour!
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