6 Reasons to Drink Waters
How Much Water Should I Drink?
Quality of Glass
The Effects of Bottled Water
Why Drinking Water Really is the Key to Weight Loss

6 Reasons to Drink Water

It’s no magic bullet, but the benefits of water are many.
By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD

Americans seem to carry bottled water everywhere they go these days. In fact, it has become the second most popular drink (behind soft drinks). But water lovers got a jolt recently when we heard that a new report had found that the benefits of drinking water may have been oversold. Apparently, the old suggestion to drink eight glasses a day was nothing more than a guideline, not based on scientific evidence.

But don’t put your water bottle or glass down just yet. While we may not need eight glasses, there are plenty of reasons to drink water. In fact, drinking water (either plain or in the form of other fluids or foods) is essential to your health. When your water intake does not equal your output, you can become dehydrated. Fluid losses are accentuated in warmer climates, during strenuous exercise, in high altitudes, and in older adults, whose sense of thirst may not be as sharp.

“Think of water as a nutrient your body needs that is present in liquids, plain water, and foods. All of these are essential daily to replace the large amounts of water lost each day,” says Joan Koelemay, RD, dietitian for the Beverage Institute, an industry group.

Kaiser Permanente nephrologist Steven Guest, MD, agrees: “Fluid losses occur continuously, from skin evaporation, breathing, urine, and stool, and these losses must be replaced daily for good health,” he says.

Here are six reasons to make sure you’re
drinking enough water or other fluids every day:

1. Drinking Water Helps Maintain the Balance of Body Fluids.
“Through the posterior pituitary gland, your brain communicates with your kidneys and tells it how much water to excrete as urine or hold onto for reserves,” says Guest, who is also an adjunct professor of medicine at Stanford University.
When you’re low on fluids, the brain triggers the body’s thirst mechanism. And unless you are taking medications that make you thirsty, Guest says, you should listen to those cues and get yourself a drink of water, juice, milk, coffee -- anything but alcohol.

“Alcohol interferes with the brain and kidney communication and causes excess excretion of fluids which can then lead to dehydration,” he says. Your body is composed of about 60% water. The functions of these bodily fluids include digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature.

2. Water Can Help Control Calories. For years, dieters have been drinking lots of water as a weight loss strategy. While water doesn’t have any magical effect on weight loss, substituting it for higher calorie beverages can certainly help.
“What works with weight loss is if you choose water or a non-caloric beverage over a caloric beverage and/or eat a diet higher in water-rich foods that are healthier, more filling, and help you trim calorie intake,” says Penn State researcher Barbara Rolls, PhD, author of The Volumetrics Weight Control Plan.

Food with high water content tends to look larger, its higher volume requires more chewing, and it is absorbed more slowly by the body, which helps you feel full. Water-rich foods include fruits, vegetables, broth-based soups, oatmeal, and beans.

3. Water Helps Energize Muscles. Cells that don’t maintain their balance of fluids and electrolytes shrivel, which can result in muscle fatigue. “When muscle cells don’t have adequate fluids, they don’t work as well and performance can suffer,” says Guest.

Drinking enough fluids is important when exercising. Follow the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for fluid intake before and during physical activity. These guidelines recommend that people drink about 17 ounces of fluid about two hours before exercise. During exercise, they recommend that people start drinking fluids early, and drink them at regular intervals to replace fluids lost by sweating.

4. Water Helps Keep Skin Looking Good. Your skin contains plenty of water, and functions as a protective barrier to prevent excess fluid loss. But don’t expect over-hydration to erase wrinkles or fine lines, says Atlanta dermatologist Kenneth Ellner, MD.

“Dehydration makes your skin look more dry and wrinkled, which can be improved with proper hydration,” he says. “But once you are adequately hydrated, the kidneys take over and excrete excess fluids.”

You can also help “lock” moisture into your skin by using moisturizer, which creates a physical barrier to keep moisture in.

5. Water Helps Your Kidneys. Body fluids transport waste products in and out of cells. The main toxin in the body is blood urea nitrogen, a water-soluble waste that is able to pass through the kidneys to be excreted in the urine, explains Guest. “Your kidneys do an amazing job of cleansing and ridding your body of toxins as long as your intake of fluids is adequate,” he says.

When you’re getting enough fluids, urine flows freely, is light in color and free of odor. When your body is not getting enough fluids, urine concentration, color, and odor increases because the kidneys trap extra fluid for bodily functions.
If you chronically drink too little, you may be at higher risk for kidney stones, especially in warm climates, Guest warns.

5 Tips to Help You Drink More
If you think you need to be drinking more, here are
some tips to increase your fluid intake and reap the benefits of water:
1. Have a beverage with every snack and meal.
2. Choose beverages you enjoy; you’re likely to drink
more liquids if you like the way they taste.
3. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Their high water
content will add to your hydration. About 20% of our
fluid intake comes from foods.
4. Keep a bottle of water with you in your car, at your
desk, or in your bag.
5. Choose beverages that meet your individual needs. If
you’re watching calories, go for non-caloric beverages
or water.


http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/6-reasons-to-drink-water

Top

How Much Water Should I Drink?

Water is a vital part to nutrition, but knowing just how much water to drink to maintain a healthy lifestyle is often difficult. The truth is, there is no hard and fast rule governing how much water an individual should drink. The specific amount depends upon a number of factors, including your age, gender, level of activity, and even your environment. A satisfactory water intake for one person may be deficient for another, and the amount of water you need is likely to change several times throughout your life. While the “eight cups a day” long recommended by doctors may hold true for some people, it is far better to look at your own individual lifestyle factors to determine the appropriate amount of water for you.

Lifestyle Factors

Age: One of the most important factors affecting the amount of water you should drink is your age. Children, due to the hydration demands of their growing bodies, should drink a larger amount of water in proportion to their body size than adults. In general, children should be consuming at least six to eight cups of water per day, but water intake should be increased during exercise and long bouts of active play.

As the body reaches adulthood, water demands decrease slightly in proportion to body size, but it is still important for women to consume about nine cups of water and men to consume about 13 cups each day.
Hydration needs continue into advanced age when it is especially important to monitor water consumption, as the body is less able to recognize the signs of dehydration and signal thirst to the brain.

Gender: Your gender is also an important factor affecting how much water you should drink. Men and women require different amounts of water for adequate hydration, due to their different body sizes. Men generally need to drink more water than women (about 13 cups a day as opposed to nine cups a day for women) to support their larger bodies. However, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should be careful to increase their overall water intake to provide enough fluid for the dependent fetus or infant. Expectant women should increase their daily water intake to 10 cups a day, while breastfeeding women should be drinking about 13 cups per day.

Activity: While every person has a base level of water he or she needs, this water requirement will vary slightly from day to day, depending upon activity levels. If you regularly exercise or engage in any other activity that causes you to sweat, you will need to drink more water to replace the fluids lost through perspiration and increased respiration. For moderate amounts of exercise (30-60 minutes), an additional 2 cups of water should provide adequate hydration. Long, prolonged exercise may require much more water to replenish the body, depending upon the type of exercise and how much you sweat.

Regardless of the amount of activity, it is important to remember to drink water before, during, and after exercise to prevent dehydration and fatigue.

Environment: Heat and humidity affect the amount of water you need to drink each day by causing you to perspire more. In humid climates and during the hot summer months in any climate, you should increase your daily intake of water to compensate for extra fluid loss. Two cups more per day for both men and women should suffice, but you should be careful to drink more if you notice any swelling of the skin caused by heat.

In general, your specific lifestyle factors are a good guideline for determining the right amount of water to drink each day. However, it is important to note that these recommendations apply primarily for healthy, moderately active adults. During times of illness (especially if you are vomiting or experiencing diarrhea), it is very important to continue drinking ample amounts of water. The water will help to flush the toxins out of your system and give your body energy to fight off the sickness.

Keeping Yourself Hydrated

To keep your body functioning as it should, you should always closely monitor the amount of water you drink. While thirst is certainly a good indicator of your body’s need for water, you may already be slightly dehydrated by the time you experience thirst. A good rule for keeping yourself hydrated throughout the day is to drink one glass of water with each meal and one between each meal.

While pure water is always the best choice for hydration (it’s both calorie and additive free), all other beverages and most food also contain water and provide some of your daily fluid. Some fruits, such as tomatoes and watermelon, are nearly 90% water and can add variety to your water intake. Sodas, milk, and juice can also make up a percentage of your daily water intake, but you should be careful to limit your overall consumption of these sugary and/or fatty beverages. Caffeinated beverages also provide fluid, but the diuretic nature of caffeine can actually limit your body’s ability to absorb and digest water. Consequently, you should try to limit caffeinated beverages from your diet as much as possible. If plain water becomes boring after a while, sprucing it up with a spritz of lime or lemon juice is a good way to add flavor without adding too many calories.

As you make a daily effort to drink enough water, your body will undoubtedly thank you by staying healthier and naturally regulating your appetite. You will feel better and stay trimmer while keeping your vital organs clean and replenished. Indeed, drinking the right amount of water for you each day is one of the easiest, least expensive, and most effective ways to keep you and your body happy, healthy, and productive.

from http://www.allaboutwater.com

Top

Quality of Glass

Is impermeable and nonporous. Safeguards against moisture and oxygen invasion. Sanitary and odorless.

Can be irradiated—an attributed for sterilized applications for the future.

Is recyclable. Does not pollute. Important environmental consideration.

Combined with foil, can make an effective tamper-evident container.

Is ideal for high-speed filling lines. Speed means more profit.

Takes high-torque sealing. Helps safeguard against leakers in shipment.

Is resealable. Unused products can be saved for future use.

Does not deteriorate, corrode, stain or fade.

Is microwavable—(depending on the specific type of jar).

Needs no protective coating inside. Products stay uncontaminated.

Is stackable on shelves. Makes a neat and uniformly good impression.

Is economical, when advantages are weighed against other packages.

Is retortable. Can be used to process foods and other products at high
temperatures.

Is a proven package for strong chemicals and solvents.

Is transparent. It can showcase a product and entice the buyer.

Has FDA acceptance. Considered a safe packaging material.

Is made from abundant raw materials. A reliable supply is assured.

Is available in stock or private molds. Stock molds can be economically customized in appearance.

Can achieve a hermetic seal and prolong product shelf life.

Creatively shaped or decorated. can add consumer value after product use—specifically for crafts or collectibles.

In amber or green, can filter out harmful ultraviolet rays. Protects product integrity.

Is attractive. Connotes richness and substance. Provides a quality image for products.

Has proven customer appeal. confirmed by independent tests.

Is compatible with child-resistant closures.

Is autoclavable. Great for injectible and other pharmaceutical products.

Can be labeled, colored, silk screened, enameled, etched, sand blasted or coated. Decoration opportunities abound.

Has almost a zero rate of transmission. Guards against loss of moisture, product strength, freshness and aroma.

Can be formed into various sizes and shapes. Can provide a strong family identity for product lines.

from http://www.gpi.org/why/

Top

The Effects of Bottled Water on the Environment

Why Lipsey’s Glass Bottle is Better

It is hard to argue the fact that waste management has become a large problem in the world, with landfills growing to enormous sizes and recycling rates remaining dismally low. The number of plastic bottles produced by the bottled water industry and subsequently discarded by consumers has only exacerbated this problem.

According to a 2001 report of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), roughly 1.5 million tons of plastic are expended in the bottling of 89 billion liters of water each year.

Besides the sheer number of plastic bottles produced each year, the energy required to manufacture and transport these bottles to market severely drains limited fossil fuels. Bottled water companies, due to their unregulated use of valuable resources and their production of billions of plastic bottles have presented a significant strain on the environment.

The authors of the WWF report suggested that water bottles be washed and reused in order to lessen their negative impact on the environment. Unfortunately, reusing plastic bottles further compromises the quality of the water, due to the fact that more and more phthalate leaches its way into the water as the bottle gets older. In another suggestion, the authors recommended that bottled water companies use local bottling facilities in order to lessen fuel expenditures for transportation needs. Regrettably, local bottling further compromises water quality due to the reduced health standards for in-state bottled water production and consumption. It seems there is no feasible solution to this problem. The bottled water industry causes a severe strain on the environment, but solutions to this environmental damage significantly lessen the quality of water in the bottles.

Top

Why Drinking Water Really is the Key to Weight Loss

Don’t roll your eyes! The potion for losing that excess body fat is all around you. It covers two thirds of the planet. If you eat right and exercise at the intensity, frequency and duration appropriate for you, but still can’t get rid of a little paunch here and there, you’re probably just not drinking enough water. You’re actually quite normal. Most people don’t drink enough water and also carry around a few more pounds than they would be if they did. If you can’t seem to get that weight off, try drowning your sorrows in nature’s magical weight-loss mineral.

“What on Earth is ‘metabolism’, anyway?” People use the term all the time, but ask them what it means and you’ll get all kinds of answers. Merriam Webster defines it as, “The process by which a substance is handled in the body.” A little vague, but that’s really all it means. There are many forms of metabolism going on in your body right now, but the one everyone is talking about is the metabolism of fat. This is actually something that the liver does when it converts stored fat to energy. Unfortunately, another of the liver’s duties is to pick up the slack for the kidneys, which need plenty of water to work properly. If the kidneys are water-deprived, the liver has to do their work along with its own, lowering its total productivity. It then can’t metabolize fat as quickly or efficiently as it could when the kidneys were pulling their own weight. If you allow this to happen, not only are you being unfair to your liver, but you’re also setting yourself up to store fat.

“I’ve tried it and I couldn’t stand it!” The problem is that though many decide to increase their water intake, very few stick with it. It’s understandable. During the first few days of drinking more water than your body is accustomed to, you’re running to the bathroom constantly. This can be very discouraging, and it can certainly interfere with an otherwise normal day at work. Do take heed, though. What is really happening is that your body is flushing itself of the water it has been storing throughout all those years of “survival mode”. As you continue to give your body all the water it could ask for, it gets rid of what it doesn’t need. It gets rid of the water it was holding onto in your ankles and your hips and thighs, maybe even around your belly. You are excreting much more than you realize. Your body figures it doesn’t need to save these stores anymore; it’s trusting that the water will keep coming, and if it does, eventually, the flushing will cease, allowing the human to return to a normal life. It’s true. This is called the “breakthrough point.”

Water is the best beauty treatment. You’ve heard this since school, and it’s true. Water will do wonders for your looks! It flushes out impurities in your skin, leaving you with a clear, glowing complexion. It also makes your skin look younger. Skin that is becoming saggy, either due to aging or weight loss, plumps up very nicely when the skin cells are hydrated. In addition, it improves muscle tone. You can lift weights until you’re blue in the face, but if your muscles are suffering from a drought, you won’t notice a difference in your appearance. Muscles that have all the water they need contract more easily, making your workout more effective, and you’ll look much nicer than if you had flabby muscles under sagging skin.

“Eight glasses a day?” It’s really not that much! Eight glasses is okay for the average person, but if you’re overweight, you should drink another eight ounces for every 25 pounds of excess weight you carry. You should also up this if you live in a hot climate or exercise very intensely.This water consumption should be spread out throughout the day. It’s not healthy at all to drink too much water at one time. Try to pick three or four times a day when you can have a big glass of water, and then sip in between. Don’t let yourself get thirsty. If you feel thirsty, you’re already becoming dehydrated. Do you think water is tasteless? Drinking other fluids will certainly help hydrate your body, but the extra calories, sugar, additives and whatever else aren’t what you need. Try a slice of lemon or lime in the glass, or if you really think you hate water, try a flavored water. Just make sure you read the labels. Remember that you’re going to be consuming a lot of this fluid.

http://www.celticwatersolutions.ie/index.php?page=weight-loss-benifits-of-drinking-water

Top