Adult Hydration
As approximately 75% of the adult body is comprised of water, it’s so important that we keep ourselves continually hydrated. It is commonly accepted that the RDA (recommended daily allowance) of water is approximately 2Ltrs per day. If exercising or exerting oneself, this should be increased considerably. Drinking plenty of water can have enormous benefits:
- Drinking plenty of water can help maintain endurance levels, improving physical performance
- Water can combat fatigue and increase energy levels considerably.
- Water is essential for each part of the body – from the brain for promoting alertness and memory, to the protection of each vital organ and the conversion of food into energy.
- Drinking plenty of water can prevent urinary dysfunction and discomfort.
- Water is the purest of the element and acts as a medium to ‘flush’ toxins and waste out of the body, thereby having an incredibly cleansing effect on all of us.
Child Hydration
Children are even more vulnerable than adults when it comes to the effects of dehydration. Their young bodies can’t cool down as effectively as adults, and they run the real risk of overheating. A lot of focus is now being put on the importance of continual hydration in schools. Research indicates that without adequate hydration at school, a child will have the increased risk of experiencing digestive problems and headaches, in addition to significantly reduced concentration levels overall. The following tips should be noted when looking after your little one’s hydration needs:
- The average child will need to drink more water than adults in proportion of their body sizes as a result of their body’s needs. The average child will need to drink between 1Ltrs – 1.5Ltrs per day. Physical exercise will again increase this amount.
- Keep children continually hydration when playing outdoors – thirst is actually a symptom of dehydration!
- Serve water at a moderate temperature to encourage increased consumption.
- Always pack a water bottle in their lunchboxes when they’re out and about. Some schools opt for mains-fed water dispensers and promote children to drink regularly via re-usable bottles. This is a perfectly acceptable way to hydrate your child.
- Food can also play a role in child hydration: Certain foods, such as soup, fruit and vegetables, have higher water content – which again will help meet your child’s daily allowance.
Symptoms of Dehydration
Thirst is the first symptom of dehydration. Other symptoms include;
- Headache
- Dizziness or light-headedness
- You urinate less!
- Dry mouth
- Muscle weakness
- Few or no tears when crying
Interesting Water Facts
- Over 70 per cent of the human body is made up of water.
- The Recommended Daily Allowance of Water is 2Ltrs for the average adult.
- 70% of the worlds freshwater exists as ice in glaciers or ice caps.
- In a typical home only 4% of water is used for drinking and cooking.
- Britons consume approx 36Ltrs of bottled water per annum (versus 100Ltrs average European consumption).
- Continually drinking water can improve concentratoin by up to 40%.
- I said it improves your concentration!
- 60% of 'hunger pains' are not actually indicative of hunger, but of dehydration.
- Over 70% of the earth’s surface is comprised of water
- Water is natures thermometer – it controls the earth’s temperature
- Water makes up 70% of a tree!
- The average adult can live without food for a month- but will only survive less than a week without water.
- Water leaves the stomach within 5 minutes of drinking it!
