by Fern Shaw | Dec 13, 2012 | Health and Hydration
Encourage your children to eat water-rich foods
At home and in the lunchbox, encourage your child to eat water-rich foods like grapes, watermelon, cucumbers, carrots, and tomatoes.
Float slices of fruit (such as lemons or limes) in a jug of water
Or be creative with strawberries, clementine segments and any other colourful fruit.
Let your children drink what they want – within reason
Water is always going to be the healthiest drink for both children and adults, but if plain water makes them turn their noses up, give your children a little more freedom. Milk, natural juice, and flavoured water all work. However, to help them avoid a caffeine or sugar addiction early in life; never let them try fizzy drinks (or worse, take one to school). Hydrated children are happy children.
Give your child a straw.
It may sound strange, but we actually drink more when we’re drinking through a straw. With a straw, kids will be encouraged to drink more fluids, and they may enjoy the fun factor of having a straw in their favourite colour.
Use ice cube trays that make fun shapes and use those ice cubes in your child’s water
Nothing quite like the fascination of watching an ice cube shape melt while drinking your water and should the ice cube drop or fall, no mess apart from a little puddle!
Take your child to pick out a new, special cup
Young children are big on ‘ownership’, especially when there are siblings, so once they have their own individual drinking cup, this will encourage them to use their cup for drinking from.
by Fern Shaw | Dec 12, 2012 | Water Boilers
Coffee is one of those substances that have both good and bad stories written up about it all the time.
What’s the Good skinny? (No, not a skinny, latte, mocha, silly story).
- Coffee does contain antioxidants. But better to not rely on this as your only source of antioxidants. Antioxidants can be found in other yummy sources like blueberries, cherries, & pomegranates as well as a variety of legumes.
- It may have some protective qualities against a variety of cancers and Alzheimer’s disease.
- The caffeine in it is stimulating and releases dopamine (your body’s ‘happy’ enzyme) … which is the main reason why people drink it.
- Boosts your short term memory.
What’s the Bad skinny?
- Mainly because of its stimulating effects, it has been found to aggravate stress and anxiety.
- Other psychological and physical problems including rapid heart rate, higher pulse and blood pressure, and inability to sleep.
- It is also mildly addictive and withdrawal – depending of course, on how many cups you drink in 12 hours or so, can lead to painful headaches.
What one needs to keep in mind when it comes to consumption of any liquids and foodstuffs, is the age old maxim, ‘Everything in Moderation’.
So, whereas a cup o’ Java to kick start your day (hopefully after you’ve eaten something solid) is a good thing; roaring through your day bolstered up on cream or full milk laden coffees or lattés will completely counteract the wonderful effects of coffee and just turn you into a blob. Remember to always counter your cups of coffee with a glass of water as keeping hydrated is vastly important.
by Fern Shaw | Dec 6, 2012 | Charity
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity ~ King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
The end of the year is drawing closer and there is so much thought given to the peace, joy and season of giving that is Christmas.
So, while most of us are feeling all warm and fuzzy about giving, let’s spare a thought about how one can truly be charitable this festive season (and beyond).
By you drinking water.
Yep, before you think we’ve lost our marbles, it really can be as simple as that. Keeping yourself hydrated can actually ‘give’ to others. Give safe, clean, drinking water. Which can mean a child out there in desperate need of your charity, doesn’t have to die from dehydration or contaminated water.
Which means being able to keep the children hydrated, so that they can :-
- Concentrate when they go to school.
- So that they can learn.
- So that they can educate others on the importance of having clean water to drink.
We at AquAid founded The Africa Trust. With a donation for each water cooler sold, this money goes towards building another Elephant Pump in a rural community in the Third World. A charity that truly gives. (And keeps on giving).
Doesn’t that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Of course it does!
A very Merry Christmas to you.
