water

For those of you who tuned into Health Trip today - here are some references and highlights from the show.

How much water do we need each day?
About 2-3 litres and that’s just when we are being a couch potato. You need more when you are hot, exercising, in air conditioned environments, pregnant or breastfeeding. You can get a large chunk of your daily fluid from food, especially fruits and vegetables, but nothing beats pure H2O when you need to hydrate.

Dehydration occurs before you get thirsty. The urge to drink is a last ditch response, but your body stops using this signal if you constantly ignore it. Signs you are dehydrated include – dark/smelly urine, poor concentration and fatigue. Without adequate fluid in our body, the kidneys have a hard time removing the toxins. There is increasing evidence that an inadequate fluid intake may be a factor in colon and urinary tract cancers.

Keep caffeine, alcohol and carbonated drinks to a minimum.

Check out the low down on water filters in this comprehensive Choice article. It shows you how different water filters work and what they remove.

Bottled water is a contentious issue. Much of what is sold may also have had to go through some kind of disinfection process. Remember “organic” in relation to water is referring to the word in the chemistry sense, meaning derived from carbon. Generally it does avoid possible poisons like chlorine and fluoride.

Stop reusing you’re the bottles the water comes in. They aren’t designed for multiple use. Remember to clean thoroughly in hot water any drinking bottles you have each day to avoid harmful bacteria building up.

..and talking of washing up – always rinse detergents off your eating and drinking vessels.