August_2011

Staying Outdoors? Remember to Drink up!

Hydration is an ongoing process, not just a response to hot weather, exercising or playing sports. Dehydration is a serious medical issue for children. And since their bodies are smaller, it can creep up much more quickly than you might think. Plus, some activities, like swimming, mask the sweat that children are creating from exertion. Focus on keeping your child hydrated and she can focus on summer fun and sports.
Here are four ways in which you can prevent dehydration in your child:

1. Give your child small amounts to drink on a frequent basis. On really hot days, have your child take in fluids every 15 to 20 minutes. Don't wait for him/her to tell you he's thirsty. Focus on providing at least eight glasses of water or fluid to your child every day.

2. Mix it up. Add a little lemon, lime or orange slices (wash the rinds first) to your water. Or freeze 100% fruit juice in an icecube tray and add to plain water for some festivity and fun. Crazy straws or whimsical water bottles can also increase your child’s motivation to drink water.

3. Be wary of sport drinks and avoid sodas. While touted as effective for athletes, many sports drinks contain so much sugar and sodium that they actually dehydrate. And sodas are a nutritional nightmare--way too much sugar and sodium to be of value in hydrating. Stick to plain water.

4. Bring drinks with you everywhere. Keep eco-friendly water bottles in the car so that your child can grab it as she's heading to the field. Don't expect that your child's coach will have water or that you'll find a working water fountain if you're out hiking, walking, playing, etc. Keep something with you at all times so you can grab a quick drink whenever your child needs it. Article obtained from: How to Keep a Child Hydrated | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4495143_keep-child-hydrated.html#ixzz1NDplknjh

Fun Facts About Water

1. Roughly 70 percent of an adult’s body is made up of water.

2. A healthy person can drink about three gallons (48 cups) of water per day.

3. While the daily-recommended amount of water is eight cups per day, not all of this water must be consumed in the liquid form. Nearly every food or drink item provides some water to the body.

4. Soft drinks, coffee, and tea, while made up almost entirely of water, also contain caffeine. Caffeine can act as a mild diuretic, preventing water from traveling to necessary locations in the body.

5. By the time a person feels thirsty, his or her body has lost over 1 percent of its total water amount.

6. The weight a person loses directly after intense physical activity is weight from water, not fat.

www.allaboutwater.org

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