Water is so important, everyone knows this….. Boring! You probably drink water, or try to, but how much? How much water is needed for your body, or for your kids? It depends on your body size and weight, and also on your activity level and where you live. In general, you should try to drink between half an ounce to an ounce of water for each pound you weigh, every day. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, that would be 75 to 150 ounces of water a day. Why is water important? We are all told to drink more water and less sweetened, carbonated, and caffeinated beverages to be healthy. Do we make an effort to do this on a daily basis? Drinking more water is not only healthier, it will save you a lot of money! How much money do you spend on juices, teas, and pop on a weekly basis for your family? When you eat out in a restaurant, water is free! That is another reason why my entire family drinks water.

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Some interesting facts about water (allaboutwater.org)

  1. Roughly 70 percent of an adult’s body is made up of water.
  2. At birth, water accounts for approximately 80 percent of an infant’s body weight.
  3. A healthy person can drink about three gallons (48 cups) of water per day.
  4. Drinking too much water too quickly can lead to water intoxication. Water intoxication occurs when water dilutes the sodium level in the bloodstream and causes an imbalance of water in the brain.
  5. Water intoxication is most likely to occur during periods of intense athletic performance.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. Pure water (solely hydrogen and oxygen atoms) has a neutral pH of 7, which is neither acidic nor basic.
  9. Water dissolves more substances than any other liquid. Wherever it travels, water carries chemicals, minerals, and nutrients with it.
  10. Somewhere between 70 and 75 percent of the earth’s surface is covered with water.
  11. Much more fresh water is stored under the ground in aquifers than on the earth’s surface.
  12. The earth is a closed system, similar to a terrarium, meaning that it rarely loses or gains extra matter. The same water that existed on the earth millions of years ago is still present today.
  13. The total amount of water on the earth is about 326 million cubic miles of water.
  14. Of all the water on the earth, humans can used only about three tenths of a percent of this water. Such usable water is found in groundwater aquifers, rivers, and freshwater lakes.
  15. The United States uses about 346,000 million gallons of fresh water every day.
  16. The United States uses nearly 80 percent of its water for irrigation and thermoelectric power.
  17. The average person in the United States uses anywhere from 80-100 gallons of water per day. Flushing the toilet actually takes up the largest amount of this water.
  18. Approximately 85 percent of U.S. residents receive their water from public water facilities. The remaining 15 percent supply their own water from private wells or other sources.
  19. By the time a person feels thirsty, his or her body has lost over 1 percent of its total water amount.
  20. The weight a person loses directly after intense physical activity is weight from water, not fat.

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Why is water important for yourself, and your family?

Water is important in digestion, and it does not have empty calories like most juices do. Juice is usually unnecessary in a person’s diet. You can eat the real fruits and veggies and get more nutrition without the added sugars, colors, and flavors that are typically found in juice. My children drink water, and some form of milk (which is not really 100% necessary after the age of 2 or 3). You may ask, how do I get my kid to drink more water? First off, do not bring any juice or pop, or other beverages into the house. They will have to drink water, they will not have any other options. I have also found that putting a piece of fresh fruit into their cup, (or fruit that is frozen is even better) will make their water fun, and taste a bit better. Give them a fun new cup for water, or a fun straw to use, this will entice them to drink more water also. With younger children, giving them independence helps too. Put a stool by the sink and let them get their own water. My kids love doing this, and it saves me the time of stopping what I am doing to fill their cup up all the time. If it spills, no worries, it’s only water.

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Water is also fun! In the summer, who doesn’t love playing in the water? My kids love squirt guns, water balloons, the sprinkler, and the kiddie pool! This is not only a great way to cool off and have fun, but it’s great physical activity. Getting outside and running around with the kids is a great way to burn off some energy and bond as a family.

I live on a small farm outside of Cincinnati. We live in an old house, and up until recently, we did not have city water. We have a cistern under our home that collects rainwater from our roof and that is the water we used for our home. We did everything with that water except drink it. For 7 years, water was a precious commodity in our home. We had to use that water sparingly, or we would not be able to shower, or wash the dishes, etc. This past spring we finally got city water! This was wonderful, to be able to drink the water, and not worry about using it all. Living with that cisterne for 7 years was a challenge, but it taught me a lot about water conservation, and what a great thing it is to be self sufficient. We still use the cistern for watering the garden and animals on the farm.

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Water is essential for our body. It keeps us healthy, it aids digestion, it provides lubrication for our joints and muscles. It helps our immune system to function properly and it helps us with unnecessary cravings for food when we may think we are hungry. We can not survive long without water. It is essential for life for humans, plants, and animals. Water should be put on a pedestal and treated with respect.