Keep your kid hydrated, all the cool parents are doing it!

With the leaves starting to fall to the ground in the Triangle area and the start of traditional calendar schools this week, I can’t help but to think about our kids/students and the big adjustment they have to go back to school. Mentally and physically there are a great deal of changes of going back to school…. they go from creative summer programs and being on a more relaxed schedule throughout the summer…summer maybe even had more splurges on playing video games, eating ice cream and foregoing a normal bedtime, hey, it is called “summer break”! ;-) Whether you child is starting a pre-K program for the first time or going to be a freshman at a local University…they are going through a big change!

My own son is not starting any of those things, however, he has been going through some changing of his own. He has had reflux issues and it has resulted in feeding issues, we see a therapist to help with these issues and work on his general eating and discuss his health a great deal. One of the many things we talk about at therapy is his fluid consumption…and because he’s had issues, I have had to log every ounce of fluid and food he takes in. He’s making huge improvements and off of all bottles and eating more solids! With this change, he has drastically decreased the amount of milk he consumes in a normal day. Of course, this made me nervous at first, and then the therapist and I went over that too much whole milk for a child my son’s age could actually cause constipation. We then discussed that research shows its water that he should be taking in more of these days (provided he’s getting enough calcium/nutrition else where, in addition to still being offered milk!) After discovering this, I took a breath of relief about the decrease of him drinking milk, but then started doing some research on the benefits of kids drinking water. Here are some of my findings (while reading the following, keep in mind if your own kids are starting back to school this week or already have for the school year, how these items can help for a smoother transition or change in a kid’s life!)

*1st: Water consumption is needed for help of the digestive system… Their smaller bodies need help digesting consumed foods just as ours does, but combine this with their growing and developing bodies, it becomes crucial for kids to have adequate water consumption. Imagine your child (hey, or even one of us adults) sitting in 3rd period after lunch and because they haven’t had enough proper fluids (CAN SOMEONE SAY A NICE NALGENE OF FILTERED WATER with a lime wedge?!) they develop a bad tummy ache while trying to digest those chicken nuggets or pizza served for lunch in the school cafeteria. Then, with that stomach pain, they are expected to grasp the process of Photosynthesis or play soccer in PE. Anyone who has studied the hierarchy of human needs (or has some common sense about all this!) knows that your basic needs of hunger, thirst and pain definitely trumps your ability to learn something new.

*2nd: Water consumption is needed to fight off illnesses and help build strong immune systems. Okay… if you have ever been in a school setting, daycare through college, you know they are a breeding ground for germs, germs, germs… I think if we all thought of helping our kids having a defense against catching some of the yuck out there, we would be much more app to hand them that 2nd glass of filtered water to gulp down.

3rd: Much healthier than the alternative! Okay..so is this really a reason?! I think it most definitely is…think about the alternative options that kids are drawn too, soft drinks, fruit punches, sugary breakfast drinks that they drink all day (orange juices have A LOT of sugar, so do chocolate and strawberry milk drinks!)…Your kids don’t need the spike of sugar because then comes a blood sugar crash, which affects their developing, growing, hormonal selves much more than even adults (although truthfully we don’t need them either!) Also, more water and less sugar will result in a much more positive dental health overall!

So, as you are sending you kid off to daycare/3rd grade/11th grade/Junior year of college, or whatever changes your kid has going on currently, pack them a jug of filtered water! Add a couple strawberries or a cucumber, wedge of lime or just some ice cubes in there!

Want to make sure that water you make readily available to your family is clean and pure? Call our very own Water Specialist and my buddy, Mark Rhodes for a free water test and to learn more info. on how Purologix can help you! J

Mark Rhodes, Purologix Water Specialist: 919.452.7883

Want some ideas and suggestions on how to incorporate water (and overall healthier options) in your child’s daily consumption, check out the website below: http://www.healthykids.nsw.gov.au/kids-teens/choose-water-as-a-drink.aspx

Information and inspiration sources: http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/food/water.html http://www.healthykids.nsw.gov.au/kids-teens/choose-water-as-a-drink.aspx