Zip hydration challenge

I’m challenging the family and I to increase our water intake for 4 weeks, that’s 8 glasses of water per day from the Zip tap.For all of you who watch my YouTube channel, you will hopefully be aware of my role as Brand Ambassador alongside Sally Bee for Zip.

The Zip tap produces three variations of water, boiling hot, sparkling and chilled filtered. Drinking chilled water really helps with the refreshment from drinking, and also will keep any infused, fruit waters, fresher for longer. Try keeping a jug of water in the fridge, to encourage yourself to drink more.

Considering that the human body is nearly two-thirds water it’s incredibly important that we consume enough fluid to stay hydrated and healthy. If you don’t get enough fluids you may feel lethargic, have regular headaches, experience hunger pangs and most importantly your cells, organs and health will not be the best it can be!

Although I consider myself to be fairly fit and healthy, my downfall isdefinitely not drinking enough water, in fact I would say that my waterconsumption is usually a pint of chilled water with lemon, with my morning coffee (or two) followed by maybe two pints throughout the day. My biggest problem is simply forgetting to drink more! I often feel tired and hungry, this is always down to not being hydrated enough. Nic’s very different,she will carry around a water bottle all day and sticks to her intakepretty well, so the challenge may be more effective on myself than Nic.

Harry, my youngest boy of 4 would drink until he’s full, we’ve never had a problem with him drinking enough water. On the other hand,Edie my 3 year old daughter is the total opposite and we have to remind her to drink water on a daily basis. This said, both my little ones are being packed off to nursery with their BPA free drinks bottles filled with 6-8 glasses of Zip filtered water.

The most common thing about not drinking enough is thinking we are hungry, when actually we’re dehydrated, our bodies automatically start turning on all the alarms when we ignore it. For those of you trying to drop a few pounds, get drinking more, as hydrating your body can serve as an appetite suppressant and help with weight loss. It’s also so important to hydrate more, with any vigorous exercise routine.

One of the things I often do, is flavour my water with natural ingredients, my personal favourite is cucumber and lemon. Lemon is an excellent source of vitamin C, an essential nutrient that protects the body against immune system deficiencies, plus drinking this first thing in the morning helps to balance our PH levels. It’s known as a great ‘good morning drink’, as it aids the digestive system and makes the process of eliminating the waste products from the body easier.

Here’s a few simple additions to your water, to make them taste even better! Plus it helps if your kids don’t enjoy water as much as fruit juice.

Strawberries – Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamins C and K as well as providing a good dose of fibre, folic acid, manganese and potassium.

Mint – Mint contains menthol, a natural aromatic decongestant that helps to break up phlegm and mucus, making it easier to expel. Menthol also has a cooling effect and can help relieve a sore throat, especially when combined with tea. Great for any time of day and tastes wonderful in cold or warm water.

Oranges – Oranges are full of vitamin C, which protects cells by neutralising free radicals. Free radicals can cause chronic diseases, like cancer and heart disease.

Sage and Rosemary – Due to its high antioxidant capacity, sage can help protect the body’s cells from damage caused by free radicals, which often results in cell death, impaired immunity, and chronic disease.

Blackberries – Blackberries are high in antioxidants, which are chemicals that fight damage to cells caused by free radicals in the body. The antioxidant content of blackberries and other berries is quite high, slightly higher than blueberries which seem to get all the press!.

Blueberries – The grandad of the superfood trend, this cute little North American fruit packs a powerful nutritional punch. Blueberries are a good source of vitamin K. They also contain vitamin C, fibre, manganese and other antioxidants (notably anthocyanins).

So try spicing up your water for that extra bit of goodness.

Stay tuned with the blog please readers as I will be documenting our journey and will be updating you all with our progress in a couple of weeks.

Let’s get hydrated!