Much has been discussed recently about the new sugar tax on fizzy drinks. Sugar is a huge problem for our health but it shouldn’t end there. So called ‘Diet’ fizzy drinks can be just as damaging to health with their high chemical sweetener content. So please don’t think that drinking ‘diet’ drinks is the healthier option. It is not! Diet drinks contain some horrible chemicals that can kid your body into thinking that sugar has come on board, so fat cells get stored anyway.
To begin getting hydrated in a healthy way you need to understand why you are drinking. If it’s because your mouth is parched, your body is telling you that you are dehydrated and it needs water. In a parched, dehydrated state your body is not screaming, “Give me a gallon of sugar and chemicals please….” It simply needs clear, clean, cool water to replenish the organs in the healthiest way possible.
Dehydration can be mild, moderate or severe, depending on how much of your body weight is lost through fluids. Have you ever suffered from high thirst and dark coloured urine? These are the first signs of dehydration and are the body's way of trying to increase water intake and decrease water loss.
Other symptoms may include:
- Dizziness or light-headedness
- Headache
- Tiredness
- Dry mouth, lips and eyes
- Passing small amounts of urine infrequently (less than three or four times a day)
Dehydration can also lead to a loss of strength and stamina. You should be able to reverse dehydration at this stage by drinking more fluids. If you fail to catch it in time, severe dehydration can affect your kidney function and increase the risk of kidney stones. It can also lead to muscle damage and constipation.
So, pretty unpleasant all round. The great news is, water can now be made the most delicious, refreshing drink on the planet. When you get it right, you will no longer crave any chemical or sugar loaded drinks that do you more harm than good!
I am lucky enough to have a ZIP TAP fitted in my home. The Zip tap filters the water before it hits my tap and dispenses it either chilled, sparkling or boiling. This means, the water that we drink at home is free from any particles that affect the taste and quality. We don’t have to think about having ice on hand or chilling the water and we don’t need a kettle! This is super efficient and incredibly useful when I’m cooking!
If you’d like to check out the Zip Taps, you can visit them HERE. This is now one of my ‘Must Have’ products in my home. Fresh Water is so important for our health. And because of this, we have also had a Zip Tap fitting in my new restaurant, ‘Sally Bee’s Nutrilicious ‘at Hoar Cross Hall. So when any of you visit us, you will be offered a Fruish © This is my way of sprucing up any humble glass of water.
Fruish © is made at Nutrilicious using water from the Zip Tap, either fizzy or still. If you’d like to try it at home, simply mix up a jug of the following. I use a Greens Elderflower cordial, although this is a sugar syrup, it’s chemical free and you can control the amount you put in your glass. I only add the smallest slurp which sweetens the water just enough. If you come up with any more delicious flavours – let me know!
Try:
Gingerlicious – 1cm grated fresh ginger and a teaspoon of runny honey - stirred well
Cucumber, Mint and Lemon – 3 ingredients squished together in the glass of water.
Red Berry Virgin Sangria – Red/blue berries squished together in the glass of water with squirt of ‘Greens’ Elderflower Cordial
Pink Grapefruit – 2 Chucks of the grapefruit, with 3 strawberries and a squirt of ‘Greens’ Elderflower Cordial.
Stay Happily Hydrated
Sally Bee xxx
