Boost your H2O Consumption with SodaStream

You hear it all the time that we need to drink more water!  Believe it or not, staying well-hydrated is crucial to ensure our bodies are functioning at their best and you know what – when you are well hydrated you feel better in so many ways!  So how much water should we drink per day? Here’s what the dietitians Association of Australia (DAA) recommend:

• 1,500 – 2,000mL/day (1.5 – 2.0 litres) for adults, and
• 1,000 – 1,500mL/day (1.0 – 1.5 litres) for children

What is the best drink for hydration?
While all fluids can count towards your daily fluid intake, the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating recommends water as the best drink. It contains no kilojoules and is the best fluid for hydrating the body.

Let’s face it though – some people have no problem with drinking enough water, while others do!   Personally, I find drinking lots of water relatively easy in summer but not so easy in winter.  So what can we do to mix it up a bit and give us some variety so we’re more likely to drink enough of it?  There are lots of things we can do!  We can add sparkles.  We can add fruit.  We can add flavouring, and more!

Why should we drink water?
Did you know that your body is composed of 50-75% water? When you’re low on fluids, the brain triggers the body’s thirst mechanism. You should listen to those cues!  Here are just 8 benefits of drinking water but there are loads more!

1. Increases Energy & Relieves Fatigue – your brain is mostly water so drinking water helps you think, focus and concentrate better, and your energy levels get a boost too!
2. Promotes Weight Loss – removes by-products of fat, reduces eating intake (if you drink water before meals), reduces hunger, raises your metabolism and has zero calories!
3. Flushes Out Toxins – gets rid of waste through sweat and urination which reduces the risk of kidney stones and urinary tract infections.
4. Maintains Regularity – aids in digestion as water is essential to digest your food and prevents constipation.
5. Boosts Immune System – drinking plenty of water helps fight against flu, cancer and other ailments like heart attacks.
6. Natural Headache Remedy – helps to relieve and prevent headaches (migraines & back pains too) which are commonly caused by dehydration.
7. Prevents Cramps & Sprains – proper hydration helps keep joints lubricated and muscles more elastic so joint pain is less likely.
8. Helps keep skin looking good – moisturizes your skin, keeps it fresh, soft, flowing and smooth. Gets rid of wrinkles. Water is a free and natural anti-aging treatment!

SodaStream
I was approached to try SodaStream as a sparkling water alternative to still tap water.   To be honest, I had not really tried sparkling water before so was very keen to give it a go.  I was very kindly sent at SodaStream machine and it has been fabulous!  This is what it looks like – sleek and groovy baby! 

The machine was very easy to put together, install and understand how to use.  In fact to make up a container of sparkling water takes only a couple of minutes.  It’s incredibly convenient and easy!

We  were sent a couple of flavours to try – ‘Berry Mix’ and ‘Orange & Mango’.   I need to avoid sugar so I prefer the plain sparkling water (sometimes with some added fruit also) but the flavours are very popular with our kids (err…young adults).  One word of warning though – only ever add the flavouring AFTER you have carbonated the water and add it very slowly over the sink!!  If you add the flavour before you carbonate – it will explode everywhere.  When adding after you carbonate – add slowly, and over the sink, to avoid mess!

I’ve really enjoyed the sparkling alternative to still tap water and love it with added fruit to get some nice flavours.  The photo’s below show one container of plain sparkling water made up for me (with added strawberries and kiwi fruit) and another made up for the kids (Mixed Berry flavour).  SodaStream also have some awesome recipes available HERE.  There really are so many ways you can drink your water to make it fun and interesting, with the help of SodaStream.

SodaStream gets a big thumbs up from my family.  It’s yummy, easy to set up, easy & quick to use, attractive on our kitchen bench, versatile and easy to personalise according to each family member’s taste, and offers a nice sparkling change from still tap water! 

Do you have any other tricks to get more H2O into you that you could share?

Ciao for now,

[Disclosure:  I was sent a SodaStream machine and two flavours in order to try and review.  I was not paid to write this post.]

Linking up with Essentially Jess for #IBOT