Are you a tap or bottled water person? Do you have strong beliefs either way? Or do you just grab-it-and-go when feeling thirsty from the closest tap, water fountain or convenience store? Let’s take a closer look at why I’m encouraging everyone to tap into water again.
6 reasons to tap into water
Hydrating – the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating recommends water as the best fluid for hydrating the body. Water accounts for 50-80% of body weight and dehydration of as little as 2% results in impaired physiological and cognitive performance. Fluid guidelines for Australian adults from the NHMRC are: 2.6L/day or 10 cups for men and 2.1L/day or 8 cups/day for women. But notice the term ‘fluid’. You don’t need to have all your 8-10 cups a day as plain water and certainly do not need 8-10 cups additional to your other beverages like milk and juice. In fact, new science on hydration now shows us that all beverages, includging coffee and tea with caffeine, can be counted toward your daily fluid tally and do not have the diuretic effect as previously believed. The only exception is that alcholic beverages can not be counted. As a rule of thumb for good health and weight management aim for at least half your daily fluid intake as plain water. Remember too that bottled mineral water usually contains salt among other minerals, which can contribute to high salt intakes, fluid retention and increased blood pressure.
Kilojoule free– water is a better choice than other drinks that are high in sugar and kilojoules. Simply switching from sugary softdrinks / sodas to water can have a significant impact on your daily kilojoule intake and weight management.
Safe – like most Western countries Australia has an enviable, high quality, safe drinking water supply that is closely monitored. Outbreaks like that of cryptosporidium are very rare and quickly acted on by authorities. You can use a home water filter like Brita if you have concerns about impurities. Some people are concerned about metals such as copper and lead leaching from plumbing pipes or chemicals like chlorine used to disinfect drinking water. Remember too that bottled water is not sterile. If feeding to infants or using to make formula it should be boiled for those under 12months, just like tap water.
Fluoridated – this important mineral is added to our drinking water supply (but not currently to bottled water) to protect dental health and is vital for young children with developing teeth. Home filters are effective at removing a strong chlorine taste, without removing valuable fluoride.
Cost competitive –you don’t need a finance degree to do the math. With bottled water costing up to $5 at swanky venues and big, public events, there is no comparison to the cost per mL from turning on the tap.
Environmentally friendly – moves to ban the sale of commercially-bottled water in some parts of New South Wales has attracted recent media attention. According to the Australian Conservation Foundation there are three main issues with bottled water that affect the environment – carbon efficiency, bottles going into landfill without recycling and where the water is sourced from…..pl
The amount of energy and water that is required to manufacture bottled water is significant. Peter Gleick, an expert on water policy and director of a think tank in California called the Pacific Institute, offers a simple way to visualise the average energy cost to make the plastic, process and fill the bottle, transport it to market and then deal with the waste: “It would be like filling up a quarter of every bottle with oil”. It also takes water to make a bottle – a 1L container requires 3L to 5L of water in its manufacturing process.
Despite recycling efforts, approximately 65 per cent of plastic drink bottles still end up in landfill. The recycling process itself can also have an impact on the environment. Even if bottled water is recycled, it uses a huge amount of water and energy in the process.
Further information: Pacific Institute: Bottled Water and Energy: A Fact Sheet
Top tips to avoid being a drip
Pack-and-carry your own
Those of you who have been following me on Twitter will have seen my twitpics of bring-my-own bottled water on planes, trains and automobiles. Packing my own bottled tap water when out and about is something that has come naturally to me since having children. And now over 7 years on, is an entrenched healthy habit for life. So how about it? It’s too easy to take a reusable stainless steel or BPA free water bottle from home, ask for tap water in restaurants and lobby your local council for appropriate water fountains. It was so refreshing to see my City Of Melbourne trial filtered cold water in Bourke St this summer. Finally, make sure you wash your reusable bottles well and take care with hygiene to avoid bacterial risk. Half full flasks floating around in the car for a week no longer = ‘safe’ drinking water.
Purchase plain, bottled water as a last resort
Go for bottled water as a better choice than other ‘packaged’ drinks when away from home if you’ve forgotten to pack your own. Recycle water bottles in appropriate rubbish bins or carry the empty bottle home to your own recycling bin.
Add that sparkle close to home
If you enjoy a sparkling mineral water, go for glass bottles and a local spring source like our beautiful Daylesford region not one miles and miles away in Fiji or Europe. Ask your waiter where the mineral water is sourced from. The days of mineral water afficionados, rejuvenative properties of select springs and global water “drinks” menus are becoming out of favour as we look towards eco eats and local produce.
Boost flavour without kilojoules
Use slices of lemon or lime or fresh mint to jazz up water, but not for prolonged periods floating all day in bottles due to risk of dental erosion. Steer clear of drinks labeled sports waters, unless you count these as an extra food, as many are high in sugar and closer to cordial than water.
So how about it? Do you need a nudge to tap back into water? Or do you have an opposing view? Love to hear you thoughts, so please drop me a comment.