I never realized how important water was for a healthy diet until I learned it the hard way. When you are young, you often have to learn things the hard way.

This happened many years ago when I was much younger and in much better physical shape. I was very active as I had started playing racquetball as a sport while my kids were taking swimming lessons at a club that we belonged to. I have a good friend who I would play with and for some reason that morning we played full out, three hours of racquetball. On the way home that morning, I begin getting dizzy and my back started hurting. I felt as if I was going to pass out. When I got home, I realized that I was probably extremely dehydrated, so I very quickly took some salt tablets and drank several glasses of water. Within about 30 minutes, I was fine – except I was extremely tired all day. But the water delivered the salt that I had sweated out during exercising to my tissues and organs and that is when I learned the hard way, how important water was needed my our bodies.

I am a fairly smart person but I did not realize that over 70% of our body is made up of water and by sweating and breathing heavily; I decreased the volume of water in my body that day and did not replace it when I should have.

Now that I am older and a little overweight, I have learned another lesson about water and diet and that is how important it is to help you lose weight. By being on a healthy diet and drinking a lot of water daily, I loss more weight and at a much faster rate. I drink the purest water that I can, usually spring water as it taste better and it was amazing how much it helped my diet. Since January I have lost over 45 pounds.

I also learned another little trick and that is that often when I feel hungry, I am really thirsty, so I now drink a glass of water when I feel hungry and usually I learn that I am not really hungry, just thirsty. This certainly helps reduce my calorie intake and also helps with weight loss. I also try to eat a lot of foods that have water in them, such as fruits and soups. And I drink a lot of juice for the nutritional value.

But I had to learn all of this the hard way, instead of doing a little research and learning these tips the easy way.

Drinking water is important for good health. Having enough water in your diet is important for a person to remain healthy. Now, whenever you see me, you will see that I always have a bottle of water with me.

Proper diet and nutrition entails drinking adequate amounts of water to keep the body hydrated and remove toxins and impurities. We have been told we must drink eight glasses of water daily, however a recent study published in the American Journal of Physiology questioned the efficacy of drinking eight glasses of water. The researchers could find no evidence to support this practice. They went on to say that healthy adults living in temperate climates, who are not engaged in rigorous activities do not need to heed this advice. According to David Perlow, MD, an Atlanta urologist, if you follow your thirst you will not go wrong.

Drinking pure water has been touted as an aid in weight loss. It is believed that drinking a glass of pure water before meals helps the stomach feel full, thereby reducing food intake. However, a recent study by Rolls and colleagues at Penn State University found no evidence to support this. The only way, they say, that drinking water can help a person lose weight is if he/she were to substitute water for high-calorie beverages or foods. Rolls states that a more healthy alternative would be to fill up on foods with high water content such as fruits and vegetables and broth-based soups. And of course, drink lots of water. Sparkling or flat, it matters little.

In recent times the detox diet has gained in popularity among people anxious to overcome obesity. Teas, beverages and pills are being promoted to cleanse our livers, colons and kidneys. Promoters of these products claim that the body needs to be cleansed of impurities in order to lose weight. They advise that once the colon is cleansed, belly fat will disappear and excess weight will be lost.

However doctors and dietitians advise against this practice, saying that the body is capable of detoxifying itself. Drinking gallons of water, teas and other herbs and reducing the amount of solid food is not only extreme but harmful. In addition, some of these detox diets can lead to dehydration by causing the body to lose necessary fluids and electrolytes. A better way to detox the body would be to add more fiber to the diet.

Some tips for weight loss are:
1. Control your food intake by limiting portion sizes. You can do this by simply putting your fork down when your stomach is full.
2. Avoid snacking, or if you must snack, have healthy snacks, like an apple, a piece of carrot or nuts.
3. Eat a balanced diet. This means including foods from all the food groups- proteins, fats, carbohydrates, dairy products, fruits and vegetables.
4. Drink adequate amounts of water.
5. Exercise.

It is very easy to get caught up in all the hype that surrounds weight loss, but by observing the laws of proper nutrition and making healthy lifestyle choices, a person can lose weight and keep it off.

Every person desperate to lose weight at some time has considered doing a fast for rapid weight loss. And a water fast will certainly provide quick help with that. But before giving up all food and guzzling gallons of water so you can get into your prom dress, remember what your real motive is.

If you are carrying too much body weight – that goal or objective should be not to lose the weight quickly but to lose body fat. For any weight loss to be permanent – body fat loss is the only way to accomplish that goal. If this is your true objective, weight loss will happen as you reach your body’s “equilibrium” body weight which is a slow process of eating a healthy diet and exercise. This is a lifestyle change where it becomes harder and harder to lose more weight and even more difficult to maintain the loss.

When fasting for rapid weight loss, even while still drinking water, your metabolic hormones feel the lack of calories and will slow down your metabolism in order to preserve your energy supplies. This means that you will reduce your physical activities to preserve your strength, which reduces the burning of stored calories and also results in the “wasting away” of muscle tissue. Your body needs nutrition, so even when starved, it will get that nutrition from any source it can. So your protein needs will be met by protein being taken from your muscles. This, of course, slows your metabolism even further. Some research has suggested that fasting for weight loss will mean that your calcium requirements will be met by calcium from your bones. This can result in weak and brittle bones. The more you do it, the worse your health could become.

So, I would not suggest that anyone become obsessed with this as a “new fad” because you can ruin your health forever.

Fasting sure will give you rapid weight loss – but not body fat loss and it certainly doesn’t seem like a very good thing to do and still maintain a healthy body. When fasting for rapid weight loss you will mostly be losing fluids which could cause dehydration, muscle damage and possibly osteoporosis.

Fasting should never be considered a treatment for being too fat or as a weight loss option. Even when done for other health purposes or spiritual reasons, you should talk to your physician first. He can at least explain the importance of drinking a lot of water during your fast and tell you about a mineral and/or multi vitamin supplement to take during this time.

Fasting or any diet change should always be discussed with your physician first and it is especially important if you are considering water fasting for rapid weight loss.

How would you like homemade strawberry soda pop for your kids? Easy to do? Yes! Just get a bottle of sparkling water and add good tasting strawberry flavor to it. A large assortment of calorie free flavors to flavor sparkling water to great taste is sold at https://allfreightfree.com And, with the calorie-free flavor; you have diet strawberry soda pop.

If you have problems finding sparkling water (club soda) – that’s not a problem – there are several devices on the market that will turn any purified drinking water into sparkling water. These devices just add CO2 (carbon dioxide gas) under pressure into your purified drinking water. This adds the bubbles and the fizzy taste. Then you add your flavoring – and like magic – strawberry soda pop! Often plain old water seems boring and is hard to drink a lot of – well, I am certain this will solve this problem very quickly. This is a way to get your family to love the taste of water enough to make them want to drink enough to stay healthy.

Need a good recipe for another strawberry drink? This is easy to make as well as refreshing and healthy for family and friends. Even the kids will enjoy this drink while eating lunch, dinner or just any time. Add ½ cup of strawberries and whipped cream to a blender, together with one cup of orange juice, blend and serve. It will look as great as it tastes. For adults, you can always add a shot of rum to this drink. Or, to the blender with these ingredients, add 4 or more ice cubes. Blend this and it should be thick like a malted/milkshake drink. You can add sugar if needed – but it probably won’t. Pour into tall glasses and then float a whole strawberry on top. If you would rather change the calories, there is diet whipped cream. And you can forget the ice or add less ice for a thinning drink. To make this drink into a dessert, put a scoop of ice cream on top. For a change up, add raspberries or add a banana when blending the strawberries.

Need another good recipe for a strawberry drink? Here is one:

Add together ½ cup vanilla soymilk or regular milk, ½ cup of frozen or fresh strawberries, ½ frozen strawberry yogurt, (a slice of lime or whole peach can also be used) into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour and serve!

These are just a few ways to make strawberry drinks. Search Google and I am sure you will find many more.

is drinking water that comes from an underground water source which flows from an aquifer to the ground. Water coming from an artesian spring is called artesian spring water. When artesian water comes from the ground it forms into a pool or can flow down a hill in streams.

Minerals often become dissolved in some spring water, because of moving thru the rocks underground. The water will have a good or different flavor and can also contain carbon dioxide (CO2) bubbles. This bottled water is often referred to and marketed as mineral water. Spring with dissolved sodium salts (ex: sodium carbonate) also has a different taste due to the minerals. These are often referred to “soda springs”. There are resorts all over the world known as spa towns and people come to soak in these mineral spring water.

Streams that flow from spring to a spring branch are very cool and spring water is some of the best water you can buy. I discovered this by doing a taste test for myself and of all the waters I tasted, I am absolutely in love with spring water.

My grandpa in Pennsylvania has a nature spring on his property and that is where I also discovered the clean pure taste of this water. As a child while playing in the woods during my summer vacations there, I would drink this water directly from the spring – and it was cold and tasted so good. (Plus I didn’t have to go inside to get a drink so my mother couldn’t question me about where I had been and what I was doing).

I never believed that drinking waters had different tastes until I did my own “taste test” and you can do one also. Go to the store and buy small bottles of each of the different waters on the market. If your eyes are really good, the label will tell you where the water comes from – well water, spring water, purified water and many others. Also fill an empty bottle with municipal water from your own water faucet (just to be fair). Chill them overnight and the next day, hold a taste test for your family – and see which drinking water everyone in the family selects. I bet they will love one of the brands of spring water, bottled at the source. If your kids like it, they will drink more of it and water is the very best drink that you can offer them.

But, in my mind, no drinking water will ever be as good as my grandpa’s spring – perhaps I should bottle it and sell it. Genuine spring water bottled at the source, “Grandpa’s Spring Water”. So if you see that brand on the market some day – remember that you read it first here.

Joseph Priestly invented sparkling water, or carbonated water in 1771. He found that the gas created by the beer vats in his local brewery caused water to taste nice when added to it. That gas would later become known as carbon dioxide. In the same year and completely independent of Joseph, a Swedish man by the name of Torbern Bergman created a machine that used chalk and sulphuric acid to achieve the same effect.

The modern process of creating sparkling water differs significantly from those early days and there are even machines that can make sparkling water at the switch of a button, producing quality homemade carbonated water. The process of creating carbonated water is very simple. It involves connecting pressurised canisters of carbon dioxide to a seltzer machine. The machine then forces the pressurised carbon dioxide into water contained in a special bottle to create the fizzy quality associated with sparkling water. Modern homemade devices such as the SodaStream can produce relatively good quality sparkling water.

When compared to soda, sparkling water is the healthier beverage. Even sparkling water from a shop contains fewer ingredients than soda; most suppliers only add either salt or bicarbonate of soda to the bottle in order to replicate the slightly salty taste found in the homemade versions. There is no added sugar, artificial sweeteners or fruit concentrate in any pure sparkling water.

Water doesnÕt taste of anything and sparkling water only tastes vaguely of salt. A large proportion of people prefer the taste of soda to pure sparkling water, there have been efforts by major water suppliers to add different flavours to the water in order to give them added refreshment. For the homemade option, numerous different flavoured syrups have been released. At first the quality of the syrups was debateable. People still preferred the soda option even though the water was the healthier beverage of the two. Some of the syrups manufactured were not particularly healthy either, as they also contained artificial sweeteners and fruit concentrate.

Modern day flavourings reflect changes in public perception of health and more and more people are switching to more natural sources of refreshment. Companies that supply flavours have realised this and have made every effort to make flavoured sparkling water a healthier alternative to soda. These flavours can be found online. A large assortment calorie free flavourÕs to flavour sparkling water for a great taste is sold at https://allfreightfree.com. These flavours contain no extra ingredients, just flavour and are the most natural way to flavour homemade sparkling water.

Sparkling water is becoming increasingly popular. Water is good for peopleÕs health and sparkling water is no exception. With more and more flavours becoming available the general public is switching in droves, with increasing numbers choosing to shop online its never been easier to buy a seltzer water machine and to start creating homemade carbonated water.

Sparkling water sounds like something shiny and bright and much too hard to make. Sparkling water is sometimes called carbonated water, and also seltzer water. But it is just plain ole’ water which carbon dioxide gas has been added. This is the major component of soft drinks. This process of adding carbon dioxide gas forms carbonic acid and gives all these drinks, including soft drinks, their fizzy taste.

Sparkling water which is not always mineral water is considered by most people to be just that; but mineral water is classified as water containing more than 250 parts per million of dissolved minerals. So, some mineral water can be classified sparkling water when carbonated, but not all sparkling water can be called mineral water.

This process of carbonating water began sometime in the 1800’s. A brewer made the discovery that when passing water over fermenting beer a very interesting taste was made.

Today, pressurized CO2 is put into bottles, or can be made with a soda maker at home or in bars and restaurants. When the bottle is open, and the pressure is released, bubbles form. So if anyone opens up a shaken bottle of sparkling water, the water will make a considerable mess as it sprays out of the bottle. This also happens with soda pop.

Soda gets its fizz from the same process. A recent discovery was made by (I would assume) some kids with nothing else to do. Someone mixed Mentos breath mints with the aspartame from a diet soda. This caused the CO2 to react violently and shot straight up rapidly out of the bottle until all the fluid is gone. This little experiment may impress the kids, but it is a bit messy, so I would advise not to do it. Instead, go to YouTube and you can find hundreds of videos of others doing it – often in some very creative ways.

Sparkling water was once used as a drink to cure stomach problems. However, now most doctors recommend that people with acid reflux or any other chronic stomach problems avoid sparkling water. Although, it is helpful in calming nausea.

Sparkling water can also be home made in a reusable seltzer bottle by filling it with water and then adding carbon dioxide. A large assortment of calorie free flavors to flavor sparkling water to great taste is sold at https://allfreightfree.com.

There are sparkling waters from sources that cause natural carbonation. There is a brand of sparkling mineral water with 100% carbonic acid from the source which means that no CO2 is added to the water. This brand comes from an area with volcanic activity. The water there is rich in minerals, as the magma gives off carbon dioxide. This combines with the water and increases the solubility of minerals. This naturally carbonate sparkling water is the result and is considered quite delicious and is also very famous.

So now you know everything you wanted to know about sparkling water and how to make this refreshing and calorie free drink.

Sparkling water is water to which carbon dioxide has been added. The result is an effervescent liquid that tickles our nostrils and our tongue. Sparkling water is the same as carbonated water, soda water and seltzer. Sparkling water is sometimes confused with mineral water, which is water that contains dissolved minerals such as salts, sulfur and other compounds. Mineral water may also occur in natural springs.

Sparkling water forms the base for sodas since they too use carbon dioxide to produce the fizz. When pressurized carbon dioxide is forced into bottles, it escapes as soon as the bottle is uncovered. Shaking a bottle of soda or sparkling water will cause the pressure to build. When the bottle is opened, the carbon dioxide shoots out of the bottle with a spraying sound.

Carbonated water or soda water was once used to heal certain disorders like upset stomach and indigestion. Today it is used more for refreshment when mixed with other beverages. Even though water has several benefits for all living things, some people do not like the taste of plain water. Those people may prefer carbonated or sparkling water with a slice of lemon in it.

Now it is easy to make your own sparkling water at home with the help of a soda maker. By making your own sparkling water you have the advantage of knowing exactly what goes into your drink. There is no sodium as is found in store-bought sodas, and no calories, making it ideal for the weight-conscious or those trying to lose weight. Best of all you can add the fruit flavors of your choice to produce a healthier beverage. In the summer, the whole family can enjoy making these drinks together and drinking a beverage that is healthy.

SPARKLING WATER

Sodamakers come in many varieties, from the most basic seltzer bottle and chargers to the more sophisticated dispenser. Just surf the web and you are sure to find many ads for these products. You can shop for them online, or buy from the store. The seltzer bottle also called a soda siphon contains pressurized CO2 and comes in either the snap-on or screw-on type. When the charger is fitted on to the siphon and the plunger is pressed, you have sparkling water.

The other type is an appliance about the size of a coffee maker. It requires no batteries, electricity or plumbing so it can be taken with you on trips and is easy to use in the kitchen. A CO2 carbonator is housed inside the machine. A reusable 1-liter carbonating bottle is filled with water and attached to the machine which dispenses sparkling water at a touch of the button. This type may save you money in the long run as it allows you to reuse the bottles. You can make the drinks as fizzy as you like. To enhance your experience you may want to add fruit flavors purchased from Allfreightfree.com.

Soda water is the common name given to carbonated water. It is plain water into which carbon dioxide has been dissolved, and is the major ingredient in most soft drinks. Soda water, also called seltzer water or sparkling water, has a distinctive fizzy and slightly salty taste. It is also known as club soda, although this may contain table salt and other minerals to give it the salty taste. Soda water or club soda is commonly used as a mixer for alcoholic drinks, but it can be drunk alone.

Tonic water is carbonated water which has been flavored with quinine to give it a bitter taste. Tonic water got its name from the medicinal quality of quinine and was originally used to fight off malaria, since it was intended for use in tropical regions like Asia and Africa, where malaria is prevalent. This drink originated in Colonial India when the British mixed tonic water with alcohol, preferably gin, to make it more palatable. Today, the quinine content in tonic water has been reduced by 25% to 50% and sweeteners have been added, making it less bitter. The British are the inventors of the popular cocktail, gin and tonic. Tonic water with lemon added is known as bitter lemon, and is more popular in Europe than in the United States.

Soda water is the original name given to carbonated water until World War II. During the Great Depression, it came to be known as two cents plain as it was the cheapest drink on the market and actually cost two cents. Later, when flavors were added the cost went up to five cents. In the 1950s the terms sparkling and seltzer began to be used. Carbonated water was originally used for health reasons, namely indigestion. A study was undertaken to prove the effectiveness of drinking carbonated water to relieve indigestion and constipation. At the end of the trial, the people who had been treated with carbonated water scored higher than those treated with tap water.

SODA WATER

Plain soda water is a form of low carb water since it contains no calories, and is therefore hailed as a suitable drink for those on a weight-loss diet. There is a lot of information out there about the effectiveness of drinking lots of water as a means of losing weight, although this claim has not been substantiated. Carbonated water has also been blamed for dental erosion and bone fractures, however this too has not been proven and carbonated water is believed to be as harmless as plain water. Therefore, by observing proper nutrition and drinking water, be it plain or carbonated, one can lead a healthy life.