Let's stick with Water!

Water

Water. One of the indispensable for life and essential for health. The most needed nutrient by the body. It's a combination of hydrogen and oxygen atoms. Makes up part of every cell, tissue, and organ in the body! Most of all, water accounts for about 60% of body weight! Here is an example of a mans body divided into Fat, Water, Protein, Carbs, and Vitamins and Minerals.

Some Basic functions of water in the body.

Water performs many tasks vital to life.

What's the purpose of a beverage?

Beverages are supposed to, quench thirst, provide recreation, medicinal value, and can possess cultural and religious significance.

Here is a table of the Average US beverage consumption.

There are two types of water:

Hard water

• Water with a high concentration of minerals such as calcium and magnesium. From a health standpoint, hard water seems to be the better alternative.

Soft water

• Water containing a high sodium concentration. The ecess sodium adds more of the mineral to out already sodium laden diets. It dissolves potentially toxic substances such as lead from pipes.

Bottled Water

• Not necessarily any purer or more healthful than tap water.
• About 25%-20% of bottled water comes from the same municipal water supplies
• Bottled water may not contain adequate amounts of fluoride
• Increased the use of nonrenewable resources
• Cost mat be 250-10,00 times higher than tap water

Juices 

Best choices for Juice!

• Select 100% fruit.vegetable juice.
• Read labels; not all juices are uniformly beneficial
• Avoid "juice drink", "fruit-flavored drink," or "fruit blend" because these contain little real juice and have added sugars.
• Select the juices that have the most color.

Caffeinated Beverages

• Caffeine is one of a group of chemicals called xanthines
• In the U.S. most caffeine is consumed in coffee and teas, carbonated soft drinks, and energy drinks.
• Reports have linked caffeine to more than 100 diseases but scientists have never confirmed the evidence with the exception of jitteriness.

Here is a basic table of Caffeine breakdown 

Soft Drinks, Energy Drinks, Enhanced Waters, and Sports Drinks

• Nutrition and health issues related to soft drink consumption 
• No indisputable positive health benefits have been associated with soft drink consumption.

• Nonalcoholic beverages enhanced with purported energy-enhancing ingredients.
• Primary ingredients are sugar and caffeine
• Energy drinks tend not to live up to most of the claims made.

• Formulated to replace fluids and electrolytes (minerals) lost through sweat provide energy for muscles.
• What should you look for? 6% carbohydrate, sodium, no carbonation, and no caffeine.

• Most are no healthier than other beverages containing sugar. 
• The only ingredient in "vitamin waters" that your body might use is sugar.

Alcohol

Here is a chart on some effects of Drinking Alcohol along with body weight and BAL (Blood Alcohol Levels)

Health Benefits of Alcohol

• Drinking moderate amounts appears to be healthy for people who do not have problems with alcohol abuse or dependency
• People who consume one to two drinks daily have lower mortality rates than nondrinkers.
• Like any other drug, there is a beneficial dose and a level (dose) that will cause harm
• Most research indicated win consumption to be most beneficial; it appears that the benefits are from the alcohol itself.

Health Risks of Alcohol

• Alcohol affects judgement and slow reflexes, which leads to; increased accidents: falls, motor vehicle accidents, increase in homicide and suicide
• Drug Interactions: drugs, like alcohol, are metabolized in the liver. Drug substances that can modify one or more of the body's functions, liver has limited processing capacity and drugs and alcohol will compete with each other, increased risk of medication side effects.

What is a drink?

Men: No more than two drinks per day

Women: No more than one drink per day

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