Have some water and ditch the juice.
It makes sense. Our bodies are mostly water anyways. Our bodies are not made up of juices or sodas! Although at one point I would have thought mine was made up of pure sugar and I know my nurses would have agreed! It was hard for me to make the switch.
A little juice history:
Juice used to be recommended a long time ago in the world of pediatrics; but as we learn more about things our opinions tend to evolve. Juice was actually promoted as early as 4 month's not too long ago and even sometimes still recommended by WIC, but we have since learned the health implications of doing so. Therefore juice is no longer recommended by the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) until the child is over the age of 1 unless your doctor tells you otherwise. Basically from 1 year to 6 years old they recommend 4 ounces (of 100 percent juice) a day or less, which is actually smaller than some of the juice boxes!! Here is the link if you would like to check out the recommendations from the AAP yourself! Education is empowerment.
So what is the big deal?
Juice has been implicated in many health issues as have sodas. So we should drink water. Yes, just water. Plain water. Or you can add fruit to it. Water happens to be cheaper and more readily available anyways. This means you can get a raise and save money by just drinking water! (We all like to save money nowadays!!)
We should drink this for our own health as well as serve it to our children. Too many sugar containing drinks (to include the ones with the packaging that details 100% juice) has been shown to increase the incidence of childhood obesity as well as metabolic syndrome and type II diabetes that we unfortunately see increasing in children nowadays. So join the mission and pick up a glass of water and together let's try and end these childhood diseases. We all want to have healthy children.
Why was it hard for me?
So it was a hard switch for me to cut down on sodas because it seems like the more I drank the more I wanted. For those of you who know me know how much I love Dr Pepper, but I made the switch to water and feel healthier. (Prior to this I would have more than three Dr Pepper's daily. I drank so much Dr Pepper every day that my amazing nurses all made me a Dr Pepper cake!!!) Does that mean that I never have a soda? No it actually means that I only have one as a treat a few times a month but now I drink water!!
Easier changes to make:
So I hope you find a fun way to get more water in your diet!! I always say fun because it sticks. Fun causes us to want to repeat that behavior. So, if we make a change in our life that is not fun then it won't be repeated as easily and it will "waste fun." Your success in shifting your health and your children's health is dependent on your ability to inspire and be inspired and this might seem like a small thing that might be insignificant, but consistent small changes lead to more success than fad diets etc.
So if you struggle with water just start with one glass a day and increase by one glass every day until the switch is made.
It is impactful to take your health in your own hands and prevention is huge!
Enjoy the journey!
Love,
Your water drinking Pediatrician!
