By Carole Masters
It seems we live in an age when there are countless new devices to help us drive our cars, vacuum our rooms, measure our steps and activate the temperature, appliances, and music in our homes.
So why should the curmudgeon in me be surprised when my daughter shows up from Atlanta with a bottle that glows to remind her to drink water. Yes, I am a bit dubious about the expense for something that should be so simple. If you’re thirsty take a drink. However, her explanation is a good one. “I have a full time job and four kids six years and under. I have my coffee and tea but I don’t realize how thirsty I am and how little water I have had till the end of the night.” Not the best time to start consuming water, I could add.
Her solution, the Hidrate Spark 2.0 Smart Water Bottle. The 24 oz. bottle syncs to Apple IOS and Android Apps via Bluetooth and has a long lasting replaceable battery. It integrates with an assortment of activity trackers such as Fitbit, Google Fit, Apple Watch, and others. It fits in most cup holders and is dishwasher safe except for the sensor stick, which should be hand washed.
The set-up application calculates your water goal based on activity, physiology and other factors. A sensor inside the bottle tracks your water consumption. A light flashes to remind you to drink more water and celebrates when you reach your goal. You can manually input your water intake from other sources as well. So far, I have only found this water bottle online at Amazon and Target at a cost of about $55.
There are some other comparable “Smart” water bottles that will help you with your hydration goals, all of which I found on the Internet.
Ozmo Rechargeable Bluetooth Smart Cup Hydration Tracker vibrates to remind you to drink and has an LED lit indicator on the bottle to show your progress. It syncs with Apple and Android smartphones as well as several activity trackers. It has a long lasting USB rechargeable battery and retails online for about $70.
Thermos 24 Hydration Bottle with Smart Lid also works via Bluetooth with Apple devices. It keeps track of your water consumption, but alerts are only on your IPhone or IOS device. It has a USB rechargeable battery that lasts up to 12 days and can be found online for about $48.
Your pocketbook, lifestyle and health are certainly factors to weigh when considering a purchase of this newest helpful gadget. How important is it to drink water? The body is about 60% water and most of us know, we need to replace what we lose based on our activity. Although the standard recommendation is eight ounces of water eight times a day, it depends on individual needs more than a standard. Also, we do absorb some of our water needs from foods we eat and other liquids, even coffee and tea. The important thing is that not getting enough water can be detrimental to your physical and mental health.
Myra Doyle has an associate degree in Exercise Science and is a group fitness instructor at Jersey Strong in Wall, NJ. “ I am a believer in the old standard of 8 glasses a day, but I realize too that I am more conscious about this when I am working out. I typically try to drink a glass of water every hour. If I am not getting the water I need I get headaches and just like a few weeks ago, I’m yawning and tired until I realize what I need is water. I can definitely see someone who is interested in fitness that just like a Fitbit or activity tracker, this is a helpful fun way to feel good and accomplish a healthy goal. Even someone at a desk all day, if you are not getting your water the light glow is a nice reminder.”
Here are 7 science-based health benefits of Drinking Enough Water according to https://www.healthline.com/ where you can learn more about the benefits of water.
- Water helps to maximize physical performance. If you even lose 2% of your body’s water, it reduces body temperature and motivation, increases fatigue, and makes exercise feel more difficult both physically and mentally.
- Hydration has a major effect on energy levels and brain function. Many studies ranging from children to adults have shown that even mild dehydration can impair memory and brain performance.
- Drinking water can help prevent or at least relieve the symptoms of headaches.
- Drinking plenty of water can help prevent and relieve constipation.
- Increased water consumption appears to decrease the risk of kidney stones by diluting the concentration of minerals and thus crystallized clumps.
- Water helps prevent hangovers. Hangovers are partly caused by dehydration. A good way to reduce hangovers is to drink a glass of water between drinks and to have at least one big glass before going to bed.
- Drinking more water can help with weight loss.