Hydration is Getting More Healthy

When I was little I just didn't drink water at all. I was all about the fizzy. I drunk my body weight in Coca Cola and if not that, then orange, lemon and pineapple cordial. I ran for my borough, county and school. When I was thirsty I drank coke... water just didn't figure. My childhood was full of coke, cream soda, Kia Ora, and Um Bongo. Yes, I led a tropical life. Actually growing up in inner London, I really truly did.

With those sort of drinks in my bones, it's no surprise that when I finally started drinking spirits I was drawn to Malibu and then later Tia Maria. In fact, I only got onto Lager, and earned my nickname of Lager Lager when it took too long to queue for a drink at the bar in University Fresher's Week and you realised you needed a quantity of drink that would last you longer. Those were the days when I learned the phrase "under the affluence of incohol"! But, I digress...

In the early 1980s, we had a weekly delivery from a man with a fizzy pop truck . That'd see me drinking Cream Soda which was a real once a week treat. I loved how when we were little you could bring glass bottles to newspaper shops and get a couple of pence for returning each one. If you had enough, you could then get some decent penny sweets (which REALLY were a penny back then). A visit to Aunty Anne's would always see me offering to trot up the road with her empties. 

Funny thing was, back then we had milk in glass bottles that were delivered to the door, then later collected, washed and used again. Same with our fizzy drinks in glass bottles. If Bewitched is to be believed, then cloth nappies were collected laundered and delivered back for use again. Fruit and Veg was spun around loop the loop, in a way that made you go dizzy, by your veggie man, in a brown (I am sure biodegradable) paper bag. 

Yet back then I NEVER heard the word recycling. Our refuse was in small enough quantity to go in a metal round bin with a lid, so neglected now, that the only place you see them is on STOMP.

The soft drink industry took off and we all got very fat indeed, as did the TV dinner, and baking took a back seat. Wow that's a real abbreviated potted history, but that is not what this post is about.

We're now going full circle, and finally the things that hippies have known for years, are becoming common knowledge. The changes in the drinks industry reflect this expansion in knowledge and awareness.

I have been blessed in that a lot of the healthier drinks on the market have found their way to my door, and I want to show you some of the healthy hydration we have been undergoing this Summer, MINUS the aspartame that I am dead against (be careful it has brothers and sisters that take its place, so get wise to what to look out for on packaging).

So what drinks have we been rocking:

First up Capri-Sun

If you've ever thought it wasn't for you and yours, check out the new Fruit Crush range, which is 75% fruit juice and 25% spring water. It's only 18% sugar verus the 22% in an ordinary Capri-Sun. There are no other ingredients than the fruit juice concentrate and the spring water, which is GREAT in our preservatives gone mad culture - I am GLAD the tide is turning. Yes, I am being open that it contains concentrate, as I know some people like to know that. There is however ascorbic acid in the regular Capri-Sun, which is one of the components of the Vitamin C complex and acts like a preservative. I just read up on that on the Vitamin C Foundation - very very interesting.

I reviewed Capri-Sun twice during the Summer. Here where it coincided with a Puppet Show we did outdoors: Fun in the Sun with Capri-Sun and here: where it was Capri-Sun that prompted us to buy a lunch box for #CapriSunSchool which is what finally got Aaron excited about starting School (reception) How to Take the Stress Out of Starting School with Healthy Lunchbox Ideas.

Next up, Vita CoCo Kids (and adults)

We've been loving Vita CoCo Kids this Summer - I say WE as we both love it, albeit Aaron only loves the apple and blackcurrant and I like both flavours. Firstly they sent us a cardboard box of them to sample, which was simply adorable packaging (see below) and then we spent over an hour at their incredible stand at Lollibop (see below). We were there till we physically got kicked out by bouncers, asked to leave really kindly so by Security, so it was busy, although it doesn't look it below.

It was the Apple and Blackcurrant that we both favoured.

You know, they now have a dedicated kids area of their website: Vita Coco Kids Club.

Welcome to the Vita Coco Kids Club. Here you’ll be able to register to receive your free Rainforest Animals Height Chart and set up your own Coconut Shy where you can play with Monkey to win some great prizes.

We were sent a BEAUTIFUL real WOODEN crate (below), again by Vita Coco (unlike the woodwork effect you see above) once again containing Vita Coco samples. Delish! Thanks very much. So funny that they mention a Monkey, as we do happen to have two of those, thanks to being allowed to take them away from a great Ice Cream Sandwich event we went to a few weeks ago in Covent Garden :-)

When Aaron's room is decorated I will be putting up the height chart and helping him to affix the cute collectable cards you can see above.

Coca-Cola Life

The other thing we have been sent this Summer is a crate of Coca Cola, again wooden. I love it. It contained (1) a can of regular Coke (2) a Coke Zero (3) a Diet Coke and (4) a Coca Cola Life, the last of which was by far my favourite.

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Was very excited when a courier dropped this off yesterday. @CocaCola Life with stevia sounds awesome. I get to taste it before it hits the shops #LuckyMe #ThankYou

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Their marketing doesn't mention STEVIA much, but that is the exciting NATURAL sweetener that they speak of. Us hippies have known about stevia for several decades, and I am thrilled to see a mainstream company start to use it, whatever their motives may be.

The British Public voted and it seems that they agree with me. Watch this to see which one scored highest in a taste test of REGULAR COKE Vs LIFE. 

It's safe to say I loved drinking mine:

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Saturday lunch looks a bit like this thanks @cocacola

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Because I mistakenly thought it wasn't in the shops yet I drank the other 3 first and was saving and saving and saving the Life, but as above, I did eventually enjoy it and have bought it several times since! Tick!

Water Our Way from Mum Kind
Mixed berry flavour water Enhancer 30ml (makes 10 drinks) £2.99 

Sometimes, one of the best ways to get hydrated, is to drink WATER, good old WATER, but the cost of bottled water soon adds up and all those blasted plastic bottles piling up *sigh* so I was thrilled to be sent this to try:

I know this is only anecdotal of me to say, but here I am Liska NewMumOnline stating that I do indeed get a noticeable energy boost from the B vitamins in it. I do, soon after drinking it, feel a rise in my energy levels, which allows me to do more around the home. I currently have undiagnosed ME so suffer from extreme fatigue, and it even gives ME a boost (forgive the ME pun). What you do is you add a couple of drops to water, and it makes it have a berry taste that enables you to drink a lot more water than you might normally, as it enhances the taste - this isn't so much needed with bottle water but I really need this, in order to be able to enjoy tap water! 

The Q and A area of Mum Kind's website states:

A squeeze (3ml) of Water Our way adds a natural berry flavour to water and has 17% RDA of a blend of B vitamins to help you feel less tired. We recommend 1-5 drinks per day (about half a bottle / 15 ml is fine).

I have a few drops in a huge Ikea tankard (as below) and it tastes so good I am able to down that large "glass" in one go (I am normally feeling foggy and dehydrated when I reach for it, but not so after). I have already gotten through two bottles of Mum Kind Water our Way and want some more!

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Drinking enough water is EASY when you add "Mum Kind Water Our Way" to it #review contains 3 different much needed B vitamins that each provide 17% of RDA

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Next up is NURTURE - a drink we adored over the Summer but I didn't get chance to blog about
This is a fruit crush kind of drink, made by I Mune. You can buy them from Tesco and read about them at I Mune Nurture's website If you freeze it, and let it defrost whilst out, you end up with a beautiful slush. Very handy on the HOT days that we consumed them. When it's warm, it doesn't take many squishes between your palms for them to defrost more. We took them on two days out and each time (because they are totally drip/leak free) the children that were consuming them (3 tried) needed help in sucking the drink up, only initially. Once the valve was open they were fine; it's just the initial strong suck to start it off. It is also hard to open them. But once open, once the drink is moving, they are divine. So not a drink for a lunchbox as I think Aaron would need my help, but then they are marketed at 2-5 year olds.

Their I Mune website states:

100% natural fruity water+ immune support to helpkids stay healthy!

They aren't that watery though, more fruity. So much so, that on a very hot day, after consumption your child may still be thirsty. I gave my niece one at the zoo and she still wanted a further drink afterwards. So I'd say they're great in cooler weather for quenching thirst, or if your aim is to get the nutrition from the fruit and the immune system boost that is in there. The "science" behind their immune system boosting claims is here: Why Mune Health helps your immune system for 2-5 year olds.

Here's us enjoying them:

I will leave you with this, which is our favourite way to get hydrated on the go.

BOBBLE Water Bottle
This was NOT sent to us to review. I bought and paid for these, at 12.99 each, two of them, from John Lewis (with vouchers I happened to have). We adore them. You change the filter (I think once a month) that is just inside the lid. The water goes THROUGH the filter, literally as you suck it up, which means you can fill it up, whenever and wherever you are, as long as it is drinking water. Free at the point of use, once you discount for the cost of the bottle and filter changes. VERY convenient. As you can see from the condensation in the photo, we like our chilled!

Fall in love over on their website: Bobble Water Bottle. As you can see, they have lots of beautiful colours! I am starting to see more and more people with them. You probably have too right? So NOW you know what they ARE!

SADLY we have 1 out of action, as I put it in the freezer meaning to just chill it and forgot. When defrosted the bottom of the bottled was permanently convex, so now will no longer stand up *cries*.

So, there's my sum up of the healthy drinks we've been consuming to stay refreshed and hydrated this Summer.

I am not a Doctor, so please don't make any health decisions or take nutritional advice from me. This is an opinion piece.

Where stated, I have been sent the drinks for review, or in the case of Capri-sun worked with Collective Bias.

Fun in the Sun with Capri-Sun. It Goes Everywhere we Do!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Capri-Sun. All text, photos, videos and opinions are mine alone.

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I remember Capri-Sun from when I was little, and I am glad it's still around for Aaron to enjoy.

Regular readers will know I avoid aspartame, so clearly Capri-Sun doesn't contain any nasties, else I would not be writing this post.

We have chairs for our garden and a swing for Aaron, but getting out a picnic rug the other day, gave the garden a whole other dimension, and Aaron couldn't get enough of it.

So Sunday for the first time in years, there was only one thing for it, I tried some yoga :-) Out on the rug, in the great outdoors.

After that we headed to Asda to stock up on Capri-Sun and I was amazed. The selection has grown. We had a few to choose from.

When I say a few to choose from, I don't mean the 3 flavours above (which can be found here: Capri-Sun Fruit Crush), I mean that the whole range "Fruit Crush" is new to me, and is in addition to the traditional Capri-Sun and incidentally even the traditional one now comes in a range of flavours. 

Fruit Crush pictured above is their healthier range which is 75% fruit and 25% spring water and forms 1 of your 5 a day. So healthy that whereas the normal Capri-Sun is currently (at Asda) a pack of 10 for two pounds (I know, bargain right?!??!) these ones are a pack of 5 for two pounds, but well worth it. So if you have a little one, who normally drinks water and you don't want to give them a sugar rush, then this is just the ticket for you.

Whilst doing our Asda "shoppertunity" I could not help but notice the tents on display in the foyer on the way in, so ended up buying this!

We were in and out to the play pop-up tent all evening Sunday, after the food shopping - what a glorious evening it was too.

At one point Aaron said "take your places" and I said "Is that a stage?". He seemed shocked but yes "yes"! So I said: "Do you want to do a puppet show?". He'd recently seen one in the Zoo so readily agreed.

I did one, but Daddy was inside so it was not recorded (shame, as it was GREAT if I do say so myself), but I recorded three of Aaron's attempts. We'd all just consumed a 10 inch pizza that was only 3.70 pounds in Asda, but I fancied something sweet, so I set myself up, theatre style with a drink and a snack on my rug. The trumpet is how he wanted me to announce the start of the show LOL! So his performance started with a toot toot rather than a drum roll.

So I had the above Capri-Sun during the show, on my rug. Aaron had his when he went inside for some hydration. The little Puppeteer needed a drink:

So, all you want to see is the video right. Let me shut up and show you. It's only taken 3 hours to upload and edit:

So, after him expending all his energy in the garden, he wanted to veg in front of the TV for a bit. Who was I to argue? :-)

So, now that I knew the "secret" to having a great day in our garden, I decided to read the book. I read it years ago, but know very well I need a refresher. It went very well with a Summer's evening cup of tea, in my favourite chipped mug:

After this glorious sunny day, we woke up to rain on Monday, so decided to head off to soft play.

That would mean four pounds on buses and seven pounds on entrance, so I wasn't about to add the cost of drinks to that. I know Aaron gets VERY thirsty at soft play as he runs around so much so I packed THREE.  He drunk two whilst there and the third on the way home on the bus - well done Mummy. Bit of frugality always pays off :-)

There was a birthday party at the soft play and Aaron adored meeting the Pirate Bear albeit very briefly:

He normally does all of the difficult climbing as good as any 5 or 6 year old, but Monday he seemed to gravitate to the baby area. I loved it when he made this path:

No matter how carried away he gets playing, he always comes over to my table for drinks and snacks. Don't ever have to worry about his hydration as he knows himself when he's thirsty:

Tuesday night I started making dinner in good time (whilst Aaron was at nursery as he comes home ravenous). As I made the bolognese it dawned on me that he would go mental about the tomato lumps and pieces of onion, so I tipped the whole lot, once the mince was fully browned, into my Vitamix.

This is how I did it, and if you watch till the final slide you will see that he washed it down with Capri-Sun. An adult portion and he asked for seconds.


SPAG BOL without the lumps!

See our Capri-Sun has been keeping us hydrated inside and out; outdoors and indoors!

This post was a very enjoyable collaboration with #CollectiveBias

Great Healthy Drink for a Toddler

It's hot, all of our kids are drinking more than normal. So what do you do?

1) You keep them hydrated
2) When you're out and about you do it as cheaply as possible by having chilled drinks from home with you.
3) If you don't want to have to battle obesity, you keep FIZZY drinks off the menu (I am so glad Aaron hasn't acquired a taste for them)!
4) Keep them away from ASPARTAME. If you are yet to jump on the bandwagon, do some research.
5) In my humble opinion Don't Shoot The Fruit and stay clear of Fruit Shoots unless it is their My-5 healthy option, which I wish more parents opted for, as then it would be THAT which would be at eye-level and not the other "rubbish".

I think it is clear from several blog posts that I have penned over the years that I am very anti-aspartame, for a whole host of reasons.

We were sent Vita Co Co to review and I am delighted to see it does not have the stuff in it, which means the PR got to know my blog and what I don't like prior to sending it to me.

We were sent two flavours and only like the Apple and Blackcurrant one, VERY MUCH:

There's a BIG coconut water craze at the moment and I am great to see that thanks to this Kid's drink, kids can participate in the health benefits too.

Some things to note:

1. It doesn't taste good luke warm, so make sure you chill it.
2. It's not a sweet as cordial, but Aaron liked it nonetheless (despite his Ribena addiction - full SUGAR no aspartame thank you).
3. Currently, Vita Coco is available in two flavours: Apple & Blackcurrent and Mango & Pineapple. We liked the former but not at all the latter.
4. You can buy Vita Coco Kids at Waitrose, Sainsburys, Tesco, Ocaco, Amazon, Holland & Barrett, Whole Foods, Planet Organic, specialty and health stores and other independents.
5. It's got less calories than other sweet kids' chilled drinks.
6. It's got less sugar than other sweet kids' chilled drinks.
7. It has a whole heap of POTASSIUM: 170mg per 180ml!!!
8. Advantages of potassium are:

Potassium is essential for your body's growth. It helps maintain the normal function of the heart, kidneys, muscles, nervous system and fluid balance. A diet high in potassium can reduce the risk of high blood pressure, which is one of the risk factors for strokes, heart attacks and chronic kidney disease.

Source Kidzworld. Read more here: Potassium | Nutrition | Vitamins and Minerals | Health | Kids Diet | Bananas | Oranges | Recommended Daily Intake | Deficiency http://www.kidzworld.com/article/12364-nutrition-potassium#ixzz36VXvTIWX
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What blew me away the most was the packaging. When I was working, we always ensured that product included a letter and/or a compliment slip, but I find as a blogger, receiving product, this does not happen.
Vita Co Co for Kids sure turned this around.

The product was the hero in THIS delivery, hence another reason for my glowing post.

The cartons of drink were in a box, with "hay" and the box was beautifully branded, and within the box there was a sleeve, which was another excuse for more branding.

It certainly gave the delivery the WOW factor, and the drink didn't disappoint either!!! In the flavour we LIKED obviously :-)

Vita Co Co for Kids has a great interactive website: check it out About Vita Coco for Kids

Disclosure: I was sent the product for an honest review and was not at all told what to say. I haven't even got time to be writing this post, but so thrilled was I with the product (in one flavour) and the packaging, here I am!