Episode 15: Rethink Water Bottles

Episode 15: Rethink Water Bottles

Have you ever wondered about those tiny plastics in bottled water? This episode is a hot one, inspired by my recent appearance on Channel Seven's Sunrise, hear me out about the recent U.S. study revealing shocking levels of nanoplastics. it's time to rethink plastic bottles for our little ones!

To access additional resources and dive deeper into this crucial topic, check out my Nourishing Kids membership at nourishwithkarina.com/membership. Don't forget to leave a review and send me a DM on Instagram with any topics you'd like me to cover in future episodes.

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Links
https://nourishwithkarina.com/feedingbabies
https://nourishwithkarina.com/3-week-feeding-kids-reset

Highlights:

Introduction (00:00.078)
Nanoplastics in Bottled Water: A Study (00:30.222)
Channel 7 Studios Discussion on Water Bottles (02:46.798)
Reducing Plastic in Water Bottles (05:10.062)
Water Bottle Selection and Maintenance (07:34.446)
Fluid Requirements in Children (09:56.014)
Increasing Fluid Intake in Children (12:09.486)

Show notes

READ TRANSCRIPT

Show Notes

Key Discussion Points:

1. Nanoplastics 101: Understand the microscopic plastic threat and why it's more concerning than microplastics.

2. Industry Wake-Up Call: Explore the implications of the study on major beverage industries – from soft drinks to milk.

3. Best Choice for Kids: Stainless steel vs. glass – the ultimate showdown for your child's hydration companion.

4. Maintenance Matters: Keep your water bottle bacteria-free and safe for your family.

5. Fluid Fun for Kids: The fluid requirements for children and creative tricks to keep them hydrated.

Whether at home, on the go, or juggling a thousand tasks, join me for an eye-opening chat. Don't miss out on the latest insights to make the right choices for your child's health. Hit play now and discover why it might be time to swap that plastic bottle for a stainless steel sidekick!

If you found this episode helpful, share the wisdom with fellow mums and leave a review. Connect with me on Instagram and send in your questions. Let's build a community of informed mums together!

Wishing you a hydrating and happy week.

Learn more about my membership program, head over to: https://nourishwithkarina.com/membership

Inntroduction (00:00.078)
You're listening to the Easy Feed Podcast, episode number 15, best water bottles for children. Hi there, I'm Karina Savage and with over 20 years experience feeding children, including my own, I've learned all the secrets that busy mums need to get their children eating better and actually enjoying healthy foods. So a huge welcome to the Easy Feed Podcast.

Nanoplastics in Bottled Water: A Study (00:30.222)
Today we are talking about a topic that I was asked to discuss on national TV this morning. I'm not sure if you know, but I regularly appear on channel seven sunrise. And for those of you not in Australia, that is I think Australia's biggest best breakfast TV show. I was asked only yesterday to come on this morning to talk about a recent study.

that was released from the US talking about nanoplastics in bottled water. They have now developed the technology to better detect nanoplastics in bottled water and they have shown some alarming results that there is 10 times, at least 10 times more nanoplastics in bottled water than they previously thought.

So what are nanoplastics? Well, nanoplastics are tiny, tiny, tiny, tiny plastic molecules, smaller than microplastics. Now, you may have heard about microplastics because they are everywhere. They are in the fish that we eat. They are in tea bags. So microplastics, you know, we consume and our body is able to get rid of, I think, at least 90 % of them, but...

The concern with nanoplastics is that they are so tiny that they are much more easily able to penetrate our human cells. They get into our blood, they travel around the bloodstream, they get into our cells, our tissues, our organs, and they can accumulate there. And this is the concern around nanoplastics. And I'm positive that this study

has sparked a lot of discussion around more studies to continue the conversation around nanoplastics and health risk because you only need to Google this now and you can see that there's interviews and news stories all around the world in the last 24 to 48 hours around this study and nanoplastics in bottled water.

Channel 7 Studios Discussion on Water Bottles (02:46.798)
So yesterday they contacted me and this morning I went into Channel 7 Studios and yeah, we talked about the best water bottles. And I think this is perfectly relevant for children because our children, we know we're always encouraging them to take their water bottle and to drink more water. So I think it's really important as parents that we are making the right choices for our children in relation to the drinking vessel that we're giving them.

So after all this research over the last 24 hours around water bottles and nanoplastics and microplastics, I think actually I freaked everyone out in the seven studios this morning. They were like, so can we drink out of plastic water bottles anymore? And I'm basically saying, probably not, probably best to go buy yourself a stainless steel. I think the mic guy was saying so, or camera guy saying so, so do I need to go and buy myself a stainless steel water bottle now?

And then one of the other guys was saying, so do I need to carry that now when I go cycling? That's going to add way too much weight. I'm already heavy enough. But you know, it's starting to get people thinking about, well, do we really need to ditch all plastic water bottles? And that's just, that's not only the ones that we buy in the, in the shop, but plastic sports water bottles, you know, plastic does shed. It sheds like our skin. And I don't think this is something that most people realize. I didn't even realize it.

That sounds really cocky. I didn't mean it like that. I didn't know that plastic shed like that. I mean, I know that I don't like to microwave food in plastic because I feel like it leeches out and I don't like gizz and glad wrap. But I didn't realize that even in a cold sort of environment, like just a room temperature, that plastic could necessarily shed. So it's been very eye -opening and certainly makes me second guess.

any plastic that I use, especially for fluids, especially something that you heat. It also makes me think about, you know, if we get a takeaway coffee, because I'm sure that's lined with plastic. So it certainly is very eye -opening and it's going to be really interesting to see what happens from here in terms of the industries that utilize plastic water bottles. So you look at all the soft drink companies and Coca -Cola and

Reducing Plastic in Water Bottles (05:10.062)
Sprite, you know, it's going to be really interesting. Juice, milk, most of that is in plastic bottles. So it's going to be really interesting to see. But anyway, I've moved off track back to water bottles. So for our children, look, there's been a serious emergence of stainless steel water bottles. And if anything like our family, you have multiple Frank Green water bottles lying around. Or if you didn't, you might've got some for Christmas or if you

haven't got some yet because your children are too young then actually no, because by then there'll be something else because I think there's also already another big stainless steel water bottle with a big handle, but it's got a narrower base so it fits into the cup holder. I can't even remember what the name was, but my friend was saying, that's the new one now. So I'm like, okay, well, Frank Green, so 2023. No, not really. I think it's still at the up and up, but it's just exploded. You only need to go into the supermarket to see.

the number of stainless steel metal water bottles on the supermarket shelf. And look, I think it's a good thing because it's reducing single use plastic and bettering our environment for it because plastic is everywhere and plastic doesn't break down easily. And then when eventually does it breaks down to smaller particles and then you get the microplastics and then

They get into our oceans and the fish eat them or the turtles die with them. And plastic is a nightmare. So it's good that we're all moving to reusable water bottles, but what is the best reusable water bottle? Certainly not a plastic water bottle. And often, you know, when you join up at a new sport, whether it's soccer or AFL, and you get the little pack with the bag and the top and you get a plastic water bottle. And it's like, wow, it's probably not the best one to use now. What about stainless steel? Stainless steel? Yes. sorry.

What about aluminium? Well, aluminium is not a food grade metal. And so for that reason, aluminium water bottles still need to be lined with plastic unless they found a way around it. And I think some companies are now trying to find a way around that so that they don't need to be lined with plastic. But aluminium water bottles are still typically lined with plastic. So just be mindful of that. It's still not the best choice.

Water Bottle Selection and Maintenance (07:34.446)
from a water bottle perspective, you know, to send to school with your child every day, or even for you to use. So the best options we have are stainless steel and glass. Now, if you're anything like me, who's already smashed, I think, three of my glass keep cups, I've now moved to a, well, actually, it was a plastic one, and then it became a glass one again.

So I'm going to actually have to ditch the plastic one for good because now that's not going to be good. But the glass one is going to have to have some longevity and I'm going to have to try and hold onto that one. And well I've smashed it already, right? So that's the threes done. So yeah, I have to go back to glass for my coffee, my takeaway coffee. Why I shouldn't say my keep cup. There you go. There's another brand that's done well. But what do we do about water bottles for our children, stainless steel or glass?

Glass will smash probably more easily, especially if they're kids. So I would go stainless steel. And yes, they are a bit heavier, but I think they're going to be the best option. I would go for that. Absolutely. Now in terms of washing, because this is something else that when we were planning the segment yesterday, I was chatting with the, one of the producers at Seven and she said, we want to talk about how to maintain your water bottle because you know, how often should you clean it? And I did a bit of research there as well, because I

probably don't wash my water bottles enough. Look, I put them in the dishwasher for the kids sometimes when I feel like they're due, but probably not enough. And anyway, did a bit of research and look, I think at the end of the day, if you're washing them either by hand with some soapy water or popping them in the dishwasher once a week, that's completely fine. And that's going to be enough to keep the bacteria, you know, low or away and you're not going to get sick. It's only when, you know, you start to get that really...

murky, slimy film on the inside of your water bottle that's like, what else am I ingesting with this water today? So I think as long as you try and wash a water bottle, a good once a week, if not more, then you're going to keep those other bacteria away. And it's going to be the best option to drink water out of for you and for your child. Now, whilst we're talking about water as a pediatric dietician, I've just got to slip in there a little bit about fluid. Now, my last podcast was all about

Fluid Requirements in Children (09:56.014)
constipation in kids and I did talk about fluid requirements, but I thought, well, if we're on the topic of water, I might as well just throw in a bit of an added freebie about water and fluid requirements in children. So if you have a little one, and by little one, I mean like a toddler, like two to three year olds, and they are active and it's warm where you are, you know, especially in summer.

then I would make sure that they are drinking a good one litre of fluid per day. Okay. Mainly water. School age children need about 1 .5 and by school age, I mean anywhere from like six to 10, I'd aim for about 1 .5 litres of fluid per day. Now that's not including the fluid that they get from say, yogurt or watermelon. So that's mainly water.

And if they're super sporty, then they're going to need more. If they're big sweaters, they're going to need more. If it's super humid, they're going to need more. If it's super freezing, they're going to need less. And look, every human being, adults and children are going to be different in their fluid requirements. Some people are big sweaters, some people aren't. And so there is no one size fits all. As long as they are drinking to thirst, they have regular

urine outputs, they're weeing and when they do wee, it's like a light pale yellow. It's not too dark. It's not too smelly. That's the sign when they're getting a bit dehydrated and then they need to drink more. But if it's, if they're weeing regularly and it's light yellow and they're drinking, you know, just to thirst, then chances are that they're meeting their fluid requirements. If children

don't meet their fluid requirements and they are getting a bit dry, they're maybe getting dry lips, maybe their wee is turning a bit more yellow or smelly. Maybe their poos are getting a bit hard. That's when you go, time to try and up their fluid intake. Their requirements are always going to be roughly the same, but that's when you want to try and increase their fluid intake. And that's when sometimes it's hard. Sometimes you need to get creative and find a funky straw or possibly sometimes, and this is generally a

Increasing Fluid Intake in Children (12:09.486)
I'd say it when there's another issue arising such as constipation, I would say worst case put a little bit of juice in just to try and change the flavour, just to try and get them to drink a bit more so that we do get their fluid intake up. But trying to get creative with a different cup or a different straw or maybe a different, well, I'm not saying go and buy a different stainless steel water bottle, but maybe buy a stainless steel water bottle and make it fun somehow.

You know, we just got to get creative and think kids are all about fun. They love fun. So that's the way I would try to increase your child's fluid intake. Sometimes putting a little bit of sparkling in, make it a bit bubbly. If you can find natural food colors, pop a little bit of natural food coloring, changes the color of it might be fun. Otherwise you can increase your child's total fluid intake is to serve them fluid, I should say high water fruits. So things like watermelon and pears and juicy.

very watery, also making homemade ice blocks is a good way to increase their fluid intake, you make them healthy. And smoothies is the other one you can make to increase their total fluid intake. And I know I said it's, you know, the one or the 1 .5 litres plus food, but if you're really struggling, then trying to increase those other foods and smoothies to an ice box to increase their overall fluid intake can be beneficial. Anyway, I digressed again, but I just wanted to give you a little one -on -one on fluid again, if you hadn't listened to my

constipation podcast. So that's it for me today. Just a quick one, but I just thought whilst it was fresh in my head from this morning, I would share it with you. I hope that's been helpful for you. Please click me any questions, send me a message on Instagram, and please leave me a review so that we can get this podcast out to more mums. Have a great week. Bye for now.