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When I was a kid, my favorite drink was water. I’m not kidding. Grownups would ask me what my favorite drink was and I would shout, “Water! I love water!” I grew up in a small town in New Hampshire, and given my mom’s profession as a nutritionist, water was just what I drank instead of other sweet drinks like soda (the latter beverages weren’t really allowed in our house, and my Mom even used to dilute the fruit juice my sister and I drank with water; thanks, Mom!). It tasted so sweet and refreshing to me, and I’m so glad that’s how I was raised.
Fast forward to today and my relationship with water has definitely soured quite a bit. In recent years I’ve had a really hard time drinking water straight. I always add something to it, whether it’s Emergen-C powder, a tea bag or a squeeze of lemon. As I work on creating a healthier lifestyle, I knew this had to change. The importance of water is just too great to ignore. I knew I had it in me to love plain, simple water as it was, I just had to inspire that relationship anew.
I started small, by trying to drink as many glasses of water as I could at work. I kept a tall glass of it at my desk so I could sip on it continually. I then started drinking it in the mornings to help me wake up (it actually really helps and I usually don’t need a cup of coffee to perk up after I’ve done this). Slowly but surely, over a few months of this kind of behavior, I’ve started craving water. And I especially notice this craving after having drank a beer or a glass of wine. It’s kind of nice to have this new awareness about my body. I can tell when I’m feeling dehydrated and my body needs water to replenish itself.
I used to have a really difficult time finishing a full glass. It would stare at me, nearly full, for at least an hour after I’d filled it up. Imagine my surprise now when I look over at the resident water glass at my desk and find it continually empty. I swear I must down the whole thing in three gulps or less without even noticing. I can tell there’s a huge difference in the way my body feels when I’m drinking more water, and I’m so much the better for it.
How do you make sure you drink all the water you need to on a daily basis? Any tips for me?
Melanie
May 27, 2010 at 3:13 pm (14 years ago)What usually helps me (at least at work) is having a water bottle of some sort filled with a good portion of the day's water (I have a Weight Watcher's 32 oz reusable bottle w/a straw). As silly as it sounds, I think drinking it out of a straw helps. And for me colder water is easier to drink (even though they say your body absorbs room temp water better).
Marie
May 27, 2010 at 8:44 am (15 years ago)@Melanie that is a great idea. I actually love drinking out of a straw too, for some reason I prefer drinking liquids that way (though I usually drink water straight from a glass). I actually have a hard time drinking cold water, I like it pretty lukewarm and I’m not sure why. When I went to an acupuncturist a few years ago he said that I have a lot of “dampness” and that I needed to stick to warm foods and beverages to combat that.
@suki I agree, room temp is way easier for me to drink too. I try to stay away from any sodas because I feel like they really dehydrate me, but I don’t seem to mind coffee or tea (except for the caffeine part, which often keeps me up too late at night).
suki
May 27, 2010 at 4:16 pm (14 years ago)i'm terrible at this. nowadays, since it is provided by the office, i drink iced tea. that probably doesn't have the same effect as purely water… i noticed i can drink more if i warm it up a little. room temperature water is easier for me to drink than ice cold water.
Kara
May 28, 2010 at 5:27 am (14 years ago)I agree with Melanie…the Weight Watchers cup with a straw is so much fun to drink out of that it makes it a much more efficient method for getting your daily recommended amount. I find myself dehydrated a lot lately so I need to track down another one of those cups and keep it with me at all times. Thanks for the reminder, Mel.
Aarti
June 1, 2010 at 2:01 am (14 years ago)Marie — I'm the same way, I prefer lukewarm water too. I always have to send ice water back at restaurants. Because I prefer warmer liquids, I drink white tea during the day. It's very low on the caffeine, plus has lots of antioxidants. 🙂
Marie
June 1, 2010 at 12:38 pm (14 years ago)I love white tea too! I’ve been drinking a lot of green as well. Genmai-cha has been my favorite lately.