a little and a lot

Thursday, October 07, 2010

WATevER

You thought I was lying about posting again before next year, didn't you?
Well YOU. WERE. WRONG.

My dad used to get me to finish whatever was on my plate by saying, "Betcha can't eat that piece," and then moving on to the next as I gobbled it up.

Not sure if that's relevant, but now you know.

But it is relevant, because I feel like writing about food and drink. Particularly drink. Particularly water. I am not a "drinker." I don't mean that as in "I am not an imbiber." I just don't drink much of ANYTHING. (Is imbiber a word?)

Food: I love love love food. I would profess myself as a foodie, except I don't think I qualify. But I would love to be a foodie. Drink: A different story. There are drinks I most surely enjoy. But even those beverages of favor are tough for me to finish. I simply do not desire to consume much liquid.

I order a "short" at Starbucks. They repeatedly ask me if I'd like to pay "x" cents more by ordering a tall, and I have to repeatedly explain that I just won't even finish the amount in a short size. And this is for my favorite toffee nut latte with soy.


Water is tasteless. There are moments I enjoy it--ice cold after a run...with lime in it during a meal of mexican food...after an out-of-town trip (because Memphis tap water is THE BEST EVER and all else pales in comparison)...but for the most part, I just forget. And when I remember, it does not appeal to me. At restaurants, my glass stays 3/4ths full while the waitstaff fills Nick's 3 or 4 times. Eh, it's just water.

At the adoption conference we recently attended, Dr. Karyn Purvis waxed eloquent on the essential act of hydration--especially for children, but for the rest of us as well. Our brains do ugly things when they are dehydrated. Think about your normal day...and your normal irritations...energy levels...ailments such as headaches & sore muscles. Most of these are due (at least in part) to dehydration. Go figure.

Blurg.

Dr. Purvis pointed out that many beverages actually cause dehydration. Coffee. Tea. Juice. Soda. Not only should we be drinking our 8 glasses of water per day, but in addition we should replace the hydration we lose through other beverages. For example: I thoroughly enjoy my 1/3 of a cup of coffee every morning. (I told you--I am not a drinker!) Immediately before or after, I should fill 1/3 of my mug with water and "match" my coffee intake.

I really liked that "chaser" suggestion, but it's the constant drinking of water that is tough for me. To put anything that tastes good into it decreases the health value (artificial sweeteners in Crystal Lite and other powders are dehydrating...citrus slices are bad for your teeth...blahblahblah). So what's this girl to do?

Suggestions are welcome. How do you meet your daily water quota?
In the meantime, I will be doing my own experimentations.

As an aside, my sweetheart of a husband sent me these in the mail, and they arrived today:

Ohhhh, girlie classic literature. Thou art beautifully fantastic.

4 comments:

Jennifer said...

I am totally with you on the hydration factor. My tennis teammates marvel I don't pass out. I just don't drink liquids.... Waitresses never have to fill my cup at restaurants.

Now, coffee... oi... I love coffee. I drink two to two and a half cups a day. sigh. Maybe that explains all those darn wrinkles.

racheloconnor said...

first of all, HEY!!! second of all, camelbak water bottle. seriously the water disappears so fast and I can't believe I drank it all.

Jane said...

I've actually been thinking about this one for a while. Every time I make a pot of coffee, I think, "How can this be dehydrating, it is MADE with WATER!" And in truth, I don't know how much I believe about what that guy said.

HOWEVER, I know I need more water than all the other stuff.

What I do is make it so all that is available to me is water. I always have a few of my thermoses filled with it at work, so if I get thirsty it is very handy. And at home, I let us run out of sodas and such so that we have to depend on water for a while.

I also take advantage of the thirsty times, such as right after a run. I pour a big glass of water and try to down the whole thing. I have to use the bathroom all day after doing that, but at least I got my water. :)

Leslie said...

I have never found another person who can accurately explain my relationship with beverages, but you, my friend, have done it! And I too order the "short" at Starbucks. I'm afraid I have nothing to offer on the suggestion front, because I'm pretty much chronically dehydrated. Working on it!


Adopting Rhet: Click on the timeline above to read more