Water Woes

Confession: I don't like water.

There. I said it. I'm sure that statement brings a chorus of horrified gasps in the blogger-sphere.

And for good reason. Water keeps your body functioning properly and flushes out the toxins. It helps prevent kidney stones, revs up your metabolism and makes you feel full so you're less likely to overeat. Deydration, at it's worst, is life-threatening but even mild dehydration can make you feel tired and sluggish. Water also improves your complexion and may help you lose weight more easily.


Check out this slideshow on WebMD that outlines the "Seven Wonders of Water."

Drinking water has always been a struggle for me. I'd rather have a Diet Coke. (Cue horrified gasp.)

One of my resolutions for 2015 is, once again, drink more water. This has been on my list before. Usually, I start out okay but my commitment fizzles and my water intake drops from a flood to a trickle.

To help prevent another failure, I did a little online research about water and here's what I found.

• You know the old adage to drink eight, 8-ounce glasses of water a day? Turns out, that's not backed up by science. It actually depends on your weight, your activity level and where you live. If you're a 200-pound roofer living in Arizona you're going to need more water than a 100-pound bookkeeper in Alaska. But the 8x8 rule is easy to remember so shoot for between 6-8 glasses. More if you exercise and are very active.

• While water is the best choice, other beverages and even food count as part of your daily water intake. I'm thrilled to discover it's not true that coffee and tea cause dehydration. A moderate amount of caffeine is okay and can be included as part of your water intake. Foods like watermelon and spinach have a high water percentage so they count, too.

Based on that information, my resolution is to drink a glass of water with each meal and one in between each meal. I also drink about another 8 to 16 ounces of water during and after exercise, coffee in the morning and a cup of green tea in the afternoon. Adding another five glasses of water is doable. Much less intimidating than 8x8.

Now. How do I make it taste a little better?


I've been trying this. It's a water bottle with an infuser you can load up with fruit. I added a lime yesterday and an orange this morning and I'm thinking  lemons or blueberries would be good, too.






















I also have a Soda Stream at home and I love carbonated drinks. I might just bring a bottle of bubbly water to work and add my own flavoring.

Someone on my Jazzercise Hard Core and More Facebook group posted this recipe and I think that's worth trying. It looks tasty. I was also told to use a straw and drink it at room temperature to help it go down faster and easier. (Ice cold water helps you burn a few extra calories because your metabolism works harder to warm you up. So either way is fine.)

Anybody else have any great ideas that help you to drink more water?
(No, adding vodka doesn't count.)