I am a wateroholic or at least I used to be!

The story goes that when I was a baby I would awaken in the night to be fed. My doctor advised my mother to offer me water instead because I ‘wouldn’t keep waking for water’. For the next 12 years, I woke 5 out of 7 nights wanting water. Sorry Mom!

When I was about three years old I was in a drug store with my mom. I wanted water! It was back in the day when drug stores still had lunch counters. My mom was embarrassed to ask for just water (fearing it would appear we were too poor to buy a soft drink) so, she ordered me a Coke-a-Cola. My mom ended up drinking the Coke, while the server brought me a glass of water.

When I was a younger, I heard my Aunt Maxine say on many occasions that she ‘wouldn’t go to town (10 minutes away) with me and not pack a gallon of water. I fondly remember my grandparent’s house because, you guessed it, they had the best water! Most likely because it was in the mountains, the water came from a well, and you drank it from a metal dipper that hung by the sink (it hangs by my sink today). I was indeed a wateroholic!

Then came my teen years, and peer pressure and soon water had been replaced by Mountain Dew. And still there were days when I craved WATER! Recently, I read “Americans seem to carry bottled water everywhere they go these days. In fact, it has become the second most popular drink (behind soft drinks).” I really was a trendsetter –  – just way before my time! Lately, I have rediscovered my love of water. Cool (I don’t care for it iced), clean, water.

Why am I telling you this?

Because water is so good for you!

Drinking Water Helps Maintain the Balance of Body Fluids. Your body is composed of about 60% water. The functions of these bodily fluids include digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature.

Water Can Help Control Calories. Nope, water doesn’t have any magical effect on weight loss; however, substituting it for higher calorie beverages won’t hurt! AND, as we learned in the previous paragraph, water helps with digestion.

Your organs will thank you. No one likes to discuss waste management …. Especially when were taking about ‘bodily functions’ but it’s important! The main toxin in the body is blood urea nitrogen (BUN), a water-soluble waste that is able to pass through the kidneys to be excreted in the urine. Guess what helps your kidneys work efficiently to remove this from your body?Yup, water!

Speaking of waste management – Adequate hydration keeps your gastrointestinal tract flowing and prevents the dreaded constipation (said with a big voice). When you don’t get enough fluid, the colon pulls water from stools to maintain hydration — and the result is constipation.  And if you’ve ever been constipated or watched a TV commercial about constipation, you know it’s miserable! Adequate fluid and fiber is the perfect combination, because the fluid pumps up the fiber and acts like a broom to keep your bowel functioning properly. Water cleans out the pipes!

There are more reasons to drink more water. If you’re interested to find more there’s this little thing called ‘the google’ designed just for such a purpose.

Finally, we get to the real reason for this post! (took long enough)

My Tips for Drinking more WATER:

1. Find a water you like. As a wateroholic I can assure you not all water is created equal. Some waters leave me feeling dry (like dry mouth), others just taste ‘funny’, some are far too expensive for me, others are just too nasty (like my tap water). Find the one that suits you and make sure there is plenty of it available. AVAILABLE ALWAYS! Trust me, if it means a trip to the store, you’ll fall off the wagon and drink Mountain Dew (or what ever is available).

2. Make it portable. I have a 32oz Sigg Water Bottle I carry around with me. It’s easy to carry, looks nice and the water tastes good coming from it. Although I am dying to add a Clean Bottle Square to my repertoire of water bottles (orange cap, or course).

3. Make it a ritual. I start my day with coffee (decaf, unsweetened, with a splash of soy milk <—I’m pretty proud of that, since for years I was a dark roast, lots of sugar and creamer girl). I usually have half sweet tea with my lunch then I switch to water. Frequently I have 2-32oz bottles done before I quit work and have another one or two in the evening, I know, I drink a lot of fluid (always have – see the beginning of this post).

4. Track it. If you don’t measure it you can’t manage it. You may not need to track this forever, but as with any change or new habit you are trying to form measuring is your best form of staying on track.

I hope I’ve helped to make you a wateroholic!

I’d love to hear your best tip for drinking enough water or about your progress in becoming an wateroholic.

Drink UP, Y’all!

By the way – today is National Houseplant Appreciation Day – they like water too! Go show ’em some love and water 🙂