Poppin’ Bottles (of Aquafina)
Yeah I know this is Dasani, don’t be so literal.
For those that are just joining us today, welcome, let me catch you up. Over here in IntenseLand, we're drinking what may feel like a crap ton of water (3-4 containers getting you anywhere from 60-105oz, respectively).
Today, before you run for your bathroom break, I'm going to explain why this water consumption is so important, strategies to get it all in, alternatives to plain 'ol tap, and things to avoid when trying to trick out your liquids.
Benefits
Water has so many benefits for our health and basic functioning it seems kinda bonkers we manage to put it on the chopping block first, but here we are.
Knowing that our body is made up of about 70% water, we can inherently understand there is no shortage of reasons to consume it; in fact, here are 15 to start.
For myself, I figured with summer coming around the corner “suns out buns out,” amirite?
While originally I was actually referring to the skin health of the cheeks on my face, Ms. Stallion highlights another good reason to start your water regimen.
Joints.
Water is the main ingredient to the WD40 in your knees and the rest of your joints in the form of synovial fluid.
Without enough water, you could eventually be facing a bone-on-bone situation when your cartilage starts grinding down. Synovial fluid usually keeps this from going there.
Another lesser-known side effect of insufficient water is the drying up of air passages. Your airways will restrict themselves to control their water loss. This restriction worsens the symptoms of those with allergies and asthma. Now is not the time for none of that.
Rounding out some of this physical with the mental did you know that a side effect of chronic thirst is depression?
“The brain requires 85% water- more than any other organ in the body. Water deficiency in the brain cells can result in an immediate cut down of the brains’ energy supply which leads to fatigue, lethargy, and depression”
WHOA.
Ok, so we get why we should be poppin' bottles of Aquafina, but how do we get it all down? I know not everyone is a "water" person per se and getting down all this liquid when you haven't previously done so can be a bit of a challenge, here a few tips I have cultivated over the years.
Tips
Drink one container in the AM.
You have effectively gone 5-9 hrs overnight without any food or drink. Your body has been working on cleaning, digesting, and a whole set of functions while you sleep that require fluid without taking any in. Your body is thirsty even if you don't feel like it, it is. I PROMISE you if you start with this, you will easily be able to hit your goal for the day.
Drink at room temp.
Temperature matters. There is less of a shock to your system when you drink room temp water. Starting with the least invasive path is often the best.
Tea, please.
Continuing with the above bit, while room temp can be less invasive, hot tea can be downright soothing. It may just the thing you want at the end of your day to be a part of your wind-down ritual and get the last one in.
Drink right after a workout.
This may seem like a no brainer, but too often, we fail to bring or have ready the type of water we like (temp/flavoring). Working out hard and hot, have a big COLD glass of water at the ready. Struggling to work out in the cold, have a nice warm bottle to soothe and hydrate.
Point is, get it ready, make it palatable, then drink it.
Alternatives
Finally, I am not a water purist; I know how it is out there in those hydration streets. There are a lot of options out there, and if you are not a fan of H2O, “classic", you should be allowed to branch out, but I do issue a small warning.
Water should not be a liquid vehicle for sugar.
I can not tell you how many glasses of water I drank as a kid, but I could tell you I was super hydrated via Kool-aid. I was also a 100lb six-year-old, so you can take that however you want to.
Be mindful of your additives and avoid adding caffeine or sugar to your water.
For this reason, I do not include cups of coffee in my intake figure. Also, the tea I consume is herbal.
Adding lemons and limes to your water is a common (low sugar) way to spice up your drink. You can also add cucumber and mint to that mix for a natural way to flavor.
Hydration powder, pills, and tablets, if they contain no caffeine and minimal to no sugars, are fine too. Understand that these are primarily geared for those that are active and sweating needing to replace electrolytes, sodium lost, and even some sugar. That said, you should be limiting your intake of these, especially if you don't fall within this group. I would consume no more than 24oz or 3 glasses of this a day, max.
Whatever your reason for deciding to level up on your water consumption, remember for every shallow reason you may have there is also an equal and powerful health reason to do so too. It is quite possible to lubricate your knees, so one day you too can twerk like a champion while also lowering your blood pressure and protecting yourself from future kidney damage.
It's not too late to play catch up! Grab a bottle of water and see what you got to do. The rules are easy, and you can start your intense year today! See you on the dancefloor, or the bathroom line.
Marika
I realized that I no longer needed the same amount of comfort I did in April of 2020.