Hydrating More – Caffeining Less

Day 23,769:  Working on Quantities – both more and less.

I’m in an odd vortex — getting advice on what I need more of to be achieve less.  Apparently, I need to eat more protein. I also need to drink more water.  I need more magnesium, and likely more vitamin D.  All of this is to get my metabolism revved up so I can weigh less. And, yes, I need less calories each day, while taking in more protein, fiber and other good fruits and vegetables.

I could also walk more. That, while I’m exercising less in order to baby my arm for a little bit more.

At the same time, I’m trying to hone my closets, bookshelves, and drawers to have less of many things. It’s all about getting down to essentials.

Oddly, in creating a new water routine, I’ve discovered a water aptly named Essentia. It’s missing the ‘L’ likely because it’s not essential, just easy for pacing myself.

Let’s be clear. I didn’t buy it for any of the right reasons — the fact that it’s ionized, has electrolytes or is alkaline.  Or, even that it has a cool back story.  I was looking for ionized water — I just like the way it tastes — and I was headed for Smart Water (who doesn’t want to be smarter) when I started price comparisons in the grocery aisle.  I bought the essentia water strictly based on  price and the size of the bottle. It gave me more water in a size I could hold without looking like the muscle men at the gym with their gallon jugs.

I was advised by one nutritional guide that I need to drink 90 ounces of water a day — NINETY!  Let’s be clear, I have a hard time downing 8.  The essentia bottle is 50.7, so it seemed a good compromise — it would be less than recommended, but far more than I had been drinking previously. It also wasn’t expensive.

The bottle is my measurement tool, and I start right after my coveted cup of coffee each morning. Yes, I was also advised to drink less coffee and tea, and staying concentrated on water helps achieve both goals at once. The two birds in one bush thing didn’t make it easier until I found this bottle.

Progress Report: I’m on day 3 of downing a complete bottle plus some!

I’m also getting teased by my husband, who dutifully points out that I can have water for free from either my tap, refrigerator, or even the Britta filter in the house. That’s true, but then I’m not clear on quantity.  I pointed out that my big bottle of water cost a mere $1.40 or so at Acme and was less than what I used to pay for coffee at Dunkin’, the local coffee shop  or that other big named shop everyone else likes. My coffee addict spouse got that analogy and has since purchased and lugged a week’s worth of water bottles up the stairs for my hydrating pleasure.

So, with no guilt, I am now committed to one 1.5 liter bottle of essentia water for the time being. For a little investment, I’m  more hydrated. And, I now treat myself to a great cup of tea once I’ve finished my water chugging for the day.  My new beverage routine is a savored cup of coffee upon waking (I now drink it far slower since it’s my only cup of the day), followed by constant essentia sipping, and then tea post dinner, when I’ve finally chugged the last of the bottle.

It’s a routine — more or less.

###

Focus on Gun Sanity:  One of the key arguments by the NRA is that more guns will save more lives. If it were true, since we have more guns on our streets than ever before (both from bad and good guys), we would have fewer deaths, but that’s not the case. The argument doesn’t hold.  According to Congressional Research Service,  Americans own nearly half (48%) of the estimated total of civilian owned guns worldwide, but we don’t have 50% less shootings. In fact, there are more public mass shootings in the U.S. than in any other country of the world. It’s a simple case of more creates more not less.