So why do I hate drinking it so much?
It's not just that I don't like drinking water. I'm rarely thirsty. I drink almost no soda, little milk, and only the occasional glass of kool-aide. And, unless I really think about it, no water.
Lately, though, I've found three obnoxious reasons to try to do better about staying hydrated.
The first, and most pathetic: wrinkles.
When I was 20, newly married, and working at Coldwell Banker, an older coworker of mine used to come and put a piece of tape between my eyebrows. She wanted me to learn to stop furrowing my brow, because she knew someday I'd hate the wrinkles. I didn't learn, and sure enough now at 30, the wrinkles are there whether I'm actively furrowing or not.
But I've discovered a secret. Imagine the hard edges of the dishrag that has been sitting in the sink for a few days, then add water. Thankfully, my forehead wrinkles seem to respond similarly. I wish I didn't have to display my dehydration on my forehead, but at least staying hydrated seems to smooth things out a bit.
The second, and most typical: headaches.
People always say staying hydrated helps with headaches. I wish it wasn't true. But it is. And although it's much easier for me to just pop a few Ibuprofen, it's much better for me to grab a glass of water. But I don't have to like it.
The third, and most worrisome: my voice.
I was sick for about a half of a day in November. I lost my voice completely for several days, but despite its gone-ness, I still had to teach, and I still had to conduct my Dickens Festival rehearsals. I pushed too hard. It mostly came back, but it was still raspy and was catching on certain notes near my break. I figured I just needed to make it through to Christmas break and that a full week off would work like magic.
And it did! I came back to school with my voice 100% for the first time in 6 weeks. Monday was great. Tuesday was great. But halfway through Wednesday, it started catching again, and by Thursday, the notes in my break were weak and nearly non-existent. The advice of my vocal friends seems to be unanimous: hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
So I am drinking like crazy. But since my body doesn't seem to send me normal signals, like thirst, I've pretty much scheduled it into my day.
-One full waterbottle after morning workout
-A full bottle before I leave for school
-A full bottle on the drive to school
-A full bottle during my prep time
-A full bottle before I leave school
-A glass with dinner
-At least one glass between dinner and bed
That's 170 flippin' ounces, people (when I meet the goal, but I'd say most days I manage closer to 120). For a girl who often makes it through the day on 12. And trust me, that has its disadvantages. Like needing to pee between every single class I teach. And there's that annoying water taste. Not sure I'll get used to that.
And then, of course, there's the question if all this water focus is really worth it. (I ask, as I sit here drinking water bottle #2 of the day.) I've a headache this morning, and my voice still isn't working right.
At least it's smoothing out my wrinkles!
2 comments:
If you're not opposed to artificial sweetners, try some Crystal Light in the water. It makes it not taste like water (I like the Raspberry). Also, you could try herbal teas once in awhile... I know it's not the same as normal water, but it is also good for the voice.
I'm proud of you! Drinking water can be a chore!
I, too, can't chug down the water. I KNOW it is something I should be better at...and that it is very likely a culprit of my headaches.
In fact, the guy giving me a massage (this past time I was deserately trying to cut my migraine) asked how much water I get each day. His rule of thumb was that a person should try daily for as many ounces as equals half of their body weight. That puts it just over the general recommended eight cups a day, for most...
Post a Comment