I am a lover of all things unhealthy. As I have said before, everything that I enjoy is either immoral, unethical, illegal, or high in fat. I have exercised my free will to a trial-period of just about every bad habit that you can possibly think of, at one point in time or the other.
For whatever reason, soft drinks has never been a vice for me. I enjoy a Coke, Nugrape, or Dr. Pepper on occasion, but it is not a daily habit. My first instinct has always been to lean toward Gatorade, Powerade, some kind of sugar-filled Snapple, or Jungle Juice (damn, I love Jungle Juice. especially when I want the feeling of a flaring ulcer or gall bladder attack.)
Most of the time, when I get thirsty, I will just reach for water. I love cold water. I can remember hanging around in the summer heat with my grandpa, as he would fix us both a big cup of water. I recall how he would gently shake it back and forth to move the ice around. My grandmother was a big proponent of water and use to bellow from the other room when she heard me rustling around the refrigerator for something to drink. “Drink wata” is what she would say with her distinct southern drawl.
When I got sober a few years ago, I thought that cleaning up and getting straight would make me feel better, but I didn’t.
I was told that quitting smoking would give me more energy, but it didn’t.
I tried therapy.
I attended meetings.
I joined a gym.
I started running.
I cleaned up my nutrition.
And, I started acting more responsibly.
All of these things helped, and all of them were necessary and beneficial. But, the single-most practice that provided me with more energy and clarity to start my day was slamming a quart of water.
Drinking 32 ounces of water first thing in the morning has probably changed my life and my attitude as much as any of the changes that I have made in my life over the last six years of trying to be a better person. (I realize that hitting your kidneys with too much water can be unhealthy, but relatively speaking, it’s a bit safer than my life’s previous practices.)
This is not quantifiable. It could be largely a placebo effect. However, in my opinion, drinking water has significantly helped with my depression, fatigue, and mental clarity.
It is baffling to me that the practice of drinking water is not prescribed more often, more than just a glazing over of common sensical things to say, alongside of eating more fruits and vegetables ( just before prescribing the blood pressure, anti-depressant, and anti-anxiety meds). It surprises me that there are not more people more adamant about the practice of drinking water. It seems odd that for all of the things that people are willing to practice, and all of the fads that we are willing to try, that simply drinking water is not paramount. It seems almost so obvious that it is skipped right over.
Wake up. Slam water. It has worked wonders.
“Chug wata…lots and lots of wata.” That is my mantra today.
That was a lot of words to say that I think drinking water is good for me.
Without water, I probably would not be alive. (I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist the last line. It was a weak attempt at humor.)
Peace, Love, and all things Beef related,
Beefcake