When I don’t drink enough, I can feel it — I feel dragged out and generally blah. I know it’s important to stay hydrated if you want to maximize your energy. In fact, at one point in the 7 Day Energy Surge, author Jim Karas tells readers to stop reading, drink a big glass of water, and see how they feel. I did, and experienced a surge of calm energy. So I’ve made it a habit to quaff lots of liquid.
The problem? I hate water, and I’ll bet a lot of you do, too.
I’ve never liked drinking water. If you’re like me, that leaves little to drink unless you want to fill up on calorific options like juice or soda, or amp up with caffeinated drinks like coffee. Or both — I personally like my coffee with milk, which means I like it with calories and caffeine. (More on using caffeine to boost energy without increasing anxiety in a future post.)
We need to drink lots of fluids — some experts say you should down half your bodyweight in ounces, meaning if you weigh 150 you need 75 ounces of liquid per day. Your challenge today is to drink at least 64 ounces of calorie-free liquid (and no, diet soda doesn’t count). So what’s a water-hating, fitness-minded person to do?
Add flavor. I like to float a lime wedge in my water for a tasty tang. Lemon and orange slices work too. Some people even put cucumber slices in their water for a refreshing change.
Brew up some tea. I always have some home-brewed iced tea in the fridge: Just boil a teapot of water and let 8 teabags steep in the hot water for 20-30 minutes. Then pour the hot tea into a pitcher filled about 2/3 of the way with ice, and stir. (Use a plastic pitcher…I once used a glass pitcher and never made that mistake again.) Green tea is best (less caffeine), but I’m not a big fan so I brew mine black. You could also try decaf green or black tea.
Go for sparkle. Some of us plain water haters actually like the sparkling variety. For added zip, add some citrus slices.
Just drink it. Even though I don’t really like plain water, I find that if I have a glass or bottle of H2O in front of me, I’ll drink it reflexively just because it’s there. For example, at a restaurant I’ll just order water, and I will drink it because I have nothing else.
Okay, let’s get our 64 ounces of water and see how we feel. Starting: Now!
