A GOOD WAY NO. 01 | WATER

I bought this glass bottle in Melbourne from Kikki K and I'm still trying VERY HARD not to buy the matching lunchbox.


This series is called 'a good way' because it's about sharing the little good ways to walk in. We’re all in a forest – fortunately, in a metaphorical sense. Someone has a tree in their way, another is napping in the sun, and one kid is trying to figure out which way is North. This series is me leaning over and whispering 'this shortcut will take us to a pretty view,' and hopefully you coming along with a picnic and an acoustic playlist (that includes a lot of John Mayer thanks).

It was one of those times. I was sitting with a friend, on the deck, eating a mince and cheese pie, and it was around midday - the time when you decide you should stop studying and start contemplating. We meandered through a few topics: faith, relationships, and then it came to health. She pulled out a 1.5 litre water bottle and said, "My mum reckons that most health problems are caused by not drinking enough water." 

 Hold on: she's telling me that hydration is more important than the multivitamin I’ve started taking? Well IDK but I felt suddenly barren, and my mind continued to drift as she talked about her current arts project. If I stopped drinking fluids, I’d die in three days, so there’s an obvious case to be made, and it’s likely that things would be different if Americans drank enough water (two thirds of them don’t).

It’s bizarre that we’re all such different people, because we’re all made of roughly the same ingredients – a few cells and bits, and then 60% percent water. Water keeps your brain functioning optimally, and it cycles in and out of your body, dragging toxins with it. It’s the universal way of cleansing and replenishing yourself, and in very unscientific terms, how to stop yourself from turning into a raisin.

So I’ve been taking a 750ml bottle to work and designating a space for it in my handbag (I had to uproot several unnecessary lip balms to fit it in, so pass me a trophy or something plz). If it’s with me, I’ll drink from it, and I’ll enjoy proving to everybody around me that I am a woman who is on top of her life (there’s a meme for this, if someone could find it and deposit it in the comments, we would all be very grateful).

I’ve also invented a new way to procrastinate – every time you get stuck, you raise your glass and take a sip, which gives you a few seconds to evaluate your options, and it’s more convenient than going to the bathroom (another classic form of delaying the inevitable). Your intake may regularly exceed your thirst, but at least no one will be able to accuse you of any serious unproductivity (and you're probably going to go to the bathroom more anyway oops). 

The recommended daily intake is roughly 2.2 liters – many medical professionals have differing opinions on this, but in a recent video, Ashley Tisdale said she chugs through a 2 liter bottle everyday, so I’m cool to go with that tbh. It depends on body size, and how regularly you exercise, but it’s probable that your water bottle will leak and mess up your calculations anyway, so set an approximate goal and do your best.

Another caution when adopting this new lifestyle: don’t become too religious about it. If your co-worker asks for a sip, or your friend gets thirsty at the gym, remind yourself that you are a generous person, and DON’T grimace as you pass them your carefully refilled bottle. Don’t have an internal rant, about how they’ve just ruined your daily milliliter count, and how you’ll never know how much you drank on June the 3rd – like what are you even going to write in your ‘stay hydrated’ diary?! (Don’t admit to having a ‘stay hydrated’ diary either).

ANOTHER REALLY IMPORTANT FACT: tea counts as part of your fluid intake! So cheers! Drink roobois! Brew a herbal! Indulge in chai! Linger in self love and endless hot drinks! 

Do you drink enough water everyday??


4 comments:

  1. I really love your perspective on everything, and your ability to take a simple topic, like drinking more water, and turn it into something so interesting and unique. You can really tell that you put a large amount of thought and time into your writing. Anyway, while I don't measure my water intake, I think I'm doing alright with it. Fortunately, I really, really, love a good glass of H20, and so I drink water quite a lot throughout the day. xx

    http://thetheoryofthings.blogspot.com/

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    1. Thank you so much! This is so encouraging!! xx

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  2. Ha! You're very funny and have a perfect writing pitch. Yes, I drink copious amounts of water and am certain that it, sunscreen, yoga and botox is why I've looked 25 for nearly 15 years www.mappcraft.com

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