Recently it had come to my attention that my groceries were often filled with gallons of drinks. Not alcoholic - I don't drink - but juices, coffee, teas, and horchata. While my beverage choices aren't exactly bad for me, they do cost more than water. Obviously. That's when it hit me. I was spending quadruple the price of water, for a drink that's flavored. Why? Why do I feel the need to increase my grocery bill, just to taste a drink? Yes this line of thought may seem a bit far-fetched to you all, but it's an honest thought I was experiencing. I really didn't understand why I had trained my body to automatically reach for anything other than water.
Don't get me wrong, I drink H2O. I truly believe water should be the main drink in my house. Even my son walks around with his water bottle, everywhere. I fill his water bottle about 3 times a day, but I only fill mine once. Why? Have I truly strayed from my "water beliefs"? Am I even getting the amount needed to stay properly hydrated? Would I truly feel different if I cut out everything except water? Well, I intended on finding out!
When I went to bed Friday, I thought this would be a breeze. I didn't think I'd even struggle at all and I wasn't sure this would be a blog post because of that. I was wrong. Very, very wrong.
Saturday morning came and all hell broke loose. I had dealt with a long night of insomnia and wanted coffee. I NEEDED coffee. I got up and started to boil the water, when I realized I couldn't. I could only do water. I have never come that close to quitting something in my life. Coffee is my morning soul people!!!! Over exaggerating of course, but you get the severity.
I guzzled down a glass of cold water with a disgusted look on my face. It wasn't coffee. It wasn't creamer filled and sugar loaded. I quickly came to terms with the idea of being Oscar the Grouch on the inside and a very creepy, smiling statue on the outside. Fake it 'til you make it right? Right???
I'll be honest, this is pretty much how my entire weekend went. I went to drink iced tea, couldn't. I wanted rice milk, nope. I started making abuelita, denied. Torture I tell you, pure torture! Again, exaggerating...
Once Monday morning came (today), my agony was over and I drank my long awaited cup of coffee. After the weekend of massive headaches, frustration like no other, and a constant let down every time I looked at my cup, I realized that this experiment actually taught my a lot.
1. Water actually does make you feel better.
Yes I realize that this semi-contradicts my previous statement, but it's true. Regardless of my hissy fits, I did actually feel better. I was drinking more water, simply because I had nothing else. This lowered my blood pressure (I checked) which kept me from having anxiety attacks, I didn't get lightheaded every time I stood up, I didn't have nearly as many aches (car accident), and I didn't feel as tired throughout the day. I was even thinking clearer. The headaches were mostly from caffeine withdraws, but overall I actually felt better.
2. Buying any beverage other than water is expensive.
When I sat down and counted the bottles inside my refrigerator, that contained anything except water, I actually said "woah". I had a gallon of iced tea ($3.99), 2 rice milk containers ($2.99 each), 64 ounces of carrot juice ($3.79), 64 ounces of pineapple juice ($3.99), and a 64 ounce lemonade ($2.69). That totals to around $20.44. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! That's an entire dinner and that's just from this past week!!!
3. Water helps you lose weight.
With all the calories I was taking in just from beverages alone, I was holding onto weight I didn't necessarily care for. With just drinking water, I actually lost 3 pounds. That's right, I weighed myself Friday night and I weighed myself Monday morning (today). 3 pounds. I didn't alter my eating habits, I didn't exercise extra, I didn't change anything except for what I drank. When I looked it up, I realized that the beverages I was taking in was more than doubling my calorie intake. Calories that weren't beneficial to me or my body.
4. Drinking only water helped me sleep.
I've suffered from insomnia for a long time. I've tried warm milk, soothing teas, and meditation. I don't sedatives nor will I ever. What I did notice though, is that I would chug drinks before starting my "nighttime routine". I would be full off of that liquid and hardly drink any water before bed. I don't know if this directly affected my sleep or if it had anything to do with it, but I can tell you this. I didn't have insomnia ONCE this weekend. Granted it's only been two nights, but it seems to have helped.
Even with all this newly gained knowledge, I don't think I will every stop drinking juices, coffee, teas, or rice milk. I do think I'll increase my water intake though. I plan on only having water after 7 pm, filling up my water bottle at least twice a day - but preferably 3, and I plan on giving back. I'm going to start buying water bottles, refrigerating them, and handing them out to those who may not have easy access to clean water. Especially on these hot summer days coming.
So with this being said, I don't hate water as much as I did Saturday morning. It's no coffee, but it's definitely a keeper!
Time for the BIG announcement!
As many of you may know, I did a giveaway in May to thank you beautiful people for your support. I can't even begin to describe how absolutely blessed I truly feel to even be here. I wish I could reach out and hug each and every one of you. You are all amazing, kind, and absolutely loved by me! Today I surpassed a huge successful mark as a blogger. I hit 500 followers. Now to some that may not seem like a lot, but to me it's a huge deal. That means that 500 people are interested in what I have to say. 500 people are going on this journey with me. 500 people care. And you know what? I care too. So, to thank you all, I plan on hosting a surprise for you guys!
I'm not going to be giving too many details away, as I'm still in the process of completing the final touches. BUT, I can say that it's coming very VERY soon. As in DAYS people.
I will - of course - make a blog post about it, to let you guys know all the details. So stay tuned and make sure to follow my Instagram (@thewhiterockingchair or you can click the Instagram link towards the top right section of my page) to be notified first. I can't wait for this special event and I really hope you guys love it.
Thank you again guys. Seriously, this is a very joyous occasion for me and I want to share that joy with all of you! Have an absolutely fabulous Monday and stay tuned for my special surprise!
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