Diet & Wisdom Appetizers

I spent an hour in the pool today swimming laps and doing some simple water aerobics. When I was finished I couldn’t believe how thirsty I was. I’d spent so much time in the pool all my digits were sufficiently pruney. I had water in my ears and my eyes stung from the chlorine, but yet I was really thirsty. That doesn’t even make sense to me.

Oddly enough I was watching a program on TV this morning on nutrition. The host mentioned that 70% of our bodies are made up of water, which is why it’s so important to stay properly hydrated and to drink plenty of water throughout our day.

The benefits of drinking at least 64 ounces of water each day are endless. Drinking a large glass of water before mealtime helps fill your stomach and keeps you from overeating. Obviously because we’re eliminating our water supply throughout the day through sweating or urination, it’s important to put the water back into our bodies. Especially during hot summer months when we’re perspiring more than usual simply walking back and forth to our cars.

For me, I have a serious addiction to diet soda and that tends to be my drink of choice. Drinking the recommended amount of water each day is far easier in the summer than it is in the winter. I really struggle during that time of the year to get my fill of water. If you’re like me and you find drinking plain old water a challenge, you may need to get creative.

There are many varieties of single serving drink flavorings available that you can add to a bottle of water. Many are sugar-free and even contain extra vitamins or nutrients to give you a little boost. Drinking tea is a healthier alternative to drinking soda, but because tea is a diuretic you’re eliminating as quickly as you take it in, so keep your tea consumption to a minimum. Green tea and/or decaf are also healthier alternatives.

We get water from many of the food sources we eat such as fresh fruits. However, there’s no substitute for simply drinking water throughout the day, as the fruit contains natural sugars and carbs and of course they do have calories as well.

Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink a glass of water. By that time, it may be too late and you may be on the verge of dehydration. I never go anywhere without a jumbo glass of ice water with me – especially living in Arizona. My giant vat of ice water is part of my everyday ensemble.

I’m still having a hard time resisting my addiction to diet soda but I try to limit my consumption to one or two a week rather than every single day. Some addictions are harder to break than others – and that diet soda thing is a killer for me. But I’m learning to appreciate an ice cold glass of water; especially after walking to and from the mailbox and it’s 112 outside.

Don’t underestimate the benefits of water … it does a body good. Don’t leave home without it.

We never know the worth of water till the well is dry. ~Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732

1 As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. 2 I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him? Psalm 42:1-2 (NLT)

PRAYER FOR TODAY: Lord, I thirst after you and I seek your favor. Thank you for providing for my needs. May I be filled with your love, your spirit, your wisdom and your knowledge. May I continue to grow and mature in the things of the Lord each and every day. I ask all these things in your name, Lord Jesus. Amen.