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Writers' Wellness:
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If you're a typical American, you don't drink enough water. If you're a writer and a typical American, you are living on coffee or Diet Coke and think that should serve your hydration needs. Wrong. They say that a body should imbibe one-half their weight in ounces of water; that is, the hundred pound person should be drinking 50 ounces of water a day, and the 200 pound person 100 ounces. Since coffee and Coke contain caffeine, which is a diuretic, they actually deplete water resources, so you should add the same amount of water as coffee or other caffeinated drink - if you drink three 6 ounce cups of coffee a day, add 18 ounces to your daily allotment of water. But why? I hear you cry. I'm not thirsty.In fact, you probably are. Most Americans are constantly slightly dehydrated - but they have so totally bollixed up their body sensors that they confuse hunger for thirst. And when you're hungry, you typically have a cola or tea with your burger, thus firming the mis-label in your mind. Try drinking enough water for a week and you may find that you are actually eating less, because you are no longer misreading your body's signals. 50 or 100 ounces of water is actually not that much - you probably drink at least that much other liquids during the day. They don't make the SuperMegaGiantBigGulp for nothing. So how to fit it in to your writing schedule? Simple tips:Next time you buy your favorite cola, buy it in the 20 or 24 ounce bottles (if you don't already) and save the bottles when the cola is gone. Rinse them out, fill with water, and freeze in the freezer. Now you can take one out and set beside you as you work - set on a pad of paper towels in the summer to absorb all the condensation - and sip on it as it melts. Three-four of these a day is the average person's water quota. If you must have your caffeine, try pouring brewed green tea in on your partially melted ice-block. Green tea is supposed to cure everything from bubonic plague to athlete's foot - why not give it a try? Or even pour your favorite coffee/cola over the ice; just remember that you'll have to increase your total water consumption to counter the diuretic effects of the coffee/tea/cola. If plain water is just too boring for you, make a decoction of clove, cinnamon and/or licorice (the plant, not the black, gummy candy): toss a handful of your preferred spice(s) into boiling water and simmer for 10-20 minutes. Then strain off the spices and store in the refrigerator - here's another use for your saved 20-oz cola bottles. Add sparingly to water to spice up the flavor - and I mean sparingly. These spices can pack a taste wallop. Less is more. Add lemon or lime juice for tartness if you like. But I'll have to go to the bathroom all the time, I imagine I hear you whine. So what? Do not try to tough it out and develop an iron bladder. You ought to be pushing away from the keyboard every hour anyway. Stand up, stretch, take your potty break. Walk about the house muttering to yourself - you're a writer, act like it. Stand in the living room and do a few tai chi moves or stretchy bends. There, doesn't that feel better? Now you can go back to writing (and drinking your water) alert and refreshed. BONUS BOOK REC:If you, like many writers, are a major fan of coffee, you might enjoy this book: The Coffee Trader by David Liss. Set in Amsterdam in 1650, it follows the early days of coffee as it stands poised to migrate from medicinal to beverage, as the protagonist, a trader on the Amsterdam stock market, hatches a daring scheme to corner the market on coffee futures. The sales pitches for coffee are reminiscent of the best snake oil, and there's a great deal of implied humor in the new coffee converts discovering its euphoric effects. Great read. |
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