The Water Experiment: Part 1

Everybody says it. Drink more water. Drink more water. Drink more water. It begins when we are children and our parents entice us to drink water through a straw to make it seem more exciting. It continues through our adolescence and into our adult lives when people suggest that almost every ailment could be helped by "drinking a bit more water." The recommendations range from 8 glasses per day to a complicated "1L for every 25kg that you weigh." When I was hiking in the altitude of the Himalayas, recommendations jumped to 4L+ per day.

When I lived in the humidity of Queensland and worked a desk job, getting my recommended 3L seemed doable. Now, South of the border in Melbourne and in the depths of winter, convincing my body to drink is a lot harder than it should be and I struggle to get through a litre. It feels a little like when I had food poisoning in Madhya Pradesh and Chris force fed me water and and bananas against my will knowing full well they were what I needed. A belated thanks to Chris for this gesture! Read more about this moment in our epic Indian adventure, and this day in particular, on our blog.

As somebody who has struggled for 15 years with acne, with chronic back pain, dodgy joints and who is convinced that her tummy bulge is bloat (and not the cupcake she had for lunch)...it was time to make a change. If I could commit to 4L of water per day for a month...what would happen?

Now, I'm one of those all or nothing types (hence the 4L commitment well above base-line recommendations). So, I'm tempted to commit to 4L while simultaneously attempting to reintroduce an apple cider vinegar ritual, exercising daily and eating perfectly. However, if I want this to work, if I want to last the month, I best, as they say, keep it simple stupid. And besides...any good science experiment should change only one variable at a time right?

The procrastinator in me says "great idea Lauren! You better wait until the 1st of the coming month to start because, well, you know..." The procrastinator says "your family is coming to visit this weekend, drinking 4L will be hard with people around and being so busy." The procrastinator says "you better go and buy a new, pretty drink bottle that will entice you to get sipping. That might take a week." The blogger in me says "pick up your gosh darn drink bottle and start tomorrow." So I will.

The plan of attack is as follows:

7am-8am: 500mL before breakfast.

8am-11am: 1L before recess.

11am-1pm: 500mL before lunch.

1pm-4pm: 1L before 4pm.

4pm-8pm: 1L before bed.

Stay tuned! And wish me luck. Being a teacher means the bathroom is not available except at recess and lunch. Oh goodness! Better work those pelvic floor muscles while I'm at it.