What's in Your Water?
During the often sweltering heat of the summer months quenching a thirst is a major necessity. Water is a great choice to meet this challenge in every instance. However, for something that is ubiquitous for those of us living in developed societies, the real challenge becomes deciding what water or which brand to choose.
There are so many choices. There is "spring" water, "mineral" water, or even "distilled" water anyone? There are the many varieties of "sports" waters with added sugars and sodium, ostensibly for the real warriors! There are the many brands and varieties of sweetened fruit infused waters. One of the latest additions is the "vitamin" fortified variety.
You'd think all we had to depend on for sustenance was manufactured water!
Do really need all those additives? NO, we don't. We certainly need the water. Water should be the first beverage of choice for quinching any thirst. Plain water will do just fine. Yes, even for those (weekend) warriors.
It's all about marketing folks! We are all being sold expensive bottles of municipal (in many instances) water with unnecessary additives that don't add value to the H2O.
Those sweetened ones with the added high fructose corn syrup are especially problematic for the calorie conscience among us. Even the ones with noncaloric sweeteners may be implicated, as similarly formulated soft drinks have been, as stimulating a stronger craving for other (usually starchy) carbohydrates.
I know some people feel that they need some type of flavoring because they find the natural taste of water too bland or boring. Well okay. But is that really the issue or have we just been convinced that water is bland and boring because we have been told that by the companies selling us flavored and "designer" bottled water.
Hmmmmm. Something to think about!
You can add a bit of flavor and even pizzazz to your own water by dropping a wedge of citrus into it. Try lemon, lime, or some orange.
A refreshing coolness can be enjoyed if you add a few leaves of fresh mint to a glass of cold water. Make a whole pitcher full and enjoy some minted ice tea.
We spend millions of dollars on bottled water in this country alone. Is it worth it? Probably not. Is it necessary? Definitely not.
