By Diana M
The other day, I deceived myself into thinking that I could kick my brain into high gear with caffeine. I thought I could concoct a home blend of high test mocha java honey goodness, drink it down and all the magic would happen. Once my senses were ramped up, I’d be totally inspired, and I’d slam out an all-enlightening, award-winning blog.
I bet you’re already guessing how that went.
I don’t normally drink caffeinated beverages. I am the Original, Self-Professed water snob who primarily drinks water – cold, clean, refreshing water. But since I was feeling a bit sluggish, I thought it would be a good idea to try a different approach to getting my creative juices flowing. What an epic failure!
I ended up with a massive headache, the body jitters and an inability to focus. I really didn’t feel good at all. My first thought was, “How do daily coffee drinkers even function?” My next thought was, “How do I make this stop!?” Then I realized I was dehydrated. That’s what caffeine does to the body, especially a body that isn’t accustomed to drinking caffeine. My caffeine consumption not only dehydrated me, but I also realized that I had deprived my body of the nourishing water it was used to receiving.
Rather than whipping up a stimulating blog, I barely managed a few emails that morning. So I poured myself a nice, tall glass of water and downed two ibuprofens. I followed it with a second glass of water and considered how I probably did not need the ibuprofen at all; I just needed the rehydration from the wonderful water.
The experience got me thinking more about caffeinated beverages versus water, and I found some interesting information. Many believe that caffeinated drinks energize us, but water is a much better energizing drink. It carries nutrients and electrolytes throughout the body. It flushes out impurities. It helps control calories by eliminating sugars and other agents that cause weight gain. Over all, water simply assists every area of our body to function to it’s maximum performance.
I agree that caffeine gives that initial jump of energy; however, there are no beneficial nutrients to sustain the energy. And the crash that frequently happens after consuming caffeine might make you think you need another dose of caffeine. That’s how the vicious cycle begins.
It took my little experience to reinforce what I already knew: drinking water is the best beverage to get the body and brain started. Never mind sugary juices, alcohol and sodas. I’ll stick with water.
As for this blog – I think you already came to the conclusion that I didn’t write it when I was dehydrated and hyped up on caffeine. I saved it for another day. In fact, today I have indulged myself with multiple glasses of cool, refreshing water. What a difference. The temperature outside is starting to drop, so I might heat some water in the tea kettle, pour it into a mug, and add a slice of lemon. I will forego the tea. I like to keep things pure. But I will continue to be thankful that I have clean, fresh water at my fingertips. And my body is thankful too.
