Travel Book Logs

What’s your drink of choice?

If I could let that question linger I am sure the answers would get interesting. Most of the people I know give a broad smile and say something like, “Nothing like a chilled glass of beer!” I counter with another question, “No Really. What do you really drink when you are thirsty?” This question sets people up for my new favourite topic which I lead in with a suggestion like “How often do you pick up a glass of water in a day?”

If you thought of water as your favorite drink from the get go more power to you. Unfortunately most of my friends don’t share that disposition – at least when asked the question. I have no idea why people feel compelled to elaborate on some exotic wine or scotch but most just seem to treat water as too plain. Maybe too ordinary. But it turns out the damn thing is just the opposite. Water is just too valuable for us not to know enough about the good it does for us and we need to drink more of it.

My intro to the world of adequate water consumption started on my first interview with the dietician at my gym. I really thought I consumed enough water to keep things going until I did an actual check. I found out that I was consuming more coffee and tea in the mornings and right through the day than I thought. In fact I was gulping down coffees at work and almost four large cups of tea every morning. The water I thought I was drinking enough off turned out to be about one glass at lunch, a little in the middle of the day and about two more at dinner.

To make a long story short I was told to take in about two litres of H2O each day. What surprised me was how hard it was to get the stuff down my throat. It took a while to get going but I am on the way to more water consumption both at home and at work. Starting with a couple of glasses in the morning, I now keep a glass of water on my desk and make sure I gulp some down every now and then. Getting to the 1.5 litre mark was a small achievement but I think the 2 litre target is reachable in a few weeks.

But water is good for the body and more of us need to be aware of the good that it does. Especially when you are traveling and on the road. Before you reach for that coffee pull back and maybe order a bottle of water along with it. Thankfully bottled water is now available at almost any corner but really the problem when traveling in India is getting to know which brands are safe.

We have a slew of unregulated brands that are sold by private enterprises who are little more than water regeneration shops. As a rule I stay away from them and relent only if nothing else is available. I stick to the regular name brands like Kinley and Aquafina. Bisleri has lost out in this area and it’s a shame. There are places I visit when I use bottled water to brush my teeth (Kolkata comes to mind) but that is a discussion for another day.

Some useful information from around the internet:

What are the Real Benefits of Drinking Water

Health Benefits of Drinking Water

WHO – Bottled Drinking Water Fact Sheet

Aquaholics – Addicted to Drinking Water – On excessive drinking of water.

The Last Word on Water – How much is enough? How much is too much?