Drinking

[Janice]

Has drinking become an obsession. Regular drinking, not necessarily alcohol. When I was young, even in my 20's etc. I did not drink a lot. I had a glass of liquid with each meal and maybe Kool-aid, ice tea or a pop when I got hot outside playing. But today, it seems everyone has to have liquid of some type in front of them. Either drinking coffee all day or having bottled water with them at all times or drinking colas. Is this an addiction or do we just think we need something to drink all the time. Even if we have company or go to someone's house, we say "Want something to drink" right away.
I wonder if all this liquid is really good for our bodies. We did ok without it when we were younger.

[Miss Mary]

You can drink too much water. Case in point, a few years ago a college hazing freshman was "forced" to drink 2 gallons of water. His body could not absorb that amount of water in such a short amount of time (mere minutes). He passed out, slipped into a coma and died. So tragic. I cannot even remember where this happened but up until this point, I had been cautioning my daughters not to participate in alcohol hazing when they went to college. Or any if I had my way. But when I read about that tragic outcome, I had to add water to my list.

Alcohol aside, I should drink more water each day. I've just never cared for water as a thirst quencher, here at home. If I'm on vacation and it's extremely humid or hot, then I want water and water only: 1998 comes to mind, in Florida, severe draught, temps hovered between 98 and 100 at Disney, we sipped water all day long, nothing else, to get thru it. Other than that, I just have to force myself to down water at the kitchen sink. I'd much rather have iced tea or a Pepsi (my one addiction, next to S2K!).

If anyone is trying to drink more water in a 24 hour period, one strategy I read about is good - fill a 64 ounce pitcher of water and keep it in the kitchen. You can add a small amount of fruit juice or lemons for extra flavor. Cranberry juice apparently is an excellent choice (article said). All day long, pour glasses of water from this pitcher. By the end of the day you'll know if you were able to consume the recommended 8 glasses of water a day.

Have I ever done this - only a few times! I'm sure drinking non alcohol liquids can become an obsession but if spaced thru out a day, I don't see the harm in it. Unless of course it's numerous Coke's or Pepsi (I limit myself to one a day). My mom had a friend who drank 8, 16 oz bottles of Coke each and ever day. She also smoked several packs a day and looked 20 years older than she really was. That's one reason I make sure I have my one Pepsi a day!

Mary

[george_r_1961]

You can drink too much water. Case in point, a few years ago a college hazing freshman was "forced" to drink 2 gallons of water. His body could not absorb that amount of water in such a short amount of time (mere minutes). He passed out, slipped into a coma and died. So tragic. I cannot even remember where this happened but up until this point, I had been cautioning my daughters not to participate in alcohol hazing when they went to college. Or any if I had my way. But when I read about that tragic outcome, I had to add water to my list.

Alcohol aside, I should drink more water each day. I've just never cared for water as a thirst quencher, here at home. If I'm on vacation and it's extremely humid or hot, then I want water and water only: 1998 comes to mind, in Florida, severe draught, temps hovered between 98 and 100 at Disney, we sipped water all day long, nothing else, to get thru it. Other than that, I just have to force myself to down water at the kitchen sink. I'd much rather have iced tea or a Pepsi (my one addiction, next to S2K!).

If anyone is trying to drink more water in a 24 hour period, one strategy I read about is good - fill a 64 ounce pitcher of water and keep it in the kitchen. You can add a small amount of fruit juice or lemons for extra flavor. Cranberry juice apparently is an excellent choice (article said). All day long, pour glasses of water from this pitcher. By the end of the day you'll know if you were able to consume the recommended 8 glasses of water a day.

Have I ever done this - only a few times! I'm sure drinking non alcohol liquids can become an obsession but if spaced thru out a day, I don't see the harm in it. Unless of course it's numerous Coke's or Pepsi (I limit myself to one a day). My mom had a friend who drank 8, 16 oz bottles of Coke each and ever day. She also smoked several packs a day and looked 20 years older than she really was. That's one reason I make sure I have my one Pepsi a day!

Mary

Sorry if im a little off topic here but what probably happened it drinking all that water threw his electrolytes off to the point where he developed a fatal cardiac arrythmia. Water is good for you but without the proper electrolytes your muscles wont work right.And your heart is a muscle.

[Miss Mary]

Not off topic, as soon as I read Janice's topic, that tragic instance came to mind. Up until that point I had been cautioning my daughters that fifths of alcohol had tragic results, that I as the family lightweight could never do more than one shot of liquor, I cannot even imagine what a fifth would do to me - well yes I can. But I never expected a fraternity to use water consumption in a hazing event. Until that story broke. It was the first thing that popped in my head when I opened this topic. You're right of course George.

Mary

[wx247]

I believe you can get what is called water poisoning which involves what George was referring to (I think).

I probably do drink too much... but mainly it is water, iced tea, and diet soda. No alcohol for me (but that is a different story). I do fill up a Brita pitcher almost daily with water and try to drink as much as I can.