Water is the Best Drink

Water is my favorite drink.  It's free and readily available.  It's easy to store and will last much longer than other drinks even after the container has been opened.  It doesn't need any additional ingredients to be drinkable (unless you are camping, then I would recommend adding tiny amounts of chlorine if the water is from a natural source).  It's no calorie (in fact it burns calories to drink it if the water is cold) and goes well with any food.

During my week trying polyphasic sleep, I had to drink lots of water just to stay awake since caffeine would have interfered with my ability to nap on time.  Getting less sleep caused me to be even more dehydrated since I didn't have my nightly hibernations to warm up under a blanket.  I found that once I started eating more fruit and vegetables, I was able to stay better hydrated.  

About a week after returning to monophasic sleep, my skin started breaking out.  I was also really tired all the time.  It finally occurred to me that I had stopped drinking much water at all.  The same day I noticed the break out starting, I began drinking lots of water.  As soon as I noticed that my glass was empty, I would refill it.  I noticed a difference by the end of the day.  The blemishes stopped getting worse, and I did not get any more of them.  

Winter is a very dehydrating time of year.  For starters, the cold and wind dry out my skin.  My muscles get stiff from shivering.  The idea of going outside is unpleasant.  The idea of drinking a cold beverage is not much more appealing.  During the warm months, it is easy to drink all the water I need because it feels good to cool down.  I get really lazy in Autumn because I lose all motivation to exercise and eat right.  I just want to curl up under a blanket and go to sleep until Spring.  

It is not until I decide to feel warm in spite of the cold that I feel able to exercise and drink lots of water.  I find that by drinking cool water, I actually feel warmer.  The warmth is caused by burning calories to heat the water to body temperature.  Once I make the conscious choice to drink more water and follow through on that choice with action, the rest is easy.  The cool water warms me up, improves circulation, and makes me feel ready for anything.