Rethink That Bottle of Water

Water is good for you. Since our bodies are nearly 60% water, it is important that we replenish it constantly to keep all of our organs functioning. It is necessary to keep flushing out the bad stuff. Externally, regular consumption of water keeps your skin clear and youthful...and bathing in it keeps you clean, swimming in it is not only a form of fitness but relaxation as well.

The original idea behind bottled water was great. I have to admit, when sales of bottled water became widespread, I started to drink more water than I ever had before. I am the first to admit I am a sucker for convenience. But now, with more plastic water bottles  than we know what to do with overflowing in landfills and zillions more waiting to be recycled, the fact is they are just becoming a nuisance. The photo above is of the Great Garbage Patch in the Pacific Ocean. It is the size of the state of Texas, filled with 3.5 tons of trash (a lot of it plastic bags, bottles, jugs, etc.) and is located between Hawaii and San Francisco. I hate pollution, and that is a whole other issue...littering is the ultimate disrespect for our environment and pollution is just littering on a larger, corporate-sanctioned scale. But, I digress.

Doesn't it seem silly to buy water when you think about it?  You buy plastic bottle, to ingest a single serving of the contents, and toss it.  Seems kind of costly and wasteful, doesn't it? My husband was a bottled water devotee and slowly but surely I have converted him. Take note, I am not a bottle nazi. Of course when we have parties we buy some bottled water for the convenience of our guests. But by and large we avoid it on a daily basis. We have a water filtration system at our house, and I love the filtered water and enjoy the taste. I refill my aluminum water bottle constantly and take it to work with me every day.  But even if you don't have access to a permanent filtration system, you can buy a Brita filter in pitcher form that you can keep on your countertop or in your refrigerator. Just stopping to think about what you are doing before you buy a bottle of water can help save our environment. I leave you with this: A bit of every piece of plastic that was ever manufactured still exists, because it does not naturally decompose. the plastic that has been broken down by incineration releases toxic chemicals into the air which is no better alternative. Please stop drinking bottled water.

Back In the Driver's Seat!

To a certain extent we all have control over what we eat. But if you're like me, if there are temptations to be had, the temptations will be had. I have always been really good about not buying junk to have around the house. I figure if its not there, I'm not going to go through the trouble to seek it out, and there are plenty of opportunities to eat treats and goodies at any number of the family parties, holidays, birthday parties we go to several times a month.

For the last several months I had been at a job that had me driving around a lot and being constantly on he go made it hard for me to bring a lunch to work. Not only was it expensive, but many times I was not eating the healthiest of options. "Lunch" wasn't just my mid-day meal but became an escape from the fact that I was really starting to hate my job, and something to look forward to with my co-workers whose company I did really enjoy. When I had started this blog, we were all pumped up for an office weight-loss challenge, but then some changes that the company made to our job put us all in a tailspin. Suddenly we were stressed, and unhappy and our routines had all been turned upside down. Needless to say I became truly miserable. I started slacking off on my workouts because sometimes I just couldn't get motivated. Sure I was still working out fairly regularly, but stopped pushing myself as hard as I could have,  and comforted myself with extra helpings of food.

I had always read magazine articles about eating and depression, eating and anxiety, eating and stress. I guess I can consider myself lucky that I never really experienced this until I was almost 40 years old. Ugh, I can tell you I did not like it. I knew I was doing it but was so unhappy I didn't care. Thank goodness I had recently started cutting way back on sugar in my diet, because I didn't put on very many pounds. But my body did change and I am dedicated to bring the old me back!

 I have a new job and I am SO happy to be in a positive, motivating and  respectful environment.  I am thrilled that I am more in control of what I eat throughout the day. Its a small office with a refrigerator and microwave and I have been bringing my lunch to work. Easy on the pocketbook AND on the waistline. It is a win-win! I have already added 2 extra workouts to my first week on the new job, and see the light at the end of the tunnel.