Water: Tap into It!

Hydration! It's something I am guilty of preaching and not following. I can admit it.  Regardless, the last two weeks I've been on an amazing water kick, taking my little water bottle to work, keeping an eye on the ounces on the side of the bottle as I suck it down. The water bottle is the great water "psycher-outer".  I see it on my desk, and I must conquer! Also, it's what I recommend to all my clients that have trouble with hydration.

Now, I am and have been a tap-water drinker for as long as I can remember, but just recently I decided to make an effort to fill up my re-usable bottle from my tap at home and at the water fountain at work. This was after I realized I was spending an extra $10-$20 a week on the bottled wet stuff, buying it at the grocery store in bulk, or individually sold from the vending machine. 

But the bottles weren't just adding up on the bill; they were also adding up in the trash.

Therefore, in addition to feeling good about saving money,  I've felt that extra satisfaction from knowing that I'm keeping it GREEN for the planet, and keeping that GREEN in my pocket. It's been a really simple process, and in a time of economic frugality (and a time where mother nature seems to be telling us she's not having it anymore), all can benefit from sticking to the tap.

Unfortunately, through the years of misinformation, tap water has received a bad reputation, and somehow bottle water has prevailed as the number one source of purity.  I'm here today to say, it's time to take back the tap!

And if my little exclamation point signaling enthusiasm doesn't get you going, well then here are a few facts to get you flowing:

• Tap water is regulated by the EPA, and bottled water is regulated by the FDA, and while the EPA is constantly checking and keeping records of the safety of the tap water, the  FDA sends inspectors to bottling plants once every two to three years. 
• FDA requires by state or local approval of bottled water sources, but there is no federal definition of control of what may be a bottle water source.  
• Bottled water is thousands of times more expensive than tap water. Compare $0.002 per gallon for most tap water to a range of $0.89 to $8.26 per gallon for bottled waters.
• About one-fourth of bottle water is actually bottle tap water, according to government and industry estimates!

TIPS of the TAP:

Here are a few things to help get your tap water drinking on:

• Make the decision to stay true to the tap and stop buying bottle water at the grocery store or while out at restaurants.
• Purchase a lined aluminum, glass, stainless steal or  BPA-free plastic bottle for water on the go or at work. Be sure to not forget it at home (it kind of defeats the purpose); you can always buy a second for the office.
• Encourage others to give the tap a chance.
• Refill, and refill, and refill! Hydrate for your health!

Salt Controversy?

"This controversy is fake. The evidence for salt reduction is clear and consistent. Most of the "contradictory research" comes from a very small number of scientists, most of whom are linked to the salt industry. However, it takes skill to spot misinformation and subterfuge. And so the confusion is successfully promulgated.
It is a familiar story. The tobacco industry spent decades denying that smoking caused fatal diseases. Their very successful strategies included accusations of scientific conspiracies, selective use of scientific evidence, and paying scientists to produce evidence to contradict the public health experts and confuse the public. In general, the food industry is more ethical, but it is far from squeaky clean."

Read on: There's no doubt about the health dangers of salt - opinion - 28 April 2010 - New Scientist

Stop pounding them back to lose a few pounds!

One of the first questions I get from a friend that wants to lose weight is "Do I have to give up alcohol". Not to say that my friends hang out in the back alley of The Seven Seas bar on a regular basis (well, some actually, yes...), but they do like to relax with one or two or a few serious libations on the regular.

My usual answer is YES! and no. Then I quickly follow it up with: Alcohol consumption should definitely be in your overall weight control plan, because just reducing your normal alcohol intake will help you shed a good amount of pounds from the get-go.

Think about it; let's say you share 2 bottles of wine on Saturday (1 glass of wine = 127 calories) with your significant other and then have two beers (1 average beer = 145 calories) on Sunday while watching the game; total it all up, and you would have consumed approximately 800 calories! That's definitely a lot when you're watching what you eat and sweating your bum off at the gym.

My advice usually goes something like this: (1) stick to wine, one to two glasses a week (not one to two bottles); or (2) if you must drink alcohol try adding water or selzer (no calories) with a lime to your rum/vodka/whisky, and again only 1-2 servings a week; and last but not least, NO BEER.

I say NO BEER,  because it's usually the easiest of all the drinks to grab one after the other without a second thought. It is NOT because of the "beer belly" stigma that it carries, especially with males. Beer bellies occur from excessive intake of total calories (beer plus the munchies), and because men also happen to carry excess weight in their midsection.

So, in conclusion, try those easy tips for at least a month to see results and/or until you feel comfortable enough to enjoy your poison of choice in moderation. Stop pounding them back to lose those initial pounds quickly, and your liver will start LIVER DANCING with joy!

Eureka!

Please, let me explain my elation.

For the past month, I have been helping my very close friend, Jackie, lose weight. Usually undertaking this sort of task for friends or family members causes grief and strife, and for the most part doesn't end well. It's not because they aren't satisfied with the results, if it even gets to that point, but usually because I end up getting my feelings hurt.

This is because, in the end, they just don't get it. They want to revert back to their old ways: losing 15 pounds after week two of the South Beach Diet, and then gaining back 20 pounds after week 3 of Phase 2.

But my way isn't the "diet" way. I AM THE ANTI-DIET. (cue Slayer...now.)

So yes, they don't get it, and "they" didn't get it, until today. This evening, after finishing my make-you-want-to-throw-up work-out with Jackie, she mentioned she had lost about 6.5 pounds so far and felt amazing, because...wait for it...wait for it...SHE DIDN'T FEEL LIKE SHE WAS ON A DIET. My response? A big, stupid grin.

Jackie will later on, as I requested, write the best little testimonial on my behalf, but in a nutshell, what she is most excited about is having the control to say yes or no without the feeling of eminent failure on the horizon. CONTROL is the key word there. She is able to include all her favourite dishes without the feeling of guilt and without eliminating a single food from her repertoire. She can eat carrots and bagels, and she can drink wine. All together, even.

Diets are like really bad boyfriends/girlfriends: they tell you what to eat, how to eat it, with what to eat it with. Soon enough, you get fed up (hopefully) and start to exhibit classic the symptoms of battered person syndrome against your bagel!. And what the hell has that carb-licious bagel even done to you?!

By no means am I saying there are no general rules for trying to lose weight. If that were so, I wouldn't have a job. On the contrary, nutrition in relation to your body can be a complicated thing; therefore, when books and products claim to have the ONE answer, a big DING!!! should automatically go off in your head followed by a big RUN AWAY!!! And if it doesn't, well then, I'm hoping that I can help sort those things out.

You too can have your EUREKA moment!

Cheers!

Coconut Grove Grapevine: Bikram Hot Yoga set to open at end of the month

Coconut Grove Grapevine: Bikram Hot Yoga set to open at end of the month

Shop to Drop for Cereal!

Here is the first of a series of web videos I would like to continue on with in the future. This was actually produced for a class earlier this year. Please take into account that I have never done anything like this before, although I did have a great producer/director, Mr. Xavier Alexander, to catch my best angles. Here we go...

Testing 1, 2, 3...

Hello All!
I have finally become a quasi-master of webs and nets and links, oh my. I am still trying to figure this blogging world out as well as the world of website hosting but things are quickly moving in the right direction. On that note, please check out my website www.ShopToDrop.net to give you a better taste (pun definitely intended) of what Shop To Drop and my blog are all about. I will most likely begin the "real" posting some time this weekend. Stay tuned!