Could Dry January help me foster better hydration habits? 41 years in, it’s a tough ask.
I am part camel. No wait, I am part Kangaroo Rat. Umm mmm. Just like the native Australian marsupial, I do not drink water. I appear to survive on water or moisture from the food I eat. It’s a phenomenon, me, not the rat. All these years I reckon I could honestly count on two hands the times I have drank a full glass of water. I mean, I drink lots of other things. Vimto, peach iced tea, lemonade, cherry coke. I went through a phase while working for Puma where all I drank was Red Bull. But yeah, not a big water fan.
You may be wondering what effect this has had on my poor body which, unlike the Kangaroo Rat, does not feature adapted kidneys. Mine produce calcified stones which I have struggled with a couple of times, along with stomach/GI ulcers. The main issue with consuming too little life-giving fluid is general fatigue.
I’m participating in Dry January again this year. In 2023 I didn’t drink for a couple of months during the summer and enjoyed the sense of achievement. I can take or leave alcohol. I don’t favour anything that doesn’t taste like pop. Blue WKD, fruity ciders, Malibu, Archers, rhubarb gin – yes! Beer, lager, vodka, whisky, etc nah.
What makes this year’s month of abstinence different is I’m going to use it to drink more water. There was a meme doing the rounds on Instagram over Christmas where someone broke down the phases we typically go through from milk, to fizzy drinks, to stimulants to alcohol to coffee, when really the ultimate grown-up drink is water.
So here we go. There is a filter jug in the fridge laden with nature’s finest. No bottled water I might add. Proper old school, out of the tap, into the fridge water. I’m not logging my consumption. That would be weird. I’m just trying to do better.
No alcohol, more water. What could be simpler for a New Year resolution?
Kate Reilly James 