I’m going to confess something to you I have a really hard time with — and that’s drinking enough water. I know I’m supposed to! I feel better when I do — but it’s so boring to drink water when there are so many more fun things to drink…I hope that doesn’t sound like I’m an alcoholic.

I’m talking about drinks with caffeine. Are you a caffeine drinker? I am! I love coffee and tea. That’s what I crave — along with other fun things, like Diet Coke or Diet Mountain Dew. I have to drink diet these days because the sugar in regular drinks makes me sluggish and negates the caffeine altogether.

The other day at the grocery store, I saw these pink drinks that were on sale for $1 each, and they looked kind of fun! I picked one up and read the copy on the back, and it cracked me up. How’s this:

Sobe Liz Fuel
Strawberry Banana Flavored Beverage
With a blend of Astragalus, ginseng & yerba mate
A creamy, energizing strawberry banana blend designed to power the lizards like Travis Pastrana who grip it and rip it and ride without fear. Courtesy of Sove.

OK, now that’s a bit weird. Is it not? I mean, “grip it and rip it and ride without fear” – what?! And what on EARTH is astragalus? And yerba mate? Do I want to drink a yerba mate?

Well, I did. I drank yerba mate. And it tasted pretty good — but very sweet.

So ANYWAY, back to my original confession. I’ve got to be drinking more water. And you do too. When I talk about it with you, it makes me feel like I can do it. Here’s something I read about water yesterday — from Jon Herring:

Water is your most essential nutrient, and every system in your body depends on it. Unfortunately, chronic dehydration is widespread … and there’s a convincing hypothesis that it is a root cause of many degenerative diseases.

To achieve optimal health, make water your drink of choice. Unless you’re exercising, your body cannot process more than about 8 ounces per hour, so it’s best to drink it in small sips throughout the day. Not only will adequate hydration improve your health, it will also suppress your appetite and help to metabolize stored fat.

Whenever possible, avoid tap water unless it has been filtered to remove fluoride and chlorine. Best to stick to spring water from a trusted source.

Sometimes when I force myself to drink water, I “trick” my mind by adding a little bit of lemon juice or orange juice and tell myself this is expensive bottled water enhanced with a refreshing zest of lemon or twist of orange. It works!

So, as you enjoy your weekend, I hope you’ll drink plenty of water. If I can do it, you can. Let’s do it — eight glasses full, OK? See if you feel rejuvenated by the end of the day. The best way to crave water, though, is to exercise and get REALLY thirsty — then it’s fun to drink.

P.S. If you’re feeling parched spiritually, here’s a verse for you (I wish I could type in red!): Jesus said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him” (John 7:37).

Now do you feel a bit rejuvenated?