Pumpkin Spice Lattes = Time to Drink Water

Ah, the irony of this picture.

So when I was in college I was told I have a hole in my heart.  (How's that for an introductory sentence?)  It's nothing serious, apparently.  In fact, the doctor who told me basically made it sound like I just had something as benign as the common cold.  And he said it can be caused by dehydration.  That made sense to me since I hadn't had a glass of water since 1992.

Today's post is about dehydration... and the catalyst for this post was the fact that yesterday I heard that dreaded sound that we all know and love; the heat in my building was turned on. Fall is in the air my friends! Starbucks might be serving your seasonal fave but it's time to buy a Poland Spring.

If you've never lived in NYC you may not know what it's like to live in an apartment where you cannot control the thermostat.  It's pretty wretched.

Here is a snapshot of what our lives are like:
October 1st through May 31st is "Heat Season" in New York City. Building owners are also required to provide tenants with heat as follows: 

• Between the hours of 6:00 AM and 10:00 PM, if the outside temperature falls below 55 degrees, the inside temperature is required to be at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit; and, 
• Between the hours of 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM, if the temperature outside falls below 40 degrees, the inside temperature is required to be at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Let me assure you, the temperature is DEFINITELY higher than 55F. Many of us (myself especially) live with open windows all winter.  And the higher you live, the hotter it is.  Since heat rises, you can expect that if you live on the 6th floor like I do, you will boil.  To death.  All winter.  Cozy, you might say?  No.  From the very moment I hear that steam sound coming from the heater I

Curses! 7 more months of this crap! 

start to curse the day I was born and everybody I know, and I count the days until Spring on a calendar on which I cross out each little day with my own blood.  Dramatic? Ok maybe.  I've been watching Once Upon a Time a lot.  But anyway, it's rough!  And not good for our voices!  It's dry as hell!



I did an unintentional experiment this summer with a basil plant I bought from Trader Joes.  Truth be told, I don't have a green thumb.  But take a look at this:

It took 1 DAY for this to happen. It's the same plant.  Water is a powerful (magical) thing.
Just briefly to be nerdy for a second, your vocal cords are not vital organs which means that they're not the first to get water.  If my HEART wasn't even getting water, you can imagine how crusty and dry my vocal cords were. 

I have a friend who insists on drinking 5 Liters of water a DAY. I followed her lead and the first day  it took me a full day to finish one bottle. Now that I'm used to it I can drink 1 liter in under 5 minutes and want more.  I never knew what THIRSTY felt like.  All these years I thought I was HUNGRY or just had a MIGRAINE.  Meanwhile I was probably severely dehydrated.

During the wintertime it's really important for us to hydrate especially while the heat is on.  Even if we do have the luxury of thermostat control...

Instead of thinking you're going to melt like a Wicked Witch when you come in contact with H20,

• take it in small doses at first.  You don't need to be a hero.  
• when life gives you lemons... use them. it makes drinking water easier because it tastes better. 
• weirdly enough, some bottled water comes from regions where there is higher salt content.  It might be that you don't like SOME water.  Try other brands of bottled water.  I like Smart Water and can't drink one called Volvic because it makes me feel like I swallowed the Atlantic Ocean.  Maybe I was a water sommelier in a past life.

Hm!

How much water do you drink? Do you notice a difference vocally when you're not drinking water?