Drink Up!

Cucumber slices, oranges and lemon balm, fennel and tarragon

Moving into Holy Week, there is a lot to do around here!  We just returned from a vacation in Williamsburg, which I'll post about later (like after Lent...).  With all the cooking, cleaning, and prepping that has to happen this week, to say nothing of the praying and spiritual concentration, I find it is important to try to take care of my health to keep my energy up.

One thing I consistently fail to do when I am busy is drink water.  Dehydration causes fatigue and irritation; when I'm not aware of getting in all the water I need, I tend to get cracked skin, feel grumpy, and generally succumb to exhaustion.  So I decided to make water a priority during this busy week.  I want to be happy and energetic for my Lord's Resurrection, not burned out and grumpy!

Lemon Balm

Here is what I have been doing.  Each morning, I take three quart size mason jars and fill them with filtered water.  I add a dash of sea salt to replace the minerals the filter took out.  Then I add a natural flavoring, which I just leave in the jars (except the green tea) until I'm ready to drink the water.  I keep the jars in the refrigerator.  The flavoring and cold temperature makes drinking the water much more appealing! Also, I can see how I am doing with getting enough water. If I start neglecting myself,  I have the visual reminder of the still-full jars to get me back on track.

 Flavorings that  I have enjoyed so far include:

**sliced cucumber and mint
**orange wedges and lemon balm (growing wild in Virginia)
**fennel and tarragon (from my herb garden)
**sliced lemon and lime together
**lemon and lemon balm
**lime and mint
**green tea (remove bag after a few minutes) and mint.
**sliced lime

Try this and see if it works for you, too!  Then share your favorite flavorings so we can all enjoy them!