My Boring Life of Beverages

It recently struck me while being entertained, that beverages are a little lacking in my life. In fact, my life is boring when it comes to beverages.

When I was a child, I didn’t even know water was a beverage. I consumed milk, Kool-aid, soda, juices, and any other sugary drink offered. There was a vast array of beverages to choose from, including bug juice in the summer. Soda came in many choices as well – coca-cola, root beer, birch beer, black cherry, and all sorts of fountain syrupy kinds such as chocolate coke and cherry vanilla. Hot chocolate was a favorite beverage in winter. Water was used only at a water fountain if overheated, and for brushing teeth.

I was a very skinny string-bean growing up and calories or sugar in beverages, as well as food, didn’t register on any radar simply because it wasn’t a worry. I ate and drank with abandon.

In thinking about the amount of sugar I consumed in beverages alone, it was a wonder I was not hyperactive. I ate a lot of candy too, and my teeth are dearly paying for it as an adult.

Then again, we didn’t have computers or video games and burned off all the sugar energy by playing outside until dark. Lots of running around and jump roping, hop-scotching, bike riding and racing each other did the trick – we were all pretty calm by dinner, where we mostly consumed milk as the beverage of choice. (WHOLE MILK)

Now, as an adult, I am forced to watch both sugar intake and calories. Hiss, Boo.

Not that I do this the way I should. But I have paid attention to sugar and calories in beverages.

So I am down to three beverages: coffee (only in the morning!), water, and the occasional alcoholic beverage such as wine or a cocktail. Just as coffee is not consumed after morning time, alcohol beverages are not imbibed until evening.

That leaves the long daytime with just the only other beverage I drink: Water.

How boring. To make it more exotic, I sometimes add lemon or lime. Oh, and very occasionally I will have a juice or a smoothie. Rarely, I will indulge in a decaf frap at Starbucks – maybe twice a year.

I don’t drink tea of any kind. Iced Tea is a staple here in the south, and I am a reall oddball in not partaking of the most common beverage choice here. There is a reason for this: tea was forced on me anytime I was sick as a child. So I hated tea from then on. Hot or cold, it is still tea and not something my tastebuds could ever enjoy. (I have tried herbal teas – they are still tea tasting to me)

It becomes almost comical when a hostess wants to serve me a beverage and all I can have is water.

I gave up sodas cold turkey after my 50th birthday when I wen to an OHI spa and found out that drinking soda is akin to pouring Draino down your gullet. Or at least that’s how they made it seem. It scared this former Diet Dr. Pepper addict away from soda forever.

I had gotten used to my drinking beverages routine- coffee in the morning only, water the rest of the day into evening, and if at a restaurant or being entertained, wine or an alcoholic beverage. (Note: I of course like the sugariest alcoholic drinks possible – mango margaritas, mojitos, cosmos etc)

We drink almond milk in cereal occasionally and use it for smoothies – but I don’t drink it as a beverage per se, so you can’t count that one.

Is there anything more tasteless and non-exciting than water?

Then while doing Bikram Yoga, my instructor suggested I need more than water during class. She informed me that I needed Electrolytes. She suggested smart water or coconut water.

Hmm, I love coconut anything. Coconut candy, pie etc. So that was interesting. One of my close friends had been touting coconut water to me for a while, and I kept meaning to try it. It has natural sugar in it, and I hesitated because I don’t like to drink my sugars knowing that I get plenty in my foods, but this was an acceptable level and seemingly very healthy.

My husband had tried coconut water and hated it. He warned me that I would not like it. He relies on Gatorade and other sweeter electrolyte drinks when he plays hockey or other sports.

So I researched the kinds of coconut water – some have extra sugar added to make them tastier and more appealing. I did not want that added sugar.

I found a brand – you can inbox me or comment and I will respond, (but don’t want to give free advertising here) that I really love. In fact, it is my ultimate treat during the day when I drink it – usually during yoga. It tastes like a refreshing, sugary drink to me and that is a good thing considering that all other times it is just water for me.  It is so much better than plain water and now I feel like I have another beverage option!

Just another reason why it is not pretty being middle aged and limiting choices in life to try to be a little bit healthier. Yet a small thing like a new tasty beverage choice like coconut water just made life a little bit more enjoyable.