drink water | Paula's Blog

Sage Advice

Still looking for a way to hydrate without being bored? When I posted my Lavender and Mint blog about a lovely, no calorie simple pleasure, my friend Monique mentioned she flavors her water with sage.

When I was grumpy on Monday morning, even after my walk, I fought back by getting my hands in the dirt, replanting my sage bush from the old garden area to a new home. (Okay, it was actually my burly son Stephen who got the shovel and dug it out, long, strong roots and all. This is probably why a few minutes working in the backyard helped my mood; he did the heavy lifting. That sage is hearty stuff. My husband had mowed down the old garden, sage and all, and it came right back!)

After the transplant, I picked a few springs of sage, washed them, and plopped them into a pitcher of water. The jury is still out about whether or not this new water flavor will become a staple in our home. I loved the mint and lavender water from day one. The fragrance alone made me happy. But I’m still trying to decide whether sage belongs in water or should stay relegated to homemade chicken soup and beef breakfast sausage.

It could be I’m prejudiced against sage from my childhood. My grandmother was convinced it cured the common cold. Sweet little thing she was she rarely asked me to do anything unpleasant, but oh how she cajoled me to get a cup of hot sage tea down when I was sick!

It was very strong.

And gross.

I’ve chosen not to foist sage tea on my children, but am not above making them chicken soup hiding an extra portion of sage when they don’t feel well.

But back to the point. How do you get your water down? I also love lemon or lime squeezed into my water, as well as water flavored with cucumber slices or berries.

Remember, drinking two large glasses of water first thing in the morning helps you feel more full the rest of the day! Another fact: sometimes when we feel hungry, it’s actually our thirst censor going off! Next time you’re hungry and it’s not mealtime, consider drinking a big glass of water. Are you still feel hungry in five minutes?

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Sage advice for hydration

Are you truly hungry, or is it thirst?

Lavender and Mint – Simple Pleasures

Simple, no cost, no maintenance pleasure. If you’re on a journey to better health, you’ve been told to drink more water. Let’s face it. As fabulous as cool, clear water is, it can become a task instead of a pleasure to get the amount you need. There are lots of wonderful recipes out there to add a little pizzazz to your water. Mine isn’t anything new, but it feels extra special to me because it comes straight from my yard, to my refrigerator, to my glass.

A couple of summers ago I purchased a small lavender plant. A friend told me it was hardy, easy to grow, and had lots of uses. Last summer a friend shared a few of her mint plants with me. I threw them in the ground next to the lavender, no extra care, and they grew.

This summer I’m harvesting. (I did last summer, too. You can harvest right away.) It’s very simple. I break a few leaves off, rise them, and toss them in a pitcher of water. I cover the pitcher and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator. The next day I have gently flavored (and scented) water to drink.

I add water a few times a day so the pitcher never runs dry. My mint and lavender leaves last 4-5 days before I decide they aren’t as potent as they were initially and need to be replaced.

I just consumed roughly 12 ounces of water as I typed this post. Each sip brought pleasure as a gentle whiff of lavender scented the air as I drank.

Of course you could have mint water or lavender water. You don’t have to do both at once, though I prefer it.

And just as aside, we served up fancy waters at Sarah’s wedding a few weeks ago. I love it that something as basic and healthy as water can become special with so little effort.

I wanted to write a profound post this first entry after my series about my daughter’s wedding. Guess I wasn’t really up to digging deep this time, but here’s what I’m thinking: Life isn’t usually about the big, impacting stuff–like weddings. Enjoying life is often about the simple moments, the tiny pleasures. Lavender leaves in water. A walk with someone you love. A brief pause in the rushing to enjoy the beauty right in your own yard.

Here’s a bit of what I savored in my pause this evening, right before Jerry and I sauntered through the neighborhood, holding hands in the falling dusk.

From the flower bed beside the front sidewalk

My mailbox. You can’t tell in this picture, but it is yellow, one of my favorite colors. My sister-in-law painted it as a surprise to cheer me up during a gloomy season. This year I planted red and white flowers beneath it to honor my neighbor, who hates yellow and has threatened to paint my mailbox red!

My other favorite color is pink. (Though since Sarah’s wedding I’ve become partial once again to purple, which was my favorite color in childhood.) I’m especially enjoying this unique flower this year. I love its cheery yellow face, so pretty framed in pink! It’s also cool how the yellow is outlined in purplish magenta.