For every one of my international trips I have used Trip Advisor (tripadvisor.com) to find places to stay and how to get from point A to B. I would highly recommend them because it is a site driven by people like us who are looking for some honest reviews and comments. If you have a particular question you can post in forum or look at past forums to help you make decisions.
I started drinking water when I first heard it "could make you thin", back in the early 90's or so.
Then I got addicted to it! I LOVE it. It doesn't make my mouth sticky (thus, making me MORE thirsty!) like soda does.
It doesn't make my mouth sour smelling like milk does.
It just goes right down, and for the most part, has no taste.
(I admit to being a bottled water junkie...my water in town tastes HORRIBLE!!! There's a strong after taste to it, AND, when I run the water in the kitchen sink, I can SMELL the chlorine!
So yeah, I drink bottled water because I just can't stand ours.
But when I'm at my Dad's, I drink his water all day, because it comes from his well, and tastes GREAT!
Anyway, my main point is, that I've been drinking LOTS of water everyday, for YEARS now, and it has NOT helped me lose weight, at all. And sometimes when I'm hungry and have no access to food, I get desperate and drink water....which doesn't help me feel full in the least!
But water is good. It's what nature gave us to drink, and if I never drank anything else, I'd be happy.
I've tried to get my kids addicted to water since they were tiny, but somehow they got spoiled with manmade drinks...but I'm still trying!!
It just doesn't really do anything other than quench your thirst and keep your body running smoothy, really. So all the "drink water before dinner to feel full and eat less" stuff....is dumb.
That's true. People are pretty aggressive drivers here so I get cut off a lot. Some of them do it quite illegally too. For example, they were already in the exit lane and almost exited and then cut me off by going back to the highway. The key is just to be a careful driver yourself.
I always consult virtualtourist.com and tripadvisor.com before and during holidays. The forums are particularly useful as locals and people who know the area can answer the questions that guidebooks can't.
Rush hour in any city makes it completely impossible to follow at a "safe distance". No matter how hard you try, someone will always cut you off and take away the safe distance between you and the car (or truck) in front of you.
@ Kat, I think that the "naysayers" are simply commenting that the amount of water suggested is likely excessive, not that staying hydrated isn't important.
If this had been an article promoting tap water versus bottled water I would have no issue with it.
Personally I would just query someone with little to no medical expertise stating as a fact that water can reduce cancer risk, that most people are dehydrated and that they need to drink large quantities of water daily without a single link or citation.
It's all about the Brita filter. I never drank water when I was younger, but now I'm addicted to it. I drink it all day long. In the morning, I need a cup of ice water like some people need coffee.
While you are saving money on drafting behind a big rig, the driver of that big rig has to stop much sooner to buy fuel, and gee, did I mention that the big rigs bring food to the grocery stores and fuel to the gas stations, and you wonder why everything is more expensive?
Just don't do it; I have 3 brothers that are truck drivers, and have heard horror stories of accidents that would make your blood stop flowing, not to mention you are being totally rude and must have a death wish if you tailgate a big rig.
I drink tap water all the time. In my area, the water tastes like a bunch of geese were swimming in it but after a while, I stopped noticing the flavor.
I have some bags that I bought at Publix. I keep looking for more of them, but they are always out of them. I usually still have to use the plastic ones which I re-use for everything. I think it's a good idea. For those of us who use other (not plastic) bags, maybe the trend will kick in and everyone else will "get it" It's something everyone can do.
For a while, I was a big soda drinker. I was drinking about two cans a day. Once I decided that I need it to change my diet, soda had to be taken out of the equation.
Now, I mostly drink water. My skin looks healthier, I feel like I have more energy, and from a financial standpoint I'm saving money.
I personally hate being behind trucks... or even beside them for that matter. Even with their huge mirrors, they can't always see you (I'm willing to argue that they can't see you the majority of the time).
When I was younger my family was behind a semi-truck transporting steel coils (huge ones). One of the giant steel coils came loose and rolled off the back of the truck--thankfully nobody got hurt (this wasn't on a highway and we weren't following closely so we could stop in time).
The huge dent that the steel coil put in the pavement was enough to make me leery of EVER being behind semi trucks.
Not to mention the obvious safety hazard of following a truck closely, it's worth mentioning that you'll be braking a lot more frequently than if you were coasting along at the speed limit in the faster lane, which might defeat the purpose of saving money.
In my view it's not worth it unless the highway is congested already.
The truth about water is not just how much you drink or what color it is when it comes out. It is often confused that we need to understand the quantity of water, but what matters most is the quality. Water that has a low ph balance will acidify your body and cause you to get sick and have other health complications. Also, major cities and rural areas with farming have been found to have multiple toxins in the water that are not filtered out properly. So in fact drinking more water in certain areas would be more harmful for you than good.
Don't trust bottly water either, there is an expiration date printed on the side for a reason. The somewhat filtered water is bottled in major cities and then put in plastic bottles that leach out toxins. By the time you drink that water on the date of expiration, it is about 100% toxic and can no longer be drunk safely. New research in bottles have proven that drinking out of glass is the safest and best thing for you.
Lastly, if you want the wonder effects that nature can provide for you. You will probably need to get a filter system that is better than Brita, and alkalizing drops that can be added to the water. The filter takes the toxins out, such as antidepressive and birth control drugs out of the water. The alkalizing drops will up the ph balance of the water to 9.0 which will give you more vitality.
In conclusion, you are all right that it is important to stay hydrated. You will intake some of the water through the food you eat, but it is the quality and not the quantity that will make the greatest difference in your life. Take care and good luck.
I don't know -- if I'm going to another country, and spending hundreds or thousands of dollars to fly there and stay there and sight-see, I'd rather have information from a trusted independent source than a tourism board or convention bureau that will push the sites of their biggest advertisers and moneymakers. And although websites like About and Wikitravel are very useful, they're hard to consult once you're actually on vacation unless you have internet access while you're away.
Obviously guidebooks are biased in their own ways, but I'm willing to pay $20 (think about it -- that's 1% of the price of a $2000 trip) even a few times over to get reliable, portable information. And if your public library has up-to-date guidebooks (mine has a great travel books section) you don't even have to pay the $20, you can get the information for free (so long as you don't accidentally drop that guide to Venice into the Grand Canal).
Right now I'm planning a trip to Switzerland for this summer, and I'm consulting a lot of online and print sources (I've bought one guidebook and checked out three others from the library so far). Plus I'm taking recommendations from friends and family who have visited the region before. I'll definitely be taking at least one or two of those guidebooks with me when I go, and I'll consider that money (and luggage weight) well spent.
Drafting causes an increase in fuel usage on the lead vehicle. Seems kinda jerky to do as these guys need to drive for a living and fuels costs hurt them the most, especially the independent truckers. Not cool. If you want to drive right at the speed limit, just stick to the right lane, no worries.
"everything causes cancer" except water apparently. Honestly I have to say that if you are publishing an article that states that five glasses of water a day reduces the risk of breast cancer by 79% I'm going to want a citation to a recognized medical journal.
Where is the link to the AMA's claims?
Honestly very few people are likely to get dehydrated with an average days food and liquid consumption.
If water works for you, great, but don't go touting it as the next medical wonder.
The very interesting article that all the news stories about 'debunking the water myths' are based one is actually just an extensive literature review. It is short and information packed and as far as I can tell well researched. I would suggest reading it. It is an editorial published by the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. http://www.asn-online.org/press/pdf/2008-Media/Water%20Study.pdf
I always find it amusing to read some of the comments. Especially when sites like Snopes is put up against the AMA. I'm not entirely sure who runs Snopes, it's a good read, but are these people doctors either? And doctors have told us varying falsehoods over the years; red wine is good for you...no, wait, it's bad...no, it's good again, in moderation. Oh, and everything causes cancer apparently.
All I can say is this. Since I began drinking more water, I have become more alert at work, I eat less, my migraine attacks have been less frequent, I feel better and I think I actually look better. Use your own judgment, but if you feel ok drinking one cup of coffee in the morning and a soda in the afternoon, I can't fault you.
If you take anything from the article, drink tap water.
For every one of my international trips I have used Trip Advisor (tripadvisor.com) to find places to stay and how to get from point A to B. I would highly recommend them because it is a site driven by people like us who are looking for some honest reviews and comments. If you have a particular question you can post in forum or look at past forums to help you make decisions.
Wow, thats pretty sweet. Ill have to see if there is anything worthwhile on there
I started drinking water when I first heard it "could make you thin", back in the early 90's or so.
Then I got addicted to it! I LOVE it. It doesn't make my mouth sticky (thus, making me MORE thirsty!) like soda does.
It doesn't make my mouth sour smelling like milk does.
It just goes right down, and for the most part, has no taste.
(I admit to being a bottled water junkie...my water in town tastes HORRIBLE!!! There's a strong after taste to it, AND, when I run the water in the kitchen sink, I can SMELL the chlorine!
So yeah, I drink bottled water because I just can't stand ours.
But when I'm at my Dad's, I drink his water all day, because it comes from his well, and tastes GREAT!
Anyway, my main point is, that I've been drinking LOTS of water everyday, for YEARS now, and it has NOT helped me lose weight, at all. And sometimes when I'm hungry and have no access to food, I get desperate and drink water....which doesn't help me feel full in the least!
But water is good. It's what nature gave us to drink, and if I never drank anything else, I'd be happy.
I've tried to get my kids addicted to water since they were tiny, but somehow they got spoiled with manmade drinks...but I'm still trying!!
It just doesn't really do anything other than quench your thirst and keep your body running smoothy, really. So all the "drink water before dinner to feel full and eat less" stuff....is dumb.
That's true. People are pretty aggressive drivers here so I get cut off a lot. Some of them do it quite illegally too. For example, they were already in the exit lane and almost exited and then cut me off by going back to the highway. The key is just to be a careful driver yourself.
I always consult virtualtourist.com and tripadvisor.com before and during holidays. The forums are particularly useful as locals and people who know the area can answer the questions that guidebooks can't.
Get off your high horses.
Rush hour in any city makes it completely impossible to follow at a "safe distance". No matter how hard you try, someone will always cut you off and take away the safe distance between you and the car (or truck) in front of you.
@ Kat, I think that the "naysayers" are simply commenting that the amount of water suggested is likely excessive, not that staying hydrated isn't important.
If this had been an article promoting tap water versus bottled water I would have no issue with it.
Personally I would just query someone with little to no medical expertise stating as a fact that water can reduce cancer risk, that most people are dehydrated and that they need to drink large quantities of water daily without a single link or citation.
It's all about the Brita filter. I never drank water when I was younger, but now I'm addicted to it. I drink it all day long. In the morning, I need a cup of ice water like some people need coffee.
While you are saving money on drafting behind a big rig, the driver of that big rig has to stop much sooner to buy fuel, and gee, did I mention that the big rigs bring food to the grocery stores and fuel to the gas stations, and you wonder why everything is more expensive?
Just don't do it; I have 3 brothers that are truck drivers, and have heard horror stories of accidents that would make your blood stop flowing, not to mention you are being totally rude and must have a death wish if you tailgate a big rig.
I drink tap water all the time. In my area, the water tastes like a bunch of geese were swimming in it but after a while, I stopped noticing the flavor.
Are we seriously arguing about how staying hydrated is good or bad for you? Really?
Only in a country such as ours would we dare take issue with drinking water. We should be so lucky.
All of you naysayers - go ahead, don't drink water. Really, don't. It'll do us all a favor.
I have some bags that I bought at Publix. I keep looking for more of them, but they are always out of them. I usually still have to use the plastic ones which I re-use for everything. I think it's a good idea. For those of us who use other (not plastic) bags, maybe the trend will kick in and everyone else will "get it" It's something everyone can do.
For a while, I was a big soda drinker. I was drinking about two cans a day. Once I decided that I need it to change my diet, soda had to be taken out of the equation.
Now, I mostly drink water. My skin looks healthier, I feel like I have more energy, and from a financial standpoint I'm saving money.
I never thought about drafting behind a truck to save on gasoline. But like everyone else has commented, it is too dangerous to do.
Everytime we drive, we are taking a risk. Last thing I want to do is add to the possibility of an accident happening.
If you have that much of a beef with getting a refund, I am almost certain that they will allow you to return it.
If we SPEND money....it does create jobs
If you have that much of a beef with getting a refund, I am almost certain that they will allow you to return it.
If we SPEND money....it does create jobs
I personally hate being behind trucks... or even beside them for that matter. Even with their huge mirrors, they can't always see you (I'm willing to argue that they can't see you the majority of the time).
When I was younger my family was behind a semi-truck transporting steel coils (huge ones). One of the giant steel coils came loose and rolled off the back of the truck--thankfully nobody got hurt (this wasn't on a highway and we weren't following closely so we could stop in time).
The huge dent that the steel coil put in the pavement was enough to make me leery of EVER being behind semi trucks.
Not to mention the obvious safety hazard of following a truck closely, it's worth mentioning that you'll be braking a lot more frequently than if you were coasting along at the speed limit in the faster lane, which might defeat the purpose of saving money.
In my view it's not worth it unless the highway is congested already.
The truth about water is not just how much you drink or what color it is when it comes out. It is often confused that we need to understand the quantity of water, but what matters most is the quality. Water that has a low ph balance will acidify your body and cause you to get sick and have other health complications. Also, major cities and rural areas with farming have been found to have multiple toxins in the water that are not filtered out properly. So in fact drinking more water in certain areas would be more harmful for you than good.
Don't trust bottly water either, there is an expiration date printed on the side for a reason. The somewhat filtered water is bottled in major cities and then put in plastic bottles that leach out toxins. By the time you drink that water on the date of expiration, it is about 100% toxic and can no longer be drunk safely. New research in bottles have proven that drinking out of glass is the safest and best thing for you.
Lastly, if you want the wonder effects that nature can provide for you. You will probably need to get a filter system that is better than Brita, and alkalizing drops that can be added to the water. The filter takes the toxins out, such as antidepressive and birth control drugs out of the water. The alkalizing drops will up the ph balance of the water to 9.0 which will give you more vitality.
In conclusion, you are all right that it is important to stay hydrated. You will intake some of the water through the food you eat, but it is the quality and not the quantity that will make the greatest difference in your life. Take care and good luck.
Jake
I don't know -- if I'm going to another country, and spending hundreds or thousands of dollars to fly there and stay there and sight-see, I'd rather have information from a trusted independent source than a tourism board or convention bureau that will push the sites of their biggest advertisers and moneymakers. And although websites like About and Wikitravel are very useful, they're hard to consult once you're actually on vacation unless you have internet access while you're away.
Obviously guidebooks are biased in their own ways, but I'm willing to pay $20 (think about it -- that's 1% of the price of a $2000 trip) even a few times over to get reliable, portable information. And if your public library has up-to-date guidebooks (mine has a great travel books section) you don't even have to pay the $20, you can get the information for free (so long as you don't accidentally drop that guide to Venice into the Grand Canal).
Right now I'm planning a trip to Switzerland for this summer, and I'm consulting a lot of online and print sources (I've bought one guidebook and checked out three others from the library so far). Plus I'm taking recommendations from friends and family who have visited the region before. I'll definitely be taking at least one or two of those guidebooks with me when I go, and I'll consider that money (and luggage weight) well spent.
Drafting causes an increase in fuel usage on the lead vehicle. Seems kinda jerky to do as these guys need to drive for a living and fuels costs hurt them the most, especially the independent truckers. Not cool. If you want to drive right at the speed limit, just stick to the right lane, no worries.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drafting_%28racing%29
How cool is that? Thanks, Linsey.
"everything causes cancer" except water apparently. Honestly I have to say that if you are publishing an article that states that five glasses of water a day reduces the risk of breast cancer by 79% I'm going to want a citation to a recognized medical journal.
Where is the link to the AMA's claims?
Honestly very few people are likely to get dehydrated with an average days food and liquid consumption.
If water works for you, great, but don't go touting it as the next medical wonder.
The very interesting article that all the news stories about 'debunking the water myths' are based one is actually just an extensive literature review. It is short and information packed and as far as I can tell well researched. I would suggest reading it. It is an editorial published by the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. http://www.asn-online.org/press/pdf/2008-Media/Water%20Study.pdf
I always find it amusing to read some of the comments. Especially when sites like Snopes is put up against the AMA. I'm not entirely sure who runs Snopes, it's a good read, but are these people doctors either? And doctors have told us varying falsehoods over the years; red wine is good for you...no, wait, it's bad...no, it's good again, in moderation. Oh, and everything causes cancer apparently.
All I can say is this. Since I began drinking more water, I have become more alert at work, I eat less, my migraine attacks have been less frequent, I feel better and I think I actually look better. Use your own judgment, but if you feel ok drinking one cup of coffee in the morning and a soda in the afternoon, I can't fault you.
If you take anything from the article, drink tap water.