I drank 64+ oz of tea for 60 days and this is what happened.

Image via Pinterest.

At best, I have two beverages in front of me at all times. Caffeine is a constant be it in the form of coffee in the morning to iced tea in the afternoon. I’d like to think I am pretty hydrated. But I wasn’t. Truth is, I really loathe drinking plain water. It’s just so B-O-R-I-N-G. While I know it is the best thing for your body, it’s always been such a chore for me. Unrelated, I have a host of GI issues so you can imagine what the lack of water does for my body. Not a good sitch.

So, I set out to conduct my own little health experiment. Clearly I am not a doctor and none of this is earth shattering but I wanted to share my results. Might I also add, after the holidays and certainly during quarantine, there is a natural tendency to reach for a glass <or two> of wine and with enough time…I started to feel really toxic. The habit needed to be broken to which my unofficial experiment was born.

For two months <and some change>, I started my day with my regular coffee(s) followed by filling up my favorite travel mug with any type of tea. Mainly caffeine-free; occasionally I would add a green tea/mint blend in the afternoon as a pick-me-up. For the record, my travel mug is a 20 oz size and I read that tea is a great alternative to water. I refrained from adding honey or any sweetener and drank it in its purest form. I would then fill it up two more times throughout the work day, which is the equivalent to 60 oz of water. Finally, I would end my day, right before bed, with a digestive, caffeine-free tea, which was another 10 oz. All in, I was consuming 70 oz of tea daily.

Curious to know how I felt? Here are my findings:

1. Obvious one here but I was no longer bloated. My clothes fit better.

2. Although I made many more trips to the bathroom, my body detoxed quite quickly. Even with the occasional sip of wine.

3. I felt better. I had more energy!

4. I was less hungry spending way less time mindlessly grazing in the kitchen in-between calls.

5. The appearance of my skin greatly improved. My skin had bounce, less puffiness and seemed brighter.

6. I woke up less groggy; less parched.

7. I began to love and look forward to tea. It was fun to experiment with different flavor profiles and I learned so much about the health benefits.

8. My GI issues decreased substantially. TMI but digestive teas have become a staple in my pantry. Holistic health works!

9. Tea taught me better portion control at meals. I was more full on the good stuff and less of a human shovel at dinner time. I actually lost a couple of lbs.

10. My breath improved. We all know drinking coffee, pop, etc is a fresh breath killer. Substitute that with mint tea and you will see a dramatic improvement in your dental health.

I know there are many more health benefits but these are top of mind. The big question…did I continue? Honestly, I fell off a bit at the beginning of the pandemic because I was feeling all the emotions hence I resorted back to all my old vices…caffeine, chocolate and wine. After I felt the immediate changes in my body, including heartburn and acid reflux, I knew it was time to return to my experiment. Permanently.

And here’s one last truth from all this, I still don’t like water. Given the right drinking vessel, downing 70 oz of tea was super easy for me. I suppose the moral of the story is: find what works for you, what makes you feel good and STICK WITH IT. Just like your fitness routine, what you put in your body matters just as much if not more.

Have a happy, healthy Tuesday and let me know if you struggle with water intake. I’d love to hear your tips!