I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S NOT WATER!

I envy those of you who enjoy a big, tall glass of water. I have tried to convert myself to H2O since I found out it was good for me ( to no avail ). you see, I have a very sophisticated pallet and crave drinks of the fizzier variety. unluckily for me, this totally cramps my running style. quite literally. carbonation puts a serious hitch in the giddy-up. and then there's that whole staying hydrated thing. I definitely notice a difference in performance when I've had one too many diet cokes and not nearly enough water. on the upside, that doesn't mean I'm left with plain ol' ordinary water to keep me company. here, I've compiled five ways to hydrate differently to get those ounces down without sacrificing taste bud appreciation.

001. propel zero ( not pictured due to lack of availability ).

during lent of 2011, my culinary teacher told me he'd pass off my atrocious knife skills if I gave up diet coke for forty days and forty nights. although I doubted my ability to ever cut my potatoes into a flawless pair of dice,  I did not doubt my willpower and want for an 'a' in the class. at the time, I had one seriously awesome, supportive roommate and she brought home this 12-pack of propel zero. this flavored, non-carbonated beverage sustained me through my forty-day fast. it also has zero calories so as not to overload one's waistline.

002. herbal tea lemonade.

I am perpetually craving starbucks' passion tea lemonade--a mixture of iced herbal tea, lemonade, and flavoring of some sort. this is really quite problematic when the nearest starbucks is a thousand or so miles away ( #islandproblems ). however, after asking around and just a bit of internet perusal, I've found a way to recreate it at home. pardon me if I've healthed it up a little bit, as well. I promise, no taste was sacrificed.

what you'll need ::

1 cup water

1 teabag of favorite herbal tea

1 cup lemonade of your choice

1 tbsp honey

steps ::

001. make tea adding honey while it's still hot.

002. make lemonade.

003. combine together in pitcher adding lots of ice.

004. cool in the refrigerator.

pshhh, starbucks. I don't even need you anymore. well, at least not until fall ( hot caramel apple cider, anyone? ), the best part about this drink is that it incorporates so much water. all of that water in the herbal tea and the lemonade counts towards your daily ounceage. so get seeping!

003. coconut water.

if you like the taste of coconut, then hydrating via coconut water is really the best alternative for you. I love coconut everything, so of course this little miracle sip was no exception. especially since you can get it straight from the source here. it's kind of a comforting thought to know that if the whole island ran out of drinkable water, we could all sustain on the many many coconuts overhead.

004 :: produce-infused water.

what better way to liven up a plain ol' glass of water than with some of nature's most exquisite fruits and veggies? cucumber goes with everything and makes me feel like I belong at some fancy spa. cucumber and lemon. cucumber and lavender. cucumber and raspberry ( personal favorite ). the possibilities are endless and they all make hydrating a little more fun.

005 :: fruits & veggies.

if our human bodies are made up of mostly water, then it is no wonder that little vegetable bodies are, too. because I knew this little detail, I would actually hydrate only with fresh fruits and veggies during college. though I will say it takes a lot of fruits and veggies to equal the amount of water needed. after all, vegetables are not all water.

and there you have it! five perfectly delicious ways to get creative with water. now, I'd like to include a little disclaimer :: if I made it sound like there is a great substitution for water, there isn't. there's no such thing. we need water for all of our bodily processes and without it, we can't utilize our energy intake properly. I only meant to raise awareness that water is everywhere and it all counts! which is really good news for those of us who can claim mild diet coke addictions ;)

happy sipping, everyone! thanks for stopping by!

love, arielle