"w" is for werther's and water (and it's not what you think)

Werther's Sugar Free Hard Candies

As much as I am working to stay away from "foods" that my great-grandmother wouldn't recognize, I'm making an exception for Werther's candies! I get the sugar free kind (because even a small amount of sugar is enough to put me on the 'rollercoaster'), and it's sweetened with isomalt. (According to Wikipedia: Isomalt is a sugar substitute, a type of sugar alcohol, used primarily for its sugar-like physical properties. It has only a small impact on blood sugar levels and does not promote tooth decay, i.e. is tooth-friendly.) Sugar alcohols cause side effects when consumed in quantity, but I've found that eating even 4-5 of these causes no trouble for me. They are satisfying, long-lasting, and they help me through my sugar cravings!

Water (and a new perspective on how much to drink)

So, I have written pretty extensively about drinking more water starting in January and several posts continuing through February. I am personally a great fan of drinking more water. Most of the folks I know really don't drink much at all during the day, and water is not high on their list of things to drink. I have found for myself that drinking more water does several pleasant things: (1) it crowds out my ability to drink other (less healthful) drinks, (2) my skin feels much more supple and moist, (3) my digestive system works better, (4) I feel better overall.

How much water to drink? There's the question. My answer, generally, is MORE THAN YOU DO NOW. For most folks, that's good advice. However, I have recently come across an article that challenges the idea of drinking 8 glasses of water every day (which has become the 'norm' for water-drinking advice). Read it yourself and see what you think. I really appreciate that the author's primary concern is respect for your own body, rather than following some abstract number that somebody else decided. Here is Butterbeliever's article: http://butterbeliever.com/8-reasons-not-to-drink-8-glasses-of-water-a-day/ as an alternative.

Whichever way you land, consider how water affects your own body, and drink accordingly!