It is a perfect day on the East Coast today. The sun is out; the sky is blue; the air is just beginning to warn of impending winter. This morning, after drinking my daily three cups of coffee, I was still cold. I rubbed my hands together for warmth before sharing with my dear friends and colleagues one of my very good survival tips for cold weather.
They hated it! And now, to spite them, I bring this amazing tip to you, the readers.
! Have a nice mug of hot water when you are cold !
In all of the warm weather seasons I drink cold water to be hydrated. It is nice, refreshing even. A couple of years ago I was whining to my friend Aisha about how I never drink water in the winter because the sun room where I write is so cold all winter I have to wear gloves to type and my poor circulation makes me feel like I might die. She gave me this tip which she stole from her grandma!
All you do is you make water hot (kettle, microwave, whatever) and when you're done with your coffee/tea, you pour the water in there and then you sip it. Voila! Now you will not be over-caffeinated at 9:00 p.m. and unable to sleep, and you will be warm. Drinking the warm water is like a sweater for your insides.
My terrible colleagues have dubbed this "sicko behavior." They say you have to put a tea bag into the water. You do not. They are wrong. The joy of drinking hot water is that it is warm. Some tea tastes bad! Sometimes you are drinking tea when what you really want is just hot liquid. And also: water is free. If you are feeling fancy, you can put a lemon slice in there and then just pour your many mugs of hot water on top of the lemon all day.
Happy cold times! Have some hot water in a mug!
