Tips – Page 2 – in thriver words

Drink Water. Just Do It!

Drink water. Just Do it! It’s hot. Hotter than hot. You may be losing more fluid than you realize going about your daily routine when your body is trying to cool you down from getting in a hot car or carrying in groceries in hot, humid conditions.

blue background with clear glass of ice and water being poured in

Your body also needs water to produce tears and saliva. You may notice you have less energy or feel grumpy when you don’t stay on top of how much you’re drinking.

People with sore tummies may have an aversion to both food and fluid intake. This can lead to dehydrating more quickly because we get fluids from both.

I’m not opposed to fluids other than water, but I avoid both sugar and sugar substitutes. Not only do I find them distasteful, they don’t satisfy my thirst.

For me to drink water, it needs to be cold. Even if it’s cold outside, I prefer water with ice. If you have an aversion to drinking water, experiment with the temperature. Both of my sons enjoy hot water and many swear by room temperature.

If you’re easily distracted and forget to drink, set a timer or combine drinking with another activity – stretching your legs, walking to the printer, attending a meeting, loading the dishwasher, or doing laundry. Keeping an insulated tumbler handy can also be helpful.

If you don’t like the taste of water, a squeeze of orange, lime, or lemon may help. And there are many flavor packets you can add to make it more palatable. My preference is plain water, but some packaged flavoring may also have needed electrolytes. Be sure to read labels to avoid ingredients your system can’t tolerate.

For those who suffer from chronic or episodic diarrhea, you may be losing both fluids and electrolytes and need to monitor your salt intake as well. Talk to your doctor about the best approach to take.

Caffeinated drinks, some medications, exercise, elevation, and weather can have a significant effect on the amount of water you need. For those who suffer from chronic or episodic diarrhea, you are losing fluids (and electrolytes and may need to monitor your salt intake as well).

Of course, this means there’s no static amount of water needed to stay properly hydrated because every day is different.

Mayo Clinic’s website indicates studies suggest an average healthy adult will get enough water if they ingest about 11.5 cups (92 oz or 2.7 liters) to 15.5 cups (124 oz or 3.7 liters) per day of total fluid. This amount can include food and other liquids. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256

If you walk into a convenience store to purchase bottled water, you’ll find 16.9 – 20 oz bottles are common. As a visual reference, you’ll need the equivalent of about 6 of those per day, more if you’re walking a lot, gardening or doing yard work in the heat, spend a lot of time in airplanes, or are living or traveling at a high elevation.

I’ve moved my walking time up two hours and still have to abbreviate the distance just to make it tolerable. This minor walk or 20 minutes in the garden result in sweat rolling down my face and limbs. It takes an equal length of time to cool down and rehydrate once I’m back inside. Can I go longer or do more? Yes, but then it takes longer to recover.

When you’re swimming, you may be less prone to drink because fluid loss is not as obvious. Using a timer or carrying salty snacks can help remind you to drink water when you take a break from the pool.

Getting enough fluids will most likely come down to smart self-management. Play to your weaknesses so they don’t become barriers to getting what you need. If what you try first doesn’t work, try something else.

Through trial and error you can figure out the best way to motivate yourself to drink water. Just do it!

Is This a Great Value?

If you are doing price comparisons, you may be asking – is this a great value or is it just cheaper? To be a food product with great value, it needs to contain the same amount of food and nutrition for a lesser price. If it comes with fewer additives, even better.

I’ve seen videos that say store-brand foods like Great Value are exactly the same as their name-brand counterparts, come off the same manufacturing line, and are just put in different packaging. While I have no doubt many store-brand products are made by the same manufacturers as their name brand counterparts, I’m not as certain they come off the same line and only differ in packaging.

potato chips spilling out of plain brown wrapper.

Sometimes that may be true, but beware of the videos that advise things like Great Value^TMToasted O’s are exactly the same as Cheerios. One is labeled gluten-free. The other is not. That’s an indicator that there’s some difference. It’s also a reminder that reading labels remains essential if you must avoid certain foods or ingredients.

Walmart is revamping the packaging for Great Value. It’s a two-year project. One of the aims is to have the nutrition information listed and in a consistent location. I’m all for better labelling! https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2026/04/15/walmart-unveils-modern-redesign-of-great-value-its-flagship-private-brand

I sometimes prefer store-brand or lesser advertised products because they contain fewer chemicals and additives. Often the additives are flavor enhancers. Those may make the food taste better, but flavor enhancers trick your brain. If you eat a lot of processed food, you aren’t just ingesting chemicals that don’t add to your health, it can change your perception of fresh food.

So back to value. If the ingredient list is the same or preferable to your usual product, the amount of food per package the same, the nutrition value comparable, and the price less – yes, it’s a great value. The packaging isn’t always as appealing, but that’s not critical.

Now that we’ve addressed store brands, here are some other great values to consider:

When fresh vegetables aren’t in season or affordable, store-brand frozen vegetables can be a great value replacement.

I sometimes buy organic milk because it stays fresh longer. That means less waste. Also, keep in mind store-brand organic milk can be $2 less than name-brand.

I don’t like the texture of most frozen fruit, so I don’t use it in fruit salad, but it can work well for baked goods and be less expensive than fresh. It’s also easy to always have on hand without worrying about it spoiling.

Look for deals on protein. One local grocery store does a Pick 5 meat deal for $25. You can mix and match cuts as long as they have a Pick 5 sticker.

Some save by buying in bulk. If you live alone, consider partnering with neighbors to maximize your bulk buying power. I live on a block with lots of cooks. It’s not odd to suggest a food exchange on the neighborhood text chain.

Grow your own herbs. Fresh herbs are both expensive and easily grown in pots. Growing your own is a great value. To reduce the initial investment, look for free pots on a community gifting group or check a thrift store. You can grow from seed or plants. Sometimes herbs are available in plant exchanges.

There’s no shame in finding new ways to save. I always keep the question, is it a great value, top of mind!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Conservation Conversations

Given current prices on everyday necessities, it’s a great time for a conservation conversations. How can you stay on your required diet, eat healthy food, not exhaust yourself, and spend less money?

Let’s start with a given. It will not be easy. Fighting this fact will delay making progress and mentally exhaust you. The quicker you make peace with a need for change that may make portions of your life more difficult, the sooner you will be able to improve your circumstances and quality of life overall.

Pink round piggy bank with pennies around it on white background.

Here are a few guidelines to follow when conservation is required.

Explore things that can stay the same. This can make transitions easier. For example, instead of giving up meals at a favorite farm-to-table restaurant, reduce the frequency. Skip the iced tea or soda in favor of water.

Stop buying things you throw away. We all have things that sit in the refrigerator or pantry because we thought they were a good idea at the time, but we don’t use often enough to justify keeping them on hand. Cocoa powder, vanilla beans, saffron, lasagna noodles, and hot sauce are things I seem to think I need all the time. I don’t.

Use less. Following a low histamine diet has resulted in me recognizing how much flavor can be imparted by a smidge of tomato sauce, a spoonful of ranch dressing, or a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Reducing the amount I’d typically add has made things tolerable for my system and saved me money as well. For what to do with leftover tomato sauce – freeze it in ice cube trays to make it go a long way. You can also share with friends or neighbors.

Rely on herbs, spices, and veggies rather than cheese. Cheese is delicious. Cheese is also expensive. You can enhance the flavor of casseroles with herbs and spices. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and even beans can be used to add a creamy element to casseroles, soups, and one pot meals.

Add rice and/or beans. A meal will feel more substantial if you serve it with rice or beans. You can pull back on the amount of beef, pork, or chicken per person by serving bowls that include rice and/or beans.

We’ve made it through five guidelines that don’t require extra baking, sorting through sales, or organizing coupons. That may be enough to keep your budget working. If not, consider a few more:

Make more soup. Soup is delicious and filling whether it’s hot or cold. As we enjoy the farmers market, it’s a great time to use bits and pieces, leaves, and stems in soup. Fruit is best used quickly, but vegetable bits can be collected in a container in your fridge for several days before you need to cook them. Think carrot tops, beet greens, Brussels sprout leaves, chard or broccoli stems. Prep them when cleaning up after the meal in which you used the rest of the vegetable. That will leave you with a container of prepped vegetables to use in soup.

Substitute ground turkey for ground beef. I’ve been doing this for a couple of years because I prefer it, but it also makes sense for budgetary reasons. In meatloaf and burgers, I add a splash of Worcestershire sauce to beef up the flavor (see what I did there).

Make yogurt. This may sound like a big deal, but yogurt is one of the easiest things to make. You don’t need anything but milk, starter, and a place to keep it warm. I prefer to use whole milk, packaged starter, and a yogurt maker that holds jars. But you can use yogurt with live cultures as a starter and an instant pot to keep it warm. Making your own allows you to process it for 24 hours to break down all the lactose if you’re lactose intolerant. It eliminates all the added sugar of flavored yogurt, and it means your yogurt isn’t housed in plastic. Lots of bang for a minimum of prep time.

Freeze gluten-free items. Instead of buying ready-made gluten-free muffins, pancakes, waffles, or cookies, make two batches at a time and freeze one. Since 2020, the selection of prepackaged gluten-free items available in local stores has shrunk and prices have increased. This makes an occasional afternoon of baking seem like an increasingly welcome activity.

Dispose of disposables. Paper towels, paper napkins, and disposable plates all have washable alternatives. If you’re already overwhelmed with laundry or dishes, this may not be the appropriate place to cut back, but it’s an option to explore. You can also conserve by saving paper towels used to dry clean hands for later use cleaning the table or countertops.

These ten guidelines don’t eliminate but do minimize change and additional effort while reducing costs. Keep them in mind as we all deal with rising prices and are required to have conservation conversations.

Ice Ice Baby

It’s 50° outside and we still have ice ice baby. Luckily, ours came in the form of sleet that doesn’t weigh down power lines, but the indefiniteness of the forecast meant we had to prepare for the possibility we’d be without power during extremely cold weather. If you have a particular diet you have to follow, preparation is even more critical.

With the threat of ice looming, I not only stocked the house with food, I precooked several days’ worth. My reasoning was that I could reheat something I had previously baked using nothing but a 100-hour candle setup, but it would expend more resources than I have to cook it from scratch.

If I didn’t have to worry about histamine levels in food, I could have grabbed some peanut butter and deli meat for sandwiches. I could keep a store of canned vegetables. If I weren’t gluten-free, I’d have more options for borrowing from neighbors if I run out of something. Life would be easier.

RV travel has given me some experiences and equipment that were helpful in preparing for this event. I charged up my rechargeable camping lights, made sure I knew where the backup phone charger was, and broke out my solar generator.

I made meatloaf, honey-lime chicken tenders, and beef with rice. Vegetables included squash with red bell pepper & onion, green beans, and blackened broccoli. I had bananas, apples, blueberries, kiwi, and goat cheese on hand. I stocked up on eggs, and made sure I had some gluten-free pasta, rolls, pizza crust, and bread. I pre-grounded coffee beans and verified there was back-up coffee from the RV in the house just in case.

While that level of prep turned out to be sufficient. It would not have been if grocery delivery had not resumed after six days. And that is why I also had some dry shelf-stable gluten-free survival food on hand.

With supplies and working internet, I am able to be productive. There’s plenty of entertainment in books, TV, and movies. And there’s the joyful sound of sledding on the hill next to my house. The biggest problem has been keeping a handle on time. The days begin to run together.

Most of my friends are going crazy. Some are cleaning out the garage. Some are feeling antsy because they want their regular, overcommitted, busy routine back.

When ice looms, prepare in advance so you feel safe and equipped to meet any challenges, then take the opportunity to use unexpected free time to read a book, write a song, clean out your closet, or stare at the fireplace. It’s funny how likely we are to squander unexpected gifts of quiet time.

Constant frenzy is not healthy. Perhaps ice is the universe’s way of letting us know we need to take a moment, refocus, and examine the path we’re following. Another option is to absorb and enjoy the peace.

When it’s time for you to prepare for ice ice baby, here’s a great resource.

https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/2020-08/fema_winterstorm_htp.pdf