Summer Resolutions Part 2

I know this wasn't for this summer, but I did a post a while back talking about my summer resolutions at the that time. I figured I'd take the time to boast about the ones I completed, and list the ones I still need to do and add new ones. Unfinished resolutions in red, completed resolutions in green, and new resolutions in blue. There is only one, but there is one "iffy" resolution.

1. Drink coconut water-- I tried, I really did. I tried everything from Zico to Vita Coco to some other brands that I can't think of. I just don't like the taste, for some reason they taste kind of like tomato V8 but only slightly sweeter. I'll stick to water.

2. Do more blog posts-- I say this ALL the time, but I never stick to it. I have some reviews stacked up, but my lighting sucks everywhere in my house and I can't get good pictures. I'm vowing to actually post regularly now. Promise!

3. Read more books-- Not as many books as I'd like, but I have been reading more. Everything from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Giver, to the Phenomenology of Perception and The Conscious of the Atom. My problem is that I read whatever I'm in the mood for at the moment. I think I'm reading 3 books at once now, and it's taking me forever.

4. Yoga-- Just like the reading, I have started doing yoga. Only not as often as I'd like to. But I have seen improvement, in body strength and flexibility and even in everyday life things. I used to have extremely poor digestion very frequently to only feeling nauseous/uncomfortable a very rare occasion. It might be a coincidence, but who knows. It might be a mental thing, but I feel better overall.

5. Learn calligraphy-- For some reason, I became fascinated and in love with fountain pens. They are so smooth to write with, and they make my cursive look amazing. They can be waaaay more expensive than a whole pack of BIC Pens, but I'd say they're worth it once you get used to writing with them. You can also pick from so many ink colors it's not even funny. As a step up from just writing in cursive, calligraphy is beautiful and so damn hard! I'm impressed by all of you who can write lovely calligraphy words and phrases.

6. Don't wait until the last minute to do my summer reading-- I don't have any summer reading anymore since I'm not in school. I'm just going to leave this with the above post about reading more books.

7. Save my money and not blow my paychecks on beauty products-- I FINALLY (and by finally I mean a few days ago) was able to re-open my savings account. I wouldn't really say I saved money, but I didn't really gain much either. I also blew my paychecks, just on a few different things than beauty products. Like Dominos Pizza, mainly so I can get their lava cakes. Mmmmm…

8. World of Warcraft-- I know, I know. My boyfriend payed for it the first time and unfortunately I got hooked. I'm stuck on level 88 and I'm trying to get to 90. It just seems like no matter hard I try I can't get past 88. It's frustrating, dammit! Don't get talked in to playing, it's money you don't want to be wasting. But it is fun and addicting. Don't buy it!

Credit

Did you make any summer resolutions last year, and did you follow through with them? Are you going to make any resolutions for this summer? What will they be?

My Thoughts on Vita Coco Coconut Water

At the beginning of summer, I posted about my summer resolutions for this summer, and drinking coconut water was on the top of my list. After extensive (well, what I consider extensive) research and reading several reviews, Vita Coco seemed like the way to go for coconut water drinkers. Most said that it tasted sweet, kept them hydrated, and talked about other health benefits of drinking coconut water in general.

I went to GNC and picked up the Peach and Mango flavor. I stuck it in the fridge before work to chill it, and took it to work with me.

I happened to be running very late for work that day, and had to park far away because of some event that was going on. I literally had to RUN to work in the awful Charleston summer humidty/heat, wearing long pants. Being the out of shape bum that I am, under normal circumstances I would have passed out by the time I got to work and/or felt absolutely awful. Lucky for me, I had my coconut water and drank it on my run to work. I felt wonderfully hydrated when I got there. Just a little hot (thank god I work in an ice cream shop...) and a bit worn out.

However, it wasn't the taste I was expecting. Considering it was coconut water, with peach and mango mixed in, I was expecting it to taste fruity and sweet. But it tasted like...tomato juice, like V8. It didn't taste bad necessarily, but not what I was expecting. So the taste wasn't good but tolerable because of all of the benefits of coconut water.

By the end of my shift, I had gotten a HORRIBLE headache, which I assumed was just from the running. I had gotten tired of drinking my coconut water and decided to switch over to regular water. (I gave the rest of my coconut water to my coworker who LOVED the taste. So I guess it's an acquired taste?)

I went back to GNC and got 2 other flavors, the regular coconut water and one with acai berry.

Same thing with both flavors: I felt hydrated and healthy, if that makes sense. But the taste wasn't quite right and I got awful headaches both times.

Needless to say, I got tired of the headaches and after the third coconut water I realized I got them after drinking coconut water, so I stopped drinking them. As I thought, the headaches stopped after I gave up coconut water. I have an allergy to most fruit (nothing fatal, just itchy mouth, throat, lips, tongue, etc.), so maybe coconut water was no different for me. Someone suggested I may not be allergic to it but I have an intolerance to it, like some are lactose intolerant.

Final thoughts:

-If you go to the gym or play a sport and drink sports drinks like Gatorade, this could be a healthier alternative to keep you hydrated.

-The taste wasn't as fruity as I expected, but it wasn't too bad. Others love the taste.

-Had horrible headaches after drinking it.

-Other than keeping you hydrated, coconut water has many other health benefits.

Do you or have you had coconut water before? Did you like the taste? What did you like/dislike about it?