Lately, I’ve been toting this guy around everywhere:
It contains three of my new favorite things:
an excellent water bottle, super refreshing iced tea, and chia seeds.
The bottle
First, the water bottle. I have gone through a lot of water bottles in my time, from the free squeezable sport bottles from basketball camp to the once-trendy Nalgene bottles to the hipster stainless steel bottles to cups (and bottles) with straws. They all had their pros and cons. The Nalgenes had a nice, wide mouth opening so I could gulp down water quickly… but this was also the bottle’s downfall. I know I’m not the only student who tried to sneak in a gulp while trekking across campus only to spill water all over my shirt.
I loved the look of the stainless steel bottles, but those got banged up very quickly when I threw my backpack around. Any “cool” factor they had disappeared when my bottle lolled about like an indecisive top, having been dropped multiple times. Plus, the stainless steel bottles were kind of annoying to clean. You can’t really fit a sponge in those small mouth openings, and I dunno about you, but vinegar is not part of my usual dishwashing routine, so it was annoying to have to bust that out to clean this one item. Then again, I didn’t use a dishwasher back then, so maybe I’d feel differently about this now. But still, the dents.
The straw thing was novel for a while… but those were no fun to clean, and I couldn’t just throw them in the dishwasher. I also couldn’t schlep it around in my purse, so I didn’t end up bringing it around as much… and what’s the point of a water bottle if you can’t transport it about easily?
Then I stumbled upon this unassuming Under Armour bottle
I never knew I had that much to say about water bottles. But there you are. If you, too, have been annoyed with the too-wide (Nalgene) or too-small (straws, squeeze bottles) openings of your water bottles… or found them difficult to clean to your satisfaction… or found that they leaked in your purse… or are tired of screwing lids open/closed… or are just in the market for a new water bottle, then you might wanna give this one a shot!
5/19/2014 UPDATE: Thank you, commenters and water-enthusiasts, for enlightening me on the even more amazing array of water bottles available today! Here are some other excellent water bottle options I think you should know about. They are both stainless steel (I’m guessing most people aren’t as clumsy as I am with the denting…) and… *drum roll please…* condensation-free!! No more water puddles on your desk! Nice. One of those didn’t-know-I-needed-it things. Both claim to keep beverages cold up to 24 hours. They also both come with a pretty hefty price tag, so if you lose things easily like I do, you might want to think twice about it… otherwise, they seem like great items!
Hydro Flask
Aiite. You know we’re getting serious when bottles go from $29+ with a $7 lid
6/30/2016 UPDATE: We have all converted to the Hydro Flask. I’m even considering buying a 40 oz. one now…!
The tea
I was delighted to see that a local bakery was serving this tea, so one warm day, I ordered a citrus mint iced tea
One $12 canister is actually supposed to make “50 delicious cups!” so that means by buying it, I’m actually saving $188!* (That’s right, gentlemen, you don’t want to send your wives shopping with me…) So I bought it, and am happy to say that 30+ cups later, I’m still a very satisfied customer. I actually steep each spoonful of leaves twice, and also use more than the directed 8 oz of water per teaspoon, so I can probably get closer to 200 “delicious cups” out of this canister. I always enjoy it iced, which gives each serving even more mileage.
When I think of all the iced coffee and pearl milk tea cravings I have fended off with this simple beverage, I know it’s been a good investment for my wallet and my health.
*(50 cups x $4 per cup at the store) – $12 for my own tin
The seeds
- omega-3 fatty acids
- fiber
- antioxidants
- minerals
- can be digested whole (vs. flax seeds, which need to be ground up)
- tasteless
- easy/no prep
It’s also supposed to be gluten free, be good for your cholesterol levels, help regulate blood sugar, and help with weight loss (by giving you a feeling of fullness). Since sprinkling these into water is very easy, I decided to give it a shot. At first, I balked at the price– $12 a pound
In water, they have a tapioca-like texture, but they’re so small that you can swallow a bunch of them whole as you swig down your beverage and barely notice. Personally, I like the texture.
As with all things, you should probably consume it in moderation. I don’t expect miracles from these seeds and will still strive to eat a balanced diet. I’m no health nut, but since a spoonful a day is so easy, why not?
So the water bottle, the tea, and the chia seeds. They’re helping me to drink more water, consume fewer caffeinated and sugary drinks (which I think I’m legitimately addicted to), and possibly boost my overall health. Three simple things that I’m glad I finally got on board with. Perhaps now you will, too!
**5/18/2014 Update: My local Costco sells a 2-lb bag for $13.99, so maybe you can find a good deal in your area!
11 responses to “Tea and Chia Seeds”
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I received a wonderful stainless steel water bottle of the type you describe as a free gift for attending the Illinois Reading Conference last year. I knew it would dent easily and wanted a hands-free way to carry it, so I found a nylon carry case with a should strap ( extra bonus : keeps things cooler/hotter for longer). It is a year old and still going strong with no dents. I liked it so well, I ordered a Thermos brand water bottle of similar design (the rubber grip around the center in addition to the other design features you mentioned). This one is a bit wider, but not as tall as my first bottle, and it fits nicely in my backpack. The Thermos brand can be proud of the quality of its insulation. Ice is still ice after 24 hours without the additional insulation of a carry-bag.
Chia seeds. Yes. I bought them, but need to make a smoothy in order to ingest them as the texture is not one I want in my water. Oh well. They improve the texture of the smoothy.
Tea! I am delighted to hear of a more economical way to purchase the teas you describe. A friend treated me to the mint and I was in heaven, but didn’t even consider buying the lovely box because of the cost. Thanks you for finding the alternative!
Love your blog! Thank you for well presented tie-bits.
Thanks for sharing, Barbara! I can’t believe a water bottle could keep ice frozen for 24 hours! That’s amazing.
Smoothies sound like a good way to go! More healthy points for you :).
Ooh glad to help you find the tea! =) Thanks for reading!!
I should really try the chia seeds… I haven’t ever. I hear you on the denting easily thing, but since I’m a “no plastics” kind of girl, I use the steel bottles. 🙂 To clean them I squirt some soap in them, run the hottest water I possibly can in them until the suds are gone, and then rinse with colder water. Seems to work for me!
I’m going to have to check out that tea though… I love the Numi teas and use those bags two or three times too… so I’m familar with the expensive price tag/extra uses habit!!!
Good point on the plastics! I can see myself choosing steel bottles for the kiddos eventually, dents and all. Now that I regularly use a dishwasher, that will probably solve the cleaning problem. Thanks for the tip!
Mm I hope you like the tea!
(If you happen to see this… what are your favorite Numi teas?)
It’s always a question of whether the replies are seen or not, isn’t it?! 🙂 I have that problem on my blog too, and when we’re on different networks it’s hard. 😛
I really love the Numi Jasmine, Toasted Rice, and most of the flowering teas. (I don’t remember offhand which variety of the flowering teas… I usually end up with a variety pack and *every* time I try to make a mental note and then fail. Their rooibos chai is good too – but I add milk and sweetener to that. You just have to make sure to steep it an extra long time to get that chai flavor – much longer than any other cup of tea!
Ah, good to know! I will definitely have to try out those varieties sometime! Thanks for checking back 🙂
Water bottle – I also use a Thermos water bottle. It really does keep water and ice cold all day! It has a flip top with nice size mouth opening (you could walk and drink at the same time.) I have had mine for almost two years now. No dents, easy to clean, goes everywhere with me.
I just looked it up– looks just like what I have, but… with stainless steel options! Wow! I am gonna have to look into this more! Thanks for the tip! (If you happen to read this, can you tell me if it’s really condensation-free with cold beverages? Now that would be the cherry on top!).
Oh I have a better water bottle solution/suggestion. I’ll have to post on FB one of these days. Your solution has a few issues: it doesn’t keep drinks cold for long, if there is cold liquids in it it will sweat/leave a puddle on your desk, you have to lift the bottle and tilt to drink it, if you put ice cubes in it, it may [partially] block the hole you drink from. What you need is wide-mouthed (fits ice cubes/easy to clean) stainless steel vacuum insulated bottles, with a rubber flip top straw lid (which is dishwasher safe so it’s easy to clean). Hydro Flask.
FYI, here’s a post from Facebook that I wrote about water bottles:
Water Bottles. After years of drinking tons of ice water from reusable bottles at home/work/sports, I finally found a solution I really like and has changed/improved the water intake in my life enough to warrant a facebook post. I’ll jump to the punch line first:
Hydro Flask Wide-Mouth Vacuum-Insulated Stainless Steel Bottle WITH FLIP STRAW LID
Here’s my long-winded review/reasons:
1) Vacuum-insulated stainless steel bottles. Advertised as 24hrs cold, 12hrs hot–for real? Yes. If I have some leftover ice cubes in my bottle when I leave work, the next morning when I return, the ice will still be solid (and I think the majority of heat escapes through the lid, not the bottle). This bottle keeps your drink cold, which is particularly important to me when it’s out in hot weather while I’m playing sports. The other great benefit of vacuum-insulated is zero condensation, no “sweating.” Normal bottles leave a puddle on my desk, or get my gym bag all wet when there’s ice water in it. No such issue with vacuum-insulated. Thanks to Alex Chen for being the first to recommend the Hydro Flask brand to me. Note that other brands have vacuum-insulated bottles too.
2) Wide mouth. There are two problems with narrow-mouthed bottles. a) It’s difficult to put ice cubes in them and b) It’s difficult to clean. Both issues are minimized with wide-mouth bottles.
3) Flip Straw Lid. Lids are an important part of the water bottle. With conventional bottles, I never liked the lids that you need to unscrew off (takes too much time) and drink directly from the bottle. Stainless steel is too hard to be comfortable to drink from and accidentally hit your teeth. It’s easy to spill onto your face and it’s hard to drink just liquid when you have ice cubes coming out too (filter with teeth). I’ve used sports caps during sports, which is a decent solution; but due to the need to lift bottle above your mouth for gravity to work and the sucking air sound it can make, it’s a nuisance (borderline awkward) for at-your-work-desk/meeting drinking. Flip lids can be nice, but as ice cubes melt to smaller size, they can partially block the hole or worse yet go through the hole and cause unexpected ice in your mouth to try to not choke on. Low water flow rate can be an issue when it comes to sipping (vs suction), especially with ice cubes at the top. I just discovered this flip straw lid recently and it has been surprisingly a big difference-maker. A fast flip top that doesn’t leak, it has a rubber spout that’s comfortable for your mouth, and the straw portion is in the bottle completely (reusable and no bite marks). Drinking from a straw is much faster than sipping from lids/bottles, it has a high water flow rate, and no need to lift/tilt your bottle. Since ice floats, the ice never blocks the straw hole or gets in the way. The entire lid is dishwasher safe so it’s easy to clean. As a result of all this, I’ve observed that I consume ~2x the water than I used to previously just with the new lid. It also has a finger loop to clip/hold onto.
The downside? It’s a bit pricey ~$30 but comes with a lifetime warranty for hopefully years and years of use.
The 40oz bottle I have is huge, but I like it a lot since I drink through a few of these a day now; and for sports, I need about that much water for my games. You can purchase a smaller-sized bottle too though.
http://www.amazon.com/Hydro-Flask-Insulated-Stainless-40-Ounce/dp/B004X55NEG and
http://www.amazon.com/Hydro-Flask-Mouth-Straw-Black/dp/B00DMIEZEO
Thank youuuuu! :] So thorough!!