The Substance: How To Drink Water💧
Dewin' it and dewin' it well
4 min read
❤️🩹 Greetings, 2025. It’s hard to call it a Happy New Year when we’re only ten days in and there’s already been a devastating natural disaster at home. I realize the content here can feel trite or tone deaf in the context of what’s happening, but my only intent is to keep things moving onward and upward. Please send your love and support to our friends in Los Angeles, and send some funds if you can. Links to donate below.
GIRLS ON FILM
It’s been a banner few weeks for women doing good things for our physical and mental health.
Demi Moore took home her first Golden Globe at age 62, for her performance in The Substance, the body horror satire that is turning up the ugly lights full blast on the unattainable beauty standards women have been subjected to since the birth of society. I’m gearing up to watch it like this 🙌🏻 🫣
Last month, OG fitness influencer and Well on Heels hall-of-famer Jane Fonda turned 87 and launched a new workout series in collaboration with Supernatural, the virtual-reality fitness platform from Meta Quest. It’s no secret that my idol worship for Ms. Fonda runs deep, but even if she’s no more to you than Hanoi Jane, it’s worth noting her infectious energy and attitude towards aging with strength. 💪🏻
PUBLIC ENEMY
Just in time for Dry January, a fresh new warning from the Surgeon General that states, in no uncertain terms, that alcohol is the new smoking and a leading cause of cancer. The news is everywhere, so I’m hardly scooping anything here but it begs repeating. Once you have the facts, if you opt for moderation over abstention, there are more resources than ever, whether apps like Sunnyside and Reframe to help you cut back or imbibe more mindfully, or some really solid non-alc options that put O’Doul’s to shame. Athletic Brewing and Guinness Zero are my top picks for beers, and for alternative bevvies, I like the sparkling cannabis tonic BRĒZ for its high-CBD/low-THC pleasant mellow effects and its not-too-sweet elderflower flavor. I receive zero compensation from them to say this, but YOU can save $5 on your first order with the code EUPHORIA at checkout.
HIGH & DRY
If January is drying out more than your liver, join the club. The combination of cold winter air and indoor heating systems that suck all the humidity out of the room is a perfect storm for creating parched and scaly skin, respiratory issues, nosebleeds, and disrupting sleep. It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Here’s your go-to list for making sure you stay hydrated:
Wirecutter picked this humidifier for its ease of use and ultrasonic technology
My favorite face cream for dry seasons is Ursa Major’s Golden Hour, a thick and fast-absorbing unisex formula that protects like a shield and feels all glowy.
You need to drink more water than you think in cold weather, and there’s a range of apps to help you track it—I’m experimenting with 100oz/day and my skin is thanking me for it.
Fun fact: the Law of Urination says a properly hydrated mammal pees for 21 seconds on average. If you’re consistently clocking much less than that, you may need to up your H20 intake (or you’re going too frequently, which could signal a different issue).
A hygrometer measures atmospheric temps and humidity in the room—the best $7.99 you can spend, IMO. Ideal indoor conditions are 30-50% humidity. Here is an example of a reading that is far less ideal and why I’m researching humidifiers and drinking more water:
HERE’S A TIP, MAKE THE CHANGE
75 percent of Americas are chronically dehydrated. And while this does not pose the same risk to your health as smoking, alcohol or sedentariness, it does make you cranky, headache-y, and wrinkly. Cute!
So you invested in your 140oz Stanley Cup and now you’re riding high on your hydration horse, but chugging down large quantities (more than 20 oz of liquid at a time), is not a good strategy- you end up peeing it out before it’s had a chance to be absorbed and used by tissues and organs. The mantra, according to our friend Dr Michael Breus, is “SIP- DON’T GULP.”
Put THAT in your big, dumb cup.
Happy hydrating, happy weekend, and please help our friends in California:
California Fire Foundation provides immediate financial assistance to victims.
Pet Rescue LA Animal Services and Canine Rescue Club provide shelter for displaced pets.
Los Angeles Pet Food Pantry provides food for pets.
Gobble Gobble Give provides food and shelter for Los Angeles’ homeless.
Habitat for Humanity provides assistance in rebuilding homes.