Glass Containers - Not just for Princesses!

Although it's not really about glass containers, one of my favorite fairy tales when I was growing up was a story called "The Princess and the Pea.” In case you don’t know, it is a story about a princess with skin so sensitive that she could feel a pea even if it was at the bottom of a tall stack of mattresses. (I guess this proved that she really was royalty, because she does get to marry the prince!)

A different kind of sensitivity

Although I don’t have the kind of sensitivity that is described in this story, I have been accused of being a “princess,” because I like to drink or eat from glass containers rather than plastic. When plastic beverage cups became popular with the advent of Tupperware, I always kept glassware on hand, so that I could enjoy a glass of water without the plastic taste. I also buy milk in cartons rather than plastic jugs, and store leftovers in glass containers. I even brew my tea in a glass teapot and drink it out of glass cups.

Unintended consequences

I did this for years, strictly because of taste preference, but now I am finding out that there are also health reasons to choose glass over plastic. It seems that some of the chemicals that are in the plastic can sublimate into the food or beverage, not only changing the taste, but also allowing potentially harmful toxins to get into your system. This is also the reason that you shouldn’t microwave foods in plastic containers, since the higher heat causes even more “bleeding” of the chemicals from the plastic into the food or beverage.

Glass is more stable than plastic

You may not know that glass is more chemically stable than plastic, so it generally does not impact the food or beverage that it contains. Also, many plastics are designed for short term use and therefore are expected to deteriorate over time.

Water is the main thing

Of all the things that I prefer in glass, water is at the top of the list. It probably doesn’t surprise you that most of us do not drink enough water. With all the more exciting alternatives that are available, water seems dull by comparison. However, it is still the best way to really quench your thirst, while allowing your body to function well and eliminate waste products. Water is involved in so many processes that are constantly taking place inside of you, that without a steady supply, you will die.

When you get thirsty, you know that your body needs more water. Unfortunately, in our modern culture, we think that thirst is our body’s way of saying it needs a carbonated soft drink or anything liquid EXCEPT water. Your body needs to excrete at least 16 ounces of fluid each day through urine in order to function well. In addition, when you consider all of the processes that use water, responding appropriately to thirst becomes even more critical.

Interesting Fact: Although you may prefer the taste and feel of soft drinks to water, you may find that it doesn't really quench your thirst and you will continue to crave more.  There is an addictive quality to soft drinks, both diet and regular that makes them counter productive in the business of quenching your thirst (not to mention all the sugar, artificial sweetener, coloring, etc, that are counter productive to your good health!)

Some health experts will tell you that by the time you actually notice that you are thirsty, you are already on your way to dehydration. In any case, your body is constantly working to keep you healthy, and the thirst mechanism is just one way that it notifies you that it needs help.

Buying choices

In case you need help, one way to make water more accessible is to keep some nice glass containers, which are decorative as well as useful, filled with water in your refrigerator.

If you always have an available supply of cold water, you will be more likely to drink it when you are thirsty. If you need a larger capacity, there are larger glass beverage dispensers with spigots and ice chambers available that may help with this.

Glass containers are better than even the best plastic

I understand that there are some tougher plastics out there that seem to be a better choice for reusable water bottles, and this is certainly a step in the right direction. However, since I can still taste the plastic, I will stick to using glass containers and leave the plastic ones to the less sensitive among us.

After all, I may not be a princess, but I know what I like!

Eat and be healthy with my warmest regards,

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