Top 5 things to keep in mind while drinking water
Water is one of the most critical aspects of our health. Our body is approximately made up of 60 % water. Even then we take water for granted, including the way we consume it. Inadequate amounts and wrong ways of drinking water can lead to serious health issues.
1) Drink water only when thirsty
Frequently we all have heard “Drink two to three litres of water and some people advice 8 to 10 glasses of water is a must every day.”- These are the most common myths. This is half-knowledge, and we follow blindly drinking more and more water even when it’s not required. Ideally, you should drink water only when you feel thirsty. Drinking water without thirst can confuse the brain. When you are thirsty and drink water, the swallow reflux helps you to gulp down the water. Once your thirst is quenched, your body tamps down the swallowing reflux. Hence it will be difficult to swallow water when you are not thirsty.
Study show; it will be three times more difficult to swallow the water when you are not thirsty. This unnecessary increase in water content affects your digestive system and also can cause Hyponatremia, which means low sodium in your blood. Excessive water affects salt consumption and causes the body cells to swell. Excessive water puts more workload on the kidneys, and they have to filter more blood, sometimes leading to water intoxication. Your body is your best guide. Listen to it, and drink only when thirsty.
2) Drinking water during meals
We often tend to drink more water during meals to eat in a hurry or consume our meals quickly. It dilutes the digestive juices. Avoid drinking water before or in-between meals. Drinking more water with meals is unhealthy and can interfere with the digestion process. Excess water drinking during meals can lead to undigested food in your stomach and can cause acid reflux and heartburns. Avoid drinking water with meals. Correct time to drink water ideally is 30 minutes before the meal and 60 to 90 minutes after the meal to keep the concentration of your digestive juices and enzymes at normal range.
A certain quantity of water, of course, is required for effective digestion, but that must come from the food itself like buttermilk or soup or any other liquid food.
3) Do not drink chilled water
After a long day of hard work, many of us head straight to the refrigerator for a bottle of chilled water. A typical scenario, but little do we know about the damage it can causes. According to Ayurveda, chilled water disturbs digestive temperature and gastric juices. Now the body has to spend an extra amount of energy in regulating the body temperature. Hence, enough energy is not easily available to digest food. Also, chilled water contracts the blood vessels and hinders digestion. It also stimulates your tenth cranial nerve, vagus nerve, which is responsible for lowering your heart rate. So, stop drinking chilled water.
Ideally drink water which is at room temperature or a little warm. Warm water helps to improve your digestion and increase blood circulation and keeps your arteries clean.
4) Avoid drinking water in a standing position
Another common mistake people do; drinking water while standing. Various studies show that, when you drink water in standing position, the water flows down your digestive system very fast, in a straight gush. Hence the required water and nutrients don’t get absorbed into your digestive tract. This causes a deposit of impurities in your kidney and bladder.
In a sitting position, our muscles and nerves are relaxed to absorb more water. It is highly recommended to sit and relax, and then enjoy your drink.
5) Do not gulp large amounts
Gulping down large amounts of water can upset your stomach. Our saliva is alkaline in nature, and it neutralizes the acidity in our stomach. If you are gulping, the water, it is not given sufficient time to mix with the saliva. Consequently, the neutralization of an acid by saliva is affected. This might cause acid reflux and related problems.
The right way to drink water is to sip it little-by-little. This way, water can mix with saliva completely before it flows down into your system. It is also seen that when we sip water, the urine excretion is six times lower! The body absorbs more water and keeps you hydrated.
Water is an essential element in your living, but if not consumed properly, then it can cause severe digestive issues and many health issues.
You may choose to have a right and healthy diet, but it must be supported with the right intake of water!