Yes, if we know its proper use, then water can be a medicine!

I still remember a saying from my childhood, “we should drink our breath, eat our water and ruminate our food.” The message behind this saying is to do everything slowly and with complete awareness.

In this article, I would like to share some guideline which I follow to keep my body healthy and energized. Some of them I learned while growing up, and some from studying Ayurvedic medicine. But they are all very useful and extremely easy to follow. I am sure you know some of them already.

We all know that our human body is made up of 55 to 60 percent of water. In children, the percentage is even higher. Nowadays, everyone is aware of the recommended daily intake of fluid for men and women; so I don’t have to explain it here. But one thing is clear – that we should drink more and eat less for our body’s requirements. Maybe we are drinking enough quantity, but are we drinking properly?

When water becomes medicine –

Let’s look at some guidelines to help us achieve this goal:

• Every morning, upon waking up, we should drink at least two glasses of water. Every night, our system goes through a detoxification process; so drinking water first thing in the morning helps to wash out toxins from the system. Also, our system is dehydrated for so many hours, and we have a dry mouth in the morning, so drinking water helps to rehydrate all the systems.
  • A few things to take care of –
    1. The temperature of the water should be lukewarm.
    2. It should be drunk very slowly, one sip at a time. Drinking fast will help to wash out the system, but drinking slowly will pull the toxins from the walls of the digestive system on the way out.
    3. (optional) It would be better if we drink without brushing or cleaning our mouth. Some bacteria found in the mouth are useful for the digestive system. And the others will go in diluted (with water) form, which will give our body a chance to improve its immune system.
       
• Always drink water while sitting down. Standing and drinking increases Vata in the body and creates joint problems, especially knee problems in the future. So if you love your knee, sit down while drinking.

• Never drink cold – cold fluid is very hot for the body. Our average internal temperature is around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. The body never absorbs anything cooler than this temperature. When we drink freezing cold water, our internal system has to raise its temperature to make it suitable to be absorbed. So the body has to work extra before digesting and absorbing anything cold.

• Our body has the capacity to absorb only one glass at a time. So if you are extremely thirsty, do not drink a couple of glasses at the same time; give a few minutes in between glasses, your body will thank you for that 🙂

• Fluid intake should not be very close to food intake. It should be at least 45 minutes away from food.  
  • If we drink right before a meal, then the digestive fire goes down and does not have the power to digest anymore. It is like pouring water on a campfire.
  • If we drink too much water right after a meal, then our food floats in water. It is like pushing the solid material before it gets properly digested.
  • If the food choice is dry, without any soup or dal, then we can have some lukewarm water with it. But not more than half a glass with one meal.

• Each human body is unique. So do not blindly follow the suggested requirement of fluid intake without listening to your body’s need. Some body types need more fluid than others. Always listen to the body’s signal of thirst, and satisfy accordingly without overloading, because anything extra can be harmful.

• Do not be ashamed to look at the color of your own urine! If the color is dark yellow to light orange, then the internal system is dehydrated and needs more fluid. And if it is white-colored, then the system is overly hydrated. This assessment is true only for a healthy individual; in some disease situations, it may vary.

These simple guidelines can bring some miraculous improvement to your health. Always remember to eat your water! Enjoy every sip of this nature’s gift, because there is nothing that tastes better than pure water!