After air, water is the most important element for our survival on this planet. Our body is approximately 70% of water, and water is vital for our well-being and health. Our brain is 73% water, heart is 73% water, blood is 83% water, lungs are 83% water. Water is essential for several bodily functions and is needed by every cell and organ of our body.
All of us have been drinking water since our childhood. Reading the title of the article, one may wonder ‘what is right or wrong about drinking water when it is just simply drinking’. Surprisingly, drinking water has its own do’s and don’ts just like anything else. Before we understand how to drink water in the right way, let us first understand why drinking water and staying hydrated is essential for our body and health.
7 benefits of hydration
1. Water regulates our body temperature.
2. It protects tissues, spinal cord, and joints by lubricating and cushioning them.
3. It helps in the elimination of waste and toxins from the body through sweating, urination, and defecation.
4. It helps in food digestion.
5. It facilitates nutrient absorption.
6. It plays an important role in keeping skin healthy and beautiful.
7. It forms saliva.
When a person consumes water less than the amount that is required by the body, below issues might be faced by the person in the long run.
1. Constipation
2. Unhealthy skin
3. Bad breath
4. Decreased urination
5. Chronic fatigue
6. Frequent illnesses
So, it is important that we consume the right amount of water every day. There is no one rule for everyone about how much water to drink. How much water each one of us should consume depends on the amount of physical activity we do in a day, type of our body, age, etc. The only rule is “drink whenever you are thirsty and keep yourself hydrated”. If your urine is not transparent and dark in color, it is a sign that you are not drinking enough water.
Now, let us see some pointers on drinking water in the right way.
8 pointers to drink water in the right way:
1. There is a health maxim which says – drink your food and chew your water. It means food should be chewed so well that it almost becomes liquid, and water should be taken sip by sip and not gulped into the body. When water is gulped quickly, most of it will be expelled out as urine, and it leaves the body dehydrated. For proper hydration of your body, sip the water slowly. Keep sipping the water throughout the day.
2. Consume water, only sitting. Do not drink water standing. Drinking water while standing affects stomach health in the long run.
3. Drink room-temperature water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. This flushes out toxins from your body and cleanses the intestines.
4. Avoid ice-cold water as it weakens the digestive fire in the body and disturbs the digestion process.
5. Drink room-temperature water or warm water. Drinking warm water offers the below benefits.
1. It improves digestion.
2. It helps in the treatment of cold, cough, respiratory ailments, asthma, etc.
3. Flushes out toxins from the body.
6. Chanakya, the Indian economist and philosopher of ancient times, gave these words about water– “When water is consumed half an hour before eating a meal, it is like holy nectar. When one drinks water during the meal, it works more like medicine. But drink it immediately after the meal, and it works as if poison.”
1. When water is taken half an hour before eating food, it prepares the stomach by activating the digestive enzymes. This facilitates better digestion.
2. During the meal, it does no harm or benefit. It may act like a tonic by liquefying your meal in the stomach, thereby enabling better digestion.
3. Drink room-temperature water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. This flushes out toxins from your body and cleanses the intestines.
4. Maintain a gap of at least 1 hour for drinking water after a meal. If you are very thirsty after eating a meal, consume a sip of water.
7. Add half lemon to your glass of water whenever you can. This is alkaline, a great antioxidant and good for skin health.
8. Do not store water in plastic bottles as plastic has several toxic chemicals, and water gets contaminated. Store water in steel or glass containers.
These are some pointers on drinking water in the right way. Below are some additional pointers about water that you can incorporate in your daily life.
1. Store water in a copper vessel at night before sleeping and drink this water first thing in the morning. You can buy a copper vessel here.
2. Replace plastic bottles in your life with glass bottles. These glass bottles are not only beautiful, but they also inspire you to drink more water. You can buy glass bottles here.
3. Always keep a bottle of water handy so that you can easily drink water when you are thirsty.
4. Water has the capacity to absorb positive or negative energy. So, every time you drink water, you can chant your favorite mantra and drink the water. When you chant the mantra holding a glass of water in your hand, this water becomes infused with positive energies of the divine. And when you drink this water, your entire system gets filled with positive energy. Instead of a mantra, you can also chant a positive affirmation like – I am happy, healthy, strong, and drink the water. This is why in Indian tradition, so much of importance is given to Teertham(divine water) in temples. Teertham absorbs the divine energies from the deity in the temple. When a person drinks teertham, this person is filled with these divine energies.
5. You can put a rose quartz crystal in a huge vessel of water. Rose quartz crystal radiates loving energies, and these energies are absorbed by the water. When a person drinks such water, loving energies in the water helps in the emotional healing of the person. Before using rose quartz crystal, clean it thoroughly with salt water and use it. Once in every 15 days, clean the rose quartz crystal with saltwater. You can buy rose quartz crystal here.
Water is the elixir given by nature. It is life-nourishing. Drink plenty of water and in the right way.
Take care of your health! Stay hydrated! Stay healthy!
