Water is the most important nutrient our body requires at least every few hours during the day. Our body needs it to perform many important functions from digestion, regulating body temperature to transporting nutrients. Feeling thirsty is brain’s way of telling you that you are dehydrated and your body doesn’t have enough fluids to function properly. (Also read: Drinking too much water can land you in serious health trouble; an expert tells you why)
While we still have an idea about how much water to drink on a daily basis i.e. eight glasses, we seldom pay attention to the way we are consuming water. In fact, drinking water is something which we are not very mindful about. Ayurveda recommends certain dos and don’ts of drinking water for optimal health.
In our modern lifestyle, everyone is in a tearing hurry and tasks are performed speedily to save time for the next one, but according to Ayurveda gulping down water is harmful and it must be sipped instead. When the mercury goes up, we are tempted to guzzle down cold water directly from refrigerator without realising its impact on our digestion. This should be avoided. Also, having water first thing in the morning could work wonders for your health.
Ayurveda expert Dr Rekha Radhamony took to her Instagram account to share Ayurvedic rules for drinking water for the benefit of her followers.
– Drink water while sitting instead of standing as it is better absorbed by your body.
– Drink water sip by sip and never gulp water: Just to complete your daily quota of eight glasses, you need not have 2-3 glasses of water together. As per Ayurveda, water should be consumed in small sips and throughout the day.
– Drink water which is warm or at room temperature, never drink cold water directly from the fridge because cold water dampens your digestive fire.
– Use clay pots or copper or at least steel to store water.
– Never drink running water. Always drink water which is stored.
– The best way to drink water for improving your digestion is to drink water which is boiled and reduced to one by third or one by fourth or one by two of its volume.
– As soon as you wake up, make it a point to drink warm water.
How much water should you drink?
Dr Radhamony says rather than following a standard quantity of water, one must drink water as per individual requirements.
“You don’t need to drink gallons of water, thinking it’s good for health. Even water needs to be digested, as per Ayurveda. The quantity of water each person needs is subjective and look for signs – if you are not sweating well, constipated, mouth feeling dry, urine is dark yellow – you are probably consuming less water. Drink more,” says the expert.
When to drink water?
“Drink water 30 minutes after or before a meal. It is ideal for a Vata person who is undernourished to drink water 30 minutes after food and 30 minutes before food for an overweight Kapha person,” adds Dr Radhamony.
What to add in your warm water
“At home, the only drinking water I use is water boiled with cumin (jeera) during all seasons except Summer when I drink water with a handful of vetiver roots added to it,” concludes the Ayurveda expert.
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