Two-third of our body is made up of water. So for the proper functioning of the organs, adequate water is essential. However, the same water when consumed in a wrong way becomes the reason for most shocking health problems like migraine, joint pain, weak digestion, skin problems, hair fall, lethargy, heart and kidney problems.
The sad part is that 99% of the people drink water in a wrong way due to which they are unintentionally harming their body rather than getting benefits from this miraculous drink.
So if you want to know the right way of drinking water, stay tuned.
Water is most important for our body. Without water, we can’t use the nutrients that come from carbs, proteins and fats. Because water is so essential and beneficial, it does not mean that we can drink water whenever we want to. In this article, I will share with you 5 reasons that you are drinking water the wrong way and the ways to fix it. Reading this article till the end, you will have a clear idea as to what, when and how to drink water so that it works for you and not against you.
1. Drinking Water Before and After Meals.
Gulping a glass of water after meals might be the most satisfying thing for you. However, this is the worst thing that you can do to your body. When we eat a meal, our body’s temperature rises for better digestion. But drinking water just after meals instantly dilutes the gastric juices, reducing the body’s ability to digest food. This way, the food doesn’t get digested properly and rots within the system.
And when food rots within the system, not only your body fails to absorb the nutrients from it, but also it brings along digestive problems like bloating, gas, acidity, etc. This is the reason you see people saying that I eat mostly healthy food, but I’m still not able to get the desired results. I’m not able to lose weight, even though I’m drinking enough water.
The reason is that you are drinking water just before or after meals. One small hack that I practice is that instead of drinking water, I rinse my mouth with it. It really helps.
2. Gulping Down The Water
In today’s fast-paced life, most people mindlessly drink water. It might seem hard to believe, but in reality, the way water enters your body can make a huge difference. If you drink water too fast, anyway, your body won’t accept it and would flush most of it out. Exactly the opposite of what you want it to happen. Moreover, our stomach is acidic in nature.
On the other hand, saliva in our mouth is alkaline in nature, and its job is to stabilize the acid in the stomach. When we gulp a large amount of water at once, very less saliva gets mixed with the water, so the atmosphere inside the stomach remains acidic. This may cause acidity, indigestion, bloating, gas, etc. Even gain weight because the stomach fails to absorb the nutrients from the food and remove the unwanted material from the body.
Ideally, one should slowly sip the water. To start with, you can avoid bottles with wide mouths, or even better to use a glass or sipper.
3. Drinking Chilled Water
Do you, after coming back from the office, run to the refrigerator, grabbing a bottle of chilled water to quench your thirst? If yes, then you better stop doing that. Drinking chilled water can not only cause a sore throat, but also has serious demerits. Firstly, cold water shrinks the blood vessels, seriously restricting the digestion process.
Chilled water also tends to solidify the fats from the food, making it tough for your body to break down the unwanted fats. Another major side effect of drinking cold water is joint pains.
Not only this, there are many studies proving today that chilled water decreases the heart rate.
Ideally, one should drink water at room temperature. Lukewarm water is even better.
Although, if at all you want to drink cold water, start using earthen pots not only as a natural water cooler, but also balance the pH of water, removing the impurities.
4. Drinking Too Much Water.
I have come across people who forcefully drink water throughout the day, even when they are not thirsty. Just because somebody told them that more water means more benefits.
Of course, proper hydration is important, but excess of anything is bad. And this holds true for water also. Drinking water in excess makes the salts and other electrolytes in our body too diluted. And one of sodium’s jobs is to balance the fluid in and around your cells.
Drinking too much water causes an imbalance, and the liquid moves from blood to inside your cells, making them swell. And in the case of brain cells, that’s seriously bad news. Having yellowish urine and parched lips are some of the signals given by the body that you are dehydrated.
5. Drinking it While Standing
Another side effect of fast-paced lives is that today people drink water not just standing, but walking or even while running. When we drink water in standing position, our kidneys are not able to filter the water properly.
Moreover, in this position, your muscles and nervous system are not relaxed, and it makes it difficult for your nerves to quickly digest the fluid. This may disrupt the balance of fluids in the body, leading to greater accumulation of fluids in the joints, thus triggering arthritis. So it is best to sit down and sip water slowly.
So these were some of the most common mistakes that people make while drinking water. Let us now see when, how much, and in which utensil you should drink water.
FAQ’s
When to drink water?
Whenever you feel thirsty, drink water. However, one time when water should never be skipped is just after waking up. We have already discussed how saliva helps in neutralizing the stomach acid, and the morning saliva is considered to be most effective.
So every morning before brushing your teeth, drink water. Water can also be consumed in between the meals and not with meals. Keep a gap of at least one hour after the meals and 30 minutes before the meals.
How much water to drink?
How much water a person needs in a day depends on many factors like an individual’s body type, weight, physical activity, and climate. Our body also gets water from various foods like fruits and vegetables. So it would be unfair to give one fixed quantity. It is best to see how your body responds and drink accordingly. Generally speaking, 2.5 to 3 liters per day is good enough.
In which utensil should we drink water?
Water can be consumed from any utensil. However, if you drink water from a copper vessel, the benefits get multiplied. It is recommended to store water in a copper vessel the night before. Keep it near you, preferably on a wooden surface, and have this water first thing in the morning. Make sure you drink from the copper vessel itself and not transfer it into any other metal container. Drink this copper-charged water for just three months, and you will be amazed to see what happens.
Water is life, it is the panacea for many health problems. All we need to do is drink it the right way.