You just returned home, tired from work. Heading to the kitchen, you grab a glass and fill it with cold water, quickly gulping it down. Sounds familiar?
Satiating your body with Water, the all satisfying thirst quencher is a basic instinct of human beings. But wait! Besides quenching your thirst, did you know that by drinking water correctly you can maximize its benefits.
Importance of Water to the Human Body
Life cannot exist without water. Our body is made up of about 60% water, it needs sufficient water to function properly. So how much is enough? At least 8- 10 glasses a day depending on your body weight. Some benefits of drinking sufficient water are as shown.
So, with water playing such a crucial role in our body, we should make sure that every drop counts.
Our ancestors were not wrong with advice to sit while drinking water, taking small sips, drinking room temperature or lukewarm water and so on. According to Ayurveda and Japanese water therapy, when and how one consumes water affects digestion and other bodily functions. It also promotes weight loss, relives stress, cleanses the skin, makes you look younger and more.
So how does this water drinking therapy work? Here is a rundown on both –
Ayurveda Way of Drinking Water
According to this article, following these steps when drinking water will improve your overall health.
- Sit down when drinking water
Sitting down forces your mind and body to relax. This helps in better digestion as your mind is not distracted by unnecessary things and allows the body to digest foods and fluids easily.
- Take small sips
Sip, swallow and breathe. Repeat these steps when drinking water. Gulping down water quickly can overwhelm the digestive system and make it sluggish.
- Drink either room temperature or warm water
Warm water helps in detoxification, aids digestion, boosts metabolism and relieves bloating. Avoid cold water as far as possible. Cold water contracts the tissues and makes it difficult for secretion of digestive enzymes.
- Drink when thirsty
Thirst is a natural body mechanism to tell you that your body needs water. Too much water also impairs digestion as your stomach needs space in order to carry out digestion. A good rule of thumb practiced by many Ayurvedics is :- fill the stomach 50% food, 25% water and 25% empty.
- Drink water in the morning
Drinking water in the morning helps to flush out toxins and cleanses the intestines.
Drink in silver or copper vessels
Water stored in these vessels have anti-oxidants and anti-bacterial properties present. It also cools the body.
- Know your Indicators
A good way to gauge if you are drinking enough water is to check the colour of your urine. Dark yellow indicates dehydration while light, straw coloured indicates a well hydrated body. Dry lips are another indicator of dehydration.
Japanese Water Therapy
The benefits of Japanese Water therapy are similar to that of Ayurveda practice. The method differs in some ways. Follow the steps below to improve digestion, relief stress, fight obesity and to get a better complexion.
- Drink water in the morning
Drink 4 x 160 ml of water first thing in the morning before you brush your teeth. Water should be room temperature of lukewarm.
- Brush your teeth
Brush your teeth but do not eat or drink anything for at least 45 mins. Continue as per your normal routine after this.
- No eating or drinking after every meal
Do not eat or drink anything for 2 hours after every meal.
When starting out with this Japanese water drinking therapy, it may not be possible to consume so much water. You may have short breaks in between each glass. The elderly or those with health issues should start off with one glass of water and gradually increase the amount of water drunk. Other practices to follow after the water therapy can be found here.
Conclusion
To add a boost to your water therapy rituals, herbs and spices can be added into the water. This also serves as a refreshing drink. Many practitioners add lemon or lime, honey or sea salt to improve metabolism. Lemon and sea salt added to water also makes it more alkaline helping in digestion.
Alternatively, you may also invest in an Alkaline Water dispenser to kick start your water therapy sessions more effectively.
Practice these morning rituals as a lifestyle change rather than a fad to follow for a short time. Follow this for about a month to make it into a habit and you’ll see the improvement in your health.
