Water is extremely important for every organ, cell and tissue of our body. Water forms two-thirds of our body and it keeps the body’s temperature normal, lubricates and cushions the joints and protects our spinal cord and even our sensitive tissues. Water is essential for life, without it we can’t even survive. Water is involved in every bodily function from digestion and circulation to the excretion of waste products. The water in our bodies is always in the process of being used or lost from the body. As our body loses water through breathing, digestion and sweating, it is very important to hydrate the body by drinking fluids and eating foods that contain water.
There are certain do’s and dont’s to drinking water. One should always take good care of how one drinks water. Here are a few points discussed on the same:
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Always drink room temperature water, lukewarm would be better
Never consume ice chilled water as it disturbs the ongoing process of digestion and puts off the enzymes, body juices that aid in digestion. Cold water can even cause constipation as it decreases the blood supply to various organs of the body. Drinking lukewarm water can help in good digestion and metabolism, which is helpful in weight loss as well, it also relieves bloating and pain. Warm water helps in controlling cholesterol levels and keeps the arteries clean.
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Drink water the first thing in the morning
Ayurveda suggests that drinking water should be the first thing in the morning as the person gets up, this is known as Ushapan. It helps to get rid of many toxins and diseases in the body. Drinking lukewarm water in the morning helps in clearing and cleansing your intestines.
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Always sit down to drink water, standing should be avoided
One should always sit and drink water rather than standing because by standing and drinking water, one disrupts the balance of fluids in the body and this leads to a greater accumulation of fluids in the joints causing risk of arthritis. By sitting and drinking water one’s muscles, nervous system and the entire body is much more relaxed and helps the nerves to digest food and other fluids properly.
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Drink and store water in Copper or Silver utensils
According to Ayurveda, one should drink water stored in copper and silver vessels. This water attains the ability to balance all three doshas in the body which are Vata, Pitta and Kapha. It does this by positively charging the water. Copper has numerous health benefits as it has antioxidants and anti-bacterial properties that boost the immune system of our body. Water stored in the silver vessel gets the power to remove free radicals from the body. It also gives a cooling effect to the intestines and eases the process of digestion.
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Avoid gulping down water all at once
Strictly avoid gulping down volumes of water in one single breath rather drink slowly sip by sip, swallow, breathe and repeat throughout the day. This can be followed for meals too. According to Ayurveda, our body has three doshas, Vata, Pitta and Kapha, one should always drink water according to his/ her Prakriti. People with Vata Prakriti should drink water only one hour after meals to promote digestion. This helps the food to digest in a better way. People with Pitta Prakriti can have small sips during their meals to start their digestion process. Kapha Prakriti people should have water before consuming their meals so that they feel full and not eat more. Doing this helps them to lose weight also.
