Most of our body is made up of water. It is contained both inside and out: the water in our cells regulates body temperature, sends certain messages to the brain, lubricates our moving parts. In order for the body to function properly and you feel good, you need to drink plenty of water. We lose water through breathing, sweating (even when not exercising) and bowel movements. The secret to perfect health is to replenish your body with plenty of water.
How do you know if you need more water? Here are five signs of this:
1. Dryness: dry lips, skin, eyes and hair
2. Inflammation: skin rash, clogged pores, acne, red eyes
3. Urine color: dark yellow instead of light yellow
4. Constipation: You don’t have a bowel movement for 1 day or more
5. Sweat: You don’t sweat at all
Ayurveda encourages us not just to drink water, but to absorb it. Many people drink a glass and go to the toilet after 20 minutes, which means that their body does not absorb water. If your body is functioning properly, you should go to the toilet every 3 hours, not immediately after drinking liquid.
Here are some tips (some of them from Ayurveda) to help you absorb water properly and efficiently.
Drink warm water instead of cold
Ice water cools the enzymes and fluids in your intestines, so your body can’t digest food properly. In addition, the blood vessels constrict, so toxins accumulate inside. Narrowing of blood vessels also makes it difficult for blood to circulate where it is needed, preventing your organs from getting enough nutrients. Warm water gently aids the natural flow of the lymphatic system. This is extremely important for women during menstruation, as cold water slows down blood circulation and reduces your energy, which is necessary for the reproductive organs.
Chew water
Strange advice, right? Instead of drinking a glass of water in one gulp, drink it in small sips. If possible, you can chew it so that it nourishes and saturates your body, and does not pass by. The slower you drink, the better your cells will be able to hydrate. To understand this, imagine a train passing by a platform. People shy away from it, dust rises, packets fly. And if the train slows down or even stops for boarding? That’s the same.
Add 4 Ingredients to Water for Better Absorption
These ingredients bind to water molecules so they are better absorbed into your body:
1. Add a teaspoon of unrefined mineral salt (not ordinary table salt, not black, not pink Himalayan) per liter of water.
2. Add lemon juice to the water.
3. Soak chia seeds in water for several hours.
4. Infuse water with a few slices of ginger.
If you want to add flavor or sweetness to the water, infuse fruits and herbs in it. For example, strawberries with basil, kiwi with raspberries and peach, lemon with mint and turmeric. All that is required is fresh fruit and a pitcher of water.
Drink two glasses of warm water upon waking up
Your body has been working all night to “pack” the waste from yesterday’s food. That’s why you usually have to go to the toilet in the morning. To make sure that your body is clean from the inside, you need to rinse it with water immediately after waking up. Don’t wait 15, 20 or 30 minutes, don’t keep trash inside you for that long. Drinking water stimulates proper bowel movement.
Drink half your body weight per day in grams
For example, you weigh 60 kilograms. Half of your weight is 30 kilograms. Add two zeros to that and change kilograms to grams. You will receive 3 grams of water to drink per day. Some people can’t drink that much because they have to go to the bathroom too often, which is not very convenient. This means that your body does not “eat” water, but simply removes it.
Get a water bottle and calculate how many of these bottles you need per day to complete the previous step.
Buying water bottles is neither practical nor environmentally friendly. The best option is to buy a special water bottle once. There are even bottles with a built-in water filter and fruit compartment or juicer! One such bottle will serve you a long and good service.
Drink water, but not at night and not with food
Some think about water in the evening when they come home from work. And they get drunk. As a result: at night you have to go to the toilet, and in the morning your face and body swell. Stretch the water throughout the day so that it enters your body in portions.
Don’t drink water while eating because you are killing your digestive fire that is trying to process the food. Based on the same principle, you should not drink water immediately after eating. It is best to drink a glass of water 30 minutes before a meal, which will lubricate the stomach and prepare it to produce the acid needed to digest difficult, heavy foods (dairy products, nuts, etc.). Avoid drinking right before meals as you can dilute stomach acid. After eating, try not to drink for at least an hour, ideally two.
Try to absorb water properly for at least a week. Do yourself a water marathon and see how much healthier and better you feel!