Human
body consists of 50-70% water. Our body continuously needs water to perform all
the activities and functions; therefore drinking water is very
good for health. Ayurveda has laid down some essential guidelines for drinking
water to help improve your health and to prevent any ailments due to the
improper water drinking habits.
Ayurveda:
The Right Way To Drink Water
1. It is
better to drink water while sitting than while standing.
2. You should
drink it slowly and avoid gulping down large volumes of water in a
single breath.
3. Tepid water
is best to drink and it is advised to avoid drinking ice cold water.
4. It is best
to drink when you are feeling thirsty. When you listen to thirst cues and sip
water throughout the day you’ll be drinking the right amount.
5. You should
stop drinking water after you feel satiated as it is a signal from your body to
stop drinking.
6. The color
of your urine may indicate whether you are sufficiently hydrated or
not. The color of your urine should be fairly clear and straw
colored. Dark yellow urine may indicate a sign of dehydration.
7. Dry chapped
lips may also indicate the lack of sufficient water being supplied to your
body.
8.
Normally the minimum gap between food and water should be between 1.5 to 2.5
hrs. Though it may vary according to different geographic locations, as the
body’s ability to digestfood
depends on external factors like the outside temperature.
9. Though very
contradictory, but the right time to drink water while taking food is to drink
just the required amount of water, along with your food rather than drinking
water before or after food. www.allayurved.com
10. If really
thirsty, one can have fresh fruit juice after morning meal, buttermilk after
lunchand milk after dinner. Though these also contain mostly water, the
properties are completely different and are good for our digestive system.
11. Ushapan is a famous Ayurvedic practice
of drinking water in the morning. A regular ushapaan helps in keeping the body
healthy. It also helps to get rid of many diseases and disorders like headaches, blood pressure, anemia, obesity, arthritis etc.
Why
Shouldn’t You Drink Water After Meal According To Ayurveda?
Ayurveda strictly
prohibits drinking water at the end of a meal as it kills the energy required
by our digestive system to process the ingested food. This allows the food to
remain in our system for longer duration which may cause the food to rot inside
our system, instead of getting digested, which may lead to the formation of gas
and acidity problems.