Do We Really Know How And When To Drink Water?

It is important to drink two liters of water a day, but without meals, so as not to interfere with gastric juices.

We often hear that it is essential to drink water. It’s great for health of course, but do we know how and when to do it? It is important to answer this question.

Indeed,  water can be an advantage or a detriment for our body depending on how we consume it.

It is essential to drink it on an empty stomach!

Drinking a glass or two of water on an empty stomach will allow us to eliminate the toxins accumulated in our digestive system, as well as gently stimulate our organs to start working.

This can be achieved by drinking at least 20 minutes before breakfast, which is a much healthier way to start the day than drinking coffee.

If we drink it warm or hot, or with the juice of half a lemon, it stimulates our intestines, and thus constitutes an effective and simple remedy to fight constipation.

It is also a very advisable step for those who usually retain water and who have swollen face and eyelids in the morning when they wake up, because the kidneys also start working.

Is it hunger or thirst?

Did you know that very often we think we are hungry when in reality  we are thirsty? We don’t always know how to interpret the signals our body sends us. Yet they are so important when we are trying to control our weight.

We therefore recommend that you do one very simple thing: if you are hungry, drink a glass of water. If after a few minutes you are still hungry, then eat something. But you will be surprised to find that very often the feeling of hunger has disappeared!

Drink half an hour before meals to eat less

If you drink a glass of water half an hour before sitting down to eat , not only will you be less thirsty during the meal, but the water, which acts as a mild appetite suppressant, will also prevent you from overeating.

Don’t drink too much during meals

While it is strongly advised to drink throughout the day, however, we should avoid drinking during meals at all costs. Indeed,  the water which interferes in the action of gastric juices can make digestion difficult. Drinking too much during meals can suppress children’s appetites.

If the food is salty or spicy, drink sensibly; it is best to include fresh foods such as salads or gazpacho in each meal, reduce salt intake, take an infusion after eating to aid digestion, and drink before a meal.

Drink a glass of water before going to bed

End the day as you started it, by drinking a glass of lukewarm water. This will prepare your body for rest. An infusion of medicinal plants will also do the trick.

Do not follow this advice if you need to urinate often at night, if you have urinary incontinence, or if you are dealing with small children.

Don’t drink large amounts of water all at once

We recommend that you drink throughout the day. More exactly,  drink in small sips and not all at once. This should be taken into account in particular when it is very hot, when playing sports, etc.

Should we drink cold, hot or lukewarm water?

Even in the desert, Berbers drink hot tea, because it makes them sweat and therefore allows them to cool off. So we should always drink lukewarm or hot water.

In any case, we will never recommend that you drink ice cold, as this can affect your digestive system which is at a naturally high temperature to carry out digestion.

How much water should I drink?

A liter and a half? Two liters? It is better not to determine a precise quantity until you have learned to listen to your body.

The amounts are not the same in summer and winter, for a child and for an adult, for a person who sweats a lot than for another who sweats a little, for a vegetarian and for a person who consumes a lot of original protein animal, etc.

At first, it is difficult to drink often but you start to get used to it. From then on,  we realize that the body demands the amount of water it needs.

If it’s hard to get used to …

Many people cannot drink water. A simple trick is to add a squeeze of lemon juice and a few drops of purified stevia. This simple gesture will give the water a delicious lemonade taste without adding calories or any foreign substance.

Another option is to add a drop of essential citrus oil (orange, lemon, grapefruit, tangerine, etc.) suitable for consumption.

Herbal teas are also a good option, to be consumed alternately with plain water.