Hydration: The 2nd Pillar of Health

The second pillar of health: Hydration (Water is the common denominator between all species.)

Our bodies are comprised of roughly 60% water, according to Medical News Today. Having said that, why would we neglect this relatively cheap, accessible and fundamental aspect of our well-being? I hear you! Laziness! Forgetfulness! Busy-ness! Inconvenience! And who wants to have to keep finding the bathroom everywhere we go? Well, time to get back on track and start drinking that water. 64 oz is the daily recommended volume. Some diet experts will say that drinking a gallon of water is essential to weight loss, but in my opinion 128 oz is more or less an appetite suppressant as it creates a feeling of fullness. I’ll leave you to decide what is right for you. 

Keep in mind, water is needed not only to facilitate digestion but helps with absorption of nutrients, helps us to move, to get rid of waste products and to regulate body temperature. Just knowing that a person can go 40 days without food but only 72 hours, in most cases, without water reminds us of its importance. Easily “spiced up” with cucumber, lemon, or other fruit, water is a lovely essential component of our pillars of health.

For me, from an Ayurvedic perspective, drinking some water before a meal is ok but more importantly NOT drinking water during or after meals is even more important. The goal is to ingest food knowing that the enzymes and digestive juices are not diluted but rather present and readily available to “work on” that ingested food. Furthermore, drinking water during a meal squashes the Agni (“digestive fire”) which is a well-known fact in Ayurveda. We want  Agni to process that food efficiently and thoroughly. Therefore, the Ayurvedic recommendation is to drink water at least 30 minutes after a meal. After all, food is fuel for the body! Optimize your meals by giving your Agni time to work on it, without dilution.

*Side note, post-prandial, Ayurveda recommends lying down on your left side for 15 minutes (vamkukshi) followed by walking for 15 minutes to encourage 1) movement of food into the stomach and 2)peristalsis.

**Tip: Decide what the appropriate amount of water intake is for yourself and then keep a log for 3 days to see what your true intake is and adjust as needed. DRINK UP!!

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Movement: The 3rd Pillar of Health

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Nutrition: The 1st Pillar of Health