We always hear about the health benefits that drinking enough water can bring to our everyday lives. However, trying to meet the recommended two litres a day is easier said than done. However, it’s proven that although two litres are the common recommendation, we actually get a lot of our water through the foods that we eat, especially fruit and vegetables.
Nevertheless, it’s worth remembering that the amount of water we should be drinking will vary depending on our independent lifestyles, such as the diet we’re eating and the amount of exercise that we do.
But regardless, aiming for two litres of water a day won’t do any harm is almost guaranteed to keep us hydrated throughout the day, helping us live a healthy lifestyle. If you’re struggling to meet this recommended level, and so you can enjoy the maximum benefits that water provides to the body, here are five essential Ayurveda tips to remember.
#1 – Drink Sitting Down
This may seem like a rather odd suggestion but sitting down, rather than standing up and drinking, can do wonders for the amount of water your body actually absorbs.
In fact, drinking fluids while standing up, according to Ayurveda guidelines, can actually lead to an increase of fluids building up in your joints which has been claimed to increase your chances of conditions like arthritis.
Consider how tense your body and muscles are when you’re standing up and how when you’re sitting down, your body is much more relaxed. This helps your body to absorb much more liquid when you’re drinking, improving your overall intake throughout the day.
#2 – Avoid Ice Cold Water
Whenever you go out for a meal or have dinner, it’s common to have water with ice in it. However, Ayurveda practices suggest that this can actually disrupt your digestive process. The guidelines state that drinking cold water actively decreases the blood supply to certain organs in your body and can even lead to mild effects of constipation.
Instead, try drinking water that’s room temperature, ideally even warm, as it can help you actually improve your digestive process. What’s more, this can even improve your metabolism, helping you to lose or maintain a healthy weight, alleviate symptoms of bloating and even helps you control your cholesterol levels.
#3 – Don’t Glug Your Water
When drinking water, especially if you’re feeling particularly thirsty, it can be tempting to ‘chug’ a large volume of water in one go. However, according to Ayurveda practices, the way you should consume water depends on your dosha balance in your body.
There are three types of dosha. If you’re primarily a Vata dosha, you should typically drink water about an hour after you’ve eaten a meal. This helps you to digest your food more efficiently. If you have a pitta dosha, taking small sips before your meal can help kickstart your digestion process as you’re eating.
Finally, if you have a Kapha dosha, you should drink water before you start eating as it can help you feel fuller and therefore you won’t be tempted to consume too much food during the meal itself.
#4 – Drink Only When You Need Too
When trying to reach the target of two litres a day, you may find that you’re actually drinking too much water for your body, perhaps an unnecessary amount for you as an individual. As mentioned above, everybody has a different body type, and therefore it’s difficult to give an overall suggestion of what’s an appropriate amount to drink.
As a rule of thumb, simply listen to your body to think when you’re thirsty and drink then. Pay attention to how much you drink during an average day and try to aim to keep that as a running guideline on a daily basis.
#5 – Drink Water as Soon as You Wake Up
Ayurveda practices suggest drinking warm water as soon as you wake up in the morning to full refresh your body and to clear it of potential toxins. This is a habit known as Ushapan. Consider if you’re sleeping the recommended number of hours a night, 8 hours, that’s eight hours of your body becoming dehydrated, not a great start to your day.