We hear a lot about drinking water for health, but are there certain times where drinking too much water could actually be detrimental? Absolutely.
Our bodies perform a number of processes while eating and digesting food, so it's important to understand and consider each while determining if drinking alkaline water while eating is best for you.
Think about when you smell garlic or onion cooking. Your mouth starts to water. This reaction comes from the brain. When you smell food cooking, your brain kicks into gear and prepares your body for the food to come. Your mouth starts to water, your tummy starts to grumble, and your stomach starts releasing gastric juices in preparation for the food.
It is vitally important that these juices function properly as they help break down the food AND assimilate the nutrients from that food to provide you with energy to function.
To Drink or Not to Drink- That is the Question!
The constant debate is whether to drink while eating or not.
It is my personal experience and belief that drinking a SMALL amount while eating is ok. Here’s why:
- Too much water (or any liquid for that matter) can interfere with the natural and necessary levels of bile and stomach acid. This can slow the digestion process and reduce the body's ability to produce enough digestive enzymes to digest food properly.
- Think about putting a piece of steak in a glass of ½ acid, ½ water. It will take a very long time for that steak to be broken down, and not all of it will be able to be broken down as the ‘juices’ are not strong enough. Now picture a piece of steak in a whole cup of pure acid. That steak will absolutely break down and all of the nutrients will be absorbed into the acid. This is what happens in the stomach.
- Drinking water (lemon water or even apple cider vinegar – which is great for digestion) 30 mins prior to meals will actually keep your body hydrated which results in optimum digestion. This is also important for Liver function as hydration aids in optimal liver performance.
- Drinking water approximately 30-60 mins after a meal can also be beneficial as it will replenish the lost liquids from digestion.
In saying all this listen to your body!! It will tell you if something is not right. Try drinking water with the guidelines above and see how you feel.
And be conscious of how you feel after you have eaten, are you feeling bloated, uncomfortable, have wind, etc. as this may also be an indication that some of the foods you are eating may not be ideal for your body… we can talk about that at another time… in another blog.
