When eating out, I
always ask my server for water with no ice and they often look at me like I am
crazy. But I am not, and below I explain why.
First, take a minute
to close your eyes and imagine the following:
It is spring and you
are standing on a wooden dock that extends into a high mountain lake. While the
temperature in the air is fairly warm, the top layer of the lake has only
recently melted and you can tell by the color of the crystal clear blue water
that it is anything but warm. You close your eyes and dive in.
What does your body
do? What does your skin do? Are you relaxed and open, or tight and constricted?
“You probably know
that warm water opens your pores and makes your skin feel looser, while cold
water closes your pores and constricts your skin. Guess what? Drinking cold
water does the same thing to your digestive tract!”
What Happens When You
Drink Cold Water..
– When you drink cold
beverages your blood vessels shrink, your digestion becomes restricted and
hydration is hindered.
– Instead of working
to digest the food and absorb the nutrients to create energy, your body is
expending energy to regulate your temperature. This can lead to water loss.
– Drinking cold water
after a meal creates excess mucus in your body, which can lead to a decrease in
immune system function, making it easier to catch colds and illnesses.
– If you eat food
while drinking cold beverages or immediately after, the water temperature
solidifies fats from the foods we’ve just eaten and the body in turn finds it
hard to digest the unwanted fats from our bodies.
Some people say that
drinking ice water is beneficial because it burns more calories. I argue that
we do not want to make our digestive system have to work harder; we want to
makes things as easy on it as we can. There are many other ways to burn
calories!
Benefits to Drinking
Warm Water..
Here are some benefits
to drinking water that is room temperature or warmer:
– Faster + increased
hydration.
– Natural digestive
enzymes are stimulated and therefore your digestion is enhanced.
– Food breaks down
more easily.
– Your bowels move
better (warm water with lemon in the morning is great for this!).
– It purifies your
blood and increases your bodies natural detoxification processes via your skin,
kidneys and lymphatic system.
Once you get into the
habit of drinking water at room temperature or warm, you will notice a dramatic
improvement in your digestion and the way your body feels while eating and
after the meal. Some people have also reported reduction in sugar cravings.
So, the next time you
eat out ask your server to “Hold the Ice!”
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