Water - Beyond H2O

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We are supposedly 75-80% water as modern medicine says. So how comes if we are health conscious, we pay utmost attention to the types of foods we eat but very little attention to the type of water we consume? Yes, we are what we eat, but we are also what we the water we drink. Just as we say not all calories are equal, the same can be said for water, not all water is equal, and it impacts the body in different ways.

Water is energy and in fact the 4th of the 5 elements in Ayurveda. Water is medicine and a carrier for other medicinal substances in our body. Without H2O we cannot sustain life for longer than a few days but for most of us in the developed world take it for granted, rarely questioning the source, the quality or energy of it.

In India, water from the Ganges is considered the purest and most sacred as it originates from the source of the Himalayas which is balancing for all three doshas and good for digestive agni but we could argue that the quality of the Ganges has sadly been eroded by industrial and human waste.

Ayurvedic text wrote about water, its various sources, the quality, the time of collection and the storage and the impact on our health. These included water from a well, pond, and rainwater. Rainwater is considered the most optimal for our wellbeing, this was obviously at a time when there was far less pollution in the atmosphere. once rainwater was collected if would not be stored for more than a day failing access to rainwater, river water would be used.

The quality of water is stable, heavy, moist, smooth, gross, flowing, and soft. The water element is the antidote to symptoms that have the opposite qualities in the body stagnation, ungrounded, emaciated, dehydrated, rough (vata) as well as heat, acidity, irritability (pitta).

The element of water (jala) forms the kapha dosha and therefore has a cooling and nourishing quality as well as possess a feminine energy.  Just in the way the moon has a slightly more feminine than masculine energy. When we consume the right quality of water at the right time in the right way it has such healing benefits:

 

  • Easily absorbed and supports digestion

  • Prevents constipation

  • Promotes glow and lustre of skin

  • Reduces bodily fatigue

  • Cooling in property

  • Life-promoting

  • Pacifies pitta

  • Nourishes cells and tissues

  • Helps clear toxins through the urinary tract

  • Prevents dryness

 

So what do we mean by the right type of water?

Our body is a huge network or known systems and subtle microchannels. For our body to receive hydration at the deeper subtle level ayurvedic texts recommend that the water needs to be boiled to cleanse the channels and to enhance the absorption at a cellular level. This water is considered therapeutic as is known as ushnodaka. Hence when we infuse herbs into boiled or boiling water it can become highly therapeutic.

Boiled water is charged with heat and becomes more penetrating and subtle and therefore easier to cleanse, hydrate and nourish the channels, cells, and tissues.

Ayurvedic texts also highlight that regular cold water takes much longer to digest than boiled and cooled water and warm and herbal water digests and absorbs in far less time. Have you ever noticed how you feel when you drink water at different temperatures?

This is also why practitioners like me will recommend many herbs to be taken with warm water (not cold as it can be contracting rather than expansive and accessible at a cellular level). Warm water is yogavahi (enhances absorptions of medicines).

In the west today we often consume highly processed water. Just like we have refined out grains and cereals we have managed to refine our water to the point where we have ended up stripping the water of the natural minerals etc.  We have somehow managed to denature water in the quest to make it ‘better’ but the body is not receiving this as such. We then lack essential nutrients and mineral and spend more money on supplements to replace what was originally lost. Across the globe we can access natural springs. In fact, most city dwellings were centred around access to fresh water, and we can find a spring near us via this website: findaspring.com.

Warm water v cold water
Warm water is easy to digest., help to remove toxins from the body by enhancing digestion and the elimination channels.  Warm water in cases of fever is highly effective in bringing the temperature down if taken with a very light diet. Warm water first ting in the morning acts as a gentle cleanser and rasayana (rejuvenative) for all the body tissues.

In Ayurveda water is advised to be consumed before food to keep you lean. After food it can hinder digestion and create sluggishness. Drinking water with meals is not recommended but only a little warm water to moisten the food to aid digestion if recommended.

Hot water stimulates hunger and aids digestion, it’s better for the throat and helps cleanse toxins out the urinary tract. Relieves flatulence and toxins.

When is cold water beneficial?

When there are high pitta issues, burning sensations, alcohol intoxication, fatigue, vomiting, dizziness, fainting, exhaustion, excess thirst, excess sun exposure.

How to drink water
How, when, and how much water to drink is of course dependent on your Prakruti (personal constitution) But here are some basic tips:

  • Drink only when thirsty and until the thirst is completely quenched – this is your body’s signal that you’re needing hydration. You don’t need to follow any standard rules of 3 litres or 8 tall glasses per day!

  • Prefer warm water over room temperate and over cold water

  • Avoid too much water before meals as it can deplete the digestion, during meals as it can dilute the digestion and immediately after meals as it can trigger increased weight gain. Small amounts of warm water throughout the day are ideal to stay hydrated rather than chugging large amounts in one go

  • Drink a tall glass of warm water first thing in the morning (can include spices or lemon) to help flush any stagnant toxins in the digestive tract.

  • Water stored in a copper vessel (tamba) brings additional healing properties as it can positively charge the water and stimulate antioxidant, antibacterial and antimicrobial properties and so can support immunity. Silver vessels (chaandi) are also great if you’re in need of cooling in the digestive tract (pitta pacifying)

  • Watch your urine – if it is clear, you are sufficiently hydrated if it starts to appear yellow you need to drink was water.

  • Once you have established your prakruti you will come to know how much water works best for you per days. As a rough guideline pitta dominant people will feel thirstier and need more water, for a vata dominant person too much water may lead to bloating and for kapha dominant people too much water may kill the agni and lead to more heaviness.