Part 3 - How to Drink Water.

Now on to How to drink water. This may seem like an unnecessary subject to some but there are a few things that are somewhat important in how you consume water especially if you drink a lot, as you should.

Pure clean water is a diluter and a detoxifier. Consuming a large amount all at once acts like a broom sweeping and cleaning out toxins and softening stools preparing them for passing.

Rule number 1 Drink a high volume of water first thing upon rising
All night long your body has detoxified and gathered all the dust and debris throughout your body and has piled it in neat little piles like a broom would in your kitchen. Water is the final step, the dust pan! Imagine if you swept up all the mess on your kitchen or garage floor and then left it here for others to trample and spread all over again. A flood of water in the morning is a necessity.

I like to rise and drink about 1 full quart of water within a half hour of rising. I often add the juice of one whole lemon and add some liquid stevia to produce a delicious and healthy lemonade. The lemon is astringent and stimulating and taken in volume aids in flooding the intestines with a good clean sweep.

A good morning bath also is good wake up tonic. Many claim they need coffee to wake up. Caffeine does stimulate an adrenaline rush giving the (fake) feeling of energy but it is also the water component that adds to the wake feeling.

Additionally, drinking warm water in the morning has a cleansing effect on the bowels. Your body has no need to warm up the water before it being put to good use. It goes straight to work in the bowel instantly and without the trickle effect that occurs when water(and food ) must be heated before it us utilized by the body.

I used to slightly warm my morning wake up tonic (lemonade) in the microwave but has since stopped using the microwave. (good move) Instead, I now drink my water straight from the reverse osmosis unit on my sink. It refills during the night and is slightly cooler that room temperature upon rising. It is not as effective as warm water, and I could warm it slightly in a kettle, but so far have not bothered. It is good especially in the summer with warmer room temperatures.

So that is my morning routine. But when and how do you drink the rest of the 2 plus quarts of water daily? Again, water is a diluter and detoxifier so water - a large amount - over 6 oz, should not be consumed just before and during meals. The stomach acid that has been replacing itself after breakfast and before lunch now is ready for the next meal, but if you dilute the acid it cannot do it's proper job, slowing down digesting and resulting in higher calorie absorption and weight gain. An added benefit of being properly hydrated is I no longer feel the need to drink during meals.

Rule number 2 Always drink a volume of water (6 oz or more) separate from meals. A half hour before or two hours after a meal is a good rule to remember. If taken before a meal within a half hour the stomach acids have returned to normal and are ready to do their job. Afterward you do not want to halt the whole digestive process but adding a dilutant to the digestive mix so 2 hours after a meal is a good rule of thumb for most meals. If you tend to digest poorly, especially after a heavy evening meal, I would tend to wait longer to consume a large amount of water. Sips are OK.


Rule number 3 Do NOT drink ice cold water or other drinks. Your body is 98.6 degrees because it functions best at that temperature. Drinking ice cold anything shocks the stomach and shuts down all functions until the red alert has subsided and the liquids have been heated for proper consumption. I know many feel that they cannot drink anything not poured over ice, BUT you can if you retrain yourself.

In most cases, most people claiming an inability to drink warm or room temperature liquids are actually saying that it makes them feel sick. They are probably right. There is a warm flush of toxins released into the system immediately upon drinking warm water and the flood, if not done regularly will make them sick. This is a good thing! Get that back load of toxins out. Drink more warm water and it will get easier the more you do it. Before long you will crave a refreshing surge of cleansing warm water!

I now enjoy, even crave my warm lemonade every morning. What a boost. What a flood of vitality when water is absorbed quickly without the delay and shock value of ice. It is OK occasionally to have a cool drink from the fridge as I now prefer to drink my kombucha tea(watch for a future post) or "ice tea" (fridge only) but regularly and repeatedly drinking your liquids on ice has a damaging effect on the stomach.

Rule Number 4 Drink consistently throughout the day.
Now you are confused. After I have said so much about the importance of drinking a lot all at once, I need to clarify.

Drinking a lot of water in only a few times during the day will not completely rehydrate the tissues and organs. Excess water would be excreted quickly if you drank all 2 or 3 quarts at once. Your bladder would warn you and your tissues will not hydrate in time before it is all excreted. Drinking a lot early on in the day is a good jump start - then sip throughout the day keeping rule number 2 in mind.

I use quart jars that I use to keep track of how much I've had in a day. (as in the picture) The first jug is gone within a hour or less. The next jug is consumed before lunch hopefully and the third jug is worked on before dinner or is made up after dinner and before bed. If I have not been diligent after dinner and before bed, as an emergency measure only, I will try to drink the rest or only a glass or two in the evening I don't have to get up during the night. Drink during the daylight hours is best.

This all may seem complicated but routine leads to good habits and habits are the railroad tracks of efficiency. Soon drinking water will become second nature and you not think at all about the specifics.

Okay there you have it. This works for me and is how I am able to consume all the water I need in a day- most of the time. Practice makes perfect and even after years of this practice I still goof up but I just try again and get back to the routine. It really isn't science but it is an art.

Drink water and enjoy vitality of life!

Tomorrow is my last post in this drink water series.
For Part 1 The Great Water Debate click here
For Part 2- How much water to drink click here
Part 4 will be Naglene Water Bottles-Warning! completed tomorrow