Warm water and its health benefits according to Samhitas

 Ayurvedic
Aug 192018
 

Water is the sustainer of life of all living beings. The entire world is full of it. Water acts like nectar either pure or medicated, cooked or uncooked , hot or cold if used wisely. Ayurveda, a 5,000 years old holistic system, believes that the choices we make on a daily basis effect our bodies ability to develop or destroy disease. Most of us consider cold water as rejuvenator and more energiser and are not fond of drinking warm water unless caught by common cold, fever and other hazards. Well, being an ayurvedic medicine student while going through types and health benefits of all the liquid foods in some classical ayurvedic texts, there I got to find warm water has much of health benefits. I had the crave for it I decided to research it to see whether there were any benefits associated with it. The feel of warm water is amazing; it transforms your whole body system.

Ayurveda views agni as the very source of life and has mentions that impaired agni is at the root of every imbalances and diseases. Ayurveda endorses the fact that drinking warm water the secret to good health and clear skin. Warm water is nature’s most powerful home remedy and minimizes digestive problems.

Acharya Vagbhat has explained about Ushna Jala (warm water) on his text – Ashtanga Hridaya (Classical Ayurvedic Text- 7th century) Sutrasthana chapter 5 as:

dīpanamaṃ pācanaṃ kaṇṭhyaṃ laghūṣṇambastiśodhanam ll (A.H.S 5/16 )

hidhmādhmānānilaśleṣmasadya:śuddhinavajvarekāsāmapīnasaśvāsapāśrrvarukṣuca śasyate ll (A.H.S 5/17)

This classical verse states that:
Warm water has the properties of :
Deepana : Stimulates hunger,
Pachana : helps digestion,
Kanthya : good for the throat,
Laghu : easily digested,
Basti shodhana : cleanses the urinary bladder,

Relieves

Hidhma : relieves hiccup,
Adhmana : flatulence
Anila : aggrevation of vata
Sleshma : aggravation of kapha
It is ideal on the days of Panchakarma Therapy.

Navavjara: fever of recent origin
kasa : cold, cough
Ama : accumulation of undigested materials,
Peenassa : rhinitis(running nose)
Shwasa : dyspnoea and
Parshvaruja : pain in the flanks.

Acharya Charaka has also described the role of hot water in management of Jvara (Fever):

jvaritasyakāyasamutthānadeśakālānabhisamīkṣya pācanārthaṃ pānīyamuṣṇaṃ prayacchanti bhiṣajaḥ| jvaro hyāmāśayasamutthaḥ, prāyobheṣajāni cāmāśayasamutthānāṃ vikārāṇāṃ pācanavamanāpatarpaṇasamarthānibhavanti; pācanārthaṃca pānīyamuṣṇaṃ, tasmādetajjvaritebhyaḥprayacchanti bhiṣajo bhūyiṣṭham| taddhi teṣāṃ pītaṃvātamanulomayati, agniṃ codaryamudīrayati,| kṣipraṃ jarāṃ gacchati, śleṣmāṇaṃpariśoṣayati, svalpamapi ca pītaṃ trṣṇāpraśamanāyopakalpate; tathāyuktamapicaitannātyarthotsannapitte jvaresadāhabhramapralāpātisāre vā pradeyam, uṣṇena hi dāhabhramapralāpātisārā bhūyo:’bhivardhante, śītenacopaśā, śītena copaśāmyantīti ||               (Cha.Vi. 3/40)

As the fever is relieved by cold articles, hot water is prescribed to the patient suffering from fever instead of cold water to help them with their digestion. Moreover, fever arises from amashaya (stomach) and the remedies usually used for disorders arise from the stomach with digestive, emetic and depletive properties.

Ingestion of hot beverages helps to expel gas, stimulates digestive power, digests (the ingested beverage) quickly, dries up the mucus, and relieves thirst when taken even in a smaller quantity.

Nevertheless, hot drinks should not be administered in fevers which are due to exacerbation of pitta-dominant symptoms such as fevers accompanied with excessive burning sensations, giddiness, delirium, and diarrhoea, since these disorders are greatly aggravated by hot measures. Such ailments require cold fomentation or cold treatments.

Some mentions and indications of warm water are found in classical ayurvedic texts as:

  1. Hot water shouldn’t be used for Achamana (intake of a sip of water). Achamana is done before commencing worship of god and after riding a chariot. (A.S.S. 3/12)
  2. Luke warm water is indicated for Gandusa Therapy (gargling with mouth full of liquid). Gandusa is useful to prevent cracking and roughness of the lips, dryness of mouth, diseases of teeth and disorders of voice. Luke warm water will make the mouth clean and healthy. (A.S.S. 3/31)
  3. Water from different source should not be drunk till the digestion of first water; & if uncooked water taken previously has not been digested, cooked water should bot be taken over it and vice versa. (A.S.S. 6/29)
  4. Water undergoes Madhura Vipaka and sita veerya even though used hot. So, hot water should be avoided as it is Laghu (light) and causes no harm in small quantity. Patients of Ama (indigestion), and other digestive problems should drink warm water to moisten the food. The food liquefied by hot water undergoes quick digestion. (A.S.S.6/35)
  5. Warm water is considered as the best Anupana (after drink) after consuming foods made from pista (flour) and are hardly digestible. (A.S.S. 10/44)
  6. Warm water mixed with salt should be given for emesis to the patient suffering from indigestion. (A.S.S. 11/22)

Many individuals are becoming health conscious and many tends to stay healthy with their daily intakes.I have been prescribing people to drink warm water as it rejuvenates and energizes the body. Also it maintains electrochemical balance in the body and also continues the calorie burning process.

You can maintain your optimum health with regular intake of warm water. Lastly, I’d recommend you to take warm water and be healthy.

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The best way to purify water in Ayurveda

 Ayurvedic
May 152018
 
Our bodies are approximately 72% water, 12% earth, 6% air, 4% fire and rest is space. How these five elements behave within you determines your health and wellbeing.

The five element theory

In the five element theory, the first element in this universe is space. The vibration of space creates wind. Blowing wind leads to friction and creates the fire element. Transformation of the fire element creates water and solidification of water elements produce earth. From earth, all organic living creatures, plants, animals, and human beings are created.

Water is highly significant for our health because most of our body is water. Consuming good water is the source of wellbeing and good balance. But for Kaliyuga (the age of ignorance and disease), most of the diseases come from the water. None of the modern chemical and electrical systems can purify the waterenough.

What is the best source of water?

Lake water is considered to be good because it is open to the influence of the sun and the moon. Every day it is purified by the sun energy (fire). In unpolluted environments, rainwater is pure but for most of us living in cities, the pollution in the atmosphere contaminates the rainwater. The local water where you are living is the best water for you providing you sterilise it.

How to purify the water?

According to Ayurveda, only the fire can purify the water elements properly. The main source of fire in this universe is the sun. The next best way to purify our wateris to boil it.

Boiling is an effective way to sterilise and disinfect water. Just taking the water up to the boiling point is enough if the source is pure. Otherwise, it is necessary to boil the water up to 10 minutes.
You can observe the purification process and how it aligns with Ayurvedic philosopy. At first, you will observe bubbles which are heavy like kapha. After some time, they become lighter like pitta and at the end, they become light and airy like vata. When the water reaches the vata level all the toxins have disappeared.

Detox with water

Ancient science says hot water is a universal antidote to every disease. Sipping warm to hot water frequently is vital for treating any health condition. Warm to hot water dilates the channels, removes the blockages, and improves digestion and agni (metabolic fire). Frequency is more important than quantity.

Plain hot water is good enough. But if you want to add flavour or medicinal value to your drink, ginger water is an excellent choice for everyone. It is also pleasant to add turmeric, cumin, fennel, or lemon. Even in the warmer seasons, sipping warm waterin small quantities is good for cleansing and balancing.

Note: Re-boiling water or mixing cool water in hot water is not recommended as it produces ama toxins.

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How Much Water Should I Drink Per day

 Ayurvedic
Dec 072017
 

Water is the essence of life. Most of us have come across this rhetorical many a times. Every well-wisher has an opinion or advice to share, each different from the other of course. Why are there so may varied thoughts?

Drinking water is the best way to stay hydrated. Keep aside the hydrating juices, liquids and other stuff. Water is the core for human beings. We cannot survive without water. What could be effect of dehydration? Well, death. While water is essential for life, too much water can also turn detrimental and fatal.

What can be the best way or rather the right way to go about? Let’s Find out!

Water- Nectar of Life

All life forms require water to survive. A human body is made up of 70% water on an average. When we say human body, we denote all the parts; the cells, the glands, the organs and every other component of the human body need water for function.

The brain is made up of 85% water. Any fall in this equilibrium may cause the tissues of the brain to shrink. Water content in blood is 82% and lungs are 90%.

Do you know? Just a 2% drop in the body’s water supply can trigger signs of dehydration. Water is the lubricating oil for the smooth functioning of the engine that is our body.

Right from the moment food enters the body to its final residual excretion, water is a requisite. Water acts as a lubricant in the cartilages and joints gifting us the fluidity in movement. The movement of water within our cellular systems helps to maintain proper body temperature. Water is responsible for the absorption and distribution of nutrition throughout the body. Water is essential to flush out the unwanted toxins from the body as urine, sweat and regular bowel movements.

Going on water fasting for a day, perhaps once a month can bring you miraculous changes in improving your health and immunity.

Nectar indeed!

How much water should you drink?

The most widely circulated recommendation for the quantity of water intake per day is eight glasses, which approximately count to 2 liters.

You can see many charts and calculations to consume specific quantity of water according to your height, weight, etc. But just like any other health requisite, there can be no hard and fast rules as

  • some people live in tropical regions, perspire more, therefore requires more water intake
  • sports person will require more water than an office admin
  • people involved in physical work would require more water

In addition, the body type aka Prakriti also counts on intake of water. If your body type is Pitta (heat) or Vata (air) or combination of any of these, you would need more water intake. Nevertheless, one can always follow a few simple do’s and don’ts to stay out of trouble.

Do’s

  • Arrange a clean source of water and ensure availability at all times
  • Always carry your water bottle – whether out for a walk or out to work
  • Drink water in sips instead of gulps.
  • Take water at short intervals regularly to answer thirst.
  • Try to keep track of how much water you drink per day.

Don’ts

  • Do not compromise with the purity of water.
  • Do not reuse crushable bottles to drink.
  • Do not force drinking yourself too much water when not thirsty.
  • Do not replace water with beverages. Only water is WATER!

So, what is the best way to drink water?

  • Drink water whenever you are thirsty, don’t skip, don’t postpone, don’t go for alternatives
  • Drink water when you feel hungry, sometimes thirst may appear as hunger
  • Drink a glass of water in an empty stomach to energize the internal organs

The quantity of water you drink or your body require vary with every individual, vary within an individual during different seasons, lifestyle etc. The human body is very much resilient. The body has the ability to health on its own. However, there comes a few things to consider. If you treat you well, giving utmost importance to what you eat, how you drink, and care for your wellness, you will be surprised by your body’s own natural ability to heal itself.

Happy Drinking!

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Ice Water V. Hot Water

 Ayurvedic
May 192016
 
Do you ever feel dull, heavy or lethargic after you eat?
This may happen because you are eating foods that are too heavy for you to digest or perhaps you are eating too much food at one sitting. There are many reasons this could be happening, however, there is one cause for this post-digestion heavy feeling that is often overlooked. It is not connected to the food that is on our plate, but rather what is in our drinking glass. The first thing they give you when you sit down at a meal in most restaurants in the US is a large glass of ice water. By the time our food comes we have already consumed one or two glasses of cold water. According to Ayurveda the 5,000 year old holistic system of medicine, when we drink cold water we weaken our digestion by dousing out our digestive fire (agni). Imagine that you are sitting around a campfire roasting marshmallows and someone comes by and dumps a bunch of wet logs over the flame. The fire would get smothered and become very weak or disappear. The same thing happens to our internal digestive fire when we drink a lot of cold water.

I used to think I needed to drink 8-10 glasses of water a day. I would carry around an enormous bottle of cold water with me and chug it throughout the day. Of course, I was just trying to do what I thought was best for my body. I thought I was flushing out the toxins in my body with every glass. I had no concept of Ayurveda at this time in my life, however, now I can see why the digestive disease I had suffered from for so many years was just being aggravated by my excessive water intake. I was literally drowning in all of the water I was drinking. Now I understand that in order to destroy ama (toxicity), one must kindle the agni (digestive fire). Toxicity cannot be "flushed out", it needs to burn.

It can help to think about it like water flowing through a metal pipe. Cold water will cause the pipes to contract, and hot water will cause the pipes to expand. If we want to keep all of the channels (srotas) in our body open and flowing, it is important to not constrict them by drinking ice cold water.

I never imagined that changing the way I drink my water could have such an impact on my physical health, but over time I have witnessed the effects first-hand. Try sipping a small amount of warm or room temperature water during your meal instead of drinking excessively before or after. According to Ayurveda, it is best to sip water throughout the day as you are thirsty as opposed to drinking a lot at one time. Its helpful to carry around a thermos with you, so you can enjoy hot water throughout the day. I also ask for room temperature water or order hot water with a lemon when I go out to eat. Be your own judge, try changing the way you drink water for a week and see how it makes you feel. You may be surprised at how amazing you feel after making this simple change.

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