Is Drinking Water While Eating is Good For You?

Is it beneficial to drink while you eat? It seems there are a few schools of thought when it comes to drinking while eating and although there may not necessarily be one right way, it is clear there are some things to avoid.

Our body’s perform a number of processes while eating and digesting so it’s important to understand and consider each while determining if drinking water while eating is best for us.
The main area of debate is whether or not drinking water during a meal is harmful or beneficial to the digestive process. There is no doubting the fact that drinking too much water during meals can interfere with the natural and necessary levels of bile and stomach acid.

This would slow the digestion process and reduce the body’s ability to produce enough digestive enzymes to digest foods properly. Without proper digestion, a build up of toxic waste can occur no matter what you are eating.

In the case of alcoholic drinks and acidic beverages like soda, they tend to dry up the saliva your glands have produced, making it even more difficult to properly digest food. Drinking water or other beverages while they are cold also slows down digestion and can create cramping in some individuals.

It is clear that drinking water before and after you eat aids the digestive process. Drinking water about 30 minutes before you eat will help keep the body hydrated which results in optimal digestion.

Drinking water about 30 minutes after can also assist in hydrating the body through the latter parts of digestion and replenish the lost liquids from digestion. Eating while dehydrated can cause the body to have a very tough time digesting food.

Tips

It appears most beneficial to stay hydrated throughout the day and if you must drink while you eat, avoid drinking too much, as well as alcohol and acidic drinks.

Drink warm water and drink it sparingly. A small glass will likely not interfere with digestion and by adding a dash of apple cider vinegar or lemon, you can aid in the digestive process further.

If you can, you might want to try drinking 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after a meal with no drinking during, see how you feel. If it works for you, then stick with what works, if not, adjust accordingly.

Listening to and becoming more conscious of your body and body awareness is a great step to take when thinking about new foods and how you treat your body. Sometimes going with what the body feels and wants is more important than staying rigid to information.

Things change, the body changes, flow with it. Listen to your body!

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