As a person with the tendency to overcomplicate things, I used to think that obtaining good health means taking big action. Maintaining good health involves adapting a series of complicated steps and regimens.
The holistic health journey I’ve embarked on proved the complete opposite. It’s less about expensive herbs or vigorous exercises, rather, it is a matter of the small and simple tweaks we apply to the daily routines. And with the power of repetition, health transformation is inevitable.
What is my number one secret to a healthy digestion? Drinking hot water. Most people almost couldn’t believe me when they heard the answer to this question. It can’t be this simple, so they thought. Yes, it really is. Hear me out here.
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
My aunt was the one that introduced me and my mom to the benefits of drinking hot (or warm) water. I was around 12 years old at that time. She would drink a cup of hot water first thing in the morning and after every meal. She raved how much it has improved her digestion in a short amount of time. My mom started implementing the next day; and she convinced me to also make the change. Ok, she forced me to drink hot water. Haha!
I was born with a less than stellar gut. It seems to run in the family, from my mom’s side of the family. My gut health has been the biggest health concern for me. From a very young age, I experienced a range of symptoms caused by the poor digestive system: indigestion, bloating, pain and constipation. I still remember those sleepless nights writhing in pain from unexplained stomach aches as a child, to this day.
Reluctantly, I switched to warm water from cold water. Like anything that is good for us in life, it was boring and unpleasant. At least, that was how I viewed “drink hot water” in the beginning. That refreshing rush from cold or iced water, as it is coming down my throat, it cools the cells of my body and flash-freezes my brain. With the daily reminders from my mom of how hot water can improve my gut health coupled with the flashbacks from the nightmarish stomach pains, I committed to it. And soon, it stuck with me and became a habit.
DOES DRINKING HOT WATER HELP WITH WEIGHT LOSS?
I have heard of the potential weight loss benefits from drinking hot water. I can’t vouch for this entirely as I think it is much more than that when it comes to weight loss . Rather, I believe that drinking hot water can serve as a good aid to the weight loss process based on an observation that cold water impedes the body’s ability to break down fats efficiently.
WARM WATER vs COLD WATER: HOW IT FITS INTO THE YIN-YANG APPROACH OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE
The average normal body temperature is around 37 degree Celsius ( 98.6 degree Fahrenheit). The gut especially requires a certain amount of heat to break down the food properly. Regular intake of cold water can throw off the balance that leads to qi stagnation. Warm water, with its expanding nature, aids in blood circulation and muscle contraction. Remember how we are always told that hot soup and warm water can ease the cold and flu symptoms? That is because warm water can help thin the mucus buildup in your sinus, lung and relieve chest congestion. If you have a yin body like me (sensitive to coldness), then all the more reason for you to drink more warm water. Under the yin and yang approach. Our tendency to gravitate towards hot drinks now makes a whole lot of sense, right?
IMPLEMENTATION
To this day, I start my morning with a cup of hot lemon water and drink warm water throughout the day. If warm water is not readily available, I would go for room temperature water. I still drink cold water, when an occasion calls for it. After a hike or spending a day outdoors in hot weather, my body would cry for cold water.
It would be unnatural to drink warm water in the beginning, especially for a child. You can start out slow with a 50/50 ratio and always drink warm water after every meal. Give your body time to adjust. Slowly and surely, you’ll find yourself gravitating towards warm water. Warm water is now more than just a healthy habit that I maintain, it is a lifetime preference. ^^
CLOSING
Drinking hot water is the simple and life- changing health hack that transformed my health for the better. This is not a case against cold water. As I shared before, the goal is always striving for balance, not rigid application. Listen to your body. If you’ve been suffering from poor digestion or have a poor digestive system, the first step you can do now is to start drinking warm water more frequently. It is simple and inexpensive; and you’ll be glad you did. Who thought hot water can actually help us “get out of hot water”, right?
LOVE,
Lydia
