Why Drink Water on an Empty Stomach?
Water remains one of the most important types of nutrition for your body. Can humans live a healthy life without water for a few weeks? Absolutely not! Our bodies are programmed to crave water whenever dehydration sets in. You might think the best time to drink water is after you eat or consume anything spicy; how wrong you have been! You don’t have to wait till you are thirsty or after eating. The best time to drink water is when you have an empty stomach.
About 70% of your body consists of water, and it`s ideal to stay hydrated at all times, but you have to make the best out of water consumption by drinking at the most appropriate times. Giving your body enough water at such times come with their own benefits.
10 Health Benefits of Drinking Water on an Empty Stomach
Boosts Energy
Sometimes, you feel weak, dull and sleepy several minutes after you wake up. Drinking enough water just after you wake up, on an empty stomach, can clear up such sluggish and foggy feeling in a matter of minutes. It refreshes your body and increases the release of energy and oxygen within your body by stimulating a faster red blood growth.
Expels Toxins
Drinking water just before eating anything, and before breakfast, can help your body to get rid of toxic material more effectively. When you drink water before consuming any other thing, it cleanses your body of the toxins that might have piled up in your system overnight. The intake of water on an empty stomach flushes your system and speeds up the excretion of harmful substances through urine.
Quickens Metabolism
Water enhances your body`s metabolism process. When you drink water on an empty stomach, food digestion gets easier when you eventually eat. This works great when you drink enough for the day — about 4 liters, one before eating anything in the morning and one an hour after each meal.
Prevents Migraine Attacks
Dehydration is one of the most common causes of headaches. If you run short of water frequently, you may experience occasional headaches. Drinking enough water on an empty stomach will help keep your body hydrated for longer and prevent migraine attacks. You must ensure that your water consumption is regular, at least an hour after each meal.
Cleans your Bowels
Water plays a vital role in digestion and excretion; it is necessary for food metabolism. If you drink water alone, before any other type of meal, it will help to clean up your digestive tract through your bowels. Doing this every day will improve the digestion of food in your body over time and their movement through your bowels.
Improves your Appetite
When you drink enough water on an empty stomach, you can easily get hungry. It is a great way to develop a healthy appetite.
It Boosts your Immunity
If your body is well hydrated, your immune system works better. Drink water on an empty stomach frequently and balance the fluid volume of your body to strengthen your cells in their fight against infections.
Weight Loss
Water contains zero calories, so it makes water no addition to the input of calories in your body. Drink enough water instead of eating first thing in the morning, and you won’t add unnecessary body weight. By drinking enough water on an empty stomach, you speed up the metabolism process and burn calories quickly.
Complexion Care
Water is also a vital nutrient for healthy skin. When you drink enough water on an empty stomach every time, the water removes the toxins in your skin and gives you a clear skin complexion. You can eliminate toxic substances causing skin patches and blemishes from your skin when you make it a habit to drink enough water before eating every morning and after your evening meals.
Cleanses your Colon
Consuming, at least, a glass of water on an empty stomach now and then can clear up the stored up sludge and allow faster absorption of food nutrients. This clears up your intestinal tract easily and cleanses your colon. Drinking water first thing in the morning can maintain a healthier colon.
All these and more are the benefits of drinking water on an empty stomach. A proper way to implement this water-drinking regimen is to adhere to water therapy. The Japanese are famous for their strict adherence to water therapy and are credited for popularizing it. The water therapy simply dictates that you drink enough water just as you wake up and at specific periods after each meal.
A Guide to Water Therapy
- Drink about a liter of water the moment you wake up, even before you brush or swallow anything at all.
- Brush and clean your mouth immediately after you drink your first dose of water, then wait about an hour before eating or drinking anything else.
- After every meal, wait for about two hours before drinking another liter of water.
- Drink a glass of water before going to bed.
Following the guide, you will consume about 4 liters of water at the end of each day. This way, you won’t suffer from dehydration and your body will make the best use of its fluid. This helps you to rejuvenate your body and prevent some diseases like gastritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, constipation, and others affecting the kidney, heart, and digestive tract. Another great thing about the water therapy is that it has no side effects.
It is best if you start water therapy with lukewarm water because cold water has some adverse effects. The water therapy will give you the best benefits of drinking water on an empty stomach. You can also add some lemon juice to the lukewarm water before drinking, as it will hasten the detoxification process.
Signs you Are not Drinking Enough Water
You could start suffering from recurring headaches, dizziness, fatigue, stomach aches, ulcers, disorientation, and stress. These signs may escalate to more serious conditions such as brain function impairment and depression.
A weaker immune system and other digestive complications may arise as effects of dehydration. Don’t wait for the urge of thirst before you drink a glass of water.
Some Facts about Water
- The volume of water in the atmosphere is more than that in all rivers on our planet.
- Your body is made up of about 65% of water.
- 70% of the planet`s surface is covered with water.
- The United States of America uses up about 400 billion gallons of water every day for consumption and power generation.
- About 2 billion of the world’s population consumes contaminated water.
- About 39,000 gallons of water are used in the manufacturing process of a new car.
- You use up about 70 gallons of water for a bath and 20 gallons of water in the shower for about five minutes.
- It takes about 2.6 gallons of water to make a sheet of paper.
- An average American uses about 100 gallons of water in a day, a European uses an average of 50 gallons of water daily, while an African in sub-Saharan Africa uses an average of 5 gallons of water a day.
- The World Health Organization prescribes that a minimum of 5 gallons of water is required by every person for food and hygiene.
- About 2,641 gallons of water is used in the production of a pair of jeans.
- 2.2 pounds of rice need 924 gallons of water to be produced.
- About 17 ounces of plastic is made with 6.3 gallons of water.
