One simple tip to improve digestion and lose weight
By Eric Johanns
Not only has Chinese Medicine discouraged the practice of hydrating at meal time especially with cold water but so has its precursor Ayurveda for over the last 2,000 years.
Unfortunately, in our fast-paced culture, we often fail to take the time to hydrate between meals, so instead we try to compensate by drinking more at mealtimes. This can be problematic because we reduce the first stage of our protein digestion by over-diluting the digestive enzyme solution in our stomachs and reduce its effectiveness further by drinking copious amounts of liquids at temperatures that inhibit enzyme activity.
The next stage of protein digestion–in the duodenum (of the small intestine)–is then compromised and ultimate absorption is drastically reduced. This leads to excessive hunger signals later in the day, stimulating many people to overeat at dinnertime and over-store those excessive calories!
My clients who drink six ounces of room-temperature water with their meals can actually enhance their digestion and absorption, plus, there’s an added perk: They’re less likely to over-eat at dinnertime and may just find that soup and salad will suffice.
Drinking ice cold liquids at mealtime wasn’t much of an issue in earlier societies, but when the industrialized world introduced refrigeration, it became the norm. Think about it: What’s the first thing restaurant servers bring to your table after you’ve been seated?
Ice-cold water is unnatural for the body to accommodate. Everyone else in the world seems to understand that the practice of ingesting cold liquids at meal time is detrimental for digestion. Maybe the rest of us need to do the same, refusing that big glass of ice water and opting for room-temperature instead.
Eric Johanns is a Exercise Science Instructor in the Advanced Personal Training and Exercise Science program at Bryan University. He has been a personal trainer for more than 25 years, and has earned numerous exercise certifications in addition to his master’s degree in health education. When he’s not at the gym, training himself or clients, he enjoys motorcycling, home remodeling and performing on the stage as an improvisational comedian.
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