What's With Water?

 What's With Water?

- Stuti Viral Dave

Let's take a moment to stop what we're doing and reflect on our pasts. Done? Now, think about your ancestors. What did they have that we don't, which made them way more healthy overall? Many things, actually. Their diets, their exercising, their lack of screen time, and many more things gave older Indians significantly better lifestyles than we. A key factor in this was water-drinking habits...

Which water-drinking habits do we follow? Most Indians usually do not drink enough water, leading to dehydration, which is even worse in parts closer to the equator, with hotter climates, such as Tamil Nadu. Now, plastic bottle packaging has become very common, but leaving these plastic bottles in the heat for too long can melt them, and the BPA and phthalates seep into the water, making it contaminated and unhealthy to drink. Also, many people now prefer sugary and carbonated drinks, rather than water, to quench their thirst, but it is bad for their teeth and can even worsen dehydration. Many Indians, including me, like drinking cold water, thinking it will help cool them down. This is true, but drinking water that has come straight out of the fridge can damage your digestive system.

What habits did older Indians have that we do not? Earlier, everyone stored their water in clay matkas or copper/brass vessels called lotiyas. People do this now also, but it was more common earlier. People then also boiled their water to clean it instead of using an RO. If someone wanted to have a drink of something other than water, the options were way healthier than the fake drinks of now: lassi, sharbat, or nimbu pani. Those were made with fresh, natural ingredients and not a bunch of artificial sweeteners and chemicals. Another good practice that most older Indians followed is sitting down and drinking, which benefits the kidneys and actually lets your body absorb the goodness of the water. They would not use ice in their water because clay matkas kept water cold even in summer.

We all now know that most Indians have bad drinking water habits, but what can we do to become healthier while embracing habits of the older ages? Many things, actually. First of all, sit down when drinking water! Ayurveda supports this, and sitting down helps you register the water. Sip slowly, too! Second, don't drink cold water that has come straight out of the fridge- you have to let it become room temperature first. Cold water constricts your blood vessels and stops the digestive fire. Finally, drink a glass of water in the morning to push down toxins, and only drink water thirty minutes after and before eating to not affect the digestive fire. Another, optional method to optimise your water drinking is to store your water in clay pots or lotiyas, just like our ancestors!

When most people think about most factors that affect your lifestyle, they consider sleep and nutrition and don't really think about water. Sure, it's a small thing, but it has huge impacts. If you don't drink enough water, you can become dehydrated, but if you drink too much water, you can get water intoxication. Water is a very sensitive thing! So, what do you say? Shall we start improving our habits and embrace the lifestyles of our dadus, nanas, nanis, and dadis? Let's start by drinking more water!!!