It’s common knowledge
that drinking water is essential for good health. The benefits are many –
carrying nutrients and oxygen to your cells, aiding digestion, normalizing
blood pressure, regulating body temperature, flushing liquid wastes and
bacteria out of your bladder, protecting organs and tissues, and the like.

Ayurveda too
advises staying hydrated, but there are some rules for consuming water.
Ayurvedic practitioner Dr. Rekha Radhamony took to Twitter to give a few tips
on drinking water.

·       How much water should you drink?

You don’t need to drink gallons of water, thinking it’s good
for your health. Even water needs to be digested, as per Ayurveda. The quantity of
water each person needs is subjective and one should look for signs – if you are not
sweating well, constipated, your mouth feeling dry, urine is dark yellow – you are
probably consuming less water. Drink more.

·       When to drink water?

Drink water 30 minutes after or before a meal. It is ideal
for an undernourished Vata person to drink water 30 minutes after
food. And an overweight Kapha person should have water 30 minutes before
food.

·       What is in my warm water?

At home, the only drinking water I use is water boiled with
cumin (jeera) during all seasons except Summer when I drink water with a
handful of vetiver roots added to it!

·       What are the five rules for drinking
water?

1.    Drink water while sitting

2.    drink water sip by sip and never gulp
water

3.    drink warm water. Make sure you don’t drink cold water directly from the fridge. Cold
water dampens your digestive fire. Use clay pots, copper, or steel to store
water. Never drink running water. Always drink stored water.

4.    For enhanced digestion, drink boiled
water which is reduced to one-third, or one-fourth, or one-half of its volume.

5.    Make it a point to drink water as
soon as you wake up.