If there’s one simple practice that’s going to boost your energy, improve your circulation and performance, enhance weight loss and make you look better, what would that be?
Drink hot water.
Morning.
In between meals.
After meals.
When I’m outside of Asia, a lot of people ask me why I order just plain hot water. Waiters would be perplexed and say “You just want hot water…?”
And I’d add “With lemon on the side too.”
While you may call me “fobby, ” I’d argue that this simple practice can ease up your digestive system, and is especially useful if you’re eating heavy foods during work or social gatherings.
As you all know, I have this daily ritual of sipping hot water in the morning to keep my digestive system in check.
But I also love sipping hot water after a meal, especially if it is a heavy one, because hot water can break down food from my stomach faster, making them easier for me to digest.
According to Medical Daily, the consumption of warm water increases the tightening of the intestines, which optimises elimination.
I found that when I indulge in fresh bread (yes I do like bread) with cold-pressed olive oil and grape must, hot water helps me “de-bloat” and eliminate faster.
And I love flavouring my hot water with lemon, ginger and raw honey. Honey can also soothe my throat and give a “sweet” kick to the water.
So here are three reasons why I love hot water, and why I think you may benefit from drinking hot (remember – not boiling hot, but moderately hot) water…
According to Dr. Michael Picco, water and other liquids help break down food in the stomach, making food easier to digest.
Hot water is also found to break down food faster than cold water.
And as I’ve mentioned many times, the core of nutrition (health and good looks!!!) starts with digestion. Most diseases in the body are due to mineral and vitamin deficiencies.
You may have all the nutrition you want from the food sources. But this does not mean you are properly nourished, because your body has not broken down the nutrients efficiently.
With proper digestion, your body can effectively assimilate and absorb nutrients, enhancing your health.
When you’re clogged up, you’re likely to have toxins in your body.
And the presence of toxins can potentially make you age faster, but warm water can help your body cleanse.
According to Dr. James Costello, enhanced digestion helps with everything, from losing weight, to getting clear skin, to preventing diseases such as cancer.
When you have poor digestion in your body, you feel tired and lethargic. And this may also be due to the increased energy that is used to digest food.
When you clean up your digestive system, you can also free up energy towards your health and productivity, helping you look and feel your best.
Adding lemon to your hot water can enhance this process even more, as it contains enzymes which support your liver, which helps you detoxify. And the acidity of lemon may help prevent toxic build-up in the digestive track.
Since drinking warm water helps to flush toxins out of your body, this simple practice can also enhance weight loss, and promote clearer skin.
If you’re out in a dinner gathering and eat fat that is processed and highly heated (from canola oil, etc) your body may not be able to recognise and digest the fat. Hence, you’re likely to store them as stubborn fats in areas of your body where you don’t want your fat to be.
Warm water can help break down the fat faster and increase our metabolic rate, potentially allowing our body to burn more calories.