Culturally, the practice of drinking water early in the morning has existed for centuries. A popular example of this includes Japanese Water Therapy, which involves drinking warm or room temperature water first thing in the morning. It further preaches the benefits of warm water over cold water. Japanese medicine has claimed that it treats issues like Constipation, High Blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, and Cancer.
Water is the element that is the base of all life on Earth. It is the magical elixir that has led to the existence of living beings. The human body is made up of about 60% water. It is an essential nutrient that is required for our survival.
India, too, has had a history of practicing early morning Water Therapy. Ancient Ayurveda preached the practice of “Ushapana”. Usha refers to “dawn” and Pana refers to “drinking”. This practice is said to be effective if you drink water just before sunrise. It is claimed that it aids in preventing aging, repulsing diseases, and expanding lifespan.
Essential Functions of Water in Our Body
Water is essential for our body. The human body loses its water content throughout the day through processes like sweating, urinating, and excretion. These are called water outputs. Once the optimum water quantity has gone down, our body becomes dehydrated.
Dehydration is a condition where our body does not have an optimal amount of water to function. It can lead to many detrimental health consequences. Let us take a look at the several processes in our bodies that go smoothly because of water.
Thermoregulation
Thermoregulation refers to maintaining a healthy body temperature. It is a vital process involved in maintaining homeostasis. It requires holding the body heat created by essential organs like the heart, the liver, and the brain. Water is an agent that holds this heat.
Conversely, when your body temperature is too high, it is water that helps your body come back to an optimal temperature. High temperatures put the human body under a lot of stress, putting it in danger of injury or even death.
Nutrient Transportation
One of the main functions of water includes aiding blood circulation and respiration. Water aids in blood circulation by making it a smoother process. This in turn helps get nutrients and oxygen to your essential organs like the heart and lungs more efficiently.
Further, water helps dissolve nutrients for easy consumption. This function is essential for important body processes like metabolism. Every organ of the human body needs to get enough water.
Digestion
Water plays a major role in practically all digestive processes. It is an agent that brings down acidity in the stomach. It improves bowel movement. Warm water is said to de-solidify fats in our body making them easier to pass through our system. Any digestion problem you can name, water (or the lack of it) plays a role. It flushes out toxins from the liver and kidneys, essential for natural detoxification.
Body Lubrication
Major part of the moisture our body has comes from water. Dehydration leads to dry and unpleasant skin. Other moist areas of our bodies like the eyes, nose, and mouth tissues are all kept lubricated through Water. Our bodies would practically be dry as sand without the presence of water.
Shock Absorbency
The presence of H2O in and around your organs helps them defend better against shock. These organs include sensitive areas such as the brain and spinal cord. These structures depend on a protective layer of water around them.
The Benefits of Drinking Water on an Empty Stomach
Ayurveda at its core preaches holistic wellbeing. Ushapana is no different from this core of Ayurvedic philosophy. This ancient water therapy preaches drinking water before sunrise every day. This process is claimed to improve the immune system, overall health, aging, and lifespan.
Today, the benefits of drinking water on an empty stomach have been scientifically proven. Getting your water intake through foods and drinks throughout the day is good. But drinking water early morning, on an empty stomach, has been time and time again proved to be the most beneficial. It is so therapeutic that many call it Water Therapy. In this section, we seek to discuss how.
Speeds Up Metabolism
Metabolism is a process that is essential in maintaining a healthy weight and staying active. Several research studies have found that drinking water on an empty stomach speed one’s metabolism up to 30%.
Metabolism is an important process that determines how much energy your body consumes. You will find yourself become more physically active and alert during the day once you engage in regular Ushapana.
Improves Bowel Movement
A major unpleasant problem caused by dehydration and poor diet is constipation. Starting your day with drinking water is almost like bathing the inside of your body. The detoxifying properties of water make sure to activate bowel movement.
With a good amount of water consumption in the morning, you get to start the day fresh.
The accumulated sludge can be removed by drinking a glass of water on an empty stomach. This will also aid better absorption of nutrition. This leads to a healthier colon and a healthier body overall.
Boosts Immunity
By improving the fluid regulation of the body, water aids the immune system in fighting diseases. Drinking enough water in the morning aids detoxification and prevents illnesses from spreading. As a result, the immune system is strengthened and the body is protected from various infections.
Weight-Loss
Weight loss is a pleasant side-effect of getting enough hydration. No amount of calorie deficit diets and workouts will work if your body is dehydrated.
Water is a nutrient that has zero calories. Drinking it on an empty stomach not only increases your metabolism (for up to an hour) but also reduces your appetite. As a result, you’re able to maintain a healthy diet without feeling like you’re starving. Regular early morning Water Therapy is recommended for optimal weight-loss results.
Clears Complexion
With its essential detoxifying properties, water leads to healthier skin. Water Therapy ensures that each cell of your body gets good nutrients and nourishment. This enables flushing out toxins and impurities from all over the body.
Toxic build-up in the body is a common cause of blemishes or dark patches. Water can assist in the removal of these harmful contaminants from the body. Since regular Ushapana has been proved to magnify the benefits of water consumption, it is effective for clearing skin complexion.
Improves Mood
The detoxifying qualities of water don’t just assist in a healthy body but also one’s mental health. Practices like exercising and a healthy diet impact your mood greatly.
Water has been demonstrated to have inherent calming characteristics. Drinking enough water in the morning enables relaxation throughout the day, which is crucial in anxiety management. Even if you’re not anxious, drinking enough water can help you manage stress-related problems.
Additionally, Water Therapy makes sure your brain gets optimum hydration, which improves attention, cognition, and memory.
Signs That You Are Drinking Too Much Water
Water is an essential agent of detoxification and overall better health. However, like all good things, there is a limit to water’s benefits. Electrolytes like potassium, sodium, and magnesium play a key role in regulating vital bodily processes such as heart function. These electrolytes can get diluted and thereby dysfunctional if one consumes too much water.
Overhydration can be mild at first but eventually lead to water intoxication. In extreme cases, drinking too much water can lead to swelling in the brain. This results in symptoms like nausea, headache, vomiting, and mental disorientation. This is rare but most common in athletes who train a little too hard.
Health professionals recommend that consuming 2 to 3 litres of water per day is optimum. However, this number varies according to weather conditions, sex, age, weight, activity, and several other factors. Therefore, it may be wise to look for mild signs of overhydration to be safe. Keep in mind that these signs are based on possibilities and do not give you a diagnosis. Consult a healthcare professional for a diagnosis. Here are four signs you ought to look out for: –
You Visit the Bathroom Way Too Many Times
An average human pee about 6-7 times in 24 hours. Drinking too much water unsurprisingly leads to higher water retention. Therefore, if you have to visit the loo way too many times in the day or disrupt your sleep during the night, it might be a good idea to cut back on water consumption.
Clear Urine
Contrary to popular belief, urine is not supposed to have a clear color. Of course, a dark yellow and burning sensation is a bad sign, but so is urine as clear as water. Health professionals say that the ideal color of your urine should be somewhere around a light yellow.
Drinking-Water Out of Compulsion Instead of Thirst
Drinking water is an essential activity many people can neglect. However, doctors have found that most people stay hydrated naturally: by letting their body give them cues.
If dehydration is a problem for you, you should increase your water intake. But in other cases, it is absolutely fine to let your body do its work.
Headache and Nausea
Drinking too much water might cause your blood sodium levels to plummet, resulting in headaches and nausea. These symptoms are more concerning than others because they indicate swelling of the brain. We recommend medical attention if you feel disoriented after drinking too much water.
However, it should be noted that both headaches and nausea can be symptoms of many other health conditions. Use your judgment to decide if it’s because of overhydration.
Parting Note
Water is an inseparable part of us. It has enabled the gift of life nature has given us. It is important to value its benefits and importance in our lives while also making sure not to overdo it. The benefits of water consumption can be reaped best by drinking it on an empty stomach. We hope that you now have a good idea about the benefits of Ushapana and early morning Water Therapy.
