Everyone likes a tall, cool glass of water, tea, or juice with a meal. It’s a way of life. It’s tradition. But is it good for the body?
When we first transitioned over to a vibrant health lifestyle, there were many people, sources, voices and general suggestions about what you should do and at what frequency. One of these issues was keeping drinks off the table during a meal.
I am not much of a meal drinker, but Kate loves a glass of tea with a meal.
Here are both sides:
Drink away
From the Mayoclinic.com’s Michael Picco, M.D.
There’s no concern that water will dilute the digestive juices or interfere with digestion. In fact, drinking water during or after a meal can actually improve digestion. Water and other liquids help break down the food in your stomach and keep your digestive system on track.
“A drink for you?” “No thanks.”
A summary from Raw Food Explained.com.
Water or any beverage does dilute the digestive juices of the stomach. Fluids pass through the stomach, while solid food stays. When we drink and eat at the same time, fluids will carry the digestive juices out and leave the stomach without its arsenal of acids to potentlyand properly–tackle the food we are eating.
“Drinking also encourages poor chewing of the food.” Thorough food breakdown begins in the mouth. When we drink during a meal, our drink of choice functions as a saliva replacement and does not do as efficient a job in the pre-cursor stage of digestion.
“Beverages are usually incompatible with the food eaten as well. Fruit juices, for example, are often drunk with starchy foods (such as orange juice and toast). The acid in the fruit juices suspend the digestion of the starches and indigestion is guaranteed. Milk, another popular meal beverage, requires its own complex digestive environment since it is more properly a food than a drink. When drunk with sandwiches, breakfast or whatever, fermentation of the milk occurs in the stomach.”
“But the point is this: if you eat a natural diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables, you will rarely experience the desire to drink. Usually, when thirst arises and the individual is not in a fasting state or in a very hot environment, then it is due to an improper choice of foods.”
The issue here is not something else for us to worry about, but simply asking “is drinking during a meal the optimal thing to do for our whole body health?”
We challenge you to take a turn on both sides of the issue. Test the waters. See how your body responds. You know how your body feels after you do something. Pay close attention. Is there a quantifiable difference? If there is, will these small differences add up to a big comprehensive difference? Would it make a no-drink meal conversion worth it? Just wondering what you think?
Everyone likes a tall, cool glass of water, tea, or juice with a meal. It’s a way of life. It’s tradition. But is it good for the body?
When we first transitioned over to a vibrant health lifestyle, there were many people, sources, voices and general suggestions about what you should do and at what frequency. One of these issues was keeping drinks off the table during a meal.
I am not much of a meal drinker, but Kate loves a glass of tea with a meal. Here are both sides: Drink awayFrom the Mayoclinic.com’s Michael Picco, M.D.
There’s no concern that water will dilute the digestive juices or interfere with digestion. In fact, drinking water during or after a meal can actually improve digestion. Water and other liquids help break down the food in your stomach and keep your digestive system on track.
“A drink for you?” “No thanks.”A summary from Raw Food Explained.com.
“But the point is this: if you eat a natural diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables, you will rarely experience the desire to drink. Usually, when thirst arises and the individual is not in a fasting state or in a very hot environment, then it is due to an improper choice of foods.”
The issue here is not something else for us to worry about, but simply asking “is drinking during a meal the optimal thing to do for our whole body health?”
We challenge you to take a turn on both sides of the issue. Test the waters. See how your body responds. You know how your body feels after you do something. Pay close attention. Is there a quantifiable difference? If there is, will these small differences add up to a big comprehensive difference? Would it make a no-drink meal conversion worth it? Just wondering what you think?
Image courtesy of Stefanvds (.com)