I feel especially motivated to write this blog after being in Sri Lanka the last few weeks, where hot water with wedges of small fresh limes squeezed in (they don’t have lemons over there) were a daily staple for me, and I believe this practice made a huge difference in my health and digestion during the journey.
But in Sri Lanka I also sipped my hot water with lime brew also in between meals and in small amounts during meals. Sometimes I had to explain to slightly confused waiters I didn’t want anything except the hot water (Sri Lankans sure do looove their black Ceylon tea) and the limes on the side, but we got past those little communication breakdowns!
In Sri Lanka I’ve been eating a ton of white rice, which is the daily staple over here, not as many greens as usual, and even some (okay quite a bit of) gluten (roti). When I travel, I notice the gluten doesn’t make me bloated (probably because wheat is hybridized in the US to have higher levels of gluten, and also breads and other products often contain concentrated gluten which is added in to increase shelf life).
I ate piles of roti (with shredded coconut and a natural sugar syrup that grows on kithul trees and is referred to as treacle) and dosas, though dosas are lentil-based and mostly gluten-free anyways. And again, let me stress how much white rice I was eating, along with daal (stewed lentils) 2, sometimes 3 times a day (!).
I also am not ashamed to admit that I ate quite a bit of rice and coconut pancakes with treacle for dessert (I got slightly fascinated/addicted to it), as well as coconut cake and some delicious coconut milk ice cream! I don’t always have dessert every day, but hey, I was on vacation and felt like it.
But despite all this, the hot water with lime helped to keep my digestion in check, and I didn’t really ever feel bloated.
Even though Labor Day just passed, it still might be pretty hot where you are…or even if not, maybe you are pretty firmly entrenched in your cold or cool water habit. BUT I’m hoping after reading this blog I wrote for you, you might be convinced to trade in your icy drink for more hot water + flavoring it with lemon, lime or even some ginger.
I would even recommend drinking it more often than once a day, if you are trying to lose weight or improve digestion:
According to Dr. Michael Picco, a gastroenterologist with the Mayo Clinic, water helps keep your digestive system on track. Hot water is found to break down food faster than cold water, which makes the food easier to digest. Easier digestion means freed up energy that can be directed towards your health and beauty, one of the most fundamental Beauty Detox principles.
Hot water helps to put pressure on your bowels and help stimulate release. Remember that constipation is aging and the enemy of beauty, so efficient elimination is key for looking and feeling your best. Keep sipping on your hot water brews, and help support better digestion.
Drinking hot water can help you sweat and also aid the elimination of toxins, which purifies your bloodstream and helps improve your overall health. Adding lemon to your hot water can enhance this process even more, as it contains enzymes which support your liver, your main detoxifying organ. One of my Ayurvedic teachers likens this to the analogy of a block of cheese, solid in the fridge. Take the cheese and heat in a pan over a flame, and the cheese starts to melt. In the same way, its believed that heat can help toxins release from your body.
This is related to #2, but going a step further, since drinking warm water helps to flush toxins out of your body, this helps allow for cleaner blood and more glowing, beautiful skin and eventually, hair.
Ayurveda believe that an overload of toxicity in your body can also negatively affect your mental balance, stressing your nervous system. Your nervous system in turn, affects your endocrine and immune system. Drinking hot water helps to relieve and prevent toxic overload which, besides the physical benefits, is said to promote a calm, balanced mind.
Drinking hot water helps to improve circulation. Good circulation in turn helps to ensure efficient distribution of nutrients and oxygen to all your cells and tissues, which will help to make you more beautiful and have more energy.
So the moral of this blog? Sip your hot water with lemon/lime/ginger and increase your health and beauty!It’s as simple as that. Definitely have a mug in the morning, and even throughout the day. You can sip small amounts while eating meals (though you don’t want to have large amounts of any liquids when eating) or before meals.
Try it for yourself. I can’t wait to see how your beauty and energy improves, as I am confident that it will!
