BENGALURU: Ayurveda believes that everything in this universe is made up of five basic elements. These five elements are earth (prithvi), water (jal), fire (agni or tej), air (vayu) and ether or space (akash) and collectively they are termed the panchmahabhutas.
Water is the major constituent of all living beings and the major component of the human cell. Proper hydration is essential for health and thus a somewhat controversial topic.
Where it Diverges
Although modern medicine claims that more water is better, the ancient Ayurvedic texts discourage drinking large amounts of water, and recommend a more individualised approach to fluid intake.
The average person loses 3-4 litres (about 10-15 cups) of fluid a day. This may seem like a lot, but when you consider that sweat, urine, breathing and bowel movements all contribute to loss of fluids, the numbers start to make sense.
Signs of Dehydration
Look for this signs and symptoms.
■ Dry or sticky mouth
■ Dry eyes
■ Little or no sweat
■ Constipation, hard or rabbit pellet stools
■ Low urine output or concentrated dark yellow urine.
■ Heartburn (due to less acid production by stomach)
■ Notably sunken fontanel (the soft spot on the top of the head) in an infant.
How and When to Drink
The Ideal: Drink according to thirst. Now, to do this you will need to listen to your body (what the ancient Ayurvedic sages taught first and foremost), not what the experts say. Stop regularly during the day and put your attention on your body. If you are thirsty… drink. If not… don’t. If in doubt, generally drink at regular intervals throughout the day. You are much likely to drink too little than too much, so it is still good to drink before you get ‘super thirsty’.
The Back-Up Test: Whenever you go to the toilet, take note of the colour of your urine. Ideally it should be a very light yellow (almost clear). If it’s dark yellow - up your water intake. If it’s completely clear and you are going to the toilet every 30 minutes, you may be drinking ‘too much’. That’s a good sign to start putting more attention on drinking only when you are thirsty - not just because you ‘think’ you should. More is not always better.
Avoid Disturbing Digestion: According to the ancient science of Maharishi Ayurveda, drinking large quantities of fluids with meals, greatly interferes with proper digestion of food. Try to avoid drinking large quantities of fluid - i.e cups - at least 30 minutes before a meal and 60 minutes after a meal.
Sipping ‘small amounts’ of plain water is okay during a meal. For those trying to lose weight, this recommendation of not drinking straight after meals is very important. Doing so increases ‘kapha’ (related to weight gain) and leads to improperly digested food that is then stored rather than eliminated from the body.
Avoid Cold/Ice Cold Fluids: Your digestion works on the principle of heat. When we drink cold water, we totally ‘put out’ our internal fire - we destroy our ability to ‘cook’ the food we eat, we disturb proper appetite and ultimately create ‘ama’ (poison) even from the ‘healthy’ food we eat. So, always drink room temperature water - cool water is okay in very hot conditions. Where possible, especially if you are carrying excess weight or generally feel ‘sluggish/blocked’ etc, drinking boiled water is the best of all. Boiling water breaks down it’s polar bonds, making it ‘lighter’. The heat helps soften up the tissues and mobilise the impurities in the system and the ‘lightness’ helps it penetrate into the deeper tissues, moving out the all the ‘old’ impurities as well.
Spices create an added therapeutic effect by interacting with the water on the molecular level. It becomes easier for the body to flush out toxins and impurities because of the sharpness of the agni (heat) in the water and because of the sharpness of the spices. Over time, it cleanses the channels so the water is unobstructed as it travels into the body to hydrate the tissues, and travels out carrying waste.
Ancient texts talk about the difference in the rate of absorption of regular water vs. boiled water:
■ Regular water takes about 6 hours if every channel is clear
■ Boiled and cooled water takes about 3 hours to be absorbed, and helps open the channels
■ Hot herbalised water takes about 1 1/2 hours, due to sharpness of agni and herbs and spices.
Beat the Heat with Sheetali and Sheetkari Pranayama:
The method of breathing by mouth (similar to a python’s breathing) is called Sheetali and Sheetakari Pranayama. Both are helpful in cooling the system and are especially recommended for summer season.
Practising these pranayamas not only cools the body’s core temperature but also the mind, thus making one feel serene, peaceful and calm in a moment.
(The writer is an Ayurveda physician and counsellor Serenity Wellness Institute)