It’s Kinda Hard to Believe, but Drinking Water Just Prolonged My Life.
Drinking water is like washing out your insides. The water will cleanse the system, fill you up, decrease your caloric load, and improve the function of all your tissues.
When we were younger, my mum had a routine. She tried to sell it to us; drink at least 1.5 litres of water as soon as you get up in the morning. Mum called it water therapy. She promised us it was the pathway to great health and tried to show literature to back her claims.
Not everyone was on board. I tried it but not 1.5 litres. That felt extra. I did 500mls at first. It was gross. For crying out loud, water is tasteless and I am not one of those that prefer sparkling or flavored water.
One thing I noticed though, I always moved my bowel after drinking. I liked this after-effect so I decided to adopt the habit.
Fast forward to 2023, I still kept this habit though I still struggled with 1.5 liters. Coincidentally, most days I did not meet this target, I didn’t move my bowels and the farts wouldn’t stop. This is terrible news for a foodie. If you are stuffing, you need to dump.
My diet on a weekday is a green smoothie for breakfast, full lunch, while dinner is optional. Anytime I am on vacation, that routine breaks cos I just go overboard.
My most recent vacation was traveling through Europe. My first stop was in Sheffield. I was at my sister’s. My overindulgence began. I had forgotten I was dehydrated from my flight.
Of course by day 2, I was bloated. Not only that, my farts were terrible. Hubby felt I was poisoned. He urged me to drink water. Sheffield water tastes awesome so I gulped away. I didn’t meet the 1.5liter mark but I moved my first bowel. This was my cue to continue my indulgence.
By day 4, I woke up with a sore throat. I gulped 2 liters of water with zinc tablets to help my situation. Of course, I moved my bowels. Then I indulged again. By lunchtime, I had an invite to a buffet. I didn’t hold back. I indulged once more. By dinnertime, I felt unwell.
The sore throat hadn’t abated and in addition, I was very bloated. My friends talked me into going for dinner. They didn’t understand my body was screaming for help with all the stuffing.
At dinner, I ordered a salad and a fruit platter. Everyone wondered why. I told them I needed to hydrate. Cos of how crappy I felt, I went to bed early while my friends welcomed nightlife.
Of course, the next morning, I was the first to wake up. I wasn’t feeling refreshed cos I still felt unwell. I gulped down 2 liters of water. I felt instant rejuvenation. Next came bowel emptying.
As I showered, I realized I needed some sort of detox. At breakfast, I filled all my plates and bowls with fruits or vegetables. The only exceptions were a cup of tea and a glass of water.
Never had I eaten food whereby I felt so full, yet so light. This probably must be how some vegans feel. I had even forgotten I had a sore throat and a headache. So I made a few resolutions as I walked away from the breakfast room:
My day would always start with at least 1 liter of water.
Every meal would start with water or probably end with water.
As much as possible, my meals would be predominantly fruit and veggies. Proteins and carbs are part of the party, but it’s clear where my priorities lie.
Drinking water is like washing out your insides. The water will cleanse the system, fill you up, decrease your caloric load and improve the function of all your tissues. Kevin R. Stone