Improve digestion by drinking water between meals.
One of the many ‘diet tips’ I have come across over the years is to drink a glass of water before a meal to fill the stomach so you eat less – but – it doesn’t work. In reality this is likely to make you bloated and reduce the calories burning effects of digestion.
The second part of the digestive process in the body is the stomach and for it to play its part efficiently it needs an acidic environment. If you drink water just before or during meals you lower the acidity in the stomach and then food leaves the stomach only partially digested.
This might sound like a good idea as you’ll think great that food won’t be absorbed. But this is not quite how it goes. Stomach acid is vital for killing bad bacteria and breaking down proteins – we want to break down the protein so the body can use it to build muscle and lean tissue.
Poorly digested protein will not be well absorbed further down the digestive tract and could contribute to bloating and constipation.
Drink lots of water between meals to keep the body and metabolism working well but drink water at least 1 hour before and 1 hour after meals – then it will keep you hydrated without diluting your improtant nutrient intake. You will also find you are less likely to snack between meal too as often food cravings between meals are due to dehydration not hunger.
How much water – about half your weight in pounds in fluid ounces – so a 65kg person weights about 144lb and needs approximately 72 fl oz water just over 2 litres. You do get alot of water from food itself though so you probably don’t need to drink that much. Aim for at least 16 fl oz between each meal.
Too much fluid before bedtime might disturb sleep but a small glass of water (8 fl oz) before bed can help stop hunger pangs in the night so you can avoid the midnight snacking too.