Dear ice water lovers…
Picture this: You walk into a restaurant, get seated, settle in, start to browse the menu, and within minutes are presented with a huge glass of ICE WATER to start off your eating experience. This scenario is all too familiar.
It's our culture.
It's our tradition.
It's the kind heartedness of the restaurant, wanting to help you stay hydrated and make you feel welcome.
And that big glass of ICE WATER is impairing your digestive fire!...which you need to keep strong in order to digest the big meal you are about to eat!
Let's take another scenario: You are sitting around a campfire. You notice the qualities of the fire are hot, quick, sharp, and spreading. You notice the transformative power of the fire, and how the wood is burning up and turning into ash.
Then someone comes over to the fire with an ice cold bucket of water and pours it on the fire! The fire is instantly put out and turns into steam.
This is what happens when you drink ice water! You put out your digestive fire!
There is so much talk about gut health these days in modern medicine, and the truth is that Ayurveda has had this knowledge for thousands of years.
In Ayurveda, supporting agni (your digestive fire) is the gatekeeper to good health. The strength of your agni affects...well, everything. It's responsible for digestion, assimilation, absorption, and elimination. The Sanskrit word for “fire,” agni is viewed as the very source of life. Ayurveda says that "you are as old as your agni," and teaches that impaired agni is at the root of every imbalance. Tending this fire in the digestive system is the first step in restoring balance.
Agni is such a BIG topic, but I'll just stay focused on the ice water thing.
A simple way to support your agni, is to kindly ask your server to replace your ice water with warm water or room temperature water. (This has taken some practice for me when going out to eat, but now it's a habit, and I'm usually able to let the server know before they bring the waters over).
Avoiding ice water and cold beverages is a general recommendation all of the time, not just when eating a big meal. It's also a good idea to avoid drinking lots of fluids around mealtimes.
Remember that Ayurveda is very gentle, friendly and flexible. If you are a HUGE ice water lover (I know that there are many of you out there!), start with consuming LESS ice water, and drink it LESS OFTEN. If you are filling up your glass/water bottle all the way to the top with ice, try filling it up just half way. If you are drinking ONLY ice water throughout the day, try adding ice to every other glass/water bottle instead. Keep reducing your ice intake. The small changes add up!
Avoiding ice water can make a big difference in the strength of your digestive fire, and help support your overall health. Keep the fire in your belly strong!
Be well,
Shannon