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Be Unconventional – Stop Drinking with Your Meals

Digestion is super important for health, staying slim, and mental wellbeing.  Without proper digestion many discomforts can be born into the body – indigestion, heart burn, irritability, bloating, lethargy, headaches, insatiable cravings, inability to determine true hunger, and depression.

Now imagine that you are doing something every single day that unknowingly is causing one or more of these symptoms!  Wouldn’t you want to know what that was?

Have you thought about what you drink and how much you drink with your meals?

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When you digest foods without complications, the feelings of happiness, contentment, clarity, optimism, and lightness appear in your body. To maximize those wonderful feelings it is really important to understand how drinking can effect digestion.

When I go out to eat, it’s usually the same old story – The waiter or waitress comes by with a big jug of really cold ice water and serves the table.  This is standard and conventional practice – even if you don’t order a drink, you’ll usually always get a huge glass of ice cold water. Most restaurants across America and elsewhere do this every single day without a second thought. This is the first big mistake for digestion.

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Don’t drink cold water with your meals.

When several studies were published about how consuming cold water increases your metabolism a few years ago, you could literally hear the ice plumping into glasses across the country.  People thought – “Wow, if I just drink cold water all day, I can lose weight!” – well this bit of wisdom is a double edged sword. While drinking cold water does speed up your metabolism (about 4 extra calories per 8 ounces of water), it does so by using energy to heat up the cold water to body temperature. This diverts energy that should be used for digestion.  When you are eating, you want all your energy directed at breaking down food so your body can easily assimilate the nutrients and eliminate waste. When you have bad digestion – you could actually gain weight in the long run, because toxins can be built up in your digestive organs which can inhibit the bodies ability to breakdown fat, cause insatiable cravings and mess with your body’s ability to determine if you are full or not.

The second big mistake I see – is people getting refill after refill of liquids while eating.  Using the liquids to literally aid in gulping down huge amounts of inadequately chewed foods. Sometimes, drinking the equivalent of 24 ounces of liquid during the meal.

Don’t drink liquids with your meals.

Drinking liquids during your meal dilutes your naturally occurring digestive enzymes and stomach acids which makes it harder to breakdown food. Stomach acids are dissipated with the act of consumings liquids with solids because water is excreted faster than solids.   If you are chewing adequately (creating saliva), you should be able to eat comfortably without lots of liquids.  Allow your saliva to naturally help you swallow your food.

Drink water or other liquids 20 mins before you consume food and wait at least an hour after.

Focus on hydrating yourself between meals vs. during. You’ll still be adequately hydrated throughout the day with this method and allow your food to be digested without complicating matters for your stomach and intestines.

If you must drink with your meals, sip on a warm beverage.

Good options are room temperature water with lemon or herbal tea – the temperature will be closer to your body’s normal heat and ease digestion vs disrupting it. Ginger is my favorite type of tea to drink with or after meals because it naturally moves food from the upper part of the digestive tract into the lower. At home I just cut up a few pieces of fresh ginger and pour hot water over it.  On the go, I always carry these tea bags with me… When we were in Asia last summer, ginger tea was a standard on menus – I wish all restaurants here had it available too. (YogiNumi, and Traditional Medicinals are my favorite digestive teas.)

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I can’t wait until our eating rituals here in the modern world start to better align with healthy and nutritious practices of eastern medicine which these principles are founded.

You have the powerBe unconventional and you just may start a trend to drinking more thoughtfully and healthfully.

I’d love to hear your feedback on this topic. Do you know someone who could improve their digestion by following this habit? If so, please share this information with them. Are you guilty of guzzling down your food with big glasses of water? Don’t feel bad and don’t be shy, I used to a long time ago too.

Here’s to drinking thoughtfully all week long!

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136 responses to “Be Unconventional – Stop Drinking with Your Meals

  1. That’s really interesting! Do you mind sharing where you learned this, or a resource for further reading?

    I have never enjoyed drinking water during a meal. The only time I drink any water with a meal is if it is incredibly spicy. Nice to know my innate personal preference is a healthy one!

    1. Alisia – Hi there! I’ve read this principle in many books and studies – the one that most comes to mind is the book Conscious Eating by Gabriel Cousens. It’s a mind blowing, in depth read about nutrition and how food effects the body. Happy Reading!

  2. Wow this is quite fascinating! Like Alisia, I also don’t drink much during meals unless it’s a glass of red wine during a special meal. My family and friends always thought it was quite strange (they still do). I drink water throughout the day though so I never find myself very thirsty during my meals. Glad to know it’s actually a healthy habit for my digestive system! 🙂

  3. Yes, always best to drink before a meal. The customary American restaurant tradition of large glasses (often plastic) of iced water (not good water!) is wrong and unhealthy.
    I start my day with several glasses of lemon juice and water. My water comes from a natural spring. It is real water not bottled dead water. We are what we drink.
    Footnote: I recommend organic wines and teas.

    1. Thank you for recommending organic wines and teas! I couldn’t agree more! I also start my day with a big glass of warm lemon water.

    1. Hi Ruth – Sorry to hear that – Have you tried drinking ginger tea with your meal? It really works wonders!

  4. Hi Foodbabe. Thank you for the timely reminder to give up my sparkling mineral water during my dinner. What about soup? I have been drinking soup before my dinner in a bid to fill me up before I eat my main meal. I tend to drink more clear type of soup such as bouillabaisse (sometimes without all the seafood, just the base soup), light vegetable soup etc before I eat my main. Do I have to wait 20mins before dinner? Btw, I cooked your Protein Rich Soup a couple of weeks ago! Delish!

    1. Soup is great – because it actually contains nutrients and fiber for your body to digest… I am so happy you liked the soup recipe – It’s one of my favorites for sure!

      1. Doesn’t he soup have the same dilution effect as water? It is mostly water

  5. Great post, my mom taught me this yrs ago, I prob fall into the trap when we go out to eat which is not very often and I always ask for no ice. It is really amazing how western culture is and how many people don’t think about simple things they can do for their digestion.
    By the way, your veggie pizza is my hubby and my fav on sun nights! He is a pepperoni guy but he loves this pizza, thank god!

    1. Christine – That is so awesome to hear! My husband also loves that pizza… he still gets excited when I make it and I’ve been making it for years! So funny…

      I’ve never used meat on it – but I bet he would love that once in a while… Thanks for sharing!

  6. thanks for sharing that! i don’t know why it never crossed my mind that plenty of fluids during meals would do that to digestion. i will be more mindful about this from now on! what about soups though?

    1. Good question about soups… Like with smoothies and juices, remember to chew your soups too – so you can stimulate digestive enzymes. Because there are actual nutrients in the soup – your body won’t be wasting the beneficial stomach acids and digestive enzymes! They will be put to work in the right way!

      1. So all this time I’ve felt silly about “chewing” applesauce and beverages and I wasn’t so silly at all. 🙂

  7. I can’t agree more! !! My digestion system has been weak since I came to the States. I think the ice water is the main killer for the my healthy digestion. Recently, I am trying to give up drinking cold and fancy drink with my meal. But it is sooooo hard to actually do that because the waiter will ask you again and again about the drink. Even thought I asked for no drink, they will bring me cold water. You know in Chinese traditional medicine, drinking while eating is totally not a good habit. The healthy routine should be, eating, chewing every single bite throughtly, when you have nothing in your mouth, drink a cup of warm green tea.

    1. Hi Jiajia! I am so happy you shared your experience and your knowledge of Chinese Traditional Medicine…Sipping on green tea after lunch is a ritual for me!

  8. Does it matter the temperature of the water I drink between meals? Or should the water I drink just always be room temperature or warm? I have to admit, I love cold water, so this will be an adjustment, but I’m ready to make some changes 🙂

  9. Hi there. I have enjoyed learning as I read your blog. I got hooked on 100 Days of Real Food last August and discovered your blog on that site. There are some things I have learned that I would like to try–one specifically is changing some of my beverages. I have never been much of a fan of hot tea so I am wondering if you can reccommend some flavors for a new tea drinker that I might enjoy. I like “Russian tea” which I have tried to make more healthy by using regular tea and flavoring with lemon, orange and spices as opposed to the processed drink mixes which are usually used to make it. (I am not sure if you have ever seen or or heard of this before.) That’s about it when it comes to tea–I never found something I really enjoyed but am willing to try more now.
    Also, I live in the country and have a well. What information do you have about drinking well water? Am I consuming anything unhealthy and do I need a filter? It would seem to me that I am drinking the way people have been drinking for centuries. I love learning but at times all this information can be overwhelming–particularly when applying it to my children also. Thanks for the help!

    1. I would go to a place like teavana at the mall and try several different kinds of tea – the key thing to do is to first smell it, to make sure you like the aroma. I love basically all teas – my favorites are english bfast, green, toasted rice green, mango black, ginger, cranberry and orange. Good Luck!

  10. Interesting. I rarely drink when I eat because it has never seemed natural. Good to know I was on the right track just listening to my body. Great blog you have here.

      1. Why is milk not thought of like a soup? It has nutrients like a soup. Is it purely temperature based?

  11. I recently heard this advice about not drinking after you eat. I’ve done a little research and have found differing opinions. For example, the Livestrong blog says that it’s actually beneficial to drink water with meals because, although water does dilute the digestive enzymes, “the concentration of enzymes isn’t important to the rate of digestion” and “because digestion of all nutrient molecules is heavily water-dependent…you need to replenish the supply in order to continue to do so.”

    Personally, I’m more inclined to believe the Ayurvedic and Eastern medicine methods, but
    I drink tons of room temperature water throughout the day, and I still find myself extremely thirsty after I eat. Maybe it’s just a mental thing that I think I need to drink after a meal? Or maybe my diet contains too much sodium? Any thoughts Food Babe?

  12. Drinking ice-cold water during a meal with meat is especially unhealthy because it solidifies the fat, making it even harder to digest. As you said, sip on a warm beverage if you must.

  13. Wow I am definitely going to try this. I eat a very clean diet and still struggle with digestive issues. I suspect that this change could really help me, because I usually drink a TON of water with meals.

  14. 63yrs old now and never ever drank with meals. a habit i grew up with. dont think my parents realized the health perspectives of it; it was more like “dont drink because you’ll fill up quickly and not finish your food”….lol and, that’s how i raised my younguns. also, thank you for all your enlightenments and sharings <3 ….stay blest

  15. Funny that you just reposted this! I just started doing this a week ago. I’m a constantly thirsty person so it takes some effort for me, but I’m hoping I’ll get used to it. I plan to keep it up – it makes a lot of sense!

  16. My husband has horrible stomach problems. He never drinks anything when he eats and I always thought this was strange. He just tells me that his stomach feels so much better if he doesn’t ave liquids with food. So rear to see that you agree and that there is actually a real reason behind this. Thank you!

  17. I have Sjogren’s syndrome which among many other awful things diminishes my saliva and must drink with my meals, depending on what I am eating it can be 12 oz or more. Of course I also suffer acid reflux & digestive problems for the same reason (saliva does a lot more than we realize!) I usually drink room temperature filtered water. I drink ginger tea but it is a diuretic which of course can also cause me problems. I am just curious if you have any other suggestions considering my particular needs.

    1. Hi Suzanne – of course it sounds like you need to drink water with your meals. So sorry you are dealing with this. We really do not want to give out any medical advice, we suggest consulting your doctor. Thanks!

  18. Something just clicked for me as I read through this–I’ve been finding that about an hour after lunch I have a huge craving and I go raiding my cupboards trying to figure out what it is I’m craving, when I’m not actually hungry. I bet it’s water that my body needs…huh.

    Thank you for the tips, food babe! I’m working on incorporating these into my life!!

  19. I have always enjoyed a glass of milk with dinner. I have a hard time eating without washing it down. Maybe if I chewed further I wouldn’t feel like I am choking without liquid. I have Celiac now and my system is completely on strike, so no milk for me now anyway. Maybe I’ll try the warm tea with dinner. I’m already having to supplement with digestive enzymes and HCl pills to aid digestion.
    Thanks for sharing.

  20. Drinking warm water with lemon throughout my day has done wonders for me. It’s helped with digestion, IBS, and weight loss. Cold water shocks the bowel system. It only makes sense to let your body do its thing before drinking. Love your articles! They’ve been so helpful and inspiring.

  21. I’m a drinker. I drink before, during and after meals. Mainly water and I love ice! I haven’t noticed any weird symptoms but maybe I just block them out. I’m going to give this 20 minutes before and an hour after a try. I’m curious to see what happens.

  22. I’ve been guilty on occasion, but I don’t drink water all the time with meals. I also try to drink water steadily throughout the day, so meals are usually sans liquid. Except breakfast, I have one iced coffee (that I make myself using plain coffee and coconut milk that I make homemade). But I actually do try to drink lots of water 20 minutes before meals, etc. Also with a little physical activity (like a light walk) before meals. This is great information though, and I’ll sure be more mindful of this in the future.

  23. I have been practicing this for years, i only wish everyone else would follow this simple yet beneficial practice. I also try to drink green tea or whatevers on hand. I do, however, drink about 2 cups of water after my meal to take my vitamins, what are your thoughts on that? Thank you !

  24. This isn’t new information to me. I heard it back in the 80s and have been practicing it ever since. Well. trying to practice. It’s not exactly easy sometimes but it’s well worth it. I am surprised this isn’t common knowledge by now. I guess it’s just too hard for some people to do? Great article!

  25. I never thought of it from the perspective of diluting stomach acids. This is a thought-provoking concept. I do, however, prefer room temp water over cold. And, I drink lots of tea.

  26. This is true, since I’ve been doing this, I don’t have any digestive issues. I don’t like tea, I drink only water during the day and I don’t miss drinking any other drinks. Water is a miraculous fluid, it helps you lose weight without any hard work, clears your skin and keeps you alive. Everything is made out of water and that is fascinating… We would be lost without it.

  27. What about taking supplements…I take my supplements right before I eat. Taking them 20 min. before dinner isn’t as ideal for the supplement absorption (ideally they have some food and fat to help absorption). And, I think it would be harder to remember. Thoughts….

      1. Just take them with a small amount of water… not a problem.

  28. I thought I was doing great drinking several glasses of water to fill up. I never thought about what it was doing to my digestion. I’ll try not drinking during meals now.

  29. Actually this had been a Japanese tradition for a long time. My husband thought I was weird when u told him I don’t drink with my meals. Thanks for justifying it. Will share with my clients 🙂

  30. Wow. I drink so much cold water before, during and after I eat. I really need to rethink this as I’m sitting here looking at my water bottle waiting for 1 hour so I can drink it. I’m seriously going to give this a shot. Thanks for all the info. I’m enjoying all of the new things I am learning.

  31. I eat five small meals throughout the day, and I drink water like it’s going out of style. When would I ever be able to drink water if I avoided it five hours a day?

  32. I have had digestive issues for years, and I try to avoid drinking much water with meals, which helps. My body is accustomed to eating several smaller meals, so I never have enough room in my stomach for both food and drink anyway! My only problem is that the sodium content in restaurant food is often considerably higher than what I prepare at home, so I find myself having to drink some water (probably 4-8 oz. at most) in restaurants. Perhaps I should be more intentional about drinking more water before heading to restaurants. That would also help avoid what I call the “restaurant hangover” which comes from dehydration caused by increased sodium content.

  33. Yikes, this can be hard when you snack throughout the day like I do. I try not to eat during meals, but the not drinking 20 minutes before or an hour after is difficult 🙁 However, I never drink cold beverages with ice- they are always warm or room temperature.

    1. I meant I try not to *drink during meals, not I try not to eat during meals…LOL.

  34. I cannot thank you enough for posting this. I am new to your page. I have been having terrible trouble for a while now every time I eat. I was to the point of trying to give it ip because of how much it would hurt after. I have been to several doctors and many tests. No one knew what it was. I tried this a couple of days ago and almost immediate improvement. I am a big drinker especially at meals. I would drink toms of milk and sweet tea. I have been trying to cut those and just drink water. Although this worked wonders I found that I didn’t drink nearly enough water due to being afraid that I would interfere with my digestion. If you wait 20 minutes before and an hour after each meal that is a lot of time not drinking anything. I am trying to find a good balance as my work days aren’t structured and i am on the road. I wish I knew what changed but I started to gain weight and all in my belly. Lots of bloating as well. Some hormonal changes as I am low in estrogen and testosterone. I am getting off the HRT as I feel I am too young and would like to try something natural if anything. My stomach woes were so sever it was affecting everything in my life. I am amazed it was something so simple. Hoping that is all it was! Thanks again for sharing what you learn!

  35. PS. I have been diagnosed with gastroproesis which means my liquids and foods take too long to start digesting.

  36. If I shouldn’t drink with meals when should I take vitamins that say to take with a meal?

    1. Also, sometimes I will be training for 4 hours at a time and only have an hour after class to eat lunch before work but I am always extremely thirsty. I drink at least a liter of water during training sessions but not sure how to balance hydrating and eating with a tight time schedule.

      1. Hi Lance – do the best you can. The key is to drink small amounts if you are very thirsty or need to take vitamins. Take small sips and try to drink room temperature or warm beverages instead of cold. Getting away from the habit of drinking large amounts of cold beverages is the important thing!

  37. Guilty, here. I love lemon water or iced tea. I do enjoy hot tea so I will start ordering that all the time.

  38. What about carbonated water (club soda)? Going by what you say, not with means, but what about in between? Do you have any input/advice regarding any problems or issues with a no or low sodium carbonated water?
    Thanks.

  39. on my own quest for health a few months ago, i discovered the magic of drinking warm/hot water steeped with just sliced lemon and fresh ginger – and you are absolutely right … there is a noticeable difference with how i feel when i follow this practice religiously (and when i don’t)! i found your facepage during this time as well, and i love that your opinions and perspectives resonate with my own research, discoveries, and ideas on food – thank you for putting yourself out *here* and sharing your experiences!

  40. I will ask the same question I did back in February when I saw this article and maybe I will get a response this time:
    I have Sjogren’s syndrome which among many other awful things diminishes my saliva and must drink with my meals, depending on what I am eating it can be 12 oz or more. Of course I also suffer acid reflux & digestive problems for the same reason (saliva does a lot more than we realize!) I usually drink room temperature filtered water. I drink ginger tea but it is a diuretic which of course can also cause me problems. I am just curious if you have any other suggestions considering my particular needs.

    1. Check with your doctor or acupuncturists for specifics recommendations to your condition – you could try taking digestive enzymes. Have you tried that before?

      1. I have learned that Drs are more concerned with inflammation and havent much advice for things like this, the advice I got wast to drink plenty of water with meals to keep from choking. I have taken digestive enzymes when I was having bad stomach problems but not on a regular basis. …I don’t know why, it seems pretty obvious! 😉 Do you have advice on what to look for in enzymes and the best times to take them?

  41. My dad got tired of us spilling milk at the dinner table when we were young, so we weren’t allowed to drink until after the meal. The habit has stuck with me all these years. Father really does know best. Thanks, Dad!

  42. I heard several years back,,,to chew,,chew, chew,,when you chew well,,and get your salavia on your food,,,that is the first process to help breaking down the food that you eat. I rarely drink when eating,,it dilutes your stomach acids that you need to break down food. I think this can lead to acid reflux,,if your stomach has to produce strong acids to break down foods,,because the acid is so diluted..Im not a Dr. but I do read a lot about these things.I am learning as I get older,,to eat to live,,,not live to eat..I hear there are more people dying from drive throughs than drive by shootings,,,There is so much bad foods out there,,we really have to look out for ourselves,,Fast Food,,Fast Death,,the longer the shelf life,,the shorter your life..

  43. Thank you for telling us this! I knew about not eating during your meals, just before/after but I didn’t really know the reason why. Haha I just do it and am now accustomed to it. Great advice! 🙂 I love reading all of your posts.

  44. Hi,

    I just came across an article a while ago saying that drinking tea while eating prevent the body to absorb the iron in food hence many Chinese lack iron due to this reason. I just double-check online and it says “It is said that tea contains polyphenols and tannins that internally bind the iron in the plant foods. This makes it difficult for us to absorb iron. So drinking tea is bad especially for children and women who require iron and are generally iron deficient. It is preferable to drink tea only post at least an hour after meals.”
    Whats your thought on this?

  45. I need to drink to swallow while eating because I have an esophagus issue, but anyway is good to know alternatives, I will try ginger water. There are so many tricks that the modern civilization is offering to us without any kind of goodwill…
    It is all about money, everybody needs to be more productive and efficient in this country, but one, everything will go back to basics, our ancestors were right in so many things.
    Thank you.

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