“I’ll give you a few minutes to check the menu, in the meantime, I’ll get you a BIG glass of water”.  

Ugh, NO…keep your water, bring me some food! Drinking water has become a staple at meals.  We drink to make it easier to chew, use it as a weight loss tool (??), or just drink out of habit. But drinking too much can cause you to not properly digest and breakdown your food.  And as I say, “it’s not what you eat, it’s what you absorb”.  Well, right between eating and absorbing, there is DIGESTION.  

Let’s see why drinking too much can breakdown your breakdown (digestion) of foods 😉 

Q: What is digestion?

A: It’s the process your body uses to break down the foods you eat.  You can’t absorb huge clumps of food into your blood (which is where all your nutrition ends up) so the body must break it down into the tiny nutrient chains so it’s ready for absorption.  

Q: What are the tools that digestion uses?

A: Your muscles, through a motion called peristalsis, a multitude of digestive enzymes that are specific to certain types of nutrition like fats, proteins, fibers, etc.., and stomach acid.  Enzymes and stomach acid are most affected by what we drink, and they are critical to prepare the foods/nutrients for absorption.   

Q: How does drinking water affect digestion?

A: Simply, DILUTION. When you add more liquid, in this case water, into the digestive system, you can dilute and lose potency that the enzymes and stomach acid environment can have.  The body will do it’s best to release enzymes to break down the food, but the process isn’t simple and as we age, we produce less enzymes.  The stomach acid is harder, to keep the acidity levels constant takes even greater work.  You’re basically taking something that is perfectly concentrated (the body is smart like that) and making it less effective.  

Q: Any other issues with water?

A: Yes, it makes you pay less attention to chewing and causes you to eat MORE!   Chewing is the first level of digestion; enzymes are released from your mouth that begin the tiny breakdown of these nutrients and they also send signals to the digestive system as to what is coming down.  When you drink water, you chew less (because it’s easier to swallow) and you miss this valuable phase of digestion.  Water also makes it easier to eat.  Water softens everything up so quickly that you eat more food…faster, NOT good for the digestive system. 

Q: Should I not drink any water while I eat?

A: No, you can have some.  Drink just enough to help you chew and if you feel thirsty or parched.   What’s key is, before you swallow your food, it should be “mushy”, so if you need some water, it’s best you do. 

Q: How about alcohol, sodas, sparkling water?

A: Calorie consumption is always a factor with sodas and alcohol, it can add up quickly, so watch out for that. With sparkling water, there is some debate. Studies show it helps individuals have an easier time swallowing but should be avoided if you have acid reflux, GERD, or IBS.  If you have digestive issues, I think you should avoid carbonated beverages in general.  

Q: When should I drink water?

A: My rule of thumb is that I stop drinking anything 30min before my meal, during my meal, and 1-1.5hrs after my meal.  I feel this gives my system the most potent digestive environment possible. 

Q: How does SHIELD help with digestion?

A: Manage and reduces inflammation in the gut lining.  There has been a tremendous amount of research on how CBD affects the digestive system.  Digestion can be very inflammatory due to the foods we eat, toxins we inhale/consume, and the stress we put ourselves.  We’ve had multiple testimonials of how SHIELD has helped to calm and repair the digestive system, its’s a great place to start!