“The doctor of the future will give no medication, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.” Thomas A. Edison

 Summer heat is at its peak. We all are suffering from our actions which are making the Globe hotter year after year.

The immediate relief from the heat we look for is from our freeze and air conditioner. This two-home equipment comes to our rescue. Thank God we have it, access to which no other animals have.

We are blessed now we can deal with the aggravated summer.

What a myth we live with. What health demoting actions we take when we use these two. First of all, both these equipment are responsible for the hotter atmosphere.

Second, drinking cold water and cold drink makes us diseased.

How?

This post explains, in brief, the ill effects of drinking anything cold. But for that let’s understand something crucial from Ayurveda.

Handpicked related post: 10 ways we are destroying our Inner Body Ecology

Our Digestive System and Its importance According to Ayurveda

According to Ayurveda, Jatharagni also known as Digestive Fire is the fire in the body responsible for metabolism and food digestion.

Our digestive system is the reasons for a healthy or diseased body. All the food we eat is processed by the digestive system. This process generates 7 types of Dhatus in the body which are necessary for the health of the different body components.

These 7 Dhatus are;

• Rasa Dhatu, i.e. Plasma
• Rakta Dhatu, i.e. Blood
• Mamsa Dhatu, i.e. Muscles
• Medas Dhatu, i.e. Fat
• Asthi Dhatu, i.e. Bone
• Majja Dhatu, i.e. Bone Marrow
• Shukra Dhatu, i.e. Reproductive

Every successive Dhatus converts into the next Dhatus. A good digestive system generates Dhatus in equilibrium. The entire focus of the Ayurvedic system of living is a healthy digestive system. A weak digestive system vitiates these Dhatus. Dhatu imbalance is the cause of several body disorders.

A weak digestive system also vitiates three Doshas i.e. Vatta, Pitta and Kapha. Vitiated Doshas are the reasons for many diseases.

Handpicked related post: 6 Foods Can Make Your Children Diseased Adult

Drinking Cold Water and Our Body

Colds water and cold drink which we drink during summer, are dangerous for our digestive system. Usually, we drink cold stuff in all seasons but our intake increases the summer.

When we drink cold drink water included, it dowses our Jatharagni, digestive power. Our power to digest food diminishes with weak Jatharagni. The colder drink we drink the more damage we are doing to our digestive power.

Our body has to spend energy to bring water to body temperature. This energy could have been put to use for digestion and nutrient absorption.

The weak digestive power over a period affects our Doshas and Dhatus. The undigested food gives rise to the toxins. The Doshas get vitiated and start to accumulate. This gives rise to several diseases. Not treated well and on time, we suffer from many chronic diseases.

Even cold water affects your respiratory tract. This leads to sore throat, cough and other respiratory diseases.

On the other hand, according to Ayurveda, warm water boosts Jatharagni and therefore improves digestive power.

Handpicked related post: How food imbalance is ruining your health

According to Vagbhata’s classical text, Ashtanga Hrdayam. “Hot water increases the digestive fire, resulting in a better breakdown and assimilation of everything we consume. Strong, supported Jatharagni will prevent food from being stored as fat, toxins, or fermented in the gut.”

“The digestive fire in the intestines (Jataragni) is the root of all the digestive fires in the body. As it causes the increase or decrease of the elemental and tissue digestive fires it should be treated with great care.” Ashtanga Hridaya Samhita

But How to Quench the Thirst?

Drink following thirst quenching drinks without ice or refrigeration.

• Pot Water with Lemon or Cucumber or Mint leaves
• Butter Milk
• Jaggery Water
• Sugarcane Juice
• Saunf (Fennel Seed) Water
• Lemon  Juice

Handpicked related post: Do you think fruit Juices are healthy? Read This.

Whatever you drink, drink at the room temperature. Do not damage your digestive system by consuming cold, iced, and refrigerated drinks. Your temporary temptation can make you chronically diseased.

Shun drinking cold in the summer, guide, and educate your kids also. They have a long way to go with their digestive system.

Important Summer Reading: Water – Your Gateway to a Healthy Body