Soups, broths & teas
Like everything you consume, water takes effort to digest. It must be processed until it resembles the blood in salinity, sweetness, and pH. Since water takes effort to digest but does not provide nourishment, Ayurveda recommends nourishing drinks, broths, and teas in the place of water. Some examples are soup stocks, herbal teas, almond smoothies, and fruit juices.

Balanced electrolytes
No matter how much water you drink you won't be hydrated until the electrolytes in your body are in balance. Banana smoothies are an easy way to replenish lost electrolytes. Other 'homemade Gatorade(tm)" ideas include adding lemon, lime, salt, or ginger to water. In addition to electrolytes, these ingredients enhance the flavor and digestibility of a simple glass of water. When choosing salt to supplement your electrolytes try to stay away from highly refined table salt as it contains nothing but pure sodium. Sea salt is a much better option as it contains the trace minerals needed for a good balance of electrolytes.

Warm water: nature's most powerful home remedy
Warm water is nature's most powerful home remedy and the #1 alleviant of digestive mayhem. It's also the least expensive supplement. Sipping warm water stimulates good digestion and circulation, and cleanses the bowels. It also encourages sweating which cleanses the lymphatic system and improves complexion. In addition, water flushes the urinary tract, ridding the body of unwanted toxins. And if you can't seem to get rid of those annoying hiccups, just try drinking a glass of warm water!

Should I drink ice water?
No. Think about what happens when you put your hand in a picnic cooler to grab a drink. When you pull your hand out it's numb and pale because your blood has retreated from the cold skin. This is another example of vasoconstriction. The blood vessels have become tight and small, cutting off blood supply to prevent heat loss. So drinking ice water with a meal cuts off the blood supply to the digestive tract, sabotaging the stomach in the moment that it needs this blood the most.

Tap water vs bottled water
Many people are concerned about the safety and quality of the water they drink. Yet, almost all municipal water in the United States is of good quality and very drinkable. Nevertheless, you should pay attention to your local water sources. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets the standards for tap water. Additionally, local water suppliers are required to furnish the public with annual water quality reports. The EPA and American Water Works Association (AWWA) are credible organizations that can provide information on the quality of your local water.

When it comes to bottled water, Americans consume more than any other nation. Bottling water is now a 16 billion dollar a year industry. The FDA sets bottled water quality standards based on the EPA standard. However, the FDA does not carefully regulate the bottled water industry. Most commercial bottled water comes from tap water that is filtered to make it taste better. Examples include Pepsi's Aquafina and Coco-Cola's Dasani. High quality bottled water offers benefits, but may be pricey and all those plastic bottles have the potential to cause a lot of waste. So if you choose to drink bottled water, please recycle.