Each morning, as the sun rises, there’s a ritual that people around the globe follow – sipping on a cup of tea or coffee, usually while still lying on the bed. For many, this daily indulgence isn’t merely about sipping on a hot cup of beverage, it’s also a pause before the hustle and bustle of the day begins. However, experts suggest starting your day with a boost of caffeine is not an ideal way to kickstart your day. So, what’s the other way? Water! It’s the elixir of life and experts suggest having at least 8 glasses of water in a day, or 2 liters, but would drinking water on empty stomach lead to weight loss? Besides aiding in the efficient breakdown of food, absorption of nutrients, and elimination of waste, water plays a crucial role in weight loss. There’s speculation regarding whether drinking water on an empty stomach promotes weight loss, so let’s explore whether this theory holds any water or not.
Why Water is Important in Weight Loss?
Water acts as a natural appetite suppressant. Have you heard about water preloading? Water preloading involves drinking 500 ml of plain water 30 minutes before each meal (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). This practice stretches the stomach, reducing the release of the hunger hormone “ghrelin,” resulting in feeling fuller with less food and fewer calories consumed. Staying hydrated helps with weight loss as many of us often mistake thirst for hunger, and we often reach for more food instead of water to quench those signals.
Would Drinking Water on Empty Stomach Lead To Weight Loss?
Popular in Japan, it’s called the “Japanese Water Therapy,” where individuals drink water immediately upon waking up in the morning, before doing any other activity. Here’s the method – Drink 1 to 2 glasses of water that’s neither too hot nor too cold on empty stomach, even before brushing your teeth. Avoid any kind of food or beverage up to 45 minutes after drinking water. This practice is believed to promote metabolism, aid in digestion, and also boost weight loss.
Here’s how water on empty stomach is believed to help with weight loss:
1. Clears Out Toxins: Having water first thing in the morning aids in the elimination process, flushes out toxins. We need almost 3 liters of water per day to drain out the toxic substances from our body, but most people do not even manage to drink even 3 glasses of plain water in a day. And it’s a good idea to start the day with a big glass of water. As toxins are flushed out, you may feel more energetic and get a metabolism boost.
2. Helps Curb Appetite: Did you know dehydration can make people to feel hungry and seek out food to satiate those signals. It’s relatively common for people to confuse thirst for hunger signals, and we tend to eat more food when actually we should just be sipping on a glass of water to silence those signals. Another mistake we do is to reach out for sugary beverages instead of plain water, and this practice can increase the calorie count by a great degree. So, sipping on water first thing in the morning is a good way to hydrate the body and curb appetite.
3. It’s a Zero Calorie Drink: Unlike tea and coffee, water is a zero-calorie drink. It does not cause blood sugar spike or insulin jump.
4. Boosts Fat Burning: Since 60% of human body is composed of water, it should not come as a surprise that water is necessary to run all functions, and the same is applicable for fat burning. The first step in the process of lipolysis (metabolizing of fat) is hydrolysis, which occurs when water molecules interact with triglycerides (fats). That’s why drinking enough water is essential for the fat-burning process to run smoothly. And if you decide to flush the body with water earlier in the day, better it becomes at fat burning.
So, in conclusion, swap that mandatory cup of bed coffee or tea the moment you wake up with a warm glass of water to activate internal organs and to flush out toxins. Since you wake up dehydrated after a prolonged period of sleep, it needs a good amount of water to rehydrate and boost metabolism and also helps in cleansing out the system. For effective diet plans to lose weight, download and subscribe to the Rati Beauty app.
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