Why Have Warm Water in the Morning?

Why Have

Warm Water

in the

Morning?

by Barb Shelton

who points to and expounds on

the wisdom of...

Dr. Raymond Moore

In some of my various writings, I have mentioned having a tall glass of warm water first thing in the morning. This is something I found out about many years ago ~ around 1982 ~ from "THE BOOK" that changed my life and turned me from not wanting to have a thing to do with homeschooling to not only wanting to do it, but to actually believing in it, and that it was the BEST choice for my children! The book? Home Grown Kids by Dr. Raymond and Dorothy Moore!

Here's a quote regarding "warm water in the morning" that appears on page 113 of Home Grown Kids:

"The first-thing-in-the-morning drink [of water] ~ preferably warm ~ flushes out the kidneys, prepares the stomach for food by stimulating the glands on its walls, and helps the bowels move regularly and naturally. This ritual has been a real lifesaver for many families, usually making illness minor and rare."

So let me re-write ~ in numerical annotation ~ the three benefits of that "first-thing-in-the-morning, preferably warm drink of water. It:

   1) flushes out the kidneys

   2) prepares the stomach for food by stimulating the glands on its walls

   3) helps the bowels move regularly and naturally


I also remember Dr. Moore saying more about this in person, which I would have heard at one of the several times I was privileged to hear him speak. (Once, waaaay early on, probably 19 years ago!), was in someone's home; another was at their business, another couple were at conferences, another was when I interviewed him (on video) for a High School resources video I made, and another was here in Longview once.) What I remember was him saying was that the water, to be easiest on the digestive system, should be fairly warm; anywhere between body temp and "pretty warm, but not hot." Not cold, so the body isn't shocked by getting such a huge dose of cold water, and so that it doesn't have to warm it up.

He also said that this is "the best regulator" and that usually within an hour you will be "eliminating." Something he says on page 47 makes that all the more desirable:

"The longer food remains in the intestines, the more likely it is to begin to decay rather than to be promptly dispatched by normal digestive processes. This and the likelihood of intestinal impaction or hard bowel movements raise the chances for disease and often contribute to intestinal fistulas or hemorrhoids."

Some have asked, "But does it really work?" And I can personally say that "Yes it does!!!" Of course, there will never be any way of knowing just how much better off I am, but I know that I like the "getting cleaned out" feeling it produces. (For me, it might be up to a couple of hours later.)

And then back on page 113 again, there are a few more healthful tips pertaining to the matter of water and health...

     "Cleansing the body internally is equally important. (He had been talking about cleansing it *externally.*) Fruit juice or the water in our foods does not adequately replace plain, clear water."

     "Children should be taught early to enjoy drinking plentiful amounts of water, never [the plentiful amounts] with meals, but often between meals, beginning a half hour or more before breakfast. Water at mealtime dilutes the gastric juices and slows digestion."

     "A drink of cool water ~ not cold ~ is the best method of staving off hunger until meal time, since it depresses the activity of the digestive system."

     "Very cold, or very hot drinks are not usually good for the digestive system at any time. When they vary too greatly from body temperatures, they may cause shock to the system. Dentists warn against very cold food or liquids on the teeth. Physicians note that those who are habituated to very hot drinks are more likely to develop throat cancer and digestive difficulties."

In closing, I just want to mention a little "spice o' life" tidbit... I have a certain glass I use for my "warm water in morning"! A very pretty one I got just for this purpose! I don't measure my water; I have just found that "eight to ten gulps" is what works best for me. If you've never done this before, that much warm water might feel a bit nauseating at first, but when you start seeing (feeling?) the results, you know it's worth it! And after time, you DO get used to it.

I love the feeling of knowing I am taking better care of my "temple of the Holy Spirit." Borrowing a concept from Proverbs 31:12 where it talks about a wife doing her husband good and not evil all the days of her life, I also love knowing that I am "doing my own body good and not evil all the mornings of my life"!