When I last flew in a plane it was March 2020 and it was under some stressful circumstances, as I was fleeing Thailand along with several hundred more Australians bound for Brisbane.  I wasn’t even sure I’d get on the flight due to all the COVID-19 alerts and hiccups.  Some people were being slugged with extra costs to get home and forced to rebook flights, pay a lot more than they should have, and then to endure the nervous flight home which I’m sure was more stressful for everyone.  My husband managed to purchase my ticket, thank goodness, but it was still a difficult period to navigate!

Travel can be tricky enough at the best of times without all the issues a Pandemic can create!   On that particular flight home, being the last one out of Thailand from Thai Airlines back to Brisbane, I ordered my usual hot water, as the people next to me proceeded to drink their wines and beers until they were in an alcoholic daze, actually they drank themselves silly.  I found great emotional and physical relief sipping on my warm drink and counting my blessings. I added a few drops of fennel essential oil to the brew which made the drink a little more effective than if it had just been warm water on it’s own.  It was a very long flight home, as I was awake the whole time.

I find drinking warm water while traveling especially beneficial for many reasons.  Sitting in a plane for long periods of time can be quite frustrating and potentially uncomfortable for the digestive system. For starters, you are sitting for long periods of time, and you can’t get around and move like you would if you were at home.  Drinking hot water can provide your body with the water it needs to replenish fluids. It can also improve digestion, relieve congestion, and even make you feel more relaxed, which is what it did for me on that last flight home!

Most people who drink hot water as a holistic health remedy do so first thing in the morning or right before bed for optimal health benefits.  I drink hot water any time during the day, as it has become my number one health tip for just about everything!

Warm water to a temperature between 120°F and 140°F. Hot water should not be hot enough to scald your taste buds, but not too cold as to cramp up your stomach, which is what cold water does!

Add a twist of lemon for a vitamin C boost, and you’re already on your way to better health.  We add Lime and Fennel essential oil to improve the absorption of nutrients and calm the gut.

Here are 10 ways that drinking hot water may benefit you.

• Aids digestion.

Drinking hot water both soothes and activates your digestive tract. Water is, after all, the lubricant that keeps your digestion going. As the water moves through your stomach and intestines, digestive organs are better hydrated and able to eliminate waste.

Hot water can also dissolve and dissipate things you’ve eaten that your body might have had trouble digesting.

•   Calms Central and Enteric nervous system

Drinking hot water can calm your Central nervous system and lubricate your body. When your nervous system is primed for healthy and controlled reactions, you’ll find that you feel fewer aches and pains, as well as less panicked throughout your day.  The Enteric nervous system is the invisible highway between the gut and the brain and carries information based on your reactions and perceptions around what is going on.  When you are continually in the Sympathetic nervous system (under stress) it’s your Enteric nervous system that is carrying the instructions from the brain to the rest of the body and stands to gain the most from cleansing warm water which doesn’t rob the intellect, on the contrary, it improves intelligence by clearing away the debris and extra load of poorly combined meals.

A person who experiences arthritis might get an extra benefit from using hot water — to calm their central nervous system.

• Helps relieve constipation

Drinking hot water helps your intestines to contract. When that happens, old waste trapped in your intestines is able to pass out of your body. Drinking hot water regularly helps keep you, well, regular.

•  Keeps you hydrated

Hot water is no different than room temperature or cool water when it comes to keeping you hydrated.  Drinking hot to warm water on a hot day can be just as refreshing if not better for you than cool to cold water!

Starting your day with a serving of hot water and ending your day with another will get you that much closer to being adequately hydrated. Your body needs water to perform basically every essential function, so the value of that can’t be overstated.

•  May aid in weight loss

Drinking hot water wakes your body’s temperature control system up. As your body compensates for the warm temperature of the water, it brings your internal temperature down and activates your metabolism.  Hot water also helps your intestines contract to clear out waste products that are bloating your body, which gets rid of the dreaded “water weight.”

•  Improves circulation

Taking a warm bath helps your circulatory organs — your arteries and veins — to expand and carry blood more effectively throughout your body. Drinking hot water can have a similar effect.

Healthy blood flow affects everything from your blood pressure to your risk of cardiovascular disease. As a bonus, warmth from drinking hot water or bathing at nighttime can help relax you and prepare you for restful sleep.

•  Can decrease stress levels

Since drinking hot water helps improve central nervous system functions, you might end up feeling less anxious if you drink it. If you add some warm milk to the mix, you might find that you’re feeling even calmer than after drinking hot water.

•  Can help reduce toxins

Drinking hot water temporarily begins to raise your internal body temperature. When you drink hot water, or when you take a warm bath, your body’s endocrine system activates and you start to sweat.  Sweating is a great way to get rid of toxins and irritants that you’re exposed to in your environment.

•  Helps relieve symptoms of achalasia

Achalasia is a condition during which your esophagus has trouble moving food down into your stomach.

People with achalasia (and with eosinophilic esophagitis) have trouble swallowing and also sometimes feel like foods get “stuck” (dysphagia) in their esophagus instead of moving to the stomach.

Researchers aren’t sure why, but warm water can help people with achalasia to digest more comfortably. Drinking warm water with oily food or a meat-heavy meal might be especially helpful for people with this diagnosis.  *Avoid or eliminate meat completely for even more effective results.

Getting into the habit of drinking hot water doesn’t take a lot of work. Starting your day with water that’s been boiled and left to cool is an easy way to switch out your morning coffee.

• Add a light session of stretching to your routine, and you’ll feel more energized and better equipped to tackle your day.
• If the taste of warm water doesn’t appeal to you, add a few drops of the essential oil lemon or lime to the beverage before you drink it.
• Drinking warm water before bed is a great way to wind down after a busy day. Knowing about the health benefits will have you sleeping soundly.

If you liked this article by all means make a comment, and let me know how warm water is working for you, x Annie Clark.