Japanese Water Therapy : The Longevity Secret?
February 16, 2022
Written by Christina Li
The “Golden Hours”
are the (early) hours in the morning. For decades, many have followed a golden hour hydration ritual. It’s believed that this ritual facilitates weight loss by smoothing the digestive tract, and can also assist in the treatment of several health issues.
J apan ranks #2 in the 2022 World’s Life Expectancy Chart, while Canada ranks #16 and USA is #46. The Japanese life expectancy is much higher than the rest of the world, with people often crossing 100! This was reason enough for us to take inspiration from them and try out the Japanese Water Therapy. We all know drinking enough water is crucial and has a lot of benefits but not many of us do it the right way. The Japanese Water Therapy is a way of drinking water that’ll maximize its benefits.
As you may know, majority of the diseases begin with poor gut health. For decades, many have followed the Japanese Water Therapy — a treatment that seeks to sustain a healthy digestive system through hydration and a restricted diet. The therapy intends to cleanse your colons, harmonizes your lymphatic system and helps your body defend itself against infections.
How Does the Japanese Water Therapy Work?
The Japanese Water Therapy recommends drinking water just after awakening to rehydrate your cells from the overnight rest and assist in flushing out the the toxic substances from your system. The therapy includes the following steps that should be repeated daily:
Drink four to five 160 ml (22 ounces) glasses of room temperature (or warm) water on an empty stomach upon waking up. Add some lemon in the water if you want.
After you finish your water, you can brush your teeth, but don’t eat or drink for 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes you may eat and drink as usual.
After every meal or snack, don’t eat or drink anything for at least two hours.
If you’re an elderly or someone who suffers from a severe health condition, consider starting this process gradually and eventually equals 22 ounces per day.
What Else Does The Japanese Water Therapy Recommend?
This theory recommends the following:
Every day you should include a quiet walk lasting a minimum of thirty minutes. This theory claims this walk will assist in boosting metabolism.
Try to abstain from eating and drinking while standing because this can negatively impact the digestion process.
Thoroughly chew food before swallowing because this will assist in digestion.
Every night before sleeping, gargle a concoction of warm water and salt a minimum of four or five times.
Is The Japanese Water Therapy Good For Your Health?
This water therapy has been found successful by a Japanese medical society as a natural remedy. People practicing this ritual claim to experience more energy throughout the day and an increase in digestive efficiency. (If you have kidney issue or severe health issues, please consult your doctor before starting the Japanese Water Therapy.)
Though there is not much documented evidence that the Japanese Water Therapy can cure illness, sciences have proven that there are numerous benefits to adequate hydration. Below are some of them:
Increased water intake - Drinking multiple glasses of water each day is elemental in the Japanese Water Therapy, which helps you remain hydrated. Proper hydration has many advantages, such as increased brain function, stable energy levels, and body temperature, and blood pressure control. Besides, consuming more water can help in the prevention of constipation, headaches, and kidney stones. The majority of the people get sufficient fluid by merely drinking to quench their thirst. If you are physically active, work outside, or stay in a hot environment, you will need to drink more.
Reduced calorie intake - The therapy can assist you in losing weight by reducing calorie intake. To begin with, replacing sugar-sweetened drinks like fruit juice or soda with water instantly decreases your calorie consumption, possibly by hundreds of calories each day. Additionally, after each meal, simply sticking to a disciplined 2-hour fast can limit your calorie intake. Ultimately, having more water can make you feel fuller and consume far fewer calories in total. Though studies on the impact of water consumption on losing weight are inconsistent, it’s well proven that enhanced digestion and metabolism can significantly lead to better weight management.
Improves digestive health - Adequate hydration can help strengthen the digestive system and metabolism, as well as avoid problems like constipation, gas and bloating.
Boosts cognitive abilities - 80%+ of your human brain is water. Adequate hydration will assist in the prevention of cognitive deterioration.
Maintains body temperature - Water can absorb and transfer heat well, the human body uses it to stabilize temperature.
Beneficial in preventing headaches - Dehydration is very likely the cause of migraines and headaches. This can be avoided with proper water intake.
“Water is the reason of our birth; it is the healer, the destroyer and the final consumer.”
Water Sommelier’s Note: Shall You Try It?
The Japanese Water Therapy, similar to the water therapy in Ayurveda, has been around for a very long time. This therapy is simple, effective and are extremely popular not just in Japan, but throughout the world. I personally have been practicing for almost ten years. As you know, our bodies are made up of 70%+ water. Hence, when the amount of water in our body reduces, we face health problems since our organs can’t function properly at dehydration. Those first glasses of water in the golden hours set me off to good start for reaching 25% of my daily hydration goal. Also, this therapy costs you nothing and has no side effects at all. Therefore, this remedy is worth a try.
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Disclaimer: Don’t ever overdo this water therapy. Drinking excess water in a short time can lead to what is known as “fatal water poisoning”. What can be considered as excessive water depends on factors like age, person’s fitness level, weight, climatic conditions etc. Too much of a good thing is not good either, and this certainly goes for Japanese Water Therapy as well. The information provided here is not intended to form the basis of regular medical treatment or function as a replacement for the advice provided by your general practitioner or a medical specialist.