How much water should I drink with different foods?
Ayurveda recommends that you drink different amounts of water depending on what you are eating. As a general guide, liquidy foods such as soups require little water, while dry foods, such as chapatis, can benefit from small sips of water during the meal.
Hot foods such as chili can over-stimulate the digestive fire and so water can help to balance this out.
How often should I drink water during a meal?
Charaka (great cogniser of Ayurveda) suggested in his treatise on Ayurveda that we sip luke-warm water every four or five bites. This, of course, can be moderated to you taste.
What type of water should I drink?
Ayurveda recommends that we drink luke-warm water.
Cold water can put out the digestive fire, whilst luke-warm water keeps it balanced.
Purified water is most nourishing to the body. Water is meant to clean the body of toxins, not to add to the toxins already there.