Hi all,
I was looking through a notebook the other day that I write down notes from all the diet books that I read and I came across this entry -
only drink 4 oz or less of liquids with meals to avoid diluting out your stomach acid.
I didn't write down the source, so I have no idea what book I got this out of.
Anyone else ever read that?
I guess it kind of makes sense? Hmmmm...
What do you all think?

Yep! It can interfere with digestion, assimilation and absorbtion.

I usually only have fluids with meals if it's a smoothie or soup I am eating.

Interesting... I had never heard that before. I don't even want to know if it's true. When I was a kid, and we ate at my grandparents' house, they would never let us have a drink until after we finished eating. Although I'm sure that was just because they wanted us to eat what was on our plates, and not fill up on liquids, I *hated* it! Funny how goofy little things like that stick...

I have a friend who eats her entire meal without any liquid, then drinks an entire beverage after finishing. I get really thirsty just watching her, and she says that in her home country (El Salvador) that is proper way to have a meal and considered healthier. Can't verify this as I don't know anyone else from there well enough to ask, but I always thought it was really interesting!

Even water? Yikes. I can go through at least two glasses of water while having a meal.

A little googling on the subject:

Is it okay to drink water during meals?
This is interesting as a lot of complementary practitioners recommend against drinking water
with meals, believing it dilutes the stomach acid and, hence,
interferes with proper digestion. Technically this is not true, as the water probably doesn't significantly mix with digestive
juices. So for the record it's only people who are having problems
making enough stomach (hydrochloric) acid who need to worry about
this. However, too little hydrochloric acid, known as hypochlorhydria,
is said to occur in up to 47 percent of the general population, the
highest incidence being found in older people.?


There is a common belief that drinking several glasses of water just
before eating, or during a meal, will help to reduce food intake,
because the water helps make the stomach feel full.

There is actually little or no scientific evidence in support of this
belief. In fact, it appears that eating high-moisture foods (rather
than drinking water with or before a meal) does a better job of
reducing the amount of food eaten. For example, one recent study found
that having a bowl of soup before main course led to an overall 16%
reduction in calorie intake compared to not starting with soup.
Vegetables and fruits are other high-moisture foods that should help
with weight control when eaten with meals (or as between-meal snacks),
by making the stomach feel full?

Interesting subject, one I've never heard discussed from this standpoint.

Thanks Anne for the article.

I guess it's one of those things you can find articles that say don't drink and ones that say it doesn't matter.
I've run across alot of that lately.
I have heard about eating soup before a meal help with fullness.

Yes, this is interesting. I'll do some more googling.
Thanks to all !

Hi

I have read numerous books (NUMEROUS!!) on nutritioin and they do all say no liquids with meals. BUT I recently read a "diet" book called The Clean Food Diet (very good!) and have recently adopted her approach.

While I DO fully believe it is important to not dillute your food with too much liquid, she suggests drinking one glass of water per meal.

She also suggests waking up and drinking 2 glasses of water before you eat anything. Since you haven't had water since the previous day...your body probably needs it.

She also promotes eating 6 small meals every day with a glass of water at every meal.

So, that's 2 glasses of water in the morning plus one with every meal (if you follow her plan that's 6 meals) and this makes it EZ to get your 8 glasses!!!

For me this is crucial, as I have fought to REMEMBER to drink water off and on for years. I'm good some days...and others...forget it!! Especially when I'm running around all day!

Anyway, good luck!

A.

ps Nutritionists also advocate waking up and drinking water. Particularily with lemon. They say it stimulates digestion.

(:

I remember in the Volumetrics book, there was a study that compared the number of calories eaten when a person was offered
a) a glass of water before the meal with a meal that included chicken and rice.
b) soup before the meal that consisted of the glass of water added to the chicken and rice
c) a third option which I can't remember that also separated the water and chicken and rice

The option with the soup resulted in eating the fewest calories. It filled people up soonest. It also debunked the belief that drinking water fills you up. This may have been the study that Murphmitch found above.

I read in a book to drink water 1hr before eating, its supposed to speed up your metabolism? I think the book is 10 comandments of thin or something like that. I don't know if its true but I do it anyway, cant hurt.