Volume 1, Number 9 • May 2011

Habit #9:
Drink Water One Hour after Each Meal
Because of my meetings, I eat out a lot.
I noticed that waiters are trained to ask customers, “Drinks,
sir?” Sometimes, they even have a separate menu for the drinks.
Later, I learned why. Restaurant owners told me that 40
percent of their total profits come from their drinks. That’s why they
push people to order drinks.
The problem is that many of these drinks are very unhealthy.
When waiters ask me what I want to drink, I tell him my #1
Drink of Choice: “Water, please.”
It’s actually liberating.
Its one less decision I have to make!

When You Drink Water Is Very Important

But I actually drink very little water during my meals. A few sips at most. Usually, none at all.
Here’s the reason why: If you drown your meal with water, you dilute your digestive juices in your
stomach. The stomach is then “forced” to produce more acids to digest your food. Undigested food causes all sorts
of problems, from allergies to acid reflux—aside from the fact that you’ll be starving your cells with their needed
nutrition. (If there’s one thing I want you to learn from our 52 Healing Habits Program, eating the right food is not
enough. You also need to digest that right food!)
Note that some scientists don’t believe in what I just told you. They refer to the “water diluting digestive
juices” as a “myth”.
However, when I study the various cultures who have been practicing this (Koreans, French, etc.) no-
drink-during-meals policy for thousands of years, it makes me think. If it’s a myth, why has it worked so well all
these centuries?

Wrong Reasons Why Some People

Drink Water during Meals

The reason why many people drink a lot of water in their meals is because they don’t chew their food
well. So they need water to push the food down. But if you chew your food well until it has “liquid consistency”
(Review Habit #7!), you don’t need a drink to push it down. It will go down smoothly.

Disclaimer:
Neither the author, the publisher nor any of their respective affiliates make any guarantee or other promise as to any results that may be obtained from using this Report.
No reader should make any health decision without first consulting his or her own personal physician and conducting his or her own research and due diligence. To the
maximum extent permitted by law, the author, the publisher and their respective affiliates disclaim any and all liability in the event that any information, commentary,
analysis, opinions, advice and/or recommendation in this book proves to be inaccurate, incomplete or unreliable or result in any detrimental health condition.

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 Volume 1, Number 9 • May 2011

Some people drink water during mealtime as a way of reducing weight. Their logic is as follows: Water
will make them feel full and thus decrease their appetite. But some researchers who study insulin suggest that
drinking water during mealtimes actually increase the stored fat in your body. (The explanation is too long to
write down here.)

My Guideline: Drink One Hour after a Meal

Drink your water one hour after the meal.

When I do this, it gives me extra reason to stick around
the table and talk to the people I love. Hanging around the
table, I’m able to enjoy the company of my friends or family
eating with me.
We live in a society that demands that we rush our
meals. Whenever you can, reject that demand. Linger around
the table and spend time with your relationships.
Obviously, you can’t do this during your office lunch
break. I suggest you leave your canteen without drinking
your water. Instead, bring your water bottle with you. When
you’re back at your desk, count a few more minutes, before
drinking your water.
For the same reason, I also don’t drink anything right before a meal. If I do that, I also dilute my digestive
juices. So I follow the same guideline—I drink water one hour before a meal too.
This habit takes getting used to. But over time, you’ll get the hang of it. Your digestion will be in tiptop
form. If you eat the right food, and digest the right food well, your body will slowly grow into optimal health.
After one year, you’ll feel something new about your body.
There are some exceptions to my no-water-during-meals guideline: When I eat nuts, I take some sips of
water. Nuts are very dry and need a little bit of water to help your digestion.
I hope by now, you’re already avoiding meat—chicken, beef, and pork—and eating only in rare occasions.
So if you’re eating mainly vegetables, remember that 60 percent of vegetables consists of water. That water is
enough to help lubricate your digestion.

What Kind of Water Should You Drink?

As of now, I avoid drinking distilled water.

Distilled water is very pure, but a debate is raging
now whether it leaches minerals out of your body. While
they debate about this, I want to be on the safe side and avoid
distilled water.
What kind of water do I drink? The usual bottled
purified water that people in Metro Manila buy and drink.
My wife also found a water refilling station that
advertises “alkaline water” near our place for just a few
pesos more. Whether it remains alkaline after storage—and
how long it stays alkaline—these are the questions. As of
now, we’re satisfied with it and we’re drinking it.

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 Volume 1, Number 9 • May 2011

My friends gave me water canisters that make water alkaline. They tested it in front of me and the water
did become alkaline. How long the canister can do this, we still have to do some more tests.
Alkaline water is the spring water found up in the mountains. Now that’s healthy water. But we don’t live
up the mountains. So the next best thing is to drink purified water in bottles.
Some buy ionizing or alkalizing machines. One guy I know bought a hi-tech alkalizing machine for his
kitchen worth P275,000. Frankly, I’d rather spend my money on buying nutritious food like organic fruits and
veggies.
My suggestion? Don’t be too obsessed with the water you drink. Focus on your food instead.
And here’s one more thing you should do. Or not do.

Avoid Acidic Drinks

Some people not only drown their meal with drink,

they actually drown their meal with highly acidic drinks.
Remember: All processed sugar makes your body
acidic. All milk makes your body acidic. Sadly, coffee is acidic
too. (I like brewed coffee. Black. No sugar. I still take a few
sips sometimes, just for the taste.)
I urge you: Drop the softdrinks. Drop the iced tea. (In
the future, I’ll teach you a very healthy iced tea that you can
make yourself at home.) Drop all the fruit juice drinks you
buy in cans, bottles, and in powder forms. Drop milk. (Drink
soymilk instead. Cow milk is for baby cows—even adult cows
don’t drink cow’s milk. But soymilk is okay because it comes
from a plant, and that’s healthy.)
All these drinks are very acidic. By drinking these
drinks, you make your body acidic too.
Let me remind you: Germs love highly acidic
environments. Cancer cells love and proliferate in highly acidic
environments. But both germs and cancer cells actually die in
an alkaline environment.
So avoid these unhealthy drinks.
In the future, I’ll recommend very healthy drinks
between meals. (Of course, as a snack, still not during meals.)

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

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