Counsel #4 — Aiding Digestion

Picture: Counsel #4 — Aiding DigestionCWe 103.1

Our bodies rely on water for a smooth digestive journey. Water breaks down food for nutrient absorption. After you drink, both your small and large intestines soak up water. This absorbed water then joins your bloodstream and continues to aid in nutrient breakdown. Water plays a crucial role in preventing constipation when the large intestine transforms stool from liquid to solid.^{[114]https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/digestive-system-how-it-works} It is also a key partner for soluble fiber. Together, they form a gel that slows down digestion, keeping you feeling fuller for longer.^{[115]https://adventistreview.org/2009-1518/2009-1518-28/}CWe 103.2

“The beast of the field will honor Me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people, My chosen.” Isaiah 43:20 NKJVCWe 103.3

“Food should not be washed down; no drink is needed with meals. Eat slowly, and allow the saliva to mingle with the food. The more liquid there is taken into the stomach with the meals, the more difficult it is for the food to digest; for the liquid must first be absorbed…. Ice water or iced lemonade, drunk with meals, will arrest digestion until the system has imparted sufficient warmth to the stomach to enable it to take up its work again.” Ellen White in Testimony Studies on Diet and Foods, p. 151CWe 103.4

Reflect: If you wanted to break the habit of drinking with your meals, what might help you?CWe 103.5