Drinking Water After Eating Fatty Foods

Drinking water before a meal can help you lose weight because it fills you up. Drinking water after you have eaten fatty foods may cause some problems and may produce weight gain. Not all nutritionists and doctors agree about this effect. For specific advice, ask a physician you trust about the potential effects of drinking water after you eat foods loaded with fat. He probably will tell you to cut down on the fatty foods whether you drink water afterward or not.

FATTY FOODS

You can tell how much fat is in most foods by reading the label on the packaging. Foods high in fat, in general, are such things as whole milk, cheese, butter, bacon, sausage and many others. These types of foods contain high levels of saturated fat, which besides putting a lot of fat in your diet also can raise the level of your low-density lipoproteins -- the bad cholesterol. Fats in foods also can increase your triglyceride level. The fat-like triglycerides at high levels can form plaque in your blood vessels, decreasing the passages for blood flow. This can increase your blood pressure and lead to heart disease, heart attacks and strokes.

DIGESTING FAT

You digest fat with the aid of enzymes produced in your pancreas and your liver. Your liver produces bile that combines with fat. As fatty food moves through your stomach and intestines, the bile dissolves the fat. Your body takes the fat it needs and expels the rest through defecation.

WATER’S EFFECTS

Drinking hot water, such as that in tea, may help you digest fats because it keeps those fats in a liquid state. This can help move the fats more quickly through the digestion process and eliminate the unneeded fat. Cold water, on the other hand, may solidify fats. This can decrease the speed at which you digest fat. The problem with this is that your body has more time to absorb the fat rather than expel it. The results can include weight gain as well as a buildup of cholesterol and triglycerides.

SOLUTIONS

Drink water before your meals to limit the amount of fatty foods and other foods you eat. Drinking two glasses of water before you eat can fill you up. This will help you to be less hungry and eat less. After meals, drink hot beverages. This can speed the digestion of fats. Stay away from drinking cold water after meals that include high-fat foods. Ask your doctor or nutritionist for help determine a good, healthy diet, and to help you reduce your fatty food intake. Do not eliminate all fat from your diet because you body needs some of it for good health. Your nutritionist or physician can help you choose the right fatty foods for your health.