Water is deeply connected with beauty and health. As a wellness trend in Japan, “drinking hot water” has been focused on, which especially uses Tetsubin, a Japanese cast-iron kettle.
When drinking plain boiled water in Tetsubin, you will feel the change in taste. My favorite iron kettle is a product of Nanbu Tekki.
Today, I would like to tell you the health benefits of hot water and tips using Tetsubin.
Why Tetsubin Can Make Delicious Hot Water
Kettles and pots are easy to use, but if you use an iron kettle to boil water, it will help you to replenish iron. Also, using an iron kettle makes the taste mellow and round. It is that the iron dissolved from the inside of the iron kettle helps remove chlorine.
Moreover, minerals in the water adhere to the inside and the water softens.
If you have the hesitation that iron kettles are rusty and difficult to maintain, that is not the case.
Basically, do not leave it wet and dry it thoroughly with residual heat. Use it every day and has white scales on the inside, it actually will prevent excessive rust and the taste of the hot water will be more mellow.
For more details of Tetsubin, read this post later. Introducing a simple method of cleaning the iron kettle and what to do if it rusts!
Sayu-Plain Hot Water In Japanese
Plain hot water is called “Sayu”(白湯) in Japanese which literally means “white water”.
White means “plain” in this term, so Sayu refers to “plain hot water.”
The point of plain hot water to get health benefits is warm water that boiled for a certain time and cools down so it is not just hot water.
So what are the benefits of drinking plain hot water? The optimum temperature for plain hot water is around 40-70 ° C. I will explain in detail what kind of effect can be obtained.
Health Benefits Of Drinking Hot Water
Beautiful And Attractive Skin
Drinking plain hot water improves blood flow by warming blood and vessels. As a result, waste products will be easily excreted from the body, leading to beautiful skin.
Weight Loss
Drinking plain hot water help to raise internal organs’ temperature. Therefore, the gastrointestinal function and the basal metabolism improve, which can be expected to help weight.
Relieve constipation
Sayu improves constipation due to the movement of the intestines activated by warming the internal organs. Thus, you can expect to improve your digestive function and relieve constipation.
Relieve poor circulation And Cold sensitivity
Poor circulation causes cold sensitivity and it is not only the winter season topic. Recently, some people (especially women) have serious problems even in the summer due to the air conditioning working too much and eating too much cold food.
Plain hot water can warm your body from the inside.
Gastrointestinal irritation is reduced by lowering the temperature to a temperature close to body temperature. It warms up slowly from the inside of the body and is warm.
Relieve Muscle Tension And Body Pain
Poor blood circulation cause often muscle tension and pain. Plain hot water improves blood flow as I said and can be expected to relieve these issues. It is the same theory of the hot spring effect that I talk about in this post.
How To Make “Sayu”- Plain Hot Water
It takes time and effort, but a cast-iron kettle can change your life.
- Fill water up to 70-80% of a cast-iron kettle and allow it to boil. Water will evaporate while boiling, so make sure water enough.
- When it boils, remove the lid and keep boiling to let the chlorine in the tap water escape as steam for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Wait until it cools down to an appropriate temperature of around 50 ℃/ 122 F, which is said to be absorbed smoothly by the body.
The Best Water For Making Sayu
Which water you should use to make “Sayu”?
The water used may be tap water, mineral water, water from a water purifier, it’s fine in this case, but if using tap water, it is necessary to keep it boiling for 10 to 15 minutes.
The reason is to remove the chlorine contained in tap water and sterilize it.
Boil more water than you expected due to consider it will evaporate.
The Effective Tips To Drink “Sayu” Plain Hot Water
No matter how much “sayu”, plain hot water, is good for beauty and health it may cause swelling of your body when taking excess water. It is better to drink approximately 700-800 ml/ 24 – 27 fl oz a day.
The recommended timing for drinking plain hot water is as follows.
- Right after waking up
- After meal
- At night
Right After Waking Up
The best time to drink “sayu” is right after waking up in the morning. It is said that drinking plain hot water warms the gastrointestinal tract that has cooled while sleeping, and its enhanced digestive function has a positive effect on beauty and health.
After Meal
Drinking “sayu” after meal to refresh your mouth is OK but wait at least half hour to do it which is after the stomach calm down and it will help digestive function well.
At Night
It is also good to drink “sayo” at night to have a relaxing effect, but you need to be a little careful just before sleep. You may have to go to the bathroom while sleeping. It is not so fun so better avoid drink “sayu” just before sleep.
What Is The Appropriate Amount Of Hot Water A Day?
Do not drink too much and try to keep an appropriate amount to drink a day even if it is good for your health. It can cause swelling.
Also, to prevent excessive stomach irritation, it is recommended to drink slowly 1 cup of plain hot water at a time. The daily intake of plain hot water is 700 to 800 ml/ 24 – 27 fl oz.
Drinking too much can lead to abdominal pain, so be careful with the proper amount.
Arrange “Sayu” Taste to Enjoy More
Plain hot water is tasteless, so you may want to add flavor.
Honey
Add about 1 teaspoon of honey. Honey also helps prevent swelling the body.
Lemon
Squeeze fresh lemon or add lemon juice. Vitamin C and citric acid in lemon promote fatigue recovery and skin beauty effects.
Mint
Make fresh mint tea. The refreshing scent has a stress-relieving effect. If you are suffering from seasonal allergies, it may help relieve symptoms.
Ginger
When boiling water, add a few slices of fresh ginger. Ginger makes the body warm more.
Cumin
Cumin Benefits for Your Liver. Add a pinch of cumin. You can add honey to make it drink easy if needed. Expected to have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and skin-beautifying effects
Olive Oil
Add about 1 teaspoon of olive oil that can be expected to have an intestinal regulating effect- will enhance constipation even more than plain hot water alone.
The Bottom Line
Water is essential to us. Not only can you drink it, as usual, try “Sayu”, hot water, which can be expected to have various health benefits depending on the temperature and timing of drinking.
It may doesn’t have an immediate effect, but let’s make it a habit to drink plain hot water, which is reasonable and healthy for your wellness. Use a Japanese iron kettle and enjoy the atmosphere too.
Don’t Forget A Hot Pad For An Iron Kettle
Do not forget use oven mitts and a hot pad for table when using ironware.