Different Customs. Fluids With Meals & Acid Reflux

It rained off and on yesterday evening, and even a little this morning. The temperature went from over 70 during the night down to 49, so it was colder today. Though we did have sunshine in the afternoon, Bobcat enjoyed basking in that.

Ray couldn't work long today, so we couldn't tackle a big job. We didn't want to do anything outdoors, so we tried to sort through the pile of things in the workshop that needed fixing. We didn't even open the big doors it felt so chilly this morning. We got some flashlights working by putting new bulbs in them, or just cleaning the contacts with contact cleaner. Ray cut a piece of Plexiglas to fix one of the bins, fixed a bird feeder, and a music box, just knick knacks like that. I was going through stuff and putting it away or tossing it. I had a trash bin of items to pitch, as we couldn't get them working. Then it was time for me to pack up and ship some aloe plants. I had to run the heater in the van, first time for quite a while.

When I got home I was surprised when I was sent this article, as I had never done this as I was brought up in Europe, oh, maybe a little wine with dinner, but not at every mouthful which I noticed that it is often customary here in the US:

Don't drink fluids with meals
"This may sound like a strange idea, but studies suggest that you should try not to drink fluids along with meals. It seems that fluids dilute your natural digestive enzymes.
Instead, drink fluids thirty minutes before or thirty minutes after a meal for optimal digestive function. In fact, drinking water before a meal is one of the methods used in effective weight loss, partly filling your stomach and making you less hungry--a double advantage. "

Then from Stanford: "Is It Bad To Drink Fluids With A Meal?
So for those of you who are curious, here’s the explanation-
Why you give your stomach a tough time when you drink fluids with meals
Our stomach is actually really intelligent. It seems to know exactly what type and what amount of foods are in there, and it releases the right amounts of gastric juices accordingly.
Thing is, if what we’ve put into our stomach is too liquid then the gastric juices won’t work, and the stomach knows this. But why is this bad? Putting anything into your stomach that causes a bit of digestive chaos of course is not going to be that great for you or your body. And when this process happens we are in fact delaying digestion and and possibly causing some foods to be absorbed through the walls of the stomach before the digestive juices get a chance to do their thing."

"The reason that I know for why "they" say that you are not supposed to drink water with meals is because of how the digestive system works. When you eat food your body produces acid to break down the food. Having water mixed in with the food makes it harder for the acid to break down the food, therefor, the body produce MORE acid. if you are always drinking water with your meals the body will think that it needs to produce more acid when it really doesn't. this can lead to acid reflux/heartburn.
I learned all of this in advanced anatomy so I'm pretty sure its correct? Hope it helps anyway."

It is just like I was so surprised that in the US they laid the babies on their tummies, something that was taught to be dangerous in Europe. We will never know how the customs were changed, when nearly everyone came from Europe years ago.

They advise against putting babies on their tummies these days.