Is It Okay to Eat, Drink and Be Merry in Your Hot Tub or Spa?
When you think about installing a hot tub for your house, you may picture yourself soaking in the hot bubbles and enjoying a glass of bubbly or an icy cold brew, but this may not be the healthiest approach to enjoying your hot tub or sauna.
To get the best health benefits from your hot tub and/or sauna, today we’ll take a look at the best way to deal with food, drink and alcohol so you can enjoy your recreational product without risking your health.
#1 Follow the old “one hour” adage
Although it’s the old wives’ tale about waiting an hour before swimming after you eat has been debunked, it still holds true for both hot tub and saunas. Here’s why. Digestion requires blood flow and the heat of both the hot tub and sauna divert blood to the surface of the skin.
If you eat before you hop into either, you’ll have blood flow competing. Either your food won’t properly digest or you won’t get the full circulatory benefits of the hot tub/sauna. For best results, wait at least an hour or two after eating before enjoying your recreational equipment.
#2 Alcohol before, during or after is not recommended
It may seem fun to lounge around in your hot tub or spa with a cold alcoholic beverage, water is a much better choice. Because both cause you to sweat, you lose fluids while soaking in the water of your hot tub or basking in the heat of your sauna.
This can cause you to dehydrate if you don’t drink plenty of water before and after. Alcohol is a natural dehydrator – that’s why it can cause headaches from over-indulgence.
Combining this with a hot tub or sauna can increase your risk of dehydration and is not recommended. If you’re thirsty during, enjoy a nice cool glass of water.
#3 Noshing on snacks is not recommended
While it may seem decadent to have a fruit tray or other finger foods available during your hot tub or sauna session, this should be avoided for a couple of reasons.
- First is the reason cited in #1 above – because your blood flow doesn’t need to be diverted to digestion while you’re basking.
- Second is that bringing food into either your hot tub or sauna means bringing in bacteria that can contaminate the water of your hot tub or leave a mess on the materials of your sauna. It’s just a mess that doesn’t belong there. Wait until you get out to enjoy a snack and a drink.
#4 How the hot tub or sauna can help you lose weight
Another benefit of owning a hot tub or sauna is that it may actually help you lose weight. If you drink a large glass of water then enjoy a 15-20 minute soak or steam before dinner time, you may eat less. This is because the increase in body temperature and circulation simulates the effects of exercise which can reduce your appetite.
You shouldn’t try to use a sauna or hot tub to sweat off water weight – this will come back as soon as you rehydrate and can be dangerous – but if you can use it to diminish your appetite, that’s great.
Installing a hot tub, traditional sauna or infrared sauna can not only improve your health but your quality of life. Come in to Black Pine Spas if you’re located anywhere in the greater Seattle commuting area or check us out online if you’re farther away.
We ship free within the continental US and offer a 10% price match guarantee to ensure we always best competitor prices. If you’re local, we offer a free in home consultation to offer our expert advice on what equipment will best fit your home and budget. Contact Black Pine Spas today.
