Honestly, Vanessa

I run cold.
Not in the personality sense, but in the body sense. My terrain runs on the colder side.

Cold hands. Cold feet. Slow mornings. Low appetite first thing in the day. Stiff joints when I wake up. A tendency toward sluggish digestion, bloating, or feeling better once I’ve eaten something warm. I do better with layers, warm drinks, and gentle movement than with abrupt stimulation. A system that doesn’t appreciate being shocked awake. So for me, starting the day with ice water has never felt refreshing, it feels jarring.

Ayurveda compares this to pouring water on a campfire. The flames don’t disappear instantly, but they weaken. Smoke rises. Heat drops. In the body, that “smoke” shows up as sluggish digestion, incomplete assimilation, bloating, heaviness, or that familiar feeling that food just sits instead of energizing you.

So that’s why I start my mornings with warm water.

If someone runs warmer, warm water is still appropriate. It doesn’t add heat, it simply supports circulation and digestion without creating stress. For warmer systems, warm or room-temperature water will feel neutral rather than soothing, but it still helps digestion transition smoothly, especially in the morning. Cold water can feel relieving for warm bodies, but that relief is often temporary and can still slow digestion when used first thing in the day or around meals. 

Digestion isn’t just about breaking down food, it’s responsible for processing everything we take in, including what we drink. When digestion is strong and steady, digestion flows. When it’s dampened, things slow down.

Your body naturally sits around 98.6°F. When you drink ice water, often hovering close to 33°F, your system has to divert energy just to bring your internal temperature back to baseline. That energy has to come from somewhere, and digestion is often the first process to take the hit.

Modern physiology actually backs this up. Digestion relies on warmth, blood flow, and enzyme activity. Very cold liquids can briefly constrict blood vessels in the gut and slow gastric motility, meaning food moves and breaks down more slowly. At the same time, the body redirects energy toward re-warming the stomach and surrounding tissues. Especially first thing in the morning, when digestion is naturally slower, that extra demand matters.

Warmth, on the other hand, supports flow. It encourages circulation, improves enzyme efficiency, and sends a clear signal that it’s safe for digestion to turn on. Warm or room-temperature water helps the body transition from rest to activity instead of forcing it to adapt under stress.

Now, some people do tolerate cold water just fine. That usually comes down to stronger digestion, higher metabolic heat, better circulation, or a nervous system that rebounds quickly from cold exposure.

Habit plays a role too, repeated exposure trains the body to compensate. But tolerance isn’t the same as support. Just because a system can handle something doesn’t mean it’s helping it function better. Over time, constant compensation can quietly strain the system and contribute to dysfunction, even if symptoms aren’t obvious at first.

For me, the answer is simple. I run cold. My mornings need warmth. Warm water isn’t a rule, it’s a response. A quiet way of meeting my body where it is, instead of asking it to perform before it’s ready.

So… to ice or not to ice?
That depends less on trends, and more on your terrain.