> It is so hard for me not to drink with my meals!  I wonder why we do it?

i presume you eat unsalted to start with ...
try to eat all raw for a while and you will see why the water present in the
food , that been heated ( and evaporated too ) have lost its energetic
quality and satieting ability . try also to drink directly from a living
stream in the mountain for ex to see the difference .( there is a japanese
who made a business out of that and resort to some resarchs on water
energetic quality)
don't forget that food is mostly water , at least in its natural state .and
water is more than an
inert liquid ,that is the blood of life on earth.
jean-claude