Bright Yellow and Healthy!

Everybody has his or her own morning routine, eyes half shut, stumbling from the bed to the bathroom, and slowly waking up to the world. Let me share a secret of mine that you may want to incorporate yourself.

Every morning, before eating or drinking anything, I fill a large glass with filtered water. I grab a small wood cutting board, and a Victorinox cutting knife, and lazily grab a beautiful bright yellow lemon from my fruit basket. I place it on the wooden board, and slice it in half; the citrus smell of lemon juice quickly wakes my senses. One half I squeeze into my tall water glass, and the other I place back for use later in the day. I take a drink and quickly begin gulping down the whole glass. Ahhh! Now, I am awake!

It may taste sour, and may be hard to choke down at first. However, within a short period of time, it will become part of your morning routine, and you will love it, every second of it. 

You may be wondering, why the heck do I want to start my morning with a tall glass of lemon water? Well, there are a whole host of good reasons to start today!

First and foremost, to drink a tall glass of water after rising, helps rehydrate our dehydrated bodies. During those eight hours of wondrous sleep, we lose water due to respiration and perspiration. If you just drink coffee or black/green tea in the morning you are adding to the dehydrated state of your body. Your dehydration may also give you inaccurate cues on hunger. Many people often mistake dehydration for hunger. Instead of drinking pure filtered water, some may grab food instead. Therefore, it’s always good practice to fill up on pure water to replenish all you have lost over night.  This can even help you lose weight!

Okay, so water after rising, but why the lemon juice?

Raw lemon juice has been noted for a wide array of health benefits, especially for its antioxidant, anti-cancerous, and digestive capabilities.

Here are a few reasons why you should add raw lemon juice to your water:

Digestion: Symptoms such as bloating, belching, and heartburn are relieved with lemon juice. Also, the bowls are aided in elimination, increasing regularity and decreasing constipation.

Liver Health: Lemon juice helps stimulate the liver, especially in producing bile and digestive enzymes.

Kidney Health: Lemon juice helps prevent kidney stones by increasing citrate levels and reducing calcium.

pH Alkaline State: Although acidic in taste, lemon juice is alkaline in nature, helping balance a diet that is high in acidic foods such a meats and alcohol.

Detox: Lemon juice supports the liver and kidney, two major detoxification organs which help rid the body of toxins. This is great especially during radiation.

Immune boosting: Due to its antioxidant properties, vitamin C is able to rid the body of free radicals that can cause immune response and inflammation.

Blood Pressure: Helps lower blood pressure.

Skin Health: Lemon juice helps promote skin health, due to aided toxin elimination as well as antioxidant capabilities.

Lemon Water Combination:
- Hot water with raw lemon juice and Honey.
- Hot water with raw lemon juice, ginger slices, and honey.
- Sparkling water with raw lemon juice (my favorite).

Wow! Aren’t lemons just AMAZING! Let me know what health benefits you have seen from drinking lemon water daily.