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.
