10 REASONS YOU SHOULD WAKE UP WITH LEMON WATER

Want a quick and easy way to detox every morning? Drinking warm lemon water first thing when you wake up is your answer. It cleanses and detoxifies your body, and some swear it does more for them than a cup of coffee!

Maybe it’s so invigorating because it’s doing great things for your body. Lemon is known to have strong antiviral, antibacterial, and immune-boosting properties. It’s pumped full of vitamin C, which will not only help your systems internally, but will also reflect in the beautification of your skin.

When putting this into practice, make sure you are drinking purified water to avoid additives like fluoride. Also, make sure it’s lukewarm rather than boiling hot. For a morning routine, you also want to avoid ice cold water, as it requires more energy for your body to process than warm and can potentially upset your stomach and get your day off on a bad foot. You can certainly use ice water with lemon later in the day, however! As usual, I recommend fresh, organic lemons (try your local farmer’s market for a deal! Planting your own lemon tree also yields a bountiful crop). Bottled lemon juice just isn’t the same, though if you’re short on options throughout your week, it can do in a pinch. Just be sure to grab fresh lemons when you can! Another important note is that you should be sure to brush your teeth regularly with restorative toothpaste when drinking lemon juice, as you want to protect your enamel.

A good serving size is ½ lemon with a full glass of water. Make it the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning, before you have anything else to eat or drink, or before your workout, and prepare to be amazed by the results:

1. DIGESTIVE AID:

Lemon juice flushes out unwanted materials and toxins from the body. Its atomic composition is similar to saliva and the hydrochloric acid of digestive juices, which promotes the liver into producing bile. Bile is an acid that is required for digestion. Lemons are also high in minerals and vitamins and help loosen ama, or toxins, in the digestive tract. Lemon also has a debloating property, which can help relieve indigestion issues like heartburn, belching and bloating. The American Cancer Society actually recommends warm lemon water to cancer sufferers to help stimulate bowel movements.

2. SYSTEM CLEANSER/DIURETIC

Why is lemon such a good toxin-buster? The juice helps flush out unwanted materials, partly because lemons increase the rate of urination in the body. Therefore, toxins are released at a faster rate, and you can also say hello to better urinary tract health. The citric acid of this juice also helps maximize enzyme function, which stimulates the liver and aids in detoxification.

3. BODY SYSTEM BOOSTER

The high vitamin C content in lemons is great for fighting colds. But did you know that lemons are also high in potassium, which stimulates brain and nerve function? Potassium also helps control blood pressure. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) found in lemons demonstrates anti-inflammatory effects, and is used as complementary support for asthma and other respiratory symptoms. Plus, important for all us ladies, it enhances iron absorption in the body, which plays an important role in immune function. Lemons also contain saponins, which show antimicrobial properties that may help keep cold and flu viruses at bay. Lemons also reduce the amount of phlegm produced by the body, which could be useful for those suffering from allergies.

4. PH BALANCER

Even though lemons are acidic, lemons are actually one of the most alkalizing foods for the body. The way they react chemically inside our bodies, they’re alkaline (the citric acid does not create acidity in the body once metabolized). Lemons contain both citric and ascorbic acid, weak acids easily metabolized from the body allowing the mineral content of lemons to help alkalize the blood. Why is this important? Disease states only occur when the body pH is acidic. Drinking lemon water regularly can help to remove overall acidity in the body, including uric acid in the joints, which is one of the primary causes of pain and inflammation.

5. SKIN CLEARER

As I mentioned, drinking lemon water can be a terrific beauty trick. The vitamin C component as well as other antioxidants helps decrease wrinkles and blemishes, and it helps to combat free radical damage. Vitamin C is vital for healthy glowing skin, while its alkaline nature kills some types of bacteria known to cause acne. You can apply it topically onto scars, zits or age spots to reduce their appearance. Lemon water certainly works from the inside out, as it does its toxin-purging business as well.

6. ENERGY AND MOOD ENHANCER

On a broken down level, the energy a human receives from food comes from the atoms and molecules in the food. A reaction occurs when the positive charged ions from food enter the digestive tract and interact with the negative charged enzymes. Lemon is one of the few foods that contain more negative charged ions, providing your body with more energy when it enters the digestive tract. Plus, the bright scent of lemon also has mood enhancing and energizing properties (aren’t you feeling chipper just imagining the smell of fresh lemon?). The smell of lemon juice can boost your mood and help clear your mind. Lemon can also help reduce anxiety and depression.

7. BODY HEALING

Ascorbic acid (vitamin C), found in abundance in lemons, promotes wound healing, and is an essential nutrient in the maintenance of healthy bones, connective tissue, and cartilage. As noted previously, vitamin C also displays anti-inflammatory properties. Combined, vitamin C is an essential nutrient in the maintenance of good health and recovery from stress and injury.

8. ORAL HEALTH

Fresh breath is a natural perk of drinking lemon water, but it does much more than that. Lemons have been known to help relieve tooth pain and gingivitis. However, as I mentioned, the one downfall of drinking lemon water is that citric acid can erode tooth enamel, so be on guard. Don’t just brush your teeth after you drink your lemon water, but before, to help leave a protective coating on your teeth. If you’re in a hurry, you can swish with pure water after you’re done with your drink.

9. HYDRATION

Warm water and lemon juice supports the immune system (and a lot more than that!) by hydrating and replacing fluids lost by your body. When your body is deprived of water, you can’t miss it. You start feeling the nasty side effects, such as tiredness, feeling sluggish, decreased immune function, constipation, lack of energy, low/high blood pressure, headaches, lack of sleep, lack of mental clarity and feeling stressed, just to name a few.

10. WEIGHT LOSS AID

Lemon juice helps you feel fuller longer, thanks to its high pectin fiber content, which helps fight hunger cravings. In fact, studies have shown people who maintain a more alkaline diet do in fact lose weight faster. Plus, it sets the mood for your day. If you can start the morning off on the right foot, you feel better about making good choices and set the standard for your entire day! No cake or cookie can stand in the way of your healthy decisions!