Feel Better this Morning by Drinking a Glass of Warm Lemon Water to Boost Your Day
Your morning routine can affect the way you feel the rest of the day. A glass of warm lemon water in the morning can help give your day a boost in many ways.
This post is the 2nd in a series of two, where last week we took a dive into ginger tea. Lemon water and ginger tea can certainly be a great combination packed with benefits. For last week's article looking into ginger specifically, check it out here Stay Healthier and Warmer this Season with Ginger Tea, but read more about lemon water first. So why choose lemon water?
If you like the taste of lemon water and find you drink more as a result, keeping drinking it!
How may lemon water help you?
The lemon fruit has a beneficial amount of vitamins like potassium and C. Potassium which is an electrolyte itself, can help with foot cramps and other spams of the muscle, depression, aids in blood pressure reduction and more. Vitamin C we all know for helping boost our immunity. It’s important to note though that lemon is not one of the fruits with having the highest quantities of these vitamins, but they are an added bonus! Lemon peel actually has more C in it than the juice itself.
After a night's sleep we've had little to no hydration for an extended period of time. One of the benefits of lemon water is pure and simple hydration! With those electrolytes from the potassium we feel better. We are more awake and alert when properly hydrated.
As we hydrate with lemon we are also flushing our systems of accumulated toxins. The Citrate in the juice helps your body discharge any toxins by working with your liver which is the anti-toxin work horse in our bodies.
Lemon water aids digestion in the morning to hydrate and get you ready for your day, but it is also great in the evening to settle your stomach after dinner. Citrus flavonoids have been shown to work in conjunction with the acid in your stomach to help you break down your food and the lemon juice will help cleanse your palate. Lemon zest can add an extra kick to your digestive tract by adding good bacteria as well.
Lemon possesses anti-inflammatory properties which may help with minor ailments like a sore throat, tonsils, etc. I have not yet tried this and I’m wondering if it stings a bit though?
With hydration comes happier skin, the vitamin c in this fruit adds an additional boost to your outer layer as well because lemons are high in antioxidants. Antioxidants help our skin stay fresh and free of lines by fighting the skin’s toxins that cause collagen reductions over time. Thought it may be that lemon offers the best boost to the skin when applied topically rather than ingested as tea.
Lemon becomes alkaline when ingested. This we know for sure. However, there is much back and forth about how beneficial alkaline beverages can be. We do know our bodies need a certain amount of alkalinity for them to function properly.
Drinking lemon water may help dissolve both kidney stones and gall/pancreatic stones.
Acts as a bit of an appetite suppressant because of the fiber content in the fruit.
Can you drink too much lemon water?
If you drink too much lemon this may pose harm to your teeth by eroding the enamel. In large quantities it may cause heartburn or it can act as a diuretic. Lemons are not incredibly rich in vitamin C, but too much C can cause excessive urination. Last but not least, many of us don’t drink enough water but there can be too much! 10 – 15 cups of water a day is currently thought to be sufficient depending on your body type and size.
How much lemon should you add?
About 1/2 lemon for a full glass of warm water is the general thought. I love sour, but tend to drink my water a bit more diluted and will spread that lemon amount throughout the day. I did not previously drink a glass first thing in the morning, I began doing so recently and it sure is refreshing in the morning here in the dry Northeast winter!
Why drink lemon water warm?
Let's face it Americans in particular love their beverages cold! Normally the colder the better, but warm water is better for flushing your body of toxins and is beneficial for breaking down fats which promotes weight loss.
Add some honey and ginger too!
If you like this post please like it and take a look at the first, Stay Healthier and Warmer this Season with Ginger Tea, of two or other posts. If you have feedback or questions post on the site or drop me a note!