(Disclaimer about all that I have just said : I am not saying that coffee is bad for YOU. I am saying it's bad for ME. My husband can have three espresso's and then fall right asleep- he never gets jittery from caffeine, in fact he is so not affected by it he doesn't really drink it because it doesn't help keep him going... he must be naturally caffeinated. Everyone's body is so different, and I know there are a lot of health benefits to drinking coffee... I just feel so much better without it, and wonder if others might too if they could just step away from it for a few weeks...)
On to the health benefits of drinking warm lemon water in the am:
1. It aids in digestion. Lemon water helps to maximize enzyme function in the digestive tract, therefore helping the liver flush out the toxins that it needs to, and helps to produce bile, which many people have a hard time doing (via a crappy diet). Lemon is very cleansing to the entire digestive tract for all of those reasons, and the warmth of the water helps get everything moving- it gets that good digestive fire that you need for you day going.
2. It's good for your immune system. Vitamin C, baby! Lemons also contain a decent amount of potassium, and both are great for your immune system. So is re-hydrating after a long night of dehydration- your immune cells are happier when you are hydrated, instead of chronically dehydrated from the coffee.
3. It regulates the pH of your body- I know, lemons are acidic right? and don't we want to be more alkaline then acidic? Yes, you do want to be more alkaline then acidic, but lemons actually are not acidic when they react with your gastric juices in your stomach- the opposite actually, lemons actually cause you to be more alkaline internally. Once their citric acid is metabolized (which it is quickly) the wealth of minerals in the lemon lend alkalinity to your body, which you want. I could go more into depth, but this is not a biochemistry blog (although, how cool would that blog be?!)
4. It helps clear your skin- Happy liver, happy skin. Many doctors say the skin is the second liver, so anything that is going on with your skin (breakouts, rashes, etc) means you have an unhappy liver. We don't want an unhappy liver, it is working so hard to keep you happy and healthy, we should do the same for it!
There are many other benefits of drinking warm lemon water in the morning (or anytime, but on an empty stomach is the best way to get all the goodness you can get out of it) but those were the ones that were most important to me- and it is such an easy wellness practice to start, why not give it a try? Your body will thank you (even if you have a cup of warm lemon water and then a cup of coffee, it would still be better for your body then just the coffee). Give it a try, and let me know what you think!
I have been drinking lemon water in the morning before eating for about 5 weeks now. I drink it hot (like tea) with juice from half a lemon and a teaspoon of honey. The lemon is too strong for me on it's own, and honey is beneficial too! I can't say I have noticed any differences in digestion, but it has allowed me to postpone breakfast until I get to work. I am not a coffee drinker, but I do have a cup of tea in the morning. And I am hungry when I wake up every day and usually have to eat soon after waking to avoid nausea and crankiness. So now I eat about 1.5-2 hours after waking up. I'm not sure if that is good or bad, just different. I will keep with it for awhile to see how it all goes. At the very least I am getting water into my system before caffeine, and I am getting vitamins and other benefits from lemons and honey.
ReplyDeleteHow much lemon do you use? Just slices? Or do you juice your lemon? Sometimes it's just so tart, and every lemon has a different amount of juice. I have also thought about juicing a bunch of lemons at the beginning of the week and just adding some of that juice to my hot water throughout the week to eliminate the need to juice every morning. So what's your routine?
Justine- I am lazy, so I just quarter a lemon and squeeze it in my hot water (or more if the lemon is stingy with its juice) and let it sit for a bit til it's not super hot, and drink up. I sometimes put some Manuka honey in it, sometimes not, just depends- but the honey is great for you. I put honey in my tea, so I don't usually put it in my lemon water unless I am sick and need a little boost. Maybe it's possible that you are thirsty rather then actually hungry when you wake up (I am exactly the same way!) and having the water right off the bat helps you to not need to eat right away...? :) xo
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