Benefits of Starting Your Day with Warm Lemon Water + a Hack!
WRITTEN BY STEPHANIE ROME | FEATURED ON:
It’s super common to wake up and head straight for the coffee maker. Drinking coffee in the morning is as much about the ritual as it is about the enjoyable taste/smell of a cup of Joe.
While there is nothing wrong with having your beloved coffee in the morning, I challenge you to have a mug of warm lemon water first.
When you first wake up in the morning, you’re at least mildly dehydrated as you haven’t had any water in 8+ hours. Giving your thirsty cells something to drink first thing will perk you right up! While plain water is perfectly fine to start your day with, I recommend an upgrade: warm water with fresh lemon juice.
I often see that when my clients opt for a mug of warm lemon water instead of the coffee first thing, they not only feel more energized and alert (thanks to the lemon’s citric acid), but also they find they don’t want or need as much coffee as they did before.
Intrigued? Here are 5 more reasons to give warm lemon water a shot!
Benefits of Warm Lemon Water
Improves hydration - As you’ve been fasting overnight from both food and water, you’re inevitably in a dehydrated state when you wake up. Warm water is easier to assimilate because your body doesn’t have to work to heat it up to body temperature so it hydrates you better.
Supports digestion and elimination – Lemon juice supports bile and enzyme production, both of which are key for optimal digestion. Lemon also stimulates peristalsis, which is the wave-like muscle contractions in your colon, helping to move the waste out of your body via a morning poop.
Enhances detoxification - Lemon has a phytonutrient called d-limonene that supports liver detoxification enzymes. The rind of lemon contains high amounts of this so feel free to break out the microplane and add a little lemon zest to your mug!
Boosts your immune system - Lemons contain ample amounts of vitamin C which is a potent antioxidant that can help lower inflammation and boost your immune system. Go with warm water, not boiling hot, as high heat can denature the vitamin C.
Improves your complexion – Dehydration makes the skin look dry, wrinkly and lackluster. By contrast, when you are properly hydrated, your skin appears firmer, glowier and more radiant. Adding lemon, a rich source of vitamin C, helps to boost collagen production and improves skin elasticity.
Image by Ana-Maria Stanciu for Hello Glow
How to Make Warm Lemon Water
Serves 1
Ingredients:
12 ounces of warm water
½ fresh lemon
Instructions:
However you’d like to warm up your water is up to you. I find that it is easiest to boil water in a kettle first. I squeeze half the lemon into a mug using this handy lemon squeezer. I fill the mug a ¼ of the way up with cold water, then top off with hot water from the kettle.
Sound too hard to manage on your busy mornings? Try this hack…..
Lemon Water Hack
Lemon ice cubes! Squeeze several lemons at once and freeze the lemon juice into ice cubes. Once fully frozen, pop the cubes out of the tray and store them in a Ziploc bag in the freezer.
In the am, add a lemon cube to your mug and fill the rest of the way with warm water. The cube melts in a flash, leaving you with not-too-hot lemon water that’s sippable right away!
Image by Ana-Maria Stanciu for Hello Glow