Probably one of the easiest ways to rejuvenate yourself, get more energy, and a simple step towards better health, is to drink a glass of water with a squeeze of lemon first thing in the morning.
Numerous studies have shown that you need water first thing in the morning, since your body has just had 6-9 hours of dehydration, and has built up toxins that need to be pushed out. It also prepares your body for the day by hydrating early, and helps you wake up with a natural energy boost.
Here’s 8 reasons why you should be drinking a glass of water with lemon every morning:
- Start your day with some electrolytes.
Natural lemon juice contains a number of beneficial things, including magnesium, potassium and calcium. Its a decent (but not amazing) source of electrolytes, which are key to helping trigger nerves, muscles and your heart. - Helps beat joint pain.
Lemons contain vitamin C, which is known to help fight free radicals that cause inflammation in joints. If you’re suffering from arthritis, then lemon water is a simple way to help fight the inflammation. If you don’t have arthritis pain, then drinking water with lemon will be a good way to keep your joints healthy and pain-free. - Aids in digestion.
Breakfast is your most important meal of the day, and the natural enzymes in lemon juice act the same as your digestive fluids, making your breakfast digest better, and actually helps with bloating and heartburn after eating. Take a glass warm lemon-water at least 5 minutes before eating your breakfast. - Helps cleanse your body.
Lemon juice is a Diuretic, which is substance that promotes the production of urine. This then causes more toxins to be pushed out of the body faster, cleansing your body faster. The citric acid in lemons also helps enzymes in your body work better, especially in the liver which helps filter your body’s systems. - Boost your immune system.
As stated above, lemons contain a good amount of vitamin C, which helps fight colds and keeps you healthy. Lemon’s Ascorbic acid also aids in your body’s ability to absorb iron, which is used to help your blood carry more oxygen. Finally, the ascorbic acid is known to act as an anti-inflammatory agent, fighting infection as well. - Gives you clear skin.
Lemons contain Vitamin C, which helps heal your skin, but more importantly, it contains antioxidents, a even more specifically, a substance called Bioflavonoids, which enhance the effects of Vitamin C by increasing the microvascular blood flow in the body, which gives your skin more nutrients. On a side note, Bioflavonoids in lemons also act as an anti-allergy and anti-inflammatory, which are two large causes of breakouts in skin. - Gives you energy.
The combination of electrolytes and vitamin C is a natural energy booster. Imagine not needing that cup of coffee in the morning, when all you need is a glass of water and lemon. The lemon water helps with long-term energy as well, as opposed to sugar-packed colas. Dehydration is also known to cause mood swings and mild depression, so a good glass of energy-filled water in the morning can lead to a brighter day as well!
Want to get more lemon into your water routine? Check out these Fruit Infused Water Recipes
Some further notes:
Starting a daily habit that betters your overall health is vitally important to being healthy. We can slowly form habits that are bad, due to a rushed schedule or lack of knowledge, such as thinking that coffee is the morning energy boost you need. If you can start a daily ritual of drinking water in the morning, and force yourself to do it every day for a month, it will then become a habit that helps the other aspects of your life. Make this ritual the first thing that you do every morning, before checking emails and grabbing that cup of coffee. It takes only a minute or two and you’ll feel better the rest of the day.
Also if you’re a fan of lemon water, try these Glass Infuser Bottles from Gutta Vita for infused water on the go! I really recommend the glass bottles, as I’m not a fan of using plastic.
Finally, make sure to rinse your mouth or brush your teeth after drinking a glass of lemon water, since the acidity in the lemon can hurt your tooth enamel.
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