Take the lemon in your water the next time it’s offered. Not only is it a great way to help you boost your water intake, but an unsweetened glass of lemon water (especially first thing in the morning) also provides your body with some great health benefits. Warm or cool, drink it straight up or blend it with some lime, either way, this is one daily habit you’ll want to pick up.
10 Health Benefits of Drinking Lemon Water
- Helps with weight loss. Studies show that drinking water naturally boosts your metabolism. Drinking a glass of hot or warm lemon water in the morning is a great daily habit to help assist with overall weight loss.
- Detoxes your system. Lemon water liquefies bile while inhibiting excess bile flow to help purify and stimulate the liver. It also helps your liver produce more enzymes. According to A.F, Beddoe, author of Biological Ionization as Applied to Human Nutrition, lemon water helps your liver produce more enzymes than any other food.
- Aids digestion. Its atomic composition is similar to saliva and the hydrochloric acid of digestive juices.
- Helps bowels eliminate naturally and easily. In addition to getting your digestive system going, lemon or lime water also help keep you regular and combat constipation and irritable bowels.
- Energizes and enhances mood. Lemons and limes are high in potassium. This important mineral works with sodium for smooth electrical transmission in the brain and nervous system. Depression, anxiety, fogginess, and forgetfulness can often be traced to low potassium blood levels.
- Improves your immune system. Lemon water is high in Vitamin C which is one of the easiest ways to boost your immune system.
- Lowers blood pressure. Lemon water is a good source of calcium, magnesium, and potassium – all of which help lower blood pressure levels and improve heart health.
- Balances pH Levels. Drinking lemon or lime water has an alkalizing effect as it is buffered in the body. Even if you drink it at room temperature just before any meal, it will help your body maintain a higher pH. The higher or more alkaline your pH, the more resistant you are to minor and major illnesses.
- Helps ease pain from arthritis and gout. Drinking lemon water helps dilute uric acid which creates arthritic pain or gout when it accumulates.
- Reduces phlegm. Lemon water naturally breaks up and reduces phlegm, making it a natural go-to for colds and congestion.
How to Make Lemon Water
For best results, drink a daily glass of warm lemon water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Wait for at least a half-hour before eating.
- Pour an 8 oz of purified warm or cold water.
- Squeeze at least a half of a lemon or lime glass of warm water. Do not add sweeteners. (Use a squeezer to get maximum juice without the seeds.) Don’t use the lemon or lime juice squeeze bottles from the store. These have no nutritional value and most of them contain harmful preservatives and chemicals.
- Drink up!
One time-saving technique you might want to try out is to heat up water and put it into a thermos before going to bed. When you get up the next morning, mix that hot water with room-temperature purified lemon or lime water. Drink it down quickly, then go about your other morning routines before eating breakfast.
You can also mix up these additional lemon waters (cucumber lemon, lemon mint, and lemon with honey) throughout your day for a refreshing treat
Adding warm lemon/lime water to your daily routine is a cheap and easy habit and helps you improve and maintain your overall health. Bottoms up!
