Is there anything more simple than a glass of water with lemon? Rich in powerful antioxidants like potassium, calcium, and magnesium as well as a great source of vitamin C and complex B vitamins – lemons have total body benefits.
I know you’ve got lemons in the house! Read on to understand the top benefits of drinking lemon water and exactly how, and with what additional ingredients, you should drink it with.
Benefits
Immunity
I feel like no matter what time of year it is, we constantly hear the phrase “something’s going around.” Vitamin C is an effective immunity booster because it stimulates white blood cell count. Unfortunately, our bodies do not naturally produce vitamin C so it’s important to ingest vitamin C through your daily diet.
Digestion
The older I get the more sensitive my stomach becomes. I know I’m not alone in that. Lemons have unbelievable benefits to the digestive system. Not only does lemon juice help foods pass more smoothly through the body, but it also helps to loosen and flush out toxins as it goes through your digestive system. On top of that, it has been known to help with common digestive issues like heartburn and bloating.
Anti-Aging (No Joke!)
A study conducted by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that regular consumption of vitamin C led to less wrinkles and therefore younger looking skin. It makes total sense. Lemons are chock full of antioxidants which help to fight daily damage caused by free radicals. Additionally, having enough vitamin C in the body helps promote the continued production of collagen which helps to keep our skin plump and younger looking. To top it off, if you’re like me and almost never remember to drink water, this gets you a nice tall glass first thing in the morning and everyone knows hydrated skin is younger looking skin.
Energy and Mood
Not only does just the smell of lemons have a calming effect, but the atomic structure of lemons results in an increase in energy when consumed – think all natural energy without the caffeine crash! For anyone on the quest to kick a coffee habit or simply decrease the number of cups in a day, this is something to try.
How to Make Lemon Water
Drink your lemon water first thing in the morning before you put anything else in your stomach and if possible wait at least 20 minutes before you eat or drink anything else. To get the full benefits of this process you want to be consistent and do this daily, not just sometimes.
IMPORTANT: Lemons are acidic and long-term exposure can break down the enamel on your teeth. Always use a straw!
Squeeze or juice a lemon into an 8 – 10 oz. glass of warm water ( I recommend 1/2 a lemon for 160 lbs. or less and 1 whole lemon for over 160 lbs.)
- Why warm? Because you’ll be waking up your body with this glass of water and the same way you don’t want to throw a cold glass of water at your face, you don’t want to wake up your insides with a cold shock.
- I warm my water in an electric kettle for a few minutes – you want it to be slightly warm (~80 degrees). If you don’t have a kettle you can do this in the microwave.
- Use fresh lemons (not artificial from a bottle) and preferably organic. PRO TIP: Squeeze a bunch of lemons into an ice cube tray and freeze them. Make your water slightly warmer and just drop a frozen cube of lemon juice into your water avoid squeezing the lemon in the morning.
- You can toss the lemon once you’ve squeezed it or run it through your garbage disposal to clean out the disposal and get a nice fresh lemon scent in the kitchen.
Lemon Water Additions
Add one or more of the following to your lemon water each morning based on preference. I take my lemon water with Pink Himalayan Sea Salt and Collagen. Make sure you’re buying collagen or peptides, not gelatin.
Pink Himlayan Sea Salt (2-3 shakes) for pH balance, bone health, and natural regulation of water and mineral content of your body.
Cayenne Pepper (a pinch) to boost metabolism.
Collagen of choice (1 – 2 scoops) for elasticity in skin, longer, stronger and shinier hair and nails, and bone health.
