Water is essential for a healthy body but some people find it difficult to drink plain water. An alternative would be to drink lemon water. Lemons have many benefits that will help improve your overall health and they taste great, too. For example, lemons contain antioxidants, fiber, enzymes, iron, vitamin C and B, calcium, magnesium and potassium. However, there are other reasons you should be drinking lemon water in the morning.
Many people agree that adding lemons to your water makes it taste better, which encourages you to drink more and that in itself is beneficial. However, drinking lemon water has other benefits that you may not be aware of such as the ones below.
Why You Should Drink Lemon Water In The Morning
1. Lemons Give Your Immune System a Real Boost
Lemons are rich in vitamin C and they have antiviral and antibacterial properties. All of these help your body fight off bacteria and viruses naturally. The vitamin C gives your immune system a boost and the other properties help protect you against cold and flu viruses. Lemons also help the body absorb the iron in the foods you eat, which is also good for the immune system.
2. To Aid the Digestive System
Lemons help to aid the digestive system by easing heartburn, indigestion and bloating. They can help flush toxins out of the digestive tract, stimulate bile production and they can help prevent or ease constipation.
3. To Rejuvenate the Skin
Drinking lemon water in the morning can help rejuvenate your skin and reduce the effects of premature aging. It works because lemons are full of antioxidants that help prevent damage caused by free radicals. They also help to clear away blemishes by eliminating toxins from the blood.
4. Lemons Are a Natural Diuretic
Lemons act as a natural diuretic by stimulating your liver to help your body flush out toxins. This process prevents toxins from building up and causing damage to your body’s organs, cells and tissues. It also discourages bacterial growth in your urinary tract that can cause infections.
5. Drink Lemon Water For Weight Loss
Maintaining a healthy weight is vital to your overall health but it can be difficult to do. Lemons boost your metabolism, which helps your body burn fat more efficiently. They also contain pectin fiber help to curb food cravings, which often leads to overeating.
6. To Keep Your Body Hydrated
Your body needs water to function properly but as mentioned before, drinking plain water is difficult for some people. If you’re having trouble drinking enough water to stay hydrated, then lemon water is a nice alternative, as are fruit infused waters. It gives your water that extra bit of zest you need to drink more. It’s definitely a great substitute for sodas and other beverages containing caffeine.
7. To Help Start Your Day off Right
The lemony scent is energizing and has the ability to help wake you up in the morning with a boost of energy that will help get you through the day. This invigorating scent is bright and cheery so it helps to put you in a happy, ready for anything mood while reducing feelings of depression and anxiety.
8. To Enhance Your Focus
Lemons contain magnesium and potassium that stimulate nerve and brain functions. As a result, drinking lemon water in the morning can clear your mind and help you stay focused on your tasks throughout the day.
9. Lemon Water Can Freshen Breath
Drinking lemon water in the morning will leave your breath smelling fresh and clean. Lemons can also fight bacteria found in the mouth that causes cavities and gum disease, which is an added benefit. However, this is no substitute for brushing your teeth and flossing. In addition, pure lemon juice can actually eat away tooth enamel so don’t use it as a mouthwash.
10. To Relive Stress
Stress is a part of life that you can’t control but you can take steps to ease the stress. When you become stressed, vitamin C is depleted from the body. Lemons replenish the vitamin C, which helps to relieve some of the stress so you can relax and enjoy life a little more.
11. Lemon Water Helps Reduce Phlegm and Mucus
Colds, allergies and the flu are some of the health conditions that encourage the formation of excessive mucus and phlegm. These conditions can clog your sinuses and make it difficult to breathe, leaving you feeling miserable. Lemon water can help reduce the amount of mucus and phlegm produced when you’re sick so you can breathe easier. It may also help reduce the length of time the illness last.
12. Lemons May Help Reduce Your Risk of Getting Cancer
Cancer cells thrive in acidic environments but the antioxidants and alkaline in lemons help to balance your pH levels, which neutralizes the acids in your body. As a result, they make the body unfavorable for cancer cells to grow. This reduces your risk of getting this disease and it may even help stop the cells from growing if you already have cancer. Lemons do contain citric acid but once metabolized, they do not create acidity. Instead, they reduce the amount of acidity within the body.
Drinking lemon water in the morning is a great way to get your day off to a good start but it’s not the only way to benefit from lemons. You can also take advantage of all the benefits that lemon essential oil has to offer.
Lemon Essential Oil
Drinking lemon water in the morning has the potential to improve your overall health. However, you can also use lemon essential oil (EXTERNALLY, not internally) to enhance your health even more. Lemon oil contains antifungal, astringent, antiseptic, disinfectant, calming, anti-infection and detoxifying properties that benefit your body in the following ways.
Lemon essential oil benefits
- enhances your mood and improves your emotional state
- increases energy levels and suppresses your appetite
- eases your mind so you can relax and fall asleep faster
- can boost your immune system and stimulate production of white blood cells
- promotes clarity, relieves mental fatigue and helps to improve focus, concentration and mental awareness
- eases digestive problems
- helps to clear your skin and has rejuvenating properties
- can clear nasal passages, reduce mucus and help you breathe easier
- is used to treat general health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis pain and varicose veins
These are the main health benefits associated with lemon oil. It has many of the same benefits that drinking lemon water has but the oil is stronger, and you can apply it to the exact spot you need it at.
How To Make Lemon Water
Lemon water is very easy to make. There are 2 ways to make it:
- Squeeze a lemon and add water to it. This is what I do upon waking up: I drink the juice of a lemon in 2 cups of warm water
- Cut a couple lemons in think slices, and add cold water to them and let the water infuse for about 4 hours in the fridge before using it. Store this lemon infused water in the fridge and drink throughout the day.
If you can, drink your lemon water warm. Your body will be able to absorb it faster when it’s warm so you can begin feeling the effects even sooner.
Lemon Water Diet
Mostly used as a detox, the lemon water diet helps restart your metabolism and gives you a new start. My husband did 10 days of this when he started his weight loss journey, just to give himself a fresh start.
On the lemon water diet, you only drink this mixture, 6 to 12 times a day, depending on your weight. Here’s the mixture we used:
- juice from one lemon
- 2 cups of warm water
- a tablespoon of organic maple sugar (this is the one I LOVE!)
- a pinch of cayenne pepper
This lemon water detox will help you regain your energy, flush out toxins, reboot your metabolism, and in the end, feel better about yourself. Be aware that the second and third days are the hardest (I’m telling you this so you won’t give up, knowing it gets better). You might have a headache, flu like symptoms, weakness, and a general ill feeling. Keep pushing through, and you’ll soon feel a lot better.
