Lemon water // Health benefits and an easy trick to save time

I know the whole drinking lemon water in the morning thing is beyond old news and that everyone has been doing it for ages, but personally I only just jumped on the bandwagon last year after being a bit skeptic for a long time and I gotta say that I absolutely love it – haha yes I am a newfound believer! I have noticed a big improvement in my digestion and I have only rarely been bloated since I have started drinking it, my skin is looking clearer and it just feels like such a great start to the day!

What are your thoughts on lemon water? Yay or nay? ;)

Now, this post I probably mostly relevant for those who are unfamiliar with lemon water and its benefits, so let me just give you a quick introduction to why I think you should consider giving lemon water a try.

Drinking lemon water in the morning is such an amazing way to start the day, it gives you some much needed hydration, it kickstarts the digestion process for the day and it has so many amazing health benefits. Lemons have strong antiviral, antibacterial and immuneboosting powers and they are absolutely packed with nutrients. Lemon are for example very rich in vitamin C, which is an amazing antioxidant and they are also a rich source of nutrients like calcium, iron, magnesium, copper, potassium and pectin fiber + they contain vitamin A and vitamin B6 and B1 in smaller amounts.

And one of the best parts is that unlike other “superfoods” lemons are inexpensive and easily available!

10 health benefits from drinking lemon water:
– Good for hydration
– Aids digestion
– Good for oral health and freshens your breath
– Helps flush out toxins
– It helps prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria that cause infections and diseases
– Aids weightloss
– Good for your skin – helps prevent blemishes and even the formation of wrinkles
– Supports and strengthen the immune system
– Reduces inflammation
– Mood enhancing

Sources and more information: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

How to:
The best thing is to use purified or boiled water that are lukewarm, but not scalding hot. I know it might seem more appealing to use cold water, but to fully reap the benefits of the lemon water it is best to avoid using ice cold water, as it takes more energy for your body to process cold water.

Regarding the lemons, it is important to use fresh lemons and not that bottled lemon juice that some of you have asked if it is possible to use. You need fresh lemons to get all the amazing benefits and if possible then it is best to use organic lemons as citrus fruits are some of the most sprayed produce there is.

How much lemon you should use depends on your weight, if you are below 70 kilos (150 pounds) then you should use the juice of 1/2 a lemon and if you are above 70 kilos then you should use the juice of a whole lemon to fully reap the benefits.

To make the lemon water you simply squeeze the lemon juice into a glass and add the lukewarm water. To fully reap the health benefits it is important to drink the lemon water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and wait 15 to 30 minutes before you have breakfast.

The lemon juice can sadly be very hard on the enamel of your teeth, which is why it’s important to dilute it with the lukewarm water. I also recommend that you make sure to rinse your mouth thoroughly with plain water afterwards and I personally drink mine with a straw as well to protect my teeth.

I know the taste of the lemon water are not for everyone and I must admit that I am not a huge fan either, but I actually feel like I am very quickly starting to get used to the taste. If you really do not like the taste, then you can also add a little honey, fresh ginger or mint leaves to the water for extra flavor and additional health benefits.

My little trick to save time:
I am not in any way a morning person and I always struggle to get out of bed, which means that I am usually also always running late. This means that I sometimes do not have much time in the morning and so it would be very easy for me to neglect my newfound morning ritual. I am however very committed to succeeding my little lemon water challenge and so I have come up with an easier way to get my daily glass. I simply bought a whole bunch of lemons that I ran through my juicer and then poured the juice into icecube moulds and put in the freezer. The ice cubes I got are quite big so 1 ice cube is about 1/2 a lemon. Then all I need to do first thing in the morning is to add an ice cube to a glass and add the warm water – easy peasy right?! :D