Morning routines are very important as it determines how well we perform during the day. Perhaps we are all used to the scenario of waking up and rushing on the way to work without taking care of our body needs first.
When waking up, the body requires a certain amount of water to get rid of toxins and refresh our cells after hours of sleeping. For that reason, taking a cup of water to start a day is always a good idea.
However, do you know that just by adding a few slices of lemon will do a lot good for your body? Let’s follow to find out how!
What Is Lemon Water?
To begin with, lemon water is simply water with a few drops of lemon juice.
There is no exact recipe because the amount of lemon used depends on your taste. Some people like to freshen their body by adding more lemon, some may prefer just a few slices of lemon.
In addition, you can also add cucumber and ginger, mint leaf to bring up the flavor.
Lemon water has been considered as a healthy morning drink as it provides lots of nutrition for the body.
For a glass of lemon water, here is the nutrient breakdown:
- Calories
- Vitamin C
- Sugar
- Potassium
- Folate
Lemon water is known as a low-calorie drink that will not make you fat or bloat. However, be careful with the amount of sugar you add in. We recommend just about one to two tablespoon of sugar for a full glass of lemon water.
Benefits of Drinking Lemon Water
#1. Boost your immune system
Lemon is rich in vitamin C, which is one of the most important nutrients for your body to fight against bacteria, infection, and diseases. For example, vitamin C can help your body fight against common colds.
Besides, another healthy substance for the body that can be found in lemon is pectin fiber. This substance is responsible for preventing the growth of bacteria in your body.
#2. Detoxify your body
This is one of the most popular benefits of lemon water. When drinking lemon water becomes your morning routine, your body will get detoxified frequently and effectively.
As the toxins remain in your body will be flushed out in the form of urine, your urinary tract will also get better day by day.
To those who usually consume a large amount of food the day before, drinking a glass of lemon water may improve digestive system and foster the generation of bile.
#3. Improve your skin and hair health
As the main benefit of lemon water is to cleanse your body, it can also make your skin and hair look more fresh and young. Besides, it also prevents acne as well as wrinkles, making you look a lot younger and refreshed than before.
#4. Hydrate your body
We usually engage so immensely in an activity that we may forget to hydrate our body, especially when it comes to working out. Dehydration causes a lot of damages to the body such as stress, constipation, toxins generation and a lot more.
In this case, lemon water is perfectly what you need to get rid of dehydration. That explains why many gym trainers advice to take in a glass of lemon water after work out. It provides vitamins and water to make up for what is lost through sweating.
#5. Improve the liver’s health
Lemon water is a great source of energy to the liver. It helps balance the level of oxygen and calcium in your body, especially when your body is having heartburn.
For that reason, if you are suffering from heartburn, a glass of lemon water will make the pain less intimidating.
#6. Nourish your cells and brain
As we mentioned above, lemon contains a large amount of potassium which is very important for your brain and cells. When the level of potassium is stable, the brain will function to the fullest.
Here is a piece of further information you may be interested in: an adult has to consume at least 3.5 grams of potassium per day to function healthily.
When Should You Drink Lemon Water?
The best time to drink lemon water is in the morning while your stomach is still empty. When you just wake up and you need to hydrate your body with a full glass of water. In this case, a glass of lemon water will restart your digestive system, clean all the waste left in the body and refresh your mind.
Then, you should wait about 30 minutes before enjoying your first meal. This way, you can be sure that your body can consume all the nutrients from food.
Although lemon water may seem quite simple, the effects it has on the body is tremendous.
If you have a habit of drinking lemon water every morning, it will leave you lots of long term benefits. Two of which is a great looking and a toxin-free body.
However, be aware that lemon water may do harm to your teeth’s enamel. For that reason, we recommend you using straws or rinse your mouth immediately after drinking.
Some Misunderstanding and Risks
Lemon water is known as a nutrient-packed drink, however, there are a lot of misconceptions that are not proven or tested by any scientific evidence. Here are a few of them:
#1. Lemon water makes you lose weight
Obviously, lemon water helps cleanse your body and reduce appetite as well. However, it is merely a mixture of water with a very small amount of lemon juice.
There is no clue that lemon water can make you lose weight. To lose weight, you have to take many factors into accounts such as your special diet and exercise.
#2. Lemon water fights cancer
Lemon water contains a huge amount of antioxidant, which is known as a great substance in preventing cancer of many kinds. However, it does not mean keep drinking lemon water can stop cancer.
While drinking lemon water brings about lots of benefits, there are a few things you should be aware of:
To those who have stomach-related diseases, it is recommended to consult with your doctors.
Although lemon water does not cause any harm to people with a healthy stomach, it may cause some discomfort when your stomach is not completely healthy.
Second of all, it is a good idea to brush your teeth or rinse your mouth after drinking lemon water as lemon can cause damage to your enamel. It is important to wait for about an hour or so after consuming the drink.
Bottom Words,
Lemon water is simple yet effective in boosting your immune system and fight against bacteria. To those who want to detoxify their body after days of overeating, drinking lemon water in the morning is a good way to do so.
Let us know if you have any question. Goodbye!