Even on the days I ate healthily and a balanced amount, my belly would feel bloated and restless. It was frustrating and it didn’t feel right. Something had to change. After some research, I decided to try drinking lemon water in the morning. And it made a difference when I did! Read on to find the benefits of drinking lemon water and how to drink it the right way.
Before I implemented drinking lemon water into my morning routine I made sure to do a lot of research. It’s fascinating to see what effect nutrition can have on our bodies. And if there’s something you’re planning to implement into your daily nutrition, it’s wise to know all the pro’s and con’s first.
The opinions about lemon water variate. The distinctions are caused because it matters how and how often you drink it. On top of that, there are a lot of sources that connect certain benefits to lemon water without there actually being a lot of proof for it!
Years ago I used to occasionally drink cold lemon water. But my recent research made me realise that I was doing it all wrong back then. I also had no idea which benefits DO come with it.
I wanted to share with you what I discovered in case you have a bloated and restless tummy too and want to do something about it. Or if you just want to have a go at drinking lemon water but want to be well informed š
THE BENEFITS
- Boosts immune system. Both lemon juice and cayenne pepper (I’ll explain later where the cayenne pepper comes into the picture) are immune boosters. The extra vitamin C from the lemon juice will help your immune system to cope when you’re stressed.
- It aids digestion.
- It’s good for your skin. Lemon is packed with antioxidants and that helps your skin to stay healthy.
- It helps with hunger and against sugar cravings.
If you want to read about more benefits that come with drinking lemon water, Hello Glow has written a great article about it!
HOW TO DRINK LEMON WATER
So how to drink it? I’d highly recommend you to drink it this way:
Fill a mug with warm or cold water. If you go for warm water, really make sure to let the boiled water cool down 3-5 minutes because boiled water kills the nutrients in lemon. And add the juice of half a lemon.
You can add a dash of cayenne pepper to boost metabolism and to increase digestive enzyme production. Add slices of ginger for weight loss and detox benefits. You can also add some honey to simultaneously still sugar cravings.
I usually add all these ingredients and it creates a wonderful fresh and sweet drink with a kick to it.
WHEN TO DRINK IT
I prefer to drink it first thing in the morning before drinking or eating anything else. It’s a great way to get hydrated after the night and to set your tummy up for the day.
But it is possible to do it any time of the day. The timing could depend on what you want to achieve with it. If you want to avoid bloating and indigestion, have it 10-15 minutes before dinner. If you want to still your sugar cravings, it might help to prepare a bottle and drink it around that time when your cravings are worst (which would be between 4 and 6 with me!). If you just want to drink it to make your water consumption a bit more interesting, you can of course drink it all day long.
Be careful to only take one ‘portion’ a day, because over-consumption could damage tooth enamel. If you want to change it up, you can sometimes use lime instead of lemon.
If you want to avoid damage to your teeth make sure to brush your teeth before drinking lemon water. Rinse your mouth with plain water after drinking it and use a straw to drink it.
I love the metal straws from Longzon. I wanted to buy reusable straws but the idea of the metal touching my teeth freaked me out a bit. The fact that these have a rubber mouthpiece has been brilliant!
Is drinking lemon water something you’d consider? If you already drink it, do you like to add any fun ingredients to it?
Much love,
Jenna
P.S. Do healthy natural drinks with nutritional benefits interest you? Then you might like to have a go at homemade rosehip syrup!