Benefits of Lemon Water
Let me start by saying, lemonade this is not. This isn’t something you drink in the summertime because it’s sweet and refreshing and tastes great. In fact, you’re likely going to make some hilarious facial expressions while forcing yourself to drink it. I certainly do!
For those who don’t know, “lemon water” is simply that: water plus freshly squeezed lemon juice. No sweeteners, and no extra ingredients. Just water and lemon.
If I have small lemons, I squeeze one whole lemon into a glass. If I’ve got large ones, only about half. Then using a fork, I fish all the seeds out, pour some filtered water in, and stir it up!
So what are the health benefits of lemon water, you may ask?
- It boosts your metabolism. Drinking a glass of lemon water first thing in the morning (before breakfast) will rev up your system, burning calories and removing unwanted chemicals in your body. It’s best to add lemon to warm water, because the closer the water is to your body temperature, the easier it is for your body to absorb. It’s sort of like a shower for the inside – it cleans you right out!
- A great complexion. The Vitamin C in lemons helps to rejuvenate the skin, and drinking warm lemon water daily can get rid of wrinkles, blackheads, and even fade scars!
- It improves your digestive system. Lemon water relieves symptoms of indigestion, like heartburn and belching. Also, (brace yourself, it’s about to get even more TMI here), lemon water cleans out the bowels, relieving bloating, gas, and constipation.
- A healthy mouth. Because of the antibacterial property of lemons, lemon water not only helps freshen your breath, but it can also relieve sore throat pain, throat infections, toothaches, and tonsillitis.
- Even more health benefits include controlling high blood pressure, nourishing the brain, curing nausea and dizziness, strengthening the liver, and relaxing the mind and body.
While lemon water has numerous health benefits, you do have to be careful not to let it erode the natural enamel on your teeth. This will cause your teeth to become hyper sensitive to hot and cold things. Citrus fruit (and soda, for that matter) will do that, so if you plan on drinking lemon water regularly, it’s important to drink it with a straw. Plus, it’ll taste less sour and unpleasant that way, too.
Another thing to keep in mind with lemon water is that it is a diuretic (just like coffee is), meaning it flushes excess fluid, toxins, and sodium out of your body. But that does mean it’s dehydrating, so make sure to drink lots of (plain) water throughout the day to combat this.
So while it may not be delicious, the benefits of lemon water far outweigh its taste. I’m going to try to commit to drinking warm lemon water first thing in the morning, at least three times a week. How about you? xx
