We all know we should be drinking lots of water. But on its own, it can sometimes become boring. Adding fruits and herbs to water is a great way to mix things up. And one of the best fruit juices to add is lemon.
Not only does it help to make the water taste better, but it has some fantastic health benefits too. From helping you lose weight to improving digestion, you will notice a positive impact on your body very quickly.
And while lemon water is easy to make, there is definitely a ‘better’ way to do it than just adding a couple of lemon slices.
Let’s take a look at why lemon water is good for you and how to make it properly.
Natural Detox
One of the top benefits of lemon water is that it can help to cleanse all those toxins out of your body. It is one of the easiest and most natural ways to detox your body.
Drinking lemon water means you don’t need to do an extreme detox to cleanse your system. A glass every day will do wonders for your body plus improve enzyme function and help to clean out your liver.
For maximum detox benefits, drink a glass first thing in the morning.
Tons of Nutrition
Lemon water is loaded with nutrients, including many vitamins and minerals. In particular it is high in vitamin C and a few glasses of lemon water can go a long way towards the daily requirement.
But vitamin C isn’t the only nutrient you should be aware of. Lemon water has a lot of potassium, copper, and magnesium, along with some fiber, thiamin, vitamin B6, and vitamin E.
These are all nutrients from the lemons themselves. As a result, the more concentrated your lemon water is the better. This will help you consume more of vitamins and minerals every time you take a sip.
Improves Digestion
If you have been having difficulties with your digestive system, then lemon water is the perfect addition. Drinking more regular water alone can really help. This will get things moving and decrease abdominal cramps and other digestion issues.
But, when you add lemons to your water, you are giving it an extra boost. It helps because there are digestive juices inside your stomach that are similar in structure to lemon juice. As a result, they work together really well. So don’t be concerned that the acidity of the lemons might make you feel ill, it usually has the opposite effect.
Boosts Immunity
Lemon water also happens to be ideal for giving your immune system a nice boost. Lemon water has a good amount of lemon juice, which as you know, is an excellent source of vitamin C.
Vitamin C is what helps keep you healthy and prevent cold, flu, and other immune system illnesses.
When people around you are ill and you are afraid of catching their cold, start drinking more lemon water. This will hopefully boost your vitamin C enough to you can avoid or fight any illness.
Freshens Breath
Drinking a glass of warm lemon water in the morning can give your mouth a refreshing feeling. Lemons are great for getting rid of bad breath, and can even help to relieve toothaches.
But, be careful and don’t brush your teeth directly before or after drinking it. The citric acid has the potential to wear away at your tooth enamel.
Clears Skin
The vitamin C in lemon water isn’t just good for your immune system; it can also give you healthy, clear, glowing skin. The vitamin C boosts natural collagen production in your skin, making you look more youthful.
This combined with better hydration from the water is going to clear up your skin. Damaging free radicals that often cause skin damage are removed.
Helps Weight Loss
Drinking lemon water on its own won’t help you lose weight without other changes. But, it can boost your weight loss efforts when combined with other diet and exercise changes.
Lemon water can also help to boost your metabolism. Drink warm lemon water in the morning before consuming anything else. This raises your metabolic rate, which helps burn fat much faster.
How to Make Lemon Water
Making lemon water isn’t quite as simple as just putting a few lemon slices or wedges into a glass of water. While this is a great way to make water taste good you won’t get the same health benefits as making real lemon water.
This is because it isn’t just about the flavor of the water, but the concentration of the lemon juice. You need the actual juice of a lemon to get all the vitamin C and other nutrients.
One thing to note is that when drinking lemon water for all the health benefits, warm water is best. While this won’t be possible (or desired) every single time, at least try to do this in the morning.
In particular, if you want to boost your metabolism, try to drink at least one small cup of warm lemon water first up. Then the rest of the day, enjoy your cold pitcher of lemon water.
Easy Lemon Water Recipe
To make a single glass of lemon water:
- Juice a lemon – use a lemon reamer or handheld juicer and squeeze straight into the glass. Squeeze out as much as possible to increase the concentration.
- Add equal amounts of cold and boiling water to fill the glass. This will make the water warm enough for maximum health benefits.
You could also just squeeze the lemon juice straight into a glass of warm water from the tap. Do whatever method is quickest and easiest for you.
Also, you can use a manual juicer like these to squeeze the juice.
If you are having cold lemon water, add the juice of a lemon to a glass of cold water.
Add Lemon Zest
The rind is where lemon oil comes from and has a concentration of lemon flavor. It also contains quite a bit of vitamin C and other nutrients. Use a zester to add a little bit of lemon zest to every glass or pitcher you make.
In Summary
There are a lot of good reasons to include lemon water in your daily routine. Try starting the day with a glass of lemon water to get the most benefit and give your body a morning boost. From there incorporate a few other glasses throughout the day.
Before you know it, you will be drinking a few glass of lemon water daily. Not only will you be more hydrated, but you will also enjoy the many health benefits lemon water has to offer.