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Are you drinking lemon water every day?

Lemon water - this one simple and natural addition to your dietary routine can help improve your overall health and vitality.

Are you drinking lemon water? Are you drinking it every day? Do you know what it could do for your system if you did? If you answered no to any of those questions then read on and discover the amazing benefits of such a simple addition to your day.

First of all lemon juice is fresh, natural and refreshing so we are already on the right track – it isn’t a new fangled mixture of  superfoods that only grow in the Outer Hebrides, it is available to us all. You can make it anywhere, there are no machines required, just a knife and a strong enough hand to extract all that citrusy goodness into a glass! Along with its obvious use as a flavour, lemon has also been used for its medicinal value for centuries. If you mix the juice of half a lemon in some room temperature or warm drinking water each morning before you begin your daily routine here is a list of potential benefits your body and mind will reap…

lemon

  1. An alternative to sugar-loaded beverages: Rather than reaching for a can of soda or something else packed with sugars, having a long glass of lemon water will give your taste buds the satisfaction they’re craving without the negative effects; avoid any chemical additives, sugar overload, weight gain, threat to heart-health, etc. Water, even alone, will help to speed up our metabolism and fuel the processes in the body to help us function at our best.
  2. Stay hydrated: Advice we all know yet tend to forget; keeping our body hydrated is absolutely key to overall wellness. It aids with digestion and assists in keeping our organs toxin-free and keeping in mind the fact that we are made 60% of water we need to maintain that level to ensure everything functions as planned. So, drinking a big glass of lemon water first thing in the morning can help with hydration as well as optimise our digestion and help to ease any gastrula discomfort.
  3. Lemon is packed full the essential micronutrient vitamin C, so when you add this to your H2O you are bringing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits to help promote healthier skin. When we are dehydrated you can literally see it in our face; our skin appears less nourished, withdrawn and we often get dark circles near the eyes as well as a sunken appearance. Drinking water alone can prevent this but the addition of the lemon gives an extra boost to nourishing the skin. Vitamin C also promotes the production of collagen which can result in smoother, younger looking skin! Along with vitamin C, lemons are also a rich source of potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium.
  4. Immunity for all! The antioxidants present in vitamin C help to prevent infections, thus assist in strengthening our immune system. Those nasty little free radicals and bacteria that crop up can be fought off effectively by the humble lemon. If you are feeling a little under the weather or have a sniffle then vitamin C is a sure fire way to relieve the symptoms of a common cold or even cut it short. The juice of half a lemon will deliver approximately one third of your recommended daily intake of vitamin C.
  5. Digestive aide: Water provides a huge role in our digestive system, it help our organs and cells to function effectively and so, as we have stated, hydration is key to a well-oiled system. Maintaining a healthy level of hydration promotes the healthy digestion of foods and eliminates toxins along the way. The bowels are encouraged to work well; we will generally not become constipated if we make sure we are hydrated, everything flows naturally and flushing the toxins through the body at the recommended rate avoids digestive issues from arising such as bloating and water retention etc. are all uncommon in a hydrated system.
  6. Acid to alkali; you may have heard of all the benefits of an alkali diet, well drinking a glass of lemon water sounds like the complete opposite as we all know that lemon is acidic, but you’ll be surprised to know that once the juice hits your digestive system the enzymes actually convert the acid straight to alkali and create a good base to start the day on a healthy pH.

lemon

Ayurvedics will tell you that to stoke the digestive fire within us, or “agni”, we need to take warm water with lemon juice to will stimulate our system and promote the necessary movements within us to keep things flowing. If you warm the water this helps the system to relax and not contract under the change in temperature endured when we drink cold drinks.

So if one glass of lemon water provides one third of our vitamin C, should we drink three glasses to get the 100% RDA? Well, you could do that but the acid in lemons is strong and if you have too much it could begin to have negative effects such as wearing the enamel from your teeth! Not ideal. The best way is to have one glass with half a lemon squeezed into it, once a day. The rest of the day make sure you make up your eight glasses with water alone. Tips: brush your teeth before you have your lemon water to avoid brushing them while the enamel is slightly softened. Also if you suffer with heartburn or reflux then lemon may not be ideal for you. Add some grated ginger, turmeric, cayenne pepper and black pepper to really boost your morning.

Distance Learning Diploma Courses in Nutrition

Here at the School of Natural Health Sciences, Nutrition is an important part of our portfolio. We offer eight distance learning diploma courses in nutrition which are all accredited in 26 countries worldwide:

If you have any questions on the above courses, please contact us, by email or phone. If you’d prefer another subject, check out our course listing page where you will find more than 60 holistic therapies to choose from.