My typical routine is to wake up, feed the dogs, and make a cup of coffee (or two) with our Keurig. I’ve known that it would be better for me to drink a glass of water, but I really didn’t have a big enough WHY.

There are a lot of posts on Facebook and Pinterest (so it must be 100% true) about the numerous health benefits of starting the day with a tall glass or lemon water, or a cup of warm water with lemon.

Now, if I believed everything I saw regarding the benefits of lemon water, I could expect to have 6-pack abs and grow to 6 ft, in a short period of time. While I’m sure the benefits are at least in some ways exaggerated, it certainly wouldn’t break the bank to give lemon water a try.

So, that’s what I’m doing.  For 30 days I am challenging myself to drink a tumbler of purified water with a lemon juice squeezed in.  I’ll also drink my coffee, but I may try to cut back or eliminate it.  I love the convenience and smell of the Keurig coffees, but I don’t like the cost or the artificial flavorings.

Here are some of the commonly proposed health benefits to starting one’s day with a little lemon water:

1. Re-hydrate…  Most people try to stop drinking fluids by 8:00 or 9:00 to avoid having to get up throughout the night. That means that they may go 10-12 hours without water.  In the meantime, the body has been active preparing for detox.  It’s important to re-hydrate and stimulate the organs of detox.  If one goes straight to the coffee, not only are they dehydrated from the previous evening, but now the coffee further dehydrates.  It becomes even more of an issue if alcohol or soda were consumed the evening before, because these substances also cause dehydration.
2. Clears skin…Certainly a squirt of lemon juice isn’t going to provide a tremendous amount of vitamin C, but the vitamin C that is present will help to decrease  wrinkles and blemishes.  Lemon water may help purge toxins from the blood which will keep the skin clear.  In my own experience, I feel my skin is much softer when I am adequately hydrated.
3. Balances pH….Lemons help to alkalize the body.  This may seem counter-intuitive since lemons are so acidic, but the reality is that have an alkalizing effect on the overall pH of the body.  Many people believe that maintaining an alkaline pH under normal circumstances is key to maintaining a healthy body.
4. Weight loss…..We find that one of the fundamentals of weight loss is adequate hydration.  We typically suggest half one’s weight in ounces, and if a practice member is not losing weight appropriately, we typically find that water intake has diminished.  It has been shown that people who maintain a more alkaline diet lose weight faster.
5. Aids digestion….If one is inclined to heat up their water and add the lemon juice, the gastrointestinal tract is stimulated.  Waves of muscle contraction, called peristalsis begins, promoting elimination.  Lemons are also high in vitamins and minerals.
6. Causes you to pee like a racehorse…..A healthy body has been actively preparing for detox throughout the night.  It’s important to stimulate the elimination of these toxins through the bladder.  Lemon water stimulates this elimination.
7. Increases energy….A healthy tumbler of lemon water in the morning will naturally energize your body without the chemical stimulation of caffeine. One of the physical signs of dehydration is fatigue.  Drinking water in the morning gets us up and energized, and drinking it in the afternoon will provide an adequate pick-me-up, without the need for stimulants, like sugar and caffeine.

It certainly wouldn’t take much to give 30 days of drinking lemon water, first thing in the morning, a try.  I can’t say that I’ll completely eliminate my one or two cups of coffee, but it couldn’t hurt to fully hydrate in the mornings.

Give me some feedback, especially if you have had a positive experience with starting your day with a jolt of lemon water.