Why I Start Every Day With Lemon Water ~ I’ve been doing this for a couple of years now and love it, but there’s a lot of misinformation swirling around out there, so today I’ll separate the myths from the facts when it comes to this healthy hydrating habit!
This is something that I started a couple of years ago on a whim and it’s turned into a habit I’ll keep for life. I’m someone who’s always struggled with getting enough water every day, and for years I jumped out of bed and couldn’t get that first cup of coffee fast enough. This little morning routine has changed my life!
Here’s why I drink lemon juice every morning:
- it hydrates me, and helps me get a head start on my daily water intake
- it stimulates my digestion and prompts elimination
- it gives me a dose of Vitamin C
- lemon makes water taste better and I’m more likely to drink it and stick to the habit
- I love the way the cool water feels going down my throat after a long night.
- it feels clean and pure, and sets the tone for healthier habits for the rest of the day.
How to make lemon water:
- I drink 8 ounces of filtered water (sometimes tap water if somebody forgot to fill the Brita) and the juice of half a lemon squeezed in. It has to be fresh lemon juice!
- I like to leave it out by the sink the night before, so I don’t even have to think about it in the morning.
- Sometimes if I’m thinking ahead I’ll make a week’s worth in a pitcher and store it in the refrigerator, this is especially nice during the summer. (See the directions in the recipe below.)
- I drink it first thing, before anything else.
Drinking a glass of lemon water seems simple enough, but there are a lot of hyped up claims and misinformation surrounding this simple habit, so let’s get after it and break it down ~
Myth: lemon water detoxifies your body
- Fact: drinking lemon water doesn’t magically detox your body. However drinking water helps the kidneys and liver do their job of flushing toxins from the body. (Eating plenty of fiber is important too.)
Myth: lemon water makes you lose weight
- Fact: again, no magic wand here, but water itself is a helpful tool in any weight loss program because it simply fills you up (with zero calories.) If you regularly down water, including first thing in the morning, it will help stave off cravings. If you substitute water for sugary drinks like soda, you’ll consume fewer calories.
Myth: lemon water balances your ph (making it more alkaline)
- Fact: lemon water is acidic, but no matter how much you drink it doesn’t have an effect on your body’s overall ph balance (no food can do that.)
Myth: lemon water speeds up your metabolism
- Fact: lemon water doesn’t have an effect on metabolism, that has more to do with your DNA, lifestyle, exercise, etc.
Myth: drinking lemon water will prevent colds and flu
- Fact: lemons are super healthy and contain a good amount of Vitamin C, but the link between that and preventing colds and flu has just not been proven. It has been studied a lot, and the results are mixed. The bottom line is that lemon water gives you a boost of Vitamin C which is one of the essential nutrients our bodies needs to stay healthy. As for colds and flu, it might be of help, and it can’t hurt.
Myth: lemon water fights cancer
- Fact: lemons contain antioxidant flavonoids that have been scientifically studied and are thought to help protect our cells against damage. But the amount of flavonoids in a glass of lemon water is negligible.
Myth: lemon water improves skin
- Fact: Vitamin C plays a natural roll in skin health, but a glass of lemon water won’t clear skin or erase wrinkles. Drinking plenty of water is helpful in keeping skin looking plump and hydrated, though!
Myth: drinking lemon water will prevent kidney stones
- Fact: some studies link citric acid in citrus fruits with reducing the risk of kidney stones, or dissolving existing stones, but you’d need more than you get from a daily glass of lemon water. However, the National Kidney Foundation’s #1 recommendation for preventing kidney stones is to drink plenty of water.
Myth: it’s best to drink hot lemon water
- Fact: it doesn’t matter whether you drink lemon water hot, warm, or cold. I like to vary it according to the season.
Are there any disadvantages to drinking lemon water daily?
- One disadvantage is that lemon juice can erode tooth enamel over time, so you might want to drink your water through a straw to avoid contact with your teeth.
- One of my favorite ways to drink my lemon water is in my straw top Lifefactory glass water bottle, you’ve heard me mention these before, I absolutely love them. The flip up straw is comfortable to use, and allows you to sip the water slowly, avoiding your teeth.
- If you’re worried about this, consider using less lemon in your water, such as adding slices of lemon to lightly infuse flavor instead of squeezing the juice.
Bottom line ~ even though it’s not a miracle cure-all, I’m convinced drinking lemon water first thing every morning is a good thing ~
it hydrates
stimulates the digestive system and promotes elimination
gives you a dose of healthy Vitamin C
and feels so good!
Would you like to see more posts about healthy habits? What are some topics you’d love to see me cover? (Let me know in the comments.)
Staying healthy and keeping up with the latest news and trends is something I struggle with all the time, sometimes with success, sometimes not so much. On the positive side I’m religious about exercising every day, I don’t smoke, and I eat a healthy tvfgi diet 🙂
But I do carry a few extra pounds these days ~ and remember my post about giving up alcohol? That hasn’t gone so well, I’m back to drinking wine every night, but I continue to try to fine tune it for the ultimate goal of living a healthy, happy, (long!) life.
Morning Lemon Water for a Week
Ingredients
- 56 ounces filtered water
- 3 large lemons
Instructions
- Put the water in a large pitcher or refrigerator container, preferably glass.
- Squeeze the juice of 2 lemons into the water, making sure to avoid the seeds.
- Thinly slice the last lemon and add all the slices, without seeds, to the water. Cover and keep in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Other healthy hydration from around the blog ~
How to Make Healthy Infused Water
Healing Conifer Tea
Honeysuckle Iced Tea
Healing Turmeric Tea
How to Make Bee Balm Tea
45 Comments
nancy richardson
January 16, 2021 at 6:50 amcan you substitute bottle lemon juice instead of real lemons in the water?
Sue Moran
January 16, 2021 at 7:01 amI’m not a fan of bottled lemon juice Nancy, it’s not going to have the same properties as fresh lemon juice.
Heidi
January 5, 2021 at 9:08 amSue,
Thank you for the Lemon water blog, I was just told to start drinking it by a trainer at my local gym. Also, my husband was told by his urologist to start eating more citrus after a very bad bout with kidney stones. I’m making a pitcher of lemon water now.
Heidi Rogers
Niki
January 4, 2021 at 10:13 amA friend who grows oranges brought us a generous part of the harvest. Orange water is just as delicious! Especially with some lemon verbena and mint.
Sue
January 4, 2021 at 6:11 pmI bet, and less acidic. Love the herbs, too.
Nicole M Krause
January 4, 2021 at 8:47 amI really appreciate you being honest and not making unfounded claims!
Sue
January 4, 2021 at 11:20 amThanks Nicole, I’m a stickler about that.
Carolan
January 4, 2021 at 8:32 amDo you briefly microwave the lemons to make them easier to juice?
Sue
January 4, 2021 at 10:09 amThat’s a good idea. I also roll them on the counter.
Christy
January 4, 2021 at 7:38 amI’ve often wondered if lime water has the same benefits. Any thoughts or research on that? Thanks!
Sue
January 4, 2021 at 7:40 amGreat question Christy, I’ll have to look into that, but my guess is yes.
Peter Joyce
June 13, 2020 at 9:46 amI love to have healthy food
Young Chris
April 8, 2020 at 10:27 amCan ulcer person use lemon juice?
Sue
May 26, 2020 at 6:36 pmBest to check with your doctor!
Malkiyah
December 13, 2019 at 8:53 pmSue, why do you say to remove the seeds when making lemon water?
Sue
January 25, 2020 at 7:42 amThe seeds are bitter.
Jessica Kalman
August 19, 2019 at 7:31 amThanks for the nice article! Is it still as healthy and beneficial if you use the lemon juice from the store bought bottles?
Sue
August 19, 2019 at 8:04 amYou can certainly use bottled lemon juice, but for me I feel that fresh is superior.
Julie
March 31, 2019 at 10:21 pmIf you make a week’s worth of lemon water ahead of time, will it still be as healthy as when it was just made?
Ray
April 9, 2019 at 5:52 amIt will be good for three days. It’s better to buy the squeeze bottles if you need something quick. Bottled lemon juice has often been touted as unhealthy, but it’s not true. The main difference is taste, and fresh lemon will always win in that area. But for myself, I find it more cost effective to buy the bottled lemon juice because I use a lot of it.
James
March 25, 2019 at 7:09 amSpeaking of lemons in the morning you may think about kicking it up by infusing green tea with lemon juice. Studies show a large boost of antioxidants from the green take making into the bloodstream when an acid and vitamin C are added to the tea.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071113163016.htm
Linda Kroger
January 27, 2019 at 3:34 pmWhat is your
” tvfgi” mentioned above? I drink lemon water every morning. What are your thoughts about drinking it a few times a day?
Thank you!
Linda Kroger
Sue
January 27, 2019 at 3:45 pmHey Linda! tvfgi is just the initials for The View from Great Island 🙂 And, just in my opinion, I don’t recommend drinking it several times a day because of the potential effects on tooth enamel, and the acid can be hard on some people’s stomachs.
Annette Wells
April 23, 2020 at 8:54 amOn your recipe to make the juice. Is it a gallon glass jug or? I want to start drinking lemon water. How much is good enough for a day?
Laura | Tutti Dolci
January 16, 2019 at 2:48 pmI drink lemon water every day too, it’s the best! 🙂
Tricia
January 16, 2019 at 11:06 amI drink tons of water but need to add lemons! Thanks for the great inspiration 🙂
Sandra D in Joliet
January 16, 2019 at 10:55 amI’ve tried Apple Cider Vinegar (with the Mother in it) but I don’t like the taste. I would like to see more facts/myths on ACV and recipes for something that would make it easier to get in my system. Not a fan of anything that tastes like vinegar (some BBQ sauces come to mind)
Sue
January 16, 2019 at 11:11 amI haven’t done the apple cider thing, although I always have it in my cupboard. I’ve heard of people adding honey, cinnamon, and even cayenne to it.
Darlene
January 16, 2019 at 8:38 amThank you for reminding me about this great health benefit. I live in Southern California and my Meyer lemon tree has over 50 lemons on it ready to be picked! I’m just waiting for the lovely rain to stop and then I will have more than enough lemons. for lemon water and maybe some lemon desserts too!
Sue
January 16, 2019 at 8:54 amI’m so jealous, my lemon tree (not a Meyer) had seen better days, I think they have a life span of about 50 years give or take, and a lot of these trees were planted after WWII, so they’re fading away. Enjoy yours!
Lea Ann (Cooking On The Ranch)
January 16, 2019 at 7:51 amThis is a really good article Sue. Thanks for taking the time to share it with us. I used to drink lemon water every morning and somehow got out of the habit. Next stop at the store = a bag of lemons. 🙂
Sue
January 16, 2019 at 8:12 amI think some people are naturally good at keeping routines, but I struggle for sure and need to constantly motivate myself.
Rose Mwachandi
February 8, 2020 at 11:06 am5
Angelknox
February 12, 2020 at 12:26 amIhad gotten the flu first of the year an ihad no appetite n itried the lemon water with honey an it build my energy back an I’ve Been drinking it everyday still til this day ilove it!!
Sue
February 12, 2020 at 4:54 pmThat’s great to know!
Beth Bowling
January 16, 2019 at 7:21 amVery helpful, Sue! Thank you!
Sue
January 16, 2019 at 7:46 amI’m glad, Beth, I enjoyed writing this post and learned more myself about my own habit!
Young Chris
April 8, 2020 at 9:35 amHow can I use lemon water with honey,should I miss the both together?
Young Chris
April 8, 2020 at 9:39 amCan ulcer person use lemon juice?
Sue
April 8, 2020 at 10:04 amBest to check with your doctor Young!
Sue
April 8, 2020 at 10:04 amYes, you can.
Martha in KS
January 16, 2019 at 7:09 amI use lemons as a diuretic. When my ankles swell, I add lemon juice to water. It helps!
Sue
January 16, 2019 at 7:22 amLemons are pretty amazing, not only are they a powerful health tool, they’re one of my all time favorite cooking ingredients!
angiesrecipes
January 16, 2019 at 2:53 amI start my day with ACV water with a bit of lemon juice (wish I could get some meyer lemons!!!!) and a few drops of trace minerals.
Sue
January 16, 2019 at 7:19 amMeyers are all over the place right now and you better believe I’m making the most of it 🙂