Lemon Water

Drinking Lemon Water (and warm lemon water, sparkling lemon water and lemon lime water) is made with  fresh squeezed lemon juice and it makes a healthy alternative to sodas, sports drinks, coffee and sweetened teas. And there are so many benefits of lemon water making it worth adding to your daily wellness plan.

Drinking lemon water with fresh squeezed lemon juice will help improve your overall health and well-being. It also aids digestion and stimulate natural detoxifying activities of your liver and kidneys.

How to Make Lemon Water

This refreshing drink is easy to make, whether you making an individual serving or a pitcher to have chilling in your refrigerator to keep you hydrated throughout the day.

To make a single glass:

Juice of 1/2 to 1 whole small lemon per 8-ounce glass of water

• Cut lemons in half
• Pour yourself an 8-ounce glass of purified water
• Squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon in your glass of water

To make a pitcher:

1 lemon per 8-10 cups of water

• Rinse outside of lemons well
• Slice lemons fairly thin
• Add lemon slices to the bottom of a large pitcher
• Fill the pitcher with water (I personally use either SmartWater or spring water)
• Steep for up to 1 hour; 2-3 hours best; overnight for a stronger fruit flavored water

Note:  The fruit tends to get swollen and soggy, so I typically make only one pitcher at a time (8-10 cups to last a day)

Lemon Lime Water

• Lemon and lime water is also a refreshing and healthy drink that’s rich with antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and  immune-boosting properties.
• Just squeeze both lemon and lime juice in an 8 ounce glass of water, adding more or less per your desired taste.  For infused water, just add slices of both lemon and lime to a pitcher of water and refrigerate.

Cucumber Lemon Water

• Cucumber and Lemon Water is also a refreshing and hydrating drink to make.
• Just squeeze  lemon juice in an 8 ounce glass of water, adding more or less per your desired taste, then add a couple of thin slices of cucumber to your glass.  For infused water, just add slices of both lemon and cucumber to a pitcher of water and refrigerate.

Sparkling Lemon Water

• Sparkling water has all the bubbles of a soda, yet it’s healthy and hydrating.  
• Just squeeze some lemon juice in a glass of sparkling water, or merely add a slice or two of lemon to the water and enjoy.  It’s tough to make a pitcher of infused sparkling water unless you serve it right away.  The water will go flat on you if it sits in the refrigerator during the day.

Warm Lemon Water

• Drinking a cup of warm lemon water is a really great way to start your morning!  
• Warm lemon water is made the same way as lemon water.  Just squeeze the juice of 1/2 to 1 whole small lemon in an 8 ounce mug of water, adding more or less per your desired taste.  You can also stir in a teaspoon or two of honey to add a little sweetness if you like.

Benefits of Lemon Water

Drinking water helps to keep each system in our body functioning properly. (1)

• Hydration:  Water is an essential nutrient to sustain life, and good hydration plays a critical role in the prevention of chronic diseases.  Adding a little flavor to water makes it easier to drink, which will help make it easier for us to stay hydrated.
• Improves Cognitive Performance:  Our brains are strongly affected by hydration status.  Dehydration Even mild levels of dehydration can impair mood, memory and cognitive functioning, especially in the young, the elderly, those living in hot climates and those performing vigorous exercise. Dehydration may also cause an increase in the frequency of headaches. (2)  The good news is, if you are mildly dehydrated, fluid intake can reverse these cognitive deficits caused by dehydration.  (3) (4)
• Improves Digestion: Drinking water during or after a meal aids in digestion. Water helps break down food so our bodies can absorb the nutrients.  Staying well hydrated also helps to prevent constipation.  
• Improves Kidney Function:  Our kidneys regulate water balance and blood pressure as well as removing waste from the body.  Kidneys require water  to filter waste from the blood and then to process it out of the body through urine.  
• Boost Immune System:  Lemon juice is rich with vitamin C, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, which gives a boost to the immune system.  
• Promotes Healthy Heart:  Being dehydrated can impair bodily functions, including the heart and cardiovascular system.  Dehydration decreases the amount of blood circulating through the body, which can increase heart rate and blood pressure.   Dehydration can cause the body to retain more sodium, which can thicken blood and make it harder for the blood to circulate through the body.  Staying hydrated helps our hearts pump blood more easily allowing oxygen to circulate throughout the body.  (5)
• Stimulates Liver:  The liver processes everything we eat and drink.  It processes nutrients from food and turns it to energy.  It also flushes toxins and old blood cells out of the body.  When this process is disrupted, it can cause waste product to build up in our bodies.  Staying hydrated and consuming citrus fruits can help the liver flush these toxins. (6)
• Weight Loss:   There are some studies that suggest that lemon water helps to suppress appetite.  An increase in water intake may be associated with weight loss due to helping us feeling fuller so we’ll be less likely to consume more food, as well as the breakdown of body fat.  There’s also an association between dehydration and elevated levels of a hormone called angiotensin II (AngII) that is associated with chronic diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as an increase in weight and obesity.  (7)
• Alkalyzing: Lemons produce an alkalizing effect on the body.  Too much acid is the body can cause inflammation, but consuming water with lemon juice (which is rich with vitamin C and antioxidants) provides anti-inflammatory benefits.  
• Reduces Mucus And Phlegm: Drinking plenty of water, especially warm water, can help thin mucus and loosen congestion. (8)
• Promotes Physical Performance:  Muscle is about 80% water, and dehydration can have a noticeable difference even if we lose up to 2% of our body’s water content.  Optimal hydration can help you perform at your best.  (9)

Benefits of Drinking Cold Water

Staying hydrated is vital for our health.  There is, however, some debate on the best temperature of the water that we consume.

• Cold water can keep your body from overheating during workouts
• Helps maintain a lower core temperature
• May give your body more energy throughout the day
• Aids digestion
• Helpful to maintain healthy weight (cold water may make your body burn extra calories while working to maintain core temperature)

Note:   Drinking cold water can make nasal mucous thicker and more difficult to pass through the respiratory tract (so probably better to drink warm water when sick with cold or flu), and it may also trigger migraines in those prone to having migraines.

Benefits of Drinking Warm Water

Drinking water at any temperature supports optimum health and overall wellbeing, but drinking warm water provides additional health benefits over cold water.

• Relieves nasal congestion
• Thins mucus
• Aids digestion
• Calms central nervous system
• Stress reliever
• Improves circulation
• Helps to rid your body of toxins

Stay Hydrated

If we make drinking plain water a little fun, we’re more likely to drink more water.  Here’s a few ideas to help you stay hydrated:

• Never leave home without a bottle of water or thermos of water – take water with you wherever you go
• Toss in fresh herbs and slices of fruit to a glass of water to add a pop of flavor 
• Sip on infused water out of your favorite wine glasses
• Keep a variety of flavored ice cubes in your freezer to add to water for a refreshing pop of flavor
• Whenever you finish drinking a glass of water (or bottle of water), grab a refil

Lemons and Your Teeth

Depending on the health of your teeth, it is possible that lemon juice may cause harm to tooth enamel.  So it’s best to drink it by diluting juice with water or tea (green or herbal) and drink it through a straw.

Lemon Recipes

Here are some of my favorite lemon recipes that help me to incorporate more lemon into my daily wellness plan.

• Fresh Squeezed Lemonade– this lemonade is a healthier version that’s sweetened with lemon
• Lemon Ginger Morning Detox Drink – rich with vitamin C, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties
• Lemon Cucumber Ice Cubes – these add a pop of flavor, vitamin C, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits to a glass of water
• Immune Boosting Whole Lemon Ice Cubes –  lemon peel is rich with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties
• Detox Honey Lemon Ginger Slices – these add flavor, vitamin C, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits to water and tea (hot or cold)
• Alkalizing Frozen Lemon Slices – keep a bag of these in the freezer to conveniently add to a glass of water

Disclaimer: Just a reminder, I’m neither a doctor or a nutritionist and I make no health claims. This post and all other posts on this site are for  entertainment and informational purposes about healthy eating only and should not be considered medical advice.  You can read more about my full disclaimer.