Lemon Water

If you can only make time for one ritual in the morning that will improve your health, let it be this.....
Start the day out with a mug of warm (not hot) water and the juice of half a lemon.

It's so simple and the benefits are just too good to ignore. Warm water with lemon:
1. Boosts your immune system
Lemons are high in Vitamin C and potassium. Vitamin C is great for fighting colds and potassium stimulates brain and nerve function and helps control blood pressure.
2. Balances pH
Lemons are an incredibly alkaline food, believe it or not. Yes, they are acidic on their own, but inside our bodies they're alkaline and an alkaline body is really the key to good health.
3. Helps with weight loss
Lemons are high in pectin fiber, which helps fight hunger cravings. It also has been shown that people who maintain a more alkaline diet lose weight faster. I have found that if I start the day off right, it's easier to make the best choices for myself the rest of the day.
4. Aids digestion
The warm water serves to stimulate the gastrointestinal tract and peristalsis—the waves of muscle contractions within the intestinal walls that keep things moving (maybe your first cup should be first thing in the AM;). Lemons and limes are also high in minerals and vitamins and help loosen toxins in the digestive tract.
5. Acts as a gentle, natural diuretic
Lemon juice helps flush out unwanted materials because lemons increase the rate of urination in the body. Toxins are released at a faster rate which helps keep your urinary tract healthy.
6. Clears skin
The vitamin C helps decrease wrinkles and blemishes. Lemon water purges toxins from the blood which helps keep skin clear as well. Did you hear me ladies.....decreases wrinkles!
7. Hydrates the lymph system
This cup of goodness helps start the day on a hydrated note.  When your body is dehydrated it can't perform all of it's proper functions, which leads to toxic buildup, stress, constipation, and the list goes on.

Adopting just this one practice of drinking a cup of warm water with lemon in the morning for a month can radically alter your experience of the day. Don't be surprised if you begin to view mornings in a new light. It's the simple things that count.