The way you start each day is incredibly important. Whether you're a mum, a coach, a writer, a small business owner or a yoga teacher, what you do first thing in the morning matters.
According to traditional Chinese philosophy, choices that you make regarding your daily routine either build up resistance to disease or tear it down.
BE invites us to get a jump-start on the day by focusing on morning rituals that work to align the body with nature's rhythms, balance the dantiens and foster self-esteem alongside self-discipline.
Your mind may say you have to check emails, take the dog out, get the kids out the door, that you can't be late for work or that you just don't have enough time to cultivate your own morning rituals.
But, if you can only make time for one ritual that will improve your health, let it be this.....
Start the day out with a mug of warm 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 you're immune system
Lemons are high in Vitamin C and potassium. Vitamin C is great for fighting colds and potassium stimulates brain & 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 (the citric acid does not create acidity in the body once metabolised). As you wellness warriors know, an alkaline body is really the key to good health.
3. Helps with weight lossLemons are high in pectin fibre, which helps fight hunger cravings. It also has been shown that people who maintain a more alkaline diet lose weight faster. And, my experience is that when 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. Lemons and limes are also high in minerals and vitamins and help loosen ama (ama is a sticky, toxic residue created from undigested food particles and other waste materials when our digestive powers are weak. The accumulation of ama in our cells and tissues is considered the underlying cause of disease and illness. Ama clogs the body's circulation channels, preventing the healthy flow of energy and information throughout the system), or 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, therefore, 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.
7. Hydrates the lymph system
This cup of goodness helps start the day on a hydrated note, which helps prevent dehydration (obviously) and adrenal fatigue. When your body is dehydrated, or deeply dehydrated (adrenal fatigue) it can't perform all of it's proper functions, which leads to toxic buildup, stress, constipation, and the list goes on. Your adrenals happen to be two small glands that sit on top of your kidneys, and along with your thyroid, create energy. They also secrete important hormones, including aldosterone. Aldosterone is a hormone secreted by your adrenals that regulates water levels and the concentration of minerals, like sodium, in your body, helping you stay hydrated. Your adrenals are also responsible for regulating your stress response. So, the bottom line is that you really don't want to mess with a deep state of dehydration!
8. Traditional Chinese Medicine Standpoint
The theory of Chinese Medicine and its Yin-Yang philosophy states that you should drink warm water, about the same temperature as the body, because hot water and cold water throw off the balance of your body, explains Dr. Gui Chao Wu, a registered acupuncturist, traditional Chinese medical doctor and registered massage therapist. Nevertheless, Wu explains that if you have cold symptoms or other Yin-type imbalances such as frequent chills, thirst, stress, depression, sleepiness, "foggy" brain, bloating or retention of fluids, hot water plays the role of the Yang and brings your body back into balance.
Adopting just this one practise 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.
Like I said, the recipe is really simple - a cup of warm (not hot) water and the juice from half a lemon.
Don't just stop there rather than drinking cold water, swap to warm water. Here's why....
Heart Attacks And Drinking Warm Water  The Chinese and Japanese drink hot tea with their meals, not cold water, maybe it is time we adopt their drinking habit while eating.   For those who like to drink cold water, this could be applicable to you. It is very harmful to have cold drink/water during a meal, because, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion. Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine.
Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to further medical problems.
It is best to drink warm water with or after a meal.
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