While working in the corporate world, coffee was the very first thing I used to put into my body upon waking. It was a quick pick me up while getting ready for my morning commute. I figured coffee woke me up, moved along my metabolism and gave me that burst of energy to get me through the day – what’s wrong with that? Like most people, I also firmly believed that there was no way I could give up my morning caffeine.

It’s always good to take a step back and re-evaluate habits and patterns and change things up, so a few months ago, I decided to give my 14-day reset cleanse a shot - which included ditching coffee and starting the day off with a glass of warm lemon water. Needless to say, with only one day of struggle, I quickly learned that I no longer needed to depend on coffee, and moreover, that warm lemon water had the ability to fulfill that source of energy, provide warmth upon waking, and move things along down there!

8 Benefits of Drinking Lemon Water Upon Rising:

1. Revs up your metabolism – gets things moving down there and reduces constipation.
2. Aids weight loss - even though lemons contain acid, they create an alkaline environment in your digestive system which helps aid weight loss and suppress hunger.
3. Provides a good source of vitamins & nutrients – including vitamin C, flavonoids, potassium, copper, B-complex.
4. Protects your kidneys - helps reduce the risk for kidney stones by dissolving the stone as well as other deposits that can build up in your body such as your gallbladder and pancreas. Your kidneys are in charge of cleansing your body of toxins as fluids move through your digestive system.
5. Eases muscle and joint pain - working out can create uric acid in the body, causing it to muscles to become stiff. Lemon water will help counteract this uric acid buildup.
6. Nourishes your skin - fights acne causing radicals and toxins, prevents wrinkles to and give you a healthy glow.
7. Battles morning breath - creates a hostile environment for bacteria in your mouth.
8. Eases heartburn - the acid in lemon water can help put heartburn discomfort at ease.

Challenge yourself – even if you can’t seem to ditch the coffee, maybe you can cut back. Perhaps you can start off with just a plain glass of water first thing upon waking. Once you get into this habit, begin adding lemon to an 8oz glass of water a few days a week to your morning routine (be sure to dilute the lemon juice with water). Yes, it’s just another thing to do in the morning when you’re in a rush - so set yourself up for success.

Prepare the night before by filling water in you tea kettle and squeezing half a fresh lemon into a glass so it’s ready to go - all you have to do is boil or heat some water and add it to the glass. Even if you can’t seem to ditch the coffee habit, try drinking lemon water prior to that first cup of joe! Do I still enjoy a cup of coffee – absolutely – but I no longer depend on it and it’s no longer my ‘go-to’ upon rising. Life is all about balance!