Why You Should Drink Lemon Water.
Hello!
We experienced a long and brutal winter where I live in Southern Ontario. When we thought it couldn't get any colder, our anticipation for spring-like days was finally rewarded. 🌸 These spring days seemed to stretch, and the wait for summer weather felt endless. Then, almost overnight, we found ourselves dealing with a heat wave! 🌞🔥
Welcome to Canada, where talking and complaining about the weather is a staple of our culture. It's either too cold, too hot, or just right, but those "just right" days never seem to last long.
Luckily, we’ve had a few days of respite from the scrorching hot days, only to be hit again with energy sucking heat. Some of you might be a member of the hotter the better team, and whether you’re a fan of the hot and sticky or not, I want to encourage you to stay hydrated and take care of yourself. Hydration is required for optimal health and needs more attention during a heat wave.
I find plain water somewhat boring and must add something to ensure I drink enough. Adding lemon is one way to bring some freshness to water, and making lemon water a daily habit adds many healthy perks to this routine.
Benefits of drinking lemon water regularly:
1. Aids in Digestion
Drink a cup of lemon water on an empty stomach in the morning to ease bloating, gas, and constipation. Lemon contains minerals that promote healthy digestion, alleviate heartburn, and stimulate healthy bowel function by reducing bloat and stimulating bowel movements.
2. Promotes Weight Loss
Evidence suggests lemon water may help shed those stubborn pounds. The tart citrus flavour makes lemon water more refreshing and easier to drink than plain water, which could encourage people to drink more fluids. It also curbs the appetite and hydrates and helps prevent binges on sugary sweets.
3. Encourages Liver Detox
Lemon can help remove toxins that, over time, accumulate in the blood and may cause a wide range of health issues. Symptoms of toxin overload include constipation, diarrhea, indigestion, nausea, aches and pains, and even memory loss. Lemon water assists the liver in cleansing the body of these damaging invaders.
4. Boosts Immune Function
The abundance of vitamin C in lemon provides a powerful immune boost and increases electrolytes to help support the immune system when the body fights infection or illness. Lemons also contain bioflavonoids, which fight free radicals that can cause inflammation and blood vessel damage. Add lemon juice, honey, and ginger root to a cup of hot water for a potent immune-enhancing drink.
5. Freshens Breath
Bacteria or lingering food particles can cause bad breath. Lemon water can help alleviate many causes of bad breath by neutralizing the odour from foods like onions and garlic. It also stimulates saliva production, which helps flush the mouth of food and bacteria. Dry mouth can also cause bad breath; staying hydrated with lemon water can prevent this.
6. Nourishes the Skin
Lemon contains nutrients that nourish and revitalize the skin. Vitamin C can protect against free radical damage and improve hydration to prevent or reduce the appearance of wrinkles and keep skin supple. Lemon water helps flush toxins that can speed aging and damage the skin. It also supports hydration, which helps keep the skin healthy.
7. Reduces Inflammation
Chronic inflammation is the root of many modern diseases. Again, lemon water can help fend off free radicals and inflammatory markers in the blood. Uric acid in the joints also leads to inflammation, and lemon water can prevent this buildup as well, easing joint pain and stiffness.
8. Provides an Energy Boost
Lemon has an energizing, revitalizing, and refreshing scent. It awakens the senses and stimulates physiological functions. Lemon water offers energizing effects without the jarring crash that often comes with caffeine. Furthermore, drinking water provides hydration that keeps the mind alert throughout the day, fending off afternoon fatigue.
9. Helps Fight Infection
Lemon juice has antibacterial and antiviral components that help fight infections. This, combined with the immunity boost, keeps the body primed to fight infections as soon as they develop. Lemon can also soothe sore throats caused by viral infections, help relax the lungs, and thin mucus.
10. Lowers blood pressure
Lemon is an excellent source of potassium, a mineral that can regulate blood pressure and maintain heart health, factors that reduce the risk of stroke, heart attack, anxiety, and depression. Potassium deficiency can cause abnormal heartbeat, palpitations, anemia, and headaches. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is the best way to get enough potassium, but lemon water can increase the quantity of this mineral without extra calories.
11. Soothes Respiratory Problems
Lemon contains compounds that ease breathing and calm the respiratory tract, which could benefit people with asthma and respiratory infections. This is partly due to the fruit's ability to reduce inflammation and mucus production. Studies show that vitamin C's antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties may also reduce the severity of colds, allergies, and asthma.
12. Treats Gallstones
The citric acid in lemon juice can help treat gallstones, calcium deposits, and kidney stones. People have used a gallbladder flush made from lemon juice and olive oil for centuries. This method involves fasting for 12 hours, then drinking 4 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice eight times every 15 minutes. While lemon juice shouldn't replace medical attention in these instances, it could serve as a supplementary treatment.
13. Delivers Vitamin C
Lemons are a citrus fruit high in vitamin C, which studies suggest has numerous health benefits, including boosting the immune system and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. You will need more than one slice of lemon to provide a good top-up to your daily vitamin C intake, so be sure to add plenty of lemon wedges to your water.
14. Early-Morning Hydration
After spending the night with no fluid intake, our bodies need hydration first thing in the morning. While water provides the fluid, lemon offers additional benefits. Researchers believe warm water kick-starts your digestive system, making an early-morning hot water and lemon drink a great choice. Many people find that the burst of flavour encourages them to drink more, making them more likely to have that critical first cup of the day.
15. Delivers Potassium
Lemons also contain potassium, among a whole host of essential minerals. Potassium aids muscle movement and helps balance fluid levels. Compared to other fruits, grapes have less potassium than lemons, while apples or bananas are richer in this mineral. Every lemon water you drink tops up your potassium, getting you closer to your recommended daily intake.
16. Prevents Kidney Stones
Developing kidney stones is a very unpleasant and painful experience. Unfortunately, if you've had a kidney stone in the past, you're more likely to get one again. Kidney stones are a buildup of substances, including calcium, that crystallize into a small, hard mass that the body must remove. The citric acid in lemons can help break down calcium crystals and reduce the risk of kidney stones.
17. Prevents Anemia
The process of absorbing iron into the body relies on the presence of vitamin C. By drinking lemon water, you are increasing your intake of vitamin C and, therefore, your ability to absorb iron from your diet. This helps keep the essential minerals healthy and reduces your risk of anemia from iron deficiency. Source
Squeeze a lemon and add it to a large glass of water, or chop it into smaller pieces and add it to a mason jar or water bottle that you can sip from throughout the day. Start your day with a large glass of lemon water.
Heat Exhaustion
If you are experiencing a heat wave, please take extra care to avoid heat exhaustion and stay hydrated.
According to Statistics Canada, extreme heat events were associated with an elevated risk of dying in Canada's largest cities from 2000 to 2020. During this time, over 670 deaths occurred that were directly attributed to extreme heat. Source
Heat exhaustion can happen surprisingly quickly, especially during hot and humid weather or with strenuous outdoor activity. Symptoms can appear within an hour. They can begin mildly and progress rapidly if exposure continues.
Key Symptoms to Watch For
Heavy sweating
Dizziness or faintness
Headache
Nausea or vomiting
Weak, rapid pulse
Muscle cramps
Cool, moist, or pale skin
Fatigue or weakness
Children, babies, seniors and individuals with health challenges like high blood pressure or heart disease are especially vulnerable. If you or anyone you are with is experiencing these symptoms, quickly move out of the sun, hydrate, and cool down. Most people start to feel better within 30 minutes of cooling down. If symptoms persist longer than an hour or worsen, seek medical help.
I went to a Pride Parade yesterday, and it was hot. I was shocked to see many individuals jogging, cycling, and taking their dogs for walks. Physical exertion + high temperatures = heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Don’t do it, and please keep dog walks for early morning and evening hours during a heat wave.
Climate change may lead to more frequent, intense, and longer extreme heat events, so we must understand how heat impacts our health and be diligent about reducing exposure.
Summer is a season that brings a lot of joy and excitement. There are many reasons to love it: longer days, warm weather, summer clothes, an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables, gardening, summer festivals and concerts, picnics, camping, hiking, cycling, canoeing, swimming, patios, cottages, ice cream, and BBQs. ☀️🌻
Please keep lemon water close by, especially if it will increase the desire to drink more water, and be careful about exposure on hot days.
Stay well, cool and hydrated.
Anita
DISCLAIMER; The information provided on County Yoga Loft’s website blog is for general health care informational purposes only. All information on the site is provided in good faith. However, it should not replace consultation or advice from a physician and/or other healthcare practitioners. The use or reliance of any information contained on this site is solely at your own risk.
