Many nutritionists and health care providers will recommend starting your day with a tall glass of water with a squeeze of lemon juice. Why is lemon juice so great for the body and is there a healthy way to do a lemon water detox?
How Does Lemon Water Detox Your Body?
Lemon water alone is not a supportive detox method. However, integrating lemon juice into your lifestyle or other detox program can be very beneficial. A major part of detoxification is flushing your system by expelling toxins from your body through your waste organs (i.e. going pee).
Lemon water has been shown to:
- Promote hydration by encouraging people to drink more water
- Support weight loss with its polyphenol antioxidants – additionally it makes you feel more full
- Be a good source of vitamin C
- Aid in digestion and support movement in the stomach
Lemon Water Detox Recipes
The most popular way to add lemon juice to a detox method is the Lemon Water and Cayenne Pepper detox. The true way to do this detox is only drink the drink mixture and fast for 3 to 5 days. However, many people argue that this detox is a shock on the system, especially if done for too long. For those not wanting to do the full fast detox, incorporating the recipe below for 5 days and eating a healthy detox oriented diet will still assist in your detox.
Less extreme than the cayenne for a lemon water detox is adding a little ginger to the mix. Ginger aids in digestion and added to warm water with lemon can also assist your detoxification organs to operate optimally.
Cayenne Pepper Lemon Water Detox Recipe
This detox recipe works best to stimulate digestion if you drink the mix 30 minutes before breakfast each morning for 5 to 7 days.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- 1 pint of purified water
- ½ teaspoon fresh cayenne pepper or ¼ teaspoon dried
Directions
- Heat the water to just above room temperature – or lukewarm
- Add lemon juice to water while heating
- Pour water with lemon juice into a cup
- Add cayenne pepper
- Stir
- Drink
*Option to add honey or agave to slightly sweeten – however be mindful not to add much as sugars can detour from your detox goals.
Ginger and Lemon Water Detox Recipe
Ingredients
- 8oz of water
- ½ lemon squeezed
- 3 or 4 slices of fresh ginger
Directions
- Heat the water to just above room temperature – or lukewarm
- Add lemon juice and ginger slices to water while heating
- Pour mixture into a cup
- Drink
*Option to add garnish such as fresh mint or blueberries for added flavor.
Lemon Water Detox Side Effects
Since lemons are so high in acid, drinking a great deal of lemon juice can lead to tooth decay. Additionally, some people report heartburn from citric acid found in lemons. While others report that lemons can actually reduce their heartburn as lemon juice in alkinling. Side effects dealing with heartburn will vary from individual to individual.
