The Power of Lemon Juice!

Hey guys! So my bff Amanda was telling me about this awesome new thing she is trying out for cleaner, clearer skin. It's so simple! She was kind enough to write up all the details for us, so we can all try it too! I can't wait!

I am so excited to share my latest and favorite all-natural beauty and health secret that ayurvedic practitioners have known about for centuries. The ayurvedic philosophy believes that the first thing you ingest in the morning sets your mood for the whole day. But if that's a little too new age for you, keep reading - there's science behind this tip!

Here it is: drinking hot water with lemon first thing in the morning. Yup! It's that simple. The benefits are many, and I'll go into them in a moment, but first let me tell you what you need to know to get started. You must do this FIRST thing in the morning - before you eat, drink, or exercise - the lemon water has to be the first thing in your system (you can brush your teeth beforehand, but let's face it - you don't want to drink lemon water after brushing your teeth). The water should be quite warm, because you stomach will have an easier time digesting it and absorbing all its citric goodness.

Simply squeeze the juice from half a lemon and add it to about 8 ounces of warm/hot water. Drink it with a straw to avoid erosion to your tooth enamel.

But Why?

1. Lemon water is super cleansing! This is a great way to flush your system in the morning. Lemons are a natural diuretic and the citric acid maximizes enzyme function, aiding in natural detoxification. Without getting too personal, let me just say…you'll be regular.

2. You'll notice clearer, brighter skin in just a few days! Vitamin C is known to clear and brighten skin, but starting you day off with the antioxidants in lemons also helps decrease wrinkles, combat blemishes, and fight free radicals. Side note: I sometimes also apply lemon juice directly to blemishes or scars (using a cotton swab), and the acidity will treat them - just don't leave it on overnight or all day as it's too harsh. I usually wash off the lemon juice after about 5 minutes.

3. Expect an increase in energy and mood! I noticed this one right away. I feel like a million bucks after I've had my lemon water in the morning. I'm talking singing and dancing around my apartment at 6am.  Apparently, this has to do with the positively charged ions in the lemon reacting with the negatively charged ions in your guts. Basically, you'll feel like a rock star.

4. Aids in weight loss and management. Thanks to high levels of pectin fiber, lemons fighter hunger cravings. I cannot stress this one enough. I definitely noticed a decrease in appetite. I'm so much better at stopping when I'm full and avoiding mindless snacking since I started this. I can tell you that this is a legitimate result because I didn't even know this would happen, but I noticed it almost immediately - I was just trying to get clear skin! However, this was my favorite result of the hot lemon water routine.

5. Lots of other health stuff, too. I'm not a doctor and I can't really speak to the medical results for myself because I haven't done any testing here, but according to everything I've read, lemon water in the morning is good for your pH levels, lymphatic health, and immune system. Like I said, I can't say if these changes have occurred for me (unlike the other 4 results, all of which I almost immediately noticed), but I have researched the topic fairly extensively, and it seems to be pretty clear that the health benefits are many.

So I really encourage everyone give this a try. Let us know how it goes and I look forward to sharing many more all-natural beauty and health tips!