Have you ever given much thought about the health benefits of drinking lemon water? I know some of you may be thinking that water is water it doesn’t matter how you dress it, and while you are right, it is true that the way you dress it does matter!
I’m an avid water drinker. I think to say I love water is a bit of an overstatement but you guys, I love water! I drink it all the time and as much of it as I can throughout the day. I know this may make me seem like a bit of an odd ball (because who loves water, right?) but that’s ok! I do this mainly for my health and because it’s one of the few beverages that I literally have unlimited access to (and so do you).
However, this past year I have really been getting into drinking lemon water.
For a long time, I thought the whole idea of lemon water was silly. I couldn’t wrap my head around why people put lemons in their water, let alone the joy they got from drinking water with lemons in it. The first time I ever heard of lemon water was when I was out eating dinner with my grandpa. When the waiter asked what we would like to drink I ordered me regular water and he ordered himself lemon water.
My first thought was who puts lemons in their water? The next time we went out to eat I ordered me a lemon water just to do something different and since that day I have been so into it.
So, what’s the deal with lemon water? Is it really better for your health than good old plain water? Or is it just an excuse to come across as “fancy” or being extra when you’re drinking water? We’re about to find out.
Why Should We Drink More Water?
There are so many health benefits to drinking water. Water helps improve your natural skin complexion, it helps keep your skin nice and clear of acne, it boosts your natural energy levels, it’s great for your digestive system, and it can even help you get a better sleep every night.
Perhaps the most important reason to drink water is because of its importance to our kidneys. Water helps the kidneys function, which helps to prevent waste products and excess fluids from building up in our bodies. Water also helps to relieve constipation, and nobody likes to be constipated!
With that in mind is there really a difference in the function of water when it comes to our bodies if we’re drinking plain water vs. lemon water? Let’s find out.
Related Posts: 15 Health & Wellness Tips to Become A Happier and Healthier You
Good Old Plain Water
Water is great for losing weight. If one of your health and wellness goals this year is to lose weight, then you might want to consider increasing your daily water intake. Something you may not know about water is that it can increase your metabolism, which is how our bodies convert our food into energy. Something to keep in mind about losing weight, weight gain, and water intake, is that your metabolism is going to have an influence in how well that all works in your favor. Want a better metabolism to be able to achieve your health and wellness goals? Try drinking more water during the day.
Water also helps with fatigue. We all know that unwanted side effects that come with feeling fatigue are headaches, body aches, lack of energy, and even an increase feeling of hunger because your body is looking for any source of energy it can draw from. Naturally, all of this can contribute to weight gain. If you’re someone who feels fatigued all the time it’s probably because your body isn’t getting as much water as it needs to be able to get your through the day, let alone an hour.
If you work out, or whenever you work out, water will help keep you from feeling dehydrated. When you’re working out your body is releasing some of its water content. Therefore, to balance this out and to keep from passing out on the floor, you need to make sure that you are fueling your body with water as you’re losing it.
Overall, having a healthy daily water intake can help you eat less during the day (but it won’t leave you feeling hungry), helps your body flush out toxins, can reduce the risk of diseases such as bladder and colon cancer, and as mentioned earlier can clear up your complexion. How much water you should be drinking in a day varies from person to person, but on average about 8 glasses of water a day. So drink up buttercup!
Related Posts: 6 Types of Foods That Are Good for Your Health and Jump Stating A Healthier Diet
Lemon Water
Now lemon water is delicious despite what I once thought and what you may be thinking now (if you haven’t tried it).
Lemon water is a great source of vitamin C. The juice from the lemon helps to protect our bodies from immune system deficiencies. Lemon juice is also great for balancing our pH levels, especially in the morning when we wake up. Lemon juice, despite its sour taste, has also been proven to help our overall dental health and can help relieve toothaches and prevent gingivitis.
Something that I love about lemon water is the fact that it is a great, super easy, and super cheap yet effective way to detox. Lemon water effectively maintains the health of our digestive system, helps to fight common colds, and can assist in treating skin problems like acne, rashes, wrinkles, and dark spots. Like regular water, lemon water increases our metabolic rate and promotes digestion, which helps you lose weight.
Lemon water also cleanses our liver, acts as an anti-inflammatory property helping the body fight respiratory tract infections, sore throat, and inflammation of the tonsils. Most importantly, if you’re someone who struggles to eat your fruits and veggies, then lemon water is a great way to ensure that your body is getting the nutritional benefits that you’re missing out on.
Interested in learning more about wellness and how it can have a positive impact on your life? If so, sign up today for the free Live Well Health and Wellness Email Course where I’ll teak you how to create a personal and effective wellness routine for your everyday living.
Which Is Better?
At this point you’re probably thinking that the health benefits of drinking water, sounds just as good as drinking lemon water and vice versa. And you are not wrong my friend. While it’s true that lemon water is a good source of vitamin C for our diet, and it’s a lot tastier than good old plain water, the fact of the matter is that it’s not any better for our health than regular water is.
In fact, if you’re like me and you already drink plenty of water, and you eat your fruits and vegetables, then lemon water is not going to give you an advantage in nutritional health benefits than just drinking it plain. I mainly like it because I feel “fancy” and it’s just a fun and simple way to switch up my water routine. I also use it as a trick to get myself to drink more water on days when I have no motivation to make my health and wellness a priority (hey it happens people).
Also, lemons are great for detoxing, and while lemon water doesn’t necessarily remove fat from your body in a more productive manner than regular water does, it feels good to know that the lemon water is just adding a little bit of extra strength to my overall immune system than regular water.
Related Posts: 10 Natural Ways to Boost Your Immune System
Concluding Thoughts
Lemon water is great but so is good old regular water. The important thing to take away from the whole lemon or no lemon in my water debate is the fact that whether or not you drink your water with lemons, you’re doing your body good by simply drinking water. Lemons provide a more flavor-able taste, and it helps your body take in vitamin C, but it’s not really doing anything more effectively than regular water is already doing for your body.
Yes, as you will see from the list below, there are many health-related benefits to drinking lemon water. Lemon water can give your overall health the edge in being just a little bit healthier, but it’s not a super power of any sort compared to drinking just regular water. So, while you should drink lemon water every now and then, maybe once or twice a day, don’t lose your mind over not drinking enough of it.
The main goal is to drink as much as water you can during the day (without over doing it). That’s where the real health benefits are.
In conclusion…
Good old plain water is great for:
- Losing weight
- Increasing your metabolism
- Preventing dehydration
- Fighting fatigue
- Relieving constipation
- Promotes less eating
- Flushes out toxins
Lemon water is great for:
- A great source of vitamin C
- Protects the body from immune system deficiencies
- pH balance
- Promotes positive dental health
- Acts as a detoxifying agent
- Maintains the health of our digestive system
- Fights common colds
- Treats multiple skin problems
- Increases metabolic rate
- Cleanses the liver
- Acts as an anti-inflammatory property
- Fights respiratory tract infections
- Treats sore throats
- Reduces inflammation in the tonsils
- Great way to get nutritional health benefits
Looking for an unlimited amount of support from peers? Want to know how to start living a happier and more fulfilled life today? Join the free Wellness Warrior Facebook Community and start living your best life today.
Stay hydrated love bugs!
Related Posts: Intentional Wellness Goal Setting: How to Make Them, Set Them, & Stick to Them
-Xo
Kimora