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Lovingly Plant-based Blog

Lemon-infused water - the weight loss and beauty elixir?

9/27/2017

2 Comments

 
​So what is all this chat about drinking lemon water every morning? Suddenly it seems that everyone from famous actresses to our next-door neighbour has found the miracle cure for weight loss in a glass of warm lemon-infused water.
Is it just hype, or are there any real health benefits?
​Let's take a look!
Picture
Good morning! Rise & shine!

​Stimulates the bowel

This is an important one, so I'm putting it at the top. It's not always something we like talking about, but we should, because regular and complete elimination (pooping) is essential for good health!
​​When we wake up in the morning we are dehydrated after a night’s sleep and no fluids. Our body is literally crying out for hydration and if you sleep in an over-heated room, even more so. Our digestive system has been resting too (hopefully you didn’t have a 10 pm curry….) and it needs to be woken gently. Do you like being dragged out of bed and into work-mode within minutes of starting your day? Me neither. And nor does our digestive system. 2-3 glasses (or more) of WARM water on an empty stomach does wonders for gently waking our digestive system and stimulating the bowel. Ideally the water should be warm. Not cold water, and not hot. 
Picture
Lemon, cucumber & mint

​So why add lemon juice?

​Well, apart from being pleasant-tasting and therefore easier to drink than ‘plain old water’, lemons are high in vitamin C, which may boost collagen production, which in turn helps our skin cells renew. It is also a powerful antioxidant. Cut an apple in half and put lemon juice on one half only. Now watch which half turns brown. No prizes for guessing which part stays fresh-looking and which turns brown! Lemons contain limonene, which has antiviral properties and may be useful for keeping colds and flu at bay. 
Picture
Lemons are powerful antioxidants

​Alkalinizing 

​Not only are we dehydrated when we wake up, we are also naturally acidic. Lemon juice, even though it is acidic, has an alkaline effect in our body and is said to counteract that overnight acidity. I haven’t found any specific studies that back it up though. The acid-alkaline discussion is one which I will try to delve into another time. 

​Increased metabolic rate

Drinking water on an empty stomach increases your metabolic rate. In a study, ‘Drinking 500 ml of water increased metabolic rate by 30%. The increase occurred within 10 min and reached a maximum after 30-40 min. The total thermogenic response was about 100 kJ. About 40% of the thermogenic effect originated from warming the water from 22 to 37 C.'

​Will it help me lose weight? 

​Whilst the thermogenic effect of drinking warm water on an empty stomach sounds promising, drinking a few glasses of warm water, lemon-infused or not, will not help you lose weight, especially if cappuccino and croissant are on the menu for breakfast. HOWEVER, if those glasses of delicate-tasting water are replacing soda (diet or not), then yes, you’ll be consuming less calories and above all less ‘empty’ calories.
Less empty calories = weight loss

​Bottom line:

Exactly how much nutrition is actually in your lemon water is debatable, but it can make drinking a few glasses of water on an empty stomach easier, and that is our main goal, to drink more!

​How to make lemon-infused water

​A lovely way of having refreshing lemon water in the morning, is to prepare it before you go to bed. 
​In a litre-sized glass jug or a large glass mason jar, add 1 washed organic, or wax-free lemon cut up into pieces. Whenever possible use organic or wax-free lemons since you’ll be leaving the rind on. If you have only got waxed lemons, just remove the outer yellow rind. If the lemon is fresh with a nice thick skin you can do this easily with a vegetable peeler, otherwise it’s easier with a knife. Just cut the lemon into quarters and then cut away the skin.
​Now fill the jug or jar with filtered water, cover with a lid and leave overnight. The next morning you have a lovely, delicate lemon water ready to drink.
Picture
Cover & let it sit overnight
​For added deliciousness, slice a 1-2 inch piece of ginger root and add it to the water, along with some fresh mint leaves.
I usually add a small piece of turmeric root sliced up too or a couple of chunks of cucumber.
Picture
Lemon, ginger root & turmeric root
​If you forget to prepare your lemon water before bedtime, no worries, just squeeze a little lemon juice into a glass of warm water, but don’t make it too strong, or you might get stomach ache. If you like it strong, don’t forget to rinse your mouth with plain water afterwards, as whilst lemon juice has an alkaline effect on our body, it is acidic on our teeth. Alternatively, you could use a straw!
If you have a delicate stomach and can't handle lemon juice, try limes which are easier on the tummy.
Picture
Limes are easier on the tummy

Some additions to your infused water

  • lemon & ginger root
  • orange & cinnamon stick
  • cucumber & mint leaves
  • grapefruit & mint leaves
  • pineapple & mint leaves
Yes, I love mint! :) An alternative could be fresh basil leaves!
If you're craving a soda during the day, try a glass of sparkling water with some lemon and ginger. In the morning still water is preferable though.
Picture
Sparkling lemon water
There is really no limit to what you can add to your water, so get adventurous and experiment! Strawberries, raspberries, mango and pineapple all make a lovely infused water, but in all honesty, I prefer to eat them! :)
Picture
Fresh raspberries - a gift from nature!
2 Comments
pay to write a research paper link
10/15/2017 08:46:42 am

Lemon water is the name of it and my whole family calls it that way. This is so healthy and we can get an alkaline from it. It happens because the water will be converted to alkaline once it touched the lemon. A natural way to be fit and healhty, it can also give us the energy that we need for the day. We should buy more lemons and we will be happy with the results.

Reply
Zachary Martinez link
11/5/2022 12:54:00 pm

Us maintain quickly how responsibility. Action tonight change base dinner attention. Social economy important task tough tree.

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Leave a Reply.

    Hello!

    I'm Nicki Perkins, creator of lovingly plant-based and my passion is helping people adopt a healthful and delicious plant-based lifestyle.
    I'm a certified nutritional counsellor, health coach & EFT practitioner and I believe that a whole food, plant-based diet can be beneficial for our health and for our planet.
    ​This blog is dedicated to helping you on your plant-based journey, with tips and easy-to-follow guides and recipes.
    We truly are what we eat, drink, think and say, so let's take this wonderful journey together, and see what we can achieve. 


    With love & respect,
    Nicki xx


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  • Home
    • Who I am and what I do
    • About me
  • Why Plant-based?
    • Vegan v. Plant-based
    • Protein >
      • What is protein? >
        • Amino acids
      • How much protein do we need?
      • Examples of plant-based protein meals
      • Plant-based protein and athletes
      • Protein FAQs
    • Health >
      • Sugar: The legal drug
      • Vitamin B12
      • Vitamin D
      • Iron
      • Calcium
      • The benefits of eating raw
    • Phytonutrients >
      • What colour is your food?
      • Isothiocyanates and cruciferous vegetables
    • Dr. T. Colin Campbell
    • No dairy?
  • Mind, body and soul coaching programs
  • EFT
    • Rosacea Relief
    • What can EFT be used for? >
      • Motivation
    • EFT resources
    • EFT prices
  • SKINCARE
    • Skincare Shop
  • Sprouts and microgreens
    • How to grow sprouts
    • Easy mung bean sprouts
    • Easy lentil sprouts
    • Tips for successful sprouting
    • How to grow microgreens
    • How to grow Wheatgrass >
      • Juicing wheatgrass
  • Recipes
    • Plant milks >
      • Almond milk
      • Amaranth milk
      • Brazil nut milk
      • Buckwheat milk
      • Hazelnut milk
      • Hemp milk
      • Macadamia Nut Milk
      • Quinoa milk
      • Toasted Hazelnut milk
      • Toasted Sesame seed milk
      • Sesame seed milk
    • Dairy-free cheese >
      • Basic Cashew Cream Cheese
      • Roasted Garlic & Red Pepper Cream Cheese
      • Cashew and Spring Onion Cream Cheese
      • Roasted Garlic and Chives Cream Cheese
    • Dairy-free Cultured Cheese >
      • Basic Cultured Cashew Cheese
      • Basic Macadamia Nut Cheese
      • Basic Almond Cheese
      • Cashew Chèvre with Lemon Zest
      • Cashew Boursin
      • Almond Chèvre
      • Lemon Zest Almond Cheese
      • Macadamia and Pear Cheese
    • Raw Vegan Crackers >
      • Sprouted Lentil Crackers
      • Sprouted Black Sesame Crackers
      • Almond and Coconut Crackers
      • Sesame Crackers
      • Coconut & Apple Crackers
      • Spicy Flaxseed Crackers
    • Dips >
      • Zucchini & Hemp Hummus
      • Sweet Potato & Garlic Dip
      • Roasted Cherry Tomato Salsa
      • Spinach & Leek Cashew Dip
      • ​Beetroot, Ginger & Garlic Cashew Dip
      • Chickpea Hummus
      • Raw Parsnip Dip
      • Ginger and Sprouted Sunflower Seed Pâté
    • Dressings
    • Breakfast Ideas >
      • Sorghum, hemp and banana pancakes
      • Carob Amaranth Porridge
      • Apple, Oats, Almond Butter
      • Brown Rice and Apple with Hemp and Brazil nut milk
      • Millet and Buckwheat Blueberry Bread Muffins
      • Sweet Potato & Cinnamon Farinata Pancakes
    • Lunch & dinner ideas >
      • Dhal
      • Chickpea Farinata
      • Potato, onion, zucchini & tomato egg-free frittata
    • Veggie burgers >
      • Sprouted lentil, walnut and brown rice burgers
    • Salads & Raw Food >
      • Cheezy Zucchini Noodles
      • Veggie Rolls
      • Mimi's Street Tacos
      • Crunchy Kale Chips
      • Veggie Nori Rolls
    • Soups >
      • Cauliflower, Red Lentil and Potato Soup
      • Black Bean and Corn Soup
    • Desserts >
      • Chocolate Chickpea Truffles
      • Chocolate Mousse
      • Dark Chocolate, Sweet Potato & Black Bean Brownies
    • Smoothies >
      • Blueberry and Hemp Smoothie
      • Purple Passion
      • Orange Joy Smoothie
      • Sweet and Green Smoothie
      • Pretty & Pink
      • Banana Cacao Surprise
  • How to
    • How to juice
    • How to make Rejuvelac
    • How to make Kombucha
    • How to make Kefir
    • How to make Sauerkraut
    • How to make Kimchi
  • Resources
    • Kitchen makeover
    • Books
    • Videos & Documentaries
  • Blog
  • Contact