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Today I’m letting you in on a little secret- one of the six healthy habits I teach my one on one health coaching clients and group clients. Shhhhhh…..

Jk, feel free to share this with anyone and everyone! It’s a habit that nearly everyone has been successful with. People end up loving it as it becomes a consistent, cozy part of their morning routine, and happens to keep them really healthy. It’s so small yet incredibly powerful.

Want in on the secret habit? It’s Lemon Water!

Today I’m showing you my favorite healthy habit I teach to my clients, which is also my favorite part of my day, and how it helps your body.

The What:

Wake up 5 minutes earlier than normal. First thing- drink a cup of warm water with the juice of half a lemon. Do this before coffee or food so it’s happening on a completely empty stomach. Take as much time as you want, really savoring it and slowing down. Bonus points if you include it in a morning meditation practice or breathing exercise. That just adds to the health benefits!

When you are done, make sure to brush your teeth or at least swish water around in your mouth as to not mess with your tooth enamel.

The Why:

1. Digestion- Warm water helps get your digestive juices flowing. All night your body was working on digesting your food and healing your body. Starting the day with warm water and lemon is the cherry on top, so to speak. It just gives it that last little nudge to help things through.
2. Detoxifying- The enzymes in lemons are known to help detoxify the liver, so doing this consistently is a little daily detox.
3. Vitamin C- It’s a nice big dose of vitamin C first thing in the morning, boosting your immunity, safe guarding you from what your body will be exposed to throughout the day. A little known fact- I started this almost 4 years ago and I literally haven’t gotten a cold or the flu since.
4. Starting the day off right- It just feels good. You will be starting the day off with doing something good for your body that is warming and soothing. If you do nothing else that is healthy for your body the rest of the day, it won’t seem as bad because you have done this one thing.

If you don’t like lemons? Add fresh ginger, either shaved or chunks, and some cinnamon, both good for your health and can make it taste better. If that doesn’t work, you can try different lemons (it’s surprising how different brands of lemons taste so different), and start small. You can start with just a slice of lemon instead of the half.

There you have it! One of my six healthy habits that are pillars in my health coaching practice. How easy is that? Get started on a morning lemon water routine and it will quickly become the best part of your morning.

Cheers!