Wake Up, Drink Up!

After a long (hopefully) night’s sleep, the first thing you should do in the morning is drink water. Your body needs to be fully hydrated in order for it to work properly. While plain water is a good choice, H2O with an added kick can help you reap some pretty impressive benefits. Here are my five favorite water add-ins to jump-start your morning:

Drink each of these on an empty stomach, at least one hour before eating breakfast for greatest benefits.

Lemon

If you haven’t heard already, drinking lemon water is amazing for your body! It helps jump start your digestion in the morning and aids in the detoxification process. Lemon water is a great source of vitamins and minerals, especially Calcium, Potassium and vitamin C. The vitamin C in lemons helps keep your immune system and you illness free!

Lemon water also helps you maintain a proper pH in your body. Lemons are naturally acidic, but when ingested actually help alkalinize your body. A more alkaline than acidic body has been shown to lower your changes of illness and disease.

Want beautiful skin? This drink will make your skin glow, clearing up your acne and keeping skin supple and wrinkle free.

How-To: Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into a cup of warm or room temperature water. Drink this one with a straw to avoid acid damage to your teeth.

Apple Cider Vinegar

This one is definitely not for the faint of heart. I have gotten used to the taste over time, but it can be a bit much for some people to get down.  The benefits are totally worth it though.

Apple cider vinegar is rich in malic acid, which has anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. It can break up mucus in your body and clean out the lymph system. Feel like you may be getting sick? If you have the sniffles, sore throat or a cough, this stuff can literally knock it out, getting you back on the fast-track to wellness.

Just like the lemon water, this ACV has an alkalinizing effect on the body. It can also help regulate glucose levels, blood pressure and even reduce bad cholesterol.

ACV is great for digestion. It helps to clean out your intestines, reduces gas, bloating and acid reflux.

This power drink may also have the potential to aid in weight loss! Helping your body use fats more efficiently for energy, instead of storing them.

How-To: Be sure to use an unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar, such as Braggs. It should contain “the mother,” which is the cloudy bits floating at the bottom. Use 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon ACV in a cup of warm or room temperature water.

 Sole

Sole is essentially a solution of concentrated salt water. Salt has been villainized by the medical field, but it is actually really important to help your body run properly. Use a high quality salt such as Pink Himalayan or Celtic Sea Salt.

Sole helps to re-hydrate your body, balancing out your electrolytes. It actually helps your cells absorb more water into your system then drinking plain H2O.

Just like the others, this drink helps to detoxify your body. Good sea salt actually has antibacterial properties, flushing out the bad bacteria.

This works great as a natural anti-histamine for your allergies.

Natural salts have several essential minerals in them that keep your bones strong and helps prevent muscle cramps.  It can also balance out your blood pressure and blood sugar levels

How-To: Use a glass jar. Fill with water (filtered preferred). Pour is a handful of Pink Himalayan or Celtic Sea Salt. (DO NOT use regular table salt!) Let water absorb salt. Check on water. If there is no salt settled at the bottom add more salt and let sit. Continue to check.   When salt is left at the bottom of the jar, the water is fully saturated and cannot absorb any more salt. Mix 1-1½ teaspoon of the salt solution in a cup of warm or room temperature water.   Water should be slightly salty, but not overly so. Note: Some people say using metal with this solution makes it less potent. Use plastic utensils to be safe.

Bentonite Clay

I know what you’re thinking, “You want me to drink clay?” Clay has amazing detoxifying properties. It has the ability to draw out toxins and heavy metals from your body. If you are feeling sick, achy or especially toxic in the morning, use this drink. It is said that bentonite clay has a naturally negative charge and most toxins and metals have a positive charge, thus pulling them to the clay to be safely removed from the body, as your body does not absorb the clay.

This drink can also relieve digestive complaints such as bloating, constipation, diarrhea, IBS and nausea.

How-To: Use ½-2 teaspoons clay mixed in a cup of warm or room temperature water (start with a small amount and work your way up). I use this clay, that has already been mixed with water. I would not recommend taking this every day. Use for up to a week, then take a break for awhile before using again. Note: because of its ability to absorb metal, do not mix with metal spoon, instead use plastic. Also, do not take 2 hours before or after taking medications as it could render them useless or less effective.

Ginger

Ginger tea is great for relieving nausea or other digestive complaints. This is my go-to whenever I have a stomachache. Ginger actually helps to improve digestion and helps your body absorb nutrients from food better.

Ginger is an anti-inflammatory. It can relieve muscle and joint pain throughout the body.

This spice also has the ability to increase circulation throughout the body. It has even been said to prevent fats from sticking to and clogging your arteries.

Ginger is full of antioxidants, keeping your immune system in tip-top shape and preventing free radicals from running havoc on your body. It may even be able to prevent cancer.

How-To: Cut a couple of slices of ginger root and let steep in a cup of hot water for 5+ minutes, you can also use a tea bag that contains only ginger (such as traditional medicinals) if you prefer.

Start your morning off right by getting hydrated. Let me know what benefits you have seen from trying these powerful elixirs.