Most of us are familiar with the occasional slice of lemon in soda or water. Why not step it up a notch? Did you know that there are so many amazing health benefits to drinking lemon water?
To gain the most benefits of lemon juice, drink luke-warm water with lemon juice in the morning on an empty stomach.
Since pure lemon juice can be hard on the teeth enamel, it’s recommended to dilute it with water and to drink it with a straw (preferably a glass straw).
Why Drinking Lemon Water is Healthy
1. Improves digestion
The lemon juice aids digestion by soothing symptoms associated with heart burn, burping and bloating. It helps to remove toxins that have accumulated in the digestive tract. It also contains pectin fiber which is great for the colon and has antibacterial properties.
2. Helps the liver in detoxing the body
It helps to increase the functions of enzymes and stimulates the liver. Drinking luke-warm water on an empty stomach itself is great for digestion, and with the addition of lemon juice it helps in flushing out toxins in the body.
Author of Biological Ionization as Applied to Human Nutrition, A.F. Beddoe, writes that the liver can make more enzymes out of lemon juice than from any other juice or food. This is because lemon juice works as a natural strengthener for liver enzymes when they are too dilute and it helps to balance oxygen and calcium levels in the liver. This can improve blood oxygen levels.
3. Improves your skin
The anti-oxidants in lemon juice help to slow down aging by combatting the effects of free radicals caused by stress or the aging process.
4. Boosts your immune system
Lemon juice is packed with vitamin C. Vitamin C is an important vitamin for maintaining the immune system.
5. Great mood booster
The scent of lemons brings calmness to the nervous system which can help to reduce stress and uplift your mood.
6. Great for the nervous system
The high content of potassium in lemon juice helps the nervous cells in the body. Besides potassium, it is also a great source of phosphorus, magnesium and calcium. This helps to replenish the minerals in the body, which is especially good after a work-out or run.
Have the benefits sparked your interest? This is what to do tomorrow morning!
Squeeze half a lemon in a glass or cup of about 200ml or 8oz.
Add luke warm water until full (26 – 35 celsius and 79 – 97 fahrenheit: To get this you can mix 1 part normal temperature water and roughly 2 parts hot water, or you can let boiling water sit for 10-15 minutes)
Drink this morning booster at least 15 minutes before breakfast.
Enjoy the refreshing taste and benefits for your digestion, skin, liver and your mood.
Please take notice that for some individuals with stomach problems lemon water may not be the solution. And that the benefits may take some time before they take effect.
Everybody has it, this toxic habit, at least to some extent. Complaining about the weather, the traffic, blaming the economy, that stupid neighbor, the bad internet connection or just life in general – cause life stinks.
This is not how it “should” be. Have you caught yourself complaining that there shouldn’t be all those regulations, the tax system, or you know, just money in general? Rejecting reality can be exhausting, not only for you, but also for the people around you.
Toxic for the brain
A study from Standford University showed that if exposed to 30 minutes of complaining every day, neurons are damaged in parts of the brain responsible for problem solving and cognitive functioning.
If you are surrounded by people complaining a lot, it becomes more likely that you mimic their behavior. It’s best to think ahead, looking to make the best out of the given to keep full functioning instead of impairing yourself. Even if you are a passive complainer (as in passive smoker) it can be harmful for your mental health.
What is good about complaining anyways?
Research from Clemson University shows: If used effectively, complaining can lead to positive changes in your environment. However, constant criticism isn’t working as people tend to filter out critique of chronic complainers. Awareness of complaining how much, about what and to whom is essential.
As Guy Winch, Ph.D. puts in Psychology Today “Just as ineffective complaining can damage our mental health, complaining effectively and getting results can be incredibly empowering and it can affect our mood and self-esteem for the better.”
Here are some tips on how to break that hidden habit and become more positive instead:
1. Don’t try to change things you simply can‘t
We cannot change the weather, the traffic or the boss’ narcissism. There are things we simply cannot change or control. So it might be helpful to keep this in mind:
“If there is something that you can fix, then there is nothing to worry about. If there is something you can’t fix, then there is nothing to worry about.”
2. Gaze towards the sun
Sometimes we forget about the things we do have and keep complaining about the things we don’t.
In those moments of complaint, reminding yourself of those things you already have and being thankful for them can be very powerful.
Not convinced yet? Make a list of those things you are thankful for or good things that happened and you will see that there is so much more to be thankful and that time spent complaining is a waste of time.
3. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes
Our heaviest complaints often are targeted toward ourselves. Mistakes are there to be made. There is no need to see you as a failure. Notice what happened, learn from it and try something else the next time. Learning from mistakes means to improve yourself.
You are not falling if your are falling forward!
4. Change is the new constant, deal with it!
old man sitting on bench
Life holds lots of surprises and usually it’s full of changes. So learning to adapt to change is key. Try to find other possible perspectives on how to look at the change you are facing. There has to be something positive about it.
What can you find that is good about the situation, about others and about yourself? It is very likely that we don’t see it at first, but spotting the treasure afterwards will be even more satisfying.
5. Communicating instead of judging
Complaining can be a great tool for initiating change. Complaining about that co-worker of yours who treated you in a way you didn’t like, but without telling her your issue, doesn’t help anybody.
The co-worker will keep doing it without even knowing that you are annoyed by it.
Instead: Try to put yourself in your co-worker’s shoes to understand the reason for the behavior. This way you can decide whether you want to communicate it to her in a solution-oriented and constructive way or whether it’s even up to you to change your own behavior.
6. Be aware of your words
There really are numerous triggers to start complaining, but is it really worth it? If you feel the urge to complain, take a second to pause and ask yourself these three short questions: 1. Is it kind? 2. Is it true? 3. Is it really necessary?
Sometimes we simply need a listening ear. We want someone to be there to know our pain or frustrations. The tricky one here is to be able to talk about it.
3 steps to see things clearly
These three steps can be helpful to see things clearly:
Make a list: Writing can be a powerful alternative to speaking it out loud. It can help you see your complaints and you might want to rethink them and let them go.
Schedule: This may sound a little awkward, but sometimes it can be helpful to ‘schedule’ a complaining date. You give yourself 10 minutes time to get rid of all your complaints and tell them to somebody. This will ensure to not lose yourself in your deepening spiral of complaints. With the previous two steps you have basically filtered those to the most urgent and important complaints.
Action: Now, find out about the complaints you can actually do something about and find a solution-oriented way to communicate it to the right person.
The detox challenge!
I’m up for it! My own 7-day detox program, completely complaint-free. I don’t know about you, but I am complaining way too much. There are certain things that are how they are. So from today on, there will be no more complaints.
Find a friend or challenge partner to keep you accountable for or even better, take on the challenge together. Make sure, you agree on a signal (not as a punishment, just as a signal) you’ll send each other in case a complain slips out – and for sure, this will happen. This might be giving each other a friendly wink (this is what we are going to do), a decent hug or a high five for celebrating that you have made it for a whole hour this time.
Warning: side effects of not complaining are feeling lighter, happier and even more awesome!
2. Helps the liver in detoxing the body
