A great thing to do before you go to bed is to make orange, lemon water. I love to do this, and then when I wake up in the morning, I have a delicious and refreshing beverage waiting for me in my fridge to jumpstart my morning. The benefits of the water are wonderful, too.
Here are 10 great benefits of orange, lemon water (besides the fact that it tastes delicious):
1. It cleanses your body. This is why I love to drink this in the morning. It helps to make you feel refreshed and renewed. The lemon helps your liver function by increasing enzymes and works as an antiseptic to cleanse your blood, liver, and other organs. Iron and B6 in oranges help to clean the blood as well.
2. It's good for your heart. Both lemons and oranges are rich in potassium which promotes heart health among other things.
3. It's good for digestion. Lemons help the digestion process in general, but they furthermore help with specific digestion problems like heartburn, bloating, gas, and more. By drinking it in the morning, it is a great way to promote good digestion throughout the day. Also the fiber in oranges help with digestion and constipation.
4. Fights bad breath. This is another reason why it's good to drink this in the morning to help rid yourself of bed breath!
5. Boosts your immune system. Once again, both oranges and lemons are filled with vitamin C, which is found heavily in our immune cells and are eaten up quickly when our bodies are fighting infections and other diseases. Our vitamin C levels also drop when we are stressed so it is important to keep vitamin C plentiful in our bodies!
6. Prevents Cancer. Not only is Vitamin C good for your immune system, but by fighting off free radicals in the cells, it helps to prevent different types of cancer.
7. Great for your skin! The anti-oxidants, like beta-carotene help to protect the cells from being damaged. This will help prevent wrinkles, signs of aging, and even blemishes too. It will help to make your skin glow!
8. Helps aid in weight loss. Note that I use the word aid. The most important part of weight loss is exercising and eating right, but lemons will help in cubing hunger cravings.
9. Lowers cholesterol. The soluble fiber in oranges helps to lower and maintain cholesterol.
10. Reduces inflammation and mucus levels in the body. Lemons reduce your body's acidity, including in your joints which is one of the causes of inflammation. They also help to reduce your mucus level which is another great reason to drink it in the morning to loosen up your throat and chest after sleeping.
These are just a FEW benefits of drinking orange, lemon water. Of course you could just drink lemon water, but I love to add the oranges for a special flavor and touch (and added health benefits).
These are the 5 simple steps that I take to creating my morning concoction:
1. Before going to bed, take about 2-3 lemons and slice them up, squeezing the juice into a mason jar.
2. Take 1-2 oranges and slice them up, also squeezing the juice into the mason jar.
3. Toss in the lemon and oranges, even after squeezing the juice.
4. Fill the mason jar with purified water or vapor distilled water.
5. Put it in the fridge, and it will be cold and ready for you when you wake up!
I don't normally drink the entire jar at once, but it is great to share, to drink throughout the day, or to have for the next morning!
Enjoy!
