The bad news is that water coming straight from the tap or a bottle has most likely lost most of its vitality and its innate living structure.  The good news is that just by adding some fresh squeezed lemon juice, you “wake up” the water and bring it back to life, allowing it to travel more deeply into your tissues and cells and carry the essential nutrients and compounds you need in order to thrive.

Ayurveda and Yoga have always been concerned with the ‘energy’ or the ‘aliveness’ of the food and drink we eat, and this is important to remember in today’s technologically advanced but oft disconnected world.

Lemon water is a fantastic source of vitamins C and B as well as essential minerals such as calcium and magnesium. Lemon water is excellent for weight loss, the immune system, alkalising the body, controlling high blood pressure, anti-aging, detoxification, purifying the blood, and regulating body temperature. Lemon water is particularly beneficial for the digestive tract and can help relieve constipation, nausea, and even parasites.

Lemon water is also great for the cardiovascular and muscular system, so make sure to drink it before and after exercising.

Consider an early morning ritual of squeezing half a lemon into 16oz/500ml of your best quality purified water upon waking. This deep form of hydration will awaken your mind and energise your body for the day ahead!

Lemon/lime water has the added benefit of helping to break up any sediment and stones in the gallbladder, allowing for bile production in the liver to increase, hydrochloric acid levels in the gut to rise, and reduction of the bad acids that cause acid reflux.

Can I use lime instead of lemon?

Yes, you can use lime instead of lemon.

What is the best time of day to drink lemon water?

Drinking it anytime is helpful, but first thing in the morning is especially effective for cleansing your liver, which works while you sleep to gather and purge toxins from your body. When you wake up, it’s ideal to hydrate and flush these toxins out with this activated living lemon water.

Can I drink it later in the day?

Yes, it is great any time of day. Try adding lemon water into your daily routine. You can do this once a day, twice a day, three times a day or more.

What is the optimal amount of lemon water to drink in a day?

It depends on what else you are drinking or eating. So many people today are chronically dehydrated. You may wish to drink two liters of lemon water every day. In addition to other hydrating drinks like celery juice and cucumber juice, along with lots of fresh fruits, leafy greens and vegetables. Each person’s needs are different when it comes to hydration. An avid exerciser or someone with chronic illness or symptoms might want to bring more lemon water into their daily routine plus eat more fresh fruit throughout the day.

Can I use lemon essential oil instead of fresh lemon?

Only the living water in freshly squeezed lemon holds the life-giving nutrients that will cleanse and replenish your body and keep you hydrated.

Can I make lemon water in advance?

It’s best to drink lemon water immediately after preparing it. But if you have to make it in advance, you can seal it in a mason jar with a lid and store it in the fridge. If doing so, be sure to drink it within 24 hours.

Does lemon water need to be consumed on an empty stomach?

No, it does not. It is particularly beneficial first thing in the morning on an empty stomach (followed by celery juice 15 to 30 minutes later if possible), but it is wonderful to drink any time of day, with or without food.

Should the water be cold, hot, or room temperature?

It’s best not to heat the water. Room temperature or cold are both good options.

Can I use more than half a lemon in my water?

Yes, you can! You can use as much lemon or lime as you’d like.

Can I add raw honey, ginger or other ingredients to my lemon water?

Yes, for an extra boost, you can add one teaspoon each raw honey and freshly grated ginger to the lemon water. Your liver will draw in the raw honey to restore its glucose reserves, purging deep toxins at the same time. Just be sure to buy raw versus heated honey so you get all of this medicinal food’s healing properties.

Can I drink more than 16 ounces of lemon water upon rising?

Yes, a highly effective means of detoxifying the body is to drink two 16-ounce glasses of lemon or lime water on an empty stomach first thing in the morning.

How long should I wait to eat after drinking lemon water?

Give your liver 15 to 30 minutes later to clean up after drinking the lemon water before eating or drinking anything else.

Is lemon water bad for my teeth?

Contrary to popular belief, lemons and lemon water are excellent for oral health including your teeth. They are highly mineralizing and loaded with calcium. Fresh lemon kills the bad bacteria in your mouth that causes tooth decay. They may taste acidic but they are highly alkalizing in your mouth and body.

Is lemon water okay for acid reflux?

Yes, lemon water is helpful for acid reflux as it destroys the unproductive bacteria that causes acid reflux.

Can I just add lemon water to my celery juice instead of having two separate drinks?

Celery juice works best on its own as just straight celery juice with nothing else. Adding any other ingredients to the juice will dilute its medicinal properties.

Can I use frozen lemon juice?

Freshly squeezed lemon juice is best!

Can I use store bought lemon juice?

It’s best to freshly squeeze the lemon juice yourself. Lemon juice oxidizes very quickly once you juice it and will no longer have the vital living nutrients once it’s bottled. As well, most lemon juices in bottles that you buy from a store will have preservatives added!