Hot Water with Lemon—Gets the Gunk Gone

Most mornings I drink hot water with lemon about 20 minutes before I eat breakfast.

I love how it tastes and I love how it feels like a warm bath rushing through my innards. Weird? Try it! You can start with half a lemon and move up to a whole one. Then let me know what you think. One of my clients recently remarked, "Oh, the warm lemon water is a cell generator!"

She didn't read that somewhere—she felt it! And the shift was profound from one week to the next. She told me that her muscles felt more relaxed, her joints didn't ache as much, and her energy stayed higher.

How it works

Lemons are acidic foods—everyone knows that. But when we ingest them? Alkaline-forming. Why is this good? Creating a balance between acid-forming (think processed sugar, refined carbohydrates, alcohol, caffeine, conventionally produced meat and dairy) and alkaline-forming foods is what keeps our body healthy (in a nutshell) because ultimately, as Ayurveda, the ancient medical system of India, teaches—it keeps our critical lymph system flowing taking all the toxins built up in our system with it. Lemons may be the most alkalinizing foods of them all—as a natural disinfectant lemons bring in potent and immediate relief for heartburn, as well as cough, colds and flu.

Other amazing alkaline-forming foods are root veggies, cruciferous veggies (think broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts—yum!), dark leafy greens, garlic and cayenne pepper.

Why it Matters

We don't hear much about the lymphatic system until someone we know has been diagnosed with cancer and it's "gone into their lymph." The reason this is so critical is because the lymphatic system flows throughout our entire body, then carries waste and toxins out, and is connected so closely with our immune system (B and T cells housed in our lymph nodes). If it is compromised in any way, then we have serious problems. When the system gets clogged (think of your lymph as the drains in your house, and your blood as the faucets) it can cause all sorts of backups in the rest of our body. Ayurveda teaches that some of the symptoms of lymph congestion are:

• retaining water - puffy eyes, tight rings, swelling ankles
• bloating and gas
• belly fat
• cellulite
• sore muscles
• uterine fibroids
• ovarian cysts
• swelling and pain in breast tissue near menstruation
• arthritis
• fatigue
• Auto-immune conditions
• the list goes on...

I recognize myself in that list! Now what?

A simple thing you can start doing immediately is to start your morning with warm water with lemon, then continue to sip hot water at 15 minute intervals throughout the day. I know—sounds weird. But if you try it for a whole day and feel you are craving it by the end of the day, you are likely dehydrated with boggy lymph. Keeping the hot water routine is a simple, and highly effective, way of unclogging your lymphy system to get toxins out of your body.

I will continue to explore the causes of lymphatic congestion and other simple Ayurvedic concepts, so stay tuned for future posts.