♥Hi Friends!
The way you start out your morning can make a big difference in how well you feel, perform and HEAL the rest of the day. Since your body has been in a state of fasting from sleeping all night, a couple of little habits can help put a spring in your step and prepare your body (make it a clean slate if you will) for everything that will be sure to come your way!
1♥ DRINK A GLASS OF WATER FIRST THING: For years now we have heard that we should drink more water. A good rule of thumb is half your body weight in ounces. To make it really easy, buy a good water bottle (we love Camelbak but there are many good ones out there), fill and drink 16 oz. first thing in the morning, again at 11, then 3, then dinner time. (Personally I don’t like to drink a lot of water past 7 because of the really good chance I will have to pee in the middle of the night if I do. Very annoying. But adjust the times that work best for you.)
But why start out drinking water first thing? There are wonderful benefits to drinking a big glass of H2o first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Among many, it fills our dehydrated cells (we are mostly water), increases energy, and get’s our peristalsis system going (starts our intestines moving or in other words helps us poop). Click here to read an interesting article on the subject. I have a couple of children that leave a glass of water by their bedside so that before they even put their feet on the floor, they “lube and oil” their systems.
2♥ DRINK WARM LEMON WATER: The second thing you can do to start your morning off right is drink a cup of warm lemon water, or LEMON GINGER TEA (see my recipe below). Besides energizing, hydrating and alkalizing our bodies, lemon aids our livers in clearing out toxins. I’m also amazed at how it helps curb those UNHEALTHY food cravings. Click here and here to read two really great articles about these and many other reasons why.
In a perfect world I would wake before the neighbor’s chickens and everyone else in the house (actually I already do that), pray, drink my LEMON GINGER TEA, read my scriptures, do yoga and meditate. Aint happenin’! Right now my mornings start between 5 and 5:30 so I can get everyone out the door to school and work. If you’re like me and don’t want to get up at 3 AM for that “perfect start” to your day, I suggest drinking 4-5 drops of lemon oil in your first glass of water, first thing. Ideally you’ll get to the LEMON GINGER TEA at a later hour. This still helps alkalize and detox the liver. But it doesn’t have the benefits of the ginger and cayenne.
So, try incorporating these simple little tricks in to your morning routine. Just another really great way to start HEALING!!!
♥Love you!
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There are all sorts of recipes on the internet for lemon tea. And it can definitely be an acquired taste. But you will be amazed how quickly you can learn to enjoy it and feel its HEALING benefits! Here’s my version, along with pics and links for the little kitchen tools I’ve found to make the process more efficient.
LEMON GINGER TEA
- 1/2 lemon
- fresh ginger
- Simply Organic Cayenne Pepper
- 12 oz or so of purified water
On stovetop, warm water no warmer than 114 degrees so that the live enzymes in the lemon and ginger are preserved. Grate ginger in bottom of large mug. I generally run the ginger over the grater about 25 times. Squeeze lemon over ginger and place the lemon peel in the freezer for a smoothie! Pour just a dash of cayenne in and pour warm water on top.
Here’s a picture of my favorite LEMON GINGER TEA tools mentioned above. Click on the following descriptions for links to purchase. From left to right thermometer with cap to test the water temp, blade shield and Microplane Zester/Grater, citrus juicer, glass straw with cleaning brush. If using plastic straws (and I still do sometimes) don’t forget to recycle them. Or invest in these stainless steel found here.
Grating the beautiful and anti-inflammatory ginger.
It’s a little confusing at first (for me it was) but you have to place the lemon in the right way, flat side down, before pressing. I am absolutely crazy about my citrus juicer! I use it all the time. Joy!
The finished product! Wow!