Each Monday, Tiffany posts a message that provides positive energy and tips for eating more mindfully. The purpose of the weekly message is to reinforce the ideas from the talks and classes that are a part of the Como Water Membership, and to further support those living the veg-centric lifestyle. To receive our Mindfulness Mondays posts, Become A Member today.
Warm Lemon Water
It never ceases to amaze me how my nana (who is not a nutritionist or any sort of health provider) always knows the ins and outs of the latest health recommendations.
She was talking about antioxidants and free radicals ever since I was a little kid, and when I fell on the escalator in the Metro, she immediately knew that I should put honey and zinc on my wound to reduce the scarring.
Knowing this, a couple of weeks ago, I decided to take on one of her practices-starting each day with a cup of warm lemon water. At the end of this post, I’ll list a bunch of health benefits for doing so, but now I want to link this to the concept of mindfulness (this is Mindfulness Monday, after all).
In addition to reaping health benefits, I wanted to make a small (and quick) ritual out of drinking lemon water that would allow me to start my day the mindfulness way. So, rather than just drinking the warm lemon water, I’ve been trying to engage all of my senses…
I start by slicing a bit of lemon, listening to the squeeze of its juice into my cup, and adding hot water. Then I stir the lemon water around with the lemon wedge itself. Before taking a sip, I just hold the cup to my lips, so that the vapors flow to my noise. And then I take a moment to smell. The smell seems to wake me up in and of itself (kinda like the smell of coffee does!). Then I take a sip, and of course then another and another until it’s all gone.
I can’t stress enough how nice this has been! I’m not sure I really feel a difference in my health (at least not yet), but it has been really, really fantastic to a) slow down in the am, even if just for a few minutes and b) to smell lemon every morning.
Try it! And if I haven’t convinced you just yet, check out these health benefits of drinking warm lemon water:
1) Aids Digestion.
2) Cleanses Your System / is a Diuretic.
3) Boosts Your Immune System.
4) Balances pH Levels.
5) Clears Skin.
6) Energizes You and Enhances Your Mood.
7) Promotes Healing.
8) Freshens Breath.
9) Hydrates Your Lymph System.
10) Aids in Weight Loss.
Happy Monday and see you next week!