There are so many benefits to drinking a glass of lemon water each and every morning and winter time in the Northern Hemisphere, when more citrus is available is the optimal time to begin. While this practice may seem foreign to you, it has been around for millennia with many of the other Ayurvedic practices.
This lemon water practice is part of the Ayurvedic daily routine of 'dinacharya". Lemons can also be consumed via cooking or drying, but I find it easiest to drink my daily dose of lemon water. Let's get to the benefits of this daily routine first (please note that these are not substitutions for medical advice and always consult your medical practitioners for any dietary changes).
pacify Vata in the winter time. Soothes the turbulence of erratic digestive systems and increases agni, the digestive fire.
while lemons can be more acidic, it actually can stimulate the gastric juices stimulating the liver to release acids faster.
antioxidant - protection against oxidative stress in the body.
slower uptake of starches and sugars in the blood stream
help prevent kidney stones through its binding mechanism
good for the heart - improved cardiovascular functions
Here's how to make lemon water part of your daily routine:
After waking up, make your water. Using room temperature water or slightly warm, fill a cup or mug with at least 8 ounces of water. Use the juice of a quarter of a lemon and add some of the peel and drink it in it's entirety (minus the peel of course!). I try to precut my lemons at the start of each week to make it more simple in the morning.
This routine for me is preceded by tongue scraping and afterwards, I rinse my mouth to prevent acid buildup on my teeth.
Study Sources on benefits: