When you wake up, before breakfast, have a glass of water with salt and lemon in it.

Benefits:

Water –

We lose approximately 1 litre of water whilst we sleep. So we are in effect in a dehydrated state upon waking. That’s why our mouth goes clammy. When we lose anywhere from 1-3% water from our bodies we reduce our power and energy output by 7-20%. This means your energy levels and your fat burning capacity reduce. You also lose cognitive function, meaning you can’t think properly. A glass of water upon waking helps replenish fluid lost during sleep.

Lemon (or lime) –

Lemon tastes acidic, however it is in fact alkalising. When we are alkaline we produce less lactic acid (by-product of energy expenditure in any cell) which means our performance goes up, muscle pain post training goes down, and the higher our fat burning capacity. This is why some people get sore after exercise and some don’t; those that don’t are more alkaline. Being in an alkaline state throughout the day increases your performance. We want to be more acidic in the evening as this acidity helps detox. (NB: The amount of acid produced when you are stressed or during training is x4000 higher than the level of acidity produced by food or coffee.)

Salt –

Salt supports the adrenal system which help regulate your hormones, mood, energy levels and metabolism. Though salt has been shown to increase blood pressure, it only does so by 8-10 points. Even those with high blood pressure, won’t have high blood pressure when they wake up.

Having low blood pressure reduces cortisol levels and reduces adrenal function. So normalising your blood pressure is important. We want cortisol to be higher in the morning to give us the energy we need for the day. We do not however want levels to be so out of whack they stress the adrenals. ¼ teaspoon of salt in the water in the morning helps regulate your blood pressure and increases cortisol without stressing the adrenals.

Salt also contains magnesium and potassium which also help with alkalinity. It does not need to be Himalayan salt; though colored salt has been shown to be most effective.

Ginger –

Boosts immune function and reduces inflammation. So throw some of this in too! Can also add turmeric to help with inflammation.

Recipe:

1 glass of water (warm or room temperature), ¼ teaspoon Himalayan salt, juice of half a lemon (or lime) and ¼ teaspoon of grated ginger (or ginger juice).

Will it make a huge difference to your day? Not really. Will it make a huge different to your overall long term health if you do it every single day? Absolutely!!! So get on it!

Terri Batsakis