The new year is just around the corner – a time where a lot of people make resolutions to get healthier and lose weight… The gyms get CRAZY, wellness books jump to the top of best seller lists, and people get radical with their diets. A lot of us start doing all sorts of things we don’t intend on doing for the rest of our lives. This is where the problem lies with new year’s resolutions.
Instead of doing something just because it’s the new year – why not take it a step further and develop a healthy habit for the rest of your life? This might seem crazy and idealistic considering the rate of people that fall off the wagon come March, but it’s really not. Especially since your health should be your number one priority for the rest of your life. Period.
For the next few days – I will share some habits that are really worth developing this year and strategies that will hopefully help you stick to them beyond this year’s resolutions.
Here’s the first one…
#1 Drink Warm Lemon Water and Cayenne Pepper first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.
How does one successfully do this every single day?
Every night I fill my electric tea pot with filtered water, place one lemon on the counter from the fridge, along with the cayenne pepper bottle and a cup filled half way with water. As soon as I get up in the morning, I put on my robe on and walk into the kitchen to turn the electric kettle on. I then go into the bathroom and by the time I finish putting in my contact lenses and splash my face with water to wake up – the electric kettle has finished warming up my water. I then pour the water in the glass half full with room temperature water, squeeze one half of the lemon on top, sprinkle with cayenne and drink.
I usually drink this mixture with a straw, so my teeth aren’t exposed to the acid and I gulp down at least 15 ounces. Followed by another 8 ounces of water later before I eat or drink anything else. I’ve done this every morning for last 5 years. I even bring lemons with me when I am on vacation or when I am not sleeping in my own house. I just throw a few lemons right into my luggage – it’s too easy not to do…
Adopting this daily habit has amazing health benefits. Imagine getting sick less, feeling lighter, having regular eliminations, clearer skin, more energy and having a boost in your metabolism leading to weight loss over time…
Doing this ritual every morning provides a super stimulant to the liver, your main detoxing organ in the body. Your liver will release uric acid and create bile to safely eliminate environmental and lifestyle toxins that would otherwise be trapped in your digestive system longer. Remember keeping your liver and digestive system clean and in optimal condition will help your body prevent diseases like cancer in the future. Combining cayenne with lemon increases the detoxing effect and raises the temperature of your body increasing your metabolism.
Drinking this combination will cleanse your body every single day safely and naturally. I plan to do it for the rest of my life. Join me and watch your vitality increase!
A few more tips about lemons –
- Store your organic lemons in the fridge – they will last longer because they do not contain fungicide like conventional lemons. I take one lemon out of the fridge each night, because lemon at room temperature is easier to juice.
- Remember not to squeeze your lemon directly into boiling water, you will destroy the live enzymes in the lemon. This is why I use half of water at room temperature and half hot water.
- Using a stainless steel lemon juicer will allow you to get most of the juice from the lemon and is much easier on your hands too. You can get one off the Food Babe Shop here.
Want more motivation? Check out these articles on the additional benefits of drinking lemon water –
Who’s already adopted this habit? I’d love to know! Leave a comment here or visit my Facebook Fan Page and share your story!
When life gives you lemons, make lemon water with cayenne. Duh. 🙂
Food Babe
P.S. Check out 4 other habits that will change your life!
Habit #2, Habit #3, Habit #4 and Habit #5….
Can you do this with lime too??
Can I just warm water up and then put a whole pealed lemon and a pinch of cayenne in my blender and blend it together? I like to have all the nutritional value in the lemon.
I take a tablespoon of Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar on an empty stomach every morning. Does this have similar effects as warm lemon water with cayenne?
I do Bragg’s daily too and would like to know as well!
Can I drink my cup of coffee ( coffee with almond milk and palm sugar ) after that ? Would that kill the benefit?
(not an expert here)
Wait for a while before ingesting anything else, especially coffee.
I take my shot of lemon & cayenne first thing in the morning before showering, and don’t drink coffee until I’m at work an hour later.
After having lemon water first thing, I don’t even feel like having coffee until later. It’s that satisfying to me.
Hi,
I juice lemon and then freeze the it in small portions (in an ice cube tray). In the mornings I just put it in a warm water. Do you think it looses a lot of vitamins when freezing ?
What are your thoughts on Stainless steel straws ?
How much cayenne pepper do you use?
Will a tbsp of honey have any effects on the result of this drink?
I have a history of blood clots. Are there any foods that thin the blood naturally?
Garlic!
Thanks
there is nothing better for blood flow than cayenne. But you need lots of heat units for it to be really effective. Now if you combine cayenne with garlic and ginger, and throw in some hawthorn berries you will have an excellent formula for the circulatory system. I actually started making my own tinctures because I was tired of the weak formulas and the high prices on the market. I made one like I described, all organic, extracted with organic grain alcohol, and it works wonders. It does have a very strong garlic taste so I made some for my family without garlic since many of them worry about their breath! it works pretty good too
Thanks for the info. Is the tincture hard to make? What are the ratios that you use? How do I learn how to make tinctures? Your response to these questions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
a great introduction to cayenne and making tinctures is the book, Curing with Cayenne by Sam Biser. If you don’t end up making your own tinctures email me and I will sell you some from my next batch cheap. [email protected] I am straining them today.
Do you mix it all in? It doesn’t say in the post…
Also, I’ve been using lemon juice instead of a lemon is that alright too?
I hope FoodBabe will answer our comments 🙂 I noticed she hasn’t yet. I’m very curious about this!
I would just read the label on your lemon juice – some have nasty additives!
I used to buy Real Lemon, lemon juice from the grocery store. As I learned more, I realized it had some unhealthy additives. If the lemon juice you are getting has additives too, then I would definitely go with freshly squeezed. Hopes this helps.
My grocery store (Publix) now sells a little plastic lemon filled with organic lemon juice! Or a great trick is to buy a bag of organic lemons & juice them, use ice trays to freeze and use 1 cube at a time. That way, you get the benefits of the rind – one of the best parts for us.
I started doing this today and I’m so excited to see what happens after making it a regular routine!
I decided to juice all the lemon ahead of time for the week and keep it in a closed container in my refrigerator so I can just squeeze and go in the mornings. But I’m wondering, will the nutrients be ruined if I’m juicing in advance and leaving it in my fridge? Your feedback is greatly appreciated! 🙂
The nutrients in the juice start to degrade immediately after juicing so you should use it as soon as you can. I wouldn’t juice more than enough for one or two days at a time.
Thanks! Good to know 😉 Guess I’ll have to start over and get more since I already juiced a bunch a few days ago 🙁
Like some other readers, I was wondering what the best thing to do with the other half of the lemon. Should it be juiced and stored at room temp or put in the frig? Or stored in the frig before juicing?
Hi Foodbabe,
I am in my 27th week of pregnancy. Would this be something that is safe for me and my baby to adapt now or is it best to start after I deliver. Also, I will be breast feeding. Is this safe to drink while breast feeding? Will the lemon/cayenne upset the baby or be beneficial to him as well? Looking forward to your answer! Thanks! 🙂
Hi Amber, another person asked about pregnancy in the earlier comments on page 1 and FoodBabe replied. Thought I’d copy and paste their convo for ya 🙂
——————————————————————–
Kim
May 21, 2012
Do you know…is this safe to do if your pregnant or breastfeeding? I don’t see why it wouldn’t be, I always eat lots of spicy foods and peppers throughout my pregnancies (this is my third) but not when breastfeeding, I am just wondering about the detoxification property of this…..thanks for any info!!
__________________________________________________
Food Babe (to Kim)
May 26, 2012
I don’t know of any issues with doing this while pregnant or breastfeeding (but I am not a doctor… so you might want to check)…You could still do just the lemon without the cayenne while your breastfeeding too! Good Luck.
While reading through other responses FoodBabe gave, she said to make sure that the lemon juice isn’t pasteurized (because it’ll strip out whatever nutrients are beneficial for this drink). And being pregnant, you should try to avoid unpasteurized products if you can, since they can contain bacteria.
Don’t know if this will let me paste the article below from BabyCenter or not, but might want to talk to your doctor before drinking this daily while pregnant.
http://www.babycenter.com/406_is-it-safe-to-drink-unpasteurized-juice-during-pregnancy_1246870.bc
Ha, well, as I re-read that article, it says as long as you immediately drink after you juice it yourself, you should be okay. So perhaps my previous post was wrong, but hey, at least you got a helpful article out of it, maybe? Sorry!
Im not going to try, the last time I tried to drink this on an empty stomach, an hour later I projectile vomitted.
Water it down, and slowly make it stronger & stronger each time.
My wife likes it super bland, I like it strong. Even just a little bit will help
I just discovered your site and this article caught my attention. Great inspiration! I recently wrote about the same thing and have also made it a daily habit! http://happylittlesurprises.com/2013/11/04/when-life-hand…u-lemons-detox/
I love how I feel on lemon water! And I Love, love, love your work. Keep it up!
I’m adding Organic Cranberry juice as well.
Does this combat the effect?
One of your articles says “Why It’s Time To Throw Out Your Microwave”.
but you have a microwave!… what a contradiction.
If you re-read her post, she specifically says she only uses her microwave for the timer feature, not to reheat things. She didn’t purchase it herself and does not use it for any cooking/reheating features.
Many bloggers have microwaves still in their homes, but don’t actually use them. Just like the above commenter stated, a lot of times the microwave is built in. I kept mine, which was even detached, for awhile after not using it any longer. I used it for storage and for heating up my rice bag 🙂
If this is you in the pic, I was surprised seeing a microwave behind, especially after I just read your post about you not having microwaves in your house.
If you re-read her post, she specifically says she only uses her microwave for the timer feature, not to reheat things. She didn’t purchase it herself and does not use it for any cooking/reheating features.
Can drinking only warm water
help lose weight?
Thanks BABE love ya 🙂
Thanks for this great advice. I’ve been drinking at least 2 cups, and most often 4 cups of warm water first thing every morning before breakfast for several years. Have been working lemon in on an irregular basis, but the cayenne thing is new to me. You’ve convinced me to make this combo an everyday ritual, though. Any thoughts on adding a dash of cinnamon to this concoction?
This has been my habit for years. I learned it from my Grandmother who drank hot water with lemon morning and night. The cayenne wasn’t part of her ritual. After dinner while everyone else had their coffee and tea, she ordered hot water with lemon…. PS SHe lived strong and healthy until 98 years old.
If FoodBabe’s house is like mine, microwaves come with the package. We had to specify NOT to have a microwave when we built so we wouldn’t be tempted to use it (apartments here in Texas come with them also). We don’t miss it one bit!! I use the heck out of my “magic bullet”, though!!
I loved doing this, but I have a past of stomach ulcers. Do you think it is still safe to do or will cause acid problems? Thanks.
Thanks Vani! I”ve been doing this for a little over a month now, (since you posted it) and I’m loving it and the effects! Love your site and page!
Does the cayenne pepper have to say organic?
I have been drinking lemon water for years. After I had a kidney stone that caused permanent kidney damage, my urologist suggested drinking a full cup of fresh lemon juice daily. i drink it diluted with water, both hot and cold. So far so good! I love spicy food, but I’m not sure how I’d like it in my water. I’ll give it a try. Thanks for the tip!
Lemon is alkaline in the body. It has no effect on the enamel of the teeth so don’t worry.
I carry Young Living Lemon oil with me to drop in my water. Its so easy for travel. No acidity on my teeth and it balances the ph in your body.
I was wondering if I can take a capsule of cayenne pepper and achieve the same results? I really dislike the taste of cayenne pepper straight and I could get vegan capsules and make the capsules myself if necessary. If that works, do you know of any commercially available cayenne pepper capsules that are acceptable?
Will try this forthwith. Knowing me, I’ll probably add a pinch of Himalayan salt for minerals and electrolytes. And yes to organic on the cayenne, and I’m agreeable with the pinch of cinnamon idea too, especially if there’s a dribble of raw unfiltered honey at hand – which there will be. Then again, we must remember that our beloved Food Babe is barely awake at this point…..
I too have been drinking lemon water in the morning for years and love the results. We use a lot of lemons in our recipes (plant based) and it always bugged me to be throwing out the pulp and rind. On a seemingly unrelated note, I recently stumbled across a website where the individual reported using lemons as a natural deodorant. I tried it the very next day and the results were AMAZING, it’s so simple and free if you already drink lemon water. I think it helps that I shave my pits, always felt hairy pits invited bacteria growth, in turn creating odor, but I also think it makes the application of the lemon more effective. Keep in mind this is NOT an antiperspirant, so you still will sweat, but let me tell you, it will NOT smell. Lemons are a natural anti-bacterial food and when your pits don’t smell after a long day, or even after exercising, you’ll be a believer too. We also use spent lemons in the dishwasher, just stab them down on the glass holder tines; we also grind them up in the vitamix with vinegar and make a lovely clothes washing fragrance, placing in the fabric softener dispenser. Endless uses for lemons, often multiple uses for the same lemon!
I love all of your suggestions! Thank for sharing.
Can you do this with cold water or does it have to be hot? How much cayenne pepper should you use?
I too am interested in what is the purpose of the cayenne? I do 1/2 lemon w/warm (do I need a whole lemon) water and add 1/4 tsp ginger in a tea cup. Should I change that to 8 ozs and add the cayenne w/ the ginger? Thanks
Foodbabe and readers, here is a great website if you love lemons.
http://thelemonbowl.com/
I have been drinking warm lemon water and honey and/or maple syrup for years for sore throats and sinus issues. But in October, I did the Conscious Cleanse, in which you drink a quart of warm lemon water first thing every morning. I have continued to do this every morning since the cleanse. I drink it now instead of coffee.
I do this most mornings but sans the cayenne and I have been feeling great. No sicknesses this winter! However I never warm up my water. I prepare it the night before and leave next to my bed so is the first thing I see. I’ll look into the benefits of warming up the water to see if it warrants changing the habit a bit. 🙂 thanks food babe!
I would love to do this however I have hypothyroidism, so I have to take medication every morning on an empty stomach and then need to wait 45 minutes to an hour before consuming anything except plain water. This would then push my breakfast time back another half hour. Any suggestions? Thanks!
I have had warm lemon water every single day for a very long time. I actually look forward to it every morning. Yum!
I reuse the used lemon in the dishwasher never a smelly dishwasher again.
I have been doing this every morning for 5 months now and I feel great! Except I add about a table spoon of Braggs Organic Apple Cider Vinegar to the mixture. It has become a morning habit, and I plan to continue doing this for the rest of my life. Thanks for the tip Vani!
Thanks for the tip! Can you recommend a BPA-free straw to use when drinking the lemon water?
Paper straws! Like the old fashioned ones.!
We use stainless steel ones, from amazon. Don’t have to buy new ones, every time the box runs out 😉
You really should add Organic Honey because it’s easily digestible and cleanses the liver and body with natural anti-bacterial agents. Honey burns fat fast and is often used to decrease stress levels.
Hi Vani, I tried the warm lemon water with cayenne for a while, but stopped because Iabsolutely hated it, I now drink just warm lemon water because I actually enjoy and can see myself making this a daily habit, what is the benefit of adding cayenne pepper as opposed to just the lemon? If I don’t add it will I still get a benefit? Thank you.
I have read a lot of info on warm water with lemon only, being very good also. This is actually the first time I’ve read about adding the ceyenne.
Thanks Olivia.
I am just wondering why the water has to be warm?
Cayane and lemmon or lime is sure to corrode the stomach sack . Any pepper should be eaten with good fat to save the stomach. My ayurvadic dad taught me this.
No offence you are still very young and have lot to learn. Keeo on the good work.
I drink lemon water in the morning to get my day started off right, and then apple cider vinegar water for my afternoon pick-me-up drink instead of using coffee or tea as a stimulant… it’s amazing how refreshing it is!
Can you substitute limes. I saw this question asked before but never saw an answer. I live in a country that does not grow lemons (Thailand) and if we do get lemons they are ridiculously expensive.
Thanks
Never did see how much cayenne????
I’d love the brand ” Italian volcano” 100 percent organic lemon juice. it is equivalent to 40 lemons in every bottle. I buy mine at Costco.
I got a bunch of lemons from my mom who has a lemon tree. I couldn’t use them all so I froze the juice in ice cube trays. Does freezing kill the healthy enzymes? Will I still receive benefits? Seems like I do….
Food Babe, How much Cayenne pepper? It would be helpful to see a video of you preparing the lemon cayenne pepper mix drink. I suffer from heartburn too, so I need to be careful on how much to add. A dash or?