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….
I started juicing lemons because i was tired of my daughter bringing home viruses from her day care job!! Since i started juicing i notice that it is clearing up my “Tinea Versicolor” (skin fungus) that i have had problems with on and off for years!!! I also notice that i just feel better! So i am now addicted to drinking the lemon water EVERYDAY!! lol *I just juice half a lemon and put it in 24oz of water and drink it down.
Here is the link that will answer all the questions on the lemon drink in the morning.
http://bodyunburdened.com/health-benefits-warm-lemon-cayenne-pepper-water/
May, My family and I have the same skin fungus…. how long did it take to see results from taking the lemon drink? curious…. we have tried to get rid of the fungus and have never had good results. Thanks
Hi Dawn, I started to notice that my fungus spots were getting lighter (which means that they are dying and i am getting my color back!) and this started probably within 2wks to 1 month of juicing!!! I also noticed that in the beginning i would seem to get light headaches pretty often because it was from the fungus die off!! from juicing the lemons and drinking them. I now have my color back most of the way and i had the fungus BAD!!! It spread to my whole back and to my front, so i was sooooooo excited when i realized that the lemons was KILLING it off!!! 🙂
SUGAR feeds the fungus, which is WHY we crave sugary foods, so i would advise you to do your best to ELIMINATE as much sugar from your diet that is possible!! Good luck to you and as long as you are consistent, it WILL WORK!!!
Another way to rid your skin of the fungus is to wash your skin in the shower with anti-dandruff shampoo like Head and Shoulders. Allow the lather to stay in for about 5-10 minutes before washing off. Repeat daily for a week then use weekly afterwards.
May- do you eat fruit? I have the same issue vor 8 years–and all healthy diets for immune/autoimmune I have not cleared on it or improved it-just keeps getting wores. not sure if it is due to immune system -I do eat green smoothies with fruit everyday that is the only sugar I eat-but it things like bananas, mangos etc. I eat a salad everyday with lemon juice(fresh)- do you drink it first thing in the morning 1/2 lemon with 24 oz of water?
Hi Selma, i do eat fruit and have to limit my sugar intake MORE than i do, because that’s what feeds the fungus!!! I eat MORE healthy now than what i did in the past, but still have problems with it coming back! I’ve tried EVERYTHING in the book to eliminate the candida fungus (exp: using selenium dandruff shampoo, fungus medicines that are harmful to your liver, all the antifungal herbs like oregano oil, olive leaf, you name it i tried it!!) So, you can imagine my surprise when i was doing the lemon juice to clean out my liver and it ended up KILLING THE FUNGUS!!!! I was sooooo surprised and happy all in one because i did NOT expect that! lol **I do want to mention that i got off track with the juicing for a couple of weeks due to being sick and/on vacation and the fungus is slowly trying to come back!!! uhhhhgggg!! So, i’m back on the lemon juice religiously now!!! 🙂
I just juice half of a lemon and drink it during the morning hours in 16oz of water (room temperature) because i don’t want it hot or cold. Hope this helps you!!
Thank you so much May- what is the rest of your diet/daily routine like ? are you gf/dairy free? vegan? grains? raw?
Hi Selma, i am still trying to make my diet more healthy day by day! I am more aware of the GF diet and trying to go in that direction! I try to limit as much sugar as i can. It’s VERY IMPORTANT to take a good quality probiotic to help replenish the good bacteria in your gut to keep the fungus in check! I take Healthy Origins 30 billion CFU’s. I am trying to eat MORE veggies in my diet and lean more toward Organic than conventional (because of the pesticides!) I try to eat Grass fed meats only!! (Never grocery store bought, EVER) I go easy on the dairy intake but make sure that it is grass fed quality (again, not grocery store bought). We have cut our meat consumption considerably and try to incorporate MORE veggies!! I LOVE my veggies!! lol (My hubby, not so much! lol) and let’s not forget the importance of taking a good quality Multi vitamin and minerals supplement! I use Youngevity products because they are Organic/non-gmo!! 🙂 *I hope this helps!
How long do you need to wait before having coffee/tea and something to eat?
She had mentioned in the earlier comments that you only need to wait about 10 minutes before eating something 🙂
I am trying this today and my throat is burning!!!! How much cayenne pepper do you use and is there a difference between cayenne and cayenne red??? Maybe we bought the wrong kind. I have had to small sips so far and can’t take another LOL
I think she mentioned in earlier comments that you only need to do a small pinch and if it still bothers your throat / stomach, you can just drink the lemon water.
If you let it sit the cayenne pepper gets stronger tasting. Drink it closer to the time that you mix it and it should not burn your throat.
I also experienced a burn, especially on my lips when I tried this for the first time this morning. Then I read on the link above to stir it all up and that’s what I’ll be trying tomorrow for sure!
You can also buy it in capsules and just take the capsul with the warm lemon water… It’s all going to the same place. Bit this way, you don’t end up with the burning sensation. I hate spicy things, so there’s no way in hell that I’m taking cayene pepper straight in water.
I am sure every store sells them, but Whole Foods sells empty vegetarian capsules. You can put the cayenne pepper in those. I usually do turmeric with a bit of black pepper (to “activate” the turmeric”). I will try this as well!
According to my Naturopath, if you don’t follow the lemon water up with soluble fiber the fat and toxins you just released can be reabsorbed. The fiber ensures they will be eliminated.
Sandra:
I’m interested by your comment. How long is recommended you wait to eat after drinking the lemon water to avoid the absorption? And what is my Naturopath? Thanks very much!
Kristy
Kristy, I follow the hot lemon with milled flax (mixed in a glass of water) about a half to an hour later. Ideally you are consuming fiber rich foods throughout the day, but I don’t want too much with my breakfast so I can take my supplements and get the most from them, that is why I take the flax drink separately. My Naturopath is the Doctor who put me on a program to help heal my liver following lead poisoning. Hope that helps. Have a GREAT day!
Hey, Can you use lime if you’re out of lemon? thanks!
is there any problem doing this while pregnant or nursing? i don’t see any, but also wanted to your opinion.
thanks!
kristen
I haven’t tried it yet, but just be careful to keep an eye that your baby doesn’t react to the cayenne. I eat alot of spicy food but had to cut back on the cayenne because it seemed to upset her stomach and when it came out the other end… =)
You can do just the lemon water while pregnant. Wait to start the cayenne pepper 6 weeks after giving birth. A pinch shouldn’t hurt any if breastfeeding.
Why use the hot water at all?
Warm water not hot…it stimulates the liver (cold water would not do such a good job) !!
This makes no sense. Even if it were cold by the time it gets into your stomach and sits for even 30 seconds it will be at 98.6° So the starting temperature is irrelevant.
I just read that someone bought a glass Dharma straw. Why that and would just any straw work?
I think the acidic lemon could leach some of the harmful chemicals out of a plastic straw. Glass is safer
how long, if at all, is it ok to use your cayenne pepper after the expiration date? also, what is the best brand of cayenne pepper to get and is it better to just ground up a cayenne pepper yourself instead of using spices?
question #1. why hot water? Years ago, I did the Lemon water with Cayenne cleanse that was the craze when actors & actresses would do to lose weight fast., so the 2 together is coming up in a lot of lists that are good for you.
question #2 I know Food Babe is very busy, but how come I don’t see her answering her fans questions. I have had most of my questions answered by other people just as popular and probably just as busy.
thank you Food Babe for all that you do to help all of us see the real deal to what we all put in our bodies, and also for working so hard to get others to change this world for the better.
hot water or warm water so your body will not have to warm the water up to you body temp before it is absorb
How to solve the burning of the throat when drinking it?. Am I using too much cayenne? I only sprinkle in on. Could I possibly pre-make a jug of it and sit out a glass of it, the night before? I know I would have to stir it before pouring into a glass as the cayenne tends to sink to the bottom.
I’ve noticed that she usually answers questions on posts immediately after she writes the post. I imagine it would be nearly impossible to continue monitoring the comments on every post she’s written in the months and years after it was posted (when I looked at the first page of comments for this post, it was December 2011, so 2 1/2 years ago). If you click on ‘About’ at the top of the page, you can email her team, and they say they will respond, so that may be the best route to take if you want a Food Babe answer.
thanks Marcy
I would just like to add……
PRIOR TO THE LEMON JUICE…
One should wash,rinse and detox the mouth full of toxic bacteria that has accumulated overnight.
You DON’t want to swallow/wash down and reabsorb the potent bacterial concentration that has accumulated in your mouth from your body’s own liver cleansing which takes place during the early to late morning hours (between 1am-3am).
A Mouthwash/Rinse with theives oil of some type…….The one I use
http://www.essentialoxygen.com/
…..oh and I just started using it 1 month ago…
-no fluoride
-made in USA
-no chlorine
-no glycerin
-no alcohol
-organic ingredients
-no sodium laurel sulfate
….don’t work for these people just really happy and seeing a difference…I too drink the warm water cayanne!!
Happy day 🙂
Do you have to cycle on and off cayenne like you do for cinnamon. Can’t the toxicity build up? Or your body will become used to the Cayenne so the benefits aren’t there?
Hi Vani –
I’ve been drinking my warm lemon water first thing in the morning when I wake up. I’ve been reading all of these positive effects of oil pulling with coconut oil and would like to incorporate it into my morning routine. Should I do that first or do the oil pulling first? I know I am supposed to wait 15-30 minutes to eat or drink after the lemon water and I am reading that I need to oil pull first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. So can I drink my lemon water, then oil pull for 20 min and be good to go? Thanks for all of your info!
Holly
I am wondering the same thing. I oil pull every morning but want to start the warm lemon water too. An other poster said you should clean your mouth before drinking this so your not swallowing all that bacteria that has been building up in your mouth. So I am thinking oil pull, then lemon drink?
I too would be interested to know about the correct order in the morning. Should I oil pull first, and then do the lemon water? I would appreciate any help!
I am 62 yrs young. I have been drinking water with juice of 1 or 2 lemons a day since my late 20’s. No pop! So I have always been hydrated. The last several yrs have been with non fluoridated water. I swear by lemons to start me off every day. Also a green smoothie in the a.m. kombucha we brew and aloe vera juice. Energy to farm the day away!
I’ sort of new here, so I apologized I ask anything that’s already been answered.
Is it okay to drink the water only with lemon? And what is the minimum time to wait to eat/drink afterwards, for those who don’t have much time in the morning?
“having regular eliminations,” I love how she puts it. It means poop. Poop! lol. I’m going to try this .Thanks for the tip and thank you New World Next Week for putting me on to this site.
We don’t have cayenne but we do make our own habenero powder. Would that work the same way?
Whoa! This blog looks just llike myy old one!
It’s on a totally different subject but it hass pretty much thee same layout and design.
Excellent choice of colors!
I want to try this!! I don’t know exactly how much cayenne pepper though. Food Babe, why don’t you ever post any answers to your fans questions? Am I missing them??
Suzanne…try this link. It answered all my questions on how much?
http://bodyunburdened.com/health-benefits-warm-lemon-cayenne-pepper-water/
I’ve noticed that she usually answers questions on posts immediately after she writes the post. I imagine it would be nearly impossible to continue monitoring the comments on every post she’s written in the months and years after it was posted (when I looked at the first page of comments for this post, it was December 2011, so 2 1/2 years ago). If you click on ‘About’ at the top of the page, you can email her team, and they say they will respond, so that may be the best route to take if you want a Food Babe answer.
Hi Suzanne – It’s about 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne. 🙂
great post i really like this post thanks for sharing this great post here 🙂
Thank you so much for all the helpful information! I’m drinking this every morning.
A couple of other things I’d like to share that I found very helpful:
1) Water Temperature: 105 C is where Lemon Enzymes start to get killed. As Vani mentions, she mixes hot with room temp water to make sure it is not too hot. I found that mixing 12 oz of room temp with 4 oz boiling makes a 16oz glass of 103C water, a good, safe temperature that allows you to enjoy the benefits of a warm glass of Lemon Water without killing the Enzymes.
2) How much Lemon Juice: Apparently, if you weigh more than 150lbs(I’m a guy!). you should squeeze the juice of an entire lemon into your glass.
3) Lemon Type: I find Organic Meyer Lemons to be sweeter than Eurekas. Just my preference.
Hope this helps some of you out there!
Thanks for all the great info on this site… It helps us guys too!! 🙂
Dave
David, don’t you mean degrees fahrenheit not celsius? 100 C is the temp of boiling water so very much not recommended for drinking. Just to clarify 🙂 Thanks for your info!
Good catch Steve! If course I meant 105 Fahrenheit.. or 40 Celsius or 313 Kelvin.. 🙂
Lemon really serve us the proper nourishment.
Faithfully…every morning for about 7 months now!
Can you add Apple Cider vinegar to the drink? I have been trying to find a good drink that contains ACV that I can take daily and keep simple, that’s why I’m asking. Combining the 2 would save time:)
I just started this two weeks ago. But I didn’t know to add cayenne pepper. When I juice my daily drinks I add cayenne and ginger as well!!
Hi, I suffer from two conditions that I was wondering if might be contraindicated for this? Gout as you stated about uric acid output and Gastric Reflux?
I drink half a lemon squeezed into hot water along with cayenne pepper and turmeric every morning, I love it!!!!!
Food babe! Leaving your water out over night exposes you to bacteria which grows from standing water at room temperature for more than 4 hours. I suggest waiting until morning to add water.
I’ve been drinking and enjoying in the morning lemon juice, 1 tbs. of apple cider vinegar, and 1 tsp. of honey in warm water for over a year now. What do you think of this combo?
Thank you!
Why only one half lemon. Is the whole lemon too much at on time? And how much cayenne?
I do this too, except I add a Tbsp of Bragg’s ACV to it as well. For those days when pollen or allergies are at their peak I add a Tbsp of raw organic local honey to help combat those allergies. Just make sure it’s not too hot ( must stay under 110°) to be considered raw and that also prevents the naturally occurring enzymes, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals from becoming useless, and/or harmful (through oxidation).
Right with ya I use 12 oz. of room temp water and a whole juiced lemon first thing every morning….love love love it 🙂
Your such a Doll love what you do,been doing this for years and you are so right,keep doing what your doing.
I love lemon water every day but any kind of spicy pepper upsets my stomach so bad I end up sick to my stomach all day. I have always heard that cayenne pepper is very irritating, promotes inflammation, and can disturb ulcers Etc.. if taken too much.
I have been squeezing fresh lemon and raw honey into my morning green tea every morning first thing — would this be as effective as just putting the lemon into warm water?
I ALSO DRINK HOT LEMON WATER IN THE MORNING BUT HAVE NOT TRIED IT WITH CAYENNE PEPPER. I WILL GIVE IT A TRY.
HAVE ONE QUESTION: IF YOUR USING A PLASTIC STRAW TO DRINK THE HOT LEMON WATER, IS IT SAFE SINCE THE PLASTIC WILL BE HEATED?
Hi!
Do you have any suggestions for an everyday all over body lotion that contains SPF?
I love your site! Thank you for all the great information!
Any newbies out there??? I just started this three days ago, and have a horrible head cold starting the second day. I’m thinking it’s a symptom of the detoxification, but I don’t know. I definitely have also increased my fruit & veggie & water intake, but I have not been eating exclusively “clean” or raw by any stretch. Just wondering if anybody else has experienced this.
Thank you all! And good luck to everyone on our healthy journeys!
I was doing this every morning and started to experience really swollen feet and ankles. I was also after chugging the warm lemon water was downing 2 tablespoons of Bragg’s ACV in 8 oz of water as well. My swollen ankles and feet were so bad that I stopped and the swelling was gone the next day. Any suggestions or thoughts? I would love to do this as I believe in it’s health benefits but, I don’t want the foot/ankle swelling.
I no longer have a gall bladder so does the can the increase in bile make me sick?
Also any comments on pulling a tooth vs. root canal? I’m 58 with RA and have stopped all treatment including pain meds and want to turn around my life.
I only eat organic and non-GMO and I’m driving home everything I learn from you and similar websites. For teeth I have been reading Dr. Mercola. Thanks so much!!
How much cayenne do you put in, what is the measurement?
1/8 tspn….a pinch will do amy.
Wow, drinking that was nauseating, especially with a straw. I even put honey in it. If I feel energized today I guess it will be worth it. I would also love for it to help clear my skin. Does anyone have tips for making it taste good? Is there a tea I can put in it that will be delicious but still provide the health benefits?
a pinch will do, 1/8 tspn
sorry wrong reply before. but re ur situation, christina…… try abstaining from ALL dairy products and watch how much your skin clears!!!
Ok, I have been doing the lemon water (warm/hot water) in the morning for several months now! I hear sooooo many claims as to its skin benefits, yet my skin is still a MESS!!! Breakouts etc…why!?! Please help!
Does the water need to be heated? I always just use cold water and add organic lemon and cayenne pepper? Why half heated?
This is great but you should really put a warning somewhere. Cayenne Pepper is not good for everyone or good for the long run. Although people use cayenne pepper to treat gastrointestinal problems, the substance can cause stomach irritation in some individuals. Anyone prone to heartburn should talk to a health care provider before taking cayenne pepper….If you want to make a healthy habit for life, try warm water with a pinch of sea salt or Himalayan salt. It cleanses and have other benefits and it’s safer.
I have read to not drink a lot of water before and/or with meals so as not to dilute the acid in your stomach needed for digestion. Drinking 23 oz. of fluid before breakfast would dilute a lot of this acid. Does the Food Babe recommend waiting to eat for a bit after the lemon water so the acid can build up again?
i have a very sensitive stomach, but this sounds like just what i need in the a.m. any suggestions? thanks #foodbabe!
Oops!!! I meant to put my name!! Not Selma!! lol lol lol
OOPS!!!! I meant to put my name and not Selma!! lol when i replied to Selma!!!