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 have been doing this for a few months now and I love it… It took me so long to get it into my regular routine, I would always forget and go for the cup of coffee. I stopped drinking coffee and now this is my coffee. I sometimes stir a tablespoon of blackstrap molasses (iron/b12 because I went vegan) in it or I brew dandelion root tea in my warm lemon water/ cayenne mason jar…what do you think?
I want to try this but want to start with organic lemon concentrate, and my culligan water cooler with a hot water dispenser. I think I will start tomorrow! I have a ton of cayenne pepper 🙂
I love all your post on facebook.
I have been drinking warm (almost hot) water for quite a while now – had to take a break from it for about a month after having surgery but am getting back into it again – have not tried the cayenne and after reading a comment about the joint pain I will not be doing it at all but will continue my lemon water everyday again 😉 thank you for all your research you do to help those of us that choose to live healthier lives – love your posts!! 😉
Does it matter which HU the cayenne pepper is? What do you use?
This is a great. I also use cayenne tincture which can be purchased at most health food stores. Very important to use organic lemons!
Is this better then tea?
Hi Food Babe- I decided to try this out and tried for the first time today! I had lemon water with cayenne first thing, then came to work and had a cup of tea. Once I had the tea my stomach started to become really upset! Why do you think this is? Is it a bad idea to have tea on an empty stomach? I had an apple, and that didn’t help much either. Maybe I over did it on the cayenne?
Black Tea on an empty stomach has ALWAYS bothered me. I would recommend always eating before or with it.
I am just wondering how much cayenne I should use. I made this today, but think I over-cayenned. It was a little spicy and I really had to force it down. I have been drinking warm lemon water every morning for months so this would be an easy adjustment for me if I don’t hate drinking it (like I do apple cider vinegar).
Just start with a tiny amount of cayenne at first and gradually add more as you get used to it.
I’ve been doing this for the past few weeks and I’ve definitely noticed my skin cleaning up. I have more energy and have been going more regularly. A question though, is it OK to have coffee afterwards? How long would you recommend waiting before eating/drinking anything else?
Sure you can have coffee afterwards. Vani recommends eating breakfast at least 12 hrs after dinner. Read about fasting everyday here. https://foodbabe.com/2011/12/30/habits-for-the-new-year-and-beyond-3-fast-every-single-day/
So does the lemon/cayenne water NOT count as “food” with the 12 hour fast? For example, if I wake up at 6am but can’t eat until 7am, I could still have the lemon/cayenne water at 6? But coffee does count, especially if you add cream, is that right? Thx!
Hi Kristin – the lemon water is fine. I try to wait on my coffee but it is probably ok too if it is black.
I been drinking room temperature lemon water and cayenne for about a month now and feel so much better ,my pain in my leg is almost gone this drink has special effects on vains ,my age spot on my hand is almost gone as well. I also lost a few pounds. To new beginners ,weigh your self before you start I wish I had. Question should the water be room temp or warm water .I hear both is good what do you think.I will continue this until the end . Happy New and thanks so much .
Year
I was wondering your thoughts on this drink for those with acid issues.
I have battled erosive esohpigitis for a long time and I would love the benifits of the pepper but I wonder if in the long term, it ifs a bad idea for me.
Hi Christine -you should check with your doctor on that one…
Christine, I highly recommend detoxing particularly green juicing only for a couple of weeks. Your bacteria is probably out of balance in your gut which is causing your acid problems. This can happen for a number of reasons but is usually from taking antibiotics at some point or just about any prescription medication. Juicing only will not only cleanse your system but give your gut a break as well so it can heal itself and get back in balance.
I also recommend taking a good probiotic; I take Culturelle and most holistic practitioners recommend it.
Here is an article I wrote about cleansing the body; hints for juicing are at the end of number 1.
http://mountaingrannysorganicherbs.com/news/2013/03/proper-cleansing-proper-order/
I just started drinking lemon water and tried to sprinkle cayenne but it was too hot for me. So, I am taking two cayenne capsules right before drinking the lemon water. I just wrote about drinking lemon water with cayenne on my post about times of the day to drink water: http://ourholisticjourney.com/2013/02/20/the-best-times-of-the-day-to-drink-water/. I have a water ionizer and an drinking the clean water with lemon. Should I drink the clean or alkaline water? Also, is it ok to have the cayenne capsules vs sprinkling it into the water?
Thanks!
Question – do you have to use hot water at all? Can you do it with just 16 ounces of room temperature water? Does the hot water help “release” some enzymes? But not too hot to kill them? Is there a benefit to half hot/half room temp? I’m totally willing to do either, whichever is best. I don’t want to kill my lemon enzymes though, so if the hot part is for taste, then I am ok leaving it just room temp. Or sometimes hot water is better for morning digestion, and that may be why…your thoughts?
Did you ever find out if it’s okay to just use room/temp water? Thanks 🙂
Room temperature water is fine too.
Thank you!!!
Does anyone know if this would be bad if I’m nursing my 6 month old? I don’t want to create any problems for her by doing it and will wait until I’m done nursing, but wanted to check if anyone knew. Thanks!
I would definitely look into that a bit more. I know detoxes while nursing can be harmful. Ask a doctor you trust.
I am nursing a six month old as well… did you find any information if this would be ok?
We definitely recommend checking with your doctor on this one.
Also, flavors of the foods you eat apparently come through to breast milk, so I’d be careful doing this while nursing.
I am not a doctor but just a mother of two. I’ve exclusively breastfed both my children – the first until 16 months and the second is 15 months old and is still breastfed. My advice is to try a diluted dose of it for a couple of days and see if your baby as any reaction. If not, keep adding more cayenne and lemon until you get to the desired amount. Each baby is unique and will have different reactions to different foods. You will never know unless you try. Same goes for spicy ethnic food, dairy or anything else that may be considered risky. This is also the advice given to me by a RN and lactation specialist who was leading our mom’s group.
I have been doing this for over a year now. I’m a breastfeeding mother (going for 32+ months now) and pregnant at the moment. My naturopath has suggested the lemon + cayenne + warm water + 1 tsp maple syrup when I was breastfeeding and did not tell me there were any issues continuing while pregnant. One thing that might happen is that baby would be sensitive to cayenne pepper in your diet. I’ve been eating mildly spicy foods through pregnancies and breastfeeding though, so I haven’t seen that being an issue for us. Hope this helps.
Would this works for limes as well as lemons?
Yes it will… but lemons work better.
Been doing this a month or so. I love lemon and hot stuff so it’s a natural for me. Certainly feels right and I intend to keep it up.
I have been taking the lemon/cayenne mix/tea 1-2 times a day, and my eliminations have never been more massive. I feel so great afterwards! I use about 1/3 cup of warm water, 2 tablespoons of lemon concentrate, and as much cayenne as I can stand, drinking my mix after breakfast and dinner, figuring, it will cut through my food after meals. I will definitely be keeping it up.
I love the way this drink makes me feel! However, recently, I just can’t seem to handle the cayenne in my mouth. No matter how little I use, it’s too much. Do you suppose it would work the same if I took a cayenne supplement with the warm lemon water instead of putting the cayenne in the drink?
That would probably work fine
Want to try this. Thanks for sharing. What if organic lemons are not always an option? Will conventional lemons do?
Sure! Just scrub them well…
How will “scrubbing a lemon well” change anything about the juice that comes from within the lemon?
Usually fruits with “thick” skins are OK not to eat organic. Here is a list of the Dirty Dozen…
2013 Dirty Dozen List
The fruits and vegetables that rank the highest in pesticide load are known as the Dirty Dozen, and the EWG advises that if you can’t afford to buy all organic produce, you should at least buy organic versions of these 12 items. There are also two extra Dirty Dozen Plus vegetables on the list. The explanation for those is below.
Apples
Strawberries
Grapes
Celery
Peaches
Spinach
Sweet bell peppers
Nectarines
Cucumbers
Potatoes
Cherry tomatoes
Hot peppers
Hi – What do you do with the other half of the lemon? Save it for the next day?
yep!
This is so amazing! I’ve been doing this for a few weeks now and Love it! Helps to deffinetly keep me regular in the mornings and i do feel “lighter” LOL
Thanks for sharing!
glad you like it… I’m hooked!
I was wondering if just cayenne would be beneficial, I have psoriasis and it seems lemon water irritates it. I really want to do this and wonder if you know of anything I could use as a substitute for lemons.
Cayenne has many many benefits with or without lemon. Go here to see a listing:
http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/benefits-of-cayenne-pepper/
Here is another great site showing the benefits of Cayenne. I think you’ll enjoy looking at the slideshow:
http://prezi.com/cq_qwnwputas/19-benefits-of-cayenne-peppers/
unbelievable. Just was checking this out..and…. life is so funny:-) See… my hubby and I got onto the kick of having fresh squeezed lemons in water everyday….. and then…I, for some unknown reason, decided cayenne would be good with it. I love the taste of the two together, and I will say how I found it out. I would order pizza, at home, and upon eating a slice I would dump cayenne all over it and heat it up. I loved the taste, then, started drinking lemon water instead of sodas…. they went so well together… so now it is cayenne and lemon water, :-0)
How neat to read about it here.
🙂 Thanks for sharing Jillie.
is that the same acid that gives you kidney stones and will this help kick down that acid.
Can you use cold water?
Warm or room temp is better…
What do you do with all your lemon rinds? Consider this! Lemon Vinegar Cleaner:
1 16-ounce canning jar
4 or more lemon peels
White vinegar to cover
Curl the peels around the inside of the jar. If your oranges are small and you could fit another peel, feel free to add one more. Pour vinegar into the jar to cover the peels and close tightly. Store in the cupboard for two weeks, then transfer the vinegar to a spray bottle and use for all your cleaning purposes!
Note: I like to dilute the vinegar with 50% water for general cleaning. http://fountainavenuekitchen.com/orange-vinegar-a-green-cleaner/
What a great idea! I want to try this…thanks for sharing.
Can use oranges, lemons, limes…any citrus!
I’ve been doing this for just about a week now and have felt nauseous for several days. One day to the point of throwing up. It could be a bug. It could be something food related I guess but since adding this is the most dramatic change I’m wondering if it could be the lemon cayenne water itself or what it is doing to my system. The nausea does last throughout the day not just after I drink the drink. Any ideas? Suggestions? Similar experiences? Thanks.
Hi Sarah – Just checking in to see if your nausea went away and if you continued to drink the lemon water?
I’m thinking you’re possibly either having a detox issue with it, which can cause the symptoms you mentioned, or, you’re having some other issue. I’m curious, too, to hear whether you continued this or not.
Most cultivated varieties of cayenne, Capsicum annuum, can be grown in a variety of locations and need approximately 100 days to mature. Peppers prefer warm, moist, nutrient-rich soil in a warm climate. :;,:
Au revoir http://www.healthmedicinebook.com/index.php/
I just started doing this about 4 weeks ago. I love it! I just ordered a glass Dharma straw a few days ago to protect my teeth from the acids in the lemon juice. Today I decided to try something new with my lemon & cayenne water, I added fresh grated ginger. Yum!
Started doing this every morning for the last few weeks. I’ve been adding organic honey to make it a bit more palatable. Does this added sugar negate the cleansing benefits of the lemon?
I was thinking of adding raw honey for allergies. Thoughts?
My husband and I were wondering the same thing about raw honey. Can it be added to the lemon mixture without negating positive results?
Thanks!
lemon juice because it makes the body alkaline? Or for other reasons? I mostly put Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar with a tiny bit of oranic raw honey in my green tea, but I will try this…TOMORROW 🙂
This is a great tip. I usually do honey and lemon water each morning. How do you feel about the cayenne, honey and lemon? Your post made me realize I should not use boiling water – and that I’m not using enough lemon. Thank you!
It is better to drink it without the honey.
Would pure lemon extract work (like doTerra essential oils)?
Hi Jennifer – really, fresh squeezed lemon juice is best.
I just started drinking a tbs of undiluted apple cider vinegar mixed with water in the morning. Would it be ok if I just add that to the lemon and cayenne water? Thanks!
Sure~
So it’s ok to add apple cider vinegar but better not to add honey? why is that? thanks!
Why is warm or warm/hot water best? Is cold water fine for other times like during or after a workout?
Warm water is gentle on the digestion system. It is better to use warm or room temp water and drink it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.
Just started the lemon/cayenne water today and also just purchased the eating guides. Can’t wait to get started. I LOVE the tea kettle in your picture. Where did you find one so beautiful? Thanks
According to ayurveda hotwater with lemon and honey helps the digestive system. I drink this first thing in mornings on and off(when I am out of lemons, I just drink hotwater daily). I was wondering what difference would it make between lemon and honey water versus lemon and cayenne water. Did anyone tried both? And saw any differences?
I do not know if it’s just me or if perhaps everyone else experiencing issues with your site. It looks like some of the written text in your content are running off the screen. Can someone else please comment and let me know if this is happening to them as well? This might be a problem with my browser because I’ve had this happen previously.
Many thanks
I live in AZ an there are NO organic lemons to be found….not at whole foods, Trader Joes, Local Grocery (Fry’s) or Costco. But I have found Organic Lemon juice…is it Ok to use that? How much Cayenne do you put in per 16oz of water? How much lemon juice?
I would use real lemons even if they are not organic – make sure you scrub them well. I use half a lemon in a mug of water and one sprinkle of cayenne. It is really to taste… Ask your local stores to get organic lemons. My Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s almost always have them. Yours should too!
There is a shortage of organic lemons right now! So this is probably why you can’t find them. At least, I can’t find them in Virginia. Apparently there’s a bug infecting them and so the supply is really down. I’ve been going to various Whole Foods and other organic markets to find them in the past week and I finally asked and was told that the supply is down due to this infection.
I noticed that Food Babe says you can use limes instead (although lemons are better) or get a container of organic lemon juice as an option
I couldn’t even finish 8 ounces of lemon water before breakfast…any tips?
Maybe try 4 ounces and work up?
I just started this & am loving it!! Thanks Vani!!
I’ve been doing warm lemon water for a few months now. I add a little DE to mine.
I will have to try the cayenne pepper!
Do you think using turmeric is equally beneficial? I am a heavy beer drinker, and take a lot of supplements (milk thistle, lecithin, dandelion root, B vitamin complex and turmeric … and also drink warm lemon water every morning, but mixed with aloe vera gel and some coconut water. Thanks!
Fyi, the aloe and coconut water is consumed separately from the warm lemon water, but around the same time. Thanks!
I understand if I end up with no reply, but I appreciate your site and your time & effort into these investigations … I would be also interested in your thoughts regarding aloe vera gel, and whether drinking the inner fillet only vs. the entire leaf is best. Lily of The Dessert seems to be the big market player, but Whole Foods offers the whole leaf version as well … seems to reduce internal inflammation, among many other things.
I drink a cup of fresh lemon juice and warm water every morning – and have started adding a tbsp of apple cider vinegar to it. Any thoughts on that? (I have never tried with Cayenne pepper – but will give that a try too)….
Hi,
I usually drink 64 oz of water a day with juice from 3 whole lemons. I just make in the morning and sip all day.
Can I make the Lemon Cayenne mixture and do the same, or do you recommend just doing in the morning?
My daughters and I recently read about the benefits of lemons, and that the peels are packed with even more vitamins than the lemons. I have been blending the whole lemon in room temperature water and drinking it. (I would be happy to add cayenne to it.) What do you think?
Also, thank you for all your encouraging words of wisdom; I am excited to have found your website.
I zest the lemons before using and then freeze the zest in baby food trays (like small ice cube trays)….Great for tossing into a recipe later.
Great tip!
I tried this but it tore my lips up. The acid I am guessing wrecked havoc on my lips and I had to stop drinking, it took almost two weeks for them to heal. Anyway around that?
You could try drinking from a straw and see if that helps. Food Babe does that to protect her teeth.