Morning by Morning Pt 1: Envirgorating Lemon water tonic

I'm always trying to improve in the area of healthy eating. This desire better my eating habits comes from my love of salty, fried items. I have thing for french fries, fried fish, chips, etc. I've been really focused on balancing my unhealthy ways with better eating choices. A few years ago I decided eliminate chicken and read meat from my diet. You guys are already aware that I recently started juicing in the mornings. But there are times when juicing isn't practical in the mornings because of lack of time or if I don't have fresh veggies on hand. So I've come up with some alternative routines that I can follow that are still very healthy in their own right.

Today, I will share with you my lemon water morning routine. Some of you may have heard of this method before. Basically, on an empty stomach, I pour some room temperature spring water in a glass. When the water is room temperature, the body is better able to assimilate it.

Next I take a lemon and squeeze it into the water. Basically I make a simple lemonade with a bit of a twist.

You might be asking yourself, "what is with all that speckled stuff in the water?" That, my friends, is cayenne pepper. I add the cayenne pepper to help promote stimulation which is very beneficial first thing in the morning.

In the past I would sweeten my drink with a little honey or stevia. Now my palette is strong enough to handle this spicy drink without the help of natural sweeteners. So why would someone in their right mind drink a spicy, bitter, drink at room temperature? Because of all the amazing benefits.

First off, although lemons are acidic in nature, lemon water creates an alkaline environment in the body. Being alkaline is imperative if you want to experience optimal health. It's been said that cancer is unable to survive in an alkaline environment. Stress, toxins and a diet high in sweets, meats, dairy, trans fats, fried foods, white flour, etc, can contribute to acidity in the body. When our body becomes acidic, we start feeling symptoms like fatigue, dry skin and numerous other, more serious, side effects. I've tested my acidity levels in the past using pH strips and the times when I felt the worst, my body tested very acidic. On the other hand, there were times where I was living a healthy lifestyle and felt great! It was no surprise that my pH levels were more alkaline when I tested.

For a while I would invest time and money at a health food store that sold alkaline water by the gallon. That method was a little time consuming. I'd have to keep making runs to the health store because the water would decline in pH levels within a couple of days and lose it's potency. This lemon water mix does the job of alkalizing my body but I also receive nutritional benefits from the lemon like vitamin C, B6, copper, calcium, iron, and potassium.

Things get really interesting when I add the cayenne pepper to the mix. I drink cayenne because of the increased circulation benefits. Greater circulation creates improved blood flow and digestion. Capsaicin, the active ingredient in cayenne pepper, stimulates hair follicles which promotes hair growth. Starting the day off with a stimulating drink is just what the body needs early in the morning. It's been said that the body works while we sleep to detoxify the body. A glass of stimulating lemon water helps support your body's detoxification system by helping the toxins circulate out of the body.