You’re out shopping with your girlfriends or colleagues, and you spot a perfect dress on a stranger. Or, you’re scrolling through Instagram and spot a food stylist’s perfect bachelorette buffet. It could be any of those scenarios, but one thing’s for sure: You want to look your best, and you want to dive right in. You’re not sure how much lemon water you should drink, and you’re not sure if you should even drink at all. So, here’s the answer: It depends.
When Should You Drink Lemon Water?
You should drink lemon water when you feel like your body needs a boost. For example, if you’re struggling with weight loss, you might feel depleted. If you’re going through a rough patch in love, you might feel like your heart is heavy, and you need an extra boost of love in your life. Maybe you want to feel perkier during a party season, so you start to crave a drink with each meal. Or, you know you’re going to be in a hot environment and you need to keep cool. In these cases, you might benefit from a little lemon in your water bottle.
These are just some examples of when you may need to drink lemon water. The point is that your body needs what it needs, and how you want to feel. Sometimes, we don’t know what our bodies need until we’re not getting it. With lemon water, you’re increasing your fluid intake, and your body is thanking you with a boost of energy. It’s also helping with weight loss, and improving your digestion. So, drink up!
How Much Should You Drink?
Now is the fun part. Once you know when you should drink lemon water, you can set the amount you need to drink. Start by having a sip every hour or two during the day, to feel more energized. If that’s not enough for you, have a sip before each meal, to lower your appetite. If you discover that you frequently crave a drink throughout the day, you could drink a cup at a time, to satiate that craving. And, if you really want to shed those extra pounds, you could sip on a lemon flavored drink throughout the day, to maintain a healthy metabolism. Start by having a single squeeze of lemon in a drink, and increase the amount gradually.
When Should You Stop Drinking Lemon Water?
If you’ve been drinking lemon water for the recommended amount of time, your body will receive all the benefits. However, if you stop drinking it without substituting the fluid intake, you’re risking dehydration. When your body becomes dehydrated, it tends to function poorly, and that affects your weight loss efforts. So, if you want to achieve the maximum benefit from drinking lemon water, make sure you replace what you drink. In other words, drink eight glasses of water a day, and replace any that you drink. You might not always feel like having a drink, but when you’re dehydrated, you’ll certainly feel the effects. Your skin will become dry and flaky, and you’ll lose your hair. So, if you want to keep your hair and look youthful, you must stay hydrated. It’s all about balance.
Unfortunately, many people avoid hydration because they think that it’s boring, or because they think that their body is not capable of handling a lot of fluid. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Your body can handle plenty of hydration, and you need to trust it, and give it what it needs to grow and repair itself. Just make sure that you’re not drinking anything too hot- you don’t want to overheat and injure yourself. And, avoid extremely cold liquids as well. Your body needs sufficient nutrients to stay healthy and young, and you’re depriving it by drinking low-quality liquid. So, instead of reaching for a cold drink after working out, opt for a hydrating drink to stay refreshed. It’s important to listen to your body, and drink what it needs, when it needs it. This will make you more receptive to hearing what your body is telling you, and it will result in healthier eating habits and overall better health.