Getting your day off to a great start is surprisingly simple! Thirty minutes before breakfast, drink a cup of lemon water to hydrate, purify, and energize your body. Simply add the juice of ½ lemon to a tall glass of water. Hot water will destroy some of the lemon’s enzymatic properties. Cold water will hamper blood flow to your stomach, impairing digestion. So be sure to use water at room temperature.

The typical American diet - along with environmental toxins - puts excess stress on liver function, impairing the flow of bile. Smooth-flowing bile is essential for optimal digestion, which is essential for nutrient absorption. Drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning stimulates the liver and promotes bile flow that aids in digestion. Adding the vitamins and minerals from a lemon to the water gives more power to your digestive organs so they function well all day.

Lemons are rich in Vitamin C needed for collagen production that is essential for smooth, healthy skin. Vitamin C is likewise needed to manufacture glutathione, a molecule – and mother of all antioxidants - which neutralizes toxins and helps the liver with detoxification. Lemons are also rich in bioflavonoids (which can significantly boost the immune system) and are a good source of B6, thiamin, calcium, magnesium and potassium. The liver can make more enzymes out of fresh lemon juice than any other food element, giving its efficiency a big boost.

Give yourself a big boost! Make a glass of lemon water part of your morning routine.