Beginning each day right is fundamental to living a healthy life. Many people begin their day already in a rush, and hope to catch up with the healthy living later. If this sounds familiar, then here is the simplest, yet most-effective way to improve your health: lemon water.

Here’s how you do it: Squeeze one half of a lemon or lime into 12-16 ounces of warm, filtered water, and then drink it. Pow.

Despite the fact that it may sound too good to be true, starting each day with warm lemon water will help cleanse, alkalize, energize and heal your body.

Remove toxins and stimulate digestion

Drinking warm lemon water upon first rising helps your body remove toxins and stimulate digestion. During the night toxins develop in the stomach, intestinal tracts and the liver. Lemon water cleanses the accumulation from the night, especially in the liver.

The liver is an organ of utmost importance to good health. With around 500 different functions, the liver’s various roles include detoxification, protein synthesis, extraction of nutrients, and production of chemicals to aid digestion. Lemons help purify the liver by increasing detoxifying enzymes and eliminating waste, which is especially important in the morning as this assists the body to function properly as it begins the new day.

Lemon juice stimulates the liver, assisting digestion by helping increase the production of bile, which is critical for the absorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins, as well as waste removal. As lemon water helps the liver function properly, it also assists with weight loss control. To complement this, lemons also contain pectin, which is a fiber that can help with food cravings and hunger.

Alkalize with Lemon Water

Lemon juice has an alkalizing effect on the body. While lemon is an acidic food, once ingested it becomes an alkalizing agent, thanks to its citric acid. Maintaining a proper pH balance is essential to staying healthy. Disease and illness thrive in an acidic environment, and can’t survive in an alkaline one.

Lemons are also rich in vitamin c, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Vitamin C can boost the immune system, purify the blood and can help colds, flu, sore throats and coughs. The minerals help nourish the brain and nerve cells, build healthy bones and teeth, lower blood pressure and benefit the nervous system.

The truth is, the benefits of lemons and drinking lemon water are virtually endless. So, tomorrow why not start your day the healthy way and try some.