Let’s start with WATER
The first thing you should do in the morning is drink WATER. Eight glasses of WATER a day. Ever heard these phrases? I grew up hearing these, amongst others, most days and thus I always knew that WATER was good for my body. As I have aged and began to live a life that’s apart from my family, I had a choice to make regarding drinking WATER: was I going to implement all of the wisdom I grew up hearing? Mind you, this question is not as big of a feat for me as it is for some. I love WATER and I love drinking WATER. But first thing in the morning was always difficult for me. I prefer a cup of tea or a smoothie or even, for a portion of my life, a probiotic first thing. But never just WATER.
WATER first thing in the morning has so many benefits that are not just immediate, but will serve you throughout your life. First is skin. If you drink WATER starting in the morning it sets you up to clear out toxins in your skin that contribute to acne, dry skin spots, and uneven complexion. While there is some debate regarding how effective just WATER is to slowing moisture loss over time, there is at least some studies that show that WATER helps moisturize the skin which is one component to having healthy skin as we age.
Second benefit is digestion. WATER first thing in the morning helps kick start digestion. For good digestion, the stomach must maintain a constant warmth about it to process the fuel that we give it in the form of food. WATER, especially warm or room temperature WATER, right in the morning signals to the body that it is time to start "warming up" because I am about to break-fast. This allows time for the stomach to get going before we eat and thus prepares it to digest when we finally eat breakfast.
Third, WATER is great for regulating blood sugar. When we start the day off with WATER, we are helping the sugar in the blood stream to flush out of our bodies. Having a balanced blood sugar is essential for having energy that lasts the whole day. Often we crash around 2p or 3p (sound familiar?) because our body has run out of short term energy (carbohydrates like fruit and grains) and did not have enough energy stored for the long term. Long term energy is stored by maintaining balance of our blood sugar which, for most of us, is as simple as combining fiber with carbohydrates. Fiber helps our bodies absorb more of the energy from carbohydrates for much longer. So WATER in the morning brings us into balance with our blood and sets us up to continually balance throughout the day, thus avoiding the 2p slump.
These are just a few benefits of starting the day off with WATER and I say all of this because, ultimately, we want to start our day off with LOVE. If I start the day with WATER, I can clear out toxins and look radiant to other people. If I start the day with WATER, I can prepare myself to absorb energy so that I can take on the day. If I start my day with WATER, I can have enough energy to be present throughout my whole day. Starting the day off with WATER is starting your day off with LOVE because you are radiant to others and have energy to be present all day long.
Now, how do we get WATER into the morning? Well, I finally found how to do it for me: I start my day out by doing some sort of movement (i.e., yoga, HIIT, walk, run) and then my body wants WATER. Why start the day with a movement? Stay tuned. But for now know that movement helps me start the day with radiant and energetic LOVE.
How do you get WATER (LOVE) into your morning?
