Last Week, we talked about the importance of water and starting your day off with a full glass at your bedside.  Now I want to add another healthy habit to your morning routine and explain to you why this will benefit you.

My nearly ninety year-young father in law wanted to know of a new simple solution to lower inflammation and help combat his arthritis.  So I shared with him a cleansing practice common with health coaches.  Instead of morning coffee, try drinking warm water with lemon, ginger and cayenne.

I want to share why this is effective.  If you are like me, then you will be more compliant doing something when you fully understand the benefits.

If the thought of cayenne is more than you can stomach, then just start with lemon or ginger or just start with lemon.  The important thing is to BEGIN with something.

Why lemon, ginger and cayenne?  First let’s start with Lemon:

Lemons and limes are not only an excellent source of vitamin C, they also are a good source of potassium and include calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A and folate.  We are the only mammals that do not produce our own vitamin C when under stress (when are needs are greatly increased.)  We must get Vitamin C from food.  It is one of the most important antioxidants protecting the body from damage from free radicals giving us anti-aging protection.

Why is this important? Free radicals cause inflammation and painful swelling which is why lemons are good for relieving symptoms of arthritis. Lemons and limes not lower inflammation and have an anti cancer effect.  Several research studies have shown lemons and limes to positively affect cell cycles including apoptosis, (necessary in cancer prevention) and boost special immune cells called monocytes.  Limes also have a special flavonoid with antibiotic properties.  In West Africa, several villages use limes added to water and rice in meals to prevent the spread of cholera, a common bacterial illness.

Do you like me have a genetic predisposition to heart disease?  Free radicals can damage blood vessels making it more likely for cholesterol to build plaque on arterial walls.  Vitamin C helps to prevent this progression and the damaging effects caused by our high carbohydrate standard American diet leading to diabetes and heart disease.

Of course, we’ve all heard of how essential vitamin C is to a strong immune system.  If you have frequent colds, flu’s or infections try adding a lemon to your water every morning.

I also hope you will consider joining me and other authors and health coaches in our first Self Health Movement Retreat this fall in Asilomar, California. Bring your spouse or a friend who wants to enjoy the refuge by the sea while you partake at the conference for a reduced rate of $1.  There are nearby golf courses, shopping and the quaint towns of Monterey and Carmel by the Sea.

You definitely deserve this and I would LOVE to spend this time with you! Here’s some of what we will be offering:

1. Yoga and yoga dance classes offered on the beach and inside studio spaces.
2. Personalized small health coaching groups to help you walk through obstacles and health challenges
3. Discover my Seven Steps to Inspired Wellness in an informative, experiential session where you will leave inspired and empowered to take back your health and understand the process to meet personal goals. We will walk through how to go from “Overwhelmed” to “Empowered”!
4. You can choose workshops from over a dozen authors and health coaches. The conference outline is on our website
5. You will enjoy amazing gourmet food, seafood, California wines, and bonfires to music.
6. Saturday night we will witness the lunar eclipse while listening to live music under the stars on the beach.
7. You will enjoy luxury accommodations, with chimneys in the rooms, wooden floors, trees and the beach to help you relax fully and recharge.

Please let me know how I can best assist you or inspire you as you discover optimal health and wellness. 

With Love & Gratitude,
Lisa