How you start your day really has an impact on the way it unfolds. If you drink a carafe of coffee in the am, you can look forward to feeling jittery and then crashing later on. But on the other end of the spectrum, you can take small but significant steps to make your day a whole lot better. In fact, waking up and drinking water can change your life for the better in ways that may surprise you.

Why is Water So Important in the Morning?

Most healthy people drink water throughout the day, but after you wake up, you’ve gone a whopping seven to eight hours without hydration. If you’re not jonesing for some hydration, you should be. Drinking water first thing also gives your metabolism a boost– some estimates say by about 24 percent. Not to mention that it fills you up so you don’t start the day on a super empty stomach.

Drinking a bunch of water before noshing on a healthy breakfast means that your first meal is more likely to hold you over until lunch time without a snack in between. And that’s a good thing for weight loss. Not to mention that water helps your body detox from the junk you may have consumed the night before. It rehydrates the bodily systems that require water for proper function while giving the digestive system a kick in the butt if needed. Water also cleanses the colon and helps the body to better absorb nutrients.

Another benefit of drinking water first thing in the morning is timing. When you start slurping early on in the day, you’re likely to get through your daily allotment before the end of the day. If by noon you haven’t even had a glass, you’ve got a lot more drinking to get to before bedtime. Not to mention that drinking a bunch of water before you hit the hay can disrupt your sleep because you’re left running to the loo throughout the night.

How Much Water Should You Drink?

Starting your day with at least 16 to 24 ounces of water can make a big difference. This is enough liquid to give the entire body a hydration flush, cleansing the body’s systems. Large amounts of water like this can renew the cells and make your skin glow. If at first this seems intimidating, gradually add more water to your mornings.

Additionally, have it handy as you work. When I’m working first thing in the morning, I keep a large bottle of water by my side so I’m sure to get through the necessary quantity before breakfast. I don’t drink my morning tea until I’ve gotten through my bottle of water. For me personally, drinking a full six glasses of water first thing in the morning keeps me from feeling exhausted by mid-afternoon. And for someone that works and chases a toddler around full time, this is an accomplishment.

Is Water with Lemon Any Better?

The benefits of lemon water are often touted, but is it really any better? In some ways, yes. Lemon does contain a potent dose of vitamin C, which benefits the immune system. It contains some potassium. Vitamin C is also important for the production of collagen, which improves the elasticity of the skin. For many people, lemon makes water more palatable.

If you’re like me and lemon water isn’t exactly appealing, consider slicing up cucumbers and mint or a variety of fruits. I’m a huge fan of pineapple and mango water with a hint of mint.

Room Temperature or Cold?

In Ayurveda, the ancient Indian method of natural healing, it’s thought that cold water douses your digestive fire and room temperature or even warm water is much better for hydrating your body. More specifically, it’s thought that cold water freezes the digestive enzymes in the gut and keeps your stomach from digesting food, which can cause constipation. The bottom line is that ice water makes your body work harder than it needs to. Experiment with leaving your water bottle outside of the fridge at night. Even if you crave cold beverages, try adding room temperature water to your morning routine.

What’s the Most Hydrating Water?

Alkaline water is supposed to be the most hydrating and in my experience, this is the case. It’s also helpful that alkaline water tastes really good so you’re likely to drink more of it than you would tap water. Advocates claim that they never feel thirsty and that by drinking alkaline water they feel all of the benefits of being constantly hydrated such as supple skin and good digestion.

It’s unclear why alkaline water is more hydrating. However the main difference between alkaline water and other waters is that alkaline water has a higher pH than regular water. Consider other more conscious purchases like buying yourself an alkaline water filter. This 4-Gallon Countertop Water Filter from Zen Water Systems is a good moderate purchase ($100) or this higher end Pure Hydration Alkaline Antioxidant Water Ionizer ($495). Other, more economical options, include this Nano Energy Bottle – Portable Water Ionizer ($24) or this EHM Alkaline Water Pitcher – 3.5L Pure Healthy Water Ionizer – BPA Free & Anti-Bacterial Filter ($40). You can also add mineral powders or drops to your water to make it more alkaline like Trace Minerals Research – Concentrace Trace Mineral Drops ($20) or AlkaZone – Alkaline pH Booster Drops ($45).

What’s your morning routine? Do you drink water first thing in the morning? How does it impact your day? We want to know! Drop us a line via Twitter @EcoSalon.

Related on EcoSalon
The Essence of a Rose: How to Make Rose Water
6 of the World’s Greatest Healing Waters
Hydrate and Heal Your Skin with 100% Pure’s New Skin Care Line

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The way you start your day has a drastic effect on how the rest of it will unfold. Getting into routine of taking quality time for yourself–a power hour–could be a key to not only a successful day, but a successful life.

Inspired by Fast Company’s “What Successful People Do With the First Hour of Their Day” here are tips for a successful day and thus, successful life.

1. Your email isn’t going anywhere, don’t check it first thing.

This might seem like career suicide to some, or waking up without your left arm attached, but get in the habit of avoiding reading your email first thing.  Looking at emails first thing will make your head spin with things you have to do, people who didn’t yet get back to you or that what’s happening in the middle-east. Yes, these are all important things, but with the busy lives we live, taking that time to ourself to clear our head is vital. Plus, don’t worry all those emails, they’ll still be there when power hour is over.

2. Are you doing what you want to be doing?

Yes, I know–this could sound a little overwhelming and perhaps broad, but really, are you? Ask yourself if what you are going to do is exactly what you want to do today. Will it make you happy? Fulfilled? Life is short and the time is now. Power hour is a great time to evaluate progress toward the goals that matter.

3. Get your blood pumping.

Take a walk, run, stretch, kickbox–even if it’s only for seven minutes, get your body moving!

4. Do the big stuff first.

The first hour of the day can be the best for power hour. Use it to take time for yourself to reflect and prepare for the day ahead or use the time to tackle your daily demons. Do that one thing you don’t want to do. Or that one thing that scares you. By doing this first you’ll clear it out of the way, make room for everything else and feel extremely accomplished throughout the entire day.

5. Gratitude and gratefulness.

What are you grateful for? Say a little Grace for all the wonderful things in your life that are so often over looked. Take time during power hour to visualize what you are grateful.  This gratitude will fill you with a sense of abundance, but will also allow you to see clearly what else you want to manifest into your life.

See Also:

Brain Games: 3 Easy Exercises for a Happy, Healthy Brain

31 Motivational Quotes on Success

image: Mc Cafe And Store

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Who needs a small bag when you’ve got a pantry?

The most potent and effective remedies are often the natural ones already hanging out in the pantry. Aside from the remedy-specific nature of the following 10 homemade teas, one of the most exciting thing about them is that they don’t require a tea bag! Your spice cabinet, fresh ginger root, some green herbs, a few fruits and vegetables, and honey are all that stand between you and an elixir to treating a pesky ailment – 10 of them, to be more exact.

To put together the following recipes, make sure to mix them until evenly combined and let the teas involving herbs or fruit to steep for several minutes before drinking. Sweeten as you see fit and enjoy!

Morning Liver Tonic

When you wake up in the morning, you’re body is in a very special place. The reason we are usually instructed to take supplements in the morning is because our stomachs are empty and there is little to interfere with said supplements’ potency. This morning tea pulls you out on the right side of the bed, giving a morning cleansing body flush. The lemon juice is highly alkaline and turmeric is known for its detoxifying properties.

Turmeric dates back 2,500 years in India, where it is commonly used in Ayurvedic and Unani medicine. Turmeric packs a lot of health benefits, but for our purposes it should be regarded as a liver cleanser, antiseptic and antibacterial agent. But it doesn’t hurt that the spice lowers the risk of cancer, is anti-inflammatory and helps to lose weight. Turmeric additionally treats Alzheimer’s, depression and arthritis.

You can sweeten with honey to balance the earthiness of the tea.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Deep Sleep Tea

Wind down at the end of the day with a tea that promotes a deep, comfortable sleep. Chamomile is a great stress reliever and has a calming effect on the body. It has been used for thousands of years to help people around the world get some shut eye, and a Japanese study put some legitimacy behind this widespread observation when it noticed that rats fed chamomile fell asleep just as quickly as those given a tranquilizer. Ginger is anti-inflammatory and helps to clear mucous from your passageways, allowing for more effective breathing and hence a more pleasant sleep.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• Dried chamomile flowers to fill one sachet
• 1/2-inch nob of fresh ginger, crushed

Detox Elixir

Holding a bit more weight than you’d like? Cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and lemon join forces to rev up your metabolism and get your body back in shape. Cayenne pepper warms the body, speeding metabolism and burning more calories. Cinnamon reduces blood sugar and LDL (bad) cholesterol as well as boosts metabolism and increases insulin levels. Lemon packs some flavor and added cleansing power.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 2 dashes cayenne pepper
• 1 cinnamon stick (or 2 dashes cinnamon powder)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Immune Booster Tea

Oranges are packed with vitamin C, a known antioxidant that may help protect your body from cell damage and boost resilience from disease and illness. Cinnamon and honey both have antiseptic, antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties, which means they are effective in warding off infections. Mint not only brings a fresh aroma, but it’s a leafy green that carries with it antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that keep you healthy.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• Juice of 1/2 orange
• 1 cinnamon stick (or 2 dashes cinnamon powder)
• 1 teaspoon high-quality (raw) honey
• 4-5 mint leaves, muddled

Beautiful Skin Tea

This may seem like an unlikely concoction, but it’s actually quite delightful! Carrot juice is packed with beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A, an essential part of skin health. Sage inhibits the growth of bacteria and has anti-inflammatory properties. Cayenne contains vitamins A and C, which help to absorb free radicals that break down your skin’s collagen.

Warm this recipe, without bringing it to a simmer. You want to retain the carrot juice’s potency.  Let the leaves sit in the juice for a bit before drinking so that their flavors become infused into the tea.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces warmed carrot juice
• 2 sage leaves
• Dash of cayenne

Brain Power Formula

Blueberries contain anthocyanins and flavanols, which are able to cross the blood-brain barrier. These antioxidants rid the brain of free radicals, which can otherwise lead to oxidation, memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease. Ginger is commonly used to stave off migraines and basil naturally reduces tension and fatigue in the brain and mind.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 1/2-inch nob fresh ginger, crushed
• 1 tablespoon fresh blueberries, muddled
• 3-4 leaves fresh basil, muddled

Regularity Tonic

This tonic is geared towards those of you with difficulty digesting. The taste of this tea is very comforting and earthy. The pear and apple slices bring pectin to the mix, and pectin acts as soluble dietary fiber in humans. It helps promote healthy digestion, prevents diarrhea and constipation, and reduces the risk of colon and gastrointestinal tract cancers. Purple grapes contain quercetin, a plant pigment that contributes to healthy digestion, while cinnamon warms and stimulates metabolism.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 2 small slices of pear
• 2 small slices of apple
• 4-5 purple grapes, muddled
• Dash of cinnamon

Lady’s Tonic

For that time of month, this raspberry ginger tonic is just what the doctor ordered. Raspberries are a uterine tonic, relaxing and toning the uterine muscles as needed. The fruit is also beneficial during pregnancy, easing morning sickness, stabilizing digestion, and soothing the pelvic area. According to a 2009 study, women who take a dosage of ginger for three days from day one of their period witnesses the same pain relief as those who treated their menstrual cramps with ibuprofen.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 6-8 raspberries, muddled
• 1/4-inch fresh ginger

Aches and Pains Relieving Tea

Feeling sore as the Winter nears? Be ready to combat the worsening of your symptoms with a tea that cleanses your joints and puts them at ease. Cayenne pepper contains capsaicin, a compound that makes cayenne spicy. It lowers the levels of a chemical that relays pain signals to your brain. Fresh ginger and cardamom have both long been used in Ayurvedic medicine to reduce joint pain and inflammation.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• Dash of cayenne
• 4-5 cardamom pods, crushed
• 1/2-inch fresh ginger, muddled

Nausea-Be-Gone Tonic

This recipe uses the soothing and potent effects of basil and honey to rid you of stomach pains, nausea, and vomiting symptoms. It is refreshing just as much as it is energizing, which will help to reverse your symptoms and keep you alert and feeling good.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 3-4 basil leaves, muddled
• 1 teaspoon of high-quality (raw) honey

Images: Aylin Erman, Steven Jackson, Leszet Lezsczynski, Cthoyes, Jennuine Captures, CLC Photography, Simply Bike, Clyde Robinson, Kodamakitty, Michael Newman, Cinnamon Cooper

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

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I may not have been an early bird since birth, but after years of training myself to jump-start my day, my body naturally wants to get a move on as soon as it’s light outside. In fact, I’m now almost incapable of sleeping past 8 a.m.

Some people may consider that a tragic flaw, but I enjoy getting up early. I like not being rushed as I prepare for work, and I enjoy the morning hour when I’m alone in the office. For some people, waking up early isn’t the easiest lifestyle to sustain, but for those who can stick it out, it offers a bevy of benefits.

More “Me” Time

While my fiancé is hitting the snooze button repeatedly, I’m taking a leisurely shower, tidying up around the house, and catching up on last night’s Daily Show. When you wake up early, without phone calls, emails, or pestering family members, the time is yours to spend as you please, whether you meditate, exercise, read, or simply watch that television show your spouse hates. Many parents of young children find that the early-morning hours provide their only chance to enjoy a cup of coffee or relax alone before the day begins.

Regular Workouts

People’s motivation to exercise is high first thing in the morning. Many report that they are more likely to stick to a morning workout routine than to an afternoon or evening one, since distractions have a way of derailing later plans to get to the gym. Also, although it hasn’t been proven, some exercise physiologists believe that exercising in the morning on an empty stomach forces the body to burn stored fat, instead of other calories.

A study published in the November 2006 issue of the journal SLEEP found that exercising in the morning led to better sleep at night. The researchers theorized that the morning activity helped to properly align the body’s circadian rhythms. Test subjects who postponed exercise until the evening actually had a more difficult time falling asleep.

An Easier Commute

In some cities, the difference between a breezy, quick commute and total gridlock can be as little as fifteen minutes. Getting up early to beat traffic makes commuting not only more relaxing and peaceful, but also safer. Stressed driving, either because of traffic conditions or because the driver is running late, can lead to aggressive behavior, speeding, and poor decision making, increasing the chance of accidents. For those who rely on public transportation to get to work, getting up early can mean the difference between grabbing a seat on a nearly empty train or bus and cramming in next to strangers, holding on to the strap for dear life.

The Benefit of Breakfast

When you sleep in and hurry out the door, breakfast is often one of the first parts of the morning routine to go, and many people who sleep in very late end up skipping breakfast altogether and waiting until lunchtime to eat. Yet countless studies have demonstrated the positive effects of eating a healthy breakfast: people who do so tend to feel fuller, make better food choices throughout the day, and be a healthier weight than non-breakfast eaters. Waking up early gives us the benefit of time and energy to put together a healthy breakfast, instead of grabbing fast food or forgoing the meal entirely.

Family Matters

When you have time in the morning to tidy up the house, start prepping for dinner, or do errands, you can use the extra evening hours to relax and have fun with your partner, your kids, or your friends. Most people would probably rather spend their evenings enjoying a movie or eating a leisurely family dinner than doing housework. Getting your chores done at the beginning of the day makes those activities more possible.

High Productivity

In 2007, Yahoo! Finance surveyed twenty CEOs and high-powered executives at companies like Pepsi, Motorola, Avaya, and Xerox. One thing that all of them had in common was that they were all awake before 6 a.m. They used that time to get ahead on email, exercise, read the paper, or take care of family chores. All of the survey respondents said that getting up early was absolutely essential to their productivity.

A Brainpower Boost

There’s also some evidence that our brains are at their peak performance in the morning hours. In a study conducted at the University of North Texas, college students who reported getting up early had higher GPAs than students who slept in regularly.

Less Stress

When you get up early, you set a relaxed and comfortable pace for the whole day. Between getting yourself ready for work, getting your kids ready for school, commuting to work, and doing all the other things that have to happen before 9 a.m., things can get pretty stressful. Reducing stress has a big effect on health, since stress can result in headaches, stomachaches, hair loss, high blood pressure, and anxiety and can exacerbate other chronic ailments. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimates that stress-related conditions cost American businesses about $300 million every year. When you build extra time into your morning routine, you don’t feel like you’re rushing everywhere.

The biggest benefit of being a morning person is that the world operates on your schedule. Night owls may love sleeping till noon, but it’s a fact that most of life happens during the daytime, and if you’re not awake and ready, opportunity can pass you by. Waking up early isn’t the easiest thing to do, and even those of us who enjoy being early birds occasionally have days when we’re tempted to hit the snooze button (again). But it’s nice to know that once we’re out of bed, the world is ours for a few brief, shining moments “¦ at least, until everyone else wakes up.

Article by Allison Ford for DivineCaroline. First published March 2010.

Related DivineCaroline posts:

• Nine Ways to Wake Up Earlier
• The Truth Behind Night Owls and Morning People
• Sleep tight: Creating the Perfect Bed

Image by: Joe Marinaro

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