Incredible things start to happen when you add a morning lemon water to your diet. Your skin starts to glow. You stop getting sick so often. And like magic, you feel more energised and uplifted than you did before. But that’s just the beginning.

Squeezing the juices of a fresh lemon into a glass of warm water in the AM helps jump-start your digestion, and with that come a multitude of benefits. Lemons are jam-packed with nutrients, from Vitamin C and B-complex vitamins to calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium (even more than apples!) and fiber.

To get the most of this sunshine-sprinkled fruit, your morning ritual should go a little something like this: wake up, squeeze a whole lemon into a warm glass of water, drink it before you consume anything else, then wait about 30 minutes before you have your breakfast, smoothie or coffee. This will help you fully receive the benefits of your morning citrus-fix – of which the best ones are listed below.

1. Detoxes your system.

There’s no need to resort to extreme fad detox diets to cleanse your system – a simple glass of lemon water will do the trick. It’ll help flush out any toxins in your body by enhancing enzyme function and stimulating your liver. A fresh start to the day, indeed.

2. Jump-starts digestion.

By loosening up the toxins in your digestive tract, lemon water aids healthy digestion and gets your system working right for the day. It also helps to reduce those pesky and unpleasant side-effects of indigestion such as heartburn, burping and bloating.

3. Boosts your immune system.

There’s no better friend to your immune system than Vitamin C. And because lemons are full of it, your morning ritual of lemon water will help stops colds and flus in their tracks by upping your body’s levels of Vitamin C.

4. Clears your skin.

Lemons, magical lemons. They’re brimming with antioxidants, which means they work to rescue your skin from blemishes – and wrinkles too! By detoxifying your blood, your complexion’s radiance gets a lift – giving you a glow from the inside out.

5. Freshens your breath.

Bid goodbye to nasty morning breath because an unexpected, but certainly pleasant, perk of lemon water is that it gives you fresher breath. It also relieves toothaches and gingivitis. A true all-rounder.

6. Lifts energy levels.

Your body gets an instant energy boost when lemons enter your digestive tract – and not only that, but they help decrease the symptoms of anxiety and depression by having a calming effect on your nervous system.

7. Reduces inflammation.

When sipping lemon water becomes part of your morning ritual, it will help to reduce the acidity in your system and decrease uric acid in your joints – which is a major cause of inflammation.

So there you have it; lemon water is a simple and easy way to give your body a healthy start to the day. This one small practice can radically alter your experience of the day – try it, and tell us what you benefits you first notice!