Goodbye coffee, hello lemon detox tea!

Since I was 16, I’ve pretty much started every morning with a cup of joe. Before I knew anything about nutrition, I’d fill it with artificially sweetened creamers and sugars to mask the bitterness of the taste. Eventually, I transitioned to coconut milk creamers and before this new ritual that I’m going to share, I’d drink coffee black. But even starting my morning with coffee, I’d still end up heading to the break room to fill up my mug around 2pm to get another “hit.”

After reading Vani Hari’s book The Food Babe Way, I learned that if you are dependent on coffee, your cortisol levels and hormone regulation is out of wack. That didn’t sound too good! So, it made me question this habit that I’ve known for so long. Rather than drinking coffee, she recommended a new morning ritual I’m about to share — drinking a lemon cayenne tea every morning. While you might think adding cayenne would be gross, you have to try it!

The moment I finished my first lemon tea, I had instant alertness and focus, whereas coffee would be more of a slowwww wake up. The taste of lemon was delicious while the cayenne gave a nice kick to perk me up! After drinking it for about a month, I feel like it has helped me boost my metabolism, aid in digestion, and just feel more in tune with my body!

Here’s what happens when you drink it:
Lemon makes your body more alkaline, stimulates your liver, improves digestion, and prevents sickness. Plus, adding cayenne boosts your metabolism, fights food cravings, and enhances blood circulation!

If you have a coffee addiction or have trouble waking up in the morning, I encourage you to try it out for a week and see how you feel! My boyfriend and I have made it our daily morning ritual and we are loving it!

Here’s the recipe:

1. Boil water in a tea kettle or pot
2. Fill up a mug with half of the boiled water and half regular temperature water (warm is best for digestion and having it too hot kills some of the nutrients)
3. Squeeze half of a lemon
4. Sprinkle cayenne to your liking
5. Drink up!

Quick Tip: Try to drink your tea with a glass or steel straw (SipWell Stainless Steel Drinking Straws, Set of 4, Free Cleaning Brush Included). I know it sounds weird, but the acidity in the lemon is not good for your teeth enamel. Plus, putting a plastic straw in warm tea puts you at risk to BPA.

After about 15-20 minutes of drinking your tea, then you can have your first meal!