Habit of the Month – February

One of the best things about February is that it isn’t January. By this point in the year, I’ve had enough of winter and am looking forward to the days getting a bit longer and warmer and the promise of spring. It’s still baltic in the mornings though, so February’s habit will be to start each morning with a cup of hot water with lemon.

Now, I keep reading everywhere that this is a good way to start your day. I’m sceptical about the theory of alkaline diets, but there are some interesting health benefits to lemons. They contain vitamins C and B6, potassium and also a number of phytonutrients – plant substances which are thought to have an positive impact on cardiovascular health and cancer. At the very least, it can’t be bad to start the day with some hydration, and frankly warm water with lemon tastes much nicer than warm water.

I’ve also tried adding some cayenne pepper to the mix. Like other chillis, cayenne contains capsaicin, which can have a positive impact on appetite (makes you want to eat less) and metabolism (which increases the rate at which your body burns what you do eat). On a chilly (geddit?) morning, the cayenne actually adds a pleasantly warming kick and isn’t at all unpleasant, as long as you don’t forget the lemon. In which case it is minging.

So, I’ve purchased a travel mug and will be taking my warm spicy lemon water with me on my commute each day.

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