By now, you know that I’ve been drinking “Morning Water” for years! Ever since reading the book Quench — one of my favorite resources for learning more about hydration.

Morning Water is a combination of lemon juice, chia seeds, and sea salt (my original recipe is here), and although it’s quite simple to make, I’ve discovered that prepping the ingredients in ice cubes makes it even easier to establish this hydrating habit. All you have to do in the morning is grab a cube from the freezer and top it with 8-10 ounces of hot water, stir, and sip! It eliminates that small amount of friction that might otherwise convince you to skip it.

How To Make Lemon + Chia Morning Water Cubes

1. Grab an empty ice cube tray.
2. Juice a lemon and add 1/2 tsp lemon juice to each cube.
3. Add 1/4 tsp chia seeds (whole or ground) to each cube.
4. Add a small pinch of sea salt to each cube.
5. Add a quarter of a lemon slice to each cube (optional).
6. Top the tray with tap water.
7. Freeze until solid.

Optional: You could also add fresh herbs (such as mint or rosemary) or a chunk of ginger or turmeric for additional flavor.

To prepare: In the morning, remove a cube from the freezer and top it with 8-10 ounces of hot water, stir until the chia seeds float freely, and enjoy!

 

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Drinking water within 20-30 minutes of waking up is a simple, hydrating practice that helps replenish the fluids your body lost during sleep and also aids your body in the process of removing cellular waste gathered while sleeping. Adding lemon juice, chia seeds, and sea salt to your water adds electrolytes, trace minerals, and fiber to the water so that your body is able to deeply absorb, utilize, and retain it.

In the book Quench, the benefits of this combination are explained like this (in my own words): Water in its pure form (H2O) is not a great conductor of electricity. It is actually more of an insulator. But once you add electrolytes and other trace minerals, like when water is found in nature (lakes, rivers, oceans!), it becomes a super-conductor of electricity. This is why we get out of water when lightning is present. Since one way our brains communicate with our body is by using electric signals, the water in our body’s tissues becomes more supple and able to conduct those signals when it has a balance of trace minerals and electrolytes. The fiber from the chia seeds helps your body absorb and retain that hydration for longer.

I’ve been able to interview Dr. Dana Cohen and Gina Bria, the authors of Quench, a couple of times, and they’ve offered more insight into this recipe and ritual. Here are a few tips I’ve learned from them about Morning Water:

• The exact measurements of the ingredients aren’t that important. The important thing is personal preference and that you create something you enjoy so that you’ll do it consistently.
• You can technically use any temperature of water you want. The “warm water” part isn’t really relevant. If you prefer it cold or room temperature, go for it!
• Ideally, it won’t taste either salty or lemony. You should use just enough salt to make the water feel silky on your tongue and enough lemon that has a subtle lemon flavor but not enough to be sour or make you pucker.
• You can use whole chia seeds, but if you’d like a bit more bang for your buck, you can grind them. Grinding them increases the surface area and can produce more of the beneficial gel that forms around the seed when it comes into contact with water.

If you are working to gently improve your hydration, check out my ebook Hydrating Habits. It’ll walk you through simple adjustments you can make to increase your water intake and optimize your hydration for increased energy, focus, and motivation. Learn more here.