Many people wake up with coffee every morning. It perks you up and has a lot of health benefits. While coffee is great, it’s not the best way to start your day. Research has found that you get the most blood sugar health benefits from coffee if you hold off on your morning brew until after breakfast. When you wake up, what you should reach for to start your day off right is a glass of water.
It might seem odd that water, without any caffeine, can give you a better boost. But it’s true! You wake up after fasting for hours every night. And, whether or not you have outward signs of thirst, you wake up dehydrated.
“Our bodies are pretty dry when we wake up in the morning,” said Angela Lemond, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. When you wake up and immediately start to rehydrate, you also set yourself up for the excellent habit of staying hydrated throughout the day.
Your digestive tract and metabolism need water to function correctly. When you drink water before eating anything, you “kick start” your engine in a way. You also prevent constipation and boost the growth of healthy bacteria in your gut.
Water also makes you feel fuller. If you are usually someone who wakes up ravenous for breakfast, drinking a glass of water may cause you to approach breakfast in a more measured way. You can enjoy a light breakfast without feeling deprived and without regretting your choices later. Often, when we start a meal hungry, we eat more than we would if we had something in our stomach. Having a glass of water before you open the cupboard or fridge might help you choose a healthy breakfast or pay attention to portion size. Drinking water a half hour before a meal generally causes people to eat 13 percent fewer calories.
Dehydration impacts your motor skills and performance. While caffeine can give you a jolt to wake you up, water can wake up your brain and help you perform better. Dehydration also harms your short-term memory. If you feel like you always have a brain fog in the morning and can’t remember if you have done your routine already, a glass of water may help! Tasks are easier to accomplish when you’re hydrated.
So, your morning can be a lot smoother with a glass of water. Instead of reaching for coffee or food in the morning, go for a nice big glass of water. Your body and whole day will thank you for starting out on the right foot. You can get into a great pattern just as you get out of bed!
