Lemon water for belly fat? I must be kidding, right? Well, no.

However, before we dig right into it, why should you even care about losing your flabby midsection?

If you don’t care about aesthetics, why bother?

I mean, it’s hard losing belly fat. I know. I’ve been there.

It’s tedious, tiring, and takes a long time. Why do I do it?

Belly fat is dangerously close to your essential organs, like the liver. You see, there are two types of stomach fat.

One is the subcutaneous fats that you can pinch with your hands. The other is deep inside your belly, encasing your organs—visceral fat.

Visceral fat is attached to your liver and releases harmful chemicals, which can lead to liver disease. [Source: “Trunk Fat as a Determinant of Liver Disease”]

By drinking lemon water to lose belly fat, you may additionally be protecting your liver. [Source: “Protective Effects of Lemon Juice on Alcohol-Induced Liver Injury in Mice.”]

Albeit, the study was performed on animals; the efficacy in humans is yet to be determined. However, lemon water tastes great.

Moreover, there has never been a greater time to buy lemons. Research has shown that vitamin C can help boost your immune system. Just perfect for these pandemic times.

Vitamin C appears to be able to both prevent and treat respiratory and systemic infections by enhancing various immune cell functions.

[source: Vitamin C and Immune Function]

How does drinking lemon water make you lose belly fat?

How does lemon water get rid of my belly fat!?

Let me explain, the juice from 1 lemon has about 11 calories. You add it in a cup of water and drink; you will only be consuming 11 calories because water has 0 calories.

On the other hand, one can of 250 ml soda contains about 100 calories. 

Say, your primary drink beverage for breakfast, lunch, and dinner are sweetened drinks like Coke or Sprite. If you replace that with just lemon water, you are reducing your daily calorie intake by as much as 270 calories.

That is how to lose belly fat with lemon water. So, yes you can lose belly fat by drinking lemon water.

Drinking lemon water itself has no weight loss benefits; some would like you to believe otherwise. But it is a great natural flavor additive.

The research was done on premenopausal Korean women to find the effect of the lemon diet and fat loss. 

They concluded that the caloric deficit from the lemon detox contributed to fat loss. 

[source: Lemon detox diet reduced body fat, insulin resistance, and serum hs-CRP level without hematological changes in overweight Korean women.]

Other than the lower calories contained in simple lemon water compared to sodas, there is a proven health benefit in downing lemon juice. And that is, lemon is a good source of vitamin C.

That alone may want you to start drinking lemon water or go on lemon detox.

Citrus peel and belly fat

Don’t throw away your orange or lemon peels. In a study of mice who were fed a high-fat diet, were given polyphenols from lemon peels. The study found that polyphenols helped suppressed fat accumulation and weight gain.

[source: Lemon Polyphenols Suppress Diet-induced Obesity by Up-Regulation of mRNA Levels of the Enzymes Involved in β-Oxidation in Mouse White Adipose Tissue]

So, how do you put citrus peel into your diet?

There are many recipes that call for orange or lemon zest. You can add the zest to salads, yogurts, or when you bake.

You can also dehydrate lemon peels and chop them up to use with your seasonings such as salt and pepper.

Also, you can add the peels to your favorite tea or cocktail. I myself add lemon peels in a bottle of Corona. The alcohol may counteract the health benefits, but it tastes nice.

Lemon detox

Lemon detoxing has been advocated by many, most from alternative health groups. I have tried lemon detox for two days.

Did I lose weight? Yes. Did the water taste great? Not really, it was sort of like drinking a watered-down lime juice. 

Did my liver feel right after? No idea. There was no data recorded and measured.

Many websites claim that there are many benefits to detoxifying your body with lemon water. Although, NCBI, the largest data of myth-busting health-related topics, found that detox programs aren’t needed because our body prevents toxification from happening.

[Source: Detox diets for toxin elimination and weight management: a critical review of the evidence.]

There is also little or concrete evidence that detox programs work and all the tests were on animals. More research is needed.

How to make lemon water to reduce belly fat

Drinking lemon water to detox your body is not needed because your body detoxifies exceptionally well. So, forego drinking lemon water before breakfast and enjoy a watered-down lemon juice any time of the day.

And that is how to use lemon to reduce belly fat. Just drink lemon water anytime, instead of Coke, juice, or sugar-laden drink concoctions.

There are many ways you can make better lemon water. For example, instead of just lemon water, you can have it with tea and honey. But, we know that will add more unwanted calories to your count, so we’ll stick to lemon water only.

1. The first step is to have a mug or cup ready.
2. Take out your lemon squeezer. I prefer the squeezer which goes on top of a cup, catches the seeds while the juice trickles down to your mug.
3. Cut the lemon in half, horizontally.
4. Put the squeezer on top of the cup and squeeze and turn half of the lemon.
5. Grab the other half and do the same.
6. Voila! Fresh, vibrant, vitamin C dense lemon juice in a cup.
7. Add 200 ml of water to your cup with the squeezed lemon.
8. Drink!
9. If you like the sour taste, you can have it straight. On a hot summer day, add ice and leave it for a few minutes. Drink it ice cold. I suggest you have it only with water though; the water affects weight loss more than the lemon juice itself.
10. If you don’t like it sour, you can always add a little bit of salt, avoid sugar when you can. Don’t go overboard with the salt. Add little by little and taste to your liking.

Alternative to lemon water

When your calorie intake permits or after proper strength training, you can have some honey lemon tea.

It may not be the healthiest due to the sugar content, but it’s a great cheat beverage. Also, if you have this after a good workout, you will be helping your body recover faster. 

It’s proven that ingesting fast-absorbing carbohydrates immediately after a workout helps replensih lost glycogen levels.

If recovery and maximal performance in 24 hours is required, they advised consuming more than 1 g carbohydrate per·kg body mass. Starting as soon as possible after exercise and at frequent intervals after that (i.e., every 30 min)

A caveat: only do this if you had a very strenuous workout that depleted your stored glycogen. For example, 90 minutes of heavy lifting and aerobics warrants a proper carb intake.

[Source: Glucose Plus Fructose Ingestion for Post-Exercise Recovery—Greater than the Sum of Its Parts?]

How to make honey lemon tea to lose belly fat

• Put some water in the kettle and let it boil.
• Meanwhile, as the water boils, you take out your favorite cup and lemon squeezer.
• Take out your all-natural lemon while you’re at it.
• Cut the lemon in half.
• Lay the squeezer on top of your cup.
• Using the squeezer, turn and push down one half of the lemon into the cup, leaving out the seeds and peel for the bin.
• Do the same for the other half, or you can stop with just half a lemon.
• By now, the water should have reached a maximum boiling point, and it’s ready to be poured into your cup.
• Pour the boiling hot water into your cup. 
• Add your tea and let it steep for about 2 or 3 minutes.
• Add some honey until you are happy with the taste. I like it a little sour, but not too sour that you pucker up your face every time you drink it. 

You’ll get to know your flavor after many attempts. The taste shouldn’t be too sour, not too sweet; it is smack bang in the middle. That’s what makes a great honey lemon tea.

Hot lemon water benefits

So you want to know the benefits of drinking hot lemon water. Not just cold lemon water, but hot lemon water.

The following is what you get when you drink lemon water:

• Increase your vitamin C levels
• Helps digest food
• Keeps you hydrated if you hate drinking water by itself
• Weight loss, again, replacing calorie-sugar-laden drinks can help you lose weight
• May even reduce kidney stones
• Boosts your potassium levels

The following are the benefits of drinking hot lemon water:

• Same as above and
• Keeps you warm in the winter months

Lemon and coffee for flat tummy

Bleh! Speaking from experience, don’t try it. Unless you love disgusting coffee, then go add lemon to your latte or cap.

Is the lemon and coffee for a flat tummy a fact or fiction? As I mentioned before, lemon itself has no weight loss properties.

Drinking lemon water has more to do with lessening the calories you consume and water does a nice job of making you feel full.

What happens if you drink lemon water for 30 days?

Drinking lemon water for 30 days is unlikely to cause any significant or long-term health effects, provided it is consumed in moderation. Lemon water is a low-calorie beverage that is rich in vitamin C and other nutrients, and it can be a healthy addition to your diet.

Here are a few potential benefits you may experience from drinking lemon water for 30 days:

1. Improved digestion: Lemon water may help stimulate the production of stomach acid, which can aid in digestion and help relieve symptoms of indigestion.
2. Enhanced hydration: Lemon water is a good source of hydration, especially when consumed on an empty stomach in the morning.
3. Increased vitamin C intake: Lemon water is a good source of vitamin C, which is an important nutrient that supports immune function and skin health.
4. Weight loss: Lemon water may help with weight loss by reducing overall calorie intake when substituted for higher calorie beverages, and by helping to flush out toxins and support digestion.

But, keep in mind that the effectiveness of lemon water for weight loss or any other health condition will depend on a variety of factors, including your diet, physical activity level, and genetics. Lemon water should be consumed as part of a healthy, diet, and regular physical activity is essential for optimal health and weight management.

Conclusion

To recap, lemon water will make you lose that fat in your belly. Not due to its fat-burning properties, but the fact that it may reduce your calorie intake by replacing your current sugary beverages you drink.

The detox business is lucrative, and it will only continue to boom. But if you are reading this, you will know that the research done on its effectiveness to burn fat, does not apply to humans.

Consider lemon detoxing as just one of the many weapons you can use to fight the fat.

You need to lose your stomach fat. If you don’t do anything and continue to ignore it, you could be in serious trouble.

Research shows that the fat in your belly can lead to an early grave. If you want to be healthy and prolong your life, simply get rid of your fat gut.

Want to know more ways to get those six-pack abs? Go to this article, How to lose belly fat, where you can learn to eliminate this visible killer.

Although, even after knowing everything about the effective ways to lose weight, it’s still hard.

You are probably an expert too, yet you’re still fat. I’m sure you know why.

We try so hard but our love for food is strong that it negatively impacts our efforts to lose weight.

As for me, it is always a battle between losing weight and my love for food. But, when I tried this new probiotic, it just made it easier.

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