Morning Detox Drink
I’ve received quite a few questions about this simple little habit – my morning detox drink.
What is it?
Why do you drink it?
What are the measurements?
What are the benefits?
This is my favorite morning drink: a hot mix of water, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, honey, turmeric and cayenne. I’ve been drinking it for years, and while I sometimes get out of the habit, I always come back to it. It’s going pretty strong right now. 😉 If I’m having this in the morning, it’s before anything else: coffee, fruit, or random bites while I make the girls’ breakfast.
Detox Drink Ingredient Benefits
Warm/hot water: can help to promote healing of the body, and decrease free radicals when combined with lemon. According to Ayurvedic medicine, we should drink warm or room temperature water instead of cold, as it can help to remove toxins (ama) from the body. Warm water can also promote healthy digestion, alleviate pain, improve blood circulation and delay premature aging, according to this site.
Apple cider vinegar: this one is helpful in reducing infection, as many germs can’t survive in the vinegar. ACV may help stabilize blood sugar and lower LDL (the bad kind of cholesterol) blood levels. It can also help to reduce weight and body fat by encouraging a healthy metabolism.
Lemon juice: lemons contain vitamin C and potassium. When you drink lemon juice first thing in the morning, it gives the body a chance to absorb these nutrients and provide an immune system boost. Lemon juice can also help with maintaining a healthy weight, proper digestion and energy levels.
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Honey: honey is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal which makes it awesome for fighting any type of infection. It also contains flavonoids which can help reduce the risk of certain cancers and heart disease. Honey can also help to improve athletic performance and provides a dose of energy.
Turmeric: turmeric is well-known for it’s bold orange color and anti-inflammatory properties. It has a very mild flavor, so it’s easy to add to dishes and drinks.
Cayenne: can positively affect digestion, relieve joint and nerve pain, includes vitamin A to reduce inflammation, and can boost metabolism.
As you can see, there are a ton of benefits to drinking this, but here’s my favorite part:
I think it tastes really delicious.
Liv would beg to differ. When I even bring my mug near her, she asks me to “stop that smell.” She pretty much hates it. Even the other day Tom was like, “WHOA that’s some spicy coffee you’re drinking.”
Haters gonna hate.
What Happens When I Drink My Morning Detox Drink
-I notice that I’m less likely to reach for sugar as an energy boost during the day. It gives me stable energy and dramatically reduces sugar cravings.
-I feel like it starts the morning on a more balanced note instead of chugging coffee and steamrolling into the day. Drinking this while I pack Liv’s lunch and feed the girls breakfast instantly makes me feel more present. I think it’s because it’s a little tangy and spicy; I can’t chug it the same way I do with coffee.
-It helps me fight colds and allergies. My allergies are a nightmare in San Diego – all that beautiful fresh ocean air gives me the sniffles. I know, right? – but I find that when I make this each morning, I’m not quite as red-eyed and sneezy. Whenever I have a cold, I make a super condensed “shot” version of this drink and will have it a few times during the day. I find that even though I get sick way more often right now (preschool petri dish strikes pretty hard over here), it doesn’t seem to last very long.
What happens when I DON’T drink it
-I’m a bit of a sugar monster. I think that drinking this encourages me to start the day with a healthy mindset and I feel more encouraged to take time to chop a salad or eat some protein instead of diving into the chocolate chip bag. The other day I ate a lot of chocolate chips and was so annoyed that was the only sweet treat we had in the house haha, and still didn’t feel satisfied. I was trying to figure out why I felt “off” and then I remembered that I forgot to sip this drink the am. I rushed out the door, skipped breakfast because we were late, and ended up craving sweets all day.
Morning Detox Drink Recipe with Tumeric and Apple Cider Vinegar
Here’s the recipe if you’d like to give it a try!
- 10 oz hot/warm water (I just use water from the Keurig)
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2-1 teaspoon honey depending on how sweet you like it
- 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (depending on how acidic you would like it)
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne (I usually add a little bit more)
- Mix all ingredients together in a mug and enjoy!
That’s it!
Have you tried this drink or anything similar? What do your mornings usually look like? Ours usually look like this. 🙂
Have a wonderful morning! I’ll see ya later today on the Family page with a 9-month PDB post.
xoxo
Gina
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I’ve definitely tried something similar, but didn’t make it a point to drink it to start my day. That’s such a great call! I have a HUGE sweet tooth (see: name of my blog, ha) and it sounds like this might help out a bit. We definitely own all of the ingredients, so it’s worth a shot.
Also, let me point out that while I have a recipe for Froze’ (Frozen Rose) on the blog, I love that you have this. Your blog balances me out in a way that makes me healthier and stronger. I’m so pumped to be a new-ish reader.
Thanks for the tip!
XO,
Jessica
http://www.semisweettooth.com
i need to make that froze 🙂
It’s delicious! Though definitely not as healthy as your Morning Detox Drink.
I started today with a drink similar to your detox drink. I’m excited to pace how I feel across the day. 🙂
I drink warm lemon water first thing in the morning and I notice it helps keep my skin a little clearer. I will try adding the extras! Thanks for sharing Gina. When do you use your collagen ? And how many scoops per day? I just got mine in and it says 1-2 scoops per day. I just can get over zealous sometimes, so I wanted to get your opinion.
i usually do it once or twice a day; 1-2 tablespoons 🙂
What brand of collagen do you use and trust? Want to start adding this to my daily routine.
Vital proteins 100%
I just had something similar this morning! I’m not very good about having it every day (morning workouts and trying to get out the door quickly), but it always makes me feel great when I do. I go between having it cold vs. warm – it’s nice to have cold after a workout because then I make it in a mason jar (a big one) and drink it as I’m getting ready, so I know that I’ve hydrated before I go to work. But it’s also nice to bring warm to work, because then I tend to have 1 cup of coffee instead of 2 since this drink lasts a while. You just motivated me to make it a morning staple again 🙂
I have the same drink but I also include 1 T of organic coconut oil and I enjoy my drink with a handful of raw almonds.
I used to always drink ACV mixed into my green tea with lemon. I didn’t realize until I stopped drinking it for a period of time that it really helped control my appetite. I have to be a little careful with ACV because it can cause some abdominal cramping if I drink too much in a given day, but I need to start getting back into the habit! I usually add a dash of cayenne and turmeric to my morning smoothies – you can barely taste it. I like it for all the benefits you mentioned, (especially the steamrolling into the day), but also note that it makes my skin seem more vibrant!
We need more people on the ACV train!
I drink ACV with a little warm water every morning when I gym eat up. I wrote a post about it a long time ago and it’s my number one traffic driver. I get a lot of weird questions like can I drink it before I workout. Last week someone asked me this and I could understand why they would think they could not. I also get questions if it’s going to help them lose weight. Well no, not if you’re eating junk food everyday.
I’ve never found any personal benefit to hot water, lemon or ACV but I’m also of the mindset that half this stuff benefits us solely from a placebo effect and since I tend to be skeptical, I’m immune to that. Or it could be that it benefits me subtly but I’m not in tune enough to notice so I quit.
Though I do try to add turmeric to smoothies and whatever else I can hide it in because it’s supposed to help fight cognitive decline from aging, among other things. That one does seem to have more support, from what I’ve read.
Water with cayenne, lemon and honey reminds me of the Master Cleanse drink, too. Yuck.
i was always one of the weirdos who liked the master cleanse drink combo. i could never live off it haha, but it’s a tasty little drink
I drank 1oz of ACV with mother, honey, and Tumeric for the first time this morning. It was horrible; I have heartburn. Any suggestions?
you definitely need to water it down!! try mostly water with the remaining ingredients added in (only a tablespoon max of Acv)
You sold me at the “dramatically reduces sugar cravings” part. I am a sugar freak and I’m trying so hard to get sugar out of my diet. If this helps than I’m willing to give it a shot!
Ditto!
I love this! I usually drink sugar free cranberry juice with a splash of apple cider vinegar in the morning. I also take turmeric in capsule form or add it to my oatmeal together with cinnamon. I also use cayenne powder in almost all my savory dishes. 🙂
Definitely going to try this. I do like a big glass of warm lemon water in the morning, but the ACV is still a taste I don’t love…
it’s definitely an acquired taste!
I have a stupid question 🙂 I usually start my day with an early morning run, not sure I would want to drink this before lacing up. But do you have this a set amount of time before breakfast/coffee? I would love to work this into my routine, just don’t know when.
Thanks!
Mina
i don’t but it’s usually not until i get liv to preschool and p fed and/or down for her nap, around 10am. do you eat before you run or just go for it?
I usually don’t eat before running because I go around 5 am. I’m a few weeks into marathon training – first one – and that’s going to have to change as my long runs are now hitting 14+ miles….
I drink Yogi brand Detox tea every morning with ACV & lemon. I love it, too! I guess I should start adding turmeric & Cayenne….might as well!
please let me know how you like it!
Hi Gina! A couple posts back I asked about your Bloglovin’ feature and how you’re able to have it direct entirely over to this post. I was just wondering if you might be able to help me perform that same function on my blog? I’d sincerely appreciate it! Hope you’re having a beautiful Tuesday!
hey! sorry i didn’t answer your question! this is because i know literally nothing about bloglovin. i don’t know how to use it or log in! i wish i could be more help
My morning ritual is similar to this. I drink water with lemon first thing , take a turmeric capsule and when I remember a little later I will have acv in water.
Which collagen do you use?
i’ve been using the great lakes brand and like how easily it dissolves
I love warm lemon water in the morning. I’ve put ACV in it occaisionally but don’t notice much difference. Occasionally, I’ll make a big batch of ginger/tumeric tea and add lemon to it in the morning. I also love collagen and coconut oil in my coffee in the morning.
oh i’ll have to try that!
Just wondering if it makes any difference if i drink my tumeric lemon cider drink at night have vital greens first up in the morning?
Thanks Lisa
i just wouldn’t drink it right after dinner. maybe as like a before bed tea??
Two questions. Do you use ACV with the mother in it? Did you start with smaller amounts of each ingredient and work your way up? I’ve tried the warm/hot water with ACV and cayenne and couldn’t stomach it. Would like to try again, especially if it helps with sugar cravings.
i do! yep, i think it would be a great idea to start with smaller amounts and see how that goes
Thanks so much for posting this! I’ve always wondered exactly what was in your morning drink haha absolutely giving it a go tomorrow since I think I have everything on hand 🙂
please let me know what you think!
I add cinnamon and ginger to the morning drink as well. I was off it for a while but am back on it and for me it is a serious help for my weight loss because of my sweet tooth. It really does help me control it.
Hi! How much do you add of each ingredient? Thank you!
Can you mix up everything but the hot water ahead of time? I just know I won’t take the time in the morning to put this all together but if I could sort of grab and go, I would!
i don’t see why not! i think that’s a great idea. you can just heat and go 🙂
I drink hot water and lemon on and off in the mornings, but I have never tried this. I am definitely going to give it a try. All these ingredients are so good for inflammation.
yeah, definitely! let me know what you think!!
I am totally trying this! My husband will gag! lol
BFing has my sugar cravings like wow!
Thanks for sharing!
hahaha tom hates the smell of it too
I’m going to give this a try. I usually chug coffee STAT, but I was juuuust thinking the other day that I may have a problem w coffee addiction I’m not giving up coffee, but it might be nice to not NEEEEEED it immediately in the morning. Ps- I was checking out ur YouTube channel and it was so easy to get a quick no-brained workout from your videos. A little feedback- I would live for u to post more workout videos!! I usually do ur workouts, but I print them off and do them. The video was so much easier for me! Please do more videos!
yeah it feels like more of a treat and like i enjoy it more when i’m actually awake 🙂
and it’s funny you should say that! i have a new video coming up thursday <3 so so happy you like them! let me know what you think of this one <3
So I tried this today. . . Whoa! Spicy!! Maybe I’ll put a little less cayenne tomorrow? Otherwise I liked it! I definitely noticed less sugar cravings this afternoon. There were all sorts of sweet treats at work that I not only turned down, but they didn’t even sound good! Win!! Thanks! And yes, can’t wait to check out the new video!
yay, that’s so awesome!! yeah maybe a little less cayenne 🙂
I’m on day 3 of the detox drink. And today the taste wasn’t shocking like the first day. I actually enjoyed it. I reduced the cayenne to 1/16th tsp. I’m hoping to eventually tolerate the full 1/8th because I have joint pain. I wonder if there’s any benefit to drinking this before bed? Or would it keep me awake?
My New Year’s Rezzie was to drink 32 ounces of hot water every morning so that no matter what happens throughout the day I know that I’ve at least had 3 glasses of water. I think I’ve only missed 5 days this year. I am going to try this out tomorrow 🙂
I’m not a morning person by any stretch of the imagination. I’m going to be 70 in September & I’ve dreaded waking up every morning since I was old enough to realize I didn’t like mornings! So what I’ll do is try this detox drink in the evening to see if it helps me feel better in the morning. I think my metabolism is such that it really gets going around 3 in the afternoon & then I’m going strong until around 1 a.m. I don’t fight it any more. I’ve tried many, many “plans” to make my mornings better. I’ll let you know if this detox drink helps!
Just want to say I love the diversity of Gina’s readers! I hope I’m still as invested (no- more!) in my wellness at 70. Go you!
please let me know what you think of it! <3
Hmmm, interesting. My mom swears by warm water and lemon in the morning but, so far, I’m just a regular water person (infused lately – yum!). I’ve heard about the bennies of ACV and turmeric but have been hesitant to try. Maybe I’ll finally have to break down and give it a go. How long after drinking do you wait to eat?
I was so scared that was butter! haha This sounds yummy!
I’ve tried similar drinks before and I usually have ACV in pineapple juice daily, but I thought I’d try this one as you made it sound like liquid gold. I was prepared to #phelpsface but this if a really good combination and balance of “aggressive” ingredients to water. Hooray! I find my winter morning drink
wahoo! such awesome news 🙂 (the #phelpsface cracked me up)
I used to do a similar drink almost daily. Thanks for the reminder!
Also, I read somewhere that black pepper helps absorption of the turmeric by up to %110 so I add that too.
oh, i’ll try that!!
So black pepper instead of cayenne or in addition to cayenne?
I wonder if I can add turmeric to my morning matcha. Where do you buy your turmeric powder? Do you have a brand you can recommend? I’m amazed the yellow doesn’t affect the color of your teeth at all! I have a friend who would use turmeric as a face mask and she always looked super yellow after she washed it off.
Yep, I do something similar in the mornings. Warm water, lemon juice and ACV. Later in my coffee I put cayenne pepper and sometimes turmeric and/or cinnamon. Give my spicy all day long!
Hopefully this will make someone laugh. I’ve had horrible sinus issues the past month that makes everything taste off. I’ve been making this and thought something was off this week but couldn’t figure out what. Here, I was putting cajun seasoning in instead of cayenne! Should probably read those labels more carefully, haha!
HI! Really enjoy your blog. I usually start my mornings with water/coffee and more recently lemon/honey, and eating breakfast.
The past few days I tried this and have been super light headed/headaches. Normal for anyone? Really strange as all these ingredients are in my diet but just not consumed first thing in the morning.
that’s really interesting. are you having breakfast right after??
Love this mixture! I’ve been practicing intermittent fasting and would love to do this in the morning but may have to wait until my eat window if using the honey. I may try a stevia or erythritol version for that. I do love me some honey though. Anyone else tried similar?
I finally tried this today and liked it enough to try to make it a habit. I’ve got a 2 & 4 year old and work full time with a commute, so any kind of prep ahead of time is key. Any thought on prepping the night before and adding the hot water in the morning?
i think you could definitely do that!
I love this! But is this something you can make ahead of time? I’m horrible at getting up on time so need things I can grab quickly and drink when getting ready!
Hi Gina, I made this drink for the first time this morning, I didn’t mind it, definitely an acquired taste and it got a little strong near the bottom. I would drink this again as I love the health benefits of all the ingredients! I am currently fighting a nasty head cold so thought this might help. What I don’t like about it though is how staining the tumeric is! My tongue was coated yellow, and I brushed my teeth after and it stained my toothbrush LOL, so I am wondering if you have found any lasting staining effects on your teeth from drinking this everyday? Maybe you wait to brush your teeth also haha. 😉
i wait to brush my teeth until after breakfast, so i haven’t noticed any staining effects
My mom brushes her teeth with a turmeric paste, so I think you should be fine! Her teeth are actually whiter now.
can i make this in bulk and leave it in mason jars so i dont have to make it every morning? does it need to be refridgerated?
love you site ❤️
thank you! yes, you totally could! i’d just make and keep in the fridge
But wont it be better to drink it warm???
I drink, ACV, fresh lemon juice, honey and water every morning and have been wanting to add turmeric. I think I will give it a shot…I’m unsure if I could handle the cayenne tho… It should still be very beneficial tho, right?
try just a teeny bit!
I was thinking what if i add some Chia seed in there???? I am now getting inspired.
… Started this yesterday, added some black pepper for the turmeric or does the cayenne take it’s place. Also how long afterwards can I have coffee, eat, take vitamins. By the way, I love the taste !! Thank you !!
I have recently started adding this mixture to my Tru Greens from Doterra. You speak of detoxification but is it also normal that one goes to the restroom quite a bit too???
This is a good detox drink. However you may want to consider adding 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper to the concoction. The problem with turmeric sometimes is that the active ingredient in it (curcumin) gets metabolized by our bodies before it can be absorbed. Freshly ground black pepper is loaded with piperine, which slows down the metabolic process of the curcumin so it can actually be absorbed. I also use cinnamon in place of the honey, and also add a teaspoon of baking soda to balance out the acidity of the acv so I don’t do damage to my esophagus, as I drink this 5-6 times a week.
This actually looks a descent detox drink. Might be suitable for my wife as she’s already using turmeric. Never tried it for myself though!
wow this sounds so great! I need to try this! http://www.detoxteaguide.com
Great drink. Thanks. Don’t forget a pinch of black pepper to help absorb the circumin.
I read every bit of your article and loved it.I think our bodies take these things harmoniously and it really works! I take my daily dose of turmeric in a glass of milk every morning!
Is it better to heat the water first and then put the ingredients in, or the reverse? Or is either way fine?
i think either way is fine!
I just wanted to share my experience with this incredible drink . . .
The day after Thanksgiving I came down with strep throat. I went to the doctor right away and got my antibiotic. I completed my antibiotic course as directed. Well, the sore throat persisted. I was swallowing razors for 2 weeks AFTER finishing my antibiotic. I went back to the doctor but my doc was hesitant to prescribe another antibiotic as I’m nursing my baby currently. I went home and tried everything to get it to go away. i gargled salt water, ate honey, sucked on throat lozenges, took motrin, and it was still as severe as day 1. I read something about ACV for a sore throat and I remembered reading about this drink recipe way back when. Made this drink and sipped it before bed. I woke up the next morning and MY SORE THROAT WAS FINALLY GONE. I had been suffering for over a month and after drinking this it finally went away. Under different circumstances I probably would have assumed that it was coincidental, but no way. THANK YOU! This will be my go-to sore throat remedy forever!
this is such an amazing story! i’m so happy it helped you feel better <3
I’ve truly tried ACV+lemon+warm water+cayenne for 3 days now, but both day 1 and day 2 immediately was dry heaving after. Today, day 3, as soon as I started going in for the drink, I started dry heaving. Couldn’t take the drink.
Any suggestions?
I recently discovered coconut vinegar. It is not as strong tasting as ACV and it has about 3 times the potassium. I take a Turmeric Curcumin capsule 20 minutes before I eat to reduce inflammation. I drink 1 tablespoon coconut vinegar mixed into 1 cup warm water an hour or two before bed to get rid of leg cramps. I may have to try adding lemon juice, honey and cinnamon and drink a glass before work to see if it helps my energy.
Love the drink but adding honey into hot liquids or hot anything will break it down and destroy the health benefits of it. It’s best to let the tea or water cool then add the honey last.