What Do You Drink First Thing In the Morning?

What’s the best thing to drink each morning after a night of sleeping and fasting? No trick here: it is best to drink water first thing in the morning. Learn how water assists your body to break-the-fast.

The best way to break-the-fast from the night before is to drink a cup of warm or hot water first thing without anything in it. Drink warm or hot water as it is gentler on the empty stomach.

water in morning break-the-fast
Woman drinking water in the morning.

It’s important how we start our day.

During the night while you are sleeping, you become dehydrated. You have not been drinking anything for hours and your body needs to be re-hydrated.

Also, your body has been working hard in repair mode and the digestive system hopefully has had a rest.  We have done a mini fast since our last evening meal.

In the morning we are breaking-the-fast.

I was at a health talk in 1997 when I learned what to do first thing in the morning. It is good for the body to drink a cup of warm or hot water first thing without anything in it.

It is important that the water has nothing in it so that it passes through right away. If it contains anything at all, it will stay in your stomach for up to one hour so that does not work well.

Why and What happens when we drink water first in the morning:

  • The water cleanses, flushing out all in your digestive system and kidneys and bladder.
  • Usually, a bowel movement will follow soon after the second cup of water. Mine often is right after the first cup.

Over the years I gradually increased my one cup to two cups of hot or warm water to break-the-fast.

Years ago when I was at a talk with a woman from the Indian tradition of healing she asked who in the room drank hot water first thing in the morning? I was in a room full of health-conscious people and all of them put their hands up. Then she asked who drank two cups and I was the only one.

Now I drink 3 cups first thing most mornings.

Getting Started Drinking Water to Break-the-fast

  • Start with one cup of warm or hot water in the morning.
  • Gradually increase it to two cups.
  • Over time you can increase it to three cups.
  • If at any point you feel like you are gagging on the water or feeling nauseous; stop as there is no point forcing. What is happening in your body is cleansing; toxins are being released.

It is important that the water has nothing in it as I said above to help the body detox.

Drink Enough Water for Peak Energy and Health

break-the-fast
Filling a glass with filtered water

My suggestion is, if you do not do this already, drink only purified water as most tap water is full of chemicals which is not good for the body.

Federal scientists analyzed the water in 25 U.S. water facilities. In nine of the facilities, they found traces of 21 chemicals in the water.  Of those 21 there were 18 unregulated chemicals which included solvents, herbicides, caffeine, metal, and antidepressants in the water according to Scientific American. 

Bottled water in plastic bottles is not a good alternative as it is full of the chemicals from the plastic. Plastics – Havoc with Your Hormones

You do not want to break-the-fast with chemical-filled water.

I always drink water that is filtered all day and first thing in the morning from a good water filter and I have done so for decades.

After much research, I installed an APEC Water System and I am very happy with it.

The water tastes so clean and seems sweet. It is the best water filter I have used in my home. This is the filter I am happily using:

APEC Water Systems Top Tier-Built in USA-Ultra Safe, Premium 5-Stage Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Filter System

Apec Water Filter

One of the problems with reverse osmosis is that it removes the minerals. To solve that what you need is to add a filter to remineralize the water. Here is the one I found.

iSpring FA15 10-inch Inline 3-Layer Alkaline Replacement Water Filter Cartridge with Mineral Balls, Calcite and Corosex 
• Includes Mineral Stone and Calcite
• Improves the taste of RO water by adding minerals
• Raises pH by 0.5-0.8
• Can be added to any under-sink water filter or RO system
• Updated FA15 Alkaline Mineral Filters are built with a secure push-fit quick connection. It allows faster filter replacement. If you have trouble installing the filters, please refer to the user manual or contact the manufacturer.

It is important to Drink Water at the correct time.

Best Times of Day For Drinking Water

Drinking water at a certain time maximizes its effectiveness on the body:

  • 2 – 3 glasses of water after waking up in the morning – helps activate internal organs.
  • 1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal – helps digestion.
  • 1 glass of water before taking a bath – helps lower blood pressure.
  • 1 glass of water before going to bed – avoids stroke or heart attack.

The above drinking times are according to a cardiac specialist.

Proper timing, temperature, and quality of water can help to improve digestion, reduce constipation, balance the body, and many other ways.  Read more here: Tips For Drinking Water For Maximum Health Benefits.

water in morning

Do I Really Need 8 Glasses of Water a Day? We are in fact 75 percent water and all that, but how much water we need to actually drink to stay hydrated is another story.

Cleansing Beverage Recipes After Your Water in the Morning

 Lemon WaterLemon Water – AKA Sugar-Free Lemon-Aid Drinking lemon water is great for the whole body.  Did you know that the most alkaline-forming food you can eat is a lemon? Here is a simple way to get some quick alkalizing going into your body with this refreshing drink. It is best to drink it after you have had your 2 – 3 cups of water in the morning.

 Watermelon Juice Is Delicious On a Hot – Watermelon juice is so delicious on a hot summer day.  This is a very simple juice to make. It is much healthier for you than a soft drink. If you need to alkalize quickly then here is a recipe using the second most alkaline-forming food.  This is one very easy and refreshing juice made with watermelon.

  Fresh Mint Tea is Refreshing and Energizing -This fresh mint tea is a traditional tea in many desert countries like Morocco, Turkey, and Egypt. They drink this because it is so cooling.  Mint is not only cooling, but also energizing, refreshing, and good for digestion.

 Sparkling Cucumber Lemon Water Is So Good -Sparkling lemon water is good for any time as it is alkalizing and healthy. Also, it is a wonderful, refreshing summer drink for hot days. What I really like about the drink is how very easy it is to make.

 Savoury Sage Tea for Your Memory Is Easy To Make – Savory sage tea for your memory is simple to make, all you need is fresh or dried sage leaves, water, and honey or stevia if you want to sweeten the strong flavour.

 Cucumber Mint Mango Drink is Refreshing and Hydrating -This cucumber mango drink is so hydrating for hot summer days. Of course, it is super tasty and healthy too. It uses an unripe mango.

vital healt assessment

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28 thoughts on “What Do You Drink First Thing In the Morning?”

  1. I switch up….I drink room temp water; warm water; room temp or warm water w/ fresh lemon juice;room temp ginger root water(usually prepared the night before w/ 8-10 fresh ginger slices and hot water);cool to cold cucumber infused water

  2. Hi.

    You could benefit even more, if you drink the water cooked. Cooked water are even more cleansing than ordinary water. But of course you need to let cool down before ingesting!

  3. My brother told me about drinking 3 cups of water before breakfast and i tried 2 and half

    and i felt fantastic . thanks for sharing your article it definitely works.

  4. kakatei W peter

    hi !,i so appreciate this information,it is really interesting to know this but my question is;will there be any side effect in taking cool water in the morning?because i take cool one every morning.

  5. Before my liquid intakes 90% are in the form of coffee and cola. As far as i can remember i can only consumed 2 glasses of water a day,as a result, I suffered hypertension and had a very high cholesterol. Upon reading articles on the importance of water in the body..Its been a year now that I drink 3 glasses of water every morning when i wake up from bed..It so health beneficial..before my BP was 140 over 100..but now that i used to drink water 8 glasses a day..my BP lowers to 110 over 75.

  6. I’ve switched from coffee w/cream to oolong and peppermint tea w/a tsp of raw honey first thing on waking. Is it necessary to use pure water only with NO herbal teas in order to stimulate metabolism at the start of the day?

    1. Gloria, first thing in the morning it is good to break the fast with water only. Read above about why.
      Afterwards then you can continue with herbal teas. Good for you switching from coffee!

  7. Hi there! I always drink warm lemon water or warm water with ginger+cinnamon+honey(approx 1Ltr). I thought it to be good since it kept me going till about 11am without feeling hungry at all.

    Will try the warm hot for a change.

    Thanks for sharing.

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  9. Winnie Kyokunda Businge

    Ooh…this is good information. Thank you Diana. I am going to start drinking warm water first thing in the morning. I’ve been drinking room temperature boiled water but not consistently.

  10. Hi, I was told that first thing in the morning should be warm water with lemon. When should I do that if not first thing. Thanks for your help.

  11. I literally just made a post on this and was trying to see if it would come up in google and came across your page. I usually have green juicy drinks as my healthy start from Monday to Friday and then lime or apple cider vinegar and water for the weekend.Geat post eventhough I tried this and didn’t quite like it. But I have heard so many good testimonials of those who have tried this.

  12. Hi Diana,

    Thank you for a great inspiration, you must be a strong willed person to resist the so many of modern life temptations.
    I was doing your tip of drinking warm water but I would quickly follow it with an even warmer coffee mug. At the end the coffee addiction won and my health has been deteriorating steadily , I even feel some breathlessness sometimes.

    You had mentioned tap water is full of chemicals and no good. Do you have any suggestions to what better bottled water brands ?

    Also, if you can help(write ) about ways to break free from the coffee Satan, that would be much appreciated.

    Cheers

  13. Hi Diana, wow! This is great info….I started drinking lemon water, sometimes wiry some added ginger or lemon basil or lemon grass first thing on mornings. I keep some in the fridge and drink it whenever I’m thirsty and it has made so much difference and I have even lost weight.
    I will try the 2-3 glasses of plain water on mornings and see how it goes….how do I access your ebooks?
    Thanks for the info, blessings

  14. Hi I take one warm plain glass of water and the second one i take with lemon. I do some exercise at home before breakfast.
    I boil drinking water which i carry as go to my daily routine work. In a day at list i take six to eight glasses of plain water.
    No more headaches and no constipation.

    Am 94kgs and am 5ft 3inches, 57 years, though am very active i would like to reduce my weight especially my stomach (belly).
    Kindly advise me on what to eat and which exercise i should do.

  15. Hi I take one warm plain glass of water and the second one i take with lemon. I do some exercise at home before breakfast.
    I boil drinking water which i carry as i go to my daily routine work. In a day at list i take six to eight glasses of plain water.
    No more headaches and no constipation.

    Am 94kgs and am 5ft 3inches, 57 years, though am very active i would like to reduce my weight especially my stomach (belly).
    Kindly advise me on what to eat and which exercise i should do.

  16. Comment…I have a question. I take upto 1.8 litres of warm (bordering on hot) water in the morning on an empty stomach. Is this too much? If so what are the dangers?

  17. Hi

    I like drinking hot water during the day; just like a hot drink so I substitute it for coffee; but I still enjoy a latte or two at a restaurant every day.
    Will try hot water first thing and before bed. I am 70.

    Thanks Phil

  18. Hi Diana
    Can i drink coconut water aftr i take warm water..What shud b the gap time between tge two……

    Regards
    Saraswati

  19. Patricia Quinlan

    Can you have coffee after drinking your warm water? If not what should you eat before coffee, something small?

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