Sunlight First, Water Second: Why This Morning Ritual Makes Sense

Everyone is drinking lemon water at 6am now. It's become this thing you're supposed to do if you care about your health. And look, I get it - it sounds good. But I'm not convinced it's actually helping.

I'm not anti-water, rather the opposite. But I do think the timing of drinking it first thing is off for most people.

Here's What's Actually Happening

You wake up. You've been asleep for 8 hours, not eating, not drinking. Your stomach acid is concentrated. Your digestive system is still half-asleep.

Then you dump cold water (sometimes with lemon, which is acidic) straight into that empty stomach. Some people are fine with it. But plenty of people feel bloated, a bit nauseous, or just... off. That sloshy feeling that sits with you for a while.

It's not that water is bad. It's just that we're not really thinking about what our body needs first.

What I Do Instead

This is what works for me, and I do think it makes more sense when you think about how bodies actually work:

0. As soon as I've gotten out of bed I actually first use a tongue scraper to get rid of all the yuk that built up overnight, followed by brushing my teeth. But then I move on to...

1. Sunlight first (2-5 minutes) if it's already light, I go outside or sit by a window within about 10 minutes of waking up. If it's grey or still dark, I use my red light (I've written this blog post about it) for a few minutes instead. This isn't about being zen - it's because morning light actually resets your cortisol (the good kind that wakes you up properly) and sets you up for better sleep that night. Your body needs to know the day has started.

2. Room temp/warm water with Celtic salt (20-30 minutes later) I prep this the night before: a glass half-filled with water and a tiny pinch of Celtic salt added to it. By the time I drink it, my system's had a chance to wake up. The salt helps with hydration. And I top the glass up with hot water so it's actually warm when I drink it and it doesn't shock my stomach. It just feels easier.

3. Then wait a bit After that, coffee/tea, or breakfast, or whatever your morning routine is. But I give it at least 20-30 minutes.

Why It Feels Different

The sunlight thing isn't mystical, it just gets your cortisol spike going the way it is supposed to. It sets up your day properly. The water goes down easier when your stomach's ready for it. And the waiting just gives everything time to settle before you pile food on top.

So it's really just working with the way you body is designed.

About the Lemon Water Thing

If lemon water works for you, keep doing it. Seriously. But if you've been doing it because you feel like you're supposed to, and you've noticed it makes you feel a bit rough? Maybe question whether you actually need to.

Lemon's acidic. On an empty stomach, every single day? It's not great for your teeth or stomach lining over time. Not saying it'll wreck you. Just saying it might not be doing what you think it's doing.

Try It for Three Days

That's it. Just three mornings.

Get some sunlight first (or red light if it's dark/grey). Then water - room/warm temp, bit of salt. See how you feel by day three.

Worst case, you got some light and stayed hydrated. Best case, you actually feel better; more settled, less bloated, less like you're forcing your body to wake up.

*This works for me. It works for other people I know who've tried it. But everyone's different. If something else feels better for you, do that. The whole point is just paying attention to what actually helps, not what you think you should be doing.