
We’ve all heard about the health benefits of apple cider vinegar, but drinking it on its own? YUCK. I remember growing up my mom would drink a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar every morning and I thought it was grossest thing in the world. I tried it once and came to the conclusion that I never wanted that tart bitter taste in my mouth again. Like ever.


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I never thought about drinking apple cider vinegar again, until at some point this fall Nick discovered a bottle of it in our fridge and asked me if there was some drink I could make in the mornings using it. My first thought was– whoa Nick is asking me to make him something healthy? That alone was enough for me to get to work at figuring out something we could both drink in the mornings that would not only tasty, but packed with health benefits.
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR BENEFITS
+ boosts immune system & energy levels
+ prevents indigestion & aids in weight less
+ regulates blood sugar levels & can lower cholesterol
+ reduces risk of heart disease & cancer
+ good for skin health

I’ve always enjoyed warm lemon water so my first thought was why not just add in apple cider vinegar and call it a day? I love lemons so the slightly tart taste of lemon water has never bugged me, but adding apple cider vinegar? It’s just wayyyy too bitter. Apple cider vinegar is incredibly strong so to counter it you need to add in ingredients that are either sweet or equally as strong.


That’s where honey and turmeric come in. Raw honey is a great natural sweetener, plus has it’s own long list of health benefits (full of antioxidants, soothes the throat sweetness, aids in digestion, etc.) If you want to take this drink one step further you can also add turmeric. I’d heard of the benefits of turmeric, but didn’t really understand the extent until I sat down to do my own research. Not only is turmeric incredibly good for you, but even just a pinch of it is flavor-packed and the perfect counter ingredient in contrast to bitter apple cider.
TURMERIC BENEFITS
+ high in antioxidants
+ strong inflammatory (good for fighting heart disease, cancer, obesity, arthritis & Alzheimers)
+ supports healthy brain function & mental health (good for stress, anxiety & depression)
+ aids in digestive health


After about a week of trying different ingredients and playing around with the amounts of each, I finally figured out a perfect morning detox water recipe that Nick and I both love. It’s a strong drink and the taste can be shocking if you’ve never had warm lemon water or are unfamiliar with the taste or turmeric or apple cider vinegar, but I think it’s quite tasty and refreshing. I’d describe it as citrusy and earthy with a little bit of a kick if you decide to add ginger or cayenne.


LEMON TURMERIC MORNING DETOX WATER RECIPE

Bring water to a boil in a small pot.
Cut lemon into slices and add to pot, turn off heat.
Add apple cider vinegar, honey, turmeric to pot and stir all ingredients. Ginger and cayenne are optional.
Let all ingredients steep for 20-30 minutes.
Pour into glasses and enjoy!
Ingredients
Directions
Bring water to a boil in a small pot.
Cut lemon into slices and add to pot, turn off heat.
Add apple cider vinegar, honey, turmeric to pot and stir all ingredients. Ginger and cayenne are optional.
Let all ingredients steep for 20-30 minutes.
Pour into glasses and enjoy!

What’s great about this drink is you can easily tweak it to create your own perfect morning concoction. Don’t have any honey? You can use maple syrup instead. Not a big fan of turmeric? Try swapping in ginger instead. Can’t get over the apple cider vinegar taste? Use only a teaspoon. I’ve also heard of people using black pepper and cinnamon in their morning detox drinks, so I’d encourage you to explore what else is out there that you may like to include. Sidenote: Nick isn’t into spicy so I always add ginger and cayenne separately to my cup at the end, however definitely feel free to include these from the start.
For the past three months we’ve been drinking it every morning and it’s now part of our regular routine. To make life easier I’ll set out a pot of water and all the ingredients the night before so it’s ready to go when I wake up in the morning. I personally like to make it fresh, however I do think it would store fine for a day or two as long as you remove the lemons after steeping. If any of ya’ll end up making it I’d love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to send me a photo on Instagram too so I can repost your concoction 🙂

Gigi says
You make it look so delicious, plus it is definitely good for you.
Jennifer says
I’ve had something very similar to this before and I totally agree, it’s a great way to detox in the morning! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Lynne says
Yum! A few years ago I started the vinegar with water in the AM. My cholesterol was high and this was a way it might be lowered. I honestly haven’t checked!
Then, after reading an article on molasses being great for leg circulation, I added that.
Finally, I was dragging in the AM and decided to try beet juice (possibly helps clear brain plaque)!!! Now I do all 3 (about a tablespoon each) with a dash of turmeric every morning. I definitely feel much more energy. I’m probably your mom’s age+!!!
A gentleman we met at a bar in the Bahamas drinks water with lemon and cucumber. I haven’t tried that.
I wonder if you use local honey, will it help with allergies!?!
Thank you for a new refreshing recipe!
Brittany says
Have you noticed a difference in how you feel after drinking the detox water? Is yes, how so?
Anna says
Not trying to be that annoying person that gives unsolicited advice but, ACV has healthy bacteria in it that gets killed when heated above luke warm temps. So you lose the good benefits. We drink it in cold or room temp lemon water. I sweeten it with a few drops of stevia or honey.