Elle Macpherson Drinks This First Thing Every AM. Should You?

Which should come first, water or coffee? (Photo: Getty Images)

It’s a habit shared by many: You roll out of bed in the morning and immediately reach for a cup of coffee.

But Elle Macpherson says you might want to rethink that move.

In a new interview with the U.K.’s Daily Mail, the 51-year-old supermodel says her former habit of having espresso first thing to “kick-start” her day wasn’t doing her any favors.

(Photo: Elle Macpherson | Instagram)

Constant fatigue and a cancer scare made her re-think that habit, along with a slew of others that weren’t great for her health. So she made some important changes that left her looking and feeling better.

“I started sleeping more, woke up with more water, ate less red meat, added more fruit and vegetables…and within weeks I felt like a completely different person,” she said in the interview.

Now, she says she starts her day with warm water and fresh lemon juice.

(Photo: Cameron Diaz | The Body Book)

But Macpherson isn’t the first celebrity to talk up the benefits of drinking water first thing. Cameron Diaz declared in her book, The Body Book, that the first thing she does in the morning after brushing her teeth is chug a liter of water. “Once I drink the water, I feel it immediately. I go from being a wilted plant to one that has been rejuvenated by the rain,” she wrote.

Should we all drink water first thing, too?

Definitely, says New York City registered dietitian Jessica Cording.

“When you’re sleeping for a long stretch of time, you’re not rehydrating but your body is still working on a cellular level,” she tells Yahoo Health.

Reaching for coffee or espresso right after you wake up is a big no-no, says Cording, because it can dehydrate you even more. However, she says you don’t need to give up your morning cup of coffee; Just drink water to rehydrate your body first.

While Diaz chugs a liter in the a.m., certified dietitian-nutritionist Lisa Moskovitz, RD, CEO of NY Nutrition Group, tells Yahoo Health that eight ounces should do the trick — and can even boost your energy levels.

But what about lemon water, specifically?

Of course, Macpherson says she now drinks warm water and lemon after she wakes up, which Miranda Kerr, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Lauren Conrad also swear by (Conrad says it makes her feel “more energized than ever.”)

Some warm water and lemon fans swear it can aid digestion, boost vitamin C levels (and your immune system as a result), detox your body, and boost your metabolism. Is that true?

Kind of, experts say.

“While the weight loss effects are probably the most loosely based theory of them all, it is true that you will get some extra vitamin C and could have slightly better digestion,” says Moskovitz.

Cording says the lemon is also a good way to “move things along in the morning” in your digestive system, which can also help flush out toxins.

The only thing to keep in mind, per Cording: If you’re prone to acid reflex, start with juice from half of a small lemon instead of juicing the whole thing and see how you do. You can build up from there.

Read This Next: Lemon Water for Digestion — Legit or Quit?