Drew Barrymore Kicked Off Her 2021 Goals with One Simple Change In Her Morning Routine
If 2020 hasn't been your year (let's face it, whose year has it been?), you might be reluctant to set a New Year's resolution for 2021. But Drew Barrymore is offering up a solution that can help you start each day off right as the new year approaches.
On December 27, Barrymore shared an IGTV post detailing her own personal goals for 2021. In the video, she admitted she has "not figured out" how to meaningfully practice self-care. "I am trying to meet balance where she is at," she explained. "Sometimes I do, and sometimes I don't."
So, ahead of 2021, she continued, she's setting a "challenge" for both herself and anyone who wants to follow along virtually. "Let's share the [self-care] secrets that are doable within our timeframes as people, humans, parents, dating, working — whatever your life status is — [and] all the caretakers especially," said the mom of two. "If anybody wants to do it with me, I'm talking about diet, exercise, routines, products, everything under the sun that we can do to take care of ourselves as we take care of others. I'm gonna set out some goals and lists, and I will share them with you. I welcome you to share tips. Let's run the whole gamut of how we stay alive and thrive."
One of Barrymore's first tips? Drinking warm lemon water first thing in the morning. In a follow-up IGTV post, she shared a bleary-eyed video explaining why she's kicking off her 2021 goals with this particular change in her morning routine.
Dimitrios Kambouris/"Getty Images for Empire State Realty Trust
"I normally like to wake up and drink ice-cold, with tons of ice, iced tea," she explained in the video. In fact, she said she "hates" hot beverages in the morning. But, she continued, Ayurveda — an ancient Indian medical system based on a natural and holistic approach to physical and mental health — inspired her to consider making the switch. Plus, Barrymore said her "old guru," certified nutritionist Kimberly Snyder, had also recommended hot lemon water in the mornings to her for years. So, the actress is giving it a shot — admittedly, with room-temperature lemon water instead of hot. "That's as far as I feel I can go for this beginning experiment," she joked. (Here's your complete guide to the Ayurvedic diet.)
For the record, plenty of health experts and Ayurvedic enthusiasts alike tout the benefits of hot lemon water first thing in the A.M. Not only does the citrus-infused drink help kickstart your digestive system (which allows your body to better absorb nutrients and move waste along), but it can also help boost your immune system, thanks to the antioxidants naturally found in the vitamin C-rich fruit. (See: The Health Benefits of Hot Lemon Water)
That said, as easy and beneficial as it is to start your day with a glass of warm lemon water, it's also worth pointing out that the beverage isn't a miracle cure for serious health conditions. "While some have gone so far as to claim that lemon water can cure cancer, that's not true," Josh Axe, a natural medicine doctor, doctor of chiropractic, and clinical nutritionist, previously told Shape. "Lemons contain cancer-fighting antioxidants as well as compounds that have been shown to kill cancer cells, but only when used in concentrated amounts."
Of course, Barrymore's goal to drink hot lemon water in the morning isn't really about the beverage itself. As she's shared in her recent Instagram posts, her goals for 2021 are less about trendy health practices and more about incorporating a "different and better" start to her day. "I'm gonna start doing it because I'm so sick of talking about it," she added. "All I do is talk...because the doing is so hard."
While you could certainly follow Barrymore's lead and incorporate lemon water into your morning routine, the sentiment behind her 2021 goal is what really matters — and the possibilities for how to execute it are endless, whether you're into meditating, journaling, a five-minute yoga flow, or a gentle stretching routine in the morning.
Elaborate self-care routines are great, but if the pressure is too much, skip 'em and start small — Barrymore is on your side. (And if you need more ideas, here are some other celeb-approved morning routines that are actually doable.)
