There’s lots of advice online stating the correct way to start the morning properly for better focus, better skin, better digestion, or a cleaner, healthier routine before 9am, but Dr Amir Khan says he’s found the answer in the new habit he makes use of every day.
Previously sharing the reasons for the special food he eats three times a day, Khan’s new tip is thankfully a lot simpler to make use of — as it doesn’t require a supplement, an expensive powder, or a complicated list of steps to cram in before work. What’s more, it costs next to nothing, everybody already has access to it in their kitchen, and it takes less time than choosing what coffee pod to use.
The ITV doctor shared the habit in an Instagram video while talking through the difference one small change can make before the day has really begun.
That change, according to Khan, is drinking a full glass of water before his first cup of coffee.
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In his Instagram video, he said: “Hey team, you know what I've started doing every morning? Before I even have my first cup of coffee, I drink a full glass of water. Simple, I know, but let me tell you why this tiny habit has made a big difference to how I feel.”
Khan explained that the reasoning starts with what happens overnight, when you go hours without drinking anything at all. By the time you wake up, he says, you may already be dealing with a mild level of dehydration without properly noticing it.
As he put it: “So when you wake up, you've gone roughly seven or eight hours without any fluids. You're slightly dehydrated, even if you don't feel thirsty. That's a little bit of dehydration, and that can make you feel sluggish, foggy-headed, and even a bit irritable before the day's even begun.”
From there, he linked that first glass of water to a list of benefits, saying: “It kickstarts your metabolism. Your body gets the message that it's time to wake up and get things moving.”
He also said: “It helps flush out toxins and waste products your body's been working to process overnight. And it gives your kidneys and liver a little morning boost.”
Khan added that it can help with concentration and digestion too, saying: “And really importantly for me, it hydrates your brain — improving focus, memory, and mood. Even mild dehydration can affect concentration. It helps your digestion, too. Your stomach and intestines need water to work efficiently, especially if you're having a high fibre breakfast, which we should all be having.”
He even tied it to skin, adding: “And it can even support healthy skin. Hydration from the inside helps maintain elasticity and glow.”
The wider advice around hydration is hardly new, with the NHS recommending that people aim for enough fluid across the day to stay properly hydrated, commonly around six to eight glasses. Still, Khan’s point was more about timing and simplicity than some miracle fix.
He said: “For me, it's become a small ritual…That first glass of water is like saying, right, I'm looking after myself today.”
Topics: Health
Ben Williams