“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”, we have all heard of that quote, but little did we know how healthy it can be for us if we take it literally. What I am saying is eat, drink, or consume them anyway you want, but get some lemon daily if you can.
Lemons are rich in nutrients, just one tablespoon contains 10% of your daily requirement of vitamin C and it is one of the top sources of potassium. Don’t forget they help supply calcium, magnesium, iron phosphorus, and copper, to your daily mineral needs. Drink a glass of water in the morning with some added lemon juice and you have a great liver and pancreas cleanser, because lemons stimulate the cleansing function of these organs.
Lemons are one of the worlds richest sources of antioxidants, which help to regulate body temperature, add to it that they appear to have anti-inflammatory action making them a great tool to help fight colds and the flu. To help prevent or relieve colds and coughs, drink lemon juice straight or mixed with honey. When fighting the flu half a lemon in warm water 3 times a day helps eliminate toxins and ease aches.
“The medicinal value of the lemon is as follows: It is an antiseptic, or is an agent that prevents sepsis [the presence of pathogenic bacteria] or putrefaction [decomposition of tissue]. It is also anti-scorbutic, a term meaning a remedy which will prevent disease and assist in cleansing the system of impurities.” *Back to Eden
When you can squeeze lemons over your veggies, you will find it adds a great extra taste and is an easy way to get more lemon juice into your diet. And rest easy in the fact that while lemon juice does not melt fat it does increase metabolism, due to the concentration of citric acid in the lemon, generating internal heat to burn fat. 🙂
If I am eating out my beverage of choice is just water and a bowl of lemons. Yes, you got it right I make fresh squeezed lemonade, hold the sugar. This has always been a refreshing drink, and now look at all the benefits to that simple drink.
Here are some great drinks using lemons: Strawberry Lemonade, Lemonade or Limeade, Lemon or Lime Mint Freeze, and Chia Fresca.
For some meals that use lemon try: Creamy Lemon & Dill Baked Salmon, Pure & Simple Lentil Soup, Lemon & Herb Garlic Chicken, or Lemon-Caper Sauce (served over cooked chicken or fish).
There are some great ways to get lemon in your diet besides just having a glass of lemon and water.
Did you know that lemons bloom and produce year-round, so you can always get fresh lemons. California and Arizona produce 95% of the entire U.S. lemon crop, making it a home grown product. You can thank the Gold Rush of 1849 for the rich abundance of lemon trees in California, because the miners consumed them for their scurvy-preventing properties.
“When life gives you a lemon… squeeze it, mix it with six ounces of distilled water and drink twice daily.” and be sure to use fresh organic lemons when you can.
Sources:
*Back to Eden by Jethro Kloss
HealthMad – Lemon Facts