The Power of Lemon
Water
This is such a
simple, yet incredibly beneficial, thing to add to your morning routine. By simply drinking 6-8 ounces of lemon water
in the morning (first thing when you wake up), you can naturally cleanse your
liver and kidneys, stabilize your body’s pH, kick start your metabolism (want
to lose weight? This helps with that!),
boost your immune system, clear your skin, promote healing in your body, and
hydrate your lymph system.1 Isn’t
that incredible??! This is such an
amazing thing to do for your body and it takes very little effort.
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When I do my
weekly grocery shopping I always buy a few lemons for the week. I try to buy organic when I can (they taste
so much better – not even joking, they are sweeter and less bitter), but due to
lack of availability in my town I usually end up with regular lemons. Please do not let the rinds sit in your lemon
water if they are not organic – you do not want chemicals leeching in your
water because this will counter the benefits of drinking lemon juice in the
first place. I have a nifty lemon
squeezer gadget pictured here that I bought at a store for about six
dollars. I cut a lemon in half and
squeeze the juice into my water and then drink it. Tada!
That’s it. This squeezer doesn’t
let seeds get into the water and it gets more juice out of the half of lemon
than my hand can by manually squeezing the lemon. But, you can make your lemon water however
you want=). With the other half of my
lemon I make a lemon water bottle for my boyfriend so he gets his natural,
daily cleanse too. You can also use a
whole lemon in your water (pretty lemony-tasting though!) or save the other
half in the fridge for the following day.
Now I’m going to
get a little scientific on you (Hey, Mom and Dad, see I’m using my chemistry
degree now=). Let’s talk a little about our body’s pH. In biology pH is very important to the
survival and function of organisms. If
an environment is too acidic or too alkaline (fancy word for basic) an organism
either has to adapt or it will die. Most
organisms need a very specific pH for its metabolic processes and reactions to
occur, thus allowing the organism to thrive.
If you ever had an aquarium you would know that you need to check the pH
of the water periodically to make sure it is in the correct range so the fish
can survive and be happy. Well, the same
is true for our bodies. Our blood should
have a pH around 7.4.2 If our
bodies get too acidic (less than 7.4) acidosis can occur which is very
serious. Living in even a mild, chronic
state of acidosis can cause cardiovascular problems, weight gain, obesity,
kidney stones, bladder issues, immune deficiencies, hormone concerns, premature
aging (due to free radicals being oxidized), joint pain, bone density loss,
muscle aches, possibly lead to cancer, low energy, and slow digestion (just to
name a FEW!!). Foods that act like an
acid once they are metabolized in our system are meats, dairy, refined sugars,
refined flours, and soft drinks. The
typical American diet lacks in fresh vegetables and certain fruits which
promote alkaline properties within the body.3 This link here: http://www.energiseforlife.com/wordpress/2006/02/10/lemon-water-alkalising-superstar/
explains how lemons (even though they are
very acidic with a pH of 2) have an alkalizing effect on the
body. What the video in the link above
explains is that the minerals in lemons (potassium, calcium, sodium, and
magnesium) are alkaline salts and as they are metabolized in your body they
dissociate and help reduce any excess acidity in your body. So even though a food may be acidic in its
natural state, once it is metabolized in the body it may have alkalizing
effects. Lemons are also very low in
sugar (as are limes and grapefruits) and this is why they don’t act like an
acid in your body…like an orange does (oranges have a lot of natural sugars and
act like an acid in your body). Click
this link: http://www.naturalhealthschool.com/acid-alkaline.html
to see a chart of foods and whether they have an alkalizing or acidic effect on
the body. Choose alkalizing foods for
your diet! Note, I’m not advising anyone
to never eat meat or completely eliminate dairy from their diets! Please just also include many alkalizing
foods as well so your body can maintain a healthy, happy pH equilibrium. Don’t forget to start your day out right by
drinking your freshly squeezed lemon water=).
Resources:
pinterest@Foodblot
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