The Miracle Lemon Water: Detox Your Body & Skin
Do you want a drink that is insanely inexpensive to make, keeps skin glowing, aids in digestion, can help you lose weight and is packed with vitamin C?
It is LEMON WATER.
While those who know have been chugging down the citrus-flavored water for ages, some lemon water benefits have just begun making the rounds on the health and fitness circuit in recent times. But is lemon water really the cure-all it’s purported to be or just another health fad?
Lemon Water Nutrition Facts
Lemons are loaded with healthy benefits, and particularly, they are a great vitamin C food source. One cup of fresh lemon juice provides 187 percent of your daily recommended serving of vitamin C — take that, oranges! Lemon juice also offers up a healthy serving of potassium, magnesium and copper.
Five Benefits of Lemon Water
For such a simple drink, the list of lemon water benefits is impressive such that you might find yourself reaching for a glass when you check out how awesome it is for your body and mind.
Because lemon juice’s atomic structure is similar to the digestive juices found in the stomach, it tricks the liver into producing bile, which helps keep food moving through your body and gastrointestinal tract smoothly. Lemon water also helps relieve indigestion or ease an upset stomach.
The acids found in lemon juice also encourage your body to process the good stuff in foods more slowly. This drawn-out absorption means insulin levels remain steady and you get more nutrients out of the foods you consume. Better nutrient absorption means less bloating. Lemon water benefits the enzyme functions in your body, stimulating the liver and flushing out toxins. Because it’s a mild diuretic, you might find yourself using the bathroom more often, helping the urinary tract get rid of any unwanted elements. All of this helps detox body and skin.
2. Bumps up the vitamin C quotient
Since your body does not make vitamin C on its own, it’s important to get enough of it from the foods and drinks you ingest. Luckily, lemons are chock-full of the vitamin.
Vitamin C stimulates white blood cell production, vital for your immune system to function properly. As an antioxidant, it also protects cells from oxidative damage. Plus, getting enough vitamin C helps the immune system keep colds and flu at bay. Drinking lemon water daily ensures your body gets a sizable amount of vitamin C daily.
The antioxidants found in vitamin C do double duty in lemon water. They fight damage caused by free radicals, keeping your skin looking fresh. Getting enough vitamin C from your lemon water also keeps the body producing collagen, essential in smoothing out lines in the face therefore regularly consuming vitamin C leads to younger-looking skin and less wrinkles.
Regularly sipping on lemon water can help you lose those last pounds. That’s because lemons contain pectin, a type of fiber commonly found in fruits. Pectin helps you feel full longer; that satiated feeling means you’ll chow down less throughout the day. Plus, did you know that when you’re even mildly dehydrated, you’re more prone to things like headaches, fatigue and an overall bad mood? Chugging down lemon water helps your body stay hydrated and feeling happy.
Skip the morning cup of coffee — lemon water can boost energy levels without the caffeine crash. Our bodies get energy from the atoms and molecules in foods. When negative-charged ions, like those found in lemons, enter your digestive tract, the result is an increase in energy level.
Other Uses of Lemons
Additionally, just the scent of a lemon has been found to reduce stress levels and improve moods. Don’t forget to offer a glass to grumpy co-workers or family members.
And though I love the benefits of lemon water, there are tons of ways to use lemons. Here are some;
Deodorize your kitchen naturally. Add one cup of lemon juice to the dishwasher, and run it on the rinse cycle to disinfect and rid it of any lingering odors and deodorize your kitchen naturally. Need to clear up a bad kitchen smell? Add fresh lemon peels, cinnamon sticks and cloves to a pot of water and simmer on the stove.
Use lemon essential oil regularly. Mix lemon essential oil, baking soda and coconut oil and rub on teeth. Leave for two minutes to reap the effects of this natural tooth whitener. Mix lemon oil, baking soda and honey for an all-natural face wash. Need to spruce up your silver before company comes over? A lemon oil-soaked cloth will get rid of tarnishes quickly.
Ready to jump on the lemon water bandwagon?
Here are a few things to keep in mind at the store:
When buying lemons, opt for ones that are fully yellow and, if possible, organic. If the fruit is still green, it isn’t fully ripe. Thinner-skinned lemons are juicier. Keep away from lemons that look dull, wrinkled or excessively hard.
Storing lemons in a sealed plastic bag keeps lemons fresh much longer than leaving them at room temperature.
To make preparing lemon water even easier, juice several lemons into an ice cube tray and freeze. Pop a few cubes in a glass of water to have fresh lemon juice at the ready anytime.
When preparing lemon water, it’s best to add the lemon juice to room temperature or warm water — start with half a lemon’s worth of juice. Drinking cold lemon water can be a shock to your system.
You get the benefits of lemon water whenever you drink it, but sipping on it in the morning will kick-start your day. Try a glass about a half hour before breakfast; the lemon juice in your belly will help your body absorb your breakfast nutrients better.
Possible Side Effects
While lemon water is one of the safest drinks you can ingest, the acids in lemon can eat away at your tooth enamel. To prevent this, drink lemon water before brushing your teeth — the overnight bacteria will protect your teeth a bit. Drink from a straw and rinse with baking soda to neutralize any acid that might be left on your teeth.
Credit: Dr. Axe