Welcome back to my blog.    

Thanksgiving is next week and we all know what that means?  Eating way too much food, falling a sleep on the couch, and putting on a few pounds.  Here are some benefits of lemon water that may help you to get through the holidays feeling better this year.

Have you ever heard that drinking lemon water is healthy for you?  Is it true?  Yes, there are many benefits to drinking lemon water first thing in the morning.  Rise and Shine!

• Digestion and Weight Loss: When lemon juice is mixed with warm water, it can   help with stomach problems that often leave you feeling bloated. The lemon in water will assist in the digestion of your food and excretion of bile more efficiently. It may lead to improvement in liver production and the decrease in constipation problems. Also, drinking lemon water helps cure symptoms of indigestion and heartburn. In addition, lemon in water can also help increase weight loss.  The reason why lemon juice in water is so beneficial in losing the pounds is that lemons help cut down the toxins that hold on to visceral fat in your body.  Drinking lemon water alone will not cause you to lose weight. Diet and exercise is key, lemon water only helps by flushing the body of toxins.

• Skin Care: Drinking lemon water is great for skin care. Lemons are a nature medicine  rich in vitamin C. Vitamin C is known to be an antiseptic that rejuvenates your skin and enhances your beauty. Daily consumption can bring a glow to your skin and remove wrinkles while acting as a remedy to stop aging. Also, lemon water helps cure acne and stop blackheads. When it is applied directly to the skin, it can fight against acne scaring and fade existing scars. Furthermore, lemon water is beneficial during the summer time. It’s not only a refreshing drink; lemon water can reduce burning from sunburns when applied directly to the skin.

• In Sickness and In Health: Lemons boost the immune system and help fight off infections. A daily dose will help ward off colds, stomach disorders and serious infection. Lemons have strong antibacterial properties. Therefore, they are good in preventing several bacteria-caused illnesses, including the stomach flu.

• Antioxidant:  Lemons are an excellent source of antioxidants. Antioxidants rid the body of toxins as well as the free radicals that cause aging.

Preparing Lemon Water

1.  Wash the lemon with cool water and a vegetable brush.  This keeps any stray contaminants from sneaking into the water when you squeeze the lemon.

2.  Heat eight ounces of water to a warm, drinkable temperature by either using a tea kettle or by heating water in a microwave-safe cup for twenty seconds in the microwave.  The trick however, is to have the water lukewarm.  If the water is too hot or too cold then it will cause the body to expand energy in order to process it. Lukewarm water also has that comforting feeling to it…especially on a cold morning!

3.  Slice the lemon in half;  set one aside.

4.  Squeeze 1/2 of the lemon into your warm water.  A typical lemon half will produce one or two teaspoons of juice.

5.  Drink the lemon water. You can add a drop or two of honey if the lemon taste is too strong for you. After a short wait of fifteen to thirty minutes, go ahead and enjoy your regular, healthy, low glycemic breakfast. Save the other half of the lemon for later use in tea or recipes.

6.  As an option, add some cayenne (cayene) pepper to your lemon water for a bit of a kick.

7. NOTE: Be sure to rinse your mouth out with straight water afterwards since lemon juice can hurt tooth enamel if it sits on your teeth.

Also, and more importantly, unless you have REALLY washed the lemons or have bought organic then the pesticides and chemicals could leach out of the rind and into your water if they are left soaking for too long, losing the lemon water benefits.

So start every single day with a glass of lovely lemon water!

Enjoy!            Debbie