When life gives you lemons...

...Take those little nutrition packed powerhouses and use them any way you can. 

I have to start by saying I love lemons. I always have them on hand and use them daily. Lemons are a wonderful fruit and are known for their strong antibacterial, antiviral, and immune-boosting powers. They are packed with a bunch of vitamins, minerals and other substances that promote immunity and fight infection. Lemons contain B vitamins, vitamin C, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, citric acid, limonene, pectin and bioflavonoids.

Lets break down the lemon by its substances.

-B Vitamins are a group of water-soluble vitamins that work together to help cells burn fats and glucose for energy and are critical nutrients for mood, memory, and anxiety. Lemons contain Thiamine (vitamin B1), Riboflavin (vitamin B2), Niacin (vitamin B3), Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), Vitamin B6, Folate (vitamin B9).

-Vitamin C is a popular vitamin that is commonly taking to fight off the dreaded cold. It helps keep the immune system powerful and is an effective antioxidant that protects our bodies from free radicals. Vitamin C has been shown to lower blood pressure and ensures proper dilation of blood vessels. It also dramatically lowers your blood lead levels.

-Calcium is a mineral that is essential for maintaining strong bones and teeth. Calcium also helps muscles and blood vessels contract and expand.

-Iron is a mineral that helps our muscles store and use oxygen. Iron forms part of the oxygen-carrying proteins, hemoglobin in red blood cells and myoglobin in muscles. It is an essential protein component for metabolism and is a facilitator for regulating body temperature.

-Magnesium is an essential mineral that helps lower high blood pressure. It regulates sugar levels in the blood steam therefore lowering the risk of developing diabetes. Magnesium is needed to help the heart beat stay rhythmic and keep the muscles and nerves functioning normal. It also helps to absorb vital minerals and vitamins like sodium, calcium, potassium and phosphorus

-Phosphorus is a mineral that is required by the body for bone and teeth formation and it works with calcium in order to boost the strength of your bones and teeth. Phosphorus also allows proper digestion of riboflavin and niacin.

-Potassium is a mineral that keeps the heart healthy.  Potassium allows our muscles to move, our nerves to fire, and our kidneys to filter blood, which in doing so, assists kidneys to remove waste. It is also a critical electrolyte.

-Zinc is a mineral known for its immune boosting properties. It accelerates the renewal of the skin cells and also is used as an anti-inflammatory agent.

-Citric Acid is an alkalizing agent, which means it is able to decrease the level of acidity in body fluids. Citric Acid preservative and prevents the formation of kidney stones and ensures proper functioning of the kidney. It is also an anti-oxidant.

-Limonene has been used clinically to dissolve cholesterol-containing gallstones.

-Pectin is a soluble fiber concentrated in the peel and pulp of citrus fruit.

-Bioflavonoids are super-antioxidants found in many natural foods. They are referred to as Vitamin P. There is some resistance in calling it a vitamin because it has not yet been proven to be essential to human nutrition and health.

Now You Know

So now that you know the many great health benefits of lemons, you can understand why I never go without them. Lemon juice is a digestive aid and liver cleanser so drinking it daily is said to help in weight loss. What more could you ask for?

Uses for Lemons

Want to work this healthy, little fruit into your diet? Here are some of the ways I do.

-       Squeeze a lemon into your water and avoid paying for pricey, bottled alkaline water.

-       If you are a lemon/ lime soda drinker, swap that highly sugared pop for sparkling mineral water and add fresh lemon juice to it.

-       Stop buying store bought salad dressings that are filled with nasty additives and make your own lemon dressing.

-       Make your own marinade with lemons. It helps to break down proteins and is a meat tenderizer.

-       Before you juice a lemon, grate the yellow part of the peel and freeze the zest in small freezer bags. Throw a teaspoon or more into your salad dressing, roast, soups, or any other recipe that calls for lemon zest.

-       Squeeze a lemon into you iced tea, green tea, or other herbal teas.

-       Warm up honey in a mug and squeeze in some fresh lemon juice to help relieve a sore throat.

-       Squeeze fresh lemon juice on steamed or roasted veggies like broccoli or potatoes for a healthy alternative to butter or oil.

These are just a few ideas on how to add lemons to your diet. Feel free to get creative and experiment. Lemons are also great to have on hand for many cleaning and beauty reasons too. But that is for a whole new blog!