The juice of a fresh-squeezed lemon in water has many medicinal values, as well as its benefits for cleansing the body, stimulating the liver, and improving digestion and elimination.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Lemon/Lime juice
- 1 cup Water
When we sleep, our body is detoxing. Drinking water with citrus juice in the morning will help flush out metabolic and acidic waste from the body.It can be either lime, lemon or orange. I recommend having a detox routine that is happening daily, to support the liver. Because what we do on a daily basis has a large effect in the long run.
When citrus trees grow, the minerals in the earth are absorbed by the roots and concentrated in the fruit. So when we add citrus juice to "dead" water it becomes mineralized and "alive". These minerals will help to alkalize the blood and inhibit the proliferation of unhealthy bacteria and viruses.
Note that it has to be fresh squeezed citrus juice rather than processed store bought citrus juice to have these beneficial effect. To make it easy, I squeeze a big batch of limes or lemons, and that will last for about 1 week in the refrigerator. It is really convenient to have for using in cooking other recipes as well. To make it even more convenient I can also recommend freezing lemon juice into ice cube trays, and just add a frozen lemon cube to your glass of cold or hot water. You can also use frozen lemon cubes in dressings, sauces and cooking.
Upon waking, simply mix about 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or frozen lemon cube into your glass of water. You can also add other ingredients, such as fresh herbs, raw honey, fresh ginger or turmeric slices. I also like to make a pitcher of lemon water and keep in the refrigerator for drinking throughout the day.
Other benefits of lemon water include cellular hydration, weight loss, healthy skin, improved digestion, fresh breath, prevention of kidney stones, slower ageing and strong immunity.
Experts also believe that lemon water can help reduce the amount of uric acid in joints, which is one of the underlying causes of certain types of joint pain.
For example, according to Harvard Medical School, "an attack of gout occurs when excess uric acid is deposited in a joint and forms urate crystals that irritate the joint lining. White blood cells try to gobble up the crystals, but they are not equal to the task. The white blood cells are themselves damaged, releasing chemicals that cause inflammation, swelling, and pain."
References
http://www.waterbenefitshealth.com/lemon-in-water.html