Water, water and more water. That’s what we need. Your body doesn’t thrive not watered. Just like your plants!
Your plants show you they need water by having drooping and/or brown leaves, not blooming and, at worse, dying. Consider your body about the same. But your “leaf” symptoms may equal headaches, joint and muscle aches and pains, fatigue and decreased digestion. And, well, you really don’t want to get to the dying part, I hope.
Often, the problem with people drinking more water is that they’re craving taste. If you’ve been drinking flavored beverages, you want to give your preferences time to adjust.
I often suggest people add fresh lemon to their water to make it more appealing, especially when you’re used to caffeine and sugar. You’ve got to let your tastebuds adapt. They’ve been overprocessed!
On top of boosting your water’s flavor, the lemon in your water has so many potential health benefits that if I listed them all, you probably wouldn’t believe me!
So, below is enough info to encourage you to drink water with lemon without causing you (hopefully) to think, “Oh, that’s crazy!” (Though, really, tell me why we easily believe that some chemical compound that purports to do everything but mow the lawn for us will work but not something Mother Nature wisely provided?)
Lemons:
- Help lower blood pressure.
- Can relieve symptoms of allergies and asthma.
- Help prevent disease and help cleanse your system overall.
- Are effective in dissolving uric acid, which can cause joint pain and inflammation.
- Stimulate your liver and kidneys, which mainly help filter toxins from your body. If either of these organs stopped functioning, you wouldn’t live long.
- Assist in the process of digestion, helping to relieve symptoms like bloating, heartburn and belching.
- Increase your body’s alkalinity. Bacteria and viruses thrive in an acidic environment, which can be caused in your body by stress and unhealthy food choices. Lemons boost your immunity so you stay well more often.
- Can help dissolve gallstones, kidney stones and calcium deposits.
One caution: A lot of lemon in your water can be hard on your tooth enamel. So, make sure you take a drink of plain water here and there to rinse off your teeth. Or drink your lemon-enhanced water through a straw. I imagine it would take a lot of lemon juice in a glass of water – not just a slice or two – to cause this, but it never hurts to be a bit cautious.
In addition, there is some debate that, for health benefits, fresh lemon offers more beneficial enzymes over lemon juice in a bottle. That seems logical to me, but do what works for you. Better you try – and better you drink the water you need and also get a reasonable amount of lemon’s benefits – than you get too hung up about fresh lemons.
