When Life Gives You Lemons…

….Give your immune system the boost it needs and naturally cleanse your body!

An Introduction:

Lemons are bright yellow like sunshine and can often remind you of a warm summer day. They are oval in shape, with their flesh encased by their textured yellow peel. Most lemons are tart, acidic and stringent;  they are sure to make you “pucker up,” but they can also be quite refreshing.

The two most popular types of sour lemons are Eureka and the Lisbon. Eureka lemons are known to have a more textured skin, a short neck at one end and a few seeds inside. Lisbon lemons have smoother skin, no neck and are generally seedless. Did you know that there are also lemons that are sweet in flavor? Perhaps you have heard of the Meyer lemon, which is becoming more popular over time. Check your local market to see if you can pick one up to try.

Nutritional Value:

• 1/4 cup of lemon juice has approximately 45% of your daily value of vitamin C. Vitamin C is one of the most important antioxidants in nature. It travels through your body, neutralizing any free radicals that it comes into contact with. Vitamin C is considered vital to the function of a strong immune system.
• NOTE: You should not drink pure lemon juice! Dilute it with water before consuming. Pure lemon juice contains acid which is injurious to the enamel of teeth.
• Studies show that citrus fruits (such as lemons, limes and oranges) contain compounds known as limonoids, which have been shown to help fight cancers of the mouth, skin, lungs, breasts, colon and stomach.
• Lemon juice is also a diuretic, so it gives relief in kidney and bladder disorders because it is very effective in flushing toxins and bad bacteria from the body. It is also instrumental in curing many digestive problems when mixed with warm water.
• Lemon juice, when taken regularly in the morning, acts as a tonic to the liver and stimulates it to produce bile so its ready to digest your food for the day.
• Lemons also contain smaller amounts of folate, thiamin, and vitamin B6.

Purchasing These Little Pockets of Sunshine:

For the most antioxidants, we recommend choosing fully ripened lemons. We also recommend choosing organic when possible, as some conventionally grown lemons may have been sprayed with pesticides during growth or given a waxed coating to protect them from bruising during shipping.

Lemons that are thick-skinned tend to have less juice in them. For the most bang for your buck, try to choose lemons with a thin skin, that are heavy for their size and feature peels with finely grained texture. They should be that bright sunshine yellow color (lemons with hints of green have not fully ripened yet). Overmature lemons will be wrinkled, have soft or hard patches and be dull in color. Stay away from those. The bright yellow is the key.

Storing, Preparing, Juicing and Everything in Between:

Lemons will stay fresh at room temperature for about a week. If you are planning to hold on to them for longer, store them in your refrigerator.

Before cutting a lemon in half, wash the skin gently with water.  Although lemons are excellent compliments to several teas and other drinks, they are most commonly enjoyed in juice form. Note that they tend to produce more juice when they are room temperature than cold. You could juice the old fashion way, but if you would rather save your strength, small hand held lemon juicers are easier to use and relatively inexpensive to buy (your local market should carry them).

Lemon juice can be frozen for later use. Simply pour your freshly squeezed juice into an ice tray and store in the freezer. Then plop them into water or your favorite recipe as needed.

Tips for Getting Lemons in Your Diet:

• Squeeze fresh lemon juice into your first 16 oz cup of water in the morning.
• Add lemon juice to your green smoothie or your vegetable juice for a bit of zest.
• Combine lemon juice with olive or flax oil, freshly crushed garlic and pepper to make salad dressing.

Resources:

“Lemons/Limes”  Worlds Healthiest Foods, http://www.whfoods.com
“Lemons for Health” Earth in Common: Nutrition & Resources for Healthy Living http://www.earthincommon.com/nutrition_01-article.html
“The Health Benefits of Lemons” Learning Info http://health.learninginfo.org/health-benefits-lemons.htm

By rawfoodnation Tags: immune system, lemons, vitamin c
Posted in Raw Foods | 1 Comment »

One Response to “When Life Gives You Lemons…”

1. Tom says:

   April 2, 2009 at 11:53 am

   you are so right about the health giving properties of lemons. i’m trying to consume more and am using them in dishes a lot more. so fresh!

   cheers

   tom

   [Reply]