The theme right now is detox and cleansing, so let’s talk lemons!  Sour but oh-so-refreshing, lemons are a wonderfully nutritious fruit.

Rich in vitamin C, lemons are a great way to support the immune system.  Lemons are also high in calcium, magnesium and bioflavonoids which renders them exceptionally healthy for the heart.  Rich in antioxidants, lemons have been shown to decrease inflammation and even help prevent cancer.

On a daily basis, drinking lemon water first thing in the morning alkalizes the body and helps to kick start metabolism.  This simple medicine gets digestive juices flowing which helps prep your body for food.

On the detox front, lemon rind is an invaluable nutrient.  The rind stimulates phase 2 of liver detox, which is an integral step in the body’s ability to rid itself of toxins.  The easiest way to use lemons for detox is to add whole lemons to your water jug and just keep refilling it.

Lemon water for detox

Take 2 lemons, wash them well and cut them in half.  Squeeze as much juice out of them as possible and then toss the remaining rinds into the jug.  Fill the jug with fresh, clean water.   Your body responds best to room temperature water, but if you won’t drink it unless its’ cold, pop it in the fridge!

When it comes to detox, lemons do a couple of things.  Firstly, the juice is alkalizing to the blood.  Although lemon juice itself is acidic, it has an alkalizing effect on the body once it is absorbed.  Alkalizing the body is essential for metabolic function.

Secondly, lemon rinds are hugely supportive of liver detoxification.  The liver has 2 main phases of detox.  Lemon rind stimulates the second phase, which is important for neutralizing toxins and prepping them to leave the body.

Lemon rinds are most supportive of liver detox when they’ve started to break down a bit.  The trick here is to keep refilling your water jug but leave the rinds in the bottom.  After a few days they will begin to make the water a bit murky, which is when you know you’ve really got the good stuff happening!  Just keep refilling your jug over the same rinds until the water no longer tastes fresh.  When this happens, it’s time to toss the lemons and start with two more!

Have a healthy Friday!