When life gives you lemons, rather than making a sugary lemonade, try using them in healthier ways. Lemons come in handy as both a food and a healthy home hack. Check out these tips to use lemons from cleaning to cooking to cleansing!
Cleanse with Lemons
Start by purchasing a half dozen organic lemons, a glass pitcher, and an inexpensive water filtration system. Wash a couple lemons, and then cut them into quarters, squeeze, and drop them into your pitcher. Fill with filtered water and place in your refrigerator. Before heading to bed, pour yourself a glass of lemon water (keep the lemon chunks in the pitcher), and place next to your bed. The following morning, drink this when you wake up. Lemon water should be consumed at room temperature or slightly warmer– and fairly quickly; sipping on cold lemon water can affect tooth enamel or disrupt your digestive tract.Top up your pitcher with filtered water, and repeat daily. The lemons will likely last many top-ups, even up to 7-10 days! Once they look like they've got nothing more to offer, replace them with new ones. #lemonwater, #lemons
“Lemon water should be consumed at room temperature or slightly warmer– and fairly quickly; sipping on cold lemon water can affect tooth enamel or disrupt your digestive tract.”
Lemon water helps to get your liver and gall bladder primed for the day. It even helps to alkalinize the system (even though it is a citrus fruit), which is important for maintaining a healthy pH. Even cooler, it's not the lemon taste or the acidity that we're really trying to extract. Rather, it's the bitter components of the lemon (peel and pith) that help to stimulate the digestive and detoxification functions of the body. And the longer the lemons last, the more bitterness you'll get out of them.
Clean with Lemons
Lemons are naturally antiseptic and antibacterial, and a terrific cleaning agent. The acid in lemons acts as a natural bleach, while the citrus smell of lemons is refreshing. The rinds contain oils which can also help to clean and shine, and if you add a bit of salt, it can act like a scrubbing agent allowing you to avoid many of the harsh, chemical-based products in your home. Surprisingly versatile cleaners, lemons leave the house sparkling and spotless (and smelling nice too!). Some of the best ways to use lemons include:
Rubbing them over water spots to remove them from the bathroom tile or water faucets
Using them to clean a cheese grater, getting in all the crevices
Adding a pinch of salt and using a half lemon to scrub away strong smells from cutting boards
Cleaning floors and other surfaces ( 1 part lemon juice, 1 part vinegar and 2 parts water)
Preventing pests by squeezing lemon juice along windowsills or doors to deter them from trying to break in!
Cook with Lemons
Lemons also make a great addition to your meals. From salad dressings to accoutrements for dishes like baked salmon, both the juice and the zest of the lemon can add a yummy fresh zing to your meals. Lemon also makes a great addition to teas like ginger, turmeric, and licorice, or create a simple soothing beverage with lemon and honey.
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