The lemon is a fruit that is often overlooked, accustomed as we
are to serving it as a garnish or using just a squirt of lemon to
add flavour to a recipe or a sauce. Little known to most of us, the
lemon can be one of the most potent sources of minerals and
vitamins, healthy raw sugars, and helps balance acidity in the body
so that your immune system and your healthy inner flora can
thrive.
- We all know the
importance of vitamins in our diet. Lemons are rich in vitamins,
particularly vitamin C - enough to boost your immune system or help
fight off a cold (there's a reason that lemon juice in hot water is
recommended to soothe a niggling sore throat!).
- the sugars in a lemon are
natural, unrefined, unprocessed, and easily absorbed to nourish our
bodies - a far cry from refined white sugar!
- Your body
thrives on a delicate balance of acid and alkali. Each organ and
tissue of the human body has a particular acid-alkali balance
(called the "pH") at which it functions best. The conventional
Western diet, rich in sugar, grain products, and processed foods
affects our pH balance and can leave the body acidic - to an extent
that viruses, bacteria, are able to take up residence. Your immune
system works optimally at an intermediate pH, and can't combat
viruses on "their own turf," at acidic pH. Certain foods can help
us restore balance and bring our pH in a more alkali direction. One
of these foods is the lemon. Despite its acidic nature, the impact
it has on the body once ingested is to increase the alkali balance,
bringing us into better health and restoring your immune system's
ability to function.
- Universal within
concepts of natural health is the principal that just as we wash
the outsides of our bodies, we also need internal cleansing. Many
colon, liver, and candida cleanses use lemons. They are a mild,
natural way to purify the body. Even if you don't intend to do a
full cleanse, lemons will help remove whatever toxins are ready to
be flushed out, in a gentle, supportive way.
Want to use more lemon, but you aren't sure how? I recommend a
cool glass of (honey- or maple-sweetened) lemonade, or adding half
a lemon to your morning yogurt or tonight's curry - your body will
thank you for it!