Nutritionists say that an effective way to curb those stubborn pounds comes in the least costly and most unassuming forms. Among these is the use of lemon water. While a lot of advertisements on radio, television and the internet advocate the use of expensive and possibly harmful medications, bitter herbal supplements, or awfully murderous exercise regimens, few have been harping on the wonderful health benefits of lemon water.
Web resources and advertising campaigns on lemon water (such as that run by Sunkist, the largest grower of lemons) highlight the health benefits of lemon with water as its ability to enhance flavors, reduce the need for salt, stabilize blood sugar, and speed up metabolism. Nevertheless, the experts all seem to agree that lemon water helps speed up weight loss.
Whether you call it “juice water,” “fasting water,” or “diet water,” the efficient cleansing properties of lemon are also an effective and natural way to eliminate the toxins and wastes that accumulate in the body as a result of stress and pollution. Lemons are alkalizing, thus promoting a balanced pH inside the body. Lemon water also promotes a natural boost in energy which will surely give any individual that extra oomph in his day-to-day tasks.
Drink a warm glass of water with a slice of lemon as soon as you wake up in the morning to help accelerate a digestive system made sluggish by hours of sleep. Boil water, then add a slice of thoroughly washed lemon (including the rind). Sip it as you would coffee or tea.
Add a slice of lemon to the water you drink throughout the day. As an alternative to lemon slices, you may use a food processor to puree a whole lemon and add bits of the pureed lemon to your drinking water. Both are equally efficacious. Including the lemon rind in the puree ensures that you also get to benefit from the high fiber content of lemon peel. Fiber helps in slowing down the body’s absorption of sugar – which is the primary source of all those unwanted pounds. Fiber also helps eliminate cravings to reduce your total caloric intake. Hence, lemon water is also aptly called as “fasting water” or “diet water.”
To further maximize the weight-reducing benefits of lemon, mix some of the lemon puree with tea and apple cider vinegar. Use 1 to 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar with tea and lemon puree one or twice a day. Experts agree that this combination of tea, vinegar and lemon can help people lose weight faster. It seems that the best teas for weight loss are green tea and oolong tea.
Compared with other health drinks in the market that reportedly help reduce weight, lemon water is perfectly natural and has no calories whatsoever. It can be prepared very quickly and with the least amount of money. Certainly the cost of water and lemons is at least half the cost of any drink bought from the store. What’s not to like with an all-natural, cheap and refreshing drink like lemon water?