What To Do When Life Gives You Lemons
As a Health Strategist… I like to get maximum benefit out any ONE thing I do. I use lemons in a number of ways. FIRSTLY… Juice & freeze so I always have lemon juice on hand for recipes. Yep, I know it’s dirt cheap to buy store-bought Lemon juice BUT… Did you know:
It’s reconstituted. Basically heated (killing any Vitamin C) then they add water.
They add flavour. Yes seriously!!
They add preservatives such as harmful Sodium Metabisulphate. Sulfites are used to preserve the lemon juice as it goes o easily BUT the downside is that these SULFITES have been shown to DAMAGE the beneficial bacteria in your gut.
In a 2017 published study it stated… “Sulfites were shown to inhibit the growth of four species of beneficial gut bacteria at concentrations regarded as safe for food” Tests were conducted on beneficial bacterial species… Lactobacillus species casei, plantarum and rhamnosus, and Streptococcus thermophilus (the beneficial probiotic types you find in your yoghurt!!) After just two hours of exposure, a substantial decrease was observed for all bacteria types and a further decrease was noted again after 4 and 6 hrs of being exposed.
Now this is NOT just the preservative in your store-bought Lemon juice, it is found in many packaged goods and — wait for it — YOUR WINE 😩 This is why you need to buy Organic Preservative Free wine. This study showed that the average 60kg person, drinking about two glasses of wine (450 mL), was getting 130% of the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of this preservative.
Unfortunately the intake of sulfites is common in a Western diet and the average total dietary exposure to sulfites is a whopping 294% (ADI) for adults and 325% for children!!! That’s a LOT of DAMAGE to your Gut Microbiome. And considering that are more Gut Microbiome than human, you need to keep it in tip top shape to keep YOU in tip top shape!!
Quite often people ask me… what should I do to lose weight, or eliminate digestive issues, or get rid of aches and pains… and I say — it is NOT just one thing you a doing that is harming your health but often things like THESE preservatives that whittle your health away, bit by bit.
Something as simple as tossing your store-bought lemon juice in the bin can make a HUGE difference to your health. And choosing Preservative FREE wine for starters.
BUT… I digress… back to the Lemons…
SECONDLY… I zest all the lemons I have peeled and freeze. I add it to salads, desserts, marinades, sparkling water and even cocktails, yes I enjoy the odd cocktail 😉
THIRDLY… I blend the ENTIRE lemon…. and fill a small jar with the freshly blended mix and put in the fridge. I freeze any leftover in ice cube trays. Every morning on waking, I put a heaped teaspoon of lemon blend (or 1 frozen ice-cube block) in a glass or mug and fill with luke warm water and sip in the morning before eating.
You may be wondering, “Why the WHOLE lemon Nat?”
Well, while the Lemon juice on its own has benefits for your health; the REAL BENEFITS come when including the peel, seeds AND pith (the white bit) as it is packed with vitamin C, calcium, potassium, bioavonoids, powerful antioxidants AND fibre. The pith and peel help to enhance Vitamin C absorption, and contain Hesperidin, which may assist with capillary function helping to relieve leg cramps. It is also high in Rutin and Quercetin, antioxidants that have powerful anti-inflammatory benefits. Quercetin is a great antihistamine; proven to reduce allergies.
P.S. Although Lemon is known as an acidic fruit; when broken down in the body, its minerals are detached in the bloodstream creating an alkalizing effect on the body
And FINALLY… I use the used lemon halves to scrub my fingernails, elbows and even my toes, and they make my gnarly 56-yr old hands super silky smooth which is always a bonus!
Check out my YouTube Video HERE for a visual on what to do.
So now you know what to do if life gives you lemons… be THANKFUL because they’re going to look after your body, on the inside and out.
I hope this helps… And… if you want to know more about how to IMPROVE your Gut Health then head HERE or if you want to eat your way back to health — one meal at a time — check out my Gut Health Recipe Compendium. Nat xx
REFERENCES
[1] Irwin, S. V., Fisher, P., Graham, E., Malek, A., & Robidoux, A. (2017). Sulfites inhibit the growth of four species of beneficial gut bacteria at concentrations regarded as safe for food.