Fantastic Lemon and Honey-Keeping that Winter Chill away

Achooom !! Achooooooom !!!!! Does this sound familiar? Is this you during the winter season? Read on and you will be convinced to take fantastic lemon and honey – keeping that winter chill away.

Chill & cold facts:

Most people know there is no real cure for the common cold. Apparently, there are over 200 different viruses that can cause a characteristic runny nose, cough, sore throat and sneezing that most people experience at least once a year

Whether you are the one who is sneezing or whether it is coming from a nearby potential contaminator, it isn’t much fun. However, avoiding this can be insanely simple to do.

There is a drink that is very cheap to make, it will keep your skin glowing, helps your digestion, it is packed with vitamin C and my own personal experience is that it keeps colds away. The answer?  Lemon and honey. Lemon diluted with warm water and a dollop of honey.  My suggestion is that you begin each day during the whole winter season.

The Recipe:

The water should be only warm, not boiling hot. Always use fresh lemons, organic if possible, never bottled lemon juice. I squeeze at least 1/2 a lemon, quite often a whole one, depending on how juicy it is, and add plenty of water.  Then finish with a nice big dollop of honey, according to taste.

HEALTH BENEFITS:

The health benefits of lemon and honey have been known for centuries. Lemon has strong antibacterial, antiviral and immune-boosting powers.  It also contributes to weight loss because lemon juice is a digestive aid and liver cleanser. Due to its function as an antioxidant and its role in immune function, vitamin C has been promoted as a means to help prevent, and /or treat numerous health conditions.

Reports say that it has yet to be scientifically proved that lemon water will stop or cure your cold so far be it from me to contradict science! What I can state, by my own personal experience, is that over the last ten years, since I decided to begin each day with a glass of lemon in warm water and a spoonful of honey, I have barely suffered from a cold or any other ailment for that matter.

Lemon juice flushes out unwanted materials and toxins from the body because lemons increase the rate of urination in the body. Toxins are released at a faster rate and it helps keep your urinary tract healthy. The citric acid in lemons helps maximize enzyme function, this stimulates the liver and aids in detoxification.

antioxidants:

So, lemon is an antioxidant but what exactly is an antioxidant? It is what helps prevent or stop cell damage caused by oxidants.

Oxidants are free radicals that you find in the environment, such as air pollution, cigarette smoke, and alcohol. They are produced naturally in your body. Your body creates them to help fend off viruses and microbes but if you have too many they can cause serious damage and contribute to certain cancers and heart disease.

Too many antioxidants can suppress your body’s natural ability to turn on its defence system. From your normal diet, it is difficult to get too much. The experts recommend keeping to natural sources to keep a good balance of antioxidants to oxidants…enter the humble lemon.

Our vitamin C packed lemon is one of the speediest acting enemies against germs. If you are taking your delicious lemon drink each morning, you are dealing with any “intruders” as they emerge in your system. Working as an antioxidant it helps body tissue to grow and heal itself.

Incidentally,  warm lemon water in the morning helps kick start the digestion process for the day.

Also, let’s not ignore some other particularly attractive benefits of our lovely lemons:

Beauty benefits:

A lemon’s high vitamin C content vitalizes your skin (as well as the rest of you), making it glow and enhancing your beauty. It is an ancient remedy for wrinkles and other signs of ageing. The vitamin C contained in the lemon rejuvenates the skin from within your body.

The fabrication of collagen in the human body, the support system of the skin, is reliant on vitamin C and plays a vital role in the formation of the collagen. Collagen: derived from the Greek word “Kolla’ meaning glue, helps to keep the elasticity in your skin.

Controllable factors that damage the production of collagen include sunlight, smoking, and high sugar consumption. While young, the body consistently produces collagen. Collagen synthesis begins to decline around the age of 40, with a dramatic reduction in synthesis in women after menopause. By the age of 60, there is typically a considerable decline in collagen production. On the subject of ageing, you might also want to read about telomeres if you haven’t heard of these already.

Ladies… cosmetic products such as revitalizing lotions that claim to increase collagen levels are probably unlikely to do so. Collagen molecules are too large to be absorbed through the skin.

Still not totally convinced about fantastic honey and lemon keeping that winter chill away? Ok let’s throw in a few extras:

BONUSES:

Drinking lemon water helps you shed weight faster by reducing the desire to eat as well as helping to break down and eliminate body fat.

It helps reduce mouth odours and other oral problems.

Lemon’s high potassium content is a great help in regulating blood pressure.  Drinking it can also contribute to reducing stress and anxiety

A small amount of lemon juice in water will quench your thirst far more effectively than plain water.

By the way, it is nearly impossible to overdose on vitamin C.

Extra ‘good to know’ information:

Not only do lemons boost your immune system because of their high vitamin C content…great for fighting colds…but they are also high in potassium, this stimulates brain and nerve function. Potassium also helps control blood pressure. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) has an anti-inflammatory effect. It is a complementary support for asthma and other respiratory symptoms. It enhances iron absorption in the body; iron plays an important role in immune function. Lemons also reduce the amount of phlegm produced by the body.

The energy a human receives from food comes from the atoms and molecules in your food. A reaction occurs when the positively charged ions from food enter the digestive tract and interact with the negatively charged enzymes. Lemon is one of the few foods that contain more negative charged ions, providing your body with more energy when it enters the digestive tract. The scent of lemon also has mood enhancing and energizing properties. The smell of lemon juice can brighten your mood and help clear your mind. Lemon can also help reduce anxiety and depression.

Who wouldn’t want all these benefits?

BE CAREFUL – ACIDITY OF LEMONS:

All citrus fruits, due to their acidity, can damage your teeth. This is especially true for lemons. They contain high amounts of citric acid that can wear away at the enamel of your teeth. The following can help:

• Use plenty of water with half a lemon
• Use a straw
• If you can remember, after you finish drinking your glass of lemon water, rinse your mouth with plain water and spit it out to help normalize your saliva. Saliva contains calcium and phosphates that offset the demineralization that occurs from consuming acidic food and drink.
• Try not to brush your teeth for at least one hour after drinking lemon water or any acidic beverage, let your saliva do its job. Brushing and abrasive substances in your toothpaste can thin the softened enamel, wait an hour, then use a soft brush and brush gently.
• Using fluoride is controversial. Although classified as a neurotoxin, it does strengthen teeth and reduce sensitivity. Use a fluoride toothpaste if you feel okay with it.

Tips on how to choose a lemon:

The skin should be bright yellow and smooth and shiny.

Feel how heavy the lemon is, the heavier it is, the more full of juice it will be.

Give it a gentle squeeze to make sure it is not too firm, a little on the softer side is better.

If you like to grate the zest, by all means do so, in this case, it is preferable to use bio lemons and always wash the fruit before grating. (Beware in restaurants and bars when you have a slice of lemon in your drink or on your meal. The zest can contain potentially pathogenic microbes).

Bonus boost: try adding freshly grated ginger or a little cayenne pepper for an extra boost.

Warning: Vitamin C may interfere with drugs for heart conditions, cancer, HIV/AIDS, blood clotting, and pain. It may also interact with drugs with estrogens and aluminium.

Now let us move on to my best friend and the perfect partner for your lemon…

HONEY:

The health benefits of honey are far too numerous to be listed, however, here are a few:

• Honey is one of the most incredible non-perishable foods that can kill almost every type of bacteria.
• The particular benefit of honey lies in its ability to fight infection on multiple levels. This makes it more difficult for bacteria to develop resistance
• Honey contains antioxidant…hello again.  It contains antibacterial and antimicrobial properties that fight against a virus, bacteria, and fungus. These treat your cold and its underlying symptoms. It is often used as a natural antiseptic in traditional medicines.
• Great to soothe a sore or scratchy throat naturally and relieves irritation.
• It boosts the immune system and reduces the severity of a cold. It also prevents future colds and other viruses.
• Helps in creating smooth and beautiful skin, it removes free radicals (oxidants) from the body and regulates insulin.

Sweet but slimming:

Comparing the difference in calories, honey contains 23 calories less per oz than sugar. Research has shown that honey is one of the best foods for burning body fat when you sleep. So, if you are trying to lose weight, have a little honey before you go to sleep.

If you begin feeling lethargic during the day and haven’t time to stop, a spoonful of honey will keep you going.  It won’t give you the ‘dip’ which other sugars do.

There are contradicting ideas on whether using a metal spoon can take some of the benefits out of honey. Personally, I prefer to use a wooden honey spoon and it is far more practical for runny honey.

There are no particular warnings to issue on the consumption of honey unless you should happen to have access to something known as “Mad honey”.  It is produced by our busy bee friends in Nepal. The pollen is from rhododendron flowers which are highly intoxicating. All you need to know is that if you take more than half a teaspoonful of this, the last thing you will be worried about is your runny nose!

So, say goodbye to that box of Kleenex and do your body a favour by starting your day with a delicious honey and lemon drink.   You will feel great and hopefully, like for me, your colds will become a thing of the past.

Have a very happy winter.

 Read the Italian version here on my  blog  or on this cool Italian site :

         https://www.bombagiu.it      Limoni Fantastici