First off let me make some things clear, I am not over weight. I also have zero interest in fad diets. So all I intend to do with this article is to share a personal account of how, warm whole lemon juice made me shed/lose weight.
And believe, when I say am unhappy with this outcome because like I said I was fine with my weight.
It had been raining a lot. I had some really fresh lemons in my kitchen (actually bought the lemons off a tree from a nearby grocery store) I normally use the rind and the juice in my stir fry and soups.
So on one of the rainy days I got the bright idea to juice these lemons and drink warm which I did. Must have drank it over a period of a week and I suddenly realized my clothes were hanging off my body mostly around my hip area which is the part of my body that as the most flesh/fat.
I was upset because this was never my intention. I immediately stopped this new habit, it had to be the lemon as there was nothing else in my diet that could have caused this. (Nothing in my diet had change).
I soon went online to do some search and understand the science of how lemon juice achieved this remarkable feat (I am big on understanding how things work.) My philosophy is that life and experiences are enriched when we know and understand the “hows”.
Interestingly, I found that weight loss with the aid of lemon is a ‘thing’ there are millions of articles centred on it and there are programs and protocols designed as lemon diets too. There also were countless articles shooting down the idea (of lemon aiding weight loss) and gave very ridiculous reasons as to why it shouldn’t work— well it does work shame to the naysayers.
I also found a large repertoire of scientific studies expounding the health benefits of whole lemons. So here a summary of what my Internet ride fetched me. I start off with the Taxonomy of citrus lemon.
- Genus citrus
- Specie Limon
- All season fruit grown commercially globally
- Taste sour
- Origin Asia India
Some of lemons use are listed below however I will only expound its nutritional and medicinal potency only.
- Industrial
- Cleaning agent
- Source of power
- Medicinal
- Nutritional
- Culinary
Nutritional Value: Lemons are a rich source of dietary fiber, fat, protein, minerals & vitamins: of all, vitamin c is the most abundant nutrient found in lemon.
The synergistic workings of essential and phyto nutrients of plant in the human body makes plant based foods a healthier choice than processed manufactured foods. Below is an extract of the nutritional facts of lemon you can find the in-depth nutritional table here
Medicinal benefits
Plants are known to be rich in nutrients & phytochemicals and lemon is no exception. Phytonutrients ranging from polyphenolic—flavonoids, carotenoids, organic acids (citric acids) and a vast array of other micro-nutrients and compounds present in citrus lemon all prove useful, in the prevention and management of several of modern day diseases and ailments.
More than sixty flavonoids have been identified as present in citrus juice and the peel is equally as rich in flavonoids and several other compounds that promote good health.
Fruits and vegetables should form the bulk of a healthy diet as nature has imbued these plants with properties: nutrients, compounds, phytochemicals that are life savers. A single lemon is packed full of innumerable bioactive compounds that nourish, purify & cleanse the human body.
Below, a few good reasons why drinking lemon juice, and cooking with its leaves, rind & zest is a good and healthy choice. Lemon juice extracted naturally with no artificial sugars added will:
Support weight loss. It is only reasonable that I list this benefit first, as the idea for this article arose from inadvertent loss of significant amount of body weight. The acidic content of lemon lowers the absorption of sugars from the food we eat: in effect less sugar is converted to fat and the effect of blood sugar on weight is a well-known fact.
In order to achieve a reduction in weight it is imperative to use the whole lemon as the skin or peel is a source of pectin and polyphenols and these substances modulate lipid and glucose metabolism. Polyphenols improve insulin resistance.
Aids digestion the sour(acidic) taste of lemon helps kick start the digestion process. So starting your day with a warm glass of whole lemon juice is a reasonable choice: As it helps with efficiently breaking down the food we ingest and allow nutrient be properly absorbed by the body.
An improved digestion rids the body of toxins: which cause inflammation that degenerates into all sorts of diseases.
Improves skin condition Vitamin c an anti-oxidant found abundantly in lemon is necessary in collagen production: Making whole lemon juice your choice drink will also help with a brighter & clearer skin
Replenishes electrolytes For some reason a lot of us don’t like drinking plain water: I am guilty of this too. Drinking whole lemon juice is one good way to increase your fluid intake and by so doing you also replenish electrolytes: potassium and sodium which are available in whole lemon juice.
Restores body natural ph. balance here is another reason why you want to drink whole lemon juice. Though lemon is acidic it becomes alkaline once it enters the body and is metabolized. A highly acidic body imparts negatively on all organs even our teeth are not spared.
Anti-carcinogens: The presence of limonin glucoside in lemon makes it an effective anti-cancer agent
Helps improve kidney health. Limonene a phytonutrient in whole lemon has anti-microbial properties which proves beneficial in treating kidney infections, the citrate content of lemon also helps with dissolving/minimizing the formation of kidney stone.
Though this article’s focus is on whole lemon juice and its medicinal benefits. It is imperative to mention that, conscious eating is a precursor for good health, so if you are considering using lemon juice for the purpose of weight loss you may also want to examine your dietary habits and choices.
Conscious eating will mean eating less of processed foods (denatured foods) and sourcing your food mainly from plant: vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole-grains, legumes and reducing your meat consumption to a minimum level.
Remember you are eating for nutrition and not for taste, therefore eat a wide variety of nutrient dense foods to fill the wide array of nutrients the human body requires.
In the concluding part of this article I shall share a step-by-step process of how to make whole lemon juice. A simple method which allows you extract all the beneficial nutrients of this amazing fruit.
Be well.