10 Health Benefits of Lemon Water

First thing I do every morning is drink a large glass of lemon water, it balances PH, keeps your skin clear and glowing, it kick starts your digestive system, helps with weight loss, and helps to control your coffee habit. Lemon is also a natural energizer, it hydrates and oxygenates the body so it feels revitalized and refreshed!

1. Boosts Your Immune System, Cures Throat Infections and Reduces Fever

Lemons are high in vitamin C, which is great for fighting colds. They’re high in potassium, which stimulates brain and nerve function. Potassium also helps control blood pressure. It is an excellent fruit that aids in fighting problems related to throat infections, sore throat and tonsillitis it has an antibacterial property. For sore throat, dilute one-half lemon juice with one-half water and gargle frequently. Lemon water can treat a person who is suffering from cold, flu or fever. It helps to break fever by increasing perspiration. My favorite is hot tea, lemon and honey such a great combination.

2. It’s Good For Your Stomach

Lemon can help relieve many digestion problems when mixed with hot water. These include nausea, heartburn and parasites. Due to the digestive qualities of lemon juice, symptoms of indigestion such as heartburn, bloating and belching are relieved. By drinking lemon juice regularly, the bowels are aided in eliminating waste more efficiently. Lemon acts as a blood purifier and as a cleansing agent. The intake of lemon juice can cure constipation. It is even known to help relieve hiccups when consumed as a juice. Lemon juice acts as a liver tonic and helps you digest your food by helping your liver produce more bile. It decreases the amount of phlegm produced by your body. It is also thought to help dissolve gallstones.

3. Superb for Skin Care

Lemon, being a natural antiseptic medicine, can participate to cure problems related to skin. Lemon is a vitamin C rich citrus fruit that enhances your beauty, by rejuvenating skin from within and thus bringing a glow on your face. Daily consumption of lemon water can make a huge difference in the appearance of your skin. It acts as an anti-aging remedy and can remove wrinkles and blackheads. Lemon water if applied on the areas of burns can fade the scars. As lemon is a cooling agent, it reduces the burning sensation on the skin.

4. Aids in Dental Care and Freshens Breath

Lemon water is used in dental care also. If fresh lemon juice is applied on the areas of toothache, it can assist in getting rid of the pain. The massages of lemon juice on gums can stop gum bleeding. It gives relief from bad smell and other problems related to gums.

5. Balances pH

Drink lemon water everyday and you’ll reduce your body’s overall acidity. Lemon is one of the most alkaline foods around. Yes, lemon has citric acid but it does not create acidity in the body once metabolized.

6. Controls High Blood Pressure

Lemon water works wonders for people having heart problem, owing to its high potassium content. It controls high blood pressure, dizziness, nausea as well as provides relaxation to mind and body. It also reduces mental stress and depression.

7. Assist in curing Respiratory Disorders

Warm lemon water helps get rid of chest infections and halt those pesky coughs, along with breathing problems and is helpful to people with asthma and allergies too.

8. Is a Diuretic

Lemon increases the rate of urination in the body, which helps purify it. Toxins are, therefore, released at a faster rate which helps keep the urinary tract healthy. It can also treat rheumatism and arthritis. It helps flush out the unwanted bacteria and toxins from of the body.

9. Keeps You Zen

Vitamin C is one of the first things depleted when you subject your mind and body to stress. Lemons are chock full of vitamin C.

10. Acts as a blood purifier

The diseases like cholera or malaria can be treated with lemon water as it can act as a blood purifier.

Bonus: Lemon water is an excellent source of anti-oxidants and vitamin C, which prevents formation of free radicals. These free radicals can cause death of the cells and rob electrons. It’s an excellent remedy for a hangover!

Fun Fact: Lemon water is as calorie-free as water, but it taste better, acts as a blood sugar stabilizer, boosts metabolism, helps with digestion, contains calcium, and can clean your skin.

What-are you waiting for? Add a wedge of lemon to your water and do it daily and reap all the benefits!

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TOP NUTRITION QUESTIONS OF 2012 (& MY ANSWERS)

12/11/2012

BY JILL CASTLE,  MS, RD, CHILD NUTRITION & FEEDING EXPERT

I get questions from parents, coaches and swimmers – from near and far (New Zealand and Phuket, Thailand). Queried topics range from gaining weight and losing weight, to advice about supplements and protein.

As we close out 2012, and ready ourselves to ring in the New Year, I thought I’d highlight some of the questions I’ve received over the year, and share my answers:

Will adding more protein to our young son’s diet help with weight gain or muscle development?

There is a belief circulating that adding extra protein is the way to go when children need to put on weight or add muscle. To gain weight, children need extra calories, and that can be managed with what your swimmer eats, and the timing of meals and snacks. Increasing the fat content of the diet is the easiest way to add more calories. Make sure to add in fats that benefit health, such as plant oils (olive and canola), nuts and nut butters, seeds, olives and fatty fish. Regular meals (three a day) and snacks (two to three a day, depending on age and activity) are the best way to guarantee enough calories are being consumed. A high calorie, nutritious bedtime snack is effective in providing an extra calorie source also.

Adding or building muscle mass relies on the presence of testosterone, a hormone that increases during puberty. Before puberty, adding extra protein translates to an extra calorie source, rather than a building block for muscle development. Pushing protein in younger swimmers may tax the kidneys, promote dehydration and contribute to kidney problems or damage.

What’s your take on eating "enhanced candies," otherwise known as sports beans?

Sports beans (from Jelly Belly or other manufacturers) are composed of carbohydrates and electrolytes, manufactured into a jelly bean. The intention of these is to provide a source of energy and electrolytes during physical activity. The potential drawback for young swimmers is their lack of fluid, which requires swimmers to drink fluids, preferably water, alongside. Using jelly beans also reinforces “candy eating,” which doesn’t really train athletes how to fuel (eat) for performance.

Another product category is the “extreme” sports beans. These contain carbohydrate, electrolytes and caffeine, marketed as providing an extra boost of energy during spots performance. Caffeine isn’t recommended for children or teens, so young swimmers should steer clear of these.

Last, research on sports beans was done with adults, not children, so effects may be different in the younger swimmer. 

Would you please provide some suggested foods that my high school swimmer (and the team) can eat to maintain his energy and provide fuel for his heats?

Carbohydrate is the most important nutrient to have on hand during a meet. Great sources include: whole grain crackers and dry cereals; salted pretzels; fresh fruit such as banana, oranges, apples; or dried fruit (raisins, cherries, apricots, mango). Tossing in a side of protein (rolled up deli meat, hard-boiled eggs, nuts or nut butters) or foods that house both carbohydrate and protein such as cheese, yogurt sticks, bricks of plain or flavored milk, helps keep hunger at bay and muscles fueled for performance and repair.

Setting up swimmers for success also means making sure they have eaten well the day before the meet. I like to remind swimmers, “What you ate yesterday, shows up in the pool today!”

My child is severely allergic to several common foods. I struggle to find allergen-free foods that are good for eating before and during a swim meet. Do you have suggestions?

Young swimmers with food allergies can be successfully fueled for any race. First, give consideration to specific allergens, then make quality, energizing food choices. If your swimmer must avoid certain food categories, such as milk, make sure to fill in the gaps with nutritious alternatives, such as the following:

Carbohydrate sources: traditional wheat-based crackers, bread, cereals; Rice-based crackers and cakes and cereals; products made with alternative flours such as buckwheat, almond, flax meal and cornmeal; oats; instant oatmeal packs; higher calorie veggies like corn, potato, sweet potato; higher calorie fruits such as banana, dried fruits (apricots, raisins, cherries, etc.); canned fruits in heavy syrup, 100% juices.

Protein sources: plain or flavored dairy milk*; nondairy milk sources* (soymilk and products made with soy; almond milk; nut milks; coconut-based yogurts); deli meats; cheeses*; Sunbutter (nut-free); edamame. *Also contains carbohydrate source.

Fats: add flax or olive oil to pastas, rice, potatoes; nut butters to smoothies and baked goods; use avocado as a sandwich spread; add nuts to yogurt, cereal and trail mix.

It’s been my pleasure to write these nutrition feature articles over the past year. Your comments and questions provide the inspiration for many of my posts, and I thank you! Be sure to check the archives on USAswimming.org for more answers to your questions and challenges.

Article from USASwimming.org

HEALTH REMEDIES FOR WINTER

Even if you're a 21st-century Scrooge, we predict you'll be doing a lot of giving and receiving this holiday season. Maybe someone at your school will hand you the rhinovirus (they shouldn't have!), after which you'll go home and promptly regift it to your family. Or perhaps a stranger will sneeze, donating some mucus-wrapped influenza to you and everyone else in the checkout line. It's enough to make a man feel all warm and fuzzy inside, though that's probably just your low-grade fever.

Coughing and congestion aside, the real problem is that these gifts truly keep on giving. "Your immune system launches an inflammatory storm to fight off the invaders," says David Agus, M.D., a professor of medicine at the University of Southern California and the author of The End of Illness. "

Maybe you didn't expect a present, but we have something for you anyway: a custom plan for staying well and, if you do fall ill, for bouncing back fast.

1. Cardio Exercise, something we do all the time helps keep your immune system in shape as well. An Appalachian State University study found that people who exercised at least 5 days a week took 43 percent fewer sick days due to colds in fall or winter than their lazier peers. "Every bout of exercise enhances circulation of key immune cells," says lead author David Nieman, Dr.P.H.

2. Nasal Irrigation keeps your nose clean. When flu patients squirted a saline solution into their nostrils three times a day for 8 days, they recovered about 2 days faster, a recent study from China found. Why? Nasal irrigation may rinse out the virus as well as inflammatory molecules. Use a saline solution, such as NasalCare ($15, nasalcleanse.com). But be careful—two deaths have been linked to irrigation with amoeba-contaminated neti pots. Use only distilled water or H2O you boiled first. When you're done, clean the container with fresh disinfected water and let it air-dry.

3. Hand soap can help you stay healthy. Scrub with soap and warm water for 20 seconds, and dry your hands for 20 seconds with a paper towel or clean hand towel—not a hot-air dryer, which can actually increase the germ count. As for frequency, embrace your OCD side: A 2012 study in the journal Preventive Medicine found that people who washed their hands at least five times a day were 35 percent less likely to catch the flu than those who lathered up less. Don't bother with antimicrobial soaps. The standard stuff is just as good.

4. Vitamin D is important in keeping you well and since we are inside more during the the winter months we are not able to get it from exposure to the sun. People with low circulating levels of vitamin D may have impaired infection-fighting responses because their blood has less of the virus-killing compound cathelicidin, say researchers in Spain. A shortage of sunlight from October through March means your body may be unable to manufacture enough D on its own. So during the cold-weather months, supplement your diet each day with 600 to 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 (or take the dose recommended by your physician), advises study author Victor Martinez-Taboada, M.D.

5. Honey when you are sick is the best cough syrup. Honey quells a cough more effectively than the active ingredient in most over-the-counter cold meds, a Penn State study found. Nerves that control coughing may interact with brain regions that detect sweetness, says study author Ian Paul, M.D. "So the taste of honey may calm the part of the brain that makes you cough." Plus, the viscosity of honey helps coat your throat. Swallow 2 teaspoons every 4 to 5 hours during the day and a half hour before you go to bed, recommends Dr. Paul.

6. Garlic does not only ward off those vampires but it can help you ward off those viral invaders as well. In a new study in Clinical Nutrition, people who took a daily garlic supplement for 3 months experienced 21 percent fewer cold symptoms than those on a placebo. Credit garlic's ability to prime natural killer cells and T cell—both part of your immune system's first line of defense—to respond faster and with more force when viruses attack, says study author Susan Percival, Ph.D. You don't have to eat a clove of garlic. Just pop a supplement that contains 2.6 grams of garlic extract every day.

7. Hot tea is a great beverage if you become sick. A U.K. study found that cold sufferers who slowly sipped a hot beverage for 10 minutes saw drastic reductions in coughing, sore throat, runny nose, and sneezing. "Warm drinks soothe the mucous membranes in your nose, mouth, and throat, reducing irritation," says Dr. Agus. Your tea should be hot, but not too hot—you don't want to cause inflammation. Add honey and lemon: The sweetness and acidity can stimulate salivation to clear your throat and sinuses, the British scientists say.

8. Sleep will help fight off those viral invaders. If you consistently log enough shut-eye, your flu shot may be more effective, says Aric Prather, Ph.D., who studies community health at the University of California. That's because sleep helps maintain levels of B cells and T cells, which trigger the immune response when you receive the vaccine. To squeeze in more z's, set up a humidifier in your bedroom. Moist air fights inflammation in your sinuses and can kill off airborne flu virus particles, a Harvard study found. Shoot for a humidity level of 40 to 60 percent.

9. Zinc Lozenges may reduce the duration of the common cold, a new Canadian review concludes. As soon as your throat feels scratchy—often the first sign of a cold—start sucking on zinc acetate lozenges, such as Zicam ($22 for 27 lozenges, drugstore.com). This is the form of the metal most effective at fighting colds, say researchers in Finland. Aim for 75 milligrams a day, but don't go overboard. Limit yourself to one lozenge every few hours for a few days. (Regular use for 6 weeks or longer could lead to nerve damage.)

10. Vitamin C-rich foods are important to make the protein collagen that helps provide strength to the body, as well as providing needed materials for muscle repair. Citrus fruits are well known for their vitamin C content, so include orange or tangerine slices or a small glass of 100% orange juice each day.

11. Vitamin B12 and iron help to rebuild red blood cells to fight fatigue. Both nutrients are found in protein-rich foods so if you are eating high quality protein you are most likely getting enough vitamin B12 and iron. Dark meat chicken and turkey provide more iron than chicken or turkey breast (and more zinc, too), so don’t be afraid of the dark.

12. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated during the season. This not only help you do everything better but is will also help flush toxins out of your system keeping you healthier.