Happy Tuesday and welcome to Monday’s hated cousin! I mentioned a few months back that I was on a fitness and health journey and my posts on the topic have been slim, so it’s fairly natural that I haven’t gotten any slimmer. So I am back on it as strict as I can be and will post far more for your viewing and reading pleasure. I may not have stuck to my strict diet guidelines but I did start drinking lemon water and want to quickly speak on its benefits. I am slightly obsessed with it!
I have read so many different reports that the temperature of the water plays more of a role in weight loss and getting the full benefits of lemon water but I personally have yet to see a vast difference. So I choose to drink mine at room temperature. I have never liked cold water outside of the times I am playing outdoors on a hot summer day. Give me everything room temperature- except my ice cream. But wait this is a fitness and health post so I should not be mentioning ice cream, right? Oh ben and jerrys, breyers, talenti……….
Throughout my life, I have had digestive problems. I suffered from regular heart burn and indigestion and bloating was my best friend or would it be my closest enemy? Even when I was 135lbs, my stomach still felt hard and full most of the time. Now that I am pushing 180, that hardness and protrusion is far more noticeable! So I had a chat with my good friend GOOGLE and learned about the benefits of drinking lemon water for not only weight loss but as an aid in digestion.
I drank about 32oz of lemon water every day for close to 2 weeks and WOW!!!! My bloating was nearly gone. I could suck in my tummy and not feel as if there was a brick inside pushing back. My skin had a radiant glow without the use of my Oil of Olay moisturizer and my migraine headaches were at bay! I also dropped 2pounds so I was GEEKED!
Then I got lazy…..
I did not go to the store to purchase more fresh lemons. Oh, yes important thing to note, you must use fresh lemons to get the maximum benefit from drinking lemon water. No, you cannot use the lemon juice from concentrate. I tried and it did not have the same effects.
You may wonder why oh why are lemons such rock stars?!?!?!
It could be that they are chock full of all the deliciously awesome nutrients that our bodies need and want! We are talking calcium, b-complex vitamins, potassium, pectin fiber and of course vitamin c! Potassium helps nourish our brain and nerve cells, vitamin c is key in the growth and nurture of our tissues and cell and of course strengthens our immune system- bye bye common cold, and pectin fiber helps in fighting hunger cravings! That was my motivation for trying it out. Make me stop wanting all of the food, all of the time!
My cravings were halted significantly while on my lemon water kick but to my surprise, my joints hurt far less! I was an athlete for most of my life and because of that, I have super achy hips, shoulders, ankles and knees! On this new journey, the beau and I have taken to playing tennis 2-3 times a week at a local park. I am loving tennis but I was loathing how much pain I was in afterwards. I can deal with muscle pain and soreness but joint pain is not the bees knees but it sure was in my knees! While drinking regular lemon water, I noticed a significant increase in my flexibility! That got me excited! Upon further research, this occurred because lemons reduce the uric acid in joints thus decreasing inflammation!
Please remember that I am not a physician and am only speaking on my personal experiences with drinking lemon water. I highly suggest anyone wanting to test it out, please consult with your doctor first.
Has anyone else found drinking lemon water to be beneficial to them? What are some other natural ways to assist in living a healthy life? I am all ears, well eyes and cannot wait to hear of all your suggestions!
