The title of this post is quite dramatic, don’t you think?! Allow me to jump right into it!

After having spoken to a few of my close friends (who are into food and stuff as well), it seems that I have found myself in the middle of yet another rage!?

Often, in this world of food and drinks, weight loss, health, and sports, new hypes seem to be frequent and basically flourishing… You can’t open up a paper (for the people who still read those) or your favorite website or Facebook without crashing into yet another big thing.

In a way, this is somewhat inescapable, due to the inherent nature of the field; we learn more about every day, as new information becomes available to us, new research is conducted, and we find out more about long-term effects of foods and nutrients; and after all in order to discover long-term effects, we need long terms to pass, so stuff gets repeated every now and then… however in this madness of information, how can you know what trends are here to stay, and which of them will be dead and buried before you can even pronounce their names!?

Well, to be honest, without extensive research is not easy to know where to begin, which rules to follow and which ones to run away from as fast as you can! And who says that you even have the time to delve into this matter anyway?!

In order to help you out, what I can do is share with you the “trends” that I’ve found to be consistent. You know the ones that are not gone by the morning, only to be replaced by the next best thing!

One of the most valuable habits, that I have loved and supported for years is lemon water. Not only does it quench the thirst and refresh us on a warm summer’s day, it is so loaded with benefits that we should drink it every day, and not only during the hot season. Here are a few reasons why exactly:

1. Keeps you thin by boosting metabolism and aiding digestion

Lemon water simply runs through you, as they say, it eases an upset stomach and cleanses your intestines. It’s also great for boosting metabolism, its digestive enzymes and pectin fiber can help curb cravings and kick off your metabolism for the day. Best is to take it in a glass of lukewarm water, first thing in the morning. Lemon juice is also known to stimulate your stomach to break down food more easily, and relieve discomforts such as heartburn, belching and bloating.

However, this all said and done, a glass of lemon water a day will not help you shed 10 pounds while you’re enjoying your career as couch potato deluxe, and snacking on anything within a 2-mile radius… but it is definitely one step in a good direction, towards a healthy lifestyle.

2. Alkalizes the body fights inflammation

Fair enough… but how can something sour and acidic actually be alkaline!? I mean it is a citrus fruit after all? And even more important, why should you care?

Once ingested lemon loses its acidity; its nutrients give it alkaline properties when they enter our bloodstream, and therefore help reduce inflammation in our bodies (inflammation that you notice like fever, rheumatism and such, and things that are happening in your body that you know nothing about). Okay, let me stop here… if you are cooler than I am.. (and most people kind of are…) you don’t want to know all about the geeky stuff and why lemon does what it does… what I can tell you is that an acidic body is a body that deteriorates quicker. In other words, you get older and sicker much faster, as the body becomes a dump for toxic waste… (read broken down tissue). An alkaline agent reduces this, and help us feel and look better, and healthier, and I reckon most of us want that!

(Btw if you are a chunky nerd like I am, visit my other pages for more details about awesome geeky stuff!)

3. It’s a detox for your liver that gives you great skin!

It runs through you, needs I say more?

Ok… I’ll say more… not only does it run through you, and gets you to urinate a couple of hundred more times than usual (which is cleansing for obvious reasons), lemon juice also brings out the whip when it comes to your liver. Its enzymes stimulate your liver to work harder and get those toxins out of there a.s.a.p!

If you remember, it also helped food break down more easily, so the more food is broken down, the easier does your liver have it in the first place!

And guess what? Fewer toxins your liver has to dump on your face, the fewer blemishes you will have!

4. Whitens teeth and freshens up your breath

Unlike the myths will have you believe, lemon water doesn’t damage the enamel. The exposure to citric acid doesn’t happen in such high doses that it would cause such damage. One would have to be exposed to high citrus acidic levels in the mouth, for a very long period of time for this to happen (more like brushing your teeth 10 times a day with lemon and chewing lemons all day long for a month). It rather it improves plaque-stained teeth and bad breath. Just like you can bleach your hair with lemon juice, you can also bleach your teeth a few shades.

5. Promotes energy and concentration

Lemons are known as refreshments used by world travelers, long distance walkers, and explorers. They fight fatigue and will help boost concentration.

The lemon scent is also a great way to wake up your senses.Lemon also stimulates brain activity, so whenever you feel tired or are likely to be dozing off, drink a glass of lemon water every few hours, and feel release from your fatigue rapidly!

6. Boosts the immune system

Ever seen those pre-packaged Lemon drinks that you are supposed to drink when you have a cold? I am sure you have! Well, basically you shouldn’t have to pay that much money to get the benefits of the Vitamin C and the antioxidants stored in those yellow wonders. Squeezing a lemon into a cup of piping hot water, and drinking it as tea, will deliver those benefits straight to you, without the cost (and having to go out to a pharmacy in your pajamas.. local supermarket will do, way more anonymous when you’re looking your best, red nose and all..) – to add to this greatness, lemons are also natural antiseptics and full of potassium (it’s not just bananas you know!). Potassium is known to stimulate the brain and the nerve function and helps control blood pressure.

I am certainly positive that are many, many more benefits of drinking water with lemon, like the more obvious ones; that it hydrates us, aids to boost the daily vitamin C intake… but what annoys me quite a lot it when reading these top 7s and top 10s, is that often same category is split up into 3 new ones, which kind of all sound the same, just to fill up the page… so enjoy my short but powerful list, free of repetitions and restating of the same ol’ thing. I hope you like it! And please share your healthy habits!

By the way, if you would like to read more about lemon water, check out Dr. Mee Lain Ling! She is awesome and speaks about a few more benefits from the medical point of view.