When life hands you lemons.....

squeeze into a glass of water (or seltzer) and drink up! Wow- after researching the acid-alkaline diet over the years, I have begun to drink lemon water instead of my regular water (i drink 4-6 glasses/day) .. as its supposed to have an alkalizing effect (for more info and debate on the acid-alkaline diet click here: http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?threadid=324519. Just because one is on a low carb diet (or moderate carb), or other diet, it doesn't mean we cant incorporate other health tid bits which might help us along the way. That being said- here is some interesting info on lemon water (which is low carb, low fat and high on health benefits)! (from: http://www.quantumbalancing.com/news/lemon%20water.htm)

The value of eating lemons is reported by Jethro Kloss in his book Back to Eden:

“The medicinal value of the lemon is as follows: It is an antiseptic, or is an agent that prevents sepsis [the presence of pathogenic bacteria] or putrefaction [decomposition of tissue]. It is also anti-scorbutic, a term meaning a remedy which will prevent disease and assist in cleansing the system of impurities.”

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 thus controlling constipation and diarrhea.

On page 659 of Back to Eden, Mr. Kloss points out that, “The lemon is a wonderful stimulant to the liver and is a dissolvent of uric acid and other poisons, liquefies the bile, and is very good in cases of malaria. Sufferers of chronic rheumatism and gout will benefit by taking lemon juice, also those who have a tendency to bleed, uterine hemorrhages, etc.; rickets and tuberculosis. In pregnancy, it will help to build bone in the child. We find that the lemon contains certain elements which will go to build up a healthy system and keep that system healthy and well. As a food, we find, owing to its potassium content, it will nourish the brain and nerve cells. Its calcium builds up the bony structure and makes healthy teeth.

“Its magnesium, in conjunction with calcium, has an important part to play in the formation of albumen in the blood. The lemon contains potassium 48.3, calcium 29.9, phosphorus 11.1, magnesium 4.4. Lemons are useful in treating asthma, biliousness, colds, coughs, sore throat, diphtheria, la grippe [flu or influenza], heartburn, liver complaint[s], scurvy, fevers and rheumatism.”

Personally, in conjunction to adhering the the acid-alkaline diet principles, combined w/ (organic) low carb WOE, lemon water has played its part. I have eliminated my heart burn (when the ENT wanted to put me on those prescription heart burn drugs, I threw the prescription in the garbage after researching the reality behind heart burn), gives a overall cleansing feeling, freshens breath, and helps many other issues mentioned above.

From http://www.energiseforlife.com/wordpress/1002/lemon-water-alkalising-superstar, Almost as cunningly simple in its title as ‘green drink’ - lemon water is quite blindingly straightforward in its makeup: it is water with lemon squeezed in. Could it be any easier?

The beauty of lemon water is that it is tasty, refreshing and best of all, alkalizing. The lemon juice raises the alkalinity of the water so even with standard tap water you can make your drink pH neutral.

Also, and more importantly, unless you have REALLY washed the lemons or have bought organic then the pesticides and chemicals could leach out of the rind and into your water if they are left soaking for too long.

PPS - yes, it is fine to add some cayenne (cayene) pepper to your lemon water for a bit of a kick, but PLEASE DO NOT ADD MAPLE SYRUP - this will make it have an acidic effect on the body!..... (i have researched this and could not find evidence to support it, but left it in here for you all to research. Plz let me know what you find out, and I will email the original author to see where she obtained it from)

I want to add that I ONLY purchase organic lemons/limes (limes also have the same effect!)

Limes are just as alkalising as lemons and give a totally different taste. Variety is the spice of life after all!

Photo thanks to: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Lemon-edit1.jpg

Low carb is a perfect way of life ( with an Organic Twist )

I am really proud of a cookbook, that i self published in late 05, Full Flavored Low carb Favorites, available on ebay (http://myworld.ebay.com/rnrcorners). I will admit though after the book being published, I almost fell to the media hype from my diet that I adhered to so closely for 5+years. This past year was a rough one for me for a number of reasons, but i have to say- eating out, fast food etc- made me feel so incredibly unhealthy as of late. I have decided to spice up the low carb lifestyle with an organic twist. I am basically eating really simply and clean and it feels great! organic eggs, meats, teas, lots of nuts, veggies (all but starchy ones), soups (yes -organic <10 carbs/serving do exist) and dark chocolate (see my article on dark chocolate)...(oh, and occasionally a small portion of dreamsfields pasta- i dont know what exactly is in it, but its got more fiber for slower digestion) but that can be a frankenfood for some. lately- i mean in the past week, have dropped 5lbs, and feel amazing. For those who think low carb is out- you are wrong. It will never be out. It might have fallen out of popularity temporarily, but - you can easily google many recent articles, independent studies, forums sites that attest- it is still a thriving way of life/eating. That being said- i am an advocate for healthy eating via organic foods, research and listening to your body and nourishing it how you deem appropriate. I dont like the push the low carb diet on anyone- but i gladly educate anyone who would like to listen...but i realize that some people dont need low low carbs. Some people (my mother) do just fine on a diet of whole grains, low fats, starches, bread etc... After learning how dangerous meats, and many other proteins can be if they come from the wrong sources (namely diseased animals and those who dont take care in the meat raising/processing/packing plants), and that our Government is going to do basically nothing about that problem (see my articles on Mad Cow/CJD) I have been enlightened. However it wasn't convincing enough to scare me "vegetarian"... as i have tried that route- and it wasn't for me- and there is evidence that some vegetarians had fallen ill to CJD in the past, showing that no one is really safe from the disease. (Geletin in pills, supplements, tainted dairy etc could be to blame)... I do believe that humans are omnivores, and we were designed for eating a diet of plant matter and meat (note the human jaw and dentition structure). However we need to be so careful of those food sources. I dont want to make anyone paranoid, but i think we all have become compliant on systems that are just expected to "work" but i must tell you- such complacency is really lethal to society as a whole. All this stuff, this research, has lead me to find, for now what i feel to be the perfect diet. I cant say how much better I feel- it is amazing, after ridding all the toxins, hormones, etc from my food. So- while i dont know that we literally "Are what we Eat" i certainly feel "We fall ill from the effects of what we eat and drink" that is a fact.

Happy low carbing! :)