HOT LEMON WATER REDUX

Mmmm. Hot lemon water.

I didn’t know about this miracle drink until my mid-20s.

My sister and I lived together for 3 years during our 20s and during this time had very unhealthy eating habits. We were aware of our bad habits but only halfheartedly try to change them. We bought work-out DVDs, paid for gym meberships, yadda yadda yadda but just didn’t have much follow through.  One such endeavor landed us in the front waiting room of LA Weight Loss. My sister signed up for this program and followed it while I watched from the sidelines.

I learned two things from her experience with them, 1) a delicious baked chicken recipe that I simply call “La Chicken” and 2) hot lemon water. The consultant, or leader, or coach, or whatever they’re called told Sister about this wonderful drink.

The idea is simple. Squeeze a whole lemon into a mug of hot water.  She billed it as a great digestive after an indulgent meal.  We were skeptical but we tried it after a particularly indulgent meal.  We were both feeling so full and blah and like a busted can-o-biscuits after this meal so we heated up some water and splashed in some lemon juice because, well, we didn’t buy lemons.

We were both surprised at how well the hot lemon water eased our digestive bloating blah. The bloated feeling lessened and we both felt a pick-me-up almost immediately. We didn’t look into the science of it because, well, it just worked.

Since then, I’ve had countless cups of this miracle drink and am even more sold on the drink after looking at the research behind it.  

Lemon is a citrus fruit, obviously, which are rich in flavonoids, which have been shown to inhibit cancer cell growth. Citrus fruits are very high in Vitamin C and increase the absorption of iron into the system. The Vitamin C binds to the iron and they are absorbed together! Vitamin C also an essential nutrient, which aids the immune system and protects the body against immune system deficiencies.

Other benefits to lemon water (Information found at Underground Health, LiveStrong):

• Lemons are chock full of pectin fiber, which, when consumed, can help you feel full longer.
• Pectin fiber is also great for colon health and is a great antibacterial.
• The great antibacterial properties of lemon, along with the high Vitamin C content, help cure the common cold. It also aids in the reduction of phlegm in the body.
• Lemons help restore normal body pH and alkalinity.  Drinking lemon water after a workout can help restore salts/electrolytes lost during the workout.
• Lemon water helps aid digestion by conditioning the liver, encouraging the production of bile and digestive juices, liquefying said bile, and controlling the growth of unhealthy gut bacteria.
• Lemon’s high calcium  and folic acid content can help build strong bones. Pregnant and lactating women can help their babies build strong bones by drinking this!
• Those of you who are vain like me will enjoy lemon’s anti-aging properties. The Vitamin C in lemons helps the body produce collagen which is needed to skin elasticity and tightness. Lemons also contain alpha hydroxyl acids which are great anti-agers.  You could spend a fortune on creams or just buy some lemons.

And so much more. There is so much a lemon can do! Here’s where the Redux comes in. I was making my typical morning hot lemon water and I remembered I had a bottle of Young Living’s Lemon Oil in my Everyday Oils collection. I thought, “Hey, why not put the essence of the oil, the concentrated nutrients, into this.” I dropped a couple drops into my water and enjoyed.  Delicious.

(I learned it’s better to drop the oil and a splash of lemon juice into the bottom of an empty glass or porcelain cup – never plastic – and then pour the hot water over it. Everything just mixes better this way.)

Now, you may be thinking, why do I need lemon essential oil if I have lemon juice? What is the benefit to using the essential oil of the plant over its juice?

I am so glad you asked. (Information found through Young Living)

The juice of a lemon is pulled from the pulp of the fruit. The essential oil is cold-pressed from its rind. The pulp contains the citric acid, which gives lemon its distinctive sour taste. Also, the citric acid can be difficult to digest for some. By using the essential oil from the rind, you avoid the citric acid altogether.

Lemon Essential Oil is very concentrated. It takes approximately 3,000 lemons to produce 2.2 pounds of oil. This makes the oil much more potent than the juice of the lemon. The ORAC, Oxygen Radical Absorbency Capacity, is a method to measure the antioxidant capacities of a plant. Young Living Lemon Essential Oil has an ORAC value of 6,619 (TE/L) while lemon juice has an ORAC value of only 1,229 (TE/L). I’ll take all the antioxidants I can get! Yes, please!

Essential Oils are very quickly absorbed into the cells of the body. Because essential oil molecules are so small, they are absorbed into the cells of the body very quickly. When cell walls thicken, oxygen cannot get in. Average cell life is 120 days. Cells also divide, making new cells. Damaged cell divide and make new cells. Essential oils have the ability to penetrate and carry nutrients through the cell wall to the nucleus, where the genetic material of a cell is located, and give health to the cell.

So, you could use lemon juice, but, why not get more bang for your buck? I’m going lemon essential oil all the way.

Note: I would not ingest any old brand of lemon essential oil without knowing the company. Many companies add other synthetic chemical compounds to their oils. Young Living Lemon Essential Oil is safe to consume in small quantities as directed. Not every essential oil is edible. 

Interested in purchasing some of Young Living’s Lemon Essential Oil? You’re just a click away.

This information is not intended to treat, cure, prevent, or diagnose any disease. Always consult a medical professional if you have any questions.

Welcome to Oil That! The idea behind this website’s name comes from a phrase I often say to friends and family when they have an ailment “Let me oil that!”