The Secret Life of Lemons

Lemons, meh.

They say that when life gives you lemons that you should turn it into lemonade, but I know that most women in this city find lemonade too sugary to be a viable beverage option. So that aside, they’re not good for much other than the occasional martini garnish, a cheap and cheerful filling for a decorative bowl on the coffee table, or at best, a mixer for your ginger juice, right?!

Wrong. Lemons have an amazing secret life that you don’t even know about, including a laundry list of rad health benefits. They’re a renaissance fruit of sorts; they can do a lot of things very well and unlike some lists of random item upsides, this is one you’ll definitely get some use out of.

Whiten Your Grill: Save yourself the $50 on Professional Level Whitestrips and 30 minutes a day of talking with a lisp- dab some baking soda and lemon juice on your pearly whites and leave it on for a minute (literally, a minute. Max. The acid can eat up the enamel if left on any longer than that) and remove with a toothbrush for a grill that gleams.

Banish Nasty Ass Zits Two of my least favorite words: adult acne. Something that our teenage selves were blissfully unaware of as we daydreamed of adulthood and clear skin. But ugh, zits happen…in our 20s, and 30s, and 40s..and so on. Lemons have antibacterial and fungal properties that fight acne and blackheads- apply the juice directly or mix with a little honey. Leave it on for about 10 minutes and rinse with cool water.

Superfood Hero in Disguise We don’t really think as the lowly lemon as a superfood, but it is. The health benefits of lemons include (but are not limited to):

• They contain enzymes that help the liver dump toxins
• Help keep skin stay clear and wrinkle free
• Come with a hefty dose of Vitamin C – which helps fight free radicals.
• Boost the immune system
• Are antibacterial and antifungal
• Are an excellent source of potassium, calcium and magnesium.
• They’re little yellow cancer fighters, containing elements that prohibit the spread of cancer cells.

NBD.

Alkalinity Promoting Even though lemons taste acidic, they actually balance your pH level and are alkaline forming inside the body- keeping inflammation at bay.

Curb Your Anxiety and ADD This is actually a use of lemon oil, but it’s still my favorite tip of the bunch. As someone who tends to be on the anxious side, this little tip caught my attention when I first found out about it. Though it might look silly, inhaling lemon oil has an incredibly calming effect and can increase focus. Better to look like a crazy person than to feel like one, right?!

Keep Your Kisser Kissable Dry winter weather can mean nasty scaly chapped lips. It’s counter-intuitive, but rubbing lemon juice on your lips before bed will remove the dead skin while you sleep. Muah!

XO!!!

M