Natural Remedies: Lemon Power!

Last week I shared the benefits of parsley, which go on and on, and I mentioned I made a tea, with lemons and honey, it was delicious! Tangy and refreshing, and SUPER good for you! This week, I want to share the benefits of the lemon! Keep drinking/eating these super foods and you will have a strong immune system, clear skin, better digestion and more!

1. Clear Acne

With your finger or a cotton ball, apply fresh lemon juice on acne and leave it overnight. Wash with water the following morning. There may be an uncomfortable sensation of burning at first, but it will soon disappear.

· Mix one part of freshly squeezed lemon juice with an equal part of rose or honey water. Put the mixture on affected areas for at least half an hour. Wash it afterwards with water. This application should be repeated twice daily, ideally in the morning and the evening.

Note: these remedies are safe and natural, but if acne is severe or there are open wounds, consult your doctor first.

2. Calm Anxiety, Fight Fatigue

Research has shown the vitamin C in lemon juice helps with anxiety symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, and tension. You can inhale lemon oil to increase alertness as well, so next time your buying an air freshener, choose the lemon one!

Long distance walkers, world travelers, and explorers look upon the lemon as a Godsend. When fatigue sets in, they might suck lemon juice by piercing the top of the fruit with a straw, giving themselves a quick-acting medicine and a lovely refreshment.

3. Heal mouth sores, cuts

Rinsing your mouth with warm lemon juice in water helps heal cuts and sores because lemon are anti-bacterial and anti-viral. WARNING, this will burn but the more you do it, the less it will hurt.

4. Lower Fevers, Stop Colds, Sore Throats

Whenever I used to get a fever, I would drink a glass of orange juice and it would come down, Lemon juice is just as effective, the vitamin C is responsible for helping fight the infection and lower the fever.

Start taking in more vitamin C at the first sign of a cold to shorten and lessen the time and effect of the cold!! If you have a sore throat, add the juice of 1 lemon and 1 teaspoon (5ml) of sea salt to 1 cup (250ml) lukewarm water. Gargle three times a day for 1 minute to diminish the burning sensation. If it’s a case of tonsillitis, gargle every 2 hours for at least 30 seconds with the freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon. Tilt the head back to allow the antibacterial and antiviral properties of the juice to flow into the back of the throat. You can swallow the juice when you have finished gargling thereby benefiting from an immune-boosting vitamin C shot.

5. Cure Corns and Callouses

Lemon poultices applied overnight are a good home remedy for corns and calluses. Place a slice of lemon approx 5 mm thick on to the corn, bandage and fasten. Dabbing the affected area with lemon essential oil also helps accelerate the healing process. Take care to only use the undiluted oil on the callused area using a cotton ball or Q- tip, as it is too strong for un-callused skin.

6. Cure Eczema

Add 8 drops of lemon essential oil to 1 cup (250ml) lukewarm water and 1 tablespoon (15ml) of liquid honey. Honey also has anti-inflammatory effect and strengthens the healing power of lemon.

Soak a linen cloth in the liquid, squeeze out the excess, and gently place the cloth on the affected area for 15 minutes, 2 to 3 times a day. Not only will this ease the infection, it will counter the overwhelming urge to scratch.

7. Fight bad breath

Rinse with lemon water or chew on a lemon slice to get rid of bad breath from eating, cigarettes or alcohol, BONUS Lemons help with digestion!

8. Lower blood pressure, cholesterol

One category of compound, limonoids, has been shown to reduce the production of apo B, a substance associated with higher cholesterol levels. Flavonoids, phytochemicals also found in lemons, have potential antioxidant properties. According to the American Heart Association, the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), also known as "bad" cholesterol, plays a major role in the development of fatty buildup in the arteries, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Pectin is another cholesterol-lowering property that can be found in lemons as well as other citrus fruits. Pectin is a substance that holds plant cells together and is commonly used as a gelling agent in preserves. According to an August 25, 1987 article in "The New York Times," pectin sequesters bile acid from the body, thereby requiring the body to consume stored cholesterol in order to make new bile acid. This results in the reduction of blood cholesterol.

9. Repel Bugs

To repel insects, add 20 drops of lemon oil to 1 cup (250ml) of water and spray into the air. It smells great and repels insects at the same time. Another home remedy is to place a cotton ball soaked in lemon oil in your bedroom. If you are sitting outside in the evening, apply lemon scent to skin areas not covered in clothing. Or, add 10 drops of lemon oil to 1 ½ oz of sunflower oil and rub into the skin.

10. Relieve pain

Even though it tastes bitter, lemon juice has a powerful alkaline effect in the body and is therefore a natural agent against excess acid, which is in part responsible for rheumatism. Drink the freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon in a glass of lukewarm water 3 times a day and if you experience severe pain add the juice of 2 lemons 3 times a day.

Lemon oil has pain-relieving qualities, so to inhibit inflammation and ease pain, massage the affected area daily with several drops of lemon oil mixed with 1 tablespoon (15ml) jojoba oil.

11. Better Digestion

Lemon juice helps stimulate the production of stomach acid which in turn helps break down your food better, so you absorb more and it stimulates the digestive muscles so you can be "regular".

12. Strengthen your blood vessels

lemon juice helps strengthen your blood vessels, aiding in circulation and fighting varicose veins.

For spider veins, take 2 to 3 drops of lemon oil every day and mix in a small bowl with jojoba, avocado or almond oil and massage the affected area.

For varicose veins,add 6 drops of lemon oil to 1 ½ oz (50 ml) wheat germ oil, and 2 drops each of cypress and juniper oil. Use this mixture daily for a gentle massage of the legs from bottom to top, in the direction of the heart. For a vein and vessel-rejuvenating bath add 8 drops of lemon oil to a warm bath. Also add 4 drops of cypress oil blended with 1 tablespoon (15ml) of honey. Soak in the bath for 15 minutes and when you come out, pat your skin dry – don’t rub it.

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