Lemon Water

One of the recent things I have added to my family’s routine is to make lemon-infused water available during breakfast and dinner.  Now that my kids are all older, I have stopped giving them milk in the morning, and have instead alternated mornings between honey-infused warm water and lemon-infused warm water.  They still get their daily calcium fix from yogurt and chocolate milk taken after their swim training.

 

Lemon-infused water is super simple to do and the benefits are just too good to ignore. Water and lemon, that’s it.!Since I am making a batch for my entire family, I simply just fill up a pitcher with warm water and squeeze one lemon.  This makes enough for my family to drink in the morning, before we eat our breakfast.  

Three times a week, I make warm lemon water in the morning, which we all drink before we take in anything else.  Come dinner, I also serve an icy, cold lemon drink that is infused with ginger, tarragon, and cucumber.  Lemons by themselves are acidic and they only have an alkalizing effect once they are digested by our bodies.  I want to be cautious and not serve this everyday/too much to protect their teeth from the natural acids of the citrus.

 

According to my sister-in-law (who told my husband, and who in turn told me), mixing lemon with water that is warm will provide the most health benefits.  On the contrary, mixing lemon with cold water reduces the digestive benefits of lemon.  I have searched it up on the net, and it does say that warm water allows for the release of the full enzymatic properties of the lemon.  But, drinking fresh lemon juice at any temperature is better than not drinking any at all.

What Are the Lemon Water Benefits?

• Boosts immune system.  Lemons are high in Vitamin C and potassium.  A great combination for my kids as Vitamin C makes sure that their bodies are well-equipped to fight infections/colds; and potassium stimulates nerve function to avoid muscle cramps during swim training.  Potassium also helps C control his blood pressure. 
• Balances body’s pH level. Lemons are an incredibly alkaline food. It is true that they are acidic on their own, but once it is metabolized inside our bodies they start to have an alkalizing effect. 
• Good for stomach. Lemon water has excellent digestive properties because it helps loosen toxins from the digestive tract.  It eases constipation, heartburn, bloating and other digestion problems, especially when mixed with warm water.   Lemon juice acts as a liver tonic and helps you digest your food by helping your liver produce more bile. It decreases the amount of phlegm produced by your body. In large doses, it is also thought to help dissolve gallstones.
• Cures Throat Infections Lemon is an excellent fruit that aids in fighting problems related to throat infections, sore throat and tonsillitis as it has an antibacterial property. Warm lemon water  offers relief from cold and flu symptoms while providing some much needed Vitamin C.

Icy Lemon Water infused with ginger, cucumber and tarragon
Ingredients
1/2 cucumber, washed thoroughly and sliced thinly
1 inch ginger, peeled and sliced thinly
a handful of fresh tarragon leaves ( you can also use mint. I just use tarragon because I have a wild bush of them in my herb garden that needs to be tamed )
1 whole lemon, washed and brushed thoroughly, sliced thinly
1 pitcher water
 

Directions
1. Peel and slice ginger. Clean tarragon leaves. Brush the outside of the lemon and clean thoroughly. Wash cucumber thoroughly.
2. Pour hot water over the ginger and let steep for 5 minutes, depends on how you like the flavor of the ginger to come through.
3. Add tarragon to the ginger water and let it steep addition 5 minutes.
4. Add slices of cucumber and lemon. Add enough water to the brim of the pitcher.
5. Let it sit inside the refrigerator, to allow flavors to meld.
6. Serve icy cold.
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