Lemons are a miracle citrus fruit. I knew of lemon juice from the time when I was very young. I was made sit weekly with my head covered in lemon juice. It was the way to keep blonde hair blonde and because my Great Aunt loved my blonde hair so much she was going to make it stay there by hell or high water.
So it was that I would sit in the sunshine covered in lemon juice dripping all over me and making me sticky and messy, but I loved the scent of the juice and the skin. I loved the fuss they made over me doing this. I felt special, no one else was made sit in the sun and do this where I lived. It must have worked because I still have blonde hair that others say is lovely and I am mid fifties now.
Given that this is my first memory of lemons, when I was able to research this fact I found there to be a lot of truth in the fact that Lemons are pretty clever and are a most useful fruit.
Below is a collection of uses for the humble beautiful yellow Lemon Fruit.
- Bleaching and Whitening -
- To Aid Digestion - Drink the juice of 1 freshly squeezed lemon in a glass of lukewarm water
after meala. The lemon acid will stimulate the production of
stomach acid and heighten the activity around the stomach muscles
.
- Painful Burning Joints - Rheumatism and other joint inflammation issues need to start using Lemon Juice as a matter of urgency for relief. Lemon juice is acidic but when ingested it has an alkaline effect therefore reducing and combating against the excesses of acid that are responsible for the Rheumatoid problem in the first place.
Drink the freshly squeezed
juice of 1 lemon in a glass of lukewarm water 3 times a day and if you
experience severe pain increase this to the juice of 2 lemons 3 times a day.
|
|
| Melissa officinalis Lemon_balm（Aomori.Japan） (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
In a recent double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 18
healthy volunteers received two separate single doses of a standardized
lemon balm extract (300 mg and 600 mg) or placebo for 7 days.
The 600 mg
dose of lemon balm increased mood and significantly increased calmness
and alertness. beleifnet
- If Insomnia is upon ya! - Several studies have found that lemon balm combined with other calming
herbs (such as valerian, hops, and chamomilehelps reduce anxiety and
promote sleep.
In a recent double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 18
healthy volunteers received two separate single doses of a standardized
lemon balm extract (300 mg and 600 mg) or placebo for 7 days. The 600 mg
dose of lemon balm increased mood and significantly increased calmness
and alertness
- Insect bites and Repellents - If the sting is still in the skin, take it out with
tweezers. Massage 1 to 2 drops of lemon oil, mixed with 1 teaspoon of
honey, into the skin around the bite.
To repel insects, add 20 drops of lemon oil to 1 cup (250ml) of water
and spray into the air. Another home remedy is to place a cotton wool ball soaked in lemon oil
in your bedroom.
For outdoor activities in the evening, apply lemon
scent to unclothed areas of skin. Or, add 11 drops of lemon
oil to 50gms of sunflower oil and rub into the skin.
- Dealing with Blood Pressure - An Interesting recipe to make up and chill ahead of time.
Add 3 crushed garlic cloves and 1 chopped onion to 1 quart or
cold skimmed or low fat milk or soy milk. Slowly bring to the boil and
let it stand for 5 minutes.
Pour through a sieve and chill. Add the
freshly squeezed juice of 3 lemons and sip throughout the day.
Those that suffer with issues with Cholesterol, lemon juice has shown to be helpful in reducing this.
- Bad Breath / technically called Halitosis - To keep your breath fresh, rinse your mouth several times a day with fresh squeezed juice of 1 Lemon in a glass of warm water. Chewing on the rind of a lemon after dinner can also being refreshing. If you have eaten spicy food or had a big night on alcohol you will definitely benefit from these ideas.
|
|
| Sweet, sugary Brach's lemon drops. Made with real Elemon juice! (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
- Fatigue Anecdote - Athletes the world over love the joys of the lemon. To get a boost of natural medicine they suck lemon juice by piecing the top of the lemon with a straw and this helps them to fend off fatigue. Helping to calm the body during times of high stress.
Bush-walkers in the tropical rainforest areas use lemon juice to fight infections from bites etc. Lemon juice can be used as a thirst quencher being more effective than water for weight. Adding a little bit of lemon juice is a way of overcoming the change in drinking water when you are away from home. Alleviating tummy problems.
- Eczema - Anything to give relief and help with the accompanying itch. 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. This will ease the infection, giving it time to heal while soothing the itch.
- Corns and callused skin - Place a slice of lemon approx 5 mm thick on to the corn,
bandage and fasten. Dab the affected area with lemon essential oil
also to speed up the healing process. Be very careful with the use of
undiluted oil on the callused area, use a cotton bud. This solution is far too strong for any unaffected areas of skin.
- Colds and Flu -
When you have a cold, the healing power of lemons works by supplying urgently required vitamin C to your immune system, and it is an astringent and so it dries up mucous membranes in the nose and throat.
At soon as you feel a cold coming on – a runny nose or sore throat – Consume as much immune system boosting vitamin C as you can so that
the virus is eliminated before it gets a chance to take hold.
Drink the
freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon in a glass of lukewarm water every 2
hours.
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.
|
|
| "Cloudy" Lemonade, a mixture of lemon juice, sugar, and uncarbonated water (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
No comments:
Post a Comment