Lemons | Nutrition, Tips & Uses by Coach Britelle Humfrey

LEMONS! The very fact that Mother Nature grows these beauties in abundance all year round means she is telling us we need to eat them in abundance all year round!

My name’s Britelle and I’m privileged enough to be a Tolman Health Coach.

The first thing I have every day is a litre of filtered water with juice from a whole lemon – skin and all! It’s also something that is a must-do for all my clients, the health benefits are that amazing.

Healing Benefits

Lemons are:

– One of the best astringent fruits, which means it naturally emulsifies plaque and draws mucous from our lymphatic system (aka our sewage system). They quite literally help clean out any unwanted gunk that’s built up in our body.

– One of the best sources of d-limonene, found mainly in the lemon skin. Known benefits are antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, decreases stress and anxiety, immune protection / immunity builder, cardioprotective… just to name a few.

– Nature’s natural chemotherapy – highly alkalising and zero negative effects.

Adding lemon to your water on a daily basis gives so many health benefits including:

– Building and supporting your immune system from the high vitamin C content.
– Along with vitamin C, they are also a rich source of potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus.
– Aids weight loss, as it promotes digestion and increases your metabolic rate.
– Promotes the liver to flush out toxins.
– Provides the body with electrolytes, keeping you hydrated.

HOT TIP!

Juice lemons in bulk with the skin on and use a good quality silicone ice-cube tray to store in the freezer. Not only does this mean you don’t need to juice them every day, it means you have a never ending supply of lemon juice with d-limonene right at your fingertips.

Essential Oil Uses

Lemon essential oil is one of the most popular oils as it’s so readily available. In addition to all the health benefits lemons in general provide, top quality lemon essential oil can replace many household toxic chemicals. Here’s just some of the ways it can be used:

– In the washing machine to remove any odours
– On hands to remove any grease or tree sap, etc.
– In a spray bottle with vinegar and water as a spray cleaner
– Removes sticky label from jars
– Diffuse or spray as a deodorizer
– Remove scuff marks off wooden floors
– Clean the dishes and the toilet!

Words of caution….

Be wary of cheap oil imitations – it truly is a case of ‘you get what you pay for’ and toxic fillers are commonly found in cheaper alternatives.

All citrus oils can increase your skin’s sensitivity to the sun so never apply immediately before sun exposure.

Delicious & Healthy Salad Dressing

One of my favourite salad dressings is as simple as mashing an avocado and adding some lemon juice. Add some good quality coconut yoghurt, cumin powder and chopped fresh mint leaves and OMG – drooling as I’m typing!

Even just plain lemon juice on some leafy greens is delicious.

Fun Fact:
In one year a single lemon tree has the potential to produce up to 280kg of lemons!

They are one of the easiest plants to grow (even with my lack of green thumb, I can grow lemons) and with it being so incredibly versatile with so many different uses, I highly recommend grabbing a plant today. Plant or pot in good quality soil and give yourself the never ending supply that Mother Nature has to offer.

When life gives you lemons….. EAT LEMONS!