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12 Benefits of Lemon Water

Celebrities and naturopaths won’t start their day without guzzling a glass of lemon water. Here’s what this a.m. habit can and can’t do for your health.

Lemon water may help you lose weight

Lemon water may be a dieter’s best friend. “The polyphenols in lemon may aid in reducing appetite,” registered dietician Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDE, author of Belly Fat Diet for Dummies. Rodent studies have shown that the polyphenols in lemon do help to prevent weight gain. Plus, she adds, “when you drink a glass of water, especially before a meal, this helps to fill your stomach, offsetting the amount of food needed to feel satisfied.” Lemon-flavored water is also a healthy option to replace your morning glass of orange juice—think of all the calories saved! To make lemon water, use whole lemons (not lemon juice in a bottle). “Try squeezing the juice from one lemon into 8 to 12 ounces of water,” Palinski-Wade says. You can also grate in a bit of the zest (just wash the lemon first). “Enjoy it cold or warm, but if you will be having it to promote weight loss, drink it chilled with ice,” she says.

It helps keep you from getting sick

We’ve all heard that vitamin C, which is found in citrus fruits like lemon, gives your immune system a boost (more on vitamin C later). But one of the benefits of lemon water is helping to prevent infection. “Certainly the acidic environment in the stomach serves as a barrier, deterring pathogens from gaining a foothold and causing illness,” says Roxanne B. Sukol, MD, medical director of the Cleveland Clinic’s Wellness Enterprise. “Ingestion of highly acidic foods, including lemon juice, contributes to the acidic environment.” According to The Cleveland Clinic, chemicals in lemon known as phytonutrients have antioxidant properties that can also help protect the body from disease.

It aids digestion

Another one of the benefits of lemon water is that the acids help to digest food. “The citrus flavonoids in lemon aid the acid in the stomach in breaking down food, which may improve overall digestion,” says Palinski-Wade. “Warming the water seems to provide the greatest digestive benefits.” Aiding digestion is especially important as we get older because the amount of acid in our stomach declines with age. One study showed that over 30 percent of men and women over age 60 had atrophic gastritis, a condition marked by little to no stomach acid. In addition, if you add lemon slices and zest to your water, you may be able to harness some of the benefits of pectin, a fiber found in the pulp and peel. Many studies have shown fiber to improve digestion and gut health.

Lemon water gives you a vitamin C boost

Citrus fruits are a great source of vitamin C. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, a fourth of a cup of lemon juice yields 23.6 mg of vitamin C, about a third of the recommended daily allowance for women and a fourth for men. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect cells against free radicals, and according to the National Institutes of Health, this could even help protect us again cardiovascular disease and cancer. And although we don’t think much about this ailment anymore, “vitamin C prevents scurvy, a disease of weakened connective tissue that results in bleeding gums, among other symptoms,” says Dr. Sukol. Connective tissue is also crucial for wound healing.

Lemon-Water

 

It keeps you hydrated

Hydration is not a direct benefit of the lemon properties themselves, but rather, drinking flavored water might entice you to consume more of it. “Fluids, in general, provide hydration, however, some people struggle to drink an adequate amount of water per day simply because they find water boring or do not enjoy the taste,” Palinski-Wade says. “Adding lemon to water can enhance the taste, making it more appealing to some, helping them to drink more and improve hydration.” Although the old rule was to drink eight 8-ounce glasses a day, nutritionists now recognize that the amount will vary based on what you weigh, how active you are, and where you live. One test to make sure you’re getting enough? Your pee should be nearly clear—if it’s yellow or dark, you need to drink more.

It may help you look younger

The vitamin C in lemon juice might actually help your skin as well, definitely one of the benefits of lemon water. One study from the U.K. showed that higher vitamin C intakes were associated with fewer wrinkles. “Because vitamin C is a nutrient that can fight off free-radical damage, it can protect skin,” Palinski-Wade says. This could be due to vitamin C’s effects on collagen, which helps make up the connective tissue under the skin. “In addition, the hydration from the water helps skin stay more subtle and provides a more youthful appearance,” she adds. Your skin is an organ, and hydration helps it function at its best.

It may help liver function

Another one of the benefits of lemon water is helping your liver to do a better job being the body’s filter. “Boosting overall hydration can help to improve the function of all organs in the body, including the liver,” Palinski-Wade says. “In addition, animal studies have found that the citrus flavonoids in lemon may protect the liver against toxins and reduce fat in the liver, protecting against fatty liver disease.” Your liver is the body’s natural mechanism for flushing out toxins; so although claims of “detoxification” from lemon juice aren’t exactly proven, helping the liver to work better could benefit your body.

It increases your potassium levels

We generally associate potassium with bananas, but it turns out lemons are a good source as well. “Potassium is found in large amounts primarily in fruits and vegetables,” Dr. Sukol says. “It is an element that is essential for cell function and metabolism, transmission of nerve signals.” According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, potassium, an electrolyte, helps to conduct electricity throughout the body. This nerve-muscle communication helps skeletal-muscular function—which is why you need it when you get a Charlie horse. (Here’s why you might want to skip lemon water at a restaurant, though.)

It makes you more regular

Along with helping your gut and liver, lemon-flavored water can be part of a healthy way to help you go to the bathroom. “Increasing fluid intake can help to promote regular bowel movements,” Palinski-Wade says. ” If adding lemon to your water helps you to drink more fluid throughout the day, this may help you to become more regular.” And although lemon juice doesn’t provide much fiber, getting in pulp and zest from the peel could help boost the fiber content, which helps you go as well.

It helps prevent kidney stones

Kidney stones often develop as a result of dehydration, so one of the benefits of lemon water is that it helps flush out your kidneys and prevent these painful deposits. “Some kidney stones result from precipitation of calcium salts,” Dr. Sukol says. “Acidification of the aqueous—or watery—environment in which this occurs is thought to reduce the likelihood of precipitation, and therefore prevent the formation of some stones. Purely a chemical reaction.” So in other words, the acid from the lemon can help keep the stones from coming together. Although lemon-flavored water is thought to be a diuretic, this hasn’t been proven—rather, increased urination is likely the result of drinking more fluid. Either way, it’s helpful for keeping kidney stones at bay.

It freshens breath

When it comes to personal hygiene, it may help your mouth smell cleaner. “The citrus in lemon water may help to reduce the growth of bacteria in the mouth, which may lead to fresher breathe,” Palinski-Wade says. The only problem is that the acid in lemon juice could, over time, erode the enamel of your teeth. Try drinking it through a straw to reduce exposure to your chompers.

It may boost metabolism

Lemon water is a great addition to your morning routine because it could jump-start your metabolism, helping you keep a healthy weight and be active. “Staying hydrated and drinking ice-cold water has been shown to provide a metabolism boost,” Palinski-Wade says. “Aim to drink at least three cups per day to help fire up your metabolism while providing a feeling of fullness that may help you to eat less.” Drinking your lemon-flavored water cold could have even more of a beneficial effect. “Chilling it may provide an even greater metabolism boost as the body needs to warm the water to body temperature during digestion,” she says.

BY TINA DONVITO
source: www.rd.com
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How to Stay Hydrated When You Don’t Like Water

If a tall, cold glass of water is not really your thing, hitting your daily water needs can seem out of reach. Here are some healthy ways to stay hydrated, even if you don’t like plain old water.

Whenever I write about staying hydrated, I hear from folks who just don’t like water. And honestly, plain water is not my favorite thing either. If I’m very thirsty, I crave a glass of water, but it’s hard to get jazzed about water on a regular day.

The trick with drinking more fluids is that you don’t want to add a bunch of sugary drinks, like soda and juice, to your daily routine. Drinking your calories is bad news for maintaining a healthy body weight, and excess sugar is linked to chronic disease and even depression.

The good news is that there are ways to stay hydrated without drinking glass after glass of plain water or resorting to sugary drinks. These are some of my favorite healthy, hydrating tricks.

1. Eat your water
At a recent nutrition conference I attended, one of the doctors said that if you eat a lot of fruit and veggies, you don’t end up needing to drink as much, because you’re actually eating your water. A 2013 study found that eating more fruits and vegetables can make you significantly more hydrated without upping the water you’re drinking at all.

Choose fruits and veggies with high water content, like melons, strawberries, lettuce, celery and cabbage. Check out this chart, which breaks out food and drink by their percentage of water content.

2. Pass the bubbles
No, a mimosa is not a healthy, hydrating drink, but sparkling water can help you hit your water mark. Soda water or seltzer sometimes get a bad rep, but most experts agree that they’re just as hydrating as water.

The biggest myth about carbonated water is that it leaches calcium from your bones. This is not true. Drinking lots of soda is linked to lower bone density, but the bubbles are not to blame. Excessive sugar consumption (like from drinking lots of sweet sodas), on the other hand, does have links to osteoporosis. Maybe this is where that myth got started.

3. Flavored water
Skip the artificially sweetened, colored and flavored drink packets, and flavor your own water at home. To make your own flavored water, just squeeze in some fresh lemon or lime juice or float cut fruit or herbs in your glass. It’s visually appealing and a lot healthier than a super sweet soda or artificially flavored drink. Plus, you end up with a little snack at the bottom of your glass!

I like to use this trick with flat or sparkling water, so try each and see which one you like best! Try some of my Fruity Fizz combos to get you started. Pro tip: frozen fruit pieces actually work best here, because they release more flavor as they thaw.

4. Tea up
Whether you drink it hot or iced, unsweet tea gives you a nice flavor boost with no added sugars. Different teas each come with their own health benefits, so you get a healthy double whammy when you choose unsweetened teas.

If you’re a sweet tea or soda drinker now, going straight to unsweet tea is not going to be pleasant. I’d recommend making a gradual switch so your palate has time to adapt. Start with 3/4 the amount of sugar for a week, then go to 1/2 the amount, then 1/4. From there, you should be able to cut out the sugar without missing it too much. It will be an adjustment, but it’s so worth it for your health!

5. Ditch the juice (mostly)
The tips above are for drinks to add to your daily routine, but I think that juice deserves its own mention, because it gets a lot more healthy cred than I feel it deserves. Drinking more sweet juices is not doing your body any favors. Sweet juices like apple, orange and grapefruit are basically uncarbonated soda. Even juices without added sugars contain high levels of fructose without any of the fiber that makes fruit healthy.

There are some exceptions when it comes to juices. Not all juice is high in sugar. Lemon, lime, unsweetened cranberry and most vegetable juices are not going to add a lot of sugar to your diet. A splash of unsweetened cranberry in water or seltzer is one of my favorite everyday drinks, and it’s very low in sugar. If you’re not sure whether the juice you’re drinking is high in sugar, look at the nutrition label. Many popular juices contain as much sugar as soda. Apple juice, for example, has 24 grams of sugar per eight ounce serving. Eight ounces of Coca Cola contains 26 grams.

by Becky Striepe
source: www.care2.com


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4 summer hydration tips served up

Nutrition experts share strategies to beat the summer heat

By Anna Lazowski, CBC News  Jul 10, 2014

Exercising and spending more time outdoors in the summer can leave you sweaty, hot and thirsty. And while it’s best not to wait till you actually feel that thirst to grab a drink, going back to the same water bottle can be a bit uninspiring.

“As a healthy eating dietitian, I probably shouldn’t say this. But water can get boring. You need to figure out ways to jazz it up,” said Desiree Nielsen, a registered dietitian in Vancouver, B.C. She added there are easy ways to make plain old water more appealing.

“It can be as simple as infusing water in the fridge with your favourite fruit, or even veggies,” Nielsen explained. “I find cucumber water incredibly refreshing and just that little bit of taste … really changes the way it hits your palate and [it] becomes far more enjoyable to drink a lot of it.”

4 tips to keep you hydrated in the heat

  • Balance out the dehydrating beverages with extra water.
  • Choose fruits and vegetables with high water content.
  • Drink some coconut water.
  • Make yourself a custom blend of iced herbal tea with lots of ice.

If you get too thirsty, your body may misinterpret signs of thirst for being hungry which will prompt you to eat. But if you’re not eating the right things, you won’t quench that thirst.

“People forget that fruits and vegetables are a wonderful source of hydration. Particularly melons, something like watermelon is 90 per cent water,” Nielsen said. “So by gravitating towards all those local sources of fruits and vegetables we have all summer long, you’re making food choices that will also contribute to your hydration.”

Nielsen says you can do simple things like blend watermelon and serve it as a drink. Or if you’re trying to keep kids hydrated, serve them a homemade dessert.

“They love eating ice pops to cool down. So you can take pureed fruit and blend them into ice pops so it’s another great way to hydrate but it feels like a treat for your kids.”

For most people,
water is more than enough
for regular hydration.

Brian St. Pierre of Augusta, Maine, is a sports dietitian and nutrition educator with Precision Nutrition. He says exercising in the summer is different than in the winter because we sweat a lot more. For elite athletes, he recommended sports drinks to replace lost electrolytes like sodium, potassium and magnesium that your body needs for your muscles and heart to function properly.

St. Pierre said considering the amount of food colouring in sports drinks, while not ideal, the rehydrating benefits outweigh the risk. And adds that high level athletes can burn the sugar added to those sports drinks.

But before you celebrate a brisk walk from the parking lot to the office with a bottle of brightly coloured electrolyte liquid, St. Pierre said you might want to reconsider.

“For most people, water is more than enough for regular hydration, water’s your best friend,” he said. “If you’re really in the heat, if you’re playing a full 18 holes and you want to make sure you’re not getting dehydrated, having something like a G2, a lower carb option.

In the vast majority of cases, water is all you need.”

Nutritionist Julie Daniluk also suggests you skip the sports drinks, but for a different reason.

“My concern is some of the additives they put in there,” she said.

“You very often will see brominated vegetable oil and artificial dyes that can be really hard on children. So it’s great to avoid all of those nasty, extra ingredients and focus in on all natural things.”

Her recommendation, one echoed by Nielsen, was to opt for coconut water for its high levels of magnesium and potassium. She also suggested herbal teas, to get minerals into your body without including the sugar in commercially brewed iced tea, or to make lemonade with a pinch of unrefined sea salt. For Daniluk too, it’s all about keeping the flavours interesting.

“Our thirst taps out very quickly unless there’s a flavouring in the water,” she said. “So by adding a sour and a sweet to the water in the case of stevia lemonade, we’re going to drink more … far more readily than if you just had plain old water. But of course, plain old water does the trick.”

But most people don’t spend all their time under a patio umbrella sipping pure water or naturally sweetened herbal tea.  St. Pierre made this recommendation for the times you find yourself enjoying a different type of beverage.

“This time of year, barbecues, people are drinking beer outside, alcohol can dehydrate you, especially when you’re out in the sun it can be exacerbated even more,” he said. “So the tried and true method of having a water between every drink can be really helpful for hydration purposes.”

source: www.cbc.ca