Summer is around the corner and that means your body is going to feel dehydrated due to the hot weather every single day. But, there are various ways to rehydrate yourself and most of them revolve around natural foods. You might be aware of how a simple drink like lemonade can help you feel all refreshed and cooled down in the scorching heat. But do you know enough about lemon juice benefits and how to make the best lemonade drink for you and your friends? If not, we're here to tell you all about it.
Health Benefits of Lemon Juice:
Here are some unknown lemon juice benefits that you should acquaint yourself with.
1. It Helps Achieve Clear Skin:
There are natural antibacterial properties in lemons along with alpha hydroxyl acids that can exfoliate and brighten your skin while also removing blackheads (1). You can also apply lemon on your scalp skin in order to get rid of dandruff (2). It's one of the easiest and most tried natural remedies to do away with dandruff.
2. It Relieves Sore Throat:
You can squeeze some lemon juice in warm water and drink it every few hours if you suffer from a bad throat. This is due to the presence of vitamin C in lemons which helps relieve sore throat (3).
3. It Helps Strengthen Digestion:
Using lemons to aid in digestion also works really well as the peel and pulp of lemon can promote the production of digestive enzymes in your liver. This helps you get rid of waste from your body. In fact, including fiber-rich fruits can also help lessen the risk of constipation, lemon happens to be one such fruit.
4. It Promotes Weight Loss:
Did you know that you can manage your weight by including lemons in your diet? The pectin in lemons and the juice of it can help you feel full for long hours (4). This in turn helps you manage weight loss in a much easier way. Hence, nutritionists and dieticians recommend drinking lemon water first thing in the morning and squeezing the fresh juice of lemons on your salads and curries often.
5. It Aids in Regulating Blood Sugar:
When you eat foods high in fiber, they help keep your blood glucose levels in control, which helps to prevent blood sugar spikes. Hence, lemons are said to lower the risk of diabetes as they help regulate blood sugar levels (5).
Lemonade Juice Recipes:
It's really too easy to make a lemonade drink at home for all your friends and family during summertime. It hardly takes any time to prep and make the drink. Here are some lemonade recipes for you to try.
1. Homemade Lemonade:
Here is a simple lemon juice recipe that needs only 15 minutes to get ready to be served.
Ingredients:
1 cup water and 1 3/4 cups white sugar for syrup, 9 medium-sized lemons or more if you need a larger serving, cups of cold water, and ice as needed.
Method:
Step 1: In a saucepan, add water and white sugar and let the mixture boil while you stir it continuously. Let it cool completely once the sugar dissolves.
Step 2: Roll the lemons on the counter to soften them, cut them into halves and squeeze the liquid in a cup discarding any seeds.
Step 3: Once you get almost 1 1/2 cups of fresh lemon juice, add 7 cups of cold water into a pitcher, stir in the lemon juice and add the sugar syrup. Your homemade lemonade is ready to be served. This lemon juice recipe is the easiest to try.
2. Orange Lemonade:
Another recipe of lemon water that is really popular around summertime is orange lemonade.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups water, 1 3/4 cups sugar, 2 tablespoons each of grated lemon zest and orange zest, 1 1/2 cups each of lemon juice and orange juice, 6 cups water.
Method:
Step 1: Combine sugar and 2 1/2 cups of water in a saucepan.
Step 2: Cook the mixture on medium heat while stirring continuously to dissolve sugar granules, and let it cool down.
Step 3: Stir in the citrus zest and juices of both fruits.
Step 4: Strain the syrup, refrigerate it with a cover on and let it cool completely.
Step 5: Fill a pitcher or glasses with equal amounts of fruit syrup and water. Add ice and serve!
3. Thyme and Grilled Lemon Lemonade:
This recipe of lemon water is quite unique and can become your party favourite in no time.
Ingredients:
2 cups water, 15 fresh thyme sprigs, 1 cup sugar, 9 medium-sized lemons, 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract and 5 cups cold water.
Method:
Step 1: Soak thyme sprigs in one cup of water in a bowl. Place sugar on a plate, and dip lemon slices in sugar.
Step 2: Cover and grill lemons, cut sides down and heat them for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown over medium heat.
Step 3: Drain thyme, and grill the sprigs for 1-2 minutes turning once.
Step 4: In a saucepan, add one cup of water, honey and remaining sugar, and let it boil while stirring continuously till the sugar dissolves.
Step 5: Add grilled thyme sprigs and extract, leave it for one house to steep and discard thyme.
Step 6: Squeeze lemons to get 1 1/2 cups of juice and strain it.
Step 7: In a pitcher, mix together cold water, thyme syrup and lemon juice. Serve it with ice.
Apart from these lemonade recipes, you can also try Saffola Fittify Green Coffee - Lemon Mint. This instant beverage mix is made from pure green coffee extract which is high in antioxidants, made from unroasted coffee beans that also promote wellness.
Nutritional Value of Lemon Juice:
The nutritional value of lemon juice over 100 grams is:
Calories - 22
Fat - 0.2g
Sodium -1mg
Potassium - 103mg
Carbohydrate - 7g
Dietary fiber - 0.3g
Sugar - 2.5g
Protein - 0.4g
Vitamin C - 64%
Magnesium - 1%
Conclusion:
This yellow colour fruit sure looks small in size but holds quite a lot of importance for your overall health. The easiest way to include lemon juice in your daily diet is by making a simple lemonade drink, especially during summertime. We've mentioned a few lemonade recipes for you to try that will become your absolute favourite to rehydrate and feel refreshed all through the hot months of the year. You can even use a recipe for lemon water by adding rosemary or different kinds of fruits to infuse your drink and get a different flavour each time. So have fun with the lemonade drink and make it look as beautiful as you can with a thin slice of lemon, some fresh mint leaves or diced fruits.
FAQs:
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Which time is best for drinking lemon juice?
You can drink lemon juice first thing in the morning, especially with warm water as it helps draw out vitamin C and polyphenols from the fruit and its peel.
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How many times a day can you drink lemon juice?
Having lemon juice twice a day is good to keep you hydrated during the hot months of the year. In fact, there are many lemon juice benefits and so drinking it daily is perfect for overall health.
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Can we drink lemon water after food?
If you suffer from constipation, bloating or heartburn, you can have a glassful of lemon water after main meals to help you get rid of these issues. As mentioned above, drinking warm water with lemon juice can improve your metabolism and help you burn some fat as well.
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Is lemon water ok for a diabetic?
Lemon water can surely aid in preventing untimely spikes in your blood sugar levels. Lemonade juice is quite an easy beverage to make which is low in calories and carbohydrates, keeps you hydrated and thus proves well for diabetics.
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Can lemon juice reduce belly fat?
Lemons can help you slim down due to the presence of vitamin C and various antioxidants that can promote good digestion. Lemons also contain diuretic properties that help detoxify your system, which in turn helps burn fat. Along with all of this, lemon juice can also speed up your metabolism which ultimately helps with reducing belly fat.
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Who should not drink lemon juice?
People who eat a lot of citrus fruits too often may suffer from gastrointestinal issues like acid reflux, nausea, vomiting and heartburn. Hence, these people are advised to consult a doctor before drinking lemon water to avoid falling prey to any of these symptoms.
