Lemon and Cayenne – Good for Bones, Heart and Digestion

Spring Cleanse is here (starts April 14th)- are you ready to Dump the JUNK?

Nutritionist Beth Gillespie and I are ready to lead you through a well balanced cleanse in the comfort of your own home. Dump the JUNK! If not now, when? It takes 3 weeks to break a habit – this cleanse will kick-start your healthy eating practices and you will be guided every step of the way.

Lemon and Cayenne – Good for Bones, Heart and Digestion

Lemon and cayenne contain high levels of antioxidants called bioflavonoids and both are very alkaline. People who eat a standard American Diet (SAD) abundant in foods that are acid producing need more alkaline foods. Chronic acidity causes systemic inflammation. Lemons are common ingredients in detox programs.

Benefits:

• Because lemons and hot pepper is good for digestion, heart and blood circulation they are on the top of my list of foods to consume for a healthy heart and healthy bones.
• Lemon is an old time tonic used to aid digestion, reduce pain and swelling (inflammation), improve the function of blood vessels, and increase urination to reduce fluid retention.
• Lemon juice promotes peptic activity (stomach digestion) in people with low stomach acid production (hypochlorhydria) according to a study published in the Medical Journal of Digestive Diseases. This suggests that lemon juice is beneficial to those with the gastric acid deficiency.
• Lemon stimulates bile production (from the gallbladder) for food digestion, according to health.learninginfo.org.
• Water mixed with lemon can be consumed every morning for liver health. It works as a tonic, stimulating bile production for food digestion, according to health.learninginfo.org.
• Cayenne pepper is loaded with capsaicin, which is the ingredient in all chili peppers that creates the heat sensation that we feel in our mouth. Capsaicin has been widely studied for its pain-reducing effects, its cardiovascular benefits, and its ability to help prevent stomach ulcers. Capsaicin also effectively opens and drains congested nasal passages. There are many anecdotal stories about people claiming that taking cayenne pepper healed their stomach ulcer.
• Cayenne stimulates digestion and muscle movement in the intestines, which helps restore deficient digestive secretions and aids absorption of food nutrients. (Stomach acid tends to decline with age, and some cases of poor digestion are related to a lack of this acid.)

Concerns: If you have stomach problems or are concerned about this healthy drink just take one sip and wait for 30 minutes.

• Lemon can erode tooth enamel – it is best to drink it first thing in the morning and then rinse with water. After the morning drink you can mix ¼ lemon squeezed with water for meals.
• Lemons have a high citric acid content that may irritate your stomach, particularly if you have an ulcer. This acid, even if diluted in water, can also damage tooth enamel if consumed in large quantities.
• For some, lemon can cause a burning in the stomach if there is an ulcer but such a small amount rarely will cause pain
• For some, cayenne pepper is used to heal stomach ulcers and oddly, does not burn when it comes in contact with the open sore
• Cayenne pepper is used to heal stomach ulcers and oddly, does not burn when it comes in contact with the open sore

Add the lemon peel too, if it is organic.

The best way to eat lemon is to grind the whole lemon in a food processor – a regular blender might work, but I use a Vitamix (powerful blender) which absolutely works. The pectin in lemon peel is an excellent source of fiber, which helps stop the body from absorbing sugar too quickly. Pectin helps eliminate cravings and also reduces inflammation. Use ¼ lemon with a cup of hot water and add cayenne.

My favorite lemon are Meyer lemons. If you do not have a yard you can purchase a dwarf lemon to grow in a large pot – they need lots of sun!