Lemons: sour taste for sweet well-being

My ending to Saturday's post prompted me to dig deeper into lemons. I mean, I see the fruit virtually everywhere I go. Frozen desserts, homemade beauty remedies, atop food and beverages at nearly every restaurant I step foot into, and even as decoration on my kitchen table back home in Texas. Now that I've done some research, when I return back to the south for another visit, there may be a few lemons missing from the bowl by the time I leave. I've come to learn that the yellow wedge commonly served on the side of your glass is helpful in more ways than adding some zest to your water. Many more ways, actually.

You may already know of the lemon's useful role in soothing sore throats when added to tea with honey, but the citrus is also abundant in vitamin C, flavonoids (antioxidants that to help fend off dangerous free radicals, reduce inflammation, and keep your blood pressure steady), electrolytes, and a fiber known as pectin. Going further, its citric acid promotes liver detoxification, which is why drinking a glass of warm water with lemon juice upon waking is recommended by so many health professionals. The dose of fiber will also help keep you feeling full, and since this beverage is supposed to provide you with a boost of energy, you may be able to do without the morning commute to Starbucks.

Another benefit of lemon is that it can help balance your body's pH levels. An imbalance occurs when there is too much acid in the body, which becomes harmful to the bodily systems and can lead to decreased energy levels, infection, and illness. Though lemons are acidic, they're also alkaline-forming, so its citric acid loses its acidity after being metabolized. If you're experiencing issues such as indigestion, joint pain, headache, kidney stones, or fatigue, you may have an imbalanced pH. Luckily, lemons are there to help.

At just 12 calories for the juice of an entire lemon, you can squeeze the tarty-goodness onto whatever you choose, be it salads (which is especially beneficial since vitamin C helps with the body's absorption of the leafy greens' iron, and the juice also makes for a low-cal dressing), chicken, soups, juices... pretty much anything you desire! Check out some of the recipes below for some zesty ideas to put those lemons to use:

Lemon-Dill Shrimp

Zucchini and Lemon Spaghetti

Honey-Lemon Dressing

Garlic Roast Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon

Lemon Chicken Stir-Fry

Roasted Broccoli with Lemon

Mango Blueberry Quinoa Salad with Lemon Basil Dressing

Roasted Eggplant Sandwich with Lemon Garlic Aioli

Honey Ginger Lemonade

Lemon Squares

Lemon Chia Seed Cake