Life with Lemons: Rev up your Metabolism & Kickstart your Weight Loss

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When life gives you lemons, you can definitely do a lot more than just make lemonade. I say, “Bring on the Lemons, All day and everyday!” (I’ll take on those lemons metaphorically too, why not.)

Here’s the deal, lemons really are beneficial to you in like a million ways, but let’s go ahead and talk about that weight thing. One of the first things I tell my clients to do when we begin working together is to start their morning with 16oz of warm or room temperature water with the juice of ½ a lemon (or a whole if you really love lemons). This tells your body, “I’m here, I’m ready to go!” and it will kick your metabolism into gear as it awakens all your organs and starts them working; not only for you, but with you. This is the first helpful step in weight loss. (Half of this equation is water, but that’s for another time…)

So why lemon? This vibrant yellow superfood has the ability to wash acid from the stomach to the large intestine and keep things moving, promoting a healthy metabolism. Our naturally very acidic gut needs this extra help in creating a more alkaline environment to support proper function. You’re probably scratching your head thinking, “but aren’t lemons acidic?” Yes, Lemons are acidic to the taste, but they are actually alkaline-forming in the body. They are one of the most alkaline-forming foods you can eat! Lemons are also amazing detoxifiers, helping to flush out toxins by stimulating natural enzymes that your body produces to help aid in healthy digestion, which is important for weight loss and weight maintenance.

5 Easy Ways to do Life with Lemons:

1) H20. As mentioned, Start your day with 16 oz of warm or room temperature lemon water. This hydrates, detoxifies, boosts your metabolism, aids in digestion, and helps with weight loss and weight maintenance… oh, and I didn’t even mention the benefits that lemons have on your immune system!2) Beverages. Add lemon to your teas, juices, and other beverages to add that extra zing!3) Dressings. Use lemon for a simple and tasty dressing on salads. Here’s one of my favorite dressings: Simple Lemon Dressing You can also add Lemon into Greek yogurt for a creamier topping, dip, or dressing. Zest this up with dill, rosemary, or any other flavorful herb.4) Marinades. I love using Lemon as a clean marinade for my chicken (or fish for you seafood lovers). It’s simple, squeeze lemon juice over your protein, add minced garlic, sprinkle Himalayan pink salt, and a dash of fresh ground black pepper. Let the flavors set in and then bake or place on the grill. Here’s another simple, and of course, healthy dinner recipe using lemon to flavor things up: Lemon Zest Turkey Bowl5) Dessert! One of my absolute favorite desserts are Lemon Bars. I love this grain free Lemon Bar recipe: Grain Free Lemon Bars