Sunday Health Hack No. 2 – Pimp up your water (Health Hack No.1) with some Lemon “spritz”.
Okay, I hear you – In regard to my Sunday Hack No. 1 many will complain “Drinking still water is boring!” And I am 100% with you. So let’s pimp it up a little bit.
But first let me emphasize that we need to become aware that we all are totally “over-sugared” too. Meaning in this case, our tastebuds are out of whack. And I will come back to this “sugar issue” in many other hacks again in the future.
So pure, plain and simple water often tastes like “nothing” for many. And that’s another reason why many need “sparkling water” for at least some kind of “sensation”. 🙁
First, also find a “local spring” in your area / county. Quality matters, “quality” water already tastes totally different. Don’t buy your mineral water in the supermarket if possible. For example, by law “spring” water may contain eg. max. 10µg/liter of “lead” (most have none though) whereas “mineral water” in the supermarket may contain four times as much (40µg/liter). This doesn’t sound like much but it accumulates badly over time. And Foodwatch even found for children critical amounts of Uranium in well-known brands like San Pellegrino or Perrier.
Of course it goes without saying that the water should be bottled in glass NOT PET, for much too many (bad) reasons to have them all listed here!
Lucky us, we do have several “springs” in our region, and I order my “still drinking water” from these local water companies most often even directly. And I also use it for my coffee and tea (and even ice cubes).
If you can’t find any or even don’t have any local springs, put some effort in googling for a company which bottles water from an “artesian spring” nearest by (state, country).
“Artesian” means that the water pushed itself up, taking all the good minerals with it, and wasn’t pulled out from down-earth by force.
It’s really worth the little extra effort (and money). Because you don’t really wanna know what’s in the supermarket-water, in your tap-water (despite the many claims of your local water-company) or sometimes even worse in your home’s water-pipes. But despite, your tastebuds will tell the big difference too.
And again, I often wonder why people are prepared to pay a “fortune” for “sugary liquids” (Cola etc.) but sneer if they have to pay an extra dime for pure high quality water.
Sidenote: For cooking (pasta water etc.) I use regular tap-water in combination with a good water-filter just to be safe.
Another sidenote: I know there are many other ways how to additionally “improve” your water like extra alkalisation or oxygenation etc.. But, as emphasized, let’s keep it simple here.
Second, get some organic lemons. Some for at home, and some for the office. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze a couple of “spritzers” into your “boring, still water”. Just some drops so that the water gets a nice “twist” but is not too bitter.
That’s the “taste” part. Now let’s have a look into the additional “health benefits” of drinking “lemon water”.
Most might know that lemons contain Vitamin C. A couple of lemon drops into one glass of water is not much of course. But if you follow the Sunday Hack No. 1 and you do have ~10 small extra glasses of water every day, these few drops accumulate to a real nice dose of extra Vitamin C daily.
Some science background if I may – Vitamin C supports the production of white blood cells known as lymphocytes and phagocytes, which help protect the body against infection, and Vitamin C also helps these white blood cells function more effectively while protecting them from damage.
That’s why your mom used to bring you a “hot lemon water with honey” when you were a kid lying in bed with a bad cold.
But foremost Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that can strengthen your body’s natural defences. Antioxidants are molecules that boost the immune system. They do so by protecting cells from harmful molecules called free radicals which are the root cause for many diseases. And these antioxidant compounds also have a positive effect on blood glucose levels and improved insulin resistance, the two main factors in the development of type 2 diabetes as well as obesity.
Meaning, adding some lemon into your water may even further support weight loss. 🙂
And in Ayurvedic medicine it is said that the sour lemon taste helps stimulate your “agni”. A strong agni jump-starts the digestive system, allowing you to digest food more easily which also helps to prevent the buildup of toxins. And a strong agni is of major support for your liver in its critical detoxification process.
But that’s enough background information for today. I will refer to above mentioned topics like antioxidants or insulin resistance in future Sunday Hacks again because they are of huge importance for our health.
So, to wrap it up – today’s Sunday Health Hack No. 2 is A) please find a good source of “spring water”, as local as possible, and B) “upgrade” your water with a “spritz” of (organic) lemon juice, freshly squeezed.
Again, as I have and will emphasize all the time, this doesn’t require any changes in your current lifestyle, but it may have a very positive effect on your overall ”system” (health).
And if your colleagues snitch one of your lemons from the office kitchen, be happy for them, knowing you did something good for their well-being.
Sweet & Sour, Andreas
Quote of the Day
When Life gives you Lemons, sweeten it with Gratitude!
Music of the Day
A nice lemonade is made for a summer storm –