Quench Your Thirst

Consuming fruits such as lemon and watermelon can be tasty way to get quality nutrition from natural sources .  They both contain antioxidants and a host of vitamins and minerals programmed with your health in mind.  They have a unique and satisfying taste and can provide your body with many impressive benefits.  Enjoy these juicy summer fruits and discover just how they can benefit your body.

   Exposure to heat and intense UV rays amps up the production of stress hormones in the body.  Stress is your bodies biological reaction to to perceived danger-the so called fight or flight response.  Frequent, or unresolved stress can disrupt your sleep, cause headaches, and other physiological symptoms and can play a role in several types of chronic health problems, including cardiovascular health.  Having a glass of lemonade can ward off a mood meltdown and so much more.  Just breathing in the citrus calms the nervous system to lower cortisol output in 60 seconds and vitamin C sooths over-worked adrenals to regulate stress-hormone production long term.  Lemon juice can aid in helping burns from the sun by acting as a cooling agent and reducing the burning sensation on the skin.  Lemon juice can treat a person who is suffering from cold, flu, or fever.  It breaks a fever by increasing perspiration.  Lemon juice also aids in easing tooth pain when directly applied to the tooth.  It gives relief against bad breath and other related gum problem.  Look for toothpaste with lemon extract or add a few drops of lemon juice to your toothpaste at home.  Lemon juice can be applied to the scalp to aid against dandruff and to give a natural shine to your hair.  It is also a natural antiseptic medicine, so lemon juice can be applied on skin for acne and eczema.  It can help sooth wrinkles and banish blackheads.  Look for a soap containing lemon.  Lemon is natures remedy and gives a solution to many health related problems.  Be sure to eat at least 1/4 to 1/2 a lemon a day for health benefits. I find the easiest way to incorporate lemon into your diet is to add it to your water.  Either cut a few slices and slip them into your water bottle or squeeze a fresh lemon into your water for a refreshing and re hydrating drink after a long day.

  
   Another way to protect your health and to combat the heat this summer is to enjoy some watermelon.  Watermelon protects your skin from the sun, in fact just 2 cups a day can cut your sunburn risk by 26 %.  This is because watermelon is filled with lycopene an antioxidant that improves skins cells ability to defend UV rays.  Lycopene also has tissue healing abilities that can help cut recovery time from a burn in half.  It is also filled with Fiber and it is a powerhouse of vitamin A,C, and E.  These vitamins act as antioxidants and prevent the body from harmful damage done by free radicals.  In this way watermelon protects the skin as well as prevents diseases like Alzheimer's, heart, and some kind of cancer.  It can also reduce asthma attacks, by reducing the toxic matter in your body.  The rich beta-carotene and vitamin C content quench inflammation that contributes to conditions like osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis.  It is a natural diuretic which means it aids in the healing of kidney and bladder problems.  Watermelon can raise your HDL or good cholesterol.  Lycopene has been extensively researched for it's antioxidant and cancer preventing properties.  It is reported to be especially protective against prostate cancer.  You can also apply watermelon juice to a blemish, for best results leave it on 10 minutes and then rinse off.