Lemon for weight loss: benefits, how to take, recipes

Benefits of the drink for weight loss

The mechanism of action of a citrus cocktail on the body lies in its ability to trigger several important processes.
This tool helps:

• 
  speed up bowel cleansing;

• improve digestion
• saturate the body with valuable substances, increase immunity;
• speed up the burning of carbohydrates;
• activate the process of breaking down toxins and removing them from the body;
• cleanse the blood and internal organs of toxins and heavy metals.

Due to the fact that lemon water can increase the body's defenses, overall well-being improves.

Resistance not only to colds, but also to nervous system disorders increases.
Therefore, daily consumption of lemon drink promotes stress resistance, improves mood, and eliminates depressive conditions. Useful information : Since lemon has a diuretic effect, regular consumption of water with citrus juice will quickly remove excess fluid from the body and get rid of swelling. And thanks to this action, you can lose 2-3 extra pounds in just 1 month.

How to lose weight with lemon

Many people who want to lose weight are interested in whether it is possible to lose weight with lemon? Nutritionists give an affirmative answer, you just need to follow these recommendations:

1. On a lemon diet, it is important to reduce the amount of junk food: flour, fried, smoked, salty. There is no need to completely change your diet.
2. Drink lemon water through a cocktail straw to avoid damaging your tooth enamel.
3. It is better to drink lemon juice diluted with warm water. Pour the drink into a bottle and take it with you everywhere.
4. When preparing salads, add lemon peel (zest) and olive oil; Sprinkle fish, chicken and meat with citrus juice.
5. Cook food on the grill, in the oven, or steam.
6. Supplement your diet with eggs, fresh vegetables, fruits and almonds.
7. Eat at least 5 times a day, in small portions, chewing food thoroughly.
8. Before following the lemon diet, consult your doctor.

Juice

If you don't know if lemon helps you lose weight, try drinking citrus juice. There are several recipes that include, in addition to fresh lemon juice, ginger, cinnamon, green coffee, garlic, and cucumber. Such components enhance the fat-burning properties of the fruit and accelerate the achievement of the desired result . The most common methods of losing weight using citrus juice:

1. In the morning, eat 1 tablespoon of honey on an empty stomach and wash it down with milk. After two hours, you need to drink 1 glass of citrus juice. 3-4 hours before going to bed, you need to drink another glass of lemon juice. There are no restrictions on food.
2. The juice is squeezed out of five large fruits and diluted with water in a ratio of 1:3. This drink should be drunk in equal portions for 2 days. If necessary, you can make a portion for another 2 days, but you cannot eat in this mode for more than two weeks.
3. Undiluted lemon juice is drunk after eating junk food or overeating and only through a cocktail straw.

Soda with lemon

Another effective way to lose weight with lemon is to mix citrus juice with soda. The result is a delicious fizzy drink that can burn fat even at the stage of food digestion. The cocktail is prepared as follows: add half a citrus juice, 0.25 teaspoon of soda to a glass of warm water, mix everything thoroughly until bubbles appear. The drink should be drunk half an hour before breakfast, dinner, lunch, but no longer than two weeks. In such a time it is possible to lose up to 5 kilograms.

Tea

Green tea with citrus helps you lose weight very well . The drink contains substances such as catechins and polyphenols, which actively dissolve fat cells and accelerate metabolic processes. You can prepare tea according to the following recipe:

1. Put the water on the fire, bring to a boil, cool to a temperature of 80 degrees.
2. Pour a pinch of green tea into a cup, add water, and leave to brew.
3. Pour 2 tbsp into the cooled drink. l. lemon juice and sweeten with 0.5 tsp. honey If desired, you can brew a whole teapot at once, with the addition of lingonberry leaves, lemon balm, and mint.

Cocktail

A cocktail of citrus juice with cinnamon and honey helps you lose weight quickly and effectively. The presence of spicy seasoning helps slow down the passage of food into the intestines, which ensures a feeling of fullness for a long time. In 2 weeks with such a cocktail you can lose from 3 to 5 extra pounds. The drink is prepared as follows:

1. Boil 250 ml of water, add a pinch of cinnamon powder.
2. Wait 20 minutes, pour 1 tbsp into the mixture. l. fresh lemon juice.
3. If desired, you can add a little honey.
4. Drink the smoothie 30 minutes before each meal.

A delicious cocktail with lemon, orange, and grapefruit also helps you lose weight quickly and easily. It is prepared like this:

1. Wash and peel the fruits (2 pieces each), divide into slices.
2. Place in a container, add fresh juice of half a lemon.
3. Beat all ingredients using a blender. If you wish, you can sweeten the drink with fructose.
4. Drink it daily in the morning.

Lemon water for weight loss

You need to drink lemon with water for weight loss during a two-week diet. To do this, you need to prepare a drink that has diuretic properties: dilute the juice of 1 citrus fruit in a glass of warm water (you can add 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar). You need to drink lemon water on the first day of the diet, on the second you will need 2 glasses of cocktail, on the third – three, etc. The amount of food is not limited. The last (7th) day is a fasting day, during which you are allowed to drink only a lemon drink: fresh juice of three lemons, diluted with 3 liters of water with the addition of 1 tbsp. l. honey

The next week goes the other way around: on the 1st day, 6 glasses of cocktail are drunk, and on the 6th – 1, the last one is a fasting one. This diet helps you lose 6 kg. You can also make lemonade from 2 tbsp. l. citrus juice, 1 glass of water, a pinch of cayenne pepper and 2 tbsp. l. maple syrup, which replenishes the body with essential carbohydrates. The water should only be warm, ice should not be added. It is also effective to drink 100 g of cognac in small sips 2 hours before bedtime, followed by lemon slices.

Kefir and lemon

You can eat lemon at night for weight loss by adding the fruit to kefir. This drink has low energy value, helps in the fight against obesity, and if you drink it for seven days, you can lose up to 4 extra pounds. Method of preparing the drink:

1. Grind half the citrus together with the peel in a blender until mushy or squeeze out the juice.
2. Mix the resulting mixture (fresh) with 0.5 liters of kefir.
3. Drink a smoothie every day before going to bed.

Contraindications

Since lemon contains many acids, its regular consumption can have a negative effect on the body of people suffering from the following diseases:

• cystitis;
• gastric ulcer, pancreatitis, gastritis;
• gallstones;
• diabetes;
• kidney and liver diseases.

The drink should be consumed with caution in the following conditions:

• pregnancy
• frequent heartburn;
• severe tooth sensitivity, weak enamel;
• allergy to lemons;
• increased stomach acidity;
• severe dehydration of the body;
• blood pressure changes;
• severe obesity.

Advice: If you have the listed diseases or conditions, you should consult your doctor before drinking lemon water.

If you experience any discomfort while taking a course using lemon water, you should stop using it.

How to properly consume this citrus fruit?

Adding lemon to dishes

This simple method will help the body better absorb foods so that they are not stored as fat. For example, you can cook fish and chicken with lemon, season salads with its juice, add lemon zest to dietary baked goods, cottage cheese or yogurt. This citrus fruit, by the way, is an excellent substitute for salt.

Brew lemon tea

Natural green tea and lemon are one of the best combinations for losing excess weight. Both of these products are rich in antioxidants and are excellent at removing waste and toxins from the body. For 1 cup of tea there should be 2-3 slices of lemon. You can drink this drink either simply during the day or 20-30 minutes before meals (which will reduce your appetite).

We use essential oil

Scientists have found that our taste and olfactory receptors react in a special way to the smell of lemon essential oil. It helps suppress appetite and, as a result, eat less food. Before each meal, inhale this aroma for a few seconds and you will immediately notice a decrease in hunger.

However, the most common way to lose weight is to use plain water mixed with lemon juice - the entire next section of the material is devoted to it. But you should not drink the juice of this fruit in its pure form. With this amount of acid you can harm your gastrointestinal tract, and especially the intestinal mucosa.

After using this product, you should rinse your mouth with water - as citric acid can corrode the enamel. And remember that losing weight with lemon is not for everyone. Since this fruit significantly increases the acidity of the stomach, it also has contraindications for consumption. Among them: gastritis with high acidity, stomach ulcers, pancreatitis, kidney problems.

What water is best to use?

For weight loss, it is best to use clean, filtered water.

The presence of a large amount of mineral impurities in its composition can provoke the development of undesirable reactions that occur when interacting with citric acid.

This is why you should not drink mineral water when losing weight.

It is best to use a slightly warmed, regular one - this will improve the absorption of nutrients contained in lemon juice, as well as activate the functioning of the stomach.

Too cold water from the refrigerator contributes to the inhibition of metabolic processes. And boiling water destroys the beneficial substances that citrus fruits are rich in.

You should also take into account that a freshly prepared cocktail brings the greatest benefit to the body. Most of the beneficial elements begin to disappear after 6-8 hours.

So is lemon effective for weight loss?

You've probably noticed: the benefits are associated not so much with lemon as with water. And indeed it is.

Lemon, of course, is also useful. For example, its juice and zest are additional suppliers of vitamin C and antioxidants. In addition, there is evidence that citric acid helps. Can lemon juice be an alternative to potassium citrate in the treatment of urinary calcium stones in patients with hypocitraturia? A prospective randomized study. prevent the occurrence of kidney stones.

However, lemon juice itself does not have any significant and confirmed effect on weight.

And even in the lemon water format, the vitamin benefits are questionable: the concentration of nutrients is too low.

As for the zest, the situation looks a little (just a little!) more optimistic: in the 2008 study Lemon Polyphenols Suppress Diet-induced Obesity by Up-Regulation of mRNA Levels of the Enzymes Involved in β-Oxidation in Mouse White Adipose Tissue, that polyphenols contained in lemon peel can speed up the breakdown of fat in obese mice. It sounds promising. However, the fact that the zest helps mice lose weight does not mean that it will help people.

However, this does not mean that lemon is useless for weight loss. If you like its taste and it encourages you to drink more liquid, do not deny yourself the pleasure of squeezing half of the citrus into a cup of water. In any case, this will have a good effect on your health.

Can I use citric acid?

Saturation of the body with citric acid in the form of dry matter can lead to the development of a carcinogenic effect. Therefore, for weight loss you need to use freshly squeezed lemon juice.

In addition, after entering the digestive tract, natural juice acquires an alkaline reaction, which allows maintaining a normal pH level.

The chemical does not have the same properties, and with regular use of artificial citric acid, gradual oxidation of the digestive system occurs. This can lead to numerous health problems.

Beneficial features

Numerous studies confirm that people who regularly consume Chinese weed are less likely to suffer from cancer, live longer than those who do not like this drink, and remain active and cheerful into old age.

Chinese tea leaves contain zinc, which is a natural antioxidant that protects against cancer. This microelement is necessary for elastic skin, healthy hair and nails. Without a sufficient amount of zinc in the body, it is impossible to get rid of pimples, acne and allergic skin rashes.

Fluoride is an essential element for maintaining healthy teeth and gums and is found in large quantities in tea grounds. The Chinese use daily gum massage with crushed tea to prevent various diseases of the oral cavity: gingivitis, periodontal disease, stomatitis.

The complex effect of beneficial substances present in the drink is a preventive measure for the development of cardiovascular disorders such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, and coronary heart disease. The fact is that biologically active substances break down bad cholesterol, freeing blood vessels from cholesterol plaques. By the way, in Japan, where this noble drink is held in high esteem, the incidence of hypertension is the lowest in the world.

But the drink tones up, increases performance, and normalizes the functioning of the nervous system. Unlike coffee, which forcibly invigorates, tea acts more gently, protecting the body from stress.

But does this noble seagull help you lose weight? This issue needs to be studied in more detail.

Tea with milk for weight loss

Tea with milk, familiar to everyone since childhood, is not only a tasty, but also a healthy drink that will help you lose excess weight and make your figure more attractive.

Tea and milk mutually neutralize each other's negative properties. As a result, tea with milk for weight loss turns into a healthy cocktail. Tea promotes the rapid absorption of milk fats, while milk “softens” the harmful effects of caffeine.

Tea with milk for weight loss is characterized by a diuretic and choleretic effect. It should be noted that there are a number of contraindications for this drink, so before using it, people suffering from various diseases are recommended to consult a doctor.

The drink effectively suppresses appetite, which is important when following a diet.

To prepare a fragrant and healthy drink, you should heat one and a half liters of skim milk until the first bubbles appear, then add two tablespoons of tea to it and let it brew for 5-10 minutes. Then the resulting mixture must be filtered, poured into a thermos and drunk throughout the day.

Uses of Lemon Essential Oil

The oil is taken orally and is readily used in aromatherapy and for cosmetic procedures.

Dosage and recommendations for use:

• For inhalation during aromatherapy, 3-5 drops of essential oil are enough.
• When wrapping and compresses, it is recommended to add up to 5 drops of oil to the products used.
• for massage base – 10 ml, cream – 10 g, essential oil – 5 k.
• for baths, before adding 3 drops of oil to the water, they should be diluted in heavy cream.

Before using essential oil, you should carefully study the instructions.

Do not use for pregnant women, people suffering from bronchial asthma and allergic reactions.

The use of such a product for weight loss depends on the individual characteristics of each person.

Positive results can be obtained by consuming high-quality essential oils and natural remedies.

Reviews of those who have lost weight and results before and after

Irina, 25 years old : “The lemon diet did not suit me, because after drinking water with squeezed citrus juice, heartburn began and my stomach hurt. The doctor said that I have an individual intolerance. I will look for other methods of losing weight.”

Galina, 27 years old : “Mineral water with lemon has always been my favorite drink, so this diet is a joy. I drink it every day on an empty stomach, then throughout the day when I feel thirsty. After it you don’t even want to eat for a long time. I lost 3 kg in 2 weeks, but this was without changing my usual diet.”

Elena, 40 years old : “I stayed on the lemon diet for 6 days, the result was a terrible allergy. Even rashes appeared on my face – I wouldn’t wish that on my enemy. I advise you to start with small doses of lemon juice, otherwise you may follow in my footsteps. Now I have to treat my allergies with serious medications.”