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The functional fruit

Flavorful fruit has many healthy, practical uses
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It’s time to dump all of your beauty products, household cleaning supplies and medicines and replace them with … lemons?

Yes, lemons.

Most commonly associated with the sometimes annoying accompaniment to your restaurant water glass, lemons are so much more. Not only are they a delicious component of myriad recipes – think lemon meringue pie, lemon-pepper chicken linguini, lemonade, roasted lemon-garlic broccoli – they also have a multitude of beauty care, health and home-maintenance applications.

Acne, blackheads and oily skin? Try raiding the fridge first before spending lavishly on expensive skin-care products.

Scared of tackling the crusted on food splatters in your microwave? Yep, lemons.

Health benefits? Household care? Check, and check.

“If you’re going to have one thing in your house you can use for a million different things, it’s a lemon,” said Jennifer Prosser, owner of Spa Evo on Main Avenue in downtown Durango.

Lemons contain ascorbic acid, a natural astringent that can dry out acne, and the antibacterial properties of lemons can make them a great natural alternative to fight acne-producing bacteria.

Lemon juice may not work for everyone, but it’s an easy option to try before investing in more expensive skin-care products. After washing your face, simply rub a slice of lemon over problem areas, and leave the lemon juice on for at least 10 minutes before rinsing, depending on how sensitive your skin is (and be sure to moisturize afterward).

But be careful, lemons are very acidic, so less is more when applying them to your skin. Also, avoid direct sun exposure immediately after applying lemon juice, because it can increase your susceptibility to sunburn.

Prosser uses lemon in her body scrubs,because their fruity acid helps to remove dead skin. One of her favorite scrub recipes can be made easily with ingredients you have at home – 1 cup plus 4 tablespoons epsom salt, the juice of one lemon, the zest of one lemon, 2 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil and one capsule of vitamin E.

“Mood-wise, lemon is a brightening kind of scent,” Prosser said. “There are associations people have with lemon – clean, summertime, happiness, bright. The smell of lemon is a very uplifting smell, to the soul and to the spirit.”

Just down the street at the Spaaah Shop, head esthetician Desiree Carter uses lemons in a cleansing milk as part of every facial to brighten, exfoliate and tighten skin. She also recommends dabbing essential oil of lemon on foot calluses as a way to soften them and make them easier to remove.

But lemons aren’t just for beauty care; they can also be used to clean just about anything in your home.

“Lemon has the same abilities that the chemical alternatives have … because of their antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties,” said Josh Jones, chief executive officer of Guardians of Green Inc., a local all-natural cleaning company. “You’re talking equivalent to each other, so why not go with the lemon? It’s a lot cheaper; it’s a lot better for everyone.”

What are some of Jones’ favorite ways to clean with lemons?

His all-purpose, go-to cleaner is one part vinegar, one part water and 10 drops lemon essential oil. For a quick, easy way to scrub off burnt-on food in the microwave, Jones recommends mixing ¾ cup water and ½ cup lemon juice, then heating the mixture to boiling in the microwave. Let the mixture stand in the closed microwave for 10 minutes, then use a rag to easily wipe off crusted-on grime.

Got hard water stains on your shower? Simply cut a lemon in half and use it to scrub your shower.

Need something more heavy-duty? Create an easy scouring paste with lemon juice and salt.

Another of Jones’ favorite tricks is to cut up a lemon and put it down the garbage disposal, because the oils in the lemon will kill any odors and improve the smell of your sink. Lemon essential oil will even remove gum from carpets and crayon marks from walls, Jones said. Pretty impressive for an all-natural, non-toxic cleaning option that is safe for your kids and your pets.

Jones’ favorite part about cleaning with lemon is that the products he uses are things that his clients can make themselves.

“I actually encourage people to make products on their own,” Jones said. “Not only does it save on a plastic bottle and all the costs of marketing and transportation, I take pride in teaching our clients, ‘This is what we’re using in your home; this is how you can make it when we’re not here.’”

Besides their miraculous cleaning properties, lemons also are known for their many health benefits. Naturopathic doctor Jennifer Letellier of Be Well Family Medicine recommends drinking lemon juice in your water as a way to help your liver detoxify your body more effectively.

“We’re just exposed to so many toxins now in our world; any help we can get with that is going to be beneficial,” Letellier said.

Lemons also have also been touted as a way to ease a hangover after a big night out. This probably works because the lemon can help your liver metabolize the alcohol, Letellier said.

Another benefit of consuming lemons is that they help your body maintain an alkaline, as opposed to an acidic, state, decreasing your uric acid load, which when out of balance can lead to conditions such as gout, Letellier said.

She also recommends consuming lemon water to aid digestion.

“We live in a pretty busy, fast-paced world, and sometimes we don’t cook our food,” she said. “The process of cooking actually stimulates digestive enzymes, so if we skip that step, then we don’t get the appropriate digestive enzymes to come out and break down our food … If we don’t get our foods broken down properly, then we’re going to end up not absorbing the nutrients from it.”

Lemon juice has properties similar to hydrochloric acid, which is the main acid in our stomach that breaks down food, Letellier said. Drinking a little lemon water 15 minutes before you eat can help to stimulate those digestive enzymes and enable your stomach to more effectively process your food.

Additionally, one peeled lemon has 187 percent of your daily recommended vitamin C intake, so regular consumption of lemon water also can help to boost long-term immunity.

Who could’ve imagined that one little fruit could have so many useful applications? Next time you’re at the store, skip a few aisles and go straight for the lemons to save money, reduce your exposure to harsh chemicals and enjoy the many other benefits of this magical little fruit.



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