When Life Gives You Lemons …
Summer is here! Fond memories of vacations from school, camping trips with the family, walks to the library for leisurely days of reading for fun, and (of course) the neighborhood lemonade stand!
Growing up, I remember how much fun we had launching our lemonade stand – we lived on a corner lot … the perfect location for a booming business! I also recall how much we looked forward to our family barbecues and Aunt Dorothy’s luscious lemon bars. I even savor the memory of Mom’s homemade remedy for our sore throats … a soothing mixture of honey and lemon.
Yes, the refreshing tang of lemon not only evokes fond childhood memories but inspires great tasting recipes and healthful tips.
I recently learned, for example, that a splash of lemon is a great way to enhance the flavor of food while reducing sodium intake as well! The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that healthy American adults consume less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day. While sodium does occur naturally in some foods, most of us take in approximately 75% of our daily sodium through processed foods – far more than we should!
Excessive sodium intake has been linked to health problems, and experts advise that reducing sodium while increasing potassium can actually promote optimum health. A lemon helps us do both! Not only are lemons sodium free but a medium lemon provides 160 mg of potassium.
3 Ways Lemons Aid You In Body & Spirit
The list of ways that lemons “aid” you both in body (nutrition) and spirit (taste) is a long one but here are just a few of my personal favorites …
- Lemon water aficionados believe that drinking lemon water daily (warm and/or cold) boosts their immune systems, satisfies their cravings, helps curb their appetites, heals and rejuvenates their bodies, and packs a powerful punch of vitamin C!
- Thin slices of lemon floating in pitchers of ice water are beyond refreshing but a slice or two in summer soups can give your taste buds a tickle, too!
- A baked potato topped with a few squirts of lemon along with herb mixtures (like garlic powder, parsley, rosemary, and dill) and just a touch of butter is a fresh and filling side for a grilled chicken breast or salmon filet. It’s amazing how the use of lemon in place of salt can actually unmask the true flavors of food!
May your summer be filled with slices of sunshine, splashes of sass, multitudes of memories and loads of leisure … all laced with the love of lemon. Pucker up!
For more information about using lemons as an alternative to salt, visit SunkistSaltAlternative.Com.
For more surprising and inspiring lemon aids visit Sunkist.Com.
Joanie Taylor
Director, Consumer Affairs & Community Relations
Schnuck Markets, Inc.
