Health :: Finding the Fountain of Youth

Doesn’t this look refreshing!

 

A few weeks back I was having lunch with a good friend and she was talking about how she was trying to get her son to drink less soda. He was having some health issues and I mentioned to her about a book that I was required to read in my Masters in Human Nutrition program called Your Body’s Many Cries for Water, and suggested that he try to replace a soda a day with more water – replace one soda can with one more glass of water.  This really is one of the best health books you can read concerning your health and I can’t say enough of how it changed my life and how I look at water and my body’s need for daily hydration.

But I believe we can take it a step further!  Recently my husband mentioned that his coworker was drinking lemon and cucumber water everyday at work and she told him she was feeling much better and was finding she was losing weight.  I think most of us have heard about the benefits of drinking lemon water but I wanted to learn the science behind it and boy, am I impressed!

 

Fitness by Patty has a great recipe for Lemon and Cucumber water that includes grated ginger and mint leaves.  I think after you read all the wonderful benefits these combined ingredient give your body you just might run out and go get them at the store (which is what we did this morning – well, my husband did!).  Here is the recipe that Fitness by Patty provided.

Ingredients:

8 1/2 cups filter water

1 teaspoon grated ginger

1 medium cucumber, sliced thin

1 medium lemon, sliced thin

12 mint leaves

 

Combine all the ingredients and place the pitcher in the refrigerator overnight and drink the next day.  Be sure to stir it before you place it in the fridge. The reason you let it sit overnight is so all the good stuff – vitamins, antioxidants, etc., have a chance to be released from the lemon, cucumber, mint, and ginger.  I read that you can place the ginger in warm water to help it release the good stuff much quicker and then place in the pitcher along with the other items above.

Here are just some of the many benefits of this Fountain of Youth drink:

Lemons:

In Italy, it is customary to drink hot lemon water after a meal  because it  helps to settle the stomach.  It is also rich in Vitamin C which is known to boost the immune system and helps with weight loss by helping to remove toxins from the body.  Vitamin C is needed for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of the body, notes MedlinePlus. As an antioxidant, it contains nutrients that block damage caused by free radicals, which may play a role in cancer, heart disease and arthritis. Plus, it does wonders for the skin!  Thus a fountain of youth found right in your own grocery store!

Cucumbers:

I think I was most surprised at all the wonderful benefits this fruit.  One cucumber contains an large amount of B Vitamins (something that many vegetarians can be low in) such as B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, also high in Folic Acid (the crucial vitamin needed for pregnancy – in fact, it is recommended you start taking a multivitamin a few months before you start trying to get pregnant to make sure your Folic Acid levels are within normal range), Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc (also a crucial mineral in pregnancy.)

Fresh Mint:

Mint has one of the highest antioxidant capabilities of any food. Mint is a calming and soothing herb that has been used for thousands of years to aid with upset stomach or indigestion. Mint is thought to improve the flow of bile through the stomach, which helps to speed and ease digestion. (Source: Medical News Today). It has also been found to have a very strong scavenging activities in the body, says David Grotto, author of 101 Foods that Could Save Your Life. (Source: Fitness by Patty).  Mint is also high in calcium, Vitamin A, folate, potassium and phosphorus – all key in preventing disease.

Ginger:

Last by definitely not least is ginger which is filled with anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols.  There has been a ton of information available about the importance of eating foods that will help with inflammation – which many scientists and health experts believe is the culprit for many diseases and illnesses. Ginger has been shown to fight some cancers, reduce the aches of osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis, soothe swollen muscles and provides relief for upset stomachs and helps aid and soothe the intestinal tract – which the Chinese believe is key to overall health.  (Source: Fitness by Patty).

 

So head off to your store to get these wonderful ingredients and join me as I embark on including this fountain of youth drink into my everyday routine.  We can do it!

 

Disclaimer: Be sure to speak to your physician before embarking on a new diet or health routine.  And if pregnant ask your doctor if it is safe to eat/drink the ingredients above.

 

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