The yellow tipped leaves on the trees tell me that autumn is coming soon.

And I do love autumn-the coziness and colour that it brings.

But there are still a few precious days of summer left and something that really says summer to me is lemons…their colour, scent, taste.

And so I end this summer season by sharing about this super duper food. And hopefully give you an empowerment against colds and flus as you do head into autumn.

I first discovered the wonders of this humble, little fruit years ago when I learned that it could help clear the heavy congestion I had every morning. And so I began to drink a simple lemon juice tea (more on that later), and I found that it worked! My morning congestion cleared up in a matter of days! I was hooked. A while later, a friend gave me information that the benefits of the lemon did not stop at the juice, but their peels were phenomenally beneficial as well!

And so here is a small list of what I have learned over the years regarding the benefits of lemons and their peels.

The juice:

* It is full of vitamins and minerals. Did I say full? I mean CHUCK full. These beauties have Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, folate, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, copper, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, phosphorus and protein. That alone I believe is reason enough to add these to your food plan!

* The amount of Vitamin C in one lemon is over 80% of the daily recommended amount, therefore a good way to boost your immune system. Vitamin C can also help to increase white blood cells, so should a cold virus try to come your way, the more white blood cells, the more there is to fight any intruding infection.

* It contains flavonoids which are a powerful antioxidant and are also anti-inflammortory.

* It is good for digestion. Lemons are purely anionic. This is a very good thing as it contains a higher amount of negative ions than positive ions. This anionic food is a likeness to stomach acid, saliva and bile. What this means is that fresh lemon juice will greatly enhance the work of digestive fluids. More information on this anionic food can be found here.

How about that lemon peel?

* Three nutrients in the lemon peel are limonene, salvestrol Q40, and as with the juice, flavonoids. These components help to fight cancerous cells. The flavonoids specifically can help counter cancerous cell division.

* The peels are loaded with vitamins and minerals too…even more so than their juicy insides. One tablespoon of lemon peel contains twice the amount of Vitamin C and triple the amount of fiber than one wedge of lemon without the peel.

* They are rich in flavanone glycosides. What do these guys do? Simply put, they control blood sugar effectively, breaking down glucose in the liver.

Really, this is just a small list of how amazing lemon juice and lemon peel can be for your body. I highly recommend researching more for yourself. If you like, you can learn more here or here. You will be astounded at what this little, oval fruit contains. And more importantly, try it for yourself and notice the differences in how you feel after a few months, perhaps after a few weeks.

Rolling the lemon before cutting in half and squeezing can help get that much more juice be released when extracting it.

So, about that simple lemon tea I mentioned? How does one get that goodness? I myself take a whole lemon (organic if I can find them), cut it in half, squeeze out the insides and add warm/hot (not boiling) purified water to the juice. I take this first thing upon waking. Not just for the benefits of the lemon juice, but it is a good habit to hydrate after going so long without water. How do you get the rind benefits? If using organic lemons and after squeezing the liquid goodness from the lemon, I place both halves of the peel in a container to be placed into the freezer. (Why organic? So as not to add chemicals and pesticides to the goodness.) Then when ready to use them, I grate them whenever they are called for. These gratings can be used to pop into smoothies, salads, whenever baking calls for lemon zest…

Enjoy a bit of the taste and scent and health of summer these next few months as the cold sets in…

Here’s to your wholeness and health!

Have you drank lemon tea before? What benefits have you noticed? Any other ideas on what to use the rind for? I would love to hear from you!

Disclaimer: Nope, I’m not a doctor…this is not meant to treat or diagnose or cure…but one thing I can do is pray ultimate health for you and the best way for you to get there! : )