Get in the habit of buying a big ol’ bag of lemons from the grocery store. I get mine from Sams or Costco. Lemon offers a lot of nutritional bang for the buck.

Here’s a short list of what lemon will do for you…

1. IT FIGHTS CANCER. Lemons are an excellent source of the powerful antioxidant Vitamin C and fights the formation of free radials known to cause cancer.
2.  HAPPY SKIN. Vitamin C plays a vital role in the formation of collagen. Collagen is the support system for your skin. Adding lemon to what you eat/drink each day will help fight wrinkles, reduce acne flares, and improve overall skin texture.
3. INCREASES IRON ABSORPTION. Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies in developed countries and the leading cause of anemia. Choosing foods that are high in Vitamin C with foods that are iron-rich will help your body’s ability to absorb iron. So if you’re drinking lemon water, whatever else you eat with iron (like spinach or chickpeas) will nourish your body.
4. BOOSTS YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM. Vitamin C will help your immune system fight germs that cause a cold or flu. Making this a daily habit — especially during the winter months — will give you the healthy edge against infections.
5. HELPS YOUR DIGESTION.
6. FLUSHES YOUR LIVER OF TOXINS. A happy liver means a happy lymph system. The liver is very active while you sleep as it is the body’s time to restore and regenerate. So, drinking enough water, especially first thing in the morning, will help stimulate proper stomach acid and bile production.
7. INCREASES YOUR METOBOLISM. If you have PCOS, I don’t need to tell you how difficult it can be to move weight off your body. Researchers in Germany found that drinking enough water increased metabolism. “After drinking approximately 17 ounces of water, the subjects’ metabolic rates — or the rate at which calories are burned — increased by 30% for both men and women. The increases occurred within 10 minutes of water consumption and reached a maximum after about 30 to 40 minutes. (source)” It provides your body with plenty of hydrating electrolytes in the form of potassium, calcium and magnesium.
8. HELP REDUCE BOTH JOINT AND MUSCLE PAIN. If you’ve got high uric acid, you may have gout symptoms. One way to lower uric acid is to add lemons to your cup or plates.
9. REDUCE DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY SYMPTOMS. It is not uncommon for women with PCOS to fight depression as you battle the symptoms of PCOS. Depression and anxiety are often linked to not having enough potassium in your blood. Lemon water has a high potassium content so you may find your mood is happier as you fuel your body with lemon water.

According to the USDA National nutrient database, one raw lemon, without peel (about 58 grams) provides 17 calories, 0.6 grams of protein, 0.2 grams of fat, 5.4 grams of carbohydrate(including 1.6 grams of fiber and 1.5 grams of sugar, 51% of daily vitamin C needs as well as small amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, pantothenic acid, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper and manganese.

One fluid ounce of lemon juice provides 7 calories, 0.1 grams of protein, 0.1 grams of fat, 2.1 grams of carbohydrate (including 0.1 grams of fiber and 0.1 grams of sugar) and 23% of daily vitamin C needs.

Be advised, that when I first started adding lemon to my water, I started out slow… it takes awhile to get used to the tart taste. Now, if I drink water without it, I taste all of the metals in the water. (Not kidding!)

Drink lemon water for a week and then do this one thing… add a 1/2 teaspoon of organic apple cider vinegar. When I first started this, my nose argued with my taste buds. I didn’t really taste it, but I could smell it. Enter the magnificent 30 oz. Yeti. Filled my Yeti up with ice and put a lid on it with a straw. The straw helped me get it down fast and the lid kept my smeller happy. What I noticed is that after a couple of days, I became more accustomed to the taste.  You can gradually work up to add 1 tsp over a period of time.

If you have done “Trim Healthy Mama” then you’ve heard of Good Girl Moonshine. Same concept, but they don’t explain the medical reason why this is so important for your body. Here’s why Apple Cider Vinegar is so great to add to your water:

Here’s a short list of what organic apple cider vinegar will do for you…

1. LOWERS CHOLESTEROL. One Japanese study found that a half an ounce of apple cider vinegar a day, lowered cholesterol in those who participated in the panel. A 2006 study also found that the acetic acid in the vinegar lowered bad cholesterol in rats.If you are not familiar with what cholesterol is — it’s a fatty substance that is made in the liver from certain fats in your diet. It acts as a crucial building block and is used to make healthy cell membranes, hormones such as cortisol, oestrogen, testosterone and progesterone, Vitamin D, bile acids and Coenzyme Q10 – a vitamin-like substance essential for processing oxygen and generating energy within cells. If you have too much cholesterol in your body that is unused, it will begin to coat the inside of your arteries — often referred to as plaque. Over time, this is what leads to the hardening of arteries.If your liver has been working overtime on a high fat/highly processed foods/sugary food diets, you will want to have your cholesterol levels checked. In the meantime, add some organic apple cider vinegar to your water and you’ll be fighting that bad cholesterol with every sip. Your liver will thank you.  Your arteries will thank you. Your heart will thank you. Need I go on?
2. HELPS DIGESTION. Another great reason is it aids the body in digestion and stimulates the cardiovascular circulation while also helping to detoxify the liver. Look for the cloudy kind of unfiltered apple cider vinegar, where you can see a blob in the bottle — the blob is known as “the mother” and it’s full of probiotics and other beneficial bacteria that can help support immune function — and even aid in constipation.
3. REGULATES THE PH-LEVEL OF YOUR SKIN & BODY. Research has shown that higher acid levels (lower pH level) lead to a lack of energy and higher occurrences of infection. Sipping apple cider vinegar throughout the day will bring a natural boost of energy and help your body maintain a healthy alkaline pH level.
4. AIDS IN WEIGHT LOSS. 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar sipped throughout the day can improve weight-loss according to a 2009 study by Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry. It was found that those who had acetic acid over a period of 12-weeks experienced declines in body weight, abdominal fat, waist circumference, and triglycerides (the bad cholesterol that you want to avoid.)
5. KICKS CANDIDA TO THE CURB. Because apple cider vinegar is rich in natural enzymes, it has the ability to assist your body in getting rid of candida — yeasts that are attributed to thrush in humans. Candida is also blamed for creating symptoms of fatigue, poor memory, sugar cravings, and yeast infections.
6. HELPS STABILIZE BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS. According to Arizona State University, apple cider vinegar blocks some of the digestion starch and prevents at least some of that starch from being digested and raising your blood sugar. This is great news for those suffering with PCOS, because insulin is often over produced by the pancreas.

Be advised though… according to Tufts University’s director, if you have gastroparesis, a common problem with diabetes that slows stomach emptying, be careful. Early research has shown that apple cider vinegar may make this problem worse. If you have diabetes and want to try apple cider vinegar, let your doctor know and keep an eye on your blood sugar levels.

And never drink apple cider vinegar straight — it’s so acidic that it could harm your tooth enamel and your esophagus. Just dilute 1 to 2 tablespoons in water with a meal a couple of times over the course of the day. Start out slow. Take baby steps and ease into it and your body will thank you. Remember, one change a day, making better choices one bite — or drink — at a time.

— Erin

Sources: Medical News Today, WebMD, Wellness Mama, Dr Eric Berg, dailymail.co.uk, webMD,