This blog post is all about the incredible health benefits of lemon juice.  From helping to prevent kidney stones to soothing a sore throat, this amazing fruit should be a part of your daily regimen!  Here are just a few benefits of lemon juice:

• Lemons and lemon juice can help aid in the digestion process, especially if you mix fresh lemon juice with warm water and drink it in the morning.  Lemon juice can also help relieve heartburn and bloating.

• Lemon juice is a source of vitamin C, which strengthens the immune system and prevents illness.  The antibacterial property of fresh lemon juice works to fight any kind of infection in the throat area, such as sore throat or tonsillitis. A great home remedy for a sore throat is to gargle with fresh lemon juice mixed in warm water.

• Lemon is a fruit that contains flavonoids, a composite that has antioxidant and anti-cancer properties.

• Lemons may help to prevent diabetes, constipation, and  high blood pressure.

• Lemons have also been found to be useful in skin care, fever, hair care, dental care, and many other health problems.

As you can see, there are so many benefits to making lemons a part of your day!  I hope you’ll take advantage of all their natural healing properties.  (Source of info: Reasons Lemon Juice Is Good For You by Michael Lenz RPh)

Lemons for health and beauty uses

Lighten age spots Why buy expensive creams when you’ve got lemon juice? To lighten liver spots or freckles, try applying lemon juice directly to the area. Let it sit for 15 minutes and then rinse your skin clean. It’s a safe and effective skin-lightening agent.

Create blonde highlights

For salon-worthy highlights, add 1/4 cup lemon juice to 3/4 cup water and rinse your hair with the mixture. Then, sit in the sun until your hair dries. To maximize the effect, repeat once daily for up to a week. Don’t forget to put on plenty of sunscreen before you sit out in the sun.

Clean and whiten nails

Pamper your hands without a manicurist. Add the juice of 1/2 lemon to 1 cup warm water and soak your fingertips in the mixture for 5 minutes. After pushing back the cuticles, rub some lemon peel back and forth against the nail.

Cleanse your face

Zap zits naturally by dabbing lemon juice on blackheads to draw them out during the day. You can also wash your face with lemon juice for a natural cleanse and exfoliation. Your skin should improve after several days of treatment.

Freshen your breath

Make an impromptu mouthwash by rinsing with lemon juice straight from the bottle. Swallow for longer-lasting fresh breath. The citric acid in the juice alters the pH level in your mouth, killing bacteria that causes bad breath. Rinse after a few minutes because long-term exposure to the acid in lemons can harm tooth enamel.

Treat flaky dandruff If itchy, scaly dandruff has you scratching your head, relief may be no farther away than your refrigerator. Just massage two tablespoons lemon juice into your scalp and rinse with water. Then stir one teaspoon lemon juice into one cup water and rinse your hair with it. Repeat daily until your dandruff disappears.

Remove berry stains

It sure was fun to pick your own berries, but now your fingers are stained with berry juice that won’t come off no matter how much you scrub with soap and water. Try washing your hands with undiluted lemon juice, then wait a few minutes and wash with warm, soapy water. Repeat until your hands are stain-free.

Soften dry, scaly elbows

Itchy elbows are bad enough, but they look terrible too. For better looking (and feeling) elbows, mix baking soda and lemon juice to make an abrasive paste, then rub it into your elbows for a soothing, smoothing, and exfoliating treatment.

Disinfect cuts and scrapes

Stop bleeding and disinfect minor cuts and scraps by pouring a few drops of lemon juice directly on the cut. You can also apply the juice with a cotton ball and hold firmly in place for one minute.

Soothe poison ivy rash

You won’t need an ocean of calamine lotion the next time poison ivy comes a-creeping. Just apply lemon juice directly to the affected area to soothe itching and alleviate the rash.

Relieve rough hands and sore feet

Rinse your extremities in a mixture of equal parts lemon juice and water, then massage with olive oil and dab dry with a soft cloth.

Remove warts

You’ve tried countless remedies to banish warts and nothing seems to work. Next time, apply a dab of lemon juice directly to the wart using a cotton swab. Repeat for several days until the acids in the lemon juice dissolve the wart completely.

Read more: http://www.rd.com/home/34-reasons-to-load-up-on-lemons/#ixzz2hpOQS5Ey

Why You Should Drink Warm Water & Lemon

Dynamic Day Planner:  Keep track of meetings and deadlines with an erasable day planner. Apply chalkboard paint to a specific area, like the rectangle shown here, or your entire wall. Then, label the space with the days of the week and use it to keep track of your schedule.

Artists' Studio:  Create a canvas for your kids' artwork by painting an entire wall with chalkboard paint. They'll love being able to make their own life-size murals without getting into trouble for writing on the walls!

Kids' Activity Center:  Paint a child's table with chalkboard paint to create a space for drawing or playing games like checkers or tic-tac-toe. Be sure to keep a container of chalkboard chalk handy and teach your children how to erase their work with a clean, damp cloth or paper towel.

Easy-to-Update Family Calendar:  Create a family calendar that you can update each month. Then, use it to keep track of everyone's schedules, from school events to meetings and games. Assign each family member a different pastel chalk color, too, so that each person can recognize their schedule at a glance.

Flowerpot Labels:  If you enjoy growing herbs indoors, paint terracotta planters with chalkboard paint. Then label the pots with chalk to keep track of exactly what's growing where—from basil to mint.

Eco-Friendly Message Board:  Need a central location for writing down grocery list items, phone messages, and quick reminders—where the whole family will see them? Use chalkboard paint to create a handy, reusable message board for your entire family.

Cabinet To-Do List:  Keep track of all the things you need to get done by applying chalkboard paint to the inside of a kitchen cabinet door. This way, your message space will be easily accessible to you, but not visible to visitors.

Daily Menu:  In the kitchen, paint a chalkboard square on the wall, frame it with decorative molding or colorful paint, and use the area to display each day's menu. This makes an especially nice touch for family gatherings or when entertaining special guests.

Labeled Dresser Drawers:  Teach your kids how to keep track of their clothes by labeling each dresser drawer. This will help them get ready for school in the morning—plus, they'll be able to put their own laundry away in the correct drawers.

Personalized Coasters:  Personalize your coasters with chalkboard paint for just about any occasion. Use them as name cards at your dinner parties, draw storks on them for your best friend's baby shower, or use magnetic tape to display them on your fridge as mini-chalkboards.

Tabletop Canvas:  Add colored chalkboard paint to your dinner table and use the space to create personalized place settings for your guests. Or get creative and use your tabletop canvas to share encouraging words at breakfast, announce good news to the whole family, or count down the days until your next vacation.

Organized Chaos:  Do you have to rummage through your storage bins every time you need to find something? Problem solved: Just paint chalkboard squares on your bins and label them with light-colored chalk. It's a great way to keep things organized.

Serving Bowls:  Add a square of chalkboard paint to serving bowls and label them so guests will know which salsa is the hottest. Apply this technique to mugs or glassware, too, to help your guests keep track of their own drinks.


*Source of article & a good place to buy supplies or learn more about how to use chalkboard paint:
http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/for-your-home/how-to-use-chalkboard-paint