How about stirring up lemonade when life hands you lemons? Your first natural reaction might be to feel down. Rather than feel sour, transform the global citric fruit into a refreshing beverage. Not only does it stave off the heat-wave or a hot-flash, but also benefits your body in many different ways.

What Lemonade Does for You

Drinking lemonade implies so much more than just loading yourself with flavored water. Whether you whip up a quick batch using concentrated lemonade, or simply prepare a pitcher from scratch, the impact remains positive and refreshing. Visibly, you appear rejuvenated and ready to go. What goes on within your body but works wonders for your health involves –

Deep hydration

If you are one of those who dislike drinking water throughout the day, try lemonade. Your body requires sufficient amount of water to function optimally. So, you need to consume a certain amount of water every day. There is some good news too – you can make it interesting by adding lemon juice. In case you lack time, opt for the concentrated version and get the same result.

On one hand, you will have met the daily water requirement. In addition, staying hydrated becomes enjoyable, and you look forward to it.

Improved Digestion

Most of the times, digestion in human-beings functions efficiently by breaking down the food. Sometimes it requires help, and this is where lemonade comes in. Lemon juice contains citric acid and pectin, two components which assist with digestion.

Follow up a greasy meal with a glass of lemonade, and let the citric acid boost the digestive juices. Soon all your intake will have broken down with none of the heaviness persisting to cause indigestion. Whatever remains gets collected by the soluble pectin and ejected from the body before it can cause constipation.

Vitamin C Boost

From common cold to all the mutated contagions, nowadays you are never too far from illnesses. Unless of course you have a robust immune system. A daily dose of vitamin C not just boosts your immunity but also fights chronic stress. You may find it difficult to believe but the simple lemonade can serve as a potent shield against harmful microbes.

All you need to do is keep a natural lemon source close at hand. Invest in lemons, or a lemon concentrate with a reasonable shelf life. By doing so, you will have created your own personal shield against unwanted infections.

Healthy Skin

Everyone loves sporting a clear, healthy skin. However, only a few know that having lemonade everyday can clear up the unsightly marks. Your skin might be reflecting a variety of factors, ranging from daily stress to ageing. Adequate hydration serves to improve the overall look and feel. Particularly if the water contains vitamin C, your skin stands to benefit via collagen boost and the goodness of antioxidants.

Great Internal Health

Regardless of how you look on the outside, true beauty emanates from within. Being beautiful on the inside entails regulated benchmarks, like sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol. Due to its potassium content, lemonade soothes the blood vessels. Its glucose content meets the sugar requirement and curbs cravings.

Stable blood sugar and blood pressure set the tone for a holistic internal environment. Over a period of time, it would protect you against stone formation in the kidneys and onset of chronic health issues.

Home Detox – Indulge in daily home detox by gulping down lemonade in measured quantities at least twice a day.

Our bodies tend to collect toxins which can build up if ignored. This can cause severe health problems, like cancer, or simply chronic fatigue. A glass of lemonade frees the body of toxins and boosts liver health. As a result, you would feel more energized and overall happier and calm.

Preparing Lemonade at Home – Tips and Tricks

The usual method entails squeezing lemons in a pitcher of water and adding sugar. Adding a pinch of salt is optional. Honey serves as an effective substitute for sugar. Also boiling the lemon peels and using the solution results in a healthier beverage.

Alternatively, you can buy lemonade concentrate, and use it as a substitute for fresh lemon juice. Mix a little bit in a gallon of water and stir well. Given its concentrated form, you can skip the sugar, salt, honey or other additives. Buying one with a long shelf life would ensure a steady supply of lemonade for at least a week.

Diluted lemonade first thing in the morning sets the day’s tone. You can never go wrong with this beverage, whether it is your mood, weight problem or health issues. Likewise, combine it with a spicy meal, and you will have saved yourself digestion problems.

Lemonade Concentrate as an Option

Imagine having cultivated the healthy habit of drinking lemonade, and not having lemons. Fresh lemons make great lemonade, but they also carry unpredictability. You may be too busy to replenish the stock at home. The weather outside may be preventing you from receiving a fresh supply of lemons. Worse still, they might be out of stock, or the available stock does not seem as fresh. Rather than break your habit, give lemonade concentrate a shot.

Using lemonade concentrate comes with multiple advantages, like –

Fresh Taste

Even though it comes from a container, the freshness remains uncompromised. When you mix a small amount with a large quantity of water as per instructions, the outcome is exactly the same.

Shelf Stable

A convenient shelf life ranging between 5-7 days renders this as one of the most attractive options. Get a pitcher of lemonade concentrate and continue having this beverage whenever you want. You need not worry about buying fresh lemons, or finding time to squeeze them.

In case a week is too short a time-frame, stock up for the next six months. In concentrated form, the lemonade can stretch for six months without losing its goodness. Not only do you ensure constant availability, but also save yourself the chore of re-stocking at short intervals.

Easy to Handle

Unlike fresh lemonade, the concentrate only needs to be stirred. Read the instructions carefully, and pour out the required quantity. Then add the requisite amount of water and stir the beverage. Within a few minutes, it is ready for consumption. Therefore, the labor involved is just a fraction of that involved in preparing fresh lemonade.

Owing to the ease, the lemonade concentrate can be handled by all age-groups. Fresh lemonade remains the domain of adults due to the method of preparation. The concentrated form embodies simplicity, and hence even children can prepare it. Assign it to the youngster of the house, and you will have freed yourself of one responsibility. In lieu, the kid would love the feeling of achievement when everyone appreciates the refreshing lemonade.

Clear Outcome

Lemonade turns cloudy when it contains suspended particles and residue. These can also spoil the taste of the beverage, and render it bitter. Lemonade concentrate eliminates this problem by providing a crystal-clear beverage every single time.

You earn brownie points for excellent presentation and your wallet gets good value for every penny spent.

Minimal Equipment

Pitcher and spoon suffice when making lemonade using the concentrate. If you count the glass for drinking, then the count goes up to three. Compare it to at least half a dozen containers that fresh lemonade requires and the difference stands out. No brewers or strainers also mean less equipment to wash and clean after the lemonade has been prepared.

Precautions with Lemonade

One of the precautions entails drinking too much lemonade over a short span of time. Healthy and refreshing though this beverage is, you must remain vigilant about the quantity. Too much of anything, including lemonade, may not be pleasant.

Another concern is the staining of containers due to citric acid. This holds true in case of fresh lemonade owing to its strong citric acid content. Lemonade concentrate eliminates this problem by using an optimal percentage. So, if you are worried about staining, shifting to the concentrated form might work out well for you.

Fresh lemonade may also not be shelf stable. At the most it can last for a day or two, after which it turns cloudy. In case you run a hectic routine and lack the time to prepare lemonade every day, invest in a pitcher of concentrate. Find a good bargain which would solve you time crunch while providing good value for money.

Final Thoughts

Gone are the days when lemonade was associated with only sunny days. Now it forms a part of daily routine for people all over the world. Making it a part of your daily habit accrues multiple benefits, which explains why it is an all-weather global drink.

Move a step further and consider using lemonade concentrate as an alternative option. Whether you wish to set up a lemonade stand or have it at home twice a day, a concentrate could simplify the process. In the long run it would save you both trouble and money. Hence, a lemonade lover would find it to be a great option.