Hi! I’m Faith. I edited this post on March 29, 2016 (original was from 11/23/2011) because due to a Pinterest share it has proven to be my most popular post ever, with new readers checking it out daily. The original post was nothing special, a little blurb about putting nutritional yeast in my oats (which I don’t eat regularly anymore because of my tendency towards cold sores), a bit about lemon water for breakfast, and a happy thanksgiving to close.
It was the lemon water that keeps yall coming to this post though, that little magic trick I shared of juicing lemons into an ice cube tray then freezing for super easy daily lemon water. It is a pretty awesome ‘hack’, so here’s that post from November 2011, with updated pictures because I lost the other ones in the blog-hacking fiasco of 2015.
I also love starting my day with lemon water but sometimes I am too lazy to squeeze it. It’s not as much about the squeezing but the dirty dishes of the knife and squeezer that is sometimes enough to make me forget the whole thing. But not any more.
I filled an ice tray with straight lemon juice and set it in the freezer. Now, each morning I just heat up a little water, toss a cube in, and sip my lemon water!
Lemons are alkalizing to the body and thus an antidote to all the acid forming food in our modern diets. They are also cleansing and stimulating for the liver and kidney. Lemon juice is great for digestion and bile movement, meaning it clears you out in a few ways. The tartness is also great to help wake me up! Occasionally I’ll add a bit of honey but usually I like it straight up.
Great idea to freeze the lemon juice. Safe travels to you, as well. Looks like it’s going to be a chilly but sunny weekend. I’m heading out tomorrow for the southern kid’s house.
I add ginger to my lemon drink daily and I love the ice cube idea, can I also add fresh ginger to the cube?
Sure! Grated ginger would freeze beautifully!
Grest idea of freezing lemon juice.l like it.thanks a lot
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Love the idea of freezing the lemon juice!! Thanks. Safe travels.
I love the idea of lemon ice cubes! Might have to give that a try.
I did the same thing with ginger! I made a very strong ginger tea and made them into ice cubes. Now I can add a ginger cube to a mug of boiling water and have instant ginger tea, no extra cleanup required. Happy Thanksgiving!
The lemon idea is great! Wow.
I love how your blog is a healthy living blog, but at the same time is completely different from all the other healthy living blogs out there. Yours is one of a kind.
I was wondering whether you could give us some book recommendations about healthy living.
Hi Annelies,
Thanks so much for this comment. Sometimes I feel like this blog is all over the place and not very cohesive but somehow it makes sense to me so I am thrilled that it makes sense to you too!
As for book recommendations, I honestly don’t have many. I’ve been reading all the typical health/fitness magazines for years and years and while much of their content is filler I always find a few great gems of content in each issue. I love the book “Vitamins for Dummies” because it goes into just the right detail about what nutrients to increase/decrease related to specific issues and gives the food sources to get the vitamins (not just supplements). If you are interested in fermented foods and sprouting than the “Nourishing Traditions” cookbook is THE book on the subject.
Thanks!
Faith
I’m going to try this oatmeal tomorrow! I haven’t wanted to go away from my sweet oats either, but I think I will give it a try. I could use a little more protein in the morning I think. Thanks for the suggestion!
Happy Thanksgiving!
I’ve heard so many times that drinking lemon water in the morning is great but this is the first time I’ve ever read why! Interesting. Now only if it tasted good in coffee 😉
I just read that lemon juice in coffee used to be a treatment for malaria!
Oh I’ve got to try savoury oats one day too! They look awesome. And I’m totally guilty of the lemon thing; I love to add it when cooking, but I don’t like buying the lemons then squeezing them and balhbdfhbla, so I buy pre-squeezed lemon juice. XD Unsweetened, of course, but still; it shows how lazy I am!
I LOVE this ice cube tray idea!!!!!!!!!!! Must do it!
lemon juice ice cubes… my mind is spinning with all the possibilities!
thanks!
Never realized that lemons were alkalizing??!? I’m back on the lemon wagon 😉
Alkalizing foods are tricky because many of them are acidic, like lemons, but have alkalizing effects in the body. I don’t know a lot about this but I do feel the difference in my body.
Do you know how big of a difference squeezing the lemon makes (vs. purchasing pure lemon juice)? I’ll buy a lemon every once in a while, but find that I use so little that half of it will go bad before I use it – so I generally use the juice (not wasting food, cost effective, and so convinent)… but lately have been wondering about the pros/cons.
*I fully realize that your method would totally allievate the issue, and totally plan on implementing this in the future.. but freezer space is a very hot commodity atm!
Hi Heather,
From the research I’ve done it seems that the concern with bottled juice is both in the preservatives and in the pasteurization it probably underwent. Heating through pasteurization would lead to lose of beneficial bacteria, vitamins, and phytonutrients. My understanding is that vitamin c rapidly disappears as soon as it is exposed to air so I am not sure how much is retained through my freezing process either.
Bottom line, the difference is small but not negligible: if you are drinking lemon for the health benefits go for the real, whole thing.
I tried these oats this morning and they were great. I, too, was hesitant to give up my fruity oatmeal. Thanks for the recipe!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed them!
Brilliant idea about making lemon ice cubes! I’m totally stealing that.
I use the ice cube also. I freeze a mint leaf in some and a raspberry in others…love it
That’s what I did and it is so convenient and easy. Best idea ever to get your lemon water without squeezing a lemon every morning 😉
Such a wonderful idea:) It will have to try the frozen lemon juice along with grated ginger! I love lemons, ginger, fresh mint as well as fruit. You have given me ideas on ways to use all the fresh items, so nothing goes to waste 🙂 Your suggestions will be passed on to my friends who enjoy lemon water, but hate having to squeeze lemons several times a week:)
Hiiii I too loved the idea…But wanted to that is there any limit for storing these cubes..Or I can freeze for as long as I want
Place frozen lime juice iceblocks into ziplock bag in freezer.
So simple but brilliant! I also love the ginger idea. This is going to make my morning much easier!
Dear gracefulfitness,
You said you have a tendency toward cold sores…try this little remedy to see if it works for you.
First, ensure that you aren’t allergic to Australian Tea Tree oil.
Then, go purchase a little bottle of 100% Australian Tea Tree oil. (Found mine at the Vitamin shop). Each time you feel that little tickel or itch from a cold sore coming on, rub just one (1) full drop over the entire effected area (on lip area between nose and top lip and under the top lip on the inside of lip). This seems to stop the cold sore in its tracks. Do this about twice a day for three days. The cold sore does not fully form (no redness, swelling, pain, itch, or blisters.). Seems to go away really quickly. Let me know!! Sista!!
Feeding Tips for Picky Eaters: Making Mealtime Less Stressful – Sensory TheraPLAY Box Blog
[…] may be enough to satisfy your child’s craving without the added unnatural sugar. Or, you can make lemon juice ice cubes to put in water. If your child is very oral seeking, pouring some juice into plain cold carbonated […]