Lemons and Limes – Ayurvedic Perspective

Lemons – 4 different ways to use it as medicineLemonLime-501x376

Lemons sharp, digestive and laxative and stimulate salivation and digestive juices in the stomach.  

Lemons calm down Vata, detoxify balance Pitta, but may stimulate aggravated Pitta, and Kapha dosha.  

Lemons are sour, and heating and have sour after digestion effect.  

Note: Never take lemons with milk, mango, tomatoes, or when one has a peptic ulcer.

1. In cases of Nausea, Vomiting and/or Indigestion, make a mixture of 1 part lemon juice and i part honey.  Dip your index finger into this mixture and lick it slowly.

2. For Indigestion and to Eliminate Gas, a mixture of 1 cup of cool water, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda may be helpful.  Stir this mixture and drink it quickly, as it produces carbon dioxide, which aids these conditions.

3. For Morning Sickness in Pregnant Women or Nausea in Children, take a sip, every fifteen minutes, of a mixture of 1 cup of coconut water and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to calm the stomach.

4. For Kidney Stones and Gravel in the Urine, a mixture of 1 cup of water, 1 teaspoon each of lemon juice and cilantro juice may be very helpful  Take this 2 or 3 times a day.

 

Limes – 8 different ways to use it as medicine

Lime is useful with hot, spicy foods to cool down their hot, Pitta provoking nature.

Limes stimulate the secretion of digestive enzymes and is useful for indigestion.  It can be an effective antidote to alcohol.  

Limes are sour, slightly bitter and cooling, but the after digestion effect is sweet.

Limes calm Vata and is okay in moderation for Pitta, but aggravate in excess.  Limes stimulates Kapha and can cause excess salivation.

Note: Lime should not be used when one has a cold, congestion and/or cough.

1. To Improve Appetite, chew some lime with a pinch of rock salt.

2. Lime pickle (about 1 teaspoon), used with the main meal Improves Digestion and Absorption of Minerals, as well as the taste of the food.

3. For Acute Indigestion, squeeze the juice from 1/4 of a lime in a 1 cup of warm water.  Add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and drink quickly.

4. For Acid Indigestion, take the juice of 1/4 of lime, mixed with 1 cup of warm water and 1 teaspoon of rock candy or organic sugar.

5. For Heartburn, Nausea or Hyperacidity; (also helpful for Headache, Motion Sickness, and Morning Sickness)

  • Take 1/2 lime and hold it on a fork or stick over a flame  – let the fire penetrate the skin, charring it a little .  
  • Cool it down and chew it including the skin with:
    • Put 1/4 teaspoon of sugar
    • A pinch of baking soda on lime

6. To relieve a Burning Sensation of the Urethra, take a mixture of 1 glass of heated, then cooled, water and 1 teaspoon of lime juice, if taken, sip by sip, every fifteen minutes for the whole day.  

7. For individuals with High Blood Pressure who need Diuretic action without sodium and potassium loss, take a mixture of 1 cup coconut juice, 2 teaspoons of lime juice, and 1 cup of cucumber juice may be beneficial.

8. A glass of hot water with 1 teaspoon each of honey and lime juice may be a useful drink to take in the morning for conditions of Obesity and High Cholesterol.

– Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing by Mrs. Usha Lad and Dr. Vasant Lad –

– Image credit: wallpapers4desktop.net

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