Lemon Water is Essential for Fasting

Dr. Eric Berg 09/14/2024

The Truth about Ultra-Processed Food

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The Truth about Ultra-Processed Food

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The Truth about Ultra-Processed Food

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The Truth about Ultra-Processed Food

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The Truth about Ultra-Processed Food

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The Truth about Ultra-Processed Food

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The Truth about Ultra-Processed Food

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The Truth about Ultra-Processed Food

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Dr. Berg – Healthy Keto and Intermittent Fasting

Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Keto & Intermittent Fasting

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Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Keto & Intermittent Fasting

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Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Keto & Intermittent Fasting

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Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Keto & Intermittent Fasting

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Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Keto & Intermittent Fasting

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Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Keto & Intermittent Fasting

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Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Keto & Intermittent Fasting

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Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Keto & Intermittent Fasting

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Lemon Water Fasting Benefits: Health and Weight Loss

Using lemon water when fasting is a practice that has garnered significant attention for its potential to promote weight loss and improve digestion.

Learn about how citric acid in lemons can help prevent kidney stones and counteract acidity within our bodies.

Discover how to prepare your ideal lemon water mix and how often it should be consumed on a fast.

The Benefits of Lemon Water During Fasting

Fasting can imbalance your body's pH levels, but lemon water can help restore balance. If you are water fasting rather than dry fasting, lemon water is an excellent fluid to drink to help alkalize your body.

Human Kidney stones medical concept as an organ with painful mineral formations

Citric Acid and Kidney Stones

Lemons are packed with citric acid that binds calcium in urine, preventing stones from forming. Plus, they coat existing stones, blocking other materials from attaching.

Alkalizing Effect of Lemons

Although lemons may taste sour, they are actually alkaline once metabolized. Because of this, lemons help balance your pH levels, which is crucial during fasting or keto. A balanced pH promotes better digestion and metabolic function.

Symptoms and Causes of Acidosis

When our bodies become too acidic, we can experience a range of symptoms that may seem unrelated. Acidosis can be triggered by excessive exercise, alcohol intake, or specific diets like keto and intermittent fasting. Incorporating lemon water into your routine can help with this problem.

Identifying Symptoms of Acidosis

Signs of acidosis can include breathlessness, confusion, and a higher pulse rate. Other indicators are fatigue, headaches, and sleep problems. Recognizing these signals early on is crucial because high acidity can lead to serious health complications.

Fatigue: Constant tiredness or a drastic drop in energy levels after meals could be due to excess acidity in the body.
Headaches: Frequent unexplained headaches might also indicate higher-than-normal acid levels in your system.
Sleep Problems: Difficulty falling or staying asleep without any apparent reason could be another sign of possible acidosis.

Dietary Choices Leading to Increased Acidity

Certain food habits contribute significantly towards increasing the acidity level in our bodies. Consuming processed foods rich in sugar content regularly or indulging excessively in alcoholic beverages are two prime examples.

Even some healthy practices like intermittent fasting or following a ketogenic diet can inadvertently increase body acidity if not appropriately managed.

Ketogenic Diet: This low-carb diet focuses on burning fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates, producing ketones - acidic chemicals used for energy when there isn't enough insulin. While this process aids weight loss effectively, it makes the body more acidic, requiring careful monitoring and balance through other means, such as drinking plain lemon water.
Fasting Periods: Incorporating regular periods without eating (fasting) into your schedule helps promote weight loss, but similar to keto diets, they tend to increase the overall acidity within one's system over time, making it necessary for individuals practicing intermittent fasts to consume lemon water frequently.
Lack Of Hydration: Apart from what you eat, how much you drink also plays a significant role, with dehydration being a major cause behind increased bodily acids since fluids help flush out toxins, including excess acids, from our systems.

How Lemon Water Helps Minimize Acidosis

Following a keto diet or intermittent fasting? Your body might be acidic. Lemon water can help balance pH levels. Lemons are not just refreshing but also a great source of citric acid.

Glass of lemon water

Preparing Your Lemon Water Mix

To make lemon water, squeeze 1 oz of fresh lemon juice into a glass. Don't overdo it; too much lemon can cause heartburn or tooth erosion. Drink it in the morning before breakfast for maximum absorption.

Frequency and Quantity for Consumption

Start with one glass per day and increase gradually. Limit intake to avoid potential stomach discomfort. Stick to 1-2 glasses daily unless advised otherwise by healthcare professionals.

Note:

Lemon water alone cannot treat severe cases of acidosis. Seek medical attention.
If you have kidney problems or take certain medications, consult with healthcare providers before regular intake.

Adding lemon water during periods of high acidity can improve overall health, especially during keto diets or intermittent fasting. Consistency is critical when trying new dietary habits, so give yourself time before expecting results.

Other Factors That Can Cause Body Acidity

Aside from what you eat, other things can make your body too acidic. Your kidneys, liver, and even too much iron can all contribute to higher acidity levels. Knowing these factors can help you take better care of your health.

Kidney Problems and Higher Acidity Levels

Your kidneys maintain your body's acid-base balance by eliminating excess acid through urine. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) can cause disruption of the body's pH balance due to impaired acid excretion, leading to metabolic acidosis.

Symptoms include confusion, fatigue, and rapid breathing. If you have CKD or suspect kidney issues, talk to your doctor right away.

Liver Issues and Excessive Body Acidity

Your liver also helps regulate your body's pH level by producing bicarbonate ions that neutralize excess acids.

But if you have liver problems like cirrhosis or hepatitis C virus infection (HCV), your liver may not produce enough bicarbonate ions, leading to increased acidity levels. Eating alkaline-forming foods can help maintain optimal pH balance.

Excessive Iron Intake and Increased Body Acidity

Iron overload disorders like hemochromatosis can cause too much iron to accumulate in your organs, leading to tissue damage, organ failure, and increased acidity levels.

If diagnosed early, hemochromatosis can be managed with regular phlebotomy sessions. Avoid unnecessary iron supplements unless advised by a healthcare provider.