Is the fountain of youth filled with lemon water?

 Someone on Twitter told me about a book called “Stop Aging, Start Living”, by dermatologist, Dr. Jeannette Graf. (I think the “Stop Aging” part might be a bit of an over promise, unless the book kills you).

According to Dr.Graf, a major component of the “stop aging” process, involves ph levels, and the impact acids and alkalines have on our health.

She recommends drinking a daily alkalinizing “cocktail”, which involves lots of green stuff. I prefer the lazy woman’s alkalinizing cocktail. It’s called squeezing lemon in water. (Even though lemon is acidic, it has an alkalinizing effect on the body.)

The water should be lukewarm and ½ a lemon a day should do the trick. No sugar added (because sugar is acidic-building).

I even went so far as to buy ph strips at the local pharmacy to see if my ph level was off. (Someone's got too much time on her hands.)

You’re supposed to pee on the strip. Red= acidic. Color remains the same= neutral or alkaline. My strip turned red. Apparently, my body was a toxic wasteland.

I immediately squeezed ½ a lemon in some water and chugged it. Next time I went to the bathroom, the ph strip registered as neutral or alkalinized. 

I went from being a walking, talking NJ to pristine in just hours. Amazing. Of course, there are lots of varying opinions about this alkalinizing theory. Some say all we’re changing with the lemon water is the acidity of the urine, not the body. I have no idea. 

All I know is what happened when I drank ½ a lemon in lukewarm water, every day, for a week. First off, my skin looks DRAMATICALLY (like Madame Butterfly dramatically) better. Brighter, lighter, clearer, glowy-er and a million times less haggard. (It’s supposed to be great for acne too.) I know this sounds odd but my skin even looks more plump. A friend of mine commented, the other day, that I somehow looked younger. I swear it’s the lemon water. 

It also made me feel more energetic. It's helped my sinuses (and my dark circles). And it goes without saying, that I've had absolutely no signs of scurvy.

What's that, lemon? You think I'm crazy for squeezing you in water then peeing on a ph strip?

Will someone else please try this out?  Or if you already do it, please tell us what you think?

Comments

[Gitte]

Hey there,
You're not crazy. My life these past few weeks seems to have revolved around the lemon (I'm waiting for my lemon cake to finish baking as I type). Whenever I drink water, I drink it with lemon. I rub honey and lemon on my face daily which makes my skin glow a lot(maybe a little too much) and the lemon helps to fade blemish marks. I even add lemon to green tea because it is supposed to enhance the antioxidant effects. I can't say that I pee on strips, but hey, whatever works for you (I would prob do the same if I had the extra money to spend) ;)

[Minze]

Hahaha! You're brilliant. I always laugh when I read your blog (it's my favorite). And I learn something too. You should write a book!

I've been drinking warm water w/ a slice of lemon every morning for about the past month or so. I started doing that after trying a 3 day detox plan for "radiance" which is supposed to make you luminous and sparkly. (http://www.lime.com/health/beauty/story/17616/1-2-3-Detox-Radiance) My skin did glow and the recipes are pretty good too (subtly tweaked for my taste).

[Minze]

Here is the link again for the detox for radiance:
http://www.lime.com/health/beauty/story/17616/1-2-3-Detox-Radiance
(It didn't work in my earlier post because of the closed parenthesis)

[jenny]

Hey Gitte,
Aren't you the lemon maven. I just tried it in my green tea and liked it. The ph strips are cheap like $1.50. Join me in crazy town:) Actually it sounds like with all those lemons your ph is excellent, no need for ph strips:)
jenny

[jenny]

Thanks Minze! And thanks for the detox link. I'd try it but I don't think I could make it three days on just that stuff. If the fruit could be covered in chocolate, maybe.
Thanks again!
jenny

[Ann]

Hi Jenny
I have the book by Dr. Graf and it is very interesting. In the book, though, she has you test your ph by wetting the strip with your tongue, not testing your urine. This might be the more accurate (and less inconvienent) way to go. Also, with many years as a healthcare worker, take all of this with a grain of salt...there are sooooo many reasons why your urine could be acidic or alkaline throughout the day. Here is a good link about urine pH http://www.rnceus.com/ua/uaph.html

[Ann]

I ran out of space on the other post..so people should be carefull and go crazy trying to make their urine one way or the other. Believe me, kidney function is not something you want to mess with too much. However, i do think there is something to this theory, and i am psyched that you got results..more motivation to try it!!!! I am also lazy.

[Ann]

oops..i meant NOT go crazy in the post above..sorry to comment so many times.

[linda]

i'm afraid to make my pee alkaline. is that wrong? i thought to avoid bladder infections we needed acid pee. (also handy for disfiguring statues...maybe we should make pigeons drink lemon water?) nevertheless, i intend to try this. i can always use some more glow.

[jenny]

Hey Ann, Thanks so much for the info and the link. I'll definitely check it out!!!!
Thanks!
jenny

[jenny]

Hey Linda,
I think I read this actually helps with bladder infections because it helps cut down on yeast and other stuff. Although I could be completely wrong on that. Ann, you're in the healthcare field. Do you know? I think if we put lemon water on any food and feed it to a pigeon, they'll eat it.
thanks
jenny

[Ann]

hey Linda- normal urine Ph can range from acidic to alkaine and still be considered normal. This is what I meant when I said take it with a grain of salt..don't focus on just the one thing, like uirine ph. Usually when you have a UTI, your urine is alkaline r/t to bacteria (see the link in my comment above), some people think making it more acidic will make it go away, hence drinking cranberry juice...I don't think making your pee alkaline when you don't have an infection will make you get a UTI, but if you do try it and you get one, well then obviously your urinary tract likes to be a little more acidic. If you really want to try this, buy the book from Dr. Graf and test your Ph on your tongue like she suggests. Anytime you feel like you are having symptoms of a UTI or bladder infection you should contact your physician there are more things in your urine they look at besides just the Ph. Hope that helps some. Ann

[stellaglo]

thanks, ann, now i can go forth and drink lemon without fear.

[LL]

My mom always makes a point to drink a glass of water every morning and her skin is supple. I on the other hand, have not been so good about this.

I'm not much of a water fan so this idea of adding that lemon should make a big difference. :)

[Teddy]

The pH in urine is supposed to vary--this is normal. Urine pH varies so blood pH can remain stable.