Pamela Leavey

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Author: Pamela Leavey

Why Drinking Warm Lemon Water Is Good For You

lots-of-lemonsI am big believer in alternative health modes and I recognize that what we eat every day plays a big part in our health. I don’t always find the time to eat healthy, but I try to keep to well maintained diet low in sugar and fat.

The internet is a great place to pick up diet and health tips, because people are always sharing this useful information. Of course, you do need to be wary of your sources on the internet, because there is plenty of false information on the internet that is passed around via email and social media.

The medical group that my doctor belongs to posted an informative piece on warm lemon juice that I thought I should share with readers. Needless to say, as I look down this list posted below I can see more than a few reasons to start adding warm lemon water to my diet daily.

Drinking warm lemon water is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to keep yourself healthy!

Here are 16 reasons to add warm lemon water to your diet:

  1. Lemon is an excellent and rich source of vitamin C, an essential nutrient that protects the body against immune system deficiencies
  2. Lemons contain pectin fiber which is very beneficial for colon health and also serves as a powerful antibacterial 
  3.  It balances maintain the pH levels in the body 
  4. Having warm lemon juice early in the morning helps flush out toxins 
  5. It aids digestion and encourages the production of bile
  6. It is also a great source citric acid, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium 
  7. It helps prevent the growth and multiplication of pathogenic bacteria that cause infections and diseases 
  8. It helps reducing pain and inflammation in joints and knees as it dissolves uric acid 
  9. It helps cure the common cold 
  10. The potassium content in lemon helps nourish brain and nerve cells 
  11. It strengthens the liver by providing energy to the liver enzymes when they are too dilute 
  12. It helps balance the calcium and oxygen levels in the liver In case of a heart burn, taking a glass of concentrated lemon juice can give relief
  13. It is of immense benefit to the skin and it prevents the formation of wrinkles and acne 
  14. It helps maintain the health of the eyes and helps fight against eye problems 
  15. Aids in the production of digestive juices 
  16. Lemon juice helps replenish body salts especially after a strenuous workout session

source: http://foodmatters.tv/articles-1/cheers-to-drinking-warm-lemon-water

I tend to cook with lemon very frequently, because I love the flavor of lemons, and I have long been aware of the fact they have a lot of health benefits.This winter I have been enjoying adding lemon rind to my homemade soups for an extra boost of lemon flavor. When braising my onions, garlic and meat, I use my peeler to cut strips of rind to add to my braise. Later I add the lemon juice to the soup. It gives a very unique, pungent and savory flavor to the soups.

The list above really is a eye-opener on the reasoning of drinking warm lemon juice. As I said above, I am planning to add warm lemon water to my diet. I like that a “glass of lemon juice contains less than 25 calories” and “is a rich source of nutrients like calcium, potassium, vitamin C and pectin fiber.”

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Daily Affirmations: My Life Flows Like the River

There are times in our lives when we just know things will turn out the way we planned, and there are other times when we are not so certain about things or ourselves. Self-doubt is this niggling, nagging line of thinking that tugs at us like a fish on a line, struggling to get free from the hook. But self-doubt is ego driven and it is the hook that keeps us from moving forward at times when we need to release our self-doubt and flourish in the opportunities present in our lives.

sunset at point shore

Today, I remind myself that I am stronger than my self-doubt. I take a deep breath, I close my eyes and visualize my strength as a powerful river flowing from one source to another. I acknowledge that I have within all the strength I need to succeed. I affirm that I can free myself from the hook of my ego and let go of the negative self-doubt that holds me captive, like a fish on a line. I am stronger than the hook. My life flows like the river.

Namaste… Pamela

Photo: Sunset on the Merrimack River at Point Shore, Amesbury, MA ~ c. Pamela J. Leavey

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Gratitude Matters: 10 Awesome Gratitude Quotes

grapevineatmaudslayGratitude matters in every aspect of life, from your personal life to your work or business life. In fact, expressing gratitude helps us to remember that what we have plenty in our lives to be grateful for. It also helps us to remind the people in our lives that we are grateful for them as well.

Sharing our gratitude, expressing how grateful we are, is in fact a very motivational and inspirational form of communication.

Here’s proof that the inspirational expression of gratitude is an awesome from of communication using the written (or spoken) word: (more…)

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Daily Affirmations: Life is a River

Life is a river which flows through me, washes me clean of judgment, cleansing me with the waters of compassion.” The metaphor of life being a river that flows through me has always been a metaphor that I can identify with. I grew up on the Merrimack River in Massachusetts, and despite living nearly 20 years in Los Angeles, there has always been a river flowing near to where I have lived. A river is a powerful force in my heart and mind. Especially a river close to the shore, as the Merrimack River is, here where I live in coastal Massachusetts. Not only is there a natural downstream current here, but there is also a daily tidal flow, in which the river flows upstream as the tide comes in twice daily.
merrimack river sunset at point shore
I have often had the opportunity to live the by the grace of the river’s flow, experiencing the renewal of the seasons and the release of judgement with the tides. In a moment, when we least expect it, we sometimes find that the river leads that which is precious back to us, as in the course of human foibles life continues to flow as does the river.

“I honor my own integrity and the integrity of others. I am guided by love. I allow myself to feel the love that is guiding others. Like the earth, I enjoy seasons of renewal. I forgive shortcomings and failures, arrogance and shortsightedness. I allow such human foibles to be dissolved in the graceful flow of life ongoing. Life is a river which flows through me, washes me clean of judgment, cleansing me with the waters of compassion. I allow life to be both tender and clear. I choose the longer view of wisdom over the more short-lived satisfaction of being “right”.” – Julia Cameron: Heart Steps

Namaste… Pamela

Photo: Sunset on the Merrimack River at Point Shore in Amesbury, MA ~ c. Pamela J. Leavey

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International Women’s Day: Broken Down Woman Blues

It has been 22 years since I wrote the poem below about a woman who was “broken down” from all she had gone through in her life. She knew she wasn’t alone, there were plenty of other women who also had the “broken down woman blues.” Today, on International Women’s Day, I am reflecting on how far we’ve come in the past 22 years, and recognize we still have a long way to go. Looking through some old writing the other night I ran across this poem and felt it fitting to share on International Women’s Day.

We come together as sisters, the women of the Broken Down Woman Blues. We’ve come to feel that no man will ever save us, that we can only rely on ourselves. We come from abusive relationships, we carry a lot of painful weight as we struggle to find ourselves in a man’s world.

And for some of us, we come together as sisters united by the struggle for our own rights as women, our own empowerment, the idea women still don’t have equality. When we stand up and we keep getting pushed down, we sometimes break down.

Women around the world know this truth… (more…)

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Hozier on the Today Show

Hozier was on the Today Show this morning performing his breakout hit Take Me To Church and his new single, From Eden, both from his self titled debut CD, Hozier. As noted in the interview before his performance of From Eden, Hozier is indeed, “a tall drink of water.” Watch here:

Hozier performs Take Me To Church on the Today Show: (more…)

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