Thursday, 29 July 2010
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10 Things You Didn't Know Limes Could Do!
I was flipping through Health Magazine today, and I came across a short article on limes (under the "secret natural ingredient" section). The writer of the article, Susan Hall, had listed 4 uses of lime and lime juice that have nothing whatsoever to do with cooking. I thought to myself, "how great!"- people who "really like food" love to hear they aren't limited to just eating it, right?
I decided to go above and beyond Hall's list and find even more than 4 things to do with limes. I have comprised a list of 10 items (the first 4 are from the original magazine article) for your enjoyment. So enjoy - and maybe even test them out!
1. They help with hangovers. According to DeAnna Batdorff (an Ayurvedic practitioner in Cali), a helpful healing concoction to consume the morning after a heavy night of drinking consists of 2 teaspoons of lime juice and 2 pinches of sugar in an 8-oz glass of water. She says the lime cleanses the liver while the sugar helps pick up glucose levels after their alcoholic drop.
2. They clean microwaves. According to Ellen Sandbeck (the author of Organic Housekeeping), lime juice (about 3 tablespoons) mixed with water and heated in the microwave until boiling point is extremely effective at cleaning. It gets splatters off of the inside of the microwave as well as any store-bought household cleaning product!
3. They brighten skin. Adding lime juice to a body scrub (particularly if you are home-making it!) adds vitamin C in, which contains acids and salt that rid skin of dead cells in a rejuvenating way. One mixture idea for blemish-control: combine a tablespoon of lime juice with 2 tablespoons of prune juice, slather it on your face and leave it for 15 minutes.
4. They help fight diseases. Adding lime (or, presumably, lemon) juice to a cup of green tea aids the release and digestion of more of the tea's catechins, or antioxidants that have been shown to reduce the risks of cancer, heart disease, and stroke.
5. They help get rid of a sore throat. Mixing lime juice with a little bit of honey (best together in tea, in my experience) is an effective way to soothe throat pains.
6. They help lessen the itchiness of mosquito bites. Rubbing lime on mosquito bites should aid in itch-relief. This trick should also work for stings from coral.
7. They soothe headaches. Placing lime on your head should lessen the pain of an average headache. They have also been shown to reduce fever when applied this way.
8. They help to get rid of dandruff. Rubbing lime juice onto your scalp for 15-20 minutes and then rinsing it out should moisturize the skin and get rid of extra flakes, leaving you dandruff free!
9. They lighten your hair. As with lemon juice, streaking some lime juice in your hair and spending some time in the sun should leave those streaked sections noticeably lighter than the rest of your hair. Repeat more times for enhanced streak.
10. They get rid of kitchen odors. Grind a lime into a sink garbage disposal for an overall fresher scent.
Pretty cool, huh? I'm gonna go make a facewash.
What are some other things you can use limes for? What about some other multipurpose foods?
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About the Author
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- From: fiona
- Name: Fiona
- About Me: I love food, but I'm a much bigger fan of eating it than I am of preparing it! I love traveling to new places and trying new things - which can either be wonderful or disastrous in the food arena. I am a New Yorker situated in Virginia for school, although I try hard not to stay in one place for too long!
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Comments (48)
I'm going to be a party pooper and call BS on the "placing a lime on your head makes the headache go away!" thing.
I don't believe the headache one but Im willing to try the "making your skin brighter" trick.
I didn't know about the hair trick. Something worth looking into, I guess.
you can also just put a glass container of water in the microwave and heat till boiling... it will do the same thing.. its the steam that does it.... off topic i know....
@live_for_love@xanga - Definitely. Everybody knows the best cure for headaches is to rub a cat on your head while reciting the alphabet backwards. Pfft limes, what will people think of next?
I've used the garbage disposal trick though. Well, not with limes, but with orange peels.
Lemons will work too.
@just_the_average_jane@xanga - Personally, I've found that dancing in the first rain of May while singing Yellow Submarine to be the best cure.
I loooove limes with salt! I know it's terrible, but it just tastes so good :(
Thanks for the tips.
Sorry my only comment is another smart ass one.
You can squirt it in someones eye like they so on the Corona commercial.
I do like your post.
@emily_shannon@xanga - i will say: i've tried lemon, and it does work, though slightly.
@live_for_love@xanga - failproof.
Great stuff :) Thanks!
I dont think limes get rid of sore throats, that's honey. limes/lemons get rid of temperatures
My parent's remedy for sore throat is always limeade made with lime, sugar, soda water and a pinch of salt. It works for us. Yes, initially I would get a mouth full of phlem, but after I spit it out, the next day, it's all better.
I haven't tried it myself, but I've seen my aunt rub lime on my cousin when he has a fever. She says it reduces the temperature. I have quite a few headache episodes, so I might consider trying lime on the forehead thing.
In addition, lime dissolves the effects of medicine. One time, I took a medicine that was too strong for me and I started to have chills. It was 100 degrees outside and I war this thick winter rob and bundled myself inside my blanket, and that can't be a good sign. My mom mixed freshly squeezed concentrated lime juice with a little bit of sugar and fed it to me. A little bit after, I felt significantly better.
All these are home remedies and not scientifically tested in my case, so if you believe it and want to try it, it's up to you. If not, that's your decision too.
"Of an average headache". As a person blessed with at least once a week migraines, that amused me. Maybe the juice of two limes would help me, ;p.
@fiona - I think you need to consider putting up warnings for #3 and #6. It is true that limes may help lighten the skin and hair, but there are also unexpected effects. For #3, a person should not go out in the sun after applying lime. It will cause negatives effects such as reddening of the skin and sensitivity.
For #6, I won't deny that lime can help lighten hair and it also have effects similar to a clarifying shampoo. In other words, people with oily hair will have a great benefit, but people with damaged or find hair needs to be wary. I must suggest that everyone need to be mindful about the drying effects and use conditioner to counteract.
I may not necessarily agree with the specifics on the usage of lime, but I do appreciate the overall message of this post. I am a supporter of using herbal medicine and home remedies.
Oh, the last one (grinding up lemons in your disposal) is incredible <3
I wanna try number 8! :D
The garbage disposal tip works! Of course, lemons, too. In a pinch I've used oranges. We have an orange tree so if we're out of lemons or limes, oranges do the trick, too.
my favorite salad dressing is just lime juice, salt, and pepper.
Limes are yummy. I could definitely use them for #3 and #6.
awesome list, and arent they cheap now? 20 limes for a dollar! holla! ive always prefered limes to lemons. and now i have 10 more reasons to!
Waitaminnit... You mean I can just rub a lime on my head for twenty minutes to get rid of this dandruff? Thank grief! Now I can finally do away with this thirty seconds of scrubbing each day with Head and Shoulders!
I will try the garbage disposal idea, though.
I feel like rubbing lime juice into  mosquito bite wold just hurt.  Especially if they're bad from scratching and picking.
if you're feeling nauseous, eating a lime helps.
hmmm..interesting.