An estimated 20 billion dollars a year is spent in this country on weight loss products. Additionally, more money is spent on gym memberships, weight loss surgery, books and so on. There is always some quick fix silver bullet being marketed and when it dies out another fad takes the spotlight. Ultimately the weight loss industry is driven by money and more money and never fully addresses the root cause of the problem. Probably because there is no money in it if they do.

So what is the problem, why are we getting bigger as a society? Could it be that we are simply addicted to food the same as an addiction to coffee or alcohol for example. The answer is yes. The likely cause that is driving this addiction is yeast in the body, aka candida or bad bacteria as some call it. The more we feed this yeast the more the addiction grows and bigger and more unhealthy we become.

Yeast infestation takes hold in the gut only if it is given the opportunity and there is much that we do on a daily basis that allows for this opportunity. Here is the short list of what promotes yeast growth in the gut and the body: Antibiotics, carbonated beverages no matter their calorie or sugar content, alcohol of any kind, medications, moldy foods and substances such as coffee, chocolate and tobacco, chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides, and of course sugar.

All of these things in the diet lend a helping hand to yeast becoming more and more established in the body. Once the yeast takes hold it starts influencing every decision we make including the foods we eat and the substances we indulge in.

Enter lemon water. This simple zero calorie addition to the diet, along with subtle changes to the diet and routine, can have big impact on weight loss efforts and overall health. Drinking lemon water provides a host of important health benefits but perhaps the most significant is that it helps to kill yeast that leads to weight gain and helps restore healthy digestion that leads to weight loss.

Here is a simple plan for introducing lemon water into the diet to promote weight loss: We’ll start by making lemon water. Choose only fresh organic lemons or for more convenience pure organic lemon juice. Then decide how potent your mixture will be and ad fresh filtered water. Example: 1 to 2 ounces of lemon to 8 ounces of water, or 8 to 16 ounces of lemon to a two quart, 64 ounce pitcher. Do not add sugar as this will feed yeast but you could add a sweetener such as stevia. One nice thing about a pitcher of lemon water is that it is shelf stable without refrigeration for at least a couple of days.

When you rise in the morning drink a tall glass of lemon water instead of coffee then replace sodas and alcoholic beverages with lemon water the rest of the day. This simple measure cuts out high calorie yeast feeding carbonated beverages immediately. Next start focusing in on all of the things that you feel are contributing to yeast in the body and look at minimizing or eliminating them all together.

You may even want to add probiotics to your diet as they will further improve the healthy balance of bacteria in the gut and push out the yeast. Furthermore, you could also add organic apple cider vinegar which is highly effective at killing off unwanted yeast.

It’s important to note that once you start drinking lemon water you may experience nausea or stomach upset. This is actually a good thing. This is a clear indication that you are now killing off unwanted yeast and making a difference. This upset should soon pass and you are now on your way to better digestion, improved health and weight loss.

Once you turn the tide on the yeast you may even begin to crave the lemon water similar to how you craved other thing in your daily routine. The reason for this is because your body is now starting to adjust to a more healthy standard and wants to maintain that standard and it instinctively knows what it needs.

For overall improved health and weight loss try adding lemon water to your routine. Get creative and stay the course and you may be pleasantly surprised.

Written by DMK of Seven Grains.