Daily Doses.

Few would doubt the health benefits of warm water or green tea paired with fresh-squeezed lemon juice. It's something I drink every morning for a little boost. But this daily habit can be a time-consuming hassle, and some days it doesn't seem worth it. Having to cut up the lemon, remove the seeds, and then sit there and squeeze the juice out while I'm still groggy and sleepy can easily get tiresome. And then there's the cleanup.

Luckily, I've found a way out of this morning mess. Instead of doing each of these steps early every morning, I do a month's worth all at once. I squeeze as many lemons as I can manage in one sitting, filling a small pitcher or bowl. As I go, I add equal parts water, so the lemon juice won't be too overpowering when I later add it to a glass of water or tea. When I think I have a sufficient amount, I carefully pour all that great juice into an ice-cube tray and freeze those little gems.

Now, every morning, instead of doing all that work for a few drops of lemon juice, I just plop a few "lemon cubes" into my cup. No fuss! As an added bonus, it helps cool down a hot drink quickly. In addition to adding frozen juice to water or tea, I also like to drop one or two lemon cubes into a glass of low-sodium V8 juice.

Doug Wilkinson

Fairfax, Virginia

Caption: Lemon juice in your drinking water will deliver a dose of vitamin C and may ease cold symptoms.