Q: I don’t get it. I heard that lemon and limes may be good for the brain but they are acidic foods, for heaven’s sake, and aren’t we supposed to be leaning toward alkaline foods?

A. After being digested, absorbed, and metabolized, most foods release either an alkaline ash or an acid ash in the body. It is the residue left after combustion rather than the acidity of the food itself that is believed to make a food acid or alkaline. Yes, lemons are generally considered acidic but they are believed to produce an alkaline ash in the body.

In addition, limes and lemons contain virtually zero fructose and only 3-4 grams of total carbs in a whole lemon or lime, whereas a typical orange contains 6 grams of fructose and 25 grams of total sugar per fruit. Personally, I squeeze a lemon into the water I drink first thing in the morning or dump in a packet of cold pressed crystalized lemon (“True Lemon”). When I travel I always carry some packets of “True Lemon” with me.