Notable Personality Factors:
When it comes to fruits, watermelon is the king of the kingdom, the king of the melon family. In fact, legend has it that the watermelon was so highly revered in ancient cultures that it was placed inside the tombs of many Egyptian kings — and for good reason! Watermelon makes you feel potent and proud, and its juice gives your mind and body an energizing boost. Native to tropical Africa, watermelon grows well in warm climates, and, like the sun, it feeds a good mood and a positive mental attitude. In addition to being a tasty, thirst-quenching addition to any fruit salad or smoothie, watermelon also plays an important role in clinical nutrition. The watermelon’s cleansing, alkalinizing, and therapeutic effects on the body make it a nutritional standout and a great addition to a balanced nutritional program.
Watermelon makes you feel potent and proud, and its juice gives your mind and body an energizing boost.
Therapeutic & Healing Powers:***
The watermelon has a wide range of clinical contributions, but perhaps its most significant therapeutic benefit is the healing effect it has on both the kidneys and bloodstream. As a natural diuretic, it supports superior kidney function and facilitates the elimination of salt, water, and toxins. Due to its high alkalinity and water content, it is also very beneficial for cleansing and purifying the bloodstream. I’ve found that watermelon can also be a powerful dietary weapon in the ongoing war against high blood pressure. In addition to enhancing kidney function — a key player in monitoring the body’s blood pressure — watermelon helps lower blood pressure by dilating small blood vessels and decreasing pressure in large ones.
As a highly-alkaline, anti-inflammatory, nutrient-rich fruit, watermelon can play an important role in the nutritional healing process. In addition to benefiting the kidneys, bloodstream, and circulatory system, watermelon helps counter arthritis and other acidic and inflammatory conditions that result from excess intake of meat proteins, dairy, eggs, artificial sweeteners, refined sugars, caffeine, and alcohol. Watermelon and watermelon juice can also be helpful in combating kidney infections, bladder infections, prostatitis, and psoriasis.
Last but not least, it’s important to note that watermelon is an excellent source of cancer-fighting anti-oxidants and immune-boosting phytonutrients. Watermelons are rich in flavonoids and carotenoids, such as lycopene and beta-carotene, which can protect your body at a cellular level from dangerous toxins and free-radicals that cause accelerated aging and disease.
Nutrient Value:
Watermelons are rich in vitamin A (by means of its beta-carotene content which gets converted to vitamin A in the body), vitamin C, and as mentioned above, are a great source of flavonoids and carotenoids. They are also a good source of potassium, magnesium, and B vitamins (most notably B1 and B6).
Selection and Care:
It can be difficult to determine a watermelon’s ripeness, so it’s useful to know a reputable grocer in your neighborhood. Good watermelons are symmetrical in shape, and their underside should be slightly yellow, rather than pale green. Avoid soft spots at stem ends and flat, dry spots at blossom ends. The best way to test for freshness is to thump the side of a watermelon while you are holding it, then listen for a tympanic hollow sound.
Optimal Use and Combining:
Like all fruits, watermelon, and watermelon juice, is best consumed fresh, whole (excluding the rind), and raw to maximize nutritional and therapeutic values. Serve wedges of watermelon on their own or with other fresh cuts of melon. In addition to combining well with melons, watermelon goes well with papaya and banana, but does not complement citrus fruits or apples. A fresh fruit salad with watermelon, cantaloupe, banana, and almonds is a great way to start off your day. Alternatively, try blending watermelon, cantaloupe, banana, almond butter, and brewer’s yeast into a smoothie for a nutrient-rich, high-protein, energizing snack or meal-substitute.
***This article is not intended to treat or diagnose any type of health condition or disease. Any nutritional considerations for any health complication should be discussed with your physician or healthcare provider.