The striped green fruit, which ripens depending on the region in late July or mid-August, has long been a symbol of summer. Contrary to the common misconception, watermelon is not a fruit at all, but a berry . . . But this in no way negates its positive qualities and beneficial effects on the body.
The history of the watermelon dates back to ancient Egypt, where people were already familiar with this culture and actively cultivated it. Historians claim that there is evidence of the consumption of watermelons as far back as the 20th century BC. So watermelon seeds were found in the buildings of the dynasty of the pharaohs, who ruled in the 20-18 centuries BC. As you know, the Egyptians believed in an afterlife and placed everything that could be useful to them in the tombs of their rulers. This included food, in particular watermelons. Watermelon seeds have even been found in the tomb of the legendary Tutankhamun. In addition, watermelons were also often depicted on the walls of tombs and in ancient medical treatises. According to the mythology of Ancient Egypt, the watermelon grew from the male seed of the god Set.
Watermelon Diet for Weight Loss and Cleansing
The answer to the question of whether it is possible to eat watermelon while losing weight is obvious - it is possible and necessary. And not only because watermelon is a low-calorie product.
The calorie content of watermelon per hundred grams is only 38 calories.
The point is also that the pulp, as well as watermelon juice, have diuretic, choleretic and laxative properties, which allows you to remove from the body not only toxins and toxins, but also excess fluid, and as you know, our bodyconsists mainly of water. And given the fact that today many of us consume increased amounts of salt and other foods that retain water, water is retained in the body, which contributes to weight gain.
Watermelon allows you to rid the body of excess fluid, while also cleaning the intestines, kidneys and blood vessels. Therefore, watermelon for weight loss is the very first remedy, especially in the summer season. In summer, due to the fact that the temperature around us is high, we spend less energy and, as a result, we feel less hungry. Therefore, the watermelon diet is an excellent choice for losing weight in the summer.
Watermelon is slightly less than completely water, so it is easily absorbed, having a beneficial effect on the body.
As for the vitamins in watermelon, this berry also does not lag behind other plant products.
As part of a watermelon:
- calcium;
- magnesium;
- potassium;
- sodium;
- phosphorus;
- hardware;
- folic acid;
- ascorbic acid.
And many other useful ingredients - this is what watermelon can give us.
Watermelon diet for weight loss: benefits and harms
What are the general pros and cons of the watermelon diet? First of all, let's talk about the cons. This is especially true of the watermelon diet in the form of a mono diet. Eating watermelons alone is a good cleansing practice, but it is contraindicated for people with weak kidneys, since with such a diet, the kidneys work at full capacity, because watermelon, as mentioned above, has a diuretic effect. Also, the watermelon mono-diet is contraindicated for people with urolithiasis: kidney activity can lead to the processes of removing stones from them. The presence of stones over 4 mm in diameter can be a big problem. Therefore, the question "Is it possible to eat watermelon on a diet? "for everyone it is decided individually.
The benefits of the watermelon diet
Now let's talk about the benefits of the watermelon diet. The most important benefit of the watermelon diet is not even in losing weight, but in cleansing the body of toxins and toxins. In addition to diuretic and choleretic effects, watermelons also have antiviral, anti-inflammatory and laxative properties. Watermelon pulp gently stimulates intestinal motility, which allows it to get rid of accumulated toxins.
To get rid of toxins and toxins that have been accumulating for many years, eating a watermelon alone will not be enough. Therefore, regularity is an important condition for successful cleansing.
If you regularly arrange fasting days for yourself, eating only delicious watermelons, this will be a very effective method of cleansing the whole body, which will give a good result.
There is also great news for people with diabetes: watermelon does not contain complex sugars, so no insulin is produced when consumed. This means that it is completely safe for diabetics.
Also, watermelon contains mineral salts, which helps to normalize the water-salt balance in the body.
Well, another important plus - watermelon contains antioxidants that rejuvenate our body and start the process of tissue regeneration.
Watermelon Diet Menu
The watermelon diet menu is straightforward. If there is a goal to lose weight or cleanse the body, it is enough to eat only watermelons for several days. You can eat one to two kilograms of watermelons a day. However, if you have an appetite for more volume, you should not deny yourself, but you need to listen to your well-being.
How long a watermelon diet can last is an individual question. But you should not eat watermelons alone for more than a week, especially if your usual type of diet does not include regular consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits in large quantities. If the body is simply not used to assimilating such food, and if an unprepared person practices the mono-watermelon diet for a long time, this can lead to severe exhaustion.
Delicious watermelon and strawberry smoothie
One of the milder options on the watermelon diet is a watermelon and strawberry smoothie. This tasty and healthy drink can please not only yourself, but also your friends and loved ones.
For cooking you will need:
- 2-3 medium-sized watermelon wedges;
- 1 cup fresh strawberries
- a couple of lemon balm or mint leaves;
- a slice of lime or lemon;
- half a glass of water.
Reviews about the watermelon mono-diet can be found different, and this is due to the very type of food that is characteristic of a person at a given time. If the diet before switching to a diet was dominated by animal products and refined unnatural food, then such a diet can quickly lead to depletion, so it should not be practiced for a long time.
When to Buy a Watermelon
Now the most important question: when to buy watermelons and how to choose them so as not to harm yourself with a low-quality product? On average, it is recommended to do this at the beginning, and even better in the second half of August. Although the sale of watermelons begins, at times, already in June. The watermelons sold in June and July are either imported or grown in greenhouses, with all the delights in the form of various fertilizers and other chemicals.
Don't buy watermelons in the middle of summer. The best time to buy watermelons is early or mid August.
How to choose a ripe watermelon: revealing the secrets
Buying a watermelon is a responsible business. To buy a good watermelon, you need to know how to choose it carefully.
- First of all, the weight of the watermelon is important. Do not take too small and too large. The former are most likely not ripe, and the latter are crammed with chemistry. It is better to purchase a watermelon with an average weight of 5-8 kg.
- The rind of a ripe watermelon is always hard and shiny, and the stripes are bright. If this is not the case, the watermelon is either not yet ripe or is already overripe.
- When tapped, the watermelon should make a ringing sound - this means that it is ripe.
What about nitrates?
Now about nitrates: unfortunately, you can only find out about their presence by cutting a watermelon. If the pulp is purple and the veins are yellow, then the watermelon is poisoned with nitrates.
The pulp should be bright red, and the veins are white, such a watermelon is a pure product and can be safely eaten without harm to health.
Watermelon is great for those looking to lose weight. Also, watermelon is harmoniously suitable for any type of food - it is literally a vitamin complex to saturate our body with useful substances. For example, just 150 grams of watermelon will give our body a daily dose of magnesium. And most importantly, this delicious berry is a great summer dessert, sweet and healthy.
Watermelon and melon are the best options to get rid of harmful sweets at least in summer. At the same time, it is important to remember that any product can be harmful if abused. There is such a saying: "Overeat - means poisoned. "And even the healthiest food can lead to health problems if we overeat. Therefore, eating a ten-kilogram watermelon alone in one go is not the best idea.