Striped green fruit, which grows in the region in late July or mid-August, has long been a symbol of summer. Contrary to popular belief, watermelon is not a fruit, but a berry. . . However, this in no way denies its positive qualities and beneficial effects on the body.
The history of watermelon dates back to ancient Egypt, where people already knew this culture and actively cultivated it. Historians claim that there is evidence of watermelon consumption in the 20th century BC. Thus, watermelon seeds were found in the buildings of the Pharaonic dynasty, which ruled in the 20th and 18th centuries BC. As you know, the Egyptians believed in the afterlife and put everything that could be useful to them in the graves of their rulers. This included food, especially watermelon. Watermelon seeds have even been found in the tomb of the legendary Tutankhamun. In addition, watermelons are often depicted on the walls of tombs and in ancient medical treatises. According to ancient Egyptian mythology, watermelon grew from the male seed of the god Seth.
Watermelon Diet for Weight Loss and Cleansing
The answer to the question of whether it is possible to eat watermelon while losing weight is clear - it is possible and necessary. And not just because watermelon is a low-calorie product.
Up to one hundred grams of watermelon has a total of 38 calories.
The fact is that watermelon juice has pulp, diuretic, choleretic and laxative properties, which allows you to remove not only toxins and toxins from the body, but also excess fluid, and as you know, our body consists mainly of water. Considering that many of us today consume increasing amounts of salt and other foods that retain water, water remains in the body, which helps to lose weight.
Watermelon allows the body to get rid of excess fluid, as well as cleanses the intestines, kidneys and blood vessels. Therefore, watermelon is the first tool for weight loss, especially in the summer. In summer, we use less energy due to the high temperature around us and as a result feel less hungry. Therefore, watermelon diet is an excellent choice for weight loss in the summer.
Watermelon is a little less than water, so it is easily absorbed by the body.
As for the vitamins in watermelon, this berry does not lag behind other plant products.
As part of the watermelon:
- calcium;
- magnesium;
- potassium;
- sodium;
- phosphorus;
- hardware;
- folic acid;
- ascorbic acid.
And many other useful substances - this is what watermelon will give us.
Watermelon diet for weight loss: benefits and harms
What are the general advantages and disadvantages of watermelon diet? Let's talk about the disadvantages first. This is especially true of the watermelon diet in the form of a mono diet. Eating only watermelon is a good cleansing application, but it is contraindicated for those with weak kidneys, because with such a diet the kidneys work at full capacity, because, as mentioned above, watermelon has a diuretic effect. Watermelon mono-diet is contraindicated for people with urolithiasis: kidney activity can lead to the removal of stones from them. Having stones larger than 4 mm in diameter can be a big problem. Therefore, "Is it possible to eat watermelon in the diet? " Is decided individually for everyone.
Benefits of watermelon diet
Now let's talk about the benefits of watermelon diet. The most important benefit of watermelon diet is not to lose weight, but to cleanse 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.
A watermelon eaten to get rid of toxins and toxins accumulated for years will not be enough. Therefore, regularity is an important condition for successful cleaning.
If you regularly organize fasting days by eating only delicious watermelon, it will be a very effective method of cleansing the whole body.
There is also great news for people with diabetes: watermelon does not contain complex sugar, so it does not produce insulin when consumed. This means that it is completely safe for diabetics.
In addition, watermelon contains mineral salts, which help to normalize the water-salt balance in the body.
Well, another important plus - watermelon contains antioxidants that rejuvenate our body and begin the process of tissue regeneration.
Watermelon Diet Menu
Watermelon diet menu is simple. If you have a goal to lose weight or cleanse the body, it is enough to eat only watermelon for a few days. You can eat one or two kilograms of watermelon a day. However, if you have an appetite for more volume, you should not deny yourself, but listen to your well-being.
How long a watermelon diet can last is an individual question. However, you should not eat watermelon alone for more than a week, especially if your regular diet does not include regular consumption of large amounts of fresh vegetables and fruits. If the body is simply not accustomed to absorbing such food, and an unprepared person follows a mono-watermelon diet for a long time, it can lead to serious depletion.
Delicious watermelon and strawberry smoothie
One of the softer options in the watermelon diet is watermelon and strawberry smoothie. This delicious and healthy drink can please not only yourself, but also your friends and loved ones.
You will need to cook:
- 2-3 medium-sized watermelon wedges;
- 1 cup fresh strawberries
- a few lemon balms or mint leaves;
- a slice of lime or lemon;
- half a glass of water.
Opinions on the mono-diet of watermelon can be found differently, and this is due to the type of food that is characteristic of a person at a given time. If animal products and refined unnatural foods predominated in the diet before switching to a diet, such a diet can lead to rapid depletion, so it should not be applied for a long time.
What is the best time to buy watermelon
Now the most important question: when to buy watermelons and how to choose them so as not to harm yourself with a poor quality product? On average, it is recommended to do it better in the beginning, even in the second half of August. Although the sale of watermelons sometimes begins in June. Watermelons sold in June and July are either imported or grown in greenhouses, all flavors are in the form of various fertilizers and other chemicals.
Don't buy watermelons in mid-spring. The best time to buy watermelons is early or mid-August.
How to choose a ripe watermelon: reveal the secrets
Buying watermelons is a responsible job. To get a good watermelon, you need to know how to choose it carefully.
- First of all, the weight of the watermelon is important. Don't take too small and too big. The first is most likely immature, the second is chemically compressed. It is better to buy a watermelon with an average weight of 5-8 kg.
- The skin 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 ripe yet or has already ripened.
- When whipped, the watermelon should make a ringing sound - it means it is ripe.
What about nitrates?
Now about nitrates: unfortunately, you can only learn about their presence by cutting a watermelon. If the pulp is purple and the veins are yellow, watermelon is poisoned with nitrates.
The pulp should be bright red and the veins white, such a watermelon is a clean product and can be eaten safely without harm to health.
Watermelon is great for those who want to lose weight. And watermelon is harmoniously suitable for any meal - a vitamin complex to literally saturate our body with nutrients. For example, only 150 grams of watermelon will provide our body with 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 choice 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 misused. There is a saying: "Eating too much means poisoning. " Also, even the healthiest food can cause health problems if you eat too much. For this reason, eating ten kilograms of watermelon alone is not the best idea.