Watermelon is the real star in the summer heat. It is delicious, full of water, refreshing and contains just 46 calories every cup. Filled with sweet juice, watermelon is one of the best present from the nature during the summer season. Although people go bananas over mango, There are many types of watermelon such as seedless, seeded, red and orange. This hydrating fruit is the ultimate beat-the heat treat. It may be a predictable pick, but a juicy wedge of watermelon never loses its appeal on a sweaty, summer day. The name says it all – this fruit is 92% water, which means it can help fill you up, cool you down, and flight bloat by helping to rid your body of excess sodium. Contrary to popular belief, watermelon is low-cal and low-sugar fruit, clocking in at less than 50 calories per cup or 85 calories per large wedge. This one’s a no-brainer – the only choice you have to make is seeds or no seeds!
This amazing fruit is loaded with vitamin A, vitamin C and other healthy compounds. It is a great source of lycopene and antioxidants. You can also eat watermelon seeds, which are rich in minerals like copper, zinc, iron and manganese. Read on to know other health benefits of eating watermelon.
With mercury breaching the 40o Celsius mark in Odisha, a social organisation has come up with a unique idea. Jai Odisha, a city-based voluntary organisation, recently launched ‘Jeevandhara’, a kiosk to provide watermelons to commuters in the sweltering summer. The one-of-a-kind kiosk was inaugurated at Saheed Nagar Durga Puja Mandap in the city and people can get a juicy wedge of the hydrating fruit from 12.00 to 15:00 pm for 15 days, starting in the beginning of the April 2018. Jai Odisha Founder Rudra Narayan Samantaray as saying: “During summer, everyone is at risk due to the heat. So we have decided to give watermelon slices to people for free for the next 15 days. We hope the watermelon will provide people a little relief during the sizzling summer.”
Reasons Why Watermelon is the Perfect Summer Fruit:
1. Watermelon is Loaded With Antioxidants. Watermelon is full of the antioxidants you need to fight back against free radical damage and prevent inflammation. In addition, it has one of the highest concentrations of lycopene of any fruit.
2. Watermelon Helps Keep You Energized and Hydrated When You Work Out. Watermelon has “water” in its name for a reason. It’s loaded with water to keep you hydrated when you work out. Plus, it’s an excellent source of the electrolytes, sodium and potassium you need to help the body run strong. Watermelon is also rich in Vitamin B, which is necessary for energy production.
3. Watermelon is a Fantastic Disease Fighter. Because watermelon is full of antioxidants and helpful vitamins, it has been shown to fight a number of diseases. It helps to battle back against heart disease, arthritis, asthma, as well as several types of cancers. Now, that’s a powerful fruit!
Because of its high water content, watermelon is a good thirst quencher. In fact, in the Kalahari desert, where they are called tsamma, watermelons are one of the main sources of water during the dry, hot season.
-You can add watermelon to smoothies, fruit or vegetable juices.
-Make a fruit salad with watermelon
-Make watermelon ice cubes, or cube watermelon and drop into a glass of sparkling water
-Spoon cubed watermelon over ice cream, frozen yogurt, or favorite non-dairy frozen treat.
Did you know, that watermelon is really a vegetable. Watermelon can be traced back to Africa and is part of the cucumber and squash family. Early watermelons were mainly rind and seeds. Today’s varieties are larger, the flesh sweeter, the seeds smaller and the rind thinner.
