The green striped fruit, which ripens depending on the region in late July or mid-August, has long been a symbol of summer. Despite the common misconception, watermelon is by no means a fruit, but a berry. . . But 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 were already familiar with this culture and actively cultivated it. Historians claim that there is evidence of watermelon consumption since the 20th century BC. So watermelon seeds were found in the buildings of the pharaoh dynasty, who ruled in the 20th-18th centuries BC. As you know, the Egyptians believed in an afterlife and placed everything that might be useful to them in the tombs of their rulers. This included food, especially watermelons. Watermelon seeds have even been found in the tomb of the Tutankhamun legend. In addition, watermelons were also often described on tomb walls and in ancient medical treatises. According to Ancient Egyptian mythology, 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 just because watermelon is a low-calorie product.
The caloric content of watermelon per hundred grams is only 38 calories.
The point is also that tulle, like watermelon juice, has 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 body is made upmainly from water. And given the fact that many of us today consume increased amounts of salt and other foods that hold water, water is retained in the body, which contributes to weight gain.
Watermelon allows you to cleanse the body of excess fluid, while also cleansing the intestines, kidneys and blood vessels. Therefore, watermelon for weight loss is the first remedy, especially in the summer season. In summer, due to the fact that the temperature around us is high, we expend less energy and, as a result, feel less hungry. Therefore, watermelon diet is an excellent choice for weight loss in summer.
Watermelon is slightly less than water completely, 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 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 watermelon diet? First of all, let’s talk about the bad ones. This is especially true for the watermelon diet in the form of a mono diet. Eating only watermelon is a good cleansing practice, but it is contraindicated for people with weak kidneys, as with such a diet, the kidneys function at full capacity, because watermelon, as mentioned above, has a diuretic effect. Also, 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 major problem. Therefore, the question "Is it possible to eat watermelon in a diet? " For each is decided individually.
Benefits of 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 weight loss, 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 bowel movement, which allows it to get rid of accumulated toxins.
To get rid of toxins and toxins that have accumulated for many years, eating just one watermelon will not be enough. Therefore, regularity is an important condition for successful cleaning.
If you regularly arrange fasting days for yourself, eating only tasty watermelons, this will be a very effective method for 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 it is completely safe for diabetics.
Watermelon also 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 begin the process of tissue regeneration.
Watermelon Food Menu
The watermelon diet menu is simple. If there is a goal to lose weight or cleanse the body, it is enough to eat only watermelons for a few days. You can eat one to two pounds of watermelon a day. However, if you have an appetite for more volume, you should not deny yourself, but you should listen to your well-being.
How long can a watermelon diet last is an individual question. But do not eat only watermelons 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 accustomed to assimilating such a food, and if an unprepared person practices the mono-watermelon diet for a long time, it can lead to severe exhaustion.
Delicious watermelon and strawberry smoothie
One of the mildest options in the watermelon diet is a watermelon and strawberry smoothie. This delicious and healthy drink can satisfy not only yourself but also your friends and loved ones.
For cooking you will need:
- 2-3 wedges of medium size watermelon;
- 1 cup fresh strawberries
- a couple of leaves of lemon or mint balm;
- a slice of lemon or lemon;
- half a glass of water.
Reviews about watermelon mono-diet can be found varied, 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 unnaturally refined food, then such a diet can quickly lead to exhaustion, so it should not be practiced for a long time.
When is the best time 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 in the beginning, and even better in the second half of August. Although the sale of watermelons begins, in some cases, already in June. Watermelons sold in June and July are either imported or grown in greenhouses, with all the pleasures in the form of various fertilizers and other chemicals.
Do not buy watermelons in the middle of summer. The best time to buy watermelon is early or mid-August.
How to choose a ripe watermelon: revealing secrets
Buying a watermelon is a responsible business. To buy a good watermelon, you need to know how to choose it carefully.
- First, the weight of the watermelon is important. Do not get too small and too large. The former are most likely not ripe and the latter are full of chemistry. It is better to buy a watermelon with an average weight of 5-8 kg.
- The skin of a ripe watermelon is always firm and shiny, and the stripes are bright. If not, the watermelon is either not yet ripe or is already ripe.
- When tapped, the watermelon should make a ringing sound - it means it is ripe.
What about nitrates?
Now for nitrates: unfortunately, you can find out about their presence just 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 eaten safely without harming health.
Watermelon is great for those looking to lose weight. Also, watermelon is harmoniously suitable for any type of food - it is literally a complex of vitamins to saturate our body with beneficial 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 an expression: "Overeating - means poisoned". And even the healthiest food can lead to health problems if we eat too much. Therefore, eating a ten-pound watermelon in one go is not the best idea.