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 popular belief, watermelon is not a fruit at all, 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 as early as the 20th century BC. So watermelon seeds were found in the buildings of the dynasty of the pharaohs who ruled in the 20th-18th centuries BC. As you know, the Egyptians believedin the afterlife and placed everything that could 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 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, 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 for weight loss 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 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 body consistsmainly from water. And given the fact that many of us today consume increased amounts of salt and other foods that retain water, water is retained in the body, which contributes to weight gain.
Watermelon helps rid the body of excess fluid while cleansing the intestines, kidneys and blood vessels. That is why watermelon for weight loss is the first means of protection, especially during 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. That is why the watermelon diet is an excellent choice for weight loss in the summer.
Watermelon is a little less than completely water, so it is easily absorbed and has 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 can give us watermelon.
Watermelon diet for weight loss: benefits and harms
What are the main 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 watermelon is only a good cleansing practice, but it is contraindicated for people with weak kidneys, because in such a diet the kidneys work at full capacity, because watermelon, as mentioned above, has a diuretic effect. Also, the watermelon monodiet is contraindicated for people with urolithiasis: renal activity can lead to the process of removing stones from them. The presence of stones with a diameter of more than 4 mm can be a big problem. Therefore, the question "Is it possible to eat watermelon on a diet? " For each is decided individually.
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 accumulate over many years, just eating watermelon 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.
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 start the process of tissue regeneration.
Watermelon diet
The watermelon 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 kilograms of watermelons a day. However, if you have an appetite for more volume, you should not give up on yourself, but you should listen to your well-being.
How long the watermelon diet can last is an individual question. But you should not eat watermelons alone for more than a week, especially if your usual diet does not include regular consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits in large quantities. If the body is simply not accustomed to digesting such food, and if an unprepared person practices the monodine diet for a long time, it can lead to severe exhaustion.
Delicious watermelon and strawberry smoothie
One of the milder versions of the watermelon diet is the watermelon and strawberry smoothie. This delicious and healthy drink can delight not only yourself but also your friends and family.
For cooking you will need:
- 2-3 medium-sized watermelon wedges;
- 1 cup fresh strawberries
- a few leaves of lemon balm or mint;
- slice of lime or lemon;
- half a glass of water.
Reviews of watermelon monodiet can be found different and this is due to the 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 foods, then such a diet can quickly lead to depletion, 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, sometimes, already in June. Watermelons sold in June and July are either imported or grown in greenhouses, with all the temptations 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 secrets
Buying watermelon is a responsible business. To buy a good watermelon, you need to know how to choose it carefully.
- The weight of the watermelon is important in the first place. Don't take too small and too big. The former are probably not mature, and the latter are full of chemistry. It is better to buy 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 overripe.
- When you tap, the watermelon should make a ringing sound - that means it's ripe.
What about nitrates?
Now for the nitrates: unfortunately you can only find out about their presence by slicing 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 white, such watermelon is a pure product and can be safely eaten without harm to health.
Watermelon is great for those who want to lose weight. Also, watermelon is harmoniously suitable for any type of food - it is literally a vitamin complex to saturate our body with nutrients. For example, only 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 the summer. At the same time, it is important to remember that any product can be harmful if misused. There is a saying: "Overeating - means poisonous. "And even the healthiest food can lead to health problems if we overeat. That's why eating ten kilograms of watermelon in just one breath is not the best idea.