Melon is one of my favorite fruits to eat on vacation and it’s incredibly refreshing and thirst-quenching if you’ve spent all day in the sun. What makes it extra sweet though is the fact that I know it’s not going to damage my body – being mostly made up of water (particularly watermelon of course) it’s not at all high in calories or likely to cause bloating, and at the same time it also offers all kinds of health benefits.
These benefits are true of all melons but if you consume watermelon juice in particular, you’re going to find that the benefits are exaggerated even more.
And you don’t have to be on vacation to enjoy the benefits of watermelon juice! This is a refreshing drink no matter who you are and you’re going to find that it can provide a ton of useful benefits, making it an ideal way to start the day.
⤃1 Medium Sized watermelon
⤃1 Bunch of fresh mint Leaves
⤃2 Fresh basil leaves (optional)
⤃A large jug that can fit in your fridge
Cut the watermelon into half and then into quarters. Slice out the pink flesh and place it straight into the blender. Don’t bother removing the seeds as you will sieve the juice later.
After it’s well-blended strain the juice into a large bowl then pour it into a jug.
Wash the mint and gently massage the leaves to release the essential oils.
Add the mint to the watermelon juice and stir.
Refrigerate the juice for at least 2 hours or overnight before you serve.
Melons of all kinds are made up of about 90% water which means they’re absolutely perfect for fighting hunger pangs without packing on the pounds. At the same time, their high fiber content means that they do sit satisfyingly on the stomach and can help maintain regular bowel movements. Watermelon takes this even further as it has an even lower ratio of sugar to water.
One of the other great things about watermelon is that it can be the perfect snack to start off your day. With awareness about the dangers of carbs being greater than ever, everyone is looking for foods that don’t pack in tons of sugar. A smoothie in the morning is a brilliant way to energize yourself and simultaneously enjoy more nutrients in your diet. Unfortunately, it just so happens that it is also filled with sugar that can damage your teeth and spike your blood sugar.
Watermelon juice anyone?
Don’t think that the high water content makes melons any less useful for your body – as in fact water itself is very important for us to maintain proper health. Getting the large amounts of water found in melon will help you to keep your teeth looking clean, aid the production of saliva, flush the system, keep your skin and hair healthy and prevent dehydration. Most of us don’t drink anywhere near the amount of water we should do – especially on hot days – so getting it through melon is very useful.
Remember: water is crucial for nearly every single chemical reaction in the human body, the body is made up of mostly water and this can be seen when you consider that our cells are essentially sacks of water with important bits floating around inside them.
The precise vitamins and minerals found in melons vary from type to type, but all of them are rich sources of a wide range of nutrients like vitamin C which can serve as an antioxidant and help to strengthen your immune system and boost your mood. And what makes melon even better is the fact that the high water content can help to transport those vitamins and minerals to your cells more quickly and efficiently. All melons are high in vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium, while cantaloupe and watermelon both contain vitamin B6 to help with your energy levels.
In fact, this all makes watermelon juice a kind-of-perfect choice for starting your day once again. Getting vitamin B6 in the diet means the body will be better able to extract usable energy from carbs (thereby giving you a boost to last you through the day), while vitamin C can also enhance energy levels and simultaneously improve your mood!
Things get more interesting when you ask why watermelon is that rich, red color. That’s because it contains the important lycopene, which is an especially powerful antioxidant that can help to protect the heart from free radicals. According to research, people who consume large amounts of lycopene-rich foods have a lower likelihood of developing heart disease.
Lycopene can also help to protect the skin from UV damage which can make you look prematurely old and can lead to skin cancer. This is just one more reason to enjoy watermelon around the pool or on the beach!
Citrulline is an important amino acid found in watermelon juice.
It is converted in the body in a way that can actually help to relax muscles and combat stress and even it can help to reduce blood pressure and reduce heart disease risk.
As well as all this, citrulline may even help boost athletic performance by ensuring that more blood and oxygen reach the muscles and brain as needed – just as some athletes now swear by beet juice (you could also try a beetroot powder extract).
Oh, and did you know that citrulline also helps to prevent the accumulation of fat in fat cells? That’s right, it can prevent the body from storing fat by blocking the effect of an enzyme called TNAP. All you need to know is that watermelon juice can potentially help you to prevent weight gain, which is yet another reason it’s ideal for the beach!
Drinking watermelon juice acts in a similar way as what some people use as a ‘pre-workout’ drink! It can give you a boost of energy and get your ready to enjoy and destroy a good workout!
And it turns out there might be even more reasons to drink watermelon juice before pumping iron. That’s because it can fight inflammation induced by exercise. This, in turn, could help you to lift longer and heavier – though the effects are felt most profoundly if the watermelon is left to ripen first!
These benefits are true of all melons but if you consume watermelon juice in particular, you’re going to find that the benefits are exaggerated even more.
And you don’t have to be on vacation to enjoy the benefits of watermelon juice! This is a refreshing drink no matter who you are and you’re going to find that it can provide a ton of useful benefits, making it an ideal way to start the day.
HOW TO PREPARE A HEALTHY WATERMELON JUICE
Enjoy this watermelon drink, filled with a high water content and a good amount of natural sugars, pairing it with some fresh mint and basil really takes it to the next level.
Ingredients:
⤃1 Medium Sized watermelon
⤃1 Bunch of fresh mint Leaves
⤃2 Fresh basil leaves (optional)
⤃A large jug that can fit in your fridge
Method:
Cut the watermelon into half and then into quarters. Slice out the pink flesh and place it straight into the blender. Don’t bother removing the seeds as you will sieve the juice later.
After it’s well-blended strain the juice into a large bowl then pour it into a jug.
Wash the mint and gently massage the leaves to release the essential oils.
Add the mint to the watermelon juice and stir.
Refrigerate the juice for at least 2 hours or overnight before you serve.
Health Benefits of Watermelon Juice
Weight Loss
Melons of all kinds are made up of about 90% water which means they’re absolutely perfect for fighting hunger pangs without packing on the pounds. At the same time, their high fiber content means that they do sit satisfyingly on the stomach and can help maintain regular bowel movements. Watermelon takes this even further as it has an even lower ratio of sugar to water.
One of the other great things about watermelon is that it can be the perfect snack to start off your day. With awareness about the dangers of carbs being greater than ever, everyone is looking for foods that don’t pack in tons of sugar. A smoothie in the morning is a brilliant way to energize yourself and simultaneously enjoy more nutrients in your diet. Unfortunately, it just so happens that it is also filled with sugar that can damage your teeth and spike your blood sugar.
Watermelon juice anyone?
Hydration
Don’t think that the high water content makes melons any less useful for your body – as in fact water itself is very important for us to maintain proper health. Getting the large amounts of water found in melon will help you to keep your teeth looking clean, aid the production of saliva, flush the system, keep your skin and hair healthy and prevent dehydration. Most of us don’t drink anywhere near the amount of water we should do – especially on hot days – so getting it through melon is very useful.
Remember: water is crucial for nearly every single chemical reaction in the human body, the body is made up of mostly water and this can be seen when you consider that our cells are essentially sacks of water with important bits floating around inside them.
Vitamins and Minerals
The precise vitamins and minerals found in melons vary from type to type, but all of them are rich sources of a wide range of nutrients like vitamin C which can serve as an antioxidant and help to strengthen your immune system and boost your mood. And what makes melon even better is the fact that the high water content can help to transport those vitamins and minerals to your cells more quickly and efficiently. All melons are high in vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium, while cantaloupe and watermelon both contain vitamin B6 to help with your energy levels.
In fact, this all makes watermelon juice a kind-of-perfect choice for starting your day once again. Getting vitamin B6 in the diet means the body will be better able to extract usable energy from carbs (thereby giving you a boost to last you through the day), while vitamin C can also enhance energy levels and simultaneously improve your mood!
Lycopene
Things get more interesting when you ask why watermelon is that rich, red color. That’s because it contains the important lycopene, which is an especially powerful antioxidant that can help to protect the heart from free radicals. According to research, people who consume large amounts of lycopene-rich foods have a lower likelihood of developing heart disease.
Lycopene can also help to protect the skin from UV damage which can make you look prematurely old and can lead to skin cancer. This is just one more reason to enjoy watermelon around the pool or on the beach!
Citrulline
Citrulline is an important amino acid found in watermelon juice.
It is converted in the body in a way that can actually help to relax muscles and combat stress and even it can help to reduce blood pressure and reduce heart disease risk.
As well as all this, citrulline may even help boost athletic performance by ensuring that more blood and oxygen reach the muscles and brain as needed – just as some athletes now swear by beet juice (you could also try a beetroot powder extract).
Oh, and did you know that citrulline also helps to prevent the accumulation of fat in fat cells? That’s right, it can prevent the body from storing fat by blocking the effect of an enzyme called TNAP. All you need to know is that watermelon juice can potentially help you to prevent weight gain, which is yet another reason it’s ideal for the beach!
Anti-inflammatory
Drinking watermelon juice acts in a similar way as what some people use as a ‘pre-workout’ drink! It can give you a boost of energy and get your ready to enjoy and destroy a good workout!
And it turns out there might be even more reasons to drink watermelon juice before pumping iron. That’s because it can fight inflammation induced by exercise. This, in turn, could help you to lift longer and heavier – though the effects are felt most profoundly if the watermelon is left to ripen first!