Watermelons are everywhere. And they are amazingly nutritious too!
Consistently seen in almost every corner of the street being hawked by abokis and fruit vendors, there’s certainly more to watermelons than their availability and flavour. Ranking high on the list of the world’s healthiest foods, watermelon is a potent body-healing fruit. Its nutrient-dense quality makes it super healthy. Let’s take a quick glance at some of the numerous benefits of watermelon.
A juicy slice of watermelon gives you at least 20% of your daily intake of Vitamin C and almost 17% vitamin A. Loaded with Lycopene, carotenoid phytonutrients and antioxidant essential for cardiovascular health, bone health and prevention of certain cancers, watermelon is also widely known as a refreshing natural thirst-quencher. The high quality of Vitamin A packed in watermelon significantly makes it a star for radiant skin and hair growth as it encourages healthy growth of new collagen and elastin cells.
The presence of citrulline in watermelon has shown conclusively to reduce the accumulation of fat in the body. It’s also low in calories and is fat-free, making it a dynamic natural weight manager. That’s not all! The potassium content and amino-acid in this super-fruit makes it a potent sore muscle reliever and an excellent promoter of healthy nerves. Here’s an exciting one – citrulline in watermelon activates the production of arginine, a Viagra–like chemical compound in the body that boosts libido.
watermelon smoothie
There’s so much to benefit from watermelon, and I don’t hesitate in making smoothies out of it. On this note, here’s a juicy watermelon based smoothie recipe! Smoothies are incredibly refreshing. The sweetness of strawberries and the tartness make such great additions to balance off this watermelon smoothie.
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh watermelon, chopped
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup of plain low-fat yoghurt or almond milk
10ml Lime juice
1 Tbsp Chia seeds (optional)
Ice cubes
Directions:
Pour all the ingredients in a blender and puree till smooth. Remember, the liquid should always go in first as the base when making smoothies.
Pour into glasses and serve.
Why don’t you give this a go someday? It’ll sure make a reinvigorating nutritious breakfast or a perfect hydrating drink/snack on a hot day!
