Watermelon is everyone's favorite berry. It contains many useful substances, fiber and delicious, aromatic juice, which puts it in the forefront of the summer diet. And the calorie content of watermelon is only 35 kcal per 100 grams. At the same time, it consists of 80% pure carbohydrates - easily digestible fructose. This berry contains a small amount of glucose and sucrose, but these doses are quite acceptable for use by pregnant and lactating women, diabetics and people with obesity.
It is believed that watermelon contains few vitamins. Of course, if you eat only watermelons, then you can forget about the vitamin balance. But in the pulp of watermelon contains B and B2, pectins, beta-carotene, iron, sodium, calcium and phosphorus. In addition, it is a source of trace elements such as magnesium and potassium.
Potassium is responsible for regulating the water balance in the human body and contributes to the normalization of cardiovascular activity. Magnesium is necessary for the muscular system, including bone and cardiac tissues.
The watermelon contains useful fiber that cleanses the intestinal wall and positively affects the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Watermelon dietary fiber lowers blood cholesterol, which is very important for people who are overweight.
But the main thing is not the calorie content of the watermelon, but its cleansing effect. In order to get rid of toxins and toxins that have accumulated over the year in the body, it is enough to arrange unloading days for yourself within a month only once a week. It is worth mentioning that you can not sit for more than one day on a similar mono-diet, since there is a risk of overloading the kidneys.
Watermelon "diets" are contraindicated for people suffering from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys, as well as those who have recently undergone abdominal surgery, for example, cesarean section or removal of the appendix.
The unique properties of watermelon make it easy to remove excess salt from the body, relieve swelling in the presence of vascular and heart diseases, relieve fever, improve water-salt metabolism and even cure the chronic form of gastritis, which is greatly facilitated by its low calorie content.
Watermelon should not be mixed with other foods. You can use it exclusively on an empty stomach, since it is not absorbed, but simply passes on, immediately into the intestines. But if you pre-eat, then the watermelon will linger in the stomach and cause a fermentation reaction, which is accompanied by the release of gases, that is, flatulence. The only food that can be consumed in small amounts with watermelon is bread.
Low calorie watermelon allows you to add it to various dietary salads and desserts. From the pulp you can make delicious juices, smoothies, fresh juices and even watermelon honey. Moreover, you can even eat watermelon peel, because it makes a delicious jam.
Traditional medicine uses watermelon for cosmetic purposes to make vitamin face masks. They perfectly affect the skin, preventing its sagging, evening out the color and giving the skin softness and smoothness.
Watermelons can be consumed exclusively during their ripening, as long as they have the necessary beneficial properties. This is the period of late summer and early autumn. You should not take the very first watermelons, which appear in late July - early August, as they may contain a large amount of nitrates. And then the positive effect, which provides a low calorie watermelon and a large number of trace elements, can come to naught due to indigestion and other troubles.
Choosing watermelons is easy enough. You should not take the smallest, as they most often turn out to be unripe. The skin of a good watermelon is very hard, so you can’t pierce it with your nails. Many advise taking and squeezing a watermelon in their hands, they say, if ripe - it will crack, but in fact it is better to gently tap on a watermelon. The sonorous “answer” will tell you which watermelon is better.
You should not cut a watermelon right at the point of sale, since microbes from the peel fall on the pulp. Better at home, cut a piece of pulp and mash it slightly in the fingers, then lower it into a glass of water. If it gets cloudy - you can eat watermelon, but if it gets colored - then it is better to refrain from such a treat.