Is Watermelon Good for You?

watermelon salad

Sure it tastes great, but is watermelon really a guilt-free food?

Summer is upon us and temperatures are starting to rise. Have you noticed that you are instinctively craving more foods that naturally keep you cooler? Not surprisingly, many cooling foods are grown and harvested in the summer months. And one of these is the humble (or should I say, jumbo) watermelon. Watermelons are at their peak during the summer, bursting with juicy, sweet flavor.

But is watermelon really good for us? Isn’t it just a container for water and sugar? The answers are yes...and no. Here’s why.

It is true that watermelon contains a lot of water, about 91% by volume. Coincidentally, our body, which is about 60% water, needs water to stay hydrated. Water is vital to the proper function of every cell. It also regulates our internal body temperature through breathing and sweating. So keeping hydrated keeps us cool.

Water also functions to help metabolize our food and transport it through the blood. It helps flush out toxins, lubricates our joints, and acts as a shock absorber for the brain and spinal cord. While we get most of our water from drinking we also get some from the foods we eat, and eating foods like watermelon can help keep our water levels in check. This is especially important during the summer months when we tend to perspire more.

But what about all the sugar in watermelon? Isn't that bad for our weight and health?

It's true that a diet high in added sugars can lead to weight gain and cause health problems. Excess blood sugar levels can lead to inflammation in the body, which over time, can lead to chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease. If you are already under the guidance of your doctor or are monitoring your blood sugar levels, you should follow their medical advice and be mindful of food portion sizes. But for the average individual, watermelon is still a healthy choice because the body metabolizes the sugars found fruits and vegetables differently than it does processed sugars that can be found in baked and packaged foods. And because watermelon is high in water content and low in carbs (unlike baked goods,) it has a low glycemic load rating. The glycemic load takes portion size and amount of carbs into consideration when determining the impact of a food on blood sugar levels. A low glycemic rating is good. Since watermelon has a low glycemic load rating of 5, it doesn't cause the instant spike in blood sugar that is responsible for inflammation. (Any food rated below 10 is considered low; above 20 is high.)

By the way, it is uncommon for a food to have a relatively high glycemic index, but low glycemic load, like watermelon does. Others include parsnip, banana, and pineapple.

But the benefits of watermelon go beyond its hydrating abilities and sweet taste.

Consider these other attributes:

Watermelon is low in calories due to its water content. A 1-cup serving contains a mere 45 calories. You are likely to fill up before you ingest too many calories. It is also easy to digest, making it a good option for anyone with digestive issues.

It is loaded with lycopene, an antioxidant that gives watermelon its bright red color. Studies show lycopene may help curb your risk of cancer and diabetes as part of a healthy lifestyle. Watermelon has more of this nutrient than any other fruit or veggie - even tomatoes. Choose a melon with bright red flesh rather than yellow or orange; the riper, the better. Also, seedless melon tends to have more lycopene than those with seeds. ¹ Lycopene also helps protect the skin from sun damage.

Watermelon is rich in citrulline, an amino acid that is needed to make another amino acid, arginine, which helps cells divide, wounds heal, and ammonia to be removed from the body. ² It may also help move blood through the body and can lower blood pressure.

Watermelon has beta-cryptoxanthin, a natural pigment that may protect your joints from inflammation and possibly arthritis.

One serving of watermelon gives you more than 30% of your daily requirement for vitamin A. Vitamin A is a powerful antioxidant that scavenges the body for damaging free radicals and fights inflammation. In particular, Vitamin A is known for supporting eye health and vision, protecting us from night blindness and age-related decline.

In addition to keeping your skin hydrated, watermelon has Vitamins A, B6, and C that help your skin stay soft, smooth, and resilient.

Watermelon is also high in potassium, a mineral that can help you recover faster after your workout, resulting in less muscle aches.

So, now you know watermelon has so much more to offer than just a fun summer snack, but the quality of the fruit is important too.

Here are some tips to ensure you are selecting and eating the most nutritious watermelon possible:

Pick a melon that’s free of dents, nicks, and bruises.
Look for a yellow, not white, spot on the bottom. This means your melon is ripe. Watermelons don’t ripen after being picked, so this is important.
A juicy, ready-to-eat watermelon will feel heavy for its size.
Thump it. It should sound hollow if it is ripe.
It is best to wash the outside of your melon before you slice into it, otherwise, your knife could transfer any germs on the surface to the inside.
The flesh of watermelon will spoil the longer it is exposed to air. Cover the cut surface of a watermelon half with plastic wrap and turn it upside down onto a plate. It will stay fresh several days like this in your refrigerator.
If you don’t think you will be able to use your watermelon soon, try freezing it! It won’t stay crunchy, but you can use it in smoothies. Or try the Watermelon Gelatin Popsicles from Tracy at Oh! The Things We’ll Make.
And don’t limit yourself to having watermelon only as a snack. Be creative! I have provided a couple of recipes to get you started.

Yours in Health,

Evey

Watermelon and Heirloom Tomato Salad

Ingredients

2 organic watermelons, peeled & cut into chunks
8 organic local heirloom tomatoes (various colors and sizes), cut up
24 mint or basil leaves
2 tablespoons red onion, sliced paper-thin
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
Feta cheese, optional (use Greek if you are avoiding cow’s milk products)
Sea salt, to taste
Black Pepper, to taste

Directions

Arrange the pieces of watermelon and tomato on a serving platter. Sprinkle with mint/basil leaves and red onion. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar. Finish with salt and pepper.
Alternatively, place watermelon and tomatoes in a large salad bowl. Add in remaining ingredients and toss lightly.

Recipe adapted from: https://www.drweil.com/diet-nutrition/recipes/watermelon-heirloom-tomato-salad/

Watermelon Gelatin Popsicles

Makes 6 pops

Ingredients

2 cups watermelon puree

1 Tbsp. gelatin

¼ cup coconut milk, optional

Directions

Cut watermelon into pieces (without rinds or seeds) and puree in a blender until you've obtained around two cups of juice/puree. (You can use frozen watermelon for this.)
Soften the gelatin by adding it to a bowl with ¼ cup of the watermelon juice/puree.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat ¾ cup of the watermelon puree over low to medium heat. As it starts to get warm, add in the softened gelatin and stir until it is well dissolved.
Remove the saucepan from the heat, and stir in the remaining watermelon puree.
Pour the watermelon-gelatin mixture into popsicle molds. Allow to cool a bit before placing in freezer for several hours.
If using sticks for your molds, allow the gelatin to gel a bit in the fridge before placing them in the popsicle!
When ready to serve, remove pops from the molds, running warm water over the molds to help the popsicles release, if necessary.
Optional: To decorate your watermelon popsicles, while gelatin mix is still warm, pour in a little bit of coconut milk or cream on top of the watermelon gelatin before freezing.

Source: https://thethingswellmake.com/watermelon-gelatin-popsicles-other-healthy-jello-pops/