Summer is fast approaching and you are already observing the first signs of dehydration. Water alone cannot quench thirst. You need to supplement that with many more interesting ingredients and nothing is more easy and simple than the watermelon!
Yes. No other fruit says summer quite like thirst-quenching watermelon. This member of the Cucurbitaceae family owes much of its health-giving powers, as well as its fetching blush, to an abundance of the phytochemical lycopene.
"By helping counter oxidative stress, lycopene may play a role in taming certain cancers and maintaining healthy eyesight," says Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, RD, coauthor of The SuperFoods Rx Diet. A study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that women with the highest levels of lycopene in their blood were half as likely to develop cardiovascular disease as women with low amounts.
Watermelon is also rich in citrulline, "an amino acid used to make arginine, which relaxes blood vessels to help maintain a healthy heart," Bazilian adds. And those seeds we tend to discard? They're packed with magnesium, a mineral vital for nerve function, blood pressure regulation, immunity, and bone health.
Sweet, juicy watermelon wedges are perfect fare for a picnic snack. Try pouring puréed seedless watermelon into ice cube trays, freezing, and adding to your favorite beverage. Watermelon also livens up salsas, chutneys, compotes, vinaigrettes, and spinach or watercress salads. A carved-out watermelon filled with seasonal fruits can create a colorful centerpiece. I also found a watermelon pickle in Namdari's last year! As for the seeds, try roasting them, then tossing into oatmeal, soups, or salads.
Research suggests that keeping whole watermelons at room temperature can increase their lycopene levels by up to 40 percent. Once cut, watermelons should be refrigerated to help preserve freshness and flavor.
Now you know a healthier choice for quenching thirst and not adding to your calories.
Pic is from here.
Summer is fast approaching and you are already observing the first signs of dehydration. Water alone cannot quench thirst. You need to supplement that with many more interesting ingredients and nothing is more easy and simple than the watermelon!
Bangalore gets water from three main sources. Major source among them is Kaveri River. Everyday around 810 MLD kaveri water is channeled to Bangalore. This journey of water over 120 Km, costs nearly 500 crore rupees per year for electricity alone. The other two sources for water are T.G.Halli Tank and Underground Water Resource. Around 120 MLD from T.G.Halli and 50 MLD from underground water resource is used up by Bangalore everyday. Of later however, T.G.Halli water has considerably reduced and the chances of complete drying up of resource are foreseen. According to a study conducted by the Centre for Symbiosis of Technology, Environment and Management (STEM), a Bangalore-based research group, the demand supply gap is met by groundwater exploitation. It is estimated that 40 per cent of the population of Bangalore is dependent on groundwater. 