Watermelon

The most tasty, juicy, refreshing summer fruit! Low in calories with a high water content.
Healthy? Very:

High in Vit C, flavonoids and the carotenoid lycopene - in fact, watermelon contains more lycopene than tomatoes. These nutrients make watermelon a potent anti-inflammatory and a powerful anti-oxidant.

Rich in amino acid Citrulline which converts to Arginine, a muscle relaxant. This makes it a great benefit for heart health as, when the small muscles around blood vessels relax, blood starts flowing freely and this helps reduce blood pressure. Remember though Arginine and Lysine compete (see my post on Lysine), so a note of caution, if you are prone to cold sores, go easy on watermelon.

In Chinese Medicine watermelon is seen as cooling and so is not recommended for those with weak digestion and anaemia.

Watermelon is 92% water, therefore beneficial for urinary difficulties and urinary tract inflammations.

The seeds are rich in Magnesium, potassium and phosphorus and the rind, also rich in nutrients such as silicon.

Watermelon even has anti-depressant properties, so great during our lockdown? I would think so!

In the summer months, my childhood breakfast in Istanbul would always consist of bread, cheese, black olives and... yes, you guessed it, watermelon. Today I would still recommend to eat it for breakfast or any time but eat it alone, as fruit should not be combined with other foods..yum yum yum