The watermelon diet helps you quickly lose weight without starving, get rid of problems in the digestive system, support the immune system and remove excess fluid from the body.

Watermelon diet: what's the point?
The main food product in the watermelon diet, as you might guess, is watermelon pulp. Or rather, this: you need to eat a few pieces of watermelon as a dessert after breakfast, lunch and dinner, and also at about 12 noon (lunch time) eat 3-4 juicy watermelon slices. However, do not go beyond: in total, you can eat up to 2 kg of watermelon per day, but no more.

The watermelon diet consists of 90% water. Despite the fact that watermelon is a sugar product, its calorie content is estimated to be low - no more than 40 kcal per 100 g of watermelon pulp. Thanks to this property, watermelon perfectly saturates, eliminating the feeling of hunger, and at the same time is almost instantly absorbed.

In addition to water, watermelons contain a large amount of fiber, which helps restore the efficient functioning of the digestive system and remove excess fluid from tissues. Thus, the watermelon diet is an excellent remedy against edema. Together with water, harmful substances and toxins are washed out of tissue and skin cells, which means that the skin is cleansed, renewed, and takes on a healthier appearance.

The benefits of the watermelon diet
In addition to the fact that the watermelon diet helps to quickly give your figure a seductive, slender shape, it also saturates the body with some useful substances. Among them: potassium, magnesium, valuable vitamins A, C, B vitamins, and vitamin PP.
A little-known fact, but one that gives the watermelon diet the status of a therapeutic food: watermelon contains large quantities of the antioxidant lycopene, famous for its anti-cancer properties. Therefore, the watermelon diet can be practiced not only for weight loss, but also as an effective remedy for the prevention of cancer.

Features of the watermelon diet
For the watermelon diet, only fresh and ripe fruits are eaten. How to choose the right watermelon? A high-quality fruit has a dense peel, and if you lightly scrape it with your fingernail, there will be no dents left on it, but only the top thin layer will peel off slightly. If you slap a watermelon, as if you were hitting a ball, with your palm, the sound should in no case be dull, but ringing, slightly vibrating. Another important question is how to properly store watermelon while on a diet. Correct answer: in the refrigerator, wrapping the cut fruit in cling film.

During the watermelon diet, you need to focus on protein foods and vegetables, excluding sweets, fats and alcohol from the menu. The latter - completely and without exception. The fact is that watermelon in combination with alcohol often causes severe stomach upsets.

The duration of the watermelon diet should not exceed 10 days, the next course can be carried out no earlier than a month later. These ten days are enough to end up missing 2-6 kilos.

Watermelon is everyone’s favorite, juicy and sweet berry, whose appearance on the shelves has been awaited since the very beginning of summer. But you shouldn’t buy the first copies at the beginning of July. It is better to eat watermelons starting from the end of August. In this article we will tell you how watermelon is useful for the human body, what harm it can cause, and what is so valuable and useful about it.

How much water is in a watermelon

The percentage of water in arubuza is approximately 80% of its mass.

Useful properties of watermelon

Watermelon contains fructose, microelements and fiber. This composition will perfectly help with weight loss and is useful for normalizing the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

Useful substances of watermelon:

• Vitamin C;
• Vitamin PP;
• Beta-carotene;
• B vitamins (riboflavin, thiamine, folic acid, pyridoxine);
• Vitamin A (VE);
• Vitamin E (TE);

Macronutrients:

• Phosphorus;
• Sodium;
• Magnesium;
• Potassium;
• Calcium;

Microelements:

• Iron.

Magnesium, which is part of watermelon, helps stabilize blood pressure; it can easily reduce nervous excitability.

It’s nice that such a tasty product contains only 38 calories per 100 grams.

Is watermelon good for pregnant women?

Watermelon contains a lot of vitamins that will definitely be useful for the expectant mother and the child growing in her womb.

Folic acid helps many metabolic processes proceed normally: hematopoiesis, synthesizes proteins, which is doubly important for pregnant women.

Micro- and macroelements, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, ash, organic acids, pectin and fiber determine the usefulness of watermelon for the body of pregnant women.

It contains practically no natural salts and acids, but neutralizing alkalis are concentrated in excess. This quality benefits the urinary system and will relieve infectious diseases. If the second or third trimester of your pregnancy falls in September, then watermelon will become not only a delicacy for you, but also a medicine for your kidneys.

Watermelon will become an indispensable natural remedy for edema, thanks to its diuretic properties.

This berry dissolves and removes toxins and waste. This property is especially useful for the body during the use of any medications, antibiotics or after anesthesia.

Sugar, which is very abundant in watermelon, provides it with excellent taste and beneficial properties such as improving mood and normalizing sleep.

With all this, watermelon promotes the formation of gases, and this causes discomfort for pregnant women.

How long can you store cut watermelon in the refrigerator?

After you have cut yourself pieces, it is recommended to immediately put the rest in the refrigerator. In a warm place, on a kitchen table or in the sun, after a few hours pathogenic microbes begin to become active in the fruit, an unpleasant aftertaste appears, and later it can no longer be eaten.
To store in the refrigerator, it is recommended to place the watermelon on a plate, turning it upside down, and leave it on the bottom shelf - it is usually colder there. And for up to two days you can enjoy regular servings of this melon.
It is better for pregnant women and children not to eat cut berries after 24 hours, even if they were stored in the refrigerator.

Is watermelon good for weight loss?

At the end of summer, the season of watermelons begins, which will help those who want to lose weight quickly and tasty. You can eat these berries in unlimited quantities. Watermelon has a diuretic property, removes waste, toxins and harmful substances from the body, along with which, thanks to vitamins B, A and C, fat deposits also disappear. A small laxative effect of watermelon, choleretic and cholesterol-lowering, is known.

The peels have a good effect on the body. Once dried, the crusts can be brewed all year round. A decoction of them will relieve swelling and is useful for the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

Is watermelon good for the liver?

This berry helps remove toxins from the liver and prevents fatty infiltration of the liver. Watermelon juice helps cleanse the liver faster after taking medications.

Watermelon is contraindicated:

1. For diarrhea and colitis;
2. If there are stone formations in the body;
3. With flatulence;
4. In case of disturbances in the outflow of urine;
5. For diabetes mellitus.

How much watermelon can you eat?

You can eat the amount of watermelon per day that you feel full of.
Every day it can be consumed in unlimited quantities, but only if it is a high-quality fruit of normal ripening.

How to choose a ripe and sweet watermelon?

10 signs and methods that will help you choose the most sugary and delicious watermelon when buying in a store:

1. Ripe watermelons appear towards the end of August and beginning of September. Therefore, you need to be patient, and even if at the end of June you see a quite attractive fruit on the counter, it is better to refrain from buying it, since there is a high probability that it was grown with the use of nitrates.
2. It is better to choose a medium size, 4-5 kg.
3. Good watermelons have a yellow spot on their side—the spot where they lay on the ground while they were growing. Of course, such fruits may not be so attractive in appearance, for example, with a white spot or without it at all. However, the presence of such a yellow or even slightly orange “mark” is a sign of a ripe watermelon.
4. The rind of a ripe watermelon is hard and should be shiny. It should not be easily pierced with a fingernail. The stripes should be very contrasting, with a clearly defined striped pattern, without plaque, various cuts, cracks and soft areas.
5. Another clear sign of a ripe watermelon is its dry stalk (dry tail). When it fully ripens in the melon field, the need to feed from the bush gradually disappears, which means that the need to connect with the bush goes away. Therefore, the tail dries out and can be easily separated from the bush. When choosing a fruit, you can see with the naked eye where the tail of an unripe watermelon was simply cut and it dried out along the way, since an even cut will be noticeable.
6. There should be no smell coming from the peel; this may indicate that the berries are not ripe.
7. If you tap a watermelon with your palm, the sound from the ripened fruit will be duller. But to more accurately determine maturity, a little experience will be required.
8. The next way to ensure ripeness is suitable mainly for strong men, because as a check you will have to squeeze the fruit in the middle with both hands. If, with such compression, you hear a slight crackling sound, then this indicates the ripeness of the fruit, but if there are no sounds, it means that the watermelon has not yet ripened, and you should not take it.
9. By the bottom of the berry you can determine its gender. “Girl” has a flatter and wider circle; such watermelons have more sugar and fewer seeds.
10. When you get home, you can also check the ripeness of the watermelon by placing it in a container of water. A good watermelon floats in the water.

Where to buy watermelons

Try to purchase watermelons in specially equipped stores or pavilions, this way you will protect yourself and your family from unwanted microorganisms that enter the fruit through microcracks. Despite its thick skin, watermelon easily absorbs harmful substances from the air, especially if sold near highways. Try to choose a place of sale away from roads, construction sites and other polluting conditions, since melon quickly absorbs harmful environmental elements. It is better if they are trusted sellers or on the recommendation of friends.

How to wash a watermelon

After you have chosen a good watermelon, when you come home, you need to thoroughly rinse it under running warm water, possibly with soap or a brush. You never know exactly where and how the fruits were stored, and how exactly they were transported to their destination, so using such a simple procedure is better to protect yourself and your loved ones, especially if you are going to give this product to children.

Healthy recipes

Watermelon mojito

Prepare 4 servings of the drink.

1. In a bowl, combine mint leaves, lime slices and 1 tbsp. spoons of sugar. Crush everything thoroughly with a masher until juice forms.
2. Add 120 grams of finely chopped boneless pulp and crush again.
3. Add 60 ml of white rum, ice, stir and pour the mixture into glasses.

To make a non-alcoholic mojito, add Sprite instead of rum.

Watermelon jelly

Prepare 4 servings of dessert.

1. Mix 15 grams of gelatin with 50 ml of water. Leave for 5 minutes.
2. At this time, combine 100 grams of sugar, a little salt and another 50 ml of water in a saucepan. Place on the fire and stir, bringing to a boil and the sugar is completely dissolved.
3. Remove the mixture from the heat and combine with the gelatin mixture.
4. Beat 1 tbsp in a blender. a spoonful of lemon juice with 1.5 kg of watermelon pulp. Strain the resulting puree through a sieve.
5. Mix watermelon puree with the gelatin mixture, mix and pour into bowls.
6. Place in the refrigerator until hardened.

We hope that we have answered the question as fully as possible about whether watermelon is healthy. Health and bon appetit!

Watermelon is considered one of the most favorite summer berries, because it is not only tasty, but also healthy. This berry contains 90% water, the rest is reserved for useful substances. Due to the fact that this fruit is rich in fructose, it can also be eaten by diabetics.

What are the benefits of watermelon?

Watermelon has a huge amount of useful substances. It contains:

• vitamins B9 (responsible for smooth skin, DNA structure and normal development of the body), C (in addition to its main functions, it fights nitrates in the berry), A (improves vision, protein synthesis and metabolism), beta-carotene, PP and group IN;
• minerals:
  • lycopene – an antioxidant responsible for the red color of the fruit;
  • citrulline is a substance that turns into arginine, which dilates blood vessels (like Viagra);
  • magnesium improves the functioning of muscles, the nervous system, and is an aid in the absorption of vitamins;
  • calcium affects blood vessels (useful for people suffering from blood pressure);
  • iron increases the amount of hemoglobin and enriches cells with oxygen;
  • potassium has a diuretic effect;
  • sodium is involved in the movement of glucose and amino acids through cells;
  • phosphorus saturates with energy.
  • mineral salts control water-salt balance;
  • fiber improves intestinal function.

Watermelon helps remove excess fluid, which makes it possible to lose a couple of kilograms (100 grams of berries contain only 26 kcal). In addition, it satisfies hunger and after it there is no desire to go and eat.

Watermelon fasting day

A watermelon fasting day can give you a feeling of comfort and lightness. Nutritionists advise doing such “easy” days for the body at least once every two weeks. They claim that this will help cleanse yourself of toxins and waste that have accumulated after eating unhealthy foods.

Colon cleansing with watermelon

Cleansing with watermelon is one of the most acceptable and safest ways to get rid of excess substances (provided that the berry is chosen correctly and does not contain nitrates), without resorting to any unpleasant actions. Besides all this, cleansing with watermelon is a very tasty procedure.

So, the watermelon cleansing scheme has the following routine: on this day you only need to eat watermelon, at the rate of 1 kilogram of berry per 10 kilogram of person’s weight. For example, if you weigh 80 kilograms, you need to eat 8 kg of watermelon. If it is difficult to give up your usual diet, then you need to replace one meal (for example, dinner) with 1 or 2 kilograms of berries, but if you choose this option, the “unloading” will have to be extended for 10 days, otherwise there will be no result.

It is worth remembering that doctors do not advise combining this berry with other products, as this can cause gas.

For those who want to know if watermelon helps you lose weight, you can try a diet based on this fruit. The diet is very simple and resembles a fasting day. The amount of food consumed is calculated according to the same scheme, but meals are divided into 6 times. You need to stick to this method of losing weight for about 6 days, during which time you have a chance to lose 5 kilograms. After cleansing the body of toxins, it will be enriched with 14 grams of protein, vitamins PP, C, B, A, 184 grams of carbohydrates, iron, pectin, magnesium, fiber, potassium and all this will cost 570 Kcal.

With this diet, you need to remember that the body can rebel a couple of days after it starts. If this happens, then you need to return to your previous diet.

There are contraindications when cleansing the intestines with watermelon:

• kidney failure (excessive consumption of this berry can cause complications);
• disturbance of urine outflow;
• colitis;
• acquisition of fruit with nitrates, leading to poisoning.

Video on the topic of the article

According to nutritionists, August is the most favorable time to cleanse the body of waste and toxins, recharge with vitamins, strengthen the immune system and lose weight easily.

And the juicy gifts of summer - melons and watermelons - can help with this in the best possible way. In addition, in folk medicine there are many medicinal recipes made from these berries. So what are the benefits of these goodies?

Melons - cleanse, rejuvenate and tone

Melons are a real treasure trove of health. A rich complex of microelements and vitamins makes them very useful. In particular, they have diuretic, antisclerotic, anti-inflammatory and restorative properties. Melon pulp normalizes the water-salt balance, cleanses the body of harmful substances, has a calming effect on the nervous system, and is useful for depression - in this case they should be taken at least twice a week.

It has long been noted that if you eat a vegetable on an empty stomach, this cleanses the intestines well, and, therefore, promotes weight loss. The juice also helps in the fight against extra pounds. A mixture of juices of melons, tomatoes and apples in a ratio of 1: 1: 2 is especially useful.

Also, melon juice helps expel worms from the body; for this you need to drink 1 glass on an empty stomach in the morning.

Melons are also useful for those who doesn't want to put up with premature aging. Beta-carotene, which, by the way, is contained in more of this berry than in carrots, makes the skin smooth, protects against ultraviolet radiation, promotes the production of melatonin and gives it a delicate peach tint.

In addition, compresses, lotions, rinses, drops and baths are made from melons. In particular, a melon bath can eliminate allergic reactions. A compress of melon pulp, placed on the chest, alleviates asthmatic attacks, pneumonia and bronchitis. Also, melon pulp and its peel can be applied to bruises and abscesses for rapid healing.

They are such melons, jacks of all trades. Don't miss the season and enjoy their divine taste, and be fully charged with the solar energy that they have absorbed. And when illnesses bother you, use melon therapy, several recipes for which are described below.

The main thing that attracts people about the watermelon diet is the minimum of contraindications. It can be recommended to people of any age and for a wide variety of diseases.

If you decide to watermelon diet, then know that you need to eat watermelon around the clock, even at night. It is recommended to go on a diet for exactly 5 days - during this period it is possible to get rid of toxins, excess water in the body, unwanted salts, and during the day you only need to eat watermelon at the rate of 1 kg of pulp per 10 kg of your own weight. This can help with many liver diseases, even such serious ones as Botkin's disease, cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis and cholelithiasis. Watermelon is recommended for atherosclerosis, gout, arthritis, and obesity. It helps well with anemia, diseases of the hematopoietic organs, and in the treatment of the consequences of radiation sickness. Hypertensive patients and ulcer sufferers take fresh watermelon pulp on an empty stomach. It can help with insomnia and loss of energy.

However, you will achieve the effect only if you take 1-2 kg of pulp 2-3 times a day an hour before meals. And to prevent irritation of the stomach and intestines, you need to start taking it with small portions - 100 g 2 times a day, also an hour before meals.

How to clean watermelon?

First stock up on watermelons and black bread - the only food for the week. If you have sand or small stones in your kidneys or bladder, then the best time to remove them is 2-3 am. Sit back in a warm bath and just eat watermelon. But that is not all. On the eighth day at 2 am, take 2 tablets of no-shpa, lie down in a hot bath. And eat watermelon again. Keep the bath water hot. By morning, heavy urination should begin. You may experience severe pain at this time. Then take 2 more tablets of no-shpa, stand up, jump, rising on your toes and sharply lowering onto your heels. Then lie back in the bath. After 2-3 weeks, this procedure can be repeated. During the watermelon season, you can clean it 2-3 times.

It seems pointless to sit in a hot bath and eat watermelon. But it actually makes sense. Under the influence of hot water, blood vessels dilate and the functioning of the ureter improves.

Contraindications

In some people, especially the elderly, as well as those with a number of chronic diseases, watermelon can cause bloating. And patients with diabetes are allowed to consume it in very limited quantities.

The watermelon diet is also contraindicated primarily for prostate adenoma, postoperative adhesions. It is harmful for patients suffering from gastrointestinal diseases, as it can lead to exacerbations of gastric and duodenal ulcers. Therefore, when on a watermelon diet, it is sometimes advisable to combine watermelon not with black, but with white bread.

“You shouldn’t get carried away with watermelon peeling even if you have large stones in your kidneys. They may move out of place without completely dissolving. And this is fraught with renal colic.”

By the way, we do not recommend that people suffering from urolithiasis carry a lot of watermelons in their bags at once - physical activity can also cause an attack of renal colic. We can advise those who decide to do a watermelon peel to start with at least one fasting day. Try to eat 1.5-2 kg of watermelon per day. And that's it, nothing more. Arrange such days at least once a week. The result will not be long in coming. And this will be the beginning: you will definitely believe in the healing power of the striped berry.