One of the “coolest” fruits out there, this summer favourite is absolutely amazing at relieving summer heat or heat stroke. According to TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) it also has many other medicinal qualities: it quenches thirst, is great for irritability and water retention and edema. Helps relieve canker sores, and urinary tract inflammation.
Even the seeds can be used! You can dry them into a tea or eat them raw for a diuretic. And they contain cucurbocitrin which is a compound which dilates capillaries which helps lower high blood pressure. The seeds are also great for constipation.
The rind is rich in silicon and the green skin has a high dose of chlorophyll. It has similar properties to the red sweeter inner fruit, but can also be juiced and sipped in small amound daily or dried and made into a tea to help high blood pressure and diabetes.
And the best part of watermelon is it tastes great!
Use this if:
You have a dry mouth
Have heat stroke or are prone to over heating easily
Find yourself particiluarly irritable in the hot weather
You have edema or water retention
You have a sore throat or canker sores
Neat tip: The rind (the white part in particular) is excellent for relieving sun burn. You can eat the red part and then just freeze the rind to pull out when someone has had a bit too much sun and needs to soothe sunburned skin.
When NOT to use watermelon:
If you’re a cold body type and prone to feeling colder than most, avoid this summer fruit
If you have a weak digestion or loose bowels – avoid this if you regularly have looser bowels or bloating after you eat. It’s a cold fruit and sometimes digestive upset on a regular basis can be a result of
If you suffer from a weak bladder or have to urinate frequently (As watermelon is a diuretic, it could make this problem worse)
Watermelon Recipe
Agua Fresca
Watermelon juice is an instant cool-off. I first experienced its effects when traveling through South East Asian in Thailand. It had an immediate, delicious effect and I rapidly became addicted on those intense hot humid days to cool off. Used throughout the world in the summer months, this simple Agua Fresca (“fresh water”) recipe inspired from Latin American cuisine, might be just the thing to keep you cool this summer. Hint: have some of this ready to drink after playing sports outside or after a long day in the sun.
Stay cool!
Watermelon Agua Fresca
INGREDIENTS
4 cups water
1 ½ pounds watermelon (rind removed) seeded and chopped into a 1-inch cubes
Lime juice -1/2 lime
Fresh basil leaves or mint, for garnish
DIRECTIONS
Put watermelon, water and lime into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour mixture through a strainer into a pitcher.
Chill for 30 minutes and serve with ice or on it’s own
Garnish each glass with a leaf of basil when serving
Watermelon – Cold and sweet this is one of the best thirst quenching fruits out there! Great for heat stroke, water retention and can help detoxify. Avoid this if you have a week digestive system or suffer from loose bowels regularly.
Mint – Cool refreshing and somewhat moving, mint is great to smooth out mood and cool down your temperature. Also great for stomach upset or nausea.
Basil – slightly warm and moving, this herb is a great addition for someone who wants a milder cool down and a fresh flavour
Lime – cooling and sour limes are great at regenerating body fluids, quenching thirst, regulating stomach and digestion and can actually help with irritability by moving ‘Qi’ flow in the body (think of an internal traffic jam that starts to flow)