Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Pregnant Women and Watermelon

I haven't talked to or met a pregnant woman that didn't like watermelon.  Tonight I had  two bowls of it for dinner.  Delicious!  I was wondering what makes watermelon so good and if it's good for you and I found an article with 6 healthy reasons to eat watermelon and here they are...

1. Stay healthier 
Watermelon has lots of lycopene, a key plant antioxidant that is famous for fighting heart disease and prostate
cancer. Tomatoes are usually considered the lycopene all-stars, but you have to cook them in a little oil to release it. Watermelon not only needs no cooking to unleash its lycopene but, cup for cup, it has 40 percent more than tomatoes.

2. Get your C 
A big slice of watermelon (about two cups) fills almost half your vitamin C quota.

3. Fight infection 
Two cups of the juicy red melon also supply nearly a quarter of your daily beta carotene, which your body uses to make
vitamin A. Running low on beta c can leave you vulnerable to viral nfections and vision trouble.

4. Heal faster 
Watermelon (especially yellow-orange varieties) is one of the rare food sources of citrulline, an amino acid used in wound healing and cell division. Slurp up the juice but bite down too: There's extra citrulline in the white and green part that most people toss. Pickled rinds anyone?

5. Sooth stress 
Watermelon is a good source of potassium, which helps control blood pressure -- making it the perfect snack for stressful family reunions.

6. Quench cravings 
There are only 96 calories in two fill-you-up cups of sweet watermelon, and its high liquid content makes you feel full. So start your dessert course with a wedge and you're less likely to go overboard on brownies.


Enjoy your watermelon.  I know I will. 
 

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