Is Watermelon Good For Weight Loss? All You Need To Know!
As T.S. Eliot rightly said, “April is the cruellest month.” The sun in its full glory is most times overbearing and leaves a craving for hydration. But not all things about summers are bad. Not only is it ideal to have some outdoor fun but also eat some of your favourite fruits. To spend more time on beaches and such, it is certainly imperative that you have a beach body and unfortunately not everyone has the perfect shape as our fav celebrities.
Along with rigorous exercise, one must follow a healthy diet that includes vegetables, lean proteins and fruits. Apart from mangoes, there is another fruit that visits our tables every summer. You guessed it right! It is watermelon. If you don’t love watermelons, perhaps we will be judging you. The round green fruit is loved all over the world and is ideally used for shakes, juices, smoothies and whatnot.
Now like most of the other food items around us, the million-dollar question is does watermelon aid in your weight loss? Is it a guilty pleasure or a great source of relief?
How Does Watermelon Aid In Weight Loss?
The answer to that question would be a yes. Not only is watermelon cool, but it also solves one of our significant dilemmas. The vibrant fruit is a wonderful replacement for sugar and can be of great help to those looking to lose some serious weight. So as its name suggests, watermelon keeps our body hydrated.
Now as all fitness freaks would know, water is important for weight loss because it helps in achieving a greater metabolic rate. This also means that watermelon is low in calories. In fact eating 100 gms of watermelon adds approximately just 30 calories to your diet. All the more reason to hold the fruit closer to our hearts. Thanks to its watery nature, watermelons are often a potent source of potassium and Magnesium. It keeps us satiated for long hours and is truly a lifesaver.
What Studies Have To Say?
Researchers also believe these red beauties are full of Arginine, an amino acid that burns all the unwanted fat. For those who don’t know much about this, let us enlighten you. Arginine is crucial to make proteins in our body which in turn improves blood circulation rates. Circulation rate is directly correlated to our metabolism rate which decides how much energy we might burn. After all, enjoying a fruit salad is not as damning as it would be otherwise.Â
The one thing that catches our eyes the moment we lay our eyes on it, is its bright red colour. This colour is given by Lycopene which is a Non-Pro Vitamin A carotenoid. Ask your science geek pals and they will tell you that it is a great antioxidant. Antioxidants have several health benefits and are too important for us to keep our cells healthy and hence protect them from cell damage. Moreover, it also promotes excellent bone and skin health. All the pink and red food items are rich in Lycopene and should definitely be a part of your diet.
Ladies who are battling PCOS and looking for an ideal diet should definitely show some love for watermelons. Better known as Polycystic ovary syndrome, the condition often leads to painful periods. It also brings about certain unwanted subsidiary symptoms such as acne and weight gain. Watermelon helps mitigate these as it is rich in Potassium, Vitamin C and water. So many scientists believe that eating watermelons post workouts is beneficial to rehydrate the body and maintain a healthy weight.
Those who follow diets also care a lot about Glycemic Index or GI. It generally means rates assigned to foods according to the amount of carbs they have. Though watermelon presents a GI of 80 which is high, its glycemic rate is relatively low(5). What this means for weight watchers is that it is a great replacement for sugars.
Other Health Benefits Of Watermelon
By now we know how great watermelons are for weight management but did you know these berries are good for hair, skin, and bones? Since it is full of Vitamin C and A, it improves our eyesight, smoothens skin and also keeps in check unhealthy pressure levels. Protecting us from harmful UV rays, it keeps our skin free from allergies or heat rashes.
How To Include Watermelons In Our Diets?
There is always an option for us to eat them as it is. However, for those who love experiments, watermelons can be incorporated in sweet soups minus the sugar and could be a part of protein smoothies, a great addition to lime soda and even chilled popsicles.
Many of us don’t know this but watermelon seeds are just as edible. You can dry them and roast them to make an easy snack.
So now you know why watermelon is a must-eat for weight loss!
Also read: Best Fruits For Weight Loss: 6 Most Effective Fruits!
