We all have that weirdo family or friend whose sanity you question for none other than they seem to genuinely derive joy from weird foods and food combos. Not you though, no sire. You play safe always and do your own bit to ensure there’s order and sanity in the corner of the world you belong to.
Weird is relative though, but just how willing would you be to compromise if you were assured that that bit of weird would provide you with immense health benefits? Don’t worry, not viper tongue soup or bat meat salad weird. More like eat watermelon-along-with-the-seeds weird.
Eek? Nah actually, not so eek!
If it’ll make it easier for you, try blending then in your smoothie, or pretend the crunch is from some other seed your more comfortable with (say chia or sesame seeds).
So watermelon seeds actually have very high nutritional value, and are very healthy for eating. They contain nutrients like Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pyridoxine, Folate, Pantothenic acid, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, Zinc, Copper and Manganese. And if you’re wondering what these nutrients can do for you, here are five!
- BOOSTS HEALTHIER SKIN AND HAIR
Yes, you read that right. Snacking on watermelon seeds helps to prevent outbreak of acne, reduces dullness, and helps to keep ageing at bay too!They also help the elasticity of your skin, preventing sagging – we guess it’s safe to say that watermelon seeds give you a natural face lift, keeping droops and wrinkles at bay. The protein, iron, magnesium and copper content in watermelon seeds are also very important nutrients for your hair. Protein boosts hair growth, magnesium helps to fight thinning and breakage, and copper boosts melanin production, keeping your hair silky and vibrant.
- BLOOD SUGAR CONTROL
Watermelon seeds help to reduce insulin resistance in the body, which in turn helps blood sugar control. So if you were ever having blood sugar issues, help yourself to a portion of watermelon seeds!
- FIGHTS OSTEOPOROSIS
Watermelon seeds are rich in calcium, which is great for the bones. Osteoporosis is a condition in which the bones are weak and low in density, therefore they become prone to fractures. Watermelon seeds help to stop the bones from getting weakened early, what with how much magnesium, copper, manganese and potassium they have in them.
- AIDS MENTAL HEALTH
Did you know that watermelon seeds could help your memory??? That’s right. The magnesium in the seeds can help your memory, and keep you from losing your memory when you get old. So… if you’ve found that you’ve been a little forgetful lately, it might just be time to start snacking on some watermelon seeds. They also help accelerate learning so consider some seeded watermelon slices as a reading snack!
- SUPPORTS THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
Watermelon seeds contain loads of vitamins, one of which is the B3 vitamin – Niacin. Niacindoes not just as some other vitamins in theB category support the nervous system, a deficiency could also lead to conditions like mood alterations and dementia, disorientation.
What about the rind then?
First off, what is the rind? The rind is made of the white and green parts of the watermelon. Now, why should you eat the rind of the watermelon? Isn’t that supposed to be discarded?
Well, it turns out that less juicy and tasteless part is just as nutritious as the seeds. We’re about to see:
- BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL: The rind of watermelon is rich in potassium, and it helps to beat down the stress on your blood vessels and arteries, reducing the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and heart disease.
- WEIGHT LOSS: Rich in fibre, serving to keep you full while it gets to work on your metabolism and burns those annoying calories, the rind of watermelon is the golden food for those looking to lose weight. So if you’re looking to get your waistline down by a couple inches, what are you waiting for – havesome watermelon rind!
- IMMUNITY: Because watermelon rind is so rich in vitamin C – a vitamin which helps the production of white blood cells(the ultimate defense lineup against disease), it is safe to say that consuming enough rind helps keep you from falling ill.
- MORNING SICKNESS ET AL: Great news for the pregnant folk! Snacking on watermelon rind can help to reduce morning sickness and the miserable feeling that goes with it. Not only that – the potassium content helps to reduce some of the swelling that comes with pregnancy! So if you’re sick of the morning sickness, or scared of looking like a hippo when you’re pregnant, your solution might just be in those rinds you keep throwing out.
- WORKING OUT: So you like to workout, but you find yourself getting tired quickly? Eat some rind! Watermelon rind has been found to help reduce recovery time between exercises, and helps to boost athletic performance. And it has even been found to relieve post-exercise muscle soreness! So before you do your crunches, chew some rind!
We do hope we’ve been able to convince you to eat some of your previously uneaten parts of watermelon! We’d love to hear how you find the new experience!
