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Do you know about this?
- SHOCK! Is it possible to eat watermelon at night while dieting?
- Extreme egg white diet
Important:
- Psychology of weight loss - how to lose weight without stress
Many who are planning to lose weight want to determine the lowest-calorie, but most delicious set of foods for themselves.
They eat a lot of vegetables and fruits, refuse food of animal origin, baked goods, and sweets.
At the same time, everyone, without exception, wants to find an express product with which the volume of the body will melt before our eyes. It's time to learn about the properties of melon.
Melon benefits. What are the benefits of melon for our health and why should we eat it?
Oh, how I can't wait for melon season to begin! You would know, friends, how much I love melons! Mmmm...how tasty, aromatic, sweet, juicy they are! ☺
When the “melon season” begins, I would only eat them, honestly!
And I always dream of going somewhere in the East during this very season. They say that they are the real ones there! Truly tasty, aromatic and sweet like honey. That imported goods are no longer the same...
But, be that as it may, melon is the queen of fruits for me! ☺
By the way, for some reason I thought for a long time that the main value of melon was its taste, but it didn’t particularly shine with its benefits. I remember how surprised I was to learn that I was very mistaken!
Let's talk today about the benefits of melon. Maybe you will also be surprised to learn more about its properties ☺
– belongs to the genus Cucumber (lat. Cucumis), family Pumpkin (lat. Cucurbitaceae).
The cucumber genus includes about 25 species, distributed mainly in Africa.
Several species are found in Asia.
How is melon beneficial for the human body?
What does melon contain?
Melon fruits contain many biological active substances:
- up to 18% sugars,
- vitamins C, P, PP,
- provitamin A,
- folic and nicotinic acids,
- carotene,
- fats,
- mineral salts (sodium, silicon, especially a lot of iron and potassium),
- nitrogenous and aromatic substances,
- pectins,
- cellulose,
- starch.
Melon - beneficial properties
Melon fruits exhibit:
- choleretic,
- restorative,
- laxative (mild),
- cleansing action,
- improve hematopoietic processes,
- enhance intestinal motility,
- promotes the removal of cholesterol from the body and the resorption of tumors,
- normalize metabolism,
- relieve stress.
- pronounced diuretic, antisclerotic, sedative and calming effect on the nervous system.
- quench your thirst
- promote the production of the hormone serotonin.
So, let's begin to understand the beneficial properties of melon in order - how melon is useful:
1. Rejuvenates the body, prolongs youth.
A pleasant useful property, you will agree, friends. As for me, this “usefulness” alone is enough to eat it as often as possible ☺
It is really rich in vitamins, especially folic acid (vitamin B9), which is especially useful for women. And especially for pregnant women and breastfeeding infants. And for those who are just preparing for pregnancy, doctors advise them to “lean on” those foods that contain enough vitamin B9.
Well, melon will be just the thing to help – it’s tasty, sweet, and full of vitamins ☺
But regardless of whether you are preparing to become parents or not, melon is good for everyone, without exception, of course! Men, women, children, actively growing teenagers, elderly people.
Especially for those who are weakened by illness, are in the postoperative period, have a loss of strength, and have weak immunity. The melon takes on all these troubles! It is a super-strengthening agent for the body!
This property has long been known in the East and this “Asian beauty” is highly valued for it!
After all, it has very powerful antioxidant resources in its “arsenal”. With their help, it can easily completely destroy free radicals that prevent us from being young and healthy for a long time!
2. It improves the appearance and quality of the skin
Another great feature!
And all due to the fact that it has excellent diuretic and choleretic properties. It perfectly stimulates the functioning of the kidneys, liver, and gall bladder. All functions of these organs begin to work “conscientiously”, improving our appearance every day.
By the way, not only ingesting melon is suitable for this purpose.
Eastern beauties, who have long been famous for their porcelain skin, regularly use melon face masks!
A decoction of melon fruits in the form of a lotion is considered a good remedy against acne and freckles. It is also used to remove age spots.
The pulp of ripe melon fruits is used to lubricate the skin for vitiligo. Melon fruits are useful for baldness, psoriasis and other skin diseases.
Melon face mask:
Write down the recipe and enjoy it for your health!
- It is very simple: chop the melon pulp thoroughly. I do this in a blender, it’s very convenient! The consistency is then very comfortable to use. Add a spoonful of honey, a spoonful of milk, a spoonful of oatmeal to the crushed pulp. Apply to cleansed face, lie down and relax for 20 minutes.
- During these 20 minutes, you are prohibited from thinking about anything other than the fact that every minute you are becoming younger and younger!!!
- Then rinse off the mask with warm water, apply nourishing cream, look in the mirror and fall in love with your beautiful reflection again ☺
By the way, masks can only be made from one melon. The effect is amazing!
Choosing the right fresh melon
Melon is the calling card of summer. She is a frequent guest on many people's tables. To enjoy the tasty and healthy fruit, you need to choose the right quality product. It should be remembered that there are many types of melons, the appearance, aroma and taste of which differ.
Criterias of choice:
- Aroma. High-quality, ripe berries have a pronounced spicy aroma. Depending on the variety, it may be more or less strong. Overripe melon gives off a putrid odor. If the fruit is not ripe, it smells like grass or dampness. If the melon does not smell at all, most likely, it was fertilized with a large number of harmful additives.
- Weight. If you pick up 2 fruits of the same size, the ripe product will be heavier.
- The tail of a ripe berry is dry and thick, and the nose on the other side is soft.
- Sound. Tap the melon. Unlike watermelon, ripe fruit produces a muffled sound.
- Peel. The surface must be homogeneous, evenly colored. Cracks or other damage are not allowed. In a sweet environment, bacteria and other pathogenic microorganisms multiply very quickly. If the skin has greenish spots or veins, this indicates immaturity. Do not buy a product with brown or gray stains. They indicate the process of decay. Color and shape depend on the variety.
- Feel the surface of the fruit. It should be moderately soft. If the melon is hard, it is not ripe. Too soft peel is a sign of an overripe product.
- The quality of a melon can be determined by its cut. A ripe fruit has large seeds. They separate well from the pulp. Do not buy berries if they are cut, even if the cut area is covered with cling film. Bacteria still get there.
- The seeds are the best indicator of the naturalness of the product. If the seeds are gray and empty, a lot of nitrates were used when growing the fruit.
- Place of purchase. You should not buy food near the road or if it is lying on the ground. This way they become exposed to many microbes that penetrate inside through microcracks.
Melon for the night. Is it possible to eat melon at night?
If you know when to stop and eat it correctly, then of course you can. 100 grams of melon contain only 34 kcal, so a couple of drinks of ripe melon at night will not do any harm to your figure, but rather the opposite.
Here are a few reasons to eat melon at night:
It is quite filling, so with its help you can easily satisfy your hunger and forget about it for a long time.
It has a remarkable effect on the emotional background: relieves irritability and stress, calms and improves mood.
Also, melon eaten at night relieves insomnia and headaches, which will lead to “sweet dreams.”
Cleanses our body of sludge and toxins, thereby promoting weight loss.
Saturates us with essential vitamins and microelements.
But we should not forget that this is a diuretic product, so if you eat melon at night, you risk disturbing your restful sleep with a night trip to the toilet. Also, it should not be combined with alcohol, honey and dairy products - this can cause problems with the digestive system. In general, melon itself is easily digested and almost immediately enters the intestines, but if it is combined with other products, then it will remain in the stomach with them for some time, causing heaviness and discomfort, and possibly even digestive problems. Therefore, it is recommended to eat it separately from meals after about 2-3 hours. Also, if you eat it in large quantities, it can lead to fermentation, bloating and flatulence. Another tip - don’t drink the melon right away, wait at least 30 minutes.
Which melon is suitable for diet
Dried melon slices
Calorie content of melon | Number of calories per 100 g |
Fresh | 34 kcal |
Dried | 334 kcal |
Frozen | 33 kcal |
Juice | 47 kcal |
Seeds | 555 kcal |
Fresh. It is most delicious and aromatic when fresh: the melon is peeled and seeded, cut into small pieces and served at room temperature as a stand-alone dessert or with wine, cheese, or prosciutto. Melon honey, jam, jam and marmalade are prepared from the juicy fruits, the pulp is dried, and candied fruits are made from the peel.
Dried fruit pulp is very high in calories. Therefore, if you are on a diet and watch the amount of calories you consume, you should not often treat yourself to dried melon, it will benefit your figure.
Frozen. The melon is frozen. If you do this correctly (at a temperature of -18) and cut the not very ripe fruit into small pieces or slices, the aroma and taste of the yellow beauty will delight you at any time of the year. It is also prepared in the form of mashed puree, slices in fruit syrup, or in the form of sorbet.
Juice. Melon juice is rightfully considered miraculous. In addition to excellent thirst quenching, restoration of water-salt balance, mild diuretic and laxative effects, the juice has a positive effect on the body in case of anemia, heart failure, vascular disease, early stages of hypertension and obesity.
Melon when dried. The best products for drying the body
The founders of this popular technique are considered to be stars and bodybuilding trainers. They have developed a strategy to combat excess weight, in which only fat deposits are utilized. Burning subcutaneous fat while maintaining and strengthening muscles is the main idea of drying the body.
Drying the body also attracts people who are not involved in professional sports. Among young women who want to emphasize the advantages of their figure, a low-carbohydrate or ketone diet is popular. It focuses specifically on getting rid of fat deposits.
But nutritionists object that giving up carbohydrate foods will not help break down fat tissue. The most important component of drying is powerful physical activity, which converts fat into energy. In addition, it is necessary to saturate the diet with proteins, fiber and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Diet for drying the body: principles and rules
A “drying” diet is nothing more than carbohydrate starvation. Increased body fat occurs due to excess simple carbohydrates. By excluding them from the diet, it is easier to “burn” fats, that is, transform them into energy. But giving up carbohydrate foods is very stressful for the body. To reduce it, you should act in stages:
- Days 1 to 3. Fast food products - cookies, chips, candies, sweet drinks - are canceled.
- Days 4 to 6. Sandwiches, white pastries, and pasta are excluded.
- Days 7 to 20. The amount of cereals and black bread is reduced to 200 g per day.
- Days 21 to 42. The daily amount of carbohydrates is reduced to 100 g.
Drying involves not only dietary restrictions, but also 6 lifestyle changes, including:
- physical activity 2-3 times a week (fitness, jogging, swimming, dancing);
- drinking large amounts of liquid;
- cooking food by boiling, stewing, grilling or baking;
- compulsory breakfast;
- light dinner (no more than 200 g);
- fractional meals - small amounts of food 5 times a day.
Drying is carried out no longer than 6 weeks. It is important not to overdo it with reducing carbohydrates - abrupt withdrawal puts a dangerous strain on the heart, causes deterioration of brain function and mental instability.
Proteins needed when drying the body
The main difference between a low-carb diet and a regular diet is the increase in muscle mass. Therefore, it is important to create a menu of foods rich in amino acids. These substances contained in protein products are called “building materials” for human muscles. Among them:
- chicken breast;
- turkey fillet;
- veal;
- eggs;
- cottage cheese;
- fish;
- shrimps;
- boiled squid;
- kefir;
- cheese;
- yogurt.
You should consume at least 1.5-2 g of protein per kg of body weight per day. This amount is distributed into 5-6 equal portions throughout the day.
In order not to exceed the calorie content of the diet, protein products are prepared without gravy and seasonings in the form of ketchup and mayonnaise. Spicy herbs, salt and pepper are acceptable in moderation.
Fats useful for drying the body
The role of metabolic stimulants in a low-carbohydrate diet is played by polyunsaturated fatty acids - Omega-3 and Omega 6. They slow down the absorption of carbohydrates and move hormones that burn fat. In addition, beneficial acids reduce the risk of “carbohydrate stress” by lowering blood pressure.
How to properly store melon?
When you get home, you should wash the melon thoroughly with soap to prevent bacteria and germs from getting inside when you cut it.
Store ripe melon only in the refrigerator. It is better to choose a plastic or glass container for storing food over polyethylene. This way the pulp will be stored for up to 5 days and will not become slippery.
You should also remember about the proximity of the product: products with a strong odor should be stored separately from the melon and be hermetically packaged.
Freezing
Pieces of pulp can easily be frozen and please yourself and your loved ones with aromatic melon on winter evenings. To do this you need:
- Place the pieces of pulp on a cutting board and place in the freezer for 5-6 hours. If your refrigerator has a blast freeze function, great. In this case, the melon will freeze even faster and better.
- After the initial freezing, remove the slices into a special bag or container.
This way, melon can be stored for a long time - up to 1 year.
Dried melon for weight loss. General benefit
Dried melon is one of the varieties of dried fruits. You can consume it as a separate snack or as an additive to salads, sandwiches, baked goods and even ice cream. The fruit is dried in special chambers. It is possible to dry a melon at home, but you must follow a number of rules, which we will talk about a little later.
When dried at home, the product may lose some amount of vitamin C. But other microelements, vitamins and amino acids important for the human body will be preserved. Dried melon is an excellent remedy in the fight against anxiety and stress. She is able to preserve beauty and youth. When consuming it, a person provides internal sun protection and normalizes the acid-base balance in the body.
- Thanks to the potassium included in the product, heart function improves, muscles strengthen, water balance normalizes, and nerves calm. Potassium salts remove excess fluid from the body and relieve swelling.
- Sodium helps avoid dehydration, get rid of cramps, and nausea.
- Everyone probably knows about calcium that it is indispensable for bone tissue and teeth.
- Magnesium is the basis of a person’s normal mental state.
- The presence of phosphorus is beneficial not only for teeth and bones, but also for the eyes. A deficiency of this element leads to weakness, fatigue, absent-mindedness, loss of attention and appetite. And melon contains enough of it to improve your condition and lift your mood.
Regular consumption of dried melon fruit:
- improves heart function;
- cleanses the liver of toxins;
- removes kidney stones;
- normalizes the functioning of the gallbladder;
- will help in the fight against fears and insomnia;
- will restore strength after illness;
- will prevent vitamin deficiency;
- strengthens bones;
- relieves constipation;
- will reduce the symptoms of menopause;
- rejuvenates the body;
- improves the condition of nails and hair;
- will keep your tan.
Berry or fruit?
Some classify melons as berries, others believe that they are fruits. However, both opinions are fundamentally wrong. In the usual understanding of ordinary people, berries are bushes, and fruits grow on fruit trees. Agronomists classify melons as a melon crop of the pumpkin family.
North Africa and India are considered the homeland of melon. And the first images were found in Egyptian pyramids. There have long been many legends about melon. The most famous one even claims that one of the angels lowered the fragrant melon from heaven to people, for which he was expelled by the Almighty. And in India they believe that God created the melon and the woman at the same time.
Nowadays, there are a huge number of different varieties of melon, and melons are grown on all continents.
Watermelon for weight loss. Losing weight with watermelon
Watermelon for weight loss is an ideal berry with many beneficial properties. It’s good when you have the opportunity to lose weight in a tasty and beneficial way for your body. The watermelon diet in the summer is very popular and easily accessible to many.
- With the help of antioxidants, which the berry is very rich in, the condition of hair, nails and skin improves. Prevents premature aging of the body and prevents the formation of cancerous tumors.
- Watermelon has a diuretic effect, and its high fiber content perfectly removes cholesterol, salts and excess sugar from the body, which will have a great effect on overall well-being. The digestive and excretory systems are being improved.
- The iron contained in this berry prevents anemia and helps with anemia. Phosphorus is very useful for brain function. Potassium – improves kidney and heart function. And calcium strengthens bones.
If you decide to try the watermelon diet, or as it is also called “watermelon fasting,” start with 5 days. During this period, it is not recommended to eat anything other than watermelon. But if it’s difficult for you to get by with just one watermelon, then combine it with a small slice of black bread.
Due to the fact that the calorie content of this berry is only 35 Kcal per 100 g, and the pulp can easily satisfy hunger, you can lose 5-7 kg of excess weight in a five-day diet. And if you also make the right exit from this diet, then in a few weeks you will lose another 7 kilograms, or even more.
While on this diet, even though watermelon is low in calories, you should not indulge in gluttony or overeat. Initially, correctly calculate your daily intake of watermelon, and this is: 1 kg of berries per 15 kg of body weight, divided into 5 meals. That is, if your weight is 75 kg, you will need 5 kg of watermelon per day, 1 kg per meal. So, you will eat all 5 days.
After the diet, i.e. after 5 days, you need to stick to a certain menu, thanks to which your kilograms will continue to be lost:
- breakfast: oatmeal with water, one egg and low-fat cottage cheese;
- lunch: boiled fish or chicken and vegetables;
- dinner: watermelon, only at the rate of 1 kg per 30 kg of body weight.
During the entire diet period, you can only drink plain water and green tea without sugar.
Product benefits
The benefits of this vegetable include the following properties:
- the presence of folic acid in the composition helps restore the structure of the skin and hair - this has a positive effect on maintaining beauty as a woman ages,
- the water-salt balance is normalized, as a result of which edema is prevented,
- helps remove waste and toxins,
- assistance is provided in intestinal motility - constipation is prevented,
- has the ability to fight parasites,
- helps restore energy,
- improves memory,
- turns out to be an excellent prevention of the development of atherosclerosis,
- helps cleanse the intestines, liver and gallbladder, normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
Eating melon provokes the production of the hormone serotonin and the “happiness hormone” in the body. Therefore, this vegetable is recommended to be consumed when emotional blues occur and with progressive depression.
Features of the melon diet
The melon diet can be divided into two categories. The first involves introducing vegetable pulp into the diet for snacking while maintaining proper nutrition.
Important! It is allowed to consume the vegetable after training, but in small quantities and after 1.5 hours. Using this method, you can reduce your daily calorie intake.
The second category of the melon diet is eating melon in large quantities, which allows you to lose more kilograms in a short time. But you are allowed to adhere to such a diet for no more than a week. Next, we will consider in detail whether it is possible to eat melon during a diet and in what quantity.
Mono-diet or fasting day
Eating melon can help you lose a small amount of excess weight if you maintain this diet for just one day. During the day, it is allowed to consume up to 1.5 kg of vegetables in 6 snacks. It is important to drink a lot of liquid - up to 2 liters of clean water, tea without sugar and low-fat kefir are allowed. You can lose up to 2 kg of weight in one day, but after that it will return again due to poor nutrition and abuse of junk food.
Diet for 3 days
Even a rare lover of sweets and delicacies can stay on a melon diet for 3 days. An example menu is presented in the table.
Day of the week | Meal times per day | Recommended products for the day |
1 day | Breakfast | 400 g pulp - cut into pieces and sprinkle lemon juice on top |
Snack | melon and apple slices, green tea | |
Dinner | melon cube salad with cheese | |
Snack | a couple of kiwi fruits, washed down with tea | |
Dinner | cottage cheese, 400 g melon | |
Snack | use 400 g melon | |
Day 2 | Breakfast | 400 g melon |
Snack | fruit slice with melon and kiwi | |
Dinner | fermented milk drink | |
Snack | 400 g melon | |
Dinner | a fresh vegetable salad | |
Snack | use 400 g melon | |
Day 3 | Breakfast | a few slices of melon |
Snack | a portion of buckwheat, washed down with tea | |
Dinner | chicken breast with grain bread | |
Snack | 400 g melon | |
Dinner | vegetable salad | |
Snack | a few pieces of melon |
Menu for 7 days
The melon diet, the diet of which is presented in the table, will help you lose weight quickly in a week.
Diet day | Meal times per day | Recommended Products |
Monday | Breakfast | dairy-free rice porridge, boiled egg and dried fruit compote |
Snack | ripe kiwi | |
Dinner | steamed fish, any vegetable salad, berry juice | |
Afternoon snack | sweet and sour apple and green tea | |
Dinner | mashed potatoes without adding oil, boiled vegetable salad, orange juice | |
Tuesday | Breakfast | buckwheat porridge, boiled egg and apple compote. |
Snack | mandarin | |
Dinner | soup cooked with chicken broth, boiled vegetable salad, dried fruit compote | |
Afternoon snack | salad of grated apple and dried apricots, lemon juice | |
Dinner | boiled beef, served with pumpkin puree and berry juice as a side dish | |
Wednesday | Breakfast | oatmeal, cocoa. |
Snack | several apricots | |
Dinner | chicken meat, garnished with vegetable salad, kefir | |
Afternoon snack | grated carrot salad with apple | |
Dinner | melon puree, juice | |
Thursday | Breakfast | crab stick salad, tea. |
Snack | any berries | |
Dinner | fish and potatoes, green tea | |
Afternoon snack | Let's enjoy nectarines | |
Dinner | vegetable salad, fruit drink | |
Friday | Breakfast | any porridge, hard-boiled egg, green tea |
Snack | fresh fruit puree | |
Dinner | chicken stewed with vegetables, herbal tea | |
Afternoon snack | yogurt and apple | |
Dinner | a couple of boiled potatoes with a garnish of fresh cabbage, juice | |
Saturday | Breakfast | carrot puree, boiled egg, milk |
Snack | baked apple | |
Dinner | stewed pink salmon, vegetable stew, green tea | |
Afternoon snack | fruits with yogurt | |
Dinner | vinaigrette with compote | |
Sunday | Breakfast | corn porridge, milk |
Snack | tangerines | |
Dinner | oven-baked chicken, boiled rice, glass of juice | |
Afternoon snack | yogurt | |
Dinner | grated pumpkin with apple pieces, berry juice |
If you eat a piece of melon between main meals, you can lose up to 5 kg of excess weight in a week.