Happy Friday Friends! Hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July celebration yesterday. With the sun out, long summer beach days and the possibility (for some) of a few too many libations, I thought today would be a great day to share a cool and hydrating drink recipe. On top of watermelon just being one of life's simple pleasures, it also benefits our bodies in the following ways:
Vitamin C: Vitamin C, which is well researched in its ability to prevent the hardening of the arteries, increase the elasticity of the blood vessels and decrease inflammation. All of these factors can help prevent high blood pressure and heart disease.
Lycopene: Watermelon can credit its gorgeous pink-red hue to the antioxidant lycopene. Lycopene is an antioxidant and anti-cancer nutrient that can is increasingly being linked to cancer prevention. Lycopene has been shown to significantly reduce the risks of prostate, breast, colon, lung, and endometrial cancer.
Vitamin B1: This vitamin ensures a healthy nervous system, also known as a thiamine deficiency and can result in confusion and memory loss. Alcohol can also lead to thiamine depletion, which makes watermelon a great breakfast option after a night of indulgence.
Hydrating: It’s called watermelon for a reason. While making sure to get your eight cups of water in a day is a great thing, what you eat also counts toward your hydration quota for the day. Watermelons are almost all water, 92% to be exact.
The list goes on...but this should be enough to convince you to get up and at'em and go make yourself this watermelon juice!
Watermelon•Lime•Mint•Cucumber Juice (16 oz)
Ingredients:
· 2-3 cups watermelon, cut up and rind removed
· Small handful of fresh mint
· 1 persian cucumber or 1/2 large cucumber
· 1 lime, juiced
Directions:
1) Put all ingredients through a juicer in the order listed.
2) Enjoy!
*Notes:
-If you have blood sugar issues, or are looking for a more "filling" juice, feel free to add a tablespoon or two of chia seeds to your juice bottle. Shake vigorously. Wait 10 minutes and shake again. Pop in the fridge and pull out at a later time to enjoy when ready!