The Remarkable Healing Powers Of Watermelon
I have some seriously great memories of sitting in the backyard with my dad on a summer evening, eating a big ol slice of watermelon, letting the juice drip down my chin, and having a contest centered around who could spit seeds the farthest.
I may be older — 40 — but I still enjoy sitting down with a big slice of watermelon on a hot summer day, perhaps even more now that Im feeling the first signs of arthritis in my poor knees after a particularly tough workout. Oh, and because I also have kids of my own cant forget the kids, although for the life of me I cant remember where my 40-year-old self left them — or my keys.
What does watermelon have to do with your joints? Research has shown that watermelon, aside from tasting great and being hydrating, has a host of benefits for your achy joints and muscles. So, grab a napkin to wipe off your chin and lets learn all about the healing powers of watermelon!
What If I Eat A Seed By Accident
You may have been told as a kid that if you swallow watermelon seeds, theyâll grow in your belly. Not true! After all, your stomach has no sunlight or soil, and a lot of gastric acid. Many melons are seedless these days, but donât worry if you do swallow a seed. Theyâre actually full of nutrients!
Best Spices For Arthritis
Season your food with anti-inflammatory spices
Often when prepping a meal, food is the primary focus and spices are, at best, an afterthought. But when following an anti-inflammatory diet to help reduce the pain and joint inflammation of arthritis, researchers say dont forget about the potential benefits of the spices you use to season your meals.
The more anti-inflammatory foods and spices you eat, the more you are tamping down chronic inflammation, explains board certified sports dietitian Kim Larson, a national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics. I think people are often surprised at what a great anti-inflammatory source spices can be.
When you have arthritis, your joints and sometimes other parts of your body become inflamed, and many spices inhibit certain inflammatory pathways in the body. And although a dash of cinnamon on your oatmeal is somewhat infinitesimal, spices can pack a significant punch when you consume a number of them throughout the day.
If you do a sprinkle of cinnamon in oatmeal or a smoothie, then have some ginger tea mid-morning and something with pepper and garlic for lunch and dinner it can certainly have an additive effect, explains Beth McDonald, a nutritionist at The Center for Health and Healing in the Department of Integrative Medicine at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital in New York City. So with spices experiment with new recipes and try to incorporate a spice with an anti -inflammatory benefit with every meal.
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Protects Against Asthma And Allergy Attacks
The presence of lycopene in high concentration in watermelons, plus its easy bioavailability, helps to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in cases of asthma and allergies.
Several studies reported lower rates of wheezing and allergic rhinitis in children who consumed antioxidant-rich foods such as watermelon.
Oxidative stress resulting from excessive free radicals in the body, can have a harmful effect on the airway function, causing asthma and allergy attacks. In this case, consumption of watermelon juice helps raise the immune responses in preventing attacks.
Eat These 8 Foods To Help Beat Ra Inflammation
Aim for a total vitamin C intake of 75 milligrams per day for women, and 90 mg per day for men, the current U.S. recommended dietary allowance. If you’re pregnant, aim for 85 mg and if you’re lactating, 120 mg.
Citrus foods, such as oranges, grapefruit, lemon, and limes, are rich in vitamin C, and are also good sources of inflammation-fighting antioxidants, which are beneficial for those with rheumatoid arthritis. Citrus, however, may interfere with the bodys ability to process certain RA medications, such as oral cyclosporine and possibly methotrexate. Research has shown that regular consumption of grapefruit juice blocks the protein known as CYP3A4 that helps the body metabolize cyclosporine other research has suggested that other citrus juices, like those made from Seville oranges, limes, and pomelos, may also affect how CYP3A4 works in the body.
If youre taking meds that can be affected by citrus, you may need to get vitamin C from other sources such as tomatoes, peppers, melons, strawberries, kiwi, or potatoes, Sandon suggests. A half cup of cooked broccoli, for example, has over half of the recommended vitamin C daily value.
Another option, notes Sandon, is to avoid taking your medication with citrus juices. Instead, have the juice or citrus fruit at another time of day. Talk with your healthcare provider to figure out whats best for your diet and medication routine.
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May Help Erectile Dysfunction
To be clear, Viagra is Pfizers brand name for the medication sildenafil citrate. That substance is not in this fruit.
However the nickname watermelon Viagra has been floating around, thanks to a few studies which suggest it may benefit erectile dysfunction in men.
Published in the Journal of Urology back in 2011, an Italian study found that the amino acid L-citrulline increases blood flow to the penis . Watermelon is among the richest natural sources of citrulline and it doesnt have some of the nasty side effects which can occur with Viagra.
That study involved 24 men, ranging from 46 to 66 years old.
Among those receiving placebo, only 8.3% went from mild ED to normal function.
For those receiving this nutrient, a whopping 50% achieved normal function. For this half which was successful, they were reported being very satisfied. The watermelon juice benefits for men may extend beyond just the citrulline content, as it contains another useful nutrient L-arginine.
Back in 2007 at Texas A& M University, another study found that arginine availability increased with this juice . Thats because citrulline can be metabolized into arginine.
Why might that also be relevant to bedroom performance? Its well known that arginine is linked to nitric oxide production, which plays an important role in healthy blood flow to all parts of the body.
Pain Fighting Food List
The five lists below include foods that contain compounds that may have some role in the body’s management of pain.If you are considing managing your pain with diet then you should consider including a food from each of the lists in your diet each day.Although there is no guarentee that it will banish pain from your life, at the very least it will improve the nutritional contain of your meals.
| Anti-Oxidants |
| Omega-3 |
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What About The Mediterranean Diet
Studies have suggested that the Mediterranean diet can reduce the inflammation that contributes to the symptoms of osteoarthritis.
As well as helping to reduce the pain associated with osteoarthritis, eating a Mediterranean-style diet offers many other health benefits, including weight loss.
Following a Mediterranean diet may also reduce the risk of:
When someone is living with osteoarthritis, their body is in an inflammatory state.
While foods with anti-inflammatory properties may reduce symptoms, some foods contain substances that actively contribute to this inflammation. It is best to avoid or restrict these dietary choices.
The types of food to avoid are those that include the following:
Nutrient Rich Fruit And Vegetable Smoothies
If youve had your fill of fruits and veggies in their whole form, try blending them into a smoothie to go. Check out these recipe ideas and incorporate them into your next trip to the grocery store. Smoothies are a great way to get your nutrients on busy mornings or while sitting at your desk at work and theyre delicious to boot!
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Rheumatoid Arthritis Diet Restrictions: Food Items To Limit
The food stuffs that limit calcium absorption should be limited.
Study Lists 33 Foods Proven To Relieve Rheumatoid Arthritis
A review of existing research, published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, lists foods that have been proven to relieve the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in the long-term.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that affects approximately 1.3 million adults in the United States.
The fact that it is an autoimmune disorder means that the body does not recognize its own healthy cells and attacks them as though they are foreign. This causes inflammation in the joints, which translates into stiffness, swelling, pain, and sometimes even misshapenness.
So-called disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs are normally the first line of treatment for this condition, for which there is no known cure at the moment.
If a person living with rheumatoid arthritis does not react well to these drugs, so-called biological response modifiers, or biologicals, are the second-line treatment option.
However, as the authors of the new review point out, biologicals are expensive and can have serious side effects.
So, researchers from the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology in Bhubaneswar, India, set out to explore dietary alternatives to medication.
Dr. Bhawna Gupta, together with Shweta Khanna and Kumar Sagar Jaiswal at KIITs Disease Biology Lab in the School of Biotechnology, reviewed research from several laboratory experiments under different conditions.
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What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis Again
Odds are, you know someone with rheumatoid arthritis . Its the second most-common type of arthritis and affects about 1.3 million people in the United States, 70% of whom are women, according to the Arthritis Foundation. RA primarily strikes at the joints but it can impact other areas of your body, too. And though it usually pops up between the ages 40 and 60, its known to occur in children via a condition called juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
The Pain Management Diet
Diet now is being proposed as a natural alternative to pain killing drugs.Research in this area is in it’s early stages and there is no definitive evidence relating a particular diet to a reduction in pain.However in this article we present some of the evidence and ideas that is pointing towards the favorable effects of eating certain foods on pain control.This kind of diet has some times been refered to as the
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Seeds Are High In Protein
Did you know that watermelon seed are an excellent source of protein?
Just 1 ounce comes in at 8 grams of protein and 158 calories . Thats more protein and less calories than equal weight portions of peanuts, pistachios, almonds, cashews, and walnuts, which are the best nuts for protein.
So rather than remove the seeds, you can include them in your juice if youre using a blender to make it.
With a juicer that wont work, because the machine will discard the seeds in the same way it discards fiber.
Saving the raw watermelon seeds and snacking on those isnt a good alternative. Given their toughness, they can be bad for your teeth and stomach, at least for many.
You really need to blend them into a powder-like consistency in order to make their nutrients as bioavailable as possible. Check out the top 5 blenders for smoothies if your current model isnt up to par.
Foods To Avoid With Ra
Red meat and dairy
Theyâre our main sources of saturated fats, which can cause inflammation in fat tissue. Other sources include full-fat dairy products, pasta dishes, and grain-based desserts.
Corn oil
The culprit here is omega-6 fatty acids. You want to cut down on them while youâre going for more omega-3s. They can lead to weight gain and joint inflammation if you overdo it. Sunflower, safflower, soy, and vegetable oils are also sources.
Fried food, fast food, and processed foods
Theyâre the major source of trans fats, which are created when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil to extend shelf life. They can trigger inflammation throughout your body. Plus, they raise bad cholesterol and lower the good type.
Salt
Not only is too much salt bad for your blood pressure, but if you have RA and take steroids, your body may hold on to it more easily. Aim for less than 1,500 milligrams a day.
It tells your body to release chemicals called cytokines that kick-start the inflammation process. Check food labels for words that end in âose,â like fructose or sucrose.
Alcohol
It doesnât mix well with your RA meds. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen can cause stomach bleeding and ulcers on their own. Those odds go up when you add alcohol.
If you drink while youâre taking acetaminophen, leflunomide , or methotrexate, it could damage your liver.
Fried or grilled food
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Choosing The Freshest Fruit To Fight Inflammation
A diet rich in fruits and vegetables will help you fight the pain and inflammation of arthritis. Fruit is low in fat, sodium and calories. It can help you maintain a healthy weight thereby reducing the pressure on your joints and its rich in nutrients that help fight inflammation. Plus, it tastes great.
Here are tips for finding the freshest fruit and storage tips to increase shelf life.Apples: The fruit is fully ripe when its picked. Look for firm, smooth skin without soft spots. Apples will remain fresh for up to six weeks if you store them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.
Bananas: Buy bananas when they are green and less fragile. Ripen them at home . Bananas are ripe when the peels turn yellow with hints of brown.
Berries: Go for plump berries with deep color. They stop ripening once off the vine and tread a thin line between ripe and rotting. Staining at the bottom of the container indicates over-ripeness. Stored in a glass bowl lined with paper towels and left in the fridge, berries will last up to four days.
Cherries: The fruit stops ripening after its picked. Buy only plump and firm cherries with their stems attached. Cherries will last up to two weeks if theyre stored in a covered container in the fridge.
Mangoes: Ripen mangoes at room temperature theyre ready to eat when theyre slightly soft and very fragrant. A little speckling or bruising wont affect the flavor. Once ripe, put them in the crisper theyll last up to four days.
Fruits And Green Leafy Vegetables
Green leafy vegetables and fruits contain a variety of polyphenols, bioflavonoids, catechins, carotenoids, vitamin C, riboflavin, vitamin E, and low molecular weight compounds.3
These constituents have antioxidant, fibrinolytic and anti-inflammatory characteristics.
Vegetables with a bitter taste like neem , bottle gourd, bitter gourd, pointed gourd, eggplant, drum stick and goosefoot are recommended. You can also find the bitter taste in arugula, dandelion greens, radicchio, and kale.
Fruits like berries , avocados and watermelon are beneficial foods for Rheumatoid arthritis.
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Calcium And Vitamin D
Low-fat milk, cheese, and yogurt can also provide vitamin D and calcium, which may help to strengthen the bones.
Scientists have found evidence of low vitamin D levels in people with OA.
Consuming more vitamin D through fortified dairy foods and regular, safe, exposure to sunlight may offer benefits for people with OA.
It May Help You Lose Weight
Watermelon is rich in water and fiber, which help fill you up when you eat it. These nutrients can reduce appetite and potentially prevent overeating that would otherwise contribute to unwanted weight gain.
In one study among 33 overweight or obese adults, researchers found that eating two cups of watermelon daily for four weeks led to a significant reduction in body weight, body mass index, and waist-to-hip ratio. This was compared to the effects of another group who consumed isocaloric, low-fat cookies daily for four weeks instead which led to an increase in body fat.
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Lowers The Risks Of Strokes And Heart Attacks
The health benefits of watermelon is just endless. The combination of high antioxidants, lycopene and other essential vitamins and minerals in this fruit plays an important role in reducing the risks of heart attacks and strokes.
Studies show that the rich nutrients in watermelon, along with lycopene are health-promoting agents that reduce risk of cardiovascular disorders.
High consumption of lycopene in watermelon has been observed to reduce the thickness of the internal layer of blood vessels, thus reducing the risk of myocardial infarction.
Risks of heart attacks, ischemic strokes and artheroslerosis are also much reduced when oxidation of LDL is prevented by drinking watermelon juice.
The diuretic effect of watermelon juice flushes out toxins and excess salt out of your body. This process causes the walls of your blood vessels to relax and widen, thus improving blood flow and lowering blood pressure. This can be observed even after drinking just one glass of watermelon juice.
Whether Red Orange Or Yellow These Delicious Veggies Deliver Disease
Biting into a ripe, juicy tomato is one of the true treats of summer. Its also one of the best things you can do for your body. Its rich red color comes from lycopene, a powerful antioxidant plentiful in just a few foods. Plus, a large tomato offers decent amounts of vitamin C and potassium, which lowers blood pressure.
Locally grown tomatoes may be your best bet for health and taste. In an attempt to create firm, round, pest-resistant fruit, big agriculture accidentally bred out the flavor gene, says Amanda Bontempo, R.D., an oncology dietitian at NYU Langone Health. Plus, grocery store varieties are generally picked early so that theyre not overripe by the time they reach the store. Sun-ripened tomatoes typically have more flavor and more lycopene, says Alisa Scherban, R.D., a dietitian with Yale Health in New Haven, Conn.
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