TIPS: How to pick a good watermelon / How To Get The Most Nutritional Value Out Of Watermelon

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How to pick a good watermelon

By Ben Kim, D.C.

 

Need some help with choosing a good watermelon? Here are a few of the

things that I look for when digging through the watermelon bin at our

local market:

 

1. Press your fingers and thumbs into the skin from all angles. A good

watermelon should be hard all around.

 

2. Give it a few taps with your knuckles or the pads of your fingers. A

winning watermelon will typically have a slight hollow sound upon tapping.

 

3. Look for mean green. Dark shades of green typically indicate an

optimal combination of sun and water while the watermelon was growing.

 

If you find that your teeth are sensitive to the natural sugar in

watermelon, try eating it with some avocado or celery sticks.

 

 

http://drbenkim.com/blog/2005/05/how-to-pick-good-watermelon.html

 

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How To Get The Most Nutritional Value Out Of Watermelon

By Ben Kim, D.C.

 

Hardly a day goes by in the summer where you won't find a watermelon in

our home. Watermelon is hands down, our family's favourite summertime fruit.

 

Not only is watermelon packed with thirst-quenching water and natural

sweetness, it is an excellent source of two powerful antioxidants:

lycopene, and beta carotene.

 

Lycopene is what gives watermelon its rich, red colour, and is

associated with reduced risk of developing macular degeneration,

prostate challenges, and a variety of other degenerative conditions.

 

Beta carotene is another powerful antioxidant that can help to protect

your cells against damage by free radicals. If you are eating adequate

amounts of healthy fat and are in good overall health, your body can

convert beta carotene into vitamin A, which plays a critical role in

keeping your immune system healthy.

 

A recent study conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicates

that the lycopene and beta carotene content of watermelon increases when

watermelon is stored for several days at room temperature after being

picked from the ground.

 

Researchers measured the lycopene and beta carotene content of different

types of three popular seeded and seedless types of watermelon.

 

The watermelons were stored in coolers that were set at three different

temperatures: 41 degrees fahrenheit (5 C), 55 degrees fahrenheit (13 C),

and 70 degrees fahrenheit (21 C).

 

After fourteen days, the following results were recorded:

 

* Lycopene content rose by an average of 20 percent in watermelons that

were left uncut at room temperature

 

* Beta carotene content rose by an average of 100 percent in watermelons

that were left uncut at room temperature

 

* Watermelons that were left uncut at room temperature had thinner rinds

than those that were stored at colder temperatures, a cardinal sign of

ripening

 

* Watermelons that were stored at below-room temperature levels did not

experience any gains in their lycopene and beta carotene levels

 

Clearly, watermelon becomes more nutritious if you allow it to ripen for

a few days in a whole, uncut state at room temperature.

 

Cut watermelon should not be stored at room temperature, as it will

start to go bad after a day or two.

 

When we buy watermelon, we let it sit on our kitchen floor for a few

days until we are ready to eat it. We then cut it into big pieces

(approximately 4 by 4 inches), eat what we can right away, and then

store whatever is left in an airtight container in the refrigerator, to

be eaten over the next day or two.

 

If you use a juicer to make watermelon juice, wash the outer green skin

of the watermelon thoroughly and push it through the feeding chamber of

your juicer along with the red flesh of the watermelon. This will

provide your body with chlorophyll, another health promoting nutrient.

 

 

http://drbenkim.com/articles/watermelon-nutrition.htm

 

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