Anyone who knows me, knows that my all time favorite Raw food is, quite simply, organic watermelon. The gorgeously pink, sweet, refreshing flesh calls my name every summer and I just can’t ever seem to get enough. Each year, as the watermelon season ends, I want to shed a tear because I’m already eagerly anticipating the new season, when watermelon will again usher more sunshine to my life. I love watermelon.
Now that it’s back, you can count on me eating a LOT of it. For example, today, I have eaten nothing but watermelon. Yep, that’s right. (Talk about easy…those of you saying Raw food prep is hard – whatevah!) I carved up a BUNCH and enjoyed it for my breakfast, snack, and lunch so far. I’m going to have a huge fresh green juice in a moment, then I’ll probably have watermelon for dinner and dessert. If I choose something else for dinner, that’s okay, because come sunrise (okay, let’s be serious, I won’t be up at sunrise) but come tomorrow, I’ll be eating it for breakfast, snack, and lunch.
Watermelon rocks my world because it’s alkalizing, low-calorie, refreshing, cleansing & detoxifying, cooling on the body (seriously, who needs air conditioning when you can eat watermelon), and contains lycopene (all you cooked tomato eaters out there searching for lycopene, get it in your watermelon!).
But that’s not all watermelon offers…it’s loaded with Vitamin A and has a low glycemic load. Furthermore, because of its extremely hydrating nature (it’s 92% water), it’s known as a “high-volume” food (takes up a lot of space without a lot of calories…this is helpful for those looking to lose weight). Some people even go on a watermelon fast, because it’s so detoxifying and cleansing. Sounds good to me!
Many enjoy blending their watermelon into a smoothie and adding a little of the rind to it. That’s great! According to David Grotto, author of 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life, watermelon rind contains citrulline, an amino acid that promotes nitric oxide production, improving blood flow through the arteries.
Delicious Sassy Treat: Blend the watermelon flesh and freeze in ice cube trays. This makes for one sassy glass of water with the pink cubes in it!
Warning: As far as food combining goes, I’m not known to be militant, although I am mindful of them. However, there is one that I take as gospel and that’s to eat melons alone. So, when I eat watermelon, I only eat watermelon and nothing else with it (for at least a 1/2 hour after taking the last bite of watermelon). It digests super fast, so I don’t have to wait long before eating other foods. And, if I’ve already eaten a meal (especially one that contained fat), then I wait at least a couple of hours before eating watermelon.
My workout: I’m heading to the gym in a short while (I’m receiving loads of emails asking me to post my workout routine). I’m bringing a bottle of fresh watermelon smoothie to drink (watermelon blended, that’s it).
Today I’ll be working on Chest and Triceps, straight sets, 8 reps/set:
Chest
Flat bench
Incline bench
Decline bench
Triceps
V-bar
Overhead rope pull
Bench Dips
I’ll also do a little cardio on the treadmill.
I’ll also do a little cardio on the treadmill.