Watermelon; The Ideal Fruit for Cleansing & Weight Loss!

Watermelons are great for hydrating your body. They are great for cleansing, weight loss and your health generally. Watermelon is an inexpensive way to help you cleanse your body and lose weight. A one cup serving of watermelon contains 47 calories only! Yes, watermelon is 92% water, but, that other 8% is filled with good nutrition and amazing health benefits!

The high fluid content makes watermelon a low-energy-dense food. Foods low in energy density are perfect for helping you lose belly fat, because they provide fewer calories in a larger volume of food, which helps you feel more satisfied, so you eat less.

Flattening your stomach isn't about doing one specific exercise or eating a miracle “fat-melting” food; it's about eating fewer calories than you burn. Watermelon is one of the best foods for the job at just 47 calories per one cup serving. Each wedge (a wedge of a fruit is a piece of it that has a thick triangle shape) of watermelon contains less than a gram of fat and is cholesterol-free. You can quickly shave hundreds of calories off your daily intake by snacking on watermelon instead of junk foods like potato chips, which can have 275 calories and over 17 grams of fat in just 2 ounces.

 When you become dehydrated, which is surprisingly easy, you might experience fluid retention. Fluid retention isn't fat gain, but it can cause bloating and make your belly look bigger. Watermelon is more than 90 percent water and can help you stay hydrated to combat fluid retention.

Eating less to lose weight isn't easy if you're always hungry -- the key is to eat foods that help you feel full for longer. Watermelon is a good candidate for prolonging fullness. Each wedge (A wedge of a fruit is a piece of it that has a thick triangle shape) has 5 percent of the daily recommended intake for fiber, which slows digestion and promotes satiety. Foods that have a high water content, like watermelon, also prolong the feeling of fullness. Water from food leaves your stomach slower than when you drink a glass of water, extending satisfaction from a meal.

Other Health Benefits

Watermelon has many benefits in addition to aiding weight loss. The fruit contains L-citrulline/L-arginine, an amino acid that lowers blood pressure, thus reducing your risk of heart disease. It is also rich in vitamins A, C, B-6 and thiamine, as well as lycopene, a phytochemical that's responsible for watermelon's red color and might offer protection against some types of cancer.

 

A kind of Disadvantage

Because it's a low-calorie food, it's tempting to eat watermelon in large quantities when you're watching your weight, but depending on your digestive health, you may need to use caution. Watermelon contains a significant amount of certain carbohydrates which can cause intestinal discomfort in some people, especially those with irritable bowel syndrome. The carbohydrates – specifically polyols, fructans and free fructose – can ferment in the gut and produce uncomfortable symptoms such as gas, bloating and diarrhea. So if you have a sensitive intestinal tract and want to avoid watermelon’s laxative effect, start with a few cubes at a time and work up to the regular serving size of 1 cup for your weight loss plan.

Source - http://www.livestrong.com