Health benefits Of Rita watermelon

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watermelon juice 250ml short canned Rita watermelon

1. Heart health

Watermelon's high levels of lycopene are very effective at protecting cells from damage and may help lower the risk of heart disease, according to a study at Purdue University. Also, the fruit's concentrations of citrulline and arginine are good for your heart. Arginine can help improve blood flow and may help reduce the accumulation of excess fat. A study published in the American Journal of Hypertension found that watermelon extracts helped reduce hypertension and lower blood pressure in obese adults.

2. Anti-inflammatory properties

 "The lycopene in watermelon makes it an anti-inflammatory fruit," Jarzabkowski said. Lycopene is an inhibitor for various inflammatory processes and also works as an antioxidant to neutralize free radicals. Additionally, the watermelon contains choline, which helps keep chronic inflammation down, according to a 2006 article published in Shock medical journal.

Reducing inflammation isn't just good for people suffering from arthritis. "When you're sick, you have cellular damage, which can be caused by a variety of factors including stress, smoking, pollution, disease, and your body becomes inflamed," Jarzabkowski said. "It's called 'systemic inflammation.'" In this way, anti-inflammatory foods can help with overall immunity and general health. 

3. Hydration

"Watermelons are the perfect example of a food that can help you stay hydrated," said Jarzabkowski. Their water content can help keep you hydrated, and their juice is full of good electrolytes. This can even help prevent heat stroke.

4. Digestion

The watermelon contains fiber, which encourages a healthy digestive tract and helps keep you regular. 

5. Skin and hair benefits

Vitamin A is stellar for your skin, and just a cup of watermelon contains nearly one-quarter of your daily recommended intake of it. Vitamin A helps keep skin and hair moisturized, and it also encourages healthy growth of new collagen and elastin cells, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Vitamin C is also beneficial in this regard, as it promotes healthy collagen growth.

6. Muscle soreness

Watermelon-loving athletes are in luck: drinking watermelon juice before an intense workout helps reduce next-day muscle soreness and heart rate, according to a 2013 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. This can be attributed to watermelon's amino acids citrulline and arginine, which help improve circulation.

7. Cancer prevention

Like other fruits and vegetables, watermelons may be helpful in reducing the risk of cancer through their antioxidant properties. Lycopene in particular has been linked to reducing prostate cancer cell proliferation, according to the National Cancer Institute.

If eaten in reasonable amounts, watermelons should produce no serious side effects. If you eat an abundance of the fruit daily, however, you may experience problems from having too much lycopene or potassium.

The consumption of more than 30 mg of lycopene daily could potentially cause nausea, diarrhea, indigestion and bloating, according to the American Cancer Society.

People with serious hyperkalemia, or too much potassium in their blood, should probably not consume more than about one cup of watermelon a day, which has less than 140 mg of potassium. According to the National Institutes of Health, hyperkalemia can result in irregular heartbeats and other cardiovascular problems, as well as reduced muscle control.

Jarzabkowski also warned watermelon lovers to be mindful of their sugar intake. "Though watermelon's sugar is naturally occurring, [watermelon] is still relatively high in sugar."

 

https://rita.com.vn/news/143-health-benefits-of-rita-watermelon.html

GREEN SMOOTHIE: KIWI + KALE + AVOCADO

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RAWESOME Fact: One serving of kiwi fruit gives the body 230% of what the body requires in a day!

This fat-burning fruit packed with vitamin C allows the body to heal wounds, increase iron absorption, and boost the immune system. Five-seven servings of kiwi and other citrus fruits should keep your immune system strong this cold and flu season.

Green Smoothie: ENERGY-BOOSTER Kiwi + Kale + Avocado

This green smoothie recipe is delightfully sweet and tangy. The banana and avocado provide a rich, thick texture that keeps the smoothie creamy; while the kiwi adds the perfect boost for energy and wakes up your metabolism. Makes 2 servings.

Ingredients

1 kiwi
1 avocado
1 banana
1 cup mango (frozen)
1 cup pineapple (frozen)
2 cups kale
2 cups water

Directions

Blend kale and filtered water together for 30 seconds. Next add remaining ingredients and blend until creamy. Cheers!

P.S. I keep the kiwi skin on for extra fiber, but many don’t like the taste, so feel free to strip your kiwi down to its bright green goodness!

 

WHY I LOVE USING COCONUT OIL

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My family has been on a “simple living” journey for five years— out went the TV, new clothes,  cluttered closets, harsh cleaning products, processed foods, and anything with corn syrup. Sounds intense and a little extreme, huh?

Well, the Jen Hansard of 2007 would have totally agreed with you. But in 2012, I couldn’t be any happier with these lifestyle changes our family has made. And this past year, I ventured into simple cooking and traded my canola and vegetable oils for olive andcoconut oils. And now, I am completely hooked on coconut oil!

Why I love using Coconut Oil

There are many websites than can give you a list of uses for coconut oil, but I want this list to all be about my personal testimony. I religiously use all of these things and can personally say they work for me, and hopefully for you!

coconut granola

Baking: Coconut oil can be substituted 1-for-1 in most baking recipes that call for butter or oil (check out my Maple Granola Muffins and Coconut Granola for some delicious and healthy recipes).

Cooking: My friend Jo got me hooked on cooking eggs in coconut oil. They do taste a little bit like coconut, but that’s a good thing to me.

Body lotion: After the shower, I rub coconut oil all over my body— it feels and smells amazing. I also do this on the kids when their skin is dry (which isn’t too often since we rarely even use soap on them).

Facial moisturizer: I was very scared to put coconut oil on my face. Since moving to Florida I have had issues with acne. So bad, I resorted to Proactive. Well, two months ago I ran out of my face lotion and decided to give coconut oil a try. Sure enough, my face feels good and the acne has subdued. Turns out coconut oil is antimicrobial, antifungal, and antibacterial, which explains why my face hasn’t broken out from it!

**Update 9/10/12: I have been adding 2 drops of tea tree essential oil to the dab of coconut oil I put on my face and the results are awesome. My acne has really cleared and my face has evened out (less red areas). I also think it has to do with me drinking more green smoothies, which are a great way to help your skin glow.

Eye makeup remover: On the rare occasion I actually put on makeup, I do use a cotton ball and a little coconut oil to remove it. Works better than anything else, hands down.

homemade deodorant

Homemade deodorant: And it actually works!!! This stuff is so good— I highly recommend that you make your own. Here is the easy, peasy recipe.

Hair tamer: I have thick, curly and wild hair— coconut oil helps bring sanity to the situation. After the shower, I use mousse and then smooth some coconut oil on my unruly curls to calm it down.

Deep conditioner for hair: At least once a month, I slather this on the tips of my hair and (even my scalp) and let it soak in for a few hours. Then I brush it through and massage my scalp before I shower. I shampoo it twice through with Yes To, my favorite brand of shampoo and conditioner that is paraben free.

homemade toothpaste

Toothpaste: I started making my own toothpaste with coconut oil 3 months ago and really like it. The coconut oil gives it a creamy consistency, which is similar to store bought (yet way better for you!). The first few weeks my teeth were a little sensitive (which is an issue I have). SO I alternated days with Sensodyne and the homemade recipe. Yet now I only use homemade and my teeth are fine.

Furniture wood polish: I used it today to polish my wood coffee table and it looks beautiful! Just poured some onto a rag and rubbed it around.

Eczema: My son had mild eczema and we used a variety of creams. Coconut oil helped if we caught an outbreak early enough. (We eventually figured out what was causing his eczema— Target brand laundry detergent, and stopped using it. Eczema solved!)

 

Future uses for Coconut Oil:

Here are some other uses for coconut oil that I haven’t tried, but look forward to:

Lice treatment: My son starts preschool in the fall and I am getting ready for the dreaded lice attack. Sounds like Thrifty Mama has a great alternative to commercial lice products.

Insect repellant: Mix coconut oil with peppermint oil extract and rub it all over. I really hope this one works!

Nose bleeds: We are traveling to Southern California next month and I heard that a nose bleed is guaranteed since we have acclimated  to the Florida humidity. Time to rub some coconut oil in our noses and moisturize away!

Cuts and scrapes: Keep hearing people rave about the antimicrobial characteristics of coconut oil and am excited to try it on my kid’s ouchies.

What brand of coconut oil do you buy?

Nutiva is the brand I used at first on my face and liked it, but I needed more!  I kept hearing great things about Mountain Rose Herbs and decided to try them out. The website wasn’t the  easiest to maneuver around, but I managed (and even added some arrowroot and essential oils into my cart). And oh my— the quality of the coconut oil is insane! It’s creamy, light and just feels great— I can’t go back to Nutiva after using this.

I bought one gallon of refined (for cosmetic purposes) and one gallon of unrefined for cooking. Well, the refined is strange and caused my face to break out in a bad rash. So I switched back to the unrefined and my face is happy again. I definitely recommendMountain Rose Herbs for all things natural and health-related— it’s a great company. But if you are not sure if you are gonna love coconut oil as much as I do, then totally give the less expensive Nutiva a try. That’s what got me hooked in the first place.

 

How to Use Coconut Oil on Your Hair and Skin

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Using coconut oil is a wonderful natural way to make your hair and skin soft, radiant, and healthy. Coconut oil is natural and contains no harmful chemicals. Toss out your deep conditioners, under-eye creams, and lotions - you don't need them anymore! A jar of unrefined coconut oil is an all-purpose moisturizer great for all skin and hair variations. If you want to learn how to use coconut oil on your hair and skin, keep reading.

  
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Conditioning Your Hair

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    Put on old clothes. Coconut oil can get a little drippy, so put on an old t-shirt or drape a towel around your shoulders to prevent it from getting on your nice clothes. It's best to start the conditioning treatment in your bathroom, but you'll be able to move around while you let it soak into your hair for a few hours.
     
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The Benefits Of Using Aloe Vera For Skin Care And More

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Aloe vera has been used for a host of purposes since the ancient Egyptians called it the “plant of immortality.” 
 
Since then, its uses have become more targeted and medicinal, and it's one of the leading therapies for sunburns. 
 
Aloe vera is a cactus plant that belongs to the Liliaceae family. It grows in dry climates such as those found in parts of Africa and India and has been used medicinally for centuries. 
 
Aloe leaves secrete a clear gel that when broken off from the rest of the plant that can be applied topically to heal wounds and soothe skin.
 
Various studies have been conducted to examine the benefits of the aloe vera plant and it was found out that aloe vera does in fact have several properties that are effective in treating a variety of skin conditions, from flaky or dry skin, cosmetic ailments, hair and scalp problems to many more. 
 
It is also said to be useful in treating wounds and burns, minor skin infections, cysts, diabetes, and elevated blood lipids in humans, and shows some promise in treating more serious and persistent conditions such as eczema, genital herpes, dandruff, psoriasis, canker sores, skin ulcers and others, according to the Mayo Clinic.
 
Here are 8 benefits of using aloe vera gel:
 
1. It treats sunburn. 
 
Aloe Vera helps with sunburn through its powerful healing activity at the epithelial level of the skin, a layer of cells that cover the body. It acts as a protective layer on the skin and helps replenish its moisture. Because of its nutritional qualities and antioxidant properties, the skin heals quicker.
 
2. It acts as a moisturizer. 
 
Aloe moisturizes the skin without giving it a greasy feel, so it`s perfect for anyone with an oily skin complexion. For women who use mineral-based make-up, aloe vera acts as a moisturizer and is great for the face prior to the application to prevents skin drying. For men: Aloe vera gel can be used as an aftershave treatment as its healing properties can treat small cuts caused by shaving.
 
3. It treats acne. 
 
Aloe vera gel contains two hormones: Auxin and Gibberellins. These two hormones provide wound healing and anti-inflammatory properties that reduce skin inflammation. Giberellin in aloe vera acts as a growth hormone stimulating the growth of new cells. It allows the skin to heal quickly and naturally with minimal scarring. 
 
Aloe is soothing and can reduce skin inflammations, blistering and itchiness, while helping the skin to heal more rapidly. Additionally, in Ayurvedic medicine, Aloe is used to effectively heal chronic skin problems, such as psoriasis, acne and eczema.
 
4. It fights aging. 
 
As we age, everyone begins to worry about the appearance of fine lines and the loss of elasticity in their skin. Aloe leaves contain a plethora of antioxidants including, beta carotene, vitamin C and E that can help improve the skin's natural firmness and keep the skin hydrated.
 
5. It lessens the visibility of stretch marks. 
 
The skin is like one big piece of elastic that’ll expand and contract as needed to accommodate growth. But if the skin stretches too far, too fast (due to pregnancy, rapid weight gain or loss) the elasticity of the skin can be damaged. That’s what leaves those unsightly stretch marks. These marks appear due to minor tears in the layers of the skin caused by sudden and excessive stretching. Aloe vera gel can help hide these stretch marks by healing these wounds.
 
6. It's nutrient rich for good health. 
 
This solid material contains over 75 different nutrients including vitamins, minerals, enzymes, sugars, anthraquinones or phenolic compounds, lignin, saponins, sterols, amino acids and salicylic acid. 
 
7. It soothes in periodontal disease. 
 
According to a study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, it's extremely helpful in the treatment of gum diseases like gingivitis, periodontitis. It reduces bleeding, inflammation and swelling of the gums. It is a powerful antiseptic in pockets where normal cleaning is difficult, and its antifungal properties help greatly in the problem of denture stomatitis, apthous ulcers, cracked and split corners of the mouth.
 
8. It aids in digestion. 
 
The internal benefits of aloe vera are supposed to be just as amazing. The plant is said to improve the digestion and to relieve ulcers. Some people consider it a laxative, while others attribute that effect to its digestive qualities (which normalize the system and induce regularity). The juice is also prescribed for arthritis and rheumatism. To test any of these claims, steep the cut foliage in water or chew pieces of the fresh leaf.
 

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com

 

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