Watermelon mania

Nothing can be more filling and satisfactory on a hot summer day, than a juicy slice of watermelon! It is the safe alternative to taking sugary, caffeine filled, carbonated drinks, which can dehydrate easily and can cause damage to health.

Hyderabad streets are hoarded by the street vendors with luscious looking red colour watermelons. The street vendors cut and sell them in small slices. Apart from having hygenic issues at roadside shops, fruit vendors started giving a colour wash by injecting a red dye to give bright red colour, which is very toxic and could result in deadly disease. Beware!

Health benefits of Watemelon:
Watermelons are really great. It is packed with some of the most important antioxidants found in nature. It is an excellent source of vitamin C; vit A.  Particularly, concentration of beta-carotene in the beautiful red watermelon is a source of antioxidant which is called lycopene. These antioxidants travel throughout the body neutralizing free radicals. It is a surprising fact that watermelon is the only fruit that contains higher concentrations of lycopene than any other fresh fruit or vegetable. Watermelon is a fruit that is rich in electrolytes, sodium and potassium that we lose through our perspiration. Watermelon is rich in the B vitamins necessary for energy production. Because of its higher water content approximately ninety percent and calorie value it is ranked more valuable than other fruits. Watermelon has a special cooling effect . It also known to reduce the risk of colon cancer, asthma, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and prostate cancer.

Here, I included two recipes, spiced watermelon and watermelon juice:

Spiced watermelon
Ingredients:
Watermelon - cut in cubes, 2 cups approx
lemon juice - 1/4 tsp
Salt
Pepper
Honey - 1/2 tsp
Fresh mint - chopped finely

Method:
Take the watermelon in the serving bowl, drizzle with lemon juice and honey. Sprinkle salt and pepper and dress it up with the chopped mint.

Water melon juice:
There is no special recipe for this. Take the watermelon cubes and blend  it in the processor and there you go! Serve chilled, It is so refreshing ....

Tip: You can do the rim with the chat masala, just as you do for the cocktails.
If theJuice is frigerated for too long, the essential nutrients are killed. It is best taken instantly.