Watermelon
Just in time for summer, this month’s soother is watermelon. Not only is it beautifully colored and very refreshing, but also this fruit packs a real anti-anxiety punch! A member of the pumpkin, squash and cucumber family, watermelon boasts the following benefits:
- It is 92% water! This means that watermelon is an excellent hydrating snack for those blisteringly hot summer outings. Remember, dehydration is a big cause of nausea, fatigue and mood swings. Watermelon “ice cubes” in a tall glass of seltzer (with a mint leaf or two) is this Anxiety Sister’s favorite beverage!
- It’s a great source of lycopene—a powerful “super” antioxidant which boosts your immune system.
- One cup of watermelon provides 20 percent of your daily Vitamin C requirement. You may recall from our blog on vitamins that Vitamin C has been shown to lower oxidative stress throughout the body by suppressing the production of Cortisol, a stress hormone which causes anxiety symptoms.
- Watermelon contains lots of potassium, a mineral which helps lower blood pressure and stress hormones in the body.
- Watermelon is filled with Vitamin B6 (remember B is the “Brain Vitamin”), which helps produce our brain’s feel-good chemicals such as serotonin. Also, B6 naturally relaxes blood vessels which, in turn, eases anxiety symptoms.
- Watermelon acts as a cooling moisturizer for your skin with natural UV protection.
If these aren’t enough reasons to convince you to eat some watermelon this summer, here’s one more: it’s delicious!!!!
Debbie
My FAVORITE fruit! I eat so much of this in summer. I also flavor my water with it and make cocktails for friends get together