How watermelon help you lose weight?
Watermelon is naturally low in
calories, which makes it an excellent food to include in a diet to lose weight.
It is tasty, easy to prepare and convenient to eat, especially when they are in
season. However, despite the remarkable nutritional profile of watermelon, it
is not a magic fix to lose weight and is not a substitute for other healthy and
balanced foods.
Benefits
According to the United States
Department of Agriculture, 1 cup of watermelon pieces has only 45 calories.
This means that it naturally fits a low calorie diet to boost weight loss.
Eating fresh fruits like watermelon is not only useful for your waistline. The
vitamins, minerals and nutrients found in fruits and vegetables can help reduce
the risk of developing cancer, heart disease, stroke, kidney stones, bone loss,
high cholesterol and diabetes, among other serious health conditions.
Nutrition facts
According to the United States
Department of Agriculture, a cup of watermelon pieces has approximately 1 g of
protein, 0.25 g of fat, 11.5 g of carbohydrates, 0.5 g of fiber and 9.5 g of
sugar. Of the 150 g that form a cup of watermelon, almost 140 are water, which
means that watermelon is a food with low bone density. Low-density foods are
rich in water and fiber and low in fat and calories. They can also help you
feel full and stay full for long periods of time, helping you lose weight even
more.
Applications
Chopping a watermelon and eating
some raw pieces may be the tastiest way to enjoy the fruit, but it is far from
being the only way. For example, if you want to reduce the total number of
calories in a protein shake, use a watermelon as the only fruit, do not add
sugar and thicken the shake with half a cup of non-fat Greek yogurt. You can
also use a watermelon as the main attraction in a salad or as a naturally sweet
dessert. It has much fewer calories than nuts, seeds or chocolate cake, so it
can help you gradually develop a significant caloric deficit.
Considerations
Watermelon offers many benefits
to weight loss, but eating too much leaving other healthy food groups aside can
be harmful. Nutritionist CNN.com, Dr. Melina Jampolis, recommends limiting your
daily servings of fruits to three, as they are richer in sugar and calories
than other whole foods and occasionally contributes to gaining weight. To
eliminate pounds safely and consistently, reduce your daily calories, exercise
regularly and eat watermelon along with other fruits, vegetables, whole grains,
lean proteins and low-fat dairy products.
