Watermelon & Basil Smoothie

CONSTITUTIONAL & METABOLIC INSIGHTS

Watermelon invites children and adults alike to step out of the heat and enjoy a refreshing treat on a summer day. Full of delicious juice, watermelon cools your body and restores balance to overheated blood.

Late June and early July is the perfect time of year to enjoy watermelon. Its sweetness is restorative for heat induced fatigue. Its cold nature and betacarotene calms your liver, easing frustration. In the summer, your heart beats faster to regulate body temperature, an effect called heart heat in Chinese medicine. Watermelon's calming effect on your spirit relieves the restlessness and impulsivity of too much heart heat.

A touch of basil's bitterness paradoxically brings out watermelon's sweetness. The earthy aroma of basil enhances subtle flavors in watermelon, a gourd after all. Basil's pungency adds zest for a exciting finish.

Reduce Water Weight, Puffy Skin, & Swelling

On hot, humid days you might feel puffy and swollen, especially if your lymphatic system is congested. Even your ankles will get swollen with the heat. Those who suffer from puffiness and water retention will be happy that watermelon's diuretic properties dry out your blood (due to potassium) and reduce summer swelling. As it purges extra fluids from your body, watermelon leaves you feeling light and refreshed.

The dryness and low calories in this festive fruit are ideal for those trying to lose weight. Watermelon also has a surprising ability to reduce insulin resistance.

Note: Summer swelling is called damp heat in Chinese medicine. Ayurveda describes damp heat as the hot, sour, spreading, & liquid nature of pitta.

Cleanse Your Urinary Tract

The more you sweat, the less you pee. Your risk for urinary tract infections (UTI) and bladder stones increases with summer heat. As you sweat more, urine thickens to a dark yellow. When it sits too long in your bladder urine becomes turbid. The foul, and often sour smelling urine irritates the bladder and urinary tract. Concentrated urine also forms stones more easily.

Watermelon flushes and cleanses your urinary tract by its diuretic action. Its cooling quality reduces inflammation. Pay attention to the color and quantity of your urine. When you notice it has returned to a light yellow color and is more copious, you will know that you are reducing your risk of a urinary tract infection this summer.

Be sure to drink lots of water when cleansing your urinary tract with watermelon. Although an exuberant slice of watermelon might be a tempting way to relieve dehydration, due to its diuretic effect watermelon's juiciness only quenches thirst temporarily. Dry Vata types should exercise caution with watermelon, and be careful to restore electrolyte loss as well. Leave a Comment / Question

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