Watermelon Cucumber Smoothie

CONSTITUTIONAL NUTRITION INSIGHTS

Reduce Water Weight, Puffy Skin, & Swelling

Both watermelon and cucumber are wonderfully cooling remedies for hot summer heat. On hot days you might feel puffy and swollen because dilated capillary beds release more fluid into your skin. If your lymph is thick, this extra fluid causes congestion and puffiness. Even your ankles will get swollen with the heat.

Watermelon's diuretic qualities reduce summer swelling. As it purges extra fluids from your body, watermelon leaves you feeling light and refreshed. This drying quality and low calorie count of watermelon are a boon to the delicious taste of watermelon 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 it 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. Vata should be careful to restore electrolyte loss as well.

Although technically a bad food combination, blending cucumber and watermelon together makes it more compatible, at least for my digestive tract!Leave a Comment / Question

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