Sweet Escape: Honeydew Melon

As Summer is fast approaching fruit is becoming much more plentiful! I am an avid fruit lover and can't seem to get enough when the whether starts to get warm. Fruit is a great and healthy way to cool the body down as well as fulfill our sweet tooth. Since low carb diets have been the craze over the last ten years fruit has gotten a bad rap. This is mainly due to the high levels of sugar in some fruits and how some nutritionist think that affects the body. I believe that everything in life is a personal experience and we each know how a food affects our body and weather it is right for us. Fruit makes me feel happy and is an instant skin clearer and natural weight loss tool for me. As is the philosophy of the raw food movement one can never get too many fruits and vegetables. I live by this idea because it works for my body and state of mind. As my mom reminds me, since I was a little girl I have been obsessed with honeydew melon. There is something about the texture and the cooling sweetness that is incredibly comforting and refreshing. It is true that honeydew has a high sugar content but this is in turn a very healthy kind of sugar that is filled with tons of health benefits for our bodies. What many people might not know is that natural sugars can be an incredible cooling agent  for the body. Such as spicy foods heat up the body sweet foods do the opposite and cool and calm the body down.

Honeydew is great for helping in curing any kind of skin inflammation for this reason, because of its very high water content and high levels of potassium. One cup of honeydew has more potassium than a medium banana and half the calories (not a banana lover). It also aids in diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and circulatory infections. One cup of honeydew also provides the body with 70% of the vitamin C and antioxidants that are required each day. High levels of vitamin C  is what provides the body and complexion with youthful and soft skin. When the body is high in vitamin C collagen gets boosted and the aging process is greatly slowed. Honeydew is also a good source of copper, which is another great mineral for skin regeneration.

One great and unknown benefit of honeydew is its powerful effect on babies. Because the immune system and bone strength of infants are less than adults, the high vitamins and minerals help in strengthening the immune system and bone density of babies. The melon is abundant with vitamin A, beta carotene, and antioxidants, these assist in strengthening their weak immune systems as well as their vision. This explains why I ate it up as a baby and why even then I knew my body needed it. The vitamin A helps strengthen vision in adults as well as boosting the ability to fight disease.
Honeydew is a great way to hydrate the body because of its high water content and is perfect for hot days. This is great for athletes, pregnant women, or anyone that is not a big water drinker. It is great eaten raw, added to desserts or even juiced. I have a huge sweet tooth and honeydew often keeps me away from cookies and ice-cream if I am feeling a craving. Definitely a great summer staple!