This week’s Get Jiggy Weight Loss JigSaw Puzzle, “Watermelon Straight Up, Please” was inspired by the watermelon!!!

Here follows some interesting information about the watermelon for you to chew on, whilst you click through the puzzle.

Remember, clicking burns calories.  And Our Lady of Weight Loss’s jigsaw puzzles keep your hands and your mind occupied and out of the kitchen!

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Shocking Food News from the Our Lady of Weight Loss Kitchens – The watermelon is neither a fruit nor a melon.

Watermelon’s official name is Citrullus lanatu, and it is a member of the botanical family Curcurbitacae; and it is a vegetable. (Go know! I never would have guessed.)

It is related to the cucumbers, pumpkins and squash families. Watermelons are native to the Kalahari desert of southern Africa and were introduced to America by Africans transported as slaves.

Fresh watermelons may be eaten just as they are, used to flavor summer drinks, or in a variety of recipes.

The watermelon’s exterior rind is smooth and its interior fruit is red, deliciously sweet and very juicy, and its colors and pattern are worth noting for any art project! Very inspirational.

What is a hard watermelon?
A hard watermelon is a watermelon that has had a hole pierced into it and hard liquor poured through that hole. The alcohol mixes with the juicy red fruit. You can then cut yourself a slice as you normally would. For adults only, of course, and in moderation!

Is Watermelon a healthy choice? You bet cha!
Congrats to the Watermelon for receiving the “heart healthy” seal of approval from the American Heart Association and for being the leader in lycopene among fruits and vegetables. Lycopene is known to reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

Watermelon is also loaded with Vitamins A, B6 and C, is low in sodium, fat-free, low in calories and is 92% water! A 2-cup serving of watermelon is only 80 calories. That’s twice as much bang for your buck as most fruit!

What are the benefits of Vitamins A, B6 and C?
The vitamin A found in watermelon can help to prevent night blindness and it gives a boost to the infection-fighting white blood cells called lymphocytes.

The vitamin B6 that used by the body to produce neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, melatonin and dopamine, which we all know by know make us feel good, help to alleviate anxiety and panic.
And the Vitamin C can boost the immune system’s resistance against infections and viruses. Once again, those free radicals chances of aging us or creating cataracts are diminished.

Tasty Tidbit ~ How to Pick A Watermelon:

• Your watermelon should be firm, symmetrical and free of bruises, cuts and dents.
• Pick it up and make sure it’s heavy. Yeah baby, since watermelon is 92% water, it should be heavy for its size.
• Take a look at its underside. A creamy yellow spot marks where it sat on the ground naturally ripened in the sun!

  Spread the word … not the icing!

  Janice
  

  Life & Wellness Coach
  Self-Help / Weight Loss Artist
  wise * fun * utterly useful

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