Recently a dietitian named Lavleen Kaur said watermelon is rich in the three blood pressure nutrients i.e. L-citrulline, Lycopene, and Potassium.’Beat the heat and keep your blood pressure in check with this watermelon slush’, the dietitian posted recently on Instagram.
She also said “Apart from this, add potassium-rich foods to your diet like banana, reduce sodium intake (especially the salt from processed foods) and from pickles, papad. Increase physical activity”. So bored with the consumption of medicinal drugs to maintain blood pressure? There are more natural alternative solutions for you.
First, let us know what is ‘blood pressure’. High blood pressure or hypertension is a condition in which the force of blood against the artery wall is too high. High blood means you have pressure more than the normal or recommended level that is around 80/120. High blood pressure can be managed through natural means rather than just medicines as well. One such big example is watermelon which is considered an effective fruit for lowering blood pressure.
Watermelons are sweet but are among low-calorie fruits. They are rich in fiber and nutrients which can help reduce blood pressure. The fruit is loaded with an amino acid termed L-citrulline which improves blood circulation, it is also rich in potassium and magnesium which help in smooth blood flow as well. This compound is covered with an acid called L-arginine which helps in the production of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is a blood vessel dilator. It tells blood vessels to expand and also helps in lowering blood pressure.
Watermelons are rich in lycopene which helps to reduce the thickness of the artery walls which automatically helps in lowering blood pressure. It is that fruit that has the right proportion of the compound named electrolytes that help to maintain blood pressure. Research shows that consumption of watermelon not only reduced systolic blood pressure but also improves blood circulation. So now let’s look into the ‘watermelon slush’ recipe. Before getting into the method there are some instructions you should follow. Don’t use salt or sugar. If u can’t do without it at all, use as minimal quantity as possible.
Best time to consume it is mid-morning. Avoid this recipe if you are allergic to watery fruits. Ingredients: Watermelon, mint leaves, lemon juice(one table spoon), water, soaked Chia seeds(half table spoon), soaked Gond katira(half an inch).
Method : First, take out all the seeds from the watermelon. Then use a blender to blend the seedless watermelon, mint leaves, lemon juice, and water all together nicely. Then add soaked chia seeds and Gond Katira and finally mix everything well. Then serve the delicious juice with some ice cubes and enjoy your chilly watermelon slush.