For The Love of Watermelon

Ever heard of Citrullus lanatus? Perhaps not. How about Watermelon? Sounds familiar, right? Welcome to the world of the watermelon (or Citrullus lanatus, if you prefer its fancy botanical name) where there is more to it than its familiar pink and green appearance.

Because of its sweet juice and the refreshing taste, the watermelon remains a favourite for many fruit lovers. Interestingly, not all watermelons are pink; some are yellow and are sweeter than their pink cousins with distinctive honey flavour. However, we in Nigeria are used to the delicious pink watermelons.

So, apart from being delicious, what else should we know about the watermelon? 

For one, it is an incredible source of nutrients. Let’s start with some of the vitamins that can be found in the watermelon:

·         Vitamin A:  This helps us maintain our vision. It boosts the body’s immunity by enhancing lymphocytes, the infection fighting component of the white blood cells.

·         Vitamin B6:  Also helps the immune system. Vitamin B6 plays a key role in producing antibodies which are needed to fight diseases.

·         Vitamin C:  Yet another vitamin that plays a key role in bolstering the body’s immune system against infections and viruses. It helps protect the body from harmful free radicals that can accelerate aging and conditions such as cataracts.

It doesn’t end there. If you are a –‘weight-watcher-’, watermelon may be the fruit for you. It has more than 90% water which helps in keeping you fuller for longer. So it’s bye-bye binge eating!

Watermelon also contains as little as 80 calories with no fat at all. How amazing! The fleshy insides are not the only nutritional parts of the watermelon.  For every time you throw away the watermelon seeds and the rind (the skin), you are actually throwing away valuable nutrients. Not sure what to do with the rind? Here’s a recipe for you; throw in the rind along with some lime into a blend and the resultant green brew is rich in chlorophyll (yes the same chlorophyll in plants) that helps cleanse and maintain the human blood. As for seeds you are guaranteed of a healthy dose of iron, zinc, protein, and fiber, if you just take out time to chew them.

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Battling The Bulge

You will quite agree with me that looking plump; well-rounded with rolls of fat evenly spread all over the body was a much desirable look by our grandparents.  Oh yes, men of old believed that for a woman to be considered beautiful she must be ‘well-endowed’. These women often called ‘thick madam’ were our original African Queens. In the Efik tribe of Calabar and Akwa-Ibom, young girls preparing for marriages were usually taken to a fattening room and kept in seclusion for several months; they were fed with rich and fatty foods with the sole purpose of, well, getting them fat. For this proud culture, being fat symbolised wealth, good fortune, beauty and fertility.

Fast forward to today, Nigeria’s attitudes and perceptions of beauty and wellness couldn't be more different. Nigerian society now encourages women to be smart and fit for longevity and healthier lifestyles. Being round or overweight is no longer desirable and even frowned upon in certain circles. Perhaps this is due to the growing influence of the Westernization.  An average lady now wants to have a “perfect coke shape bottle”.  Being overweight is more often than not, seen as a symbol of gluttony, excess, over indulgence and even laziness than an object of desire.  Irrespective of whether the definition of beauty includes the size of one’s waist, Obesity is one of the biggest health problems in the world. It travels with various other diseases, which combined, kills millions of people per year. Obesity can lead to a number of ailments, for example, bowel disease and type 2 diabetes. It is also a risk factor for some cancers such as breast cancer. 

Checkout the 3 factors that I believe are leading causes of obesity:

First and foremost, genetics is one of the leading factors of obesity. It's true that family genetics plays a role in the way you store fat and where it accumulates on your body. Genes alone do not mean you will be obese, but can cause certain obesity-related diseases.

Another factor is eating junk food. Filling your diet with junk food causes an array of problems in your body. Junk food is often high in sugar, fat and calories, while providing very few nutrients. You can treat yourself to some ice cream or your favourite snacks once in a while, but keep your portions to a minimum!

Also, Inactivity is another factor; a lack of energy balance most often causes overweight and obesity.  People who are inactive are more likely to gain weight because they don't burn the calories that they take in from food and drinks. An inactive lifestyle also raises your risk for coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, colon cancer, and other health problems. In order to eliminate obesity in our society, we should all strive to life a full life that is also healthy.  Getting to and staying at your healthy weight should be your goal and this begins with research - to determine what your ideal weight should be. The next step will be regular physical activity, drinking plenty of water every day; good eating plan and getting plenty of high-quality, restorative sleep.

As we celebrate this New Year, let’s embrace a healthy attitude by eating healthy balanced meals. We can start by, adding more fruits to our shopping list, exercising more often, eating breakfast, and drinking minimum of eight glasses of water daily.

Cheers to a prosperous and fabulous new year! 

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