Packaged inside their distinctive rinds, melons contain abundant health benefits. They are easy to grow in a home garden, and readily available at the grocery store. Here are a few reasons to include melons in your summer diet.
Cantaloupes have the most vitamins and minerals of any melons. While grown in many areas, Texas produces outstanding ones. The prime season for cantaloupes is during June and July.
Most honeydew melons are grown in California and Arizona. Their peak harvest is July through September. The deeper the flesh color, the higher the vitamin content.
When choosing melons, check their firmness, feel and smell. Avoid any melons with soft spots as that indicates spoilage. If you are in doubt about your ability to choose a good melon, don't be afraid to ask the produce man for advice.
Ripe cantaloupes will have a sweet fragrance, and a slight softening of the melon. A ripe honeydew will have a creamy white color on the surface. Watermelons should have a patch of yellow on the underside.
The best way to tell ripeness is by the flesh. Casaba melons are cream colored, honeydews are a greenish cream, and while cantaloupe is a salmon color. Ripe watermelons should have a dull, hollow sound when they are thumped before being opened, and should have firm, crisp, juicy flesh that is not dry or fibrous.
Melons abound in vitamins A, B and C. Melons also contain a great deal of distilled water. Starting the day with a glass of cantaloupe juice can improve the whole day. Melons are also great for helping with eliminating toxins.
Adding melons to your diet will improve the health of those using essential oils. Using essential oils combined with the silicon contained in melons will improve the common diet. The melon rind is also full of nutrients and essential oils, so remember to include it when making your melon juice.
