Summers are here and we cannot get over our obsession with the juicy summer fruits. Fruit carts are filled with vibrant-coloured mangoes, lichis, jamuns, and peaches. One of our favourite bits about this scorching weather is gorging into delectable summer melons. They are delicious to tuck into raw, they can be tossed in salads, and they taste oh-so-amazing in shakes and smoothies. Indian summers are quite incomplete without melons raiding a good amount of space in our refrigerators. Apart from being a flavourful addition to our diets, they are also packed with healthy antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. According to experts, melons can do wonders for high blood pressure management. High blood pressure is a condition where the force of blood against your artery walls is too high. Normal blood pressure range is 120/80 mmHg; if your BP is consistently higher than this, then you may be at risk of hypertension. Elevated blood pressure levels may also up risk of heart attacks.
(Also Read: Drinking Water After Eating Watermelon: Is it Safe or Not?)
High blood pressure patients must keep their salt intake in check. Excess sodium puts extra pressure on blood vessels, which restricts the blood flow and ups blood pressure. Including potassium in your diet may help negate the ill-effects of sodium and watermelons, muskmelon and honeydew melons are profuse with potassium. People with high blood pressure need to ensure some basic dietary precautions and they are good to go. Healthy foods for high blood pressure may go a long way in managing the condition of hypertension.
(Also Read: Benefits Of Muskmelon: 7 More Reasons To Love The Summer Fruit)
High Blood Pressure (Hypertension): Here are interesting ways in which you can incorporate melons in your high blood pressure diet.
1. Watermelon
Watermelons consist of 94 percent water, lycopene, potassium, Vitamin C and a lot of other nutrients. Here are some ways in which you can have watermelons this summer:
Watermelon Basil Cooler Recipe
Chilled Watermelon And Beet Soup Recipe
Mediterranean Watermelon Salad Recipe
Hypertension: Watermelons consist of 94 percent water and is excellent to manage hypertension
2. Muskmelon
Not just the pulp, even the seeds of this fruit are exceptionally nutritious. Muskmelon is filled with fibre, which helps in digestion. The antioxidants present in the fruit can do wonders for your skin and immunity too. You can blend them in smoothies, toss them up in salads or make milkshakes. However, make sure you do not add any extra sugar to the blend, if you are a diabetic. Here's a recipe of muskmelon milkshake.
Hypertension: Even the seeds of this fruit are exceptionally nutritious.
3. Honeydew
Honeydew melon is the fragrant and sweet variety of melons. According to the book 'Healing Foods', by DK Publishing House, "It has the highest sugar content of any melon, but also contains vitamin C, folate and potassium." They are an excellent addition to a smoothie, but it is best to have them raw and ripe.
(Also Read: Hypertension Diet: 5 Summer Fruits To Manage High Blood Pressure)
Try these amazing melons and keep your heart healthy this summer by keeping your blood pressure in control.