Stay Hydrated to Reduce Pain
Video by Dr. Bryan Stephens
With 75% of the adults in the United States facing chronic dehydration, we need to find ways to up the water intake. Watermelon is about 92% water. I recently was given a watermelon and have been eating it for the past week. It had been about a year since I had last eaten watermelon and I forgot how much I liked it. It was cool, sweet, and refreshing. I have since been adding it to my green smoothies again to take advantage of the flavor and hydrating effects it has on the body.
Along with the water content, it is a great source of dietary fiber, vitamin a, vitamin c, and lycopene. Lycopene is a plant compound that has been found to help lower inflammation in the body due to its antioxidant effects. Another amino acid found in watermelon, citrulline, has been shown to help the body release nitric oxide. When nitric oxide is present, the blood vessels dilate. This dilation helps lower blood pressure through the body.
While it does have many benefits, I still appreciate the light and refreshing taste it can add while helping keep the water content high. While I put it in the smoothie this time, you can also add pieces to your regular water to give it a bit of flavor without adding too much sugar which causes more inflammation. The overall goal is to keep the chronic inflammation down, the hydration up, and boost your overall health while staying out of pain. This can help you do just that.
References
Survey of 3003 Americans, Nutrition Information Center, New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center (April 14, 1998).
Manivannan A, Lee ES, Han K, Lee HE, Kim DS. Versatile Nutraceutical Potentials of Watermelon-A Modest Fruit Loaded with Pharmaceutically Valuable Phytochemicals. Molecules. 2020 Nov 11;25(22):5258. doi: 10.3390/molecules25225258. PMID: 33187365; PMCID: PMC7698065.
Recipe
- 1 cup organic spinach
- 4 squares of watermelon
- ¼ organic green apple
- ½ organic banana
- ¼ cup organic almonds
- 2 cups water
Blend until everything is mixed and enjoy.
Our Message
When you are looking for a Chiropractor near you that you can trust, choose one who will not only get rid of your back pain, neck pain, or headaches but who will also guide you to living a healthier lifestyle to keep you out of pain. Our St. Louis Park Doctors, located in the West End, near the corner of MN-100 S & Lake Rd./Westside Dr., will teach you what the research says about how and why we should eat a better diet, move more and have more positive thoughts. By improving these areas of our lives we can become healthier, stay out of pain and reduce risk of diabetes and other diseases!