Celebrate the Health Benefits of Watermelon this July

Home care assistance can help seniors enjoy various foods, like watermelon, with preparation and shopping.

Home care assistance can help seniors enjoy various foods, like watermelon, with preparation and shopping.

Is there any food that screams summer more than the iconic watermelon? We don’t think so! That’s why every July is National Watermelon Month. With many watermelon crops peaking this time of year, it’s the perfect opportunity to enjoy some juicy slices with your elderly loved one.

Relive those childhood memories of sitting on the stoop, chomping into a sweet watermelon, and spitting seeds at your siblings. Sharing these moments can bring joy and connection, and with home care assistance, you can ensure your loved one has the support they need to enjoy every season to the fullest.

 

Watermelons Provide Great Health Benefits for Seniors

There’s nothing quite like a chilled slice of watermelon on a hot summer day, but did you know it’s also packed with nutrients and vitamins that can support your senior’s health? Incorporating healthy snacks like watermelon into daily routines is just one way home care assistance can help maintain a nutritious diet for your loved one.

 

Lycopene Love

This natural compound found in watermelon has some amazing health benefits that can keep your loved one in better health. Lycopene is rich in antioxidants, which can help reduce the risk of eye conditions, heart troubles, and even some forms of cancer. Lycopene can even reduce the risk of getting sunburned (but still apply plenty of sunscreen as well).

 

We’re Crazy about Citrulline

Citrulline is an amino acid found in watermelon that can help the blood flow through the body more easily, thus lowering blood pressure.

 

Happy for the Hydration

Becoming dehydrated is more common in seniors who often don’t feel thirst as strongly as their younger counterparts. Watermelon is made up of more than 90% water, so a healthy snack of delicious watermelon can help your loved one keep her hydration needs in check.

It can be a great addition to the recommended amounts of water a person should drink, especially on a hot day when dehydration is more likely.

 

Fiber Keeps Things Moving

If your loved one needs a bit of help with staying regular with her digestion, the fiber in watermelon, along with the high water content, can make going to the bathroom a bit easier.

 

Beta-cryptoxanthin Equals Better Joints

Beta-cryptoxanthin is a natural pigment found in watermelon that can reduce inflammation in joints. It might even reduce your loved one’s risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

 

Vitamins Galore

From Vitamin A that helps your loved one’s eyesight, to Vitamin B6 for better skin health to Vitamin C for a stronger immune system, one serving is doing so much more than just making your loved one’s tastebuds happy, it’s interacting with multiple parts of her body, helping her stay healthy and strong.

 

Enjoy Watermelon This Summer with Some Home Care Assistance

Now that you know how great it is for your loved one, be sure to encourage them to enjoy plenty of watermelon this summer. Some seniors may take one look at that giant watermelon in the store and wonder how they’ll carry it home, much less cut it up and enjoy it.

A home care assistance team can step in and help with watermelon preparation if that’s what’s holding your loved one back. A home care assistance provider can carry that giant fruit into the kitchen and cut it up into easy-to-handle pieces for your loved one to enjoy.

Of course, another easy option is to have the home care assistance provider help your loved one pick up watermelons that are already sliced or diced, so all she needs to do is pop open the container and grab a fork.

No matter how your loved one goes about it, celebrating National Watermelon Month is a delicious way to stay healthy.

 

 

 

If you or someone you know needs Home Care Assistance in Spanish Fort, AL, please contact the friendly caregivers at  Hughes Home Care. We provide quality and affordable care for your elderly loved ones in our community. Serving Mobile & Baldwin County. Call us today at (251) 517-9901

James Hughes