Watermelon- Summer's Delight

Watermelon is the typical fruit to quench the parching throat on a hot summer afternoon.The juice of watermelon  protects the skin from the sun. It also clears and cleanses the skin keeping it healthy and glowing.Watermelons are know to have originated in Africa,tracing it’s origins to the Kalahari deserts. It is noteworthy to mention here,that many centuries ago,watermelons were placed in tombs of the Egyptian kings to nourish them after life.(reference-woman’s magazine). Hence from Egypt, water melons spread along the Mediterranean sea by way of trade .It is a common summer crop and is widely cultivated throughout the world today.There are a variety of water melons produced each year.It consists of 93 per cent water.One or two servings of water melon a day is recommended as it is a multi vitamin fruit and contains Vitamin A B6 and C and also potassium and Iron.A variety of  recipes  can be prepared with this succulent fruit .Many love to indulge in the delightful deserts  made with this luscious fruit. During summer when it is  the peak time for tourism in many countries  chefs around the world display their gastronomic skills, displaying carved fruits and vegetables to the amazement of their guests and  visitors.Also others with a flair for art  come out with innovative  ideas and carve beautiful creations out of watermelons.This giant fruit   takes a prominent place  in my kitchen during Summer..

For easy cleaning –Place an old  sheet of newspaper on the kitchen counter  when you cut water melon.This is an easy way to discard the residue.

More on water melons- Farmers In Japan Creates Square-Shaped Watermelons

Food Addictives And Allergies

A few years back, it was distressing for my husband and I, to see our younger daughter fall sick, every time she ate some of her favourite food. She would either start coughing; a nagging cough which would linger for sometime or she would get itchy red bumps on her arms, sometimes on her face, (later I learnt the red bumps were hives.). We were clueless as to why she got them constantly.

After many visits to the hospital we learnt that it was due to an allergic reaction, but was not certain what triggered the “hives” on her. The thought of this, gave us many sleepless nights and constant worries, until one day our very own Sri Lankan Doctor, a paediatrician, who was attached to a reputed facility in Saudi Arabia, who on learning of our daughter’s condition helped us identify the root cause of her allergy. She was vulnerable  not only to certain foods like coloured candies and coloured drinks, but also to the strong smell of perfume, washing powder, bleach etc, all, with a considerable amount of additive compounds in them. Gradually, with much cajoling, we made her stop eating her favourite titbits like the multi coloured candies, chocolate chips and the luminous coloured drinks. After following the doctor's advice and guidelines, we saw a vast improvement in our daughter’s health. He helped us to keep a food diary and note carefully for any adverse reactions whenever she ate food. In the case of a sensitivity being identified, the practice was to eliminate all suspected foods from the diet and then reintroduce them one by one, to see which additive (or additives) caused the reaction. This was done under the supervision of this good-hearted doctor, whom we are ever grateful to. With the invaluable information on food allergies/additives, which my husband and I acquired, each time we accompanied our daughter, during the fortnightly visits to the doctor, we have become more selective in the choice of food we consume.

 Our distressing nightmare maybe over, but with four growing children and their immune system  different from one another, I sometimes  get the creeps to think,  what if , one of them  goes through that agony again.

( - This is an excerpt from my published article- )