By Robert Cohen -
notmilk@earthlink.net
http://www.notmilk.com
It is not too late for you to enjoy the summertime magic
contained within one of nature's perfect fruits, watermelon.
Mark Twain wrote:
"When one has tasted it (watermelon) he knows what the
angels eat."
On my recent summertime coast-to-coast lecture tour of
America, one of the most asked frequently asked questions was, "So, what
do you eat for breakfast?"
I am a vegan, and egg-eating cereal crunchers are at a
loss to explain how anybody could eat delicious non-animal food.
This morning, while Sarah and Lizzy were eating their
margarine-slathered 750 calorie bagels, I ate 1/2 gallon of freshly cut
watermelon. My breakfast consisting of just one fruit totaled under 300
calories of fiber-rich melon containing isoflavones, particularly
lycopene. Lycopene neutralizes antioxidants. Although humans breathe
oxygen in air, there exist dangerously reactive forms of oxygen that can
cause
cellular damage. No other fruit of vegetable contains as much lycopene
as watermelon, not even those much-publicized tomatoes.
I had harvested a large seedless watermelon from my
garden last evening, refrigerated same, and was now enjoying the fruit
of my summer labor. Holding a small white seed in my hand, I wonder at
the miraculous instructions contained within that seed instructing a
growing melon to soak up just the right amounts of summer sun,
rainwater, and minerals from my soil to produce such incredible
sweetness (seedless watermelons often contain a few edible soft white
seeds).
According to watermelon.org, the first Watermelons were
grown in Africa's Kalahari Desert. Watermelon harvests were recorded
5,000 years ago in the form of hieroglyphics on walls of ancient
Egyptian buildings.
In 1905, most Americans did not have refrigerators. Nor
were they able to ship and store fruits and vegetables In the efficient
manner that we now take for granted.
In her Ministry of Healing,
published in 1905, Ellen White recognized the importance of fruit in
one's diet. On page 299, she wrote:
"Wherever fruit can be grown in abundance, a liberal
supply should be prepared for winter, by canning or
drying. Small fruits, such as currants, gooseberries,
strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries, can be
grown to advantage in many places where they are but
little used and their cultivation is neglected."
How does one preserve watermelons?
Try making homemade watermelon rind pickles:
http://www.mountain-breeze.com/kitchen/canning/can39.html
In China, watermelon seeds are flavored with soy sauce
and dried. You'll find bags of these dried treats in most Asian grocery
stores.
I will be scooping out the remaining pulp and juice and
adding it all to my blender for a refreshing drink while I work later
this afternoon.
Go on to Accountability
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