Xi gua, or watermelon as we call it, is a beloved refreshment for summertime, but did you know that it is used as food therapy in Traditional Chinese Medicine? TCM views food from a standpoint of energetics, or how the food affects the body and its processes. Watermelon is cold in energetic temperature, sweet in flavor and it enters the Stomach, Heart, and Urinary Bladder channels (there are 12 main channels that run throughout the entire body). According to Five Element Theory, the flavor of sweet is harmonizing, tonifying, moistening, contains Fire, and directs Qi to the Spleen. It is especially good at clearing heat, resolving water accumulation, and is used to treat overexposure to the sun, kidney infection, liver disease, kidney disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.
How do you pick the best watermelon from the produce stand?
Find one with a dark green color, except for the part that was touching the ground might be yellow- that’s OK! Just avoid ones with cuts and bruises. Since watermelon is 92% water, find the heaviest one because this means more juiciness! Always be sure to give it a good wash before you cut it up, since the farm it was growing at may have used pesticides and other chemicals and it could have a residue on the rind which can get transferred to the inside of the melon when you slice through it.
Let food be your medicine and have a happy & safe Florida summer!
– Watermelon Recipes to enjoy –
- Refreshing watermelon juice: Watermelon Juice Recipe – Cookie and Kate
- Delightful Mediterranean watermelon salad: Mediterranean Watermelon Salad with Feta and Cucumber | The Mediterranean Dish
