Justification of my watermelon fascination!

Okay so most of you know that I LOVE watermelon. I crave it so bad. Right now it's not in season so it is a real treat when I get it and oh so good! Jarred came over the other night and he brought me a quarter of a watermelon. I ate the whole thing in one sitting. It was so good!

Anyway, I heard that watermelon is beneficial and especially for pregnant women. Check out this article I found....

Watermelon Wonders
More than just a summer picnic favorite, watermelon offers important pregnancy benefits and shows its stuff in several surprising recipes.
By Leigh Brown Perkins
Photography By Kana Okada

Once considered just a juicy treat with limited culinary range and nutritional value, watermelon actually is a versatile and very healthful fruit. On a salad plate, it's a succulent stand-in for tomatoes. It adds crunch and color to entrees. It makes a sweet background for smoothies and sorbets. And it freshens up a tangy barbecue sauce.

If you're pregnant, the benefits are even more delicious. Watermelon eases heartburn and reduces swelling; its high water content (92 percent) and fruit sugars alleviate morning sickness and dehydration; and the minerals it contains can help prevent third-trimester muscle cramps. Ounce for ounce, watermelon is richer than tomatoes in lycopene, an antioxidant that protects against cancer and cardiovascular disease, boosts the body's immunity to infections and naturally raises the skin's SPF, according to Steven Pratt, M.D., author of SuperFoods Rx (HarperCollins, 2003).

Even better news for pregnant women: A 2003 study in the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics found that daily lycopene supplements reduced the incidence of preeclampsia by 50 percent. Test subjects were given 4 milligrams of lycopene; a single serving of watermelon can have triple that amount. What's more, scientists have discovered that watermelon is packed with vitamins A, C and B6, as well as potassium and magnesium. These nutrients are important for the development of your baby's vision, brain, nervous and immune systems, and more. For you, potassium regulates water balance in the blood and body tissues during pregnancy. And you get all these benefits for less than 50 calories per cup.

With its plentiful health perks and juicy, refreshing taste, watermelon is one of summer's most perfect nutritional packages.