The summer sun has been burning hot, causing people to rush to the store to purchase sunscreen. When people think of sun screen and sun protection, most people picture a tube of white gooey stuff that you rub all over your face, shoulders, arms, chest, and back. Yet the best sun protection comes from the inside out.
Watermelon is a lycopene-rich food and offers natural sun protection. See here: “Consumption of watermelon juice increases plasma concentrations of lycopene and beta-carotene in humans.”
Several studies have shown that people who eat diets high in lycopene-rich foods have lower risk of sun cancer. See here: “Lycopene-rich products and dietary photoprotection.” What’s more, people who consume a diet high in lycopene experience less severe sun burns – and often they suffer no sun sunburns at all.
As watermelon is in season, it’s time to juice watermelons.
(Need a juicer? Read our Breville Juicer Reviews and Omega Juicer Reviews.)
Juicing watermelons could not be simpler. All you need to do is chop up a watermelon, throw it into a blender, and blend until smooth.
A watermelon is over 90% water by concentration, so use as many cups of watermelon as you want juice. In other words, one cup (or 8 ounces) of watermelon is going to yield one cup (8 ounces) of juice.
Yesterday I drank a large glass (16 ounces) of watermelon juice before hanging out on a rooftop deck. Although I was in the sun for several hours and have fair skin, I was only slightly pink afterwards. I drank another 16 ounces of juice when I got home and woke up without a sunburn.
The beta-carotene in carrots also offer sun protection. Carrots are a natural sunscreen.
Watermelon Carrot Juice
- Juice carrots in your juicer of choice;
- (Don’t have a juicer? Find out: What is the best juicer?)
- Blend the watermelon into watermelon juice;
- Combine the carrot juice and watermelon juice into a glass and enjoy.
Don’t let too much sun lead to “summertime sadness.” Drink lycopene-rich watermelon juice to protect your skin from sun damage.
Read more: Just Carrot Juice.