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- Wintermelon and Watermelon Smoothie: Blend equal parts wintermelon and watermelon in a blender with water or plain yogurt and add honey or agave syrup to taste.
- Wintermelon Raita: Grate wintermelon and mix with plain yogurt, add lemon or lime juice, salt, black pepper, and a sprinkling of roasted cumin seeds. (Raita is a great counterpart to any spicy Indian or Mexican dish.)
- Lime and Wintermelon Cooler: Juice 2-3 cups of wintermelon in a juicer, add fresh lime juice and salt to taste. Blend in a sprig of mint or cilantro for a fresh twist.
Because of her participation in Isha Foundation’s Inner Engineering meditation program, Los Angeles resident Jennifer Carlson has learned a few uncommon yogic recipes to healthfully boost her energy without stimulants. For Jennifer, these simple recipes in combination with the daily meditation she learned from Isha founder, Sadhguru Vasudev, helped her eliminate a serious caffeine dependency that was robbing her of her health. This meditation and simple dietary additions can provide an alternative method of maintaining high levels of energy throughout the day, especially of interest to those resolving to consume less caffeine for the New Year.
“I am a night-shift nurse, which means I work as long as 12 hours through the night. In an emergency room situation, every moment someone’s life depends on my alertness,” Jennifer emphasized. I used to drink coffee and soda throughout my shift to maintain my effectiveness. When I came home, I was completely drained, nauseous, and jittery, I would have to eat something really heavy just so I could settle my stomach and sleep for a few hours—then I would begin this cycle all over again. The night-shift was taking such a huge toll on my body. Mentally also, I was feeling depressed. I knew I couldn’t survive this much longer, but I value my career.”
Then, Jennifer remembered a dietary tip she learned in the Inner Engineering program. “Sadhguru mentioned a white melon that naturally cools the system and gives a natural energy boost without caffeine or other stimulants,” she said. Desperate for something to replace caffeine, she tried it. “It has helped dramatically. It makes me feel highly energized and alert, but not at all jittery, nervous or agitated like coffee does—there’s no subsequent ‘crash’ after. It gives me a really healthy feeling boost, not an adrenaline rush.”
“In yoga, we do not look at foods in terms of vitamins, minerals or proteins. We categorize food in three ways: positive pranic food, negative pranic food, and zero pranic food,” explained Sadhguru in a recent class. “Positive substances are those which, when consumed, add prana to the system. The pranic energy, the vital energy in the body, will increase.” According to Sadhguru, wintermelon, fresh coconut, and lemon are among the most pranic foods available.
“This one addition to my diet in combination with my daily meditation practice has enabled me to break the unhealthy cycle of ups-and-downs. I drink 2-3 glasses of wintermelon juice while I am at work to stay energized through the night, and then I sit for about 20 minutes of meditation when my shift is over to rest and re-charge my system,” Jennifer explained. “My Shambhavi meditative practice also greatly reduces my need for sleep. So when I come home now, I eat a healthy meal and then sleep for about 5-6 hours.” Together, these simple lifestyle changes have even allowed Jennifer to spend time with her kids after school and make them dinner before she goes off to work again.
Click Here to read this article in Natural Awakenings, pp 24-25
That’s some amazing plant. I have been consuming ash gourd for long time, without even knowing what I have on my plate.
Thanks for sharing!
When making the juice, is it okay to juice the rind of the wintermelon too?
Hello Sri,
The wintermelon rind is very tough and would not juice well. You can just cut off the rind and remove the seeds before juicing.