Need to cool off this Summer? This delicious salad will do it!
Energetically, cucumber, mint, and watermelon all help balance hot pitta dosha and have a cooling effect on the body and mind.
Cucumber and watermelon are considered succulent Summer melons. They are both high in antioxidants, are anti-inflammatory which cools and detoxifies the blood, and have a diuretic effect which soothes and detoxifies the urinary system, flushing out the bladder and kidneys.
The cooling effect of these fruits makes them the perfect Summer foods. Adding fresh mint, fresh-squeezed lime, and pink salt helps keep digestive power enkindled at a time when digestion is usually weaker. Yup, digestion is typically weaker in the Summer. For more on that, see my article “Digestion during Summer”.
This salad makes a great mid-day snack or a light dinner, and I recommend eating it alone.
Ayurveda typically guides us not to mix melons with any other foods because they digest quickly and can ferment in the tummy causing gas and bloating if eaten with harder-to-digest foods.
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups cubed cucumber (Persian or English)
2 cups cubed watermelon (de-seeded, particularly the hard black seeds)
Juice of 2 limes
4 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
Himalayan pink salt to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Combine ingredients in a bowl.
Serve and enjoy!
Note: If making salad ahead of time, do not add the lime juice and salt until just before serving.
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