Address Fatigue with Horned Melon

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If we are not eating right our efforts at dieting and exercise are complemented with fatigue. Truth is we are more apt to work at eating right and continuing on a course of fitness when we have energy and less frustration. One remedy to fight fatigue is iron and a favorite source for most of us is melon. What usually comes to mind is our summer favorite, watermelon but let’s discover a new melon that packs a wallop of iron, the horned melon.

Yes, it looks scary; a puffer fish on a vine.  I promise it won’t bite back.  Like any melon, horned melons are edible.  Originating in the Kalahari of Africa, horned melons; or African horned cucumber or hedged gourd if you prefer; grow on vines much like a pumpkin.  If you think the puffer fish look is scary, you should see the hairy leaves and stems attaching a row of a hundred or so horned melons to a common vine.  They can be found in New Zealand and California as well.

Horned melons can be harvested green; however you should allow it to ripen to a full-orange.  Cucumber-like seeds adorn the gelatinous pulp of yellow-green.  Tasting of cucumber and kiwi; or banana if picked fully ripe; you won’t be disappointed.  Sprinkle with sugar if you like; don’t worry about the seeds; they are edible too.  I mean you might as well enjoy them too after getting up the nerve to crack open the bumpy exterior.

Horned melons are filled with iron; in fact they contain three times as much as our summer favorite the watermelon.  Iron is a natural remedy to address fatigue; lack of energy; or a poor immune system; essentially any symptoms related to anemia.

While there are many ways to get iron into your diet, some may not be as appealing as fresh fruit.  If you were to not judge the horned melon by its appearance I think you may find it an agreeable addition to your diet.  So put your family on the list of adventure seekers; try horned melon for taste, health, and just plain fun.

Photo Credit: Kaldari, courtesy of Wikipedia

Violette DeSantis is a work-at-home mom, wife and freelance writer. Learn more about her latest projects at ViDesantis.WritelyApplied.com. If you need a writer, fiction or non-fiction, creative or not, she’ll work with you until it’s writely applied.

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