Honeydew Happiness and More Tips on Sleep

This week baby is the size of a honeydew melon. I think of honeydew as cantaloupe’s cousin. It has a similar shape, only a bit bigger, which explains why it’s the fruit for week #35 and not #34.

Honeydew’s sweet flesh is typically light green, while its skin has a white-yellow tone.

To find a sweet one, shake it. If you hear and feel the seeds inside jiggling around, you’ve got a winner. The rind should be smooth and waxy and bright, creamy yellow in color. It should also smell like fragrant flowers. Find the blossom end, which is opposite the end where it was attached to the vine. Give it a press with your thumb and it should feel slightly springy, with a little give.

Your melon will not ripen once it’s cut from the vine, so what you bring home is as good as it gets. 

Before cutting it, wash the rind well. Refrigerate.

Honeydew is full of nutrients and is a healthy addition to your diet.

Benefits of Eating Honeydew

*May help reduce blood pressure because it is low in sodium and high in potassium.

*It helps bone health due to folate, vitamin K, and magnesium.

*Fiber in the fruit may help control blood sugar levels over time and aid in digestive health.

*Electrolytes in the melon help hydrate better than water alone.

*Vitamin C content helps support immune function.

*Honeydew melon contains lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants that are known to support healthy eyes and vision.

This fruit is easy to add to your diet. It’s great alone or added to many different dishes, including salad, salsa, smoothies, soup or dessert.

It may be tricky to find a ripe one out of season. Hang in there, summer’s coming.

It’s National Sleep Awareness Month

This month, most of the country moves the clocks forward for Daylight Saving Time. March 14^th is the date for us to spring ahead and lose that sacred hour of sleep.

That single hour really does make a difference, and many people feel out of whack for a couple weeks.

Not only can that lost hour make you feel groggy and irritable, studies have found that both heart attacks and fatal car accidents increase after the spring shift to Daylight Saving Time.

Here are 4 tips to help make the time change a bit easier on you. 

1. Start preparing a few days early. About a week before “springing forward,” start going to bed 15 to 30 minutes earlier than your usual bedtime. Your body needs that bit of extra time to make up for the lost hour.
2. Stick to your schedule. Be consistent with eating, social, bed and exercise times during the transition to Daylight Saving Time. Exposing yourself to the bright light in the morning will also help you adjust.
3. Don’t take long naps. Shutting your eyes mid-day is tempting, especially if you’re feeling sluggish. A long daytime nap could make it harder to get a full night’s sleep. If you must take a nap in order to get through your day, take it early and for no longer than 20 minutes.
4. Avoid coffee and alcohol. Avoid coffee and caffeinated beverages four to six hours before bedtime. Alcohol also prohibits you from getting quality sleep, so avoid it late at night.

Remember last week’s tip to put that phone away 30 minutes before bedtime. Practice slowing down so that your body can relax.

Much love,
Carol

“It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it.” —John Steinbeck