Frozen Watermelon Juice: A Tasty Treat to Beat the Summer Heat

Are you experiencing an insufferable heat wave that has you wondering if you’re actually living in hell? Frozen watermelon mint juice is the answer to your hot weather woes, my friend. 

I’ve been sipping this stuff on the regular, and it hasn’t even reached 90º in Maine! The frozen watermelon juice recipe I whipped up in my Vitamix is so delicious, I knew I had to share it with you.

In the past week, I’ve had friends text me about 104º days in my old California neighborhood. Then, heatwaves around the world started making headlines.

While watermelon juice may not solve our climate crisis, it might just help you stay cool, calm, and hydrated AF in this potentially dangerous weather.

How To Make a Frozen Watermelon Mint Juice Slushy

It really couldn’t be easier, my friend! In fact, I wouldn’t even consider this a “recipe” per say. All you have to do is:

1. Gather ingredients: watermelon and fresh mint — I used peppermint, but any mint is groovy
2. Cut half a watermelon into cubes — mine were about 1”-1.5”
3. Arrange the watermelon cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
4. Pop the tray into the freezer until the cubes reach your desired level of frozenness
5. Fill a high-speed blender about halfway with frozen watermelon cubes and toss in a small bunch of chopped mint
6. Blend until you have the desired consistency, adding water as needed
7. Pour into a glamorous beverage vessel  — I used a mason jar — and enjoy!

I’ve also made this by freezing an entire halved watermelon, then partially defrosting it and scooping the contents into the blender. Trust me when I tell you the cube method is easier and celaner!

If you don’t finish your slushy, you can store the rest in the refrigerator for up to three days. Sipping non-frozen watermelon mint juice straight outta the fridge is just as cool!

Why You Should Drink Watermelon Mint Juice in Hot Weather

So many reasons! The flavor alone is enough to win me over. But when it comes to health benefits, watermelon packs a solid punch.

Watermelon Is Hydrating and Nutritious

It may come as no surprise that watermelon is full of… water! This juicy, sweet fruit consists of about 92% water, and is low in both sugar and calories¹.

But to stay adequately hydrated in the heat, your body needs more than water alone. If you sweat a lot (raises hand!), replenishing your electrolytes is essential. Have you ever noticed that sweat tastes salty? Or that your skin is covered in a crusty layer of white stuff after the perspiration evaporates? You’re leaking electrolytes through your pores! Your body needs electrolytes to run smoothly.

Fortunately, watermelon is a rich source of vitamins, antioxidants, and electrolytes, including¹:

• Potassium
• Magnesium
• Vitamin C
• Lycopene 
• Beta-carotene, the precursor to Vitamin A

Watermelon Helps You Recover From Exercise

Watermelon also contains high levels of amino acid L-citrulline. This amino acid has been shown to boost athletic recovery be reducing inflammation and relieving post-exercise muscle soreness².

As a former ultramarathon runner, I can tell you first-hand that watermelon is an athlete’s best food-friend. I can’t think of watermelon without recalling the 50K I ran on a record-hot day in Mount Shasta, California. Nearly half the runners dropped out due to the triple-digit heat, but I was not among them. I powered through and collapsed, delirious and exhausted, right after the finish line.

Then, an angel fluttered down on butterfly wings, offering me a plate full of watermelon and asking if she could dump a bowl of cold water over my head.

And I miraculously rebounded. Ever since then, watermelon has been my go-to source of nutrients for all types of exercise recovery.

Mint Adds More Health Benefits

Mint is well-known as a cooling herb. The cool, tingly sensation you associate with mint comes from menthol. While ancient healing systems like Ayurveda use mint to cool the body, I wasn’t able to find proof that it lowered the body temperature. Rather, it seems the sensation menthol creates may trick your brain into thinking you’re cooler. This works fine for me!

Other benefits of mint include:

• Rich in vitamins, electrolytes, and antioxidants like vitamin A and manganese
• Eases digestive discomfort, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)³
• Mint’s aroma (in essential oil form) has been shown to improve cognitive alertness and decrease anxiety

I used peppermint in my watermelon juice, but spearmint and wintergreen are good alternatives. We also have spearmint growing on our farm. I just harvested a handful and held it right up to my nose to breathe in the healing effects of the plant!

Magical Associations of Watermelon Mint Juice

I wouldn’t be a wellness witch without including the magical properties of this summertime elixir!

Drinking watermelon mint juice provides magical benefits, such as:

• Prosperity
• Joy
• Love
• Fertility
• Peace
• Purification
• Success

In conclusion, watermelon mint juice is a delicious, nutritious, healing, and magical treat. I like to front-load my wellness by drinking a glass early in the day, before I start overheating.

If you try this, please let me know!

Be Well and Stay Cool,

XoL

Cover image via Pexels

Sources:

1. Naz, A., et al., “Watermelon lycopene and allied health claims,” EXCLI Journal Experimental and Clinical Sciences, 3 Jun. 2014.
2. “Watermelon juice relieves post-exercise muscle soreness,” Science Daily, 14 Aug. 2013.
3. Khanna, R., et al., “Peppermint oil for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysys,” Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, Jul. 2014