Will Watermelon Knock Me Out of Ketosis?

Several fruits are considered not to be suitable for a keto diet. However, if taken according to proper ration, there are others that will not affect your stay in ketosis.

Here, we will be considering watermelon and whether it is capable of kicking you out of ketosis.

Health Benefits and Nutrition Facts Behind Watermelon

Watermelon is a large and sweet fruit that originated from southern Africa. This fruit relates to zucchini, cantaloupe, cucumber, and pumpkin. Even more, watermelon is quite refreshing and contains nutrients, water, and a few calories. 

Additionally, it has several nutrients and health benefits. Some of the health benefits of watermelon include:

Lower Blood Pressure

Even more, watermelon may reduce arterial stiffness and blood pressure in persons with high blood pressure.

Reduction in Insulin Resistance

Insulin is a hormone that helps in controlling blood sugar in your body. On the other hand, insulin resistance is the state where your cells become highly resistant to insulin and its effects on the body. As a result, it can cause increased blood sugar levels, leading to type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

Studies have also successfully shown that the consumption of watermelon leads to a reduction in insulin resistance.

Reduction in Muscle Pain After Exercise

Nutrition Facts of Watermelon

Like other fruits, watermelon has several nutritional benefits to the body. Research shows that a 100grams of watermelon contains the following:

Other key nutritional facts about watermelon include:

Fibers

In terms of fiber content, watermelon is low in fiber as it only provides about 0.4 grams per 100 grams. But since it contains fructose, it is high in fermentable short-chain carbohydrates or FODMAPs.

Additionally, the consumption of large amounts of fructose causes digestive problems in people who cannot fully digest them.

Carbs

The carbs in watermelon are generally simple sugars like fructose, sucrose, and glucose. Watermelon contains about 12 grams of carbohydrates per 152 grams.

Furthermore, watermelon has a glycemic index of between 72–80. The Glycemic index is the degree of how quickly drinks and foods cause blood sugar levels to rise after eating.

Although watermelon has a relatively high glycemic index, it is quite low in carbs per serving. As a result, the consumption of watermelon should not cause any significant change in your blood sugar level.

Minerals and Vitamins

As mentioned earlier, watermelon is one of the best sources of vitamin C and several other minerals and vitamins. Some of the vitamins present in watermelon include:

Carb Content of Watermelon

Generally, most fruits have high carb contents. As a result, you can only consume such fruits in tiny amounts. Nevertheless, unlike other fruits, watermelon has been proven to contain about 11grams of net carb, which is considerably low.

Net carbs describe the amount of carbohydrate that your body absorbs in a specific ration of food. It is often obtained by subtracting the grams of fiber from the total grams of carbs.

Can Watermelon Kick You Out of Ketosis?

Since watermelon has a low carb content, it is safe to say it can fit into a ketogenic diet. However, whether or not watermelon will kick you out of ketosis will depend on the amount you are consuming and other foods you are eating during the day.

For instance, if you are on a 1000 calorie diet, your carb intake might be restricted to just about 12 grams daily. Thus, one serving of watermelon can take up almost half of your daily carb requirement.

It is necessary to always plan carefully before fitting in watermelon into your diet to avoid surpassing your daily carb allowance hence falling out of ketosis.

How to Use Watermelon On a Keto Diet?

There are several ways you can use to eat your watermelon on your ketogenic diet. If you do not want to follow the traditional method of slicing your watermelon, follow any of the methods below:

Can a Diabetic Person Eat Watermelon?

Watermelon is usually a summertime choice, even though you can eat it with each of your meals or at other times. Since we now know that watermelon can blend with the keto diet when taken in moderation, the question now is, can persons with diabetes eat watermelon?

The need to monitor your blood sugar level by watching what you eat can never be overemphasized if you have diabetes. Although watermelon does contain natural sugars, the quantity of watermelon you consume may affect your overall blood sugar level

Additionally, the moderate consumption of watermelon is capable of curbing your cravings for sweet things. It can also help to keep your feeling satiable for an extended period because watermelon contains lots of water content. That said, watermelon helps to keep you adequately hydrated too

Best Low-Carb Fruits to Consume on a Keto Diet

Even though a ketogenic diet requires you to restrict carb intake, it does not mean you must completely cut fruit out of your diet. As a matter of fact, with proper planning, there are several fruits that can fit into your keto diet.

If you are pondering on what kind of fruits are keto-friendly, you will find fruits that you can eat with your keto diet without having to fall out of ketosis. 

Avocados are fruits that are rich in fiber, healthy fats, and low in both carb and calorie content. With less than 2 grams of carbs, this is one fruit you can always enjoying alongside your ketogenic diet.

Although it is a keto-friendly fruit, you must ensure you keep track of the amount you are consuming to avoid a backfire effect.

Tomatoes are rich in minerals and vitamins. Even though you do not include tomatoes in your fruit salad, it can be consumed with your keto diet. It is a keto-friendly fruit that is low in carbs and fat. More so, it also contains vital antioxidants such as lycopene, which helps in fighting heart disease. 

Olive is a keto-friendly fruit that is low in carbs and fat. It is rich in sodium, which is an essential component in the keto diet.

Lemons are citrusy and sour fruits that are low in carbs and rich in vitamin C. Lemon water helps in promoting healthy digestion and contains antioxidants that help in fighting free radicals in your body.

Since lemons are keto-friendly, you can consume them with your diet without fear of getting out of ketosis.

If you are looking for fruit that is rich in healthy fats and also low in carbohydrates, then coconut is what you need. You can confidently include coconut to your ketogenic diet with any fears. We recommend you buy the whole fruit as packaged fruits often contain artificial sugars, which may harm your keto diet protocol. 

Berries like raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries are low carb fruits that contain several nutrients. As a result, they are keto-friendly and can be eaten as a substitute for food when hungry.

Watermelon is a staple fruit that is low in carbs and rich in natural sugars. Watermelons have higher water content, which makes them helpful in keeping you hydrated. Also, they are an excellent choice for relieving your cravings when on a ketogenic diet.

However, since they contain natural sugars, it is vital to track your daily consumption so that it does not affect your keto diet protocol.

The star fruit is yet another keto-friendly fruit that you can combine with your keto diet. It is capable of satisfying your taste buds and cravings. Even more, it is low in calories and contains potassium and vitamin C.

Although rhubarb is not a common fruit, it is one fruit you can add to your ketogenic diet. Rhubarb can be eaten raw, puréed in a low-carb smoothie, or roasted. It is rich in potassium, calcium, and vitamins A and C. However, remember not to consume it with its leaves.

Cantaloupe is another keto-friendly fruit worth adding to your menu. It is a sweet and refreshing fruit that helps you stay satiated for more extended periods. 

Peaches are a keto-friendly fruit that is popular for their juicy and fuzzy skin. Peaches are low in net carbs and rich in essential micronutrients, including vitamin A, vitamin C, niacin, and potassium.

Tips for Picking a Watermelon

Watermelon is a red and mouth-wateringly nutrient-dense fruit that is capable of serving as a low-calorie snack. Once a watermelon is ripe is provided, natural antioxidants, such as lycopene. 

The best way to determine whether a watermelon is ripe is by checking if its flesh is red or tasting it. However, you will have to buy it first before confirming.

Choosing a juicy and sweet watermelon can be a bit difficult. As a result, we have made available for you a few tips to help you pick a delicious watermelon.

Generally, watermelons come in different shapes and sizes that differ from oval to round to elongated. Irrespective of the one you choose, ensure you go for those that are symmetrical in shape and firm. Also, avoid watermelons with dents, cuts, and irregular bumps.

Irregularities in the shape tend to mean that the watermelon was not adequately fertilized or contains varying amounts of water. Even more, dents or cuts may indicate the presence of fungus and insects.

When you turn a watermelon over, it is expected that you will find a yellow spot. That spot is known as ground or field spot, and it shows the particular point the watermelon rested before harvest.

If the yellow spot is large, it means the watermelon spent a lot of time ripening and should taste sweeter. Since watermelons do not become ripe after being harvested, ensure you pick one with a larger spot.

A ripe and sweet watermelon is expected to be heavy. The heavyweight indicates that it contains plenty of water hence making it juicier. Additionally, since fiber and water content determine the health of fruit, fiber-rich fruits are always heavy.

The tapping technique is yet another method of deterring the ripeness of fruits. To use this method, simply slap or tap the watermelon, and the sound you hear will determine its level of ripeness. 

If the watermelon is ripe, it will make a deep sound similar to a tenor when you tap it. But if it makes a hollow sound, it is likely overripe.

The tail of a watermelon is the leftover stem that attached after the fruit has been harvested. A green stem shows that the fruit was harvested a bit early; hence, it will not be ripe. On the other hand, a dried stem indicates that the watermelon is ripe.

A watermelon's firmness refers to its skin or rind resistance. A ripe watermelon is expected to have a thick rind. More so, when you scratch the watermelon using your thumbnail, it should be hard enough not to cut through it.

How to Identify a Spoiled or Damaged Watermelon?

Since spoiled or damaged watermelons are not safe for consumption as they can cause a couple of issues like stomach pain.

If you want to discover how to identify a spoiled watermelon, check out for the following signs

Conclusion

Overall, ketosis refers to a natural metabolic state in which the body gets to a point where it lacks sufficient carbs to burn for energy. Similarly, a ketogenic diet is a low carb and high-fat diet that helps put you in ketosis. 

Although a keto diet can put in ketosis, there are several foods and factors that kick you out of ketosis. While there are fruits that can kick you out of ketosis, some do not affect your state of ketosis.

Interestingly, watermelon is a fruit that is low in carbs and keto-friendly. However, it is important to plan your diet properly so that you do not consume more than your daily carb requirement

Frequently Asked Questions