Confidence Building Story

A teenager lived alone with his father, and the two of them had a very special relationship. The father believed in encouragement. Even though the son was always on the bench, his father was always in the stands cheering. He never missed a game.

This young man was the smallest of the class when he entered high school.

His father continued to encourage him but also made it very clear that he did not have to play football if he didn't want to.

But the young man loved football and decided to hang in there. He was determined to try his best at every practice, and perhaps he would get to play when he became a senior.

All through high school he never missed a practice or a game, but remained a bench warmer all four years. His faithful father was always in the stands, always with words of encouragement for him. When the young man went to college, he decided to try out for the football team as a "walk-on."

Everyone was sure he could never make the cut, but he did. The coach admitted that he kept him on the roster because he always puts his heart and soul to every practice, and at the same time, provided the other members with the spirit and hustle they badly needed. The news that he had survived the cut thrilled him so much that he rushed to the nearest phone and called his father.

His father shared his excitement and was sent season tickets for all the college games. This persistent young athlete never missed practice during his four years at college, but he never got to play in the game.

It was the end of his senior football season, and as he trotted onto the practice field shortly before the big play off game, the coach met him with a telegram. The young man read the telegram and he became deathly silent.

Swallowing hard, he mumbled to the coach, "My father died this morning. Is it all right if I miss practice today?"

The coach put his arm gently around his shoulder and said, "Take the rest of the week off, son. And don't even plan to come back to the game on Saturday." Saturday arrived, and the game was not going well.

In the third quarter, when the team was ten points behind, a silent young man quietly slipped into the empty locker room and put on his football gear. As he ran onto the sidelines, the coach and his players were astounded to see their faithful team-mate back so soon.

"Coach, please let me play. I have just got to play today," said the young man.

The coach pretended not to hear him. There was no way he wanted his worst player in this close playoff game. But the young man persisted, and finally feeling sorry for young man, the coach gave in. "All right," he said. "You can go in." Before long, the coach, the players and everyone in the stands could not believe their eyes. This little unknown, who had never played before, was doing everything right. The opposing team could not stop him. He ran, he passed, blocked and tackled like a star. His team began to triumph.

The score was soon tied. In the closing seconds of the game, this young man intercepted a pass and ran all the way for the winning touchdown. The fans broke loose. His team-mates hoisted him onto their shoulders. Such cheering you have never heard!

Finally, after the stands had emptied and the team had showered and left the locker room, the coach noticed that the young man was sitting quietly in the corner all alone. The coach came to him and said, "Young man, I can't believe it. You were fantastic! Tell me what got into you? How did you do it?"

Young man looked at the coach, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Well, you knew my dad died, but did you know that my dad was blind?" The young man swallowed hard and forced a smile, "Dad came to all my games, but today was the first time he could see me play, and I wanted to show him I could do it!"

Remember:

• "Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try."
• "Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all."
• "Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow."

Melons and Human being

Melons belong to the Cucurbitaceae family and are enjoyed by both adults as well as children. The well-known varieties of melons include watermelon, muskmelon, honeydew melon, and bitter melon. Melon juice is not only a great thirst quencher, it also helps ease inflammations and other symptoms caused by a variety of diseases such as diabetes, asthma, arthritis, colon cancer, and atherosclerosis. Melon juice contains a number of vital antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that are essential for the proper functioning of the human body.

 All these melons contain different nutrients that prevent different types of health conditions so I will explain what each melon is good to eat for prevent what health conditions for you so you can have a better understanding.

The first melon I will start telling you about it the cantaloupe. For those of you who do not know what a cantaloupe is it is a round yellowish orange melon with large seeds in the center and a greenish brown rough rind on the outside. The melon is sweet and tart tasting and is usually served in cold slices, or in fruit or melon salads in the summertime. Cantaloupe contains vitamin A and C, calcium, riboflavin, thiamine, niacin, iron, potassium, healthy fat, carbohydrates, healthy proteins, and antioxidants. Eating cantaloupe as a healthy snack helps prevent stomach cancer, poor digestive tracts, high blood pressure, heart disease, inflammation, kidney problems, prostate cancer, colon cancers, the common cold, and blood deficiencies. Cantaloupe also provides our bodies with tons of fiber that is very good for maintaining healthy weights and blood sugar levels. All you would have to do is eat a few slices of cantaloupe a day to get these health benefits from it.

The second melon we will talk about is the watermelon. I am sure everyone has some idea of what watermelon is right? Watermelon is that big 5 pound oval shaped melon with a green rind and the pink juicy melon in the center with black seeds that is super sweet and watery. It's usually served in the summertime in cold sliced or in chunks in a melon salad, but it should really be eaten all the time because it contains so many nutrients that can help out our health a lot. Watermelon contains potassium, antioxidants, carotenoids, carbohydrates, Vitamin A, B6, and C, calcium, thiamin, sodium, healthy protein, and fiber. Eating a couple slices of watermelon a day can help prevent strokes, heart attacks, kidney infections and stones, heart disease, breast, colon, prostate, lung, endometrial cancers, digestive disorders, poor eye sight, and hair loss. Now who wouldn't want those health benefits?

The third melon I will tell you about is the honeydew melon. Honeydew melons are green sweet melons with big tan seeds in the center and a hard pale color rind. Honeydew melons are good for maintaining healthy skin, hair, and weight, helps prevent cramping during menstrual cycles, birth defects in babies, high cholesterol, dehydration, and some cancers and diseases. The nutrients in the honeydew melon that helps maintain and prevent these health conditions are Vitamin C, healthy protein, sodium, natural sugar, healthy fat, carbohydrates, water, and fiber. All you have to do is eat once again a few slices of this melon to receive the health benefits from it.

The fouth melon I will tell you about is bitter melon. Bitter melon is a plant. The fruit and seeds are used to make medicine.

Bitter melon is used for various stomach and intestinal disorders including gastrointestinal (GI) upset, ulcers, colitis, constipation, and intestinal worms. It is also used for diabetes, kidney stones, fever, a skin condition called psoriasis, and liver disease; to start menstruation; and as supportive treatment for people withHIV/AIDS.

Topically, bitter melon is used for deep skin infections (abscesses) and wounds.

Bitter melon is used as a vegetable in India and other Asian countries and as an ingredient in some kinds of curries.

How does it work?

Bitter melon contains a chemical that acts like insulin to help reduce blood sugar levels.

Melon juice is one of the healthiest ways in which one can get rid of annoying health problems but one of the most overlooked. It is interesting to see how people seek for relieve from different symptoms that are often bothersome and yet not serious enough. We now want drugs for every little thing that seems to be going wrong and not often remember that a healthy juice such as the melon juice can help us overcome these health issues without having any negative impact on our bodies. Read on and find out how melon juice can help you when you experience loss of appetite, excessive sweat or dizziness.

 Its greatest remedies when it comes to symptoms of loose bowels, loss of appetite, excessive sweat, summer heat, and even kidney diseases. A healthy juice prepared according to the ancient recipes can even cure dizziness, vomiting and not to mention how beneficial this melon juice is against thirst. Moreover, a well prepared healthy juice may even help those suffering from renal stones, dropsy or spleen disorders. The secret lies of course in the properties of this wonderful fruit. Watermelons are cooling, extremely hydrating and full of substances that benefit very part of our bodies.

Such a beneficial healthy juice can be prepared from half of a watermelon, 3 spoons of palm sugar and a quarter of a lemon. All these ingredients are highly accessible and can be acquired at every supermarket or fruit market. The only thing one needs to do to make this healthy juice is to extract the juice of the watermelon in a blender, to add the palm sugar and few drops of the lemon juice.

The melon juice is not only beneficial from a medical point of view, but it is also extremely cooling and refreshing. Melon juice could be the answer to many problems that individuals may develop over time. Unlike medical treatments, this healthy juice poses no threat or risks of side effects as it is completely natural and free of any harmful chemicals. Some even suggest that watermelon is an extremely efficient remedy against male problems such as erectile dysfunction. Some studies have shown that a particular ingredient in this fruit increases the levels of testosterone in men and improves that blood circulation, enabling them in the end to attain harder and longer lasting erections.

Some of the important melon juice health benefits are as follows:

• Regular intake of melon juice lowers the risk of heart diseases and various types of cancer.
  Melon juice is good for achieving healthy weight loss. It contains vital nutrients and is low in calories, thereby making it a great option for weight watchers. It also acts as a good appetite suppressant.
• It has a cooling effect and helps reduce body heat, thereby preventing various related diseases and disorders.
• The lycopene found in melon juice is very effective in reducing inflammation caused in conditions like arthritis, osteoarthritis, and rheumatism.
• Melon juice is beneficial to people suffering from asthma as its nutrients reduce airway spasms that are quite common in asthma sufferers.
• Regular consumption of melon juice reduces the risk of developing colon, prostrate, lung, breast, colorectal, and endometrial cancers.  
• It is very effective in boosting overall immunity and providing energy for performing day-to-day activities.

Melon Juice And Health Problems

As mentioned earlier, melon juice has a wide array of health benefits and helps prevent and treat problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney problems, heat stroke, heart disease, digestive disorders, impotency, and macular degeneration. Some of the benefits of melon juice for specific diseases are as under:

• Diabetes: Diabetes patients often complain of starvation because of their low sugar and low energy diet. Melon juice is therefore a good supplement for such patients. Experts strongly recommend bitter melon juice for patients of diabetes as it helps in lowering blood sugar levels. It contains vital minerals and amino acids like magnesium, potassium, and arginine that help regulate insulin production in the body.  
• Diarrhea: Although most melons may increase the risk of diarrhea in some people, experts recommend bitter melon juice to treat diarrhea in many cases. In such cases melon juice can be mixed with lemon juice and spring onion juice to cure diarrhea. However, high doses of bitter melon juice can increase diarrhea and therefore it is best to consume it in prescribed quantities.
• Skin: Melon juice is well known for maintaining good skin health. Regular consumption of melon juice is an excellent remedy to prevent as well as treat acne problems. It contains powerful antioxidants that help detoxify the body and purify the blood, thereby making it a good treatment for various skin disorders. One can easily treat skin blemishes with melon juice, internally as well as externally.

Melon Juice Nutrition

A 100 ml glass of fresh melon juice contains approximately 30 calories, where 89% of the calories come from carbohydrates, 7% from proteins, and 4% from fats. Some more of the interesting melon juice nutrition facts are as follows:

• Melon juice has a cleansing, diuretic, mineralizing, and alkalinizing effect on the body and is very effective in eliminating harmful toxins from the body.
• It is easily digestible and helps maintain an acid-alkaline balance in our body.
• Melon juice is an extremely rich source of antioxidants like lycopene, lutein, beta-carotene, neurosporene phytoene, and phytofluene.
• These antioxidants not only help protect against a number of diseases and disorders, they also boost stamina and metabolism.
• The vital antioxidants also help neutralize the harmful free radicals found in the body.
• Melon juice contains no cholesterol and helps prevent the build up of cholesterol in the arteries and other blood vessels. Furthermore, melon juice increases the good cholesterol in the body and lowers the risk of cardiovascular disorders.
• Melon juice is beneficial in preventing and treating constipation, fluid retention, and itchiness because of acid toxicity in the body.

While studying about the nutritional facts of melon juice, it is also important to shed light on some of the vital nutrients in melon juice. Some of the important vitamins in melon juice are vitamin A, B6, C, D and folate. Similarly, some of the main minerals found in melon juice include:

• Magnesium
• Potassium
• Sodium
• Calcium
• Iron
• Zinc
• Selenium

In addition to these nutrients in melon juice, there are also a few amino acids found in trace amounts such as:

• Tryptophan
• Aspartic acid
• Glutamic acid
• Glycine
• Lysine