Fresh melon is marvelous all by itself, but when you pair it with fresh mozzarella wrapped in paper-thin Prosciutto, you rise to a whole new level of melon magic!

Summer offers us so many fresh-picked ways to quench our thirst and appetite and one sweet way is with cantaloupe. Super-sweet, juicy and oh-so-delicious, one slice turns me into a kid and I tend over-eat it, but that’s okay because since it’s a gift straight from God, a little extra will actually do your body good!

Cantaloupes, also known as muskmelons, mush melons, rockmelons and Persian melons, have been the subject of many studies that suggest that increasing its consumption will actually decrease your risk of obesity, increase your energy levels and even help lower your body weight!

Eating cantaloupe can also decrease our risk of and progression of age-related macular degeneration, too. This is because cantaloupe contains the antioxidant zeaxanthin, which has been found to filter out harmful blue light rays, which protects our eye health and wards off damage from macular degeneration.

Possessing many nutrients, cantaloupe helps support heart health, helps decrease blood pressure, reduces our risk of stroke, protects us against loss of muscle mass, preserves our bone mineral density and even helps reduce the formation of kidney stones.

Being high in fiber and moisture, cantaloupe helps prevent constipation, promotes regularity and helps us to maintain a healthy digestive tract.

Since now is the best time of year to grab this fresh melon, I highly suggest finding a local farm stand that carries them then buy as many as you can.