Health and Fitness Tip #75 - Cucumbers! What about them is so great?!?!

Cucumber is actually an amazing vegetable with an impressive nutritional profile. In fact, it can even be eaten in place of your daily multivitamin.

Cucumber, or Cucumis sativus, is in the same family as melon and squash. Commercially, cucumbers are divided into two groups, slicing and pickling. Slicing cucumbers generally have thick skin and are larger than the thin-skinned pickling cucumbers.

 

Cucumber has even escaped the eyes of researchers, being upstaged by the cruciferous crew (broccoli, cabbage, etc.) until it was found that it contains three beneficial lignans (lariciresinol, pinoresinol and secoisolariciresinol), which have been associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease as well as several different types of cancer, including ovarian, prostate, breast and uterine.

 

 

 

 

Cucumber is a nutritional powerhouse

 

Cucumber is a superfood containing almost all the vitamins you need each day, including B vitamins, vitamin C, fiber, vitamin K1, copper, potassium and manganese. Eat just one cucumber daily in place of a multivitamin.

 

 

 

Need an energy boost?

 

Rather than reach for that third cup of coffee, chomp on a cucumber instead. The carbs and B vitamins in cucumber provide sustaining energy that can last for hours.

 

Drank a little too much?

 

To avoid having your night out turn into a morning nightmare, try eating some cucumber. Eat a cucumber right before bed and your hangover pains will be lessened. Cucumber contains a mix of B vitamins, sugar and electrolytes that keep you hydrated and feeling great after a night out on the town.

 

 

 

 

Eating too much sugar?

Reduce cravings by snacking on cucumber slices rather than reaching for sugary snacks. I have started keeping a little dish of sliced cucumber by my desk. With a sprinkle of sea salt and a little pepper, this snack keeps me full all day long!

 

Feeling stressed?

If you are having a crazy day, boil a few slices of cucumber on the stove and breathe in the steam. The aroma of cucumber can promote feelings of calm and relieve anxiety. Want an extra boost? Add a few drops of anxiety-busting lavender essential oil into the mixture.

 

 

 

Does your breath stink?

 

If you suffer from halitosis, aka bad breath, you may want to consider eating cucumber instead of reaching for sugary breath mints. Phytochemicals in cucumbers kill bacteria that cause bad breath and cavities. Eat a slice after each cup of coffee or meal for breath that stays fresh all day long.

 

Are you stopped up?

 

There are any number of reasons why you may experience constipation. Sometimes it is the result of stress, medication or eating a highly processed diet. Cucumbers are high in fiber, which can keep you regular and keep your digestive system working at full speed.