The Watering Whole

posted on March 6, 2018 by Al Bell

Including cucumbers in ones diet can be a great choice! Why? Whats’s the benefit?

In the following posts I will highlight a few reasons why it is a benefit and why I started to include this vegetable in my health and wellness plan.

First!

Why I changed? Well, I shared a bit of this in an earlier post entitled “So Why the Change”. Here I talk about how I was feeling physically and the mental struggles I endured. I share my decision to make an about face when it came to my eating and fitness plan.

I light of this, I changed a few of the foods I consumed in my diet. I included more high fiber nutritious vegetables in either a salad, blender or steamer. One of those is the addition of cucumbers.

Below are some of the reasons why had to include this vegetable in my weekly nutrition scheme. Maybe you can identify with some of the health benefits.

The Cucumber:

• Provides a good amount of water and soluble fiber–Water is always good to include in any diet. It helps with lubrication and flow of any waste or receiving nutrients. The fiber is a plus too. Fiber helps to remove waste from the body(intestines and gut). Kinda like a scrubber. Lol.

• Low in calories-A cucumber with the peel offers about 45 calories and is high vitamins and minerals.

• Good source of anti-oxidants-Cucumbers offer properties known to be associated with being an excellent source of antioxidants. Without going to chemically deep, in a nutshell, these are properties that help to fight against those molecular forces that encourage breakdown(oxidation), whatever that may be. In the sense of health, these forces(free radicals) are studied and believed to be associated with a few diseases today.

• Aid in weight loss-Due to the low-calorie content cucumbers can be a nice way to manage one’s weight. It is always a nice addition to any salad.

• Maintain Blood sugar-Because of Cucumbers low caloric value and high vitamin/mineral content cucumbers are believed to help in lowering blood sugar levels.

• Reduce swelling/inflammation-Cucumbers possess the properties that may help to reduce inflammation and swelling.

This is not a complete list so comments are welcomed. I have highlighted a few benefits to including cucumbers into your diet.

They are always great to mix in salads, blend in smoothies, and place on sandwiches.  My favorite is in salads. I eat them more with the skin on than without the skin and even in the pickled fashion too.

Good health is important so one should adopt a health and wellness plan that encourages proper eating habits and a disciplined physical fitness regimen.

From the words of Jack Lalane “Your Body Is Your Most Priceless Possession…So Go Take Care Of It”.

Credits Google images, Pixabay Images

References:

http://farmtotable.colostate.edu/eat-resources/cukes.php#.Xp46ftNKhZ0

https://www.fda.gov/food/food-labeling-nutrition/nutrition-information-raw-vegetables

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/301506

https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/?query=ndbNumber:11205

https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2439/2