The long, gloomy winters are finally a thing of past. And as we bid our final goodbyes to our cosy blankets and blazers, we cannot wait for things sunny, warm and delightful. Spring and summer in India comes loaded with a lot of seasonal fruits and vegetables. Since eating seasonal foods is one of the best practices espoused by Ayurveda, a significant part of our summer preparations include a lot of these veggies and herbs. Now particularly, your body is looking for something cool and since you perspire so much, you also need to ensure constant inflow of vitalising nutrients. The cool and crunchy cucumber is one of our most favourite veggies that helps look after all our summer needs.
Cucumbers help detox the body. They serve as an excellent diuretic too. Since they are packed with potassium and magnesium, they are very effective in managing high blood pressure by negating ill-effects of sodium. Cucumber is also used widely in various beauty regimes. Being an excellent source of silica, cucumbers help you de-tan and nourish the skin from within. Cucumbers are also known to be excellent for heart health; they contain lariciresinol, secoisolariciresinol, and pinoresinol, three lignans (plant hormones) that help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, notes the book, 'Healing Foods' by DK Publishing.
In addition to being a powerhouse of nutrients, cucumber is also known to support sustainable weight loss. Nutritionists and fitness enthusiasts across the world often use cucumbers in a variety of their diet preparations.
(Also Read: Cucumber Nutrition: Amazing Cucumber Nutritional Facts And Health Benefits)
Here's what makes cucumber a weight loss-friendly veggie.
1. Would you believe 95 percent of cucumber's weight is just water? The high water content helps fill you up, without much calorie load.
2. Cucumber is often called a 'negative calorie' food, because of its super-low calorie count. Hundred grams of cucumbers contain only 16 calories. It is believed that you end up burning more calories in digesting the inherent calorie-load of cucumber.
3. According to the book 'Healing foods,' cucumbers contain erepsin, a digestive enzyme that helps break down protein. Anything that is good for gut helps facilitate digestion. A healthy digestion is key to weight loss.
4. Cucumber also helps you detox and checks bloating. Cucumber is made up of 95% water and two compounds - ascorbic acid and caffeic acid - which prevent water retention.
(Also Read: Oatmeal Diet For Weight Loss: All You Need To Know About This 7-Day Diet)
Cucumber also helps you detox and checks bloating
How To Make Cucumber Juice For Weight Loss
You would need:
• 1 medium cucumber
• 2 large stalks of celery (with ends removed)
• 1 cored apple
How to make cucumber juice:
1. In a juicer, take cucumber, celery stalks and apples. Blend well.
2. Pour this juice into a glass and drink fresh.
Apples and celery help in boosting the weight loss quotient of this summer juice even more. Their high water and fibre content makes the juice more filling.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.