Healthy reasons you should be eating cucumber every day

Cucumbers abound in the summertime. As part of the squash family, once a plant takes off, you can get more cucumbers than you know what to do with. Besides being great for making pickles and putting on your eyes to relieve the puffiness, cucumbers have a lot of other uses.

They are vitamin and mineral powerhouses, containing vitamins C and K, magnesium, potassium and manganese. Their health benefits go beyond simple vitamins and minerals, though. Here are 5+ ways eating cucumbers benefit your body.

1. Hydration. Cucumbers are mainly made up of water, so Medical News Today says that snacking on them throughout the day during the summer is a great way to help your body stay hydrated. You can also make refreshing cucumber water by thinly slicing 1 English cucumber and placing it in a pitcher. Fill the pitcher with 1 quart of seltzer water and 1 quart of regular water. Let it sit in the refrigerator for two to four hours to infuse the cucumber into the water. Strain the cucumbers out and enjoy your drink.

2. Brain food. According to Huffington Post, cucumbers contain fisetin, which has “the ability to reduce the impact of age-related neurological diseases on brain function.”

3. Antioxidants. Healthline reminds people that cucumbers contain lots of antioxidants to help repair the damage free radicals do to your body. Enjoy cucumber salad by cutting up 2 English cucumbers and 1 medium onion. Mix 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Pour the mixture over the cucumbers and onion and mix thoroughly. Garnish it with chopped fresh dill.

4. Bone health. As you age, keeping your bones healthy becomes even more important. Medical News Today reports that cucumbers are an important source of vitamin K which is necessary to strong bones.

5. Anti-inflammatory. For those who suffer from arthritis or stiff joints, Huffington Post shares that cucumbers contain flavonoids which help reduce inflammation in the joints. You can enjoy some cucumber juice by peeling 1 1/2 pounds of cucumber and chunking them. Place them in a blender and puree them. Strain them twice to get just the juice out of the mush.
Add 1 cup of sugar, 3/4 cup lime juice, 4 1/2 cups water and 28 grams of grated ginger. Let it chill and then enjoy.

6. Weight loss. Cucumbers make great snacks if you’re trying to lose weight. With only 16 calories to one cup of cucumber, Healthlinerecommends keeping them around to snack on.

Because cucumbers are so healthy, find other creative ways to enjoy your cucumbers throughout the year.

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A Healing Cucumber and Garlic Salad: Lowers Cholesterol and Regulates High Blood Pressure

Hypertension, commonly referred to as high blood pressure, is a common condition in which the force of the blood against the artery walls is so high that it may cause health issues over time,according to the Mayo Clinic.In fact, the more blood the heart pumps and the narrower the arteries, the higher your blood pressure. The worst part regarding hypertension is that it often goes undetected, which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.

As a matter of fact,  one can have high blood pressure for many months and even years without any visible symptoms. However, even without the symptoms, the damage to both the blood vessel and the heart does not stop and it can be detected. If left untreated, high blood pressure increases the risk of serious health issues, as discussed earlier.

As mentioned in the very beginning, this condition is very common and it is estimated that 70 million adult Americans suffer from it. In other words, 40 percent of adults over the age of 25 suffer from any form of hypertension. There are actually two types of hypertension: primary and secondary.  The first one develops slowly, over the course of many years while the latter appears suddenly due to an underlying condition, such as kidney problems, thyroid problems, sleep apnea, adrenal gland tumors, etc.

Whether it is primary or secondary, this condition is also associated with high cholesterol, too, Some of the key factors that increase the risk of developing high blood pressure include physical inactivity,being overweight or obese, stress,  poor diet, using tobacco, low potassium levels,  low vitamin D intake, excess sodium intake,  and drinking too much alcohol.

Pressure-Regulating Foods

1. Garlic

Raw garlic has been long used to treat low blood pressure, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, coronary heart disease, heart attack, atherosclerosis, and reduced blood flow due to narrowed arteries.

The fact that allicin, the active compound in garlic, uses the same mechanism as blood pressure drugs to lower blood pressure has been backed up by science.

Moreover, garlic helps control cholesterol, helps relax blood vessels, and it prevents the creation of angiotensin II.

2. Cucumber

Cucumbers are abundant in water content, potassium, magnesium, and fiber.  Potassium balances the amount of sodium in the cells, which can often lead to atherosclerosis, while fiber reduces cholesterol, stimulates weight loss, prevents type 2 diabetes, and regulates blood pressure.

Cucumber Garlic Salad

This amazing salad can improve your cardiovascular health and it is recommended to consume it as often as possible.

Ingredients:

• 1 cucumber
• 3 garlic cloves
• ½ -1 tablespoon ACV
• A few spoonfuls of water

Instructions:

• Wash the cucumber thoroughly and slice it into small pieces
• Peel the garlic and crush it with your knife
• Put the cucumber into a large glass bowl
• Mince the garlic and add it to the mixture
• Add the vinegar and water
• Serve with mint leaves

source: http://dailyhealthpost.com

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