Cucumbers are a welcome refreshment, especially in summer, because their high water content provides our body with plenty of liquid. The high water content also ensures that cucumbers have few calories. The healthy slimming food can therefore be eaten in large quantities and also during diets without any feelings of guilt. Due to the vitamins and minerals contained in cucumbers, you are also doing your body some good with every slice of cucumber.
Cucumbers as healthy thirst quenchers
Cucumbers are an extremely healthy vegetable. 100 grams of raw cucumber contain only about twelve calories. This makes cucumber one of the foods that have the fewest calories. The low calorie count is mainly due to the high water content, which is around 95 percent. So especially those who tend to drink too little in the summer can make up for it with a piece of cucumber.
Cucumbers: high nutritional value
In addition to the high water content, the cucumber is still composed of 3.5 percent carbohydrates and very small amounts of proteins and fats. In particular, vitamins from the B group are represented in the cucumber, but also vitamin C and vitamin E. In terms of minerals, cucumber is rich in:
- Calcium
- Zinc
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Potassium and
- Phosphorus
By the way, in order to preserve the valuable vitamins and minerals, you should eat the cucumber with the peel, because the vitamins are primarily in the peel. However, when buying the cucumber, it is important to make sure that the peel is untreated.
Other ingredients of cucumber
The ingredients of cucumber also include peptidases -and enzymes that can cleave proteins. These enzymes make it easier to digest protein-containing products such as meat. The enzymes also ensure that bacteria in the intestines are killed, thus causing a cleansing of the intestines.
Health effects of cucumbers
Cucumbers are one of the foods rich in bases and thus help to break down acids in the body. Thus, it helps to keep the body’s acid-base balance in equilibrium. A healthy acid-base balance ensures, for example, that we are protected against rheumatism and gout. Cucumbers can also help with swollen legs or feet, as they have a draining function. In addition, the consumption of cucumbers is also recommended for diabetes, because the ingredients of cucumber can reduce blood sugar levels.
Healthy recipes with cucumber
If you are looking for a simple cucumber recipe, it is best to whip up a delicious cucumber salad:
- To do this, cut the cucumber into thin slices and place in a bowl.
- Then mix a dressing of natural yogurt, vinegar, oil and a squeeze of lemon juice and season with salt, pepper and a little sugar.
- Fold a finely chopped bunch of dill into the mixture.
- Mix the sauce with the cucumbers.
If you want to try something different, instead of a cucumber salad, you can make a soup with cucumber or treat yourself to a glass of healthy cucumber juice. And those who like it exotic, can be inspired by Indian cuisine: In the country of origin of the cucumber, the green vegetable is namely also used in chutneys or curries.
Cucumbers refresh our skin
However, you can not only eat cucumbers, but also use them for wellness treatments. The wellness classic par excellence represents the cucumber mask. The mask is extremely popular not only because of its relaxing effect, but also because you can easily make it yourself at home. If you don’t have much time, but still want to do something good for yourself, you can simply put finely sliced cucumber slices on your face and around your eyes. Since the cucumber slices have a cooling effect, the mask can also have an analgesic effect on sunburns.
Make your own cucumber mask
If you want to conjure up a professional cucumber mask, you can proceed as follows:
- You puree half a cucumber and mix the resulting cucumber water with three tablespoons of natural yogurt or cottage cheese.
- Then the cucumber mask is applied to the face and left to act for 20 minutes.
- After that, the mask is washed off again with lukewarm water.
Cucumber masks are suitable for any skin type and provide the skin with plenty of moisture. This makes the skin look younger and firmer.A cucumber mask is also an effective tool in the fight against pimples and blackheads.
From salad cucumber to sour cucumber: the cucumber plant.
The cucumber plant (Cucumis sativus) belongs to the cucurbit family. Basically, two different subgroups are distinguished: the salad cucumber, which is also called snake cucumber, and the pickling cucumber. The fruits of the cucumber can grow up to 60 centimeters long and 500 grams in weight.
Cucumbers: purchase and storage
When buying, how can you tell if a cucumber is really fresh? Fresh cucumbers are a rich, green color, with no yellow spots. They are firm to the touch and the skin is smooth and shiny. It is best not to store cucumbers in the refrigerator, as they are sensitive to temperatures below ten degrees. The culprit is the high water content, which causes cucumbers to freeze easily. Cucumbers also do not tolerate the hydrocarbon compound ethylene. They should therefore not be stored near foods containing it. These include plums, apricots, bananas or apples, for example.
Planting and harvesting cucumbers
From early May to early July, cucumbers can be sown outdoors. Cucumbers can also be planted in a greenhouse. When sowing, a distance of about 30 centimeters should always be maintained between planting sites. The location should be as sunny as possible and protected from the wind. After about two months, as a rule, the first cucumbers can already be harvested.
