COOL-CUMBERS…FIVE REASONS WHY CUCUMBERS ARE GOOD FOR YOU

Anyone would agree that cucumbers are one of the most handy and common (fruits) vegetables. In Nigeria, for example, it would be rare to arrive at a market and discover that they have run out of cucumbers. I love having cucumbers at home, as they make perfect snacks.

Cucumbers are great ingredients for salads and juices. Plus, cucumbers have other uses besides eating them. For example, placing cool cucumbers on the eyes relaxes them and reduces puffy eyes.

Cucumbers have a lot of water content and are therefore good for hydration. Due to its low calorie and high water content, cucumber is an ideal diet for people who are looking for weight loss. The high water content and dietary fiber in cucumbers are very effective in ridding the body of toxins from the digestive system, aiding digestion.

Research suggests that Cucumbers contain polyphenols called lignans (pinoresinol, lariciresinol, and secoisolariciresinol), which may help to lower the risk of breast, uterine, ovarian, and prostate cancers. They also contain phytonutrients called cucurbitacins, which also have anti-cancer properties.

Cucumber skin is also edible and contains a good amount of vitamin C. Vitamin C has many important functions such as aiding in collagen production and brain function, and it also helps your body process fat. Research shows that Cucumber skin can also be used to treat skin irritations and sunburns.

Cucumber is an excellent source of silica, which is known to help promote joint health by strengthening the connective tissues. Silica, also promotes healthier and stronger hair and nails. Cucumbers also contain potassium which aids in metabolic functions and also plays a role in the development of muscle tissue.

Did you know that cucumbers are fruits, but culinary used as vegetables? I just discovered that while carrying out this research.

Here is a simple salad recipe using cucumbers.

Ingredients (serves 1-2)

1 large cucumber

2 tomatoes

A handful of sweetcorn

1 green bell pepper

2 handfuls of diced chicken

Preparation

Wash the cucumber, tomatoes and bell pepper, then take the seeds out of them and dice them. Taking the seeds out of the cucumber and tomatoes keeps the salad dry, unless you like water in your salad.

Throw in your sweet corn and diced chicken, mix your ingredients and your salad is ready to eat. You may add more ingredients to this, or use tuna in place of chicken.

NUTRITIONAL/HEALTH BENEFITS OF PLANTAINS

P lantains are widely eaten in West Africa. Plantains are similar to bananas but larger in size. While bananas are termed fruits, plantains are vegetables. Bananas are mostly eating raw, while plantains are usually cooked before consumption. Plantains can be eaten unripe, ripen or over-ripe. When unripe, plantains are usually green in colour, when ripen, they turn yellow. In Nigeria, for example, unripe plantains are usually used to cook plantain porridge, ripe plantains are mostly fried and used as a supplement to main dishes like rice and beans. Over-ripe plantains are used to make snacks like plantain fritters.

NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS OF ZOBO/SORREL DRINK

z obo/sorrel was a must have during family gatherings. As children, we loved drinking it, not only because of how nice it tasted, but also because it coloured our lips and tongues red. Zobo (Nigerian) or Sorrel (Jamaican) is a red coloured drink made from a flower called Hibiscus sabdariffa. The sorrel plant contains a wide range of vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, calcium, niacin, riboflavin and a group of compounds called flavonoids. Flavanoids not only gives the sorrel plant its deep red colour, but, are also rich in antioxidants which rids the body of toxins. The sorrel plant also contains nutraceleuticals, which are said to be helpful to the health. Nutraceleuticals can help prevent and treat several diseases including diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and cancer.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF LIME AND HONEY

L ime and Honey are two must haves in my house. I use honey as a substitute for white sugar. I remember a friend of mine visited me once and she wanted to drink garri (drinking garri is local to Nigerians, i.e. eating dried cassava with cold water as opposed to hot water), she was astonished when I told her to use honey to sweeten her garri. I'm not a tea person, but my parents are, and a cup of tea for them is not complete without limes.

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