Foremost it’s a fruit, not a vegetable. It develops from a flower and contains seeds. Culturally, we relate to this fruit as a vegetable, however. We find cucumber in the vegetable section of the supermarket and we generally consume it as part of our savoury salad or meal, not as dessert. Cucumber is packed with a plethora of good qualities, making it one of those vegetables (I like to think of it as a vegetable) which you should consider consuming on a daily basis. In fact, this greenmember of the gourd family has the most vitamins that the body needs in a single day. For example, it provides 10 per cent of the body’s daily vitamin C requirement. Cucumber keeps the body hydrated. This is important if you spend time in the sun and are active. With 96% of this vegetable being made of water, munching on cucumber will help youmeet your water consumption goals and provide your body with other nutrients. And, due to its high water content, it helps detoxify the body. Eating cucumber relieves bad breath, provides heartburn relief, is believed to help fight certain cancers and supplies the body with magnesium, potassium and silicon. A few circles of cucumber on the eyes will reduce puffiness and bags. Hence, its popularity in spa treatments. Ever suffer from a hangover? Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish your body’s essential nutrients, thus reducing the intensity of both a hangover and related headache. If you suffer from joint andmuscle pain, then this vegetable should also be on your menu. It contains an anti-inflammatory flavanol called fisetin that reduces the production of pro-inflammatory compounds. When my husband Jack was alive and living with Alzheimer’s, I wish that I had known then that cucumber is important to brain health. Studies show that fisetin is believed to help prevent progressive memory loss and learning impairment related to Alzheimer’s disease. Did you know that eating cucumber will help stabilize your blood pressure and reduce cholesterol? Cucumber skin is loaded with insoluble fibre, helping to bulk up your stool and move food through your digestive tract. Incorporating this vegetable into your diet may also help you to lose weight. Losing weight can help lower blood pressure. As stated, cucumber contains potassium and magnesium, helping to prevent high blood pressure. Add to this the fact that plant sterols are a compound in cucumber that aid in reducing bad cholesterol. It’s a good vegetable choice for diabetics, as cucumber contains a hormone needed by the cells of the pancreas to produce insulin. As a fruit, cucumber can be celebrated in desserts. It can be used in popsicles, sorbet, sherbet, ice cream and cake, to name a few. Raita is an Indian condiment used to cool the palate between bites of spicy curry dishes. Food & Drink by Shari Darling For more information on wine and food, go to www.sharidarling.com Cucumber is a superfood! 54 | www.snowbirds.org
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