Cucumbers comes handy in Nigeria and is not
only crunchy, refreshing for salad alone but can be made into a
healthy juice that fits into your weight-loss plan. Juicing fresh
cucumbers in a blender will let you keep the dietary fiber content of
the vegetable, making it an even more nutritious beverage. A 1-cup
serving of sliced cucumber blended with 1/2 cup of water will make a
1-cup serving of cucumber juice.
A Low-Calorie Drink
A 1-cup serving
of cucumber juice has only 16 calories per serving. A single pound of
body weight is equal to 3,500 calories, so to lose one pound, you need
to have a loss of 3,500 calories either by consuming fewer calories or
burning more. Drink low-calorie cucumber juice in place of
higher-calorie beverages, such as soda. In contrast, a 12-ounce can of
lemon lime soda has 151 calories per serving. Drinking cucumber juice
instead of soda once a week could help you lose two pounds of body
weight a year.
Naturally Hydrating
Cucumber juice is
naturally rich in water. A 1/2 cup of room-temperature water equals 118
grams of water, while 1 cup of sliced cucumbers has just over 99 grams
per serving. This means a single cup of cucumber juice has 217 grams of
water, or almost 7.5 ounces, of water. Water is key for weight loss,
according to a study published in "Obesity" in 2010 in which adults
consuming extra water lost 2 kilograms of body weight more than those
who did not. Adequate hydration is also key to overall health, with
MedlinePlus advising six to eight cups of fluids per day. While pure
water is recommended, other drinks, such as juices, can also help you
meet daily intake needs.
Cucumber juice
can help you meet your daily vegetable requirement as set by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture. The recommendation is for 2 to 3 cups of
vegetables per day. A healthy balanced diet is key to safe weight loss. T
achieve this, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends
that you consume fresh vegetables, such as cucumbers and cucumber
juice, instead of canned vegetables, which may be high in added salt.
Serving Ideas
Drink cucumber
juice on its own, or mix it with other vegetable juices, such as beet or
carrot, for sweetness. Add a bit of chili powder to the cucumber juice
for a spicier drink that is still hydrating and refreshing. Chili powder
contains a compound called capsaicin, which can help with lipid
oxidation and increasing your energy metabolism, according to a study
published in a 2006 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition."
Ingredients:
- Cucumber– 1 (large and unpeeled)
- Lemon– ½ (peeled)
- Water (optional)– ½ cup
Roughly chop the cucumber and lemon and add them to your juicer. Grind until no lumps are left. Add water to make the juice thin and to dilute the taste of lemon.
Source - Livestrong.com
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