Benefits of cucumbers for women

If you just re-e-e-ally not into vegetables, chances are at some point you were apologetically saying something like “I don't really eat vegetables…oh, well, you know…just cucumbers”. And no wonder, in the world of nutrition, cucumbers are often seen as insignificant and I’d say kind of a useless food.

Of course, for a healthy menstrual cycle food we want to aim for a colourful plate full of fruits and vegetables that go far beyond cucumbers on the side…and this is something I passionately advocate for every day to my clients…BUT todays topic is solely dedicated to cucumbers…a common vegetable (or actually also a fruit) that I believe is a bit more than “"JUST".

See, yes, cucumbers are mostly made of water. In fact, more than 90% of a cucumber is water. But this can be really good for hydration! Many people have trouble drinking enough fluid throughout the day, which in turn may lead to various problems such as constipation, particularly before your period. By eating just one medium-sized cucumber a day, you will get about 90 ml of additional water. How cool is that? As cool as a cucumber!

Next, the same size unpeeled cucumber will also have about 16.4 mcg of vitamin K, needed for your blood to clot properly, as well as to support your bone and heart health. 16.4 mcg is about 20% of your total daily needs! Not bad, cucumber!

You can also find here about 16 mg of calcium. Not much? True, but by comparison, broccoli, often used as an example of a calcium-rich vegetable, has only 33 mg per ½ cup. And after absorption losses due to high oxalic acid, what you really will get from broccoli is only about 20 mg at best.

Cucumbers also contain lutein and zeaxanthin, colourful phytonutrients and antioxidants that will contribute to protecting you from a variety of age-related diseases. Vitamin C? Yes! Almost 3 mg. Again, that’s not a lot, but it is about 5% of total daily needs. Cucumbers also have magnesium, zinc, selenium, folate, choline and beta carotene, all very important nutrients in the context of diet and menstrual cycle. Not enough to stay healthy, for sure, but nutritious nevertheless!

So, all in all, don’t get discouraged! And if you want to learn how to naturally reduce PMS symptoms, address your hormonal imbalance and fix various period problems, my comprehensive Menstrual Health BEEautiful U Formula is for you!

In this course I share what you can do to achieve a healthy menstrual cycle without medications or supplements, how to use menstrual cycle meal plan, how to exercise with menstrual cycle and so much more! But meanwhile, continue enjoying the nutritional benefits of delicious, crunchy and pretty amazing cucumbers!

Love you all and til next!

References:

US Department of Agriculture. Retrieved from https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168409/nutrients