The Cool Cucumber

Have you ever noticed that the more fresh fruits and vegetables you eat, the more you want? In Bible times, fresh vegetables were consumed regularly, unlike America today where processed foods filled with additives and hydrogenised fats are the norm. This is a concern of the medical field and should be a concern of ours as well.

How often do you eat whole, fresh foods? In our age of microwave and fast-food eating, some might say they've even forgotten what natural foods taste like.

Fresh cucumbers are an excellent source of many nutrients, including vitamin C, vitamin K, and potassium. Cucumbers also provide dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin B6, thiamine, foliate, pantothenic acid, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, and manganese.

Adding a crisp, crunchy, cool cucumber to your salad is one good way to increase fiber intake. How's that so? The extra fluid you need when increasing fiber occurs naturally in the cucumber. You'll also receive the ever-important beta carotene and folic acid. As a green vegetable, cucumbers also help lower the chances of coronary heart disease. It's best to eat fresh cucumbers, as pickling removes much of the nutrient content, especially vitamin C.