Cucumbers for weight loss

In modern dietology cucumbers for weight loss – an important component of many diets, fasting days and power supply systems, thanks to low calorie content.

Cucumbers – vegetable culture (false berry), consist of water for 95-98%, contain the minimum quantity of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Are rich with provitamin A (carotene), the group B vitamins, vitamin C, PP and complex organic compounds necessary for an organism for a normal metabolism. Also cucumbers contain potassium, compounds of iodine and cellulose which promotes improvement of a vermicular movement of intestines and removal of excesses of cholesterol.

It is considered that cucumbers contain the so-called "structured" or "live" water which is capable to make curative impact of an organism, optimizing work of all bodies and systems. And cucumber juice, according to the nutritionist Paul Brega, dissolves the poisons collecting in an organism and promotes their removal as is rather strong diuretic.

In one average size a cucumber contains (from standard daily rate):

• 20% – liquids;
• 26% – potassium;
• 14% – vitamin C;
• 6% – vegetable fibers.

It is the best of all to use cucumbers for weight loss during a season of their natural maturing when they are grown up on the open ground in nature. It is necessary to eat the small, crackling, firm fruits with undeveloped seeds, it is obligatory with a peel as in it all vitamins and mineral substances of a fruit are concentrated.

Calories in cucumbers

The number of calories in cucumbers depends on that, they are grown up in the greenhouse or the open ground, fresh cucumbers, fresh-salted or salty are used.

Calories – a cucumber of fresh 100 g:

• Soil cucumbers contain 14-15 kcal. (0,1 g fats, 0,8 g of a squirrel, 2.5 g carbohydrates);
• Greenhouse cucumbers contain 10 kcal. (0,1 g fats, 0,7 g of a squirrel, 1,8 g carbohydrates).

Fresh-salted cucumbers, caloric content are 12-13 kcal. (1,5 fats, 0,6 proteins, 1,5 carbohydrates).

Caloric content of pickles – 13 kcal. (0,1 fats, 0,8 proteins, 1,7 carbohydrates).

These are average data, the actual values of caloric content and amount of proteins-fats-carbohydrates can slightly differ, depending on a grade of cucumbers, structure of soils, a climatic zone and weather conditions during cultivation on the open ground.

Cucumbers for weight loss, a diet

It is recommended to use cucumbers for weight loss in a diet for dumping of excess weight, normalization of a metabolism, cleaning of intestines of slags, improvement of a condition of skin and overall health. Calories cucumbers fresh contain a little, therefore, using cucumbers for weight loss in a diet, is guaranteed it will not be required to test malnutrition. Volumes of food will be sufficient, and their nutrition value – minimum.

Except cucumbers, in a diet the use of the following products is allowed:

• Meat of low-fat grades (veal, beef), chicken;
• Fish and seafood;
• Eggs;
• From cereals – rice;
• Vegetables, except potatoes;
• Fermented milk products – cottage cheese, kefir, yogurt;
• Various greens,
• Fruit, except bananas, nuts, sunflower seeds;
• Bread otrubny or coarse flour in small amounts.

The approximate menu of a diet with use of cucumbers for weight loss for one day:

• Breakfast – cottage cheese and cucumber mix, a piece of rye bread, green tea without sugar;
• The second breakfast – small grapefruit, a handful of a peanut, walnut or any other nuts;
• Lunch – okroshka with fresh cucumbers or ogurtsovo-kefiric cold soup, boiled veal or chicken, green tea without sugar;
• Afternoon snack – cucumbers, lettuce leaves and Feta cheese salad;
• Dinner – the vegetable boiled eggs and cucumbers salad filled with olive oil, kefir or yogurt, fish on couple, green tea without sugar or a glass of kefir.

The further menu on days can be made taking into account the products resolved in a diet and personal preferences. The main part of nutrients contains in a cucumber peel therefore it is better not to clean off it at preparation of dishes.

If necessary and lack of medical contraindications it is possible to arrange fasting days on cucumbers. To divide one and a half kilograms of fresh cucumbers into 5 receptions and to eat during the day, it is desirable not to salt. If it is difficult to sustain all day only on cucumbers, it is allowed to include in a diet 100 g of fast boiled meat, 100 g of skim cheese or 2 eggs hard-boiled.

One more option of use of cucumbers for weight loss – their quantity in the day menu is simple to increase, trying to eat before each meal one fresh cucumber without salt. It will promote reduction of an empty seat in a stomach, reducing volume eaten, and will accelerate digestion of animal protein, thanks to existence in cucumbers of special enzymes. It is also desirable to use only fresh cucumbers and clear drinking water after 18-19 hours.

Fresh-salted and pickles for weight loss

Despite the low caloric content of pickles, they are not recommended to be used in diets for weight loss because of high content of salts which hold water in an organism, reducing the speed of exchange processes.

In pickles the high content of the cellulose promoting clarification of a GIT, the antioxidants necessary for binding of free radicals, the beneficial bacteria oppressing pathogenic intestinal microflora, the lactic acid reducing amount of cholesterol in the blood normalizing blood pressure and improving blood circulation. Therefore out of a season, when there is no an opportunity to use fresh cucumbers, it is allowed to include in the menu pickles, in reasonable quantities.

Fresh-salted cucumbers which caloric content is small too at the same time the amount of salt in them is insignificant, and vitamins and useful substances are almost kept, it is possible to use in diets for weight loss, but pass no more than 100-200 g.

Salty and fresh-salted cucumbers for weight loss categorically are not recommended to be included in the menu at diseases of a liver, pancreas, kidneys, a stomach.