If you are fond of trying out different types of diets, then you must have probably heard about the trending cucumber diet.
If you haven?t yet, here are some of the common questions we get about the cucumber diet: Is it easy to maintain? Is this like a meal plan? More importantly, does it really work? Let us get to the nitty gritty details.
What is The Cucumber Diet?
It looks like there is no exact and specific way on how to do the cucumber diet other than to eat as much cucumber as you can together with lean protein, good fat, a small portion of healthy carbs, and other low calorie veggies.
The diet recommends eating more portions of cucumber compared to anything from the other food groups in every meal.
You can make cucumber smoothie, juice, salad, or anything that you can think of as long as the main ingredient is cucumber.
Because this is not considered as a sustainable meal plan, you should only follow the cucumber diet for 7 to a maximum of 14 days only.
Related: The Boiled Egg Diet: How to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks.
What are the Cucumber Nutrition Facts?
If you are thinking of going into this type of diet, it is important that you know the nutrient values of this cucumiform fruit.
According to the USDA, a half a cup of cucumber contains the following:
? Calories: 8
? Carbohydrates: 1.9g
? Fat: 0.1g
? Fiber: 0.3g
? Protein: 0.3g?
? Sodium: 1mg
? Sugars: 0.9
Because cucumber does not contain all the vitamins and nutrients that your body need, you should not be doing this diet longer than what is recommended.
Related: Lose 20lbs in 2 weeks with the Heart Healthy Diet
Cucumber Health Benefits
Now let us talk about t-he many benefits that we get from eating cucumber.
Reduces Cancer ? Cucumber contains cucurbitacin and flavonoid fisetin, both of which have been said to help inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
Controls Blood Sugar– fiber and water content of cucumbers are great for glycemic control
Hydration- Cucumbers are 90% water so they can provide the electrolytes and water your body needs
Helps Keep Cholesterol and Blood Pressure Levels Down– Cucumber is a good source of fiber and potassium which helps keep cholesterol and blood pressure levels down, respectively.
Related: Lemon Detox Diet
7 Day Cucumber Diet Plan
So, what is the 7 Day Cucumber Diet Plan? This is when you prep a meal plan that consists mainly of cucumber and should be done for 7 consecutive days Some say that this diet can help you lose 7 lbs.
In 7 days when followed religiously. When done properly, it can help remove toxins from your body and because this is a low-calorie diet, it can lead to quick weight loss within a very short period of time.
Related: The Grapefruit Diet to lose 12 pounds in 10 days
Convinced to give this a shot? If you decide to follow the cucumber diet, make sure that you do not go over the number of days and you do not engage in very strenuous activities.
Also, since this is a restrictive diet that limits your intake, there can be possible effects such as deprivation, irritability, and fatigue so always check with your doctor before making changes to your diet.