Weight loss requires dietary trade-offs that lower the number of calories you consume. For instance, you reduce your caloric intake by consuming low-fat dairy products in place of full-fat dairy products. Another easy trade-off involves replacing high-calorie drinks with water. If you dislike water, add a slice of cucumber.
Cucumber Water and Hydration
Cucumber water contains very few calories. An 8.25-inch cucumber only has 45 calories with its skin and 34 calories without its skin. Cucumber water requires you to place just one slice of cucumber in your glass. Since water contains no calories, cucumber water often has fewer then 5 calories, depending on the size of the cucumber slice. Even if you placed the entire cucumber in your glass of water, the beverage would still contain fewer than 50 calories.http://www.ebiochem.com/
Increase the flavor of cucumber water by making it a pitcher at a time and keeping it in your refrigerator. Use it to reach your recommended daily water intake of least 64 ounces. An active lifestyle associated with weight loss might further increase your water intake. Weigh yourself before an after your workouts, and drink at least 16 ounces of water for each pound lost during exercise, recommends the University of Arizona.
Nutritional Benefit
As the flavor of the cucumber enters the water, some of the cucumber’s nutrients also enter the water. The longer the cucumber floats in the water, the more flavor and nutrients enter the water, explains Barbara Mendez, a master’s-level nutritional consultant in New York City. Nutrients provided by the cucumber include but are not limited to vitamin C, vitamin A, iron, calcium, vitamin K and potassium. The amount of these nutrients you get from cucumber water depends on how much cucumber you use in the water and whether you eat the cucumber slice after drinking the water. The more cucumber you use, the more nutrients you receive. Get the most nutrients out of cucumber water by placing an entire sliced cucumber in 2 quarts of water and refrigerating it overnight. Discard any unused water after two days to keep your beverage tasting fresh.http://www.ebiochem.com/
Calorie Reduction
At fewer than 5 calories a glass, cucumber water enables you to potentially eliminate 150 calories or more from your daily diet. A 12-oz. soda or fruit-flavored drink contains approximately 150 calories, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. For every soda you replace with a glass of cucumber water, you reduce your calorie consumption by 150 calories for the day, allowing you to lose around 15 lb. a year without making any other dietary changes.http://www.ebiochem.com/
Other Weight Loss Benefits
An increased intake of cucumber water might also help you lose weight by decreasing the amount of calories you consume during each meal and reducing water retention throughout your body. A study published in the July 2008 issue of the “Journal of the American Dietetic Association” shows that older adults who consumed 16 oz. of water a half-hour before each meal consumed fewer calories than those who did not.
