15 Health benefits of cucumber

Hello Dassyb blog readers. How are you doing? hope you are having a great week? Today I will be looking at few benefits you can get from cucumbers. Its a really interesting fruit.
Cucumbers belong to the same plant family as squash, pumpkin, and watermelon (the Cucurbitaceae family). Like watermelon, cucumbers are made up of mostly (95 percent) water, which means eating them on a hot summer day can help you stay hydrated. However, there's reason to eat cucumbers all year long. With vitamin K, B vitamins, copper, potassium, vitamin C, and manganese, cucumbers can help you to avoid nutrient deficiencies. Plus, cucumbers contain unique polyphenols a compounds that may help reduce your risk of chronic diseases and much, much more.

Below are 15 health benefits of cucumber.

1. Quick pick me-up - Cucumbers are a good source of B vitamins. Put down your sodas and coffee and eat a cucumber slice.

2. Rehydrates body and replenishes daily vitamins - Cucumbers are 95 percent water, keeping the body hydrated while helping the body eliminate toxins. Cucumbers have most of the vitamins the body needs in a single day. Don't forget to leave the skin on because the skin contains a good amount of vitamin C, about 10 percent of the daily-recommended allowance.

3. Skin and hair care - If you don't like to eat the skin, it can be used for skin irritations and sunburns as aloe would be used. Place a slice over puffy eyes and its anti- inflammatory properties help reduce puffiness. The Silicon and sulfur in cucumbers help to stimulate hair growth.

4. Fight cancers - Cucumber are known to contain lariciresinol, pinoresinol, and secoisolariciresinol. These three lignan urs have a strong history of research in connection with reduced risk of several cancer types, including breast cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer and prostate cancer.

5. Home care - Eliminates a foggy mirror. Before taking a shower, rub a cucumber slice along a mirror and it will eliminate the mirror fogging up. Instead of WD40, take a cucumber slice and rub it along a squeaky hinge and your door will stop squeaking.

6. Relieves bad breath - Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

7. Hangover cure - To avoid a morning hangover or headache; eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish many essential nutrients, reducing the intensity of both hangover and headache.

8. Aids in weight loss and digestion - Due to its low calorie and high water content, cucumber is an ideal diet for people who are looking for weight loss. The high water content and dietary fiber in cucumbers are very effective in ridding the body of toxins from the digestive system, aiding digestion. Daily consumption of cucumbers can be regarded as a remedy for chronic constipation.

9. Cures diabetes, reduces cholesterol and controls blood pressure - Cucumber juice contains a hormone which is needed by the cells of the pancreas for producing insulin which has been found to be beneficial to diabetic patients. Researchers found that a compound called sterols in cucumbers may help reduce cholesterol levels. Cucumbers contain a lot of potassium, magnesium and fiber. These work effectively for regulating blood pressure. This makes cucumbers good for treating both low blood pressure and high blood pressure.

10. Promotes joint health, relieves gout and arthritis pain - Cucumber is an excellent source of silica, which is known to help promotes joint health by strengthening the connective tissues. They are also rich in vitamin A, B1, B6, C & D, Folate, Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium. When mixed with carrot juice, they can relieve gout and arthritis pain by lowering the uric acid levels.

11 . Fights heat , both inside and out- Eat cucumber , and your body gets relief from heartburn. Apply cucumber on your skin, and you get relief from sunburn.

12. Keeps kidneys in shape- Cucumber lowers uric acid levels in your system , keeping the kidneys happy.

13. Protect Your Brain -Cucumbers contain an anti-inflammatory flavonol called fisetin that appears to play an important role in brain health. In addition to improving your memory and protecting your nerve cells from age-related decline, fisetin has been found to prevent progressive memory and learning impairments in mice with Alzheimer's disease.

14. Manage Stress- Cucumbers contain multiple B vitamins, including vitamin B1, vitamin B5, and vitamin B7 (biotin). B vitamins are known to help ease feelings of anxiety and buffer some of the damaging effects of stress.

15.Smooths hair and nails- Silica , the wonder mineral in cucumber makes your hair and nails stronger and shinier.

Interesting benefits right? Don't forget to indulge in more cucumbers from now on.

Thanks for reading and don't forget to leave your thoughts.

30 stunning reasons why you should eat more bananas.

Hi Dassyb blog readers, hope you are having a great weekend? Today I would be discussing about various benefits of eating bananas. I got it from various researches online and you would be surprised at how many benefits you can get from banana. Infact you'll never look at a banana the same way again after discovering the many health benefits and reasons to add them to your diet. Bananas are the most popular fruit in the world. combat depression, make you smarter, cure hangovers, relieve morning sickness, protect against kidney cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, and blindness. They can cure the itch of a mosquito bite and put a great shine on your shoes. Here are 30 reasons to eat bananas.

1.Bananas help overcome depression due to high levels of tryptophan, which is converted into serotonin -- the happy-mood brain neurotransmitter.
2. Eat two bananas before a strenuous workout to pack an energy punch and sustain your blood sugar.
3. Protect against muscle cramps during workouts and night time leg cramps by eating a banana.
4. Counteract calcium loss during urination and build strong bones by supplementing with a banana.
5. Improve your mood and reduce PMS symptoms by eating a banana, which regulates blood sugar and produces stress-relieving relaxation.
6. Bananas reduce swelling, protect against type II diabetes , aid weight loss, strengthen the nervous system, and help with the production of white blood cells, all due to high levels of vitamin B-6.
7. Strengthen your blood and relieve anemia with the added iron from bananas.
8. High in potassium and low in salt, bananas are officially recognized by the FDA as being able to lower blood pressure and protect against heart attack and stroke.
Eating Bananas Aids Digestion
9. Rich in pectin, bananas aid digestion and gently chelate toxins and heavy metals from the body.
10. Bananas act as a prebiotic, stimulating the growth of friendly bacteria in the bowel. They also produce digestive enzymes to assist in absorbing nutrients.

11. Constipated? High fiber in bananas can help normalize bowel motility.
12. Got the runs? Bananas are soothing to the digestive tract and help restore lost electrolytes after diarrhea.
13. Bananas are a natural antacid, providing relief from acid reflux, heartburn, and GERD.
14. Bananas are the only raw fruit that can be consumed without distress to relieve stomach ulcers by coating the lining of the stomach against corrosive acids.
Natural Cures From A Simple Banana
15. Eating bananas will help prevent kidney cancer, protects the eyes against macular degeneration and builds strong bones by increasing calcium absorption.
16. Bananas make you smarter and help with learning by making you more alert. Eat a banana before an exam to benefit from the high levels of potassium.
17. Bananas are high in antioxidants, providing protection from free radicals and chronic disease.
18. Eating a banana between meals helps stabilize blood sugar and reduce nausea from morning sickness.
19. Rub a bug bite or hives with the inside of the banana peel to relieve itching and irritation.
20. Control blood sugar and avoid binging between meals by eating a banana.

21. Eating a banana can lower the body temperature and cool you during a fever or on a hot day.
22. The natural mood-enhancer tryptophan helps to relieve Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
23. Quitting smoking? Bananas contain high levels of B-vitamins as well as potassium and magnesium to speed recovery from the effects of withdrawal.
24. Remove a wart by placing the inside of a piece of banana peel against the wart and taping it in place.
25. Rub the inside of a banana peel on your leather shoes or handbag and polish with a dry cloth for a quick shine.
26. Make you sleep better This is also because of the “trytptophan,” says Cassie Bjork, RD, LD of Healthy Simple Life. “It’s a precursor for melatonin, which promotes relaxation and helps to regulate sleep.” Peel one before bed.
27.Makes you feel  fuller. Prior to ripening, bananas are rich in something called resistant starch , which, as the name suggests, literally resists the digestion process. This feeds healthy gut bacteria, which suppresses the appetite and leads to more efficient fat oxidation. In fact, one study found that replacing just 5 percent of the day’s carbohydrates with a source of resistant starch can boost post-meal fat burn by up to 30 percent! Since underripe bananas are a bit bitter, we suggest adding them into weight loss smoothies with other fruits and veggies to mask the taste.

28. It fights cancer. Delphinidin is an antioxidant found in bananas that has anti-tumor properties. A study in Food and Chemical Toxicology found that applying concentrations of delphinidin to stomach cancer cells inhibited their growth and proliferation. Controlling your weight also reduces the risk of cancer.
29. It improves vision. Bananas contain vitamins A and C, and “both are antioxidants and are eye and skin-healthy nutrients,” says Smith. “They also have beta carotene, an antioxidant that can help to protect cells and repair damage at the cellular level, and bananas also contain other nutrients like vitamin E and lutein-—both which are eye healthy. Lutein is a nutrient that may help to reduce risk for macular degeneration.”
30.Oh, and remember -- bananas make great snacks and delicious smoothies.

Hope this has been helpful, start eating more bananas today.

Why should I eat fruits.... fruit nutrition facts...

Why should I eat fruits?

Hi Dassyb blog readers, Happy Sunday to you all. Hope your weekend has been great?
So why should I eat fruits.... That's a question I have heard from several people and will be giving an answer to it this wonderful Sunday afternoon..
Fruits are nature’s wonderful gift to the mankind; indeed, they are life-enhancing medicines packed with vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and many phyto-nutrients (Plant derived micronutrients). They are an absolute feast to our sight, not just because of their color and flavor but for their unique nutrition-profile that help human body free from diseases and keep it healthy!

Fruit nutrition facts 

1. Fruits are low in calories and fat and are a source of simple sugars, fiber, and vitamins, which are essential for optimizing our health.
2. Fruits provide plenty of soluble dietary fiber, which helps to ward off cholesterol and fats from the body and to help in smooth bowel movements as well as offer relief from
constipation ailments.
3. Fruits compose of many anti-oxidants such as poly-phenolic flavonoids, vitamin-C, and anthocyanins. These compounds, firstly , help human body protected from oxidant stress, diseases, and cancers, and secondly; help the body develop capacity to fight against these ailments by boosting our immunity level. Many fruits, when compared to vegetables and cereals, have very high anti-oxidant values, which is measured in terms of their "Oxygen Radical Absorbent Capacity" or (ORAC).
4. Anthocyanins are flavonoid category of poly-phenolic compounds found in some "blue-fruits" like blue-black grapes, mulberries, acai berry, chokeberry, blueberries, blackberries, and in many vegetables featuring blue or deep purple pigments. Consumption of fruits rich in blue pigments offers many health benefits. These compounds have potent anti-oxidant properties that help remove free radicals from the body, and thus offer protection against
cancers, aging, infections, etc. Majority of these pigments in the fruits tend to concentrate just underneath their skin.

5. Fruit’s health benefiting properties are because of their richness in vitamins, minerals, micro-nutrients, pigment anti-oxidants. Altogether, these compounds help the body prevent or at least prolong the natural changes of aging by protecting from damage and rejuvenating cells, tissues, and organs. Their overall benefits are manifold! Fruit nutrition benefits are emormous! Including fruits in daily diet, you are protecting yourself from minor ailments like wrinkling of skin, hair-fall, and memory loss to major ailments like age-related macular degeneration (AMRD) of the retina in the eyes, Alzheimer’s disease, colon cancers, weak bones (osteoporosis)…etc., and the list of fruit nutrition benefits simply never ends!
6.Research studies suggest that one may eat any servings of fruits daily. It is recommended to eat at least 2-3 servings of fresh fruits every day.
7. Include seasonal fruits in the daily diet. Variety of fruits type, color, and flavor should be encouraged to get maximum health benefits. Yellow and orange color fruits are rich sources of a and ß carotenes, zea-xanthin and crypto- xanthin, while blue, black colored like black or blueberries are a good source of poly-phenolic anthocyanin anti- oxidants.