Adventurers, can we please celebrate my latest idea? 😉 – Health & Beauty Powerfoods that are not exotic, not expensive and NOT getting all the limelight they deserve. 

The Underrated Powerfood series is replacing the really popular Monthly Powerfood series for a few months to come, and in this opening post we’ll not just recap the great health benefits of this little gourd, Cucumis sativus, but we’ll drink to a healthy summer with a delicious Cucumber Water 😉No worries, I’ll keep it as short & sweet as I can.
Are you in?!

Cucumbers: Nutrient Check, Please

If you happen to follow me on Twitter, you might spot something like this quite often in summer:
And I like this alternative lemonade for many reasons. Mainly because cucumbers have the lightest carbon footprint (if you buy local vegetables, that is) and a lovely nutrient profile:Did you know that cucumbers are a vine? It looks pretty neat in a garden 🙂

So let’s wrap up the most interesting cucumber health benefits:
+ Great for a balanced, anti-oxidant-rich diet
+ Formidable part of your ‘daily detox’ (where you’re not eating anything ‘tox’ in the first place anyway)
+ Great for skin health & beauty
+ Really good for muscles
+ Hydrating and rich in beneficial vitamins and minerals
+ As usual: don’t overdo. Balance is the key word in a “balanced diet”

The Dirty, Dirty Dozen

However, don’t forget that cucumbers are part of the bad boy band called The Dirty Dozen: vegetables most prone to a high pesticide load.

Best way to enjoy cucumbers is to buy local, organic produce
and always make sure to wash them thoroughly prior to cutting.”

Yes, organic doesn’t mean “not contaminated” either: you never know where the vegetables rolled; also – eating raw veggies always does include some potential risk.

Cucumbers & Toast

Cucumbers are great in salads, on sandwiches, in green smoothies and in juices. But my favourite recipe on the quest to staying hydrated during hot summer days (more info here) might be cucumber water:But do you know what I think is the TOP BENEFIT of this lemonade alternative? Bees have no taste for it! 😀

Bon apetit, Adventurer 😉
What is your favourite underrated powerfood? Share and let’s give it some well-deserved appreciation!