Cucumber Hydration for Wellness and Recovery

October 19, 2011

I recently came down with something…it wasn’t a cold, and it wasn’t a flu, though. It was some sort of hybrid. It gave me chills, a fever, aches, stuffy nose, cloudiness, a cough, and all around grossness.

I continue to be baffled by how at one moment I was sweating buckets and the next I was freezing. Many people weighed in my illness, some saying to starve it, others telling me to feed this bugger until it receded.

Ahh – well meaning friends and family, although kind with their donations of advice, so often polarized in their thinking. So instead of trying to wade through the many suggestions (my brain was far too cloudy for such an undertaking), I decided to prescribe myself rest and hydration.

Seeing as I could only stand for two minutes at a time before feeling dizzy and weak, I chose to juice an amazing amount of cucumber and keep the juice at hand. Cucumber is nature’s hydrator, comprised of almost 95% water and containing many nutrients key to vitality and recovery.

The cucumber contains alkaline-forming minerals and is an excellent source of vitamin C and A (anti-oxidants), folate, manganese, molybdenum, potassium, silica, sulfur, and lesser amounts of vitamin B complex, sodium, calcium, phosphorus and chlorine – whew – rendering cucumber a more nutritious hydration method than water alone.

And, as I was easily able to sweat through any garment I was wearing during the height of my illness, I found solace in the temperature regulating properties found in cucumber juice, which topped it off as a highly suitable drink when feeling feverish.

Here’s a few tips to keep in mind when searching for the best cucumber to hydrate you back to wellness!

Choose cucumbers that are dark green in color and firm to the touch.
Avoid those that are yellowish or are wrinkled at either ends.
Thinner cucumbers have fewer seeds than those that are thicker.
Store cucumbers in the fridge to retain its freshness.
Cut cucumbers should be kept wrapped up or in an air-tight container and stored in the fridge.
Consume your cut cucumbers within a day or two.

And as a caution to those worried about pesticides, where possible, buy organic as cucumbers may be waxed or washed with pesticides. If you’ve opted for the non-organic option, wash cucumber under cold running water and scrub gently with a vegetable brush. It might help also to soak it for 5-10 minutes with 1-2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, too.

What kinds of fruit or veggies have you juiced while feeling ill?

Bianca is a professional chef, food writer, and hobbyist photographer. Her favorite juice combination is orange and blueberry, and she simply cannot live without her Jack Lalanne Express Juicer.