5 Delicious Cucumber Smoothie Recipes

Cucumbers are not only great tasting in salads but also in smoothies!

With their healthy taste alongside other fruity flavors, you can make yourself a nutritious snack that’s perfect for any season.

To help get yourself started, check out our guide below.

cucumber-sliced

Health Benefits of Cucumbers

There is a number of health benefits that can be gained by eating cucumbers, according to Care2.(1)

Here are just a few of them.

» Helps flush out toxins in your body. Once consumed, cucumbers can act as a natural cleanse to help get rid of excess waste, according to LiveScience. (2)

» Reduces the risk of cancer. According to recent studies, adding cucumbers to your daily diet can help fight against any sign of cancer.(3,4,5)

» Helps fight against heat. Applying cucumber to your skin can help reduce the tendency of itchy skin and sunburn while consuming it can help relieve yourself from heartburn, according to School of Natural Product Studies, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology.(6)

» Helps you lose weight. Since they’re so healthy and low in calories, they can help you lose weight.(1)

» Normalizes blood pressure. For those suffering from high blood pressure, adding cucumbers into your daily food consumption can greatly reduce it.(7)

» They’re full of vitamins. Cucumbers are full of A, B, and C vitamins which can help give you more energy and increase your immune system.(3)

» Reduces joint and muscle pain. Try eating cucumber after a workout, due to their high content of minerals and vitamins, they can help ease any pain that can be putting pressure on your joints or muscles.(8)

» Improves your skin. You may notice that cucumbers are popular in spas and salons, mainly because they have helpful minerals such as silicon, magnesium, and potassium.(4,6)

» Improves your kidneys. Since they can help lower your acidic uric levels, your kidneys can function healthier. Also, cucumbers are also well-known to help rid of kidney stones as well. (4)

» Offers eye relief. Putting cucumber slices on your eyes can help reduce the notice of eye puffiness or under-eye bags that tend to follow a lack of sleep.

» Smoothes nails and hair. Due to the mineral Silica in cucumbers, eating them regularly can develop smoother hair and shinier nails.(3)

» Helps keep your mouth refreshed. Cucumber juice can leave your mouth feeling more moisturized and can even heal certain gum diseases.

 

Are Smoothies Healthy For You?

In short, yes, smoothies are healthy for you, so long as you use healthy ingredients.(9)

Here are a few of the ways in which drinking smoothie regularly can benefit you.

#1 Helps with weight loss. Although there are plenty of different weight loss smoothies to try, cucumber smoothies are one of the best since it has a high content of vitamins and minerals.

#2 Improves your body’s digestion. Your blender can easily grind up your cucumbers better than your mouth. This gives your digestion an easier time breaking down your food with the help of dietary fibers strengthening your digestive system at the same time.

#3 Helps you consume your daily fill of veggies and fruits. Drinking cucumber smoothies can meet your consumption of daily nutrients your body needs to stay healthy.

#4 Aids you in reaching your fitness goals. Since cucumbers are full of healthy nutrients, they can help you lose weight or build muscle, depending on what you are training for.

#5 Helps you sleep. Drinking cucumber smoothies can benefit your overall health, which in turn can give you a better night sleep.

#6 Strengthens and improves your immune system. Consuming cucumber smoothies can reduce the number of sick days you have to take out at work and can even boost the power of your immune system for the cold you may get in the future.

 

How To Make a Smoothie

There are four basic parts of any smoothie.(10)

In order make a smoothie, you need:

» A liquid: The liquid is essential for blending your smoothie and making it the proper consistency. You can use water, coconut water, fruit juice, any type of milk, or even green tea. Begin with a half of a cup of your chosen liquid. If your smoothie does not blend immediately when you turn the blender on, you should add more liquid.

» A thickener or base: This is what really gives your smoothie a thicker consistency. The most common choices are ice, peanut butter, and yogurt. You can also add in an extra banana or use frozen fruit to thicken your smoothie.

» A fruit or vegetable: This is where the flavor of your smoothie comes in. You can use either fresh or frozen produce, both are equally as great. There are so many interesting combinations of fruits and vegetables that you can create, you will never get bored of smoothies.

» Add-ons: (11) You may decide that your smoothie needs a little something extra. This is where your add-ons enter the smoothie. Common additions are sweeteners like sugar and honey, spices like cinnamon, protein powder, additional fruits, and superfoods like flaxseed or acai berries.

Once you have all your ingredients gathered, all you must do is blend them together and voila, you have a smoothie.

Top 5 Cucumber Smoothie Recipes

#1 Cucumber Cantaloupe Smoothie

Ingredients:

  • A cucumber
  • 2 cups of cantaloupe chunks
  • 1 cup watermelon chunks
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • 1 tsp lime juice
  • 0.5 cups water
Green smoothie with,spinach,cucumber,lime

Directions:

  • Chop all of your ingredients into easily bendable chunks.
  • Put all your ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.
  • Enjoy!

Prep Time: 5 min



#2 Cucumber Pear Smoothie

Ingredients:

  • A cucumber
  • 2 pears
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • 0.5 cups of water
Cucumber Pear Smoothie

Directions:

  • Core and chop up your pears.
  • Combine all the ingredients in your blender.
  • Blend until it is smooth and enjoy your smoothie.

Prep Time: 5 min



#3 Cucumber Blueberry Smoothie

Ingredients:

  • A cucumber
  • 1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
  • 1 cup yogurt
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • Add ice, if you need it
Cucumber Blueberry Smoothie

Directions:

  • Place all of your ingredients in the blender.
  • Blend until the mixture reaches your preferred consistency.
  • Drink up!

Prep Time: 5 min



#4 Cucumber Melon Smoothie

Ingredients:

  • A cucumber
  • 2 cups honeydew melon
  • 2 tbsp fresh mint
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 0.5 cups of water
Cucumber Melon Smoothie

Directions:

  • Chop your cucumber, honeydew melon, and mint.
  • Blend all the ingredients until smooth.

Prep Time: 5 min



#5 Cucumber Pineapple Smoothie

Ingredients:

  • 0.5 cucumbers
  • 1 cup pineapple
  • 0.5 cups raspberries
  • 1 kale leaf
  • Use water, ice, or almond milk if needed.
Cucumber Pineapple Smoothie

Directions:

  • Cut all your ingredients into blender-friendly chunks.
  • Place all the ingredients in your blend.
  • Blend until smooth and enjoy your smoothie.

Prep Time: 5 min



 

Conclusion

Cucumber smoothies can play an important part in keeping our bodies healthy.

Hopefully, with the help of our guide, you can take the steps necessary to continue leading a nutritional life that will help your body inside and out.

So remember, the next time you go food shopping opt for some fruit and cucumbers to make yourself a nutrient-full smoothie, it may even save your life.


References

(1)http://www.care2.com/greenliving/16-superb-health-benefits-of-cucumber.html

(2)http://www.livescience.com/51000-cucumber-nutrition.html

(3)http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=42

(4)http://www.jarcp.com/3050-evaluating-the-potential-benefits-of-cucumbers-for-improved-health-and-skin-care.html

(5)http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/283006.php

(6)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23098877

(7)https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/cucumber.html

(8)http://www.dynamicchiropractic.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?id=39116

(9)https://www.healthysmoothiehq.com/21-reasons-consume-healthy-smoothies

(10)http://therelaxnation.com/2012/02/fruit-smoothie-basics-how-to-make-your-own-healthy-blend/#sthash.6BzPjVpV.ZeISz4P2.dpbs

(11)https://www.healthysmoothiehq.com/how-to-make-a-smoothie