Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - January 28, 2025, Winnipeg, Manitoba WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM ● C3 TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2025 Cucumbers are trendy, but are they good for you? C UCUMBERS have always been cool. Now, thanks to social media, they’re also hot. Viral cucumber recipes racked up millions of views in the past year, thrusting the salad bar staple into the spotlight. Which might leave you won- dering: Healthwise, can cukes endure the glare? Or should they be deleted from your diet? Unlike some online trends, this is one you can, for the most part, go ahead and sink your teeth into, said Dr. Matthew Landry, an assistant professor of population health and disease prevention at the University of California, Irvine. “Any time we can get folks to eat more fruits and vegetables — I love seeing that,” Landry said. He calls cucumbers affordable, versatile and a relatively healthy replacement for chips or other snacks. Generally speaking, cucumbers have “a lot of things in the benefits column,” he said, and few negatives. But among those negatives is the fact that “they’re not super-nutritious.” A cucumber does carry a few nutri- ents. A predominant one is vitamin K, “which is important in our bodies for blood clotting,” he said. A whole eight-inch cucumber, with the peel, would have roughly 40 per cent of an adult man’s daily recom- mended amount of vitamin K, or 55 per cent of an adult woman’s daily needs, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But that’s from the entire cucumber. A more traditional half-cup serving would have about one-sixth the amount of a whole cuke. Cucumbers also have a bit of vitamins C and A, Landry said. “But again, I would say that the amounts are pretty small, and that’s even if you would eat an entire cucumber.” Several medical sources online em- phasize cucumbers’ potassium levels as helpful in controlling high blood pressure. But Landry said the levels of potassium are small: An entire cu- cumber would have only 13 per cent of a man’s daily needs or 17 per cent of a woman’s. Leafy greens such as kale or collard greens would be better sources of that mineral, he said. Cucumbers have a bit of fibre — 1.5 grams if you eat a whole one — but their lack of bulk means they aren’t great at making you feel full. The Food and Drug Administration recommends children ages four and older and adults get 28 g of fibre daily. But the nutri- tional appeal of cucumbers, Landry said, is as much about what they don’t have as it is about what they do. They are at least 95 per cent water, he said. That can help with hydration, but it also means cucumbers are a low-calorie vegetable, with only 45 calories a cuke. “You could eat cups of them, and barely reach 100 calories or so.” Botanically speaking, cucumbers are fruits. But culinarily, they are classified as vegetables, owing to their nutrient profiles. And like many veg- etables, they also have a low glycemic index, making them a good snacking choice for someone with Type 2 diabe- tes, Landry said. Their high water content has long made them associated with literal cool- ness. The phrase “cool as a cucumber” dates to at least the early 1700s. While the online world might find them new and exciting, cucumbers — a close relative of both squash and mel- ons — are believed to have originated in the Himalayas and were first culti- vated at least 2,500 years ago. Cucum- bers were used medicinally in ancient China, India, Rome and Egypt. In the Old Testament, cucumbers were one of the foods the ancient Israelites longed for during their wanderings. Not everyone feels the same affec- tion. English writer Samuel Johnson is quoted as saying that “a cucumber should be well sliced, and dressed with pepper and vinegar, and then thrown out, as good for nothing.” Landry disagrees, although he has a few words of caution. Some people peel cucumbers be- cause they don’t like the taste or the texture. That lowers what little fibre they provide, he said. And while their mild flavour means cucumbers can be used in all kinds of fun combinations, “you do still have to watch all the other things that you’re mixing in with it,” Landry said. Salad dressings, mayonnaise and sauces can be high in sugar or salt and can add unhealthy calories and fat. No cucumber conversation would be complete without a mention of pickles. Landry acknowledges he’s biased: “I love pickles and eat those pretty regularly.” But be mindful because pickling can add a lot of sodium. One large pickle can have more than 1,000 milligrams. Federal dietary guidelines recommend most adults eat no more than 2,300 mg of sodium a day; the American Heart Association suggests the ideal daily limit for most adults is 1,500 mg. Landry grew up eating homegrown cucumbers in southern Louisiana. “We oftentimes had them in salads,” he said. “It adds that crunchiness, which can be really nice.” These days, he puts them on sand- wiches or in wraps. He’s a fan of Persian or English varieties, which he said tend to be firmer and often have fewer seeds than the common garden version. The firmer versions work well in a bowl of grain, such as quinoa, orzo pasta or bulgur wheat, he said. For a hearty meal, throw in some bell pep- pers or other colourful vegetables and season it with a little bit of herbs and maybe a light dressing. “At the end of the day, it doesn’t have a whole lot of calories. It does have some nutrients.” And overall, a cucumber “makes a pretty well-round- ed snack.” Eat It or Leave It? is an American Heart Association News series that takes a closer look at the health benefits and drawbacks of specific foods and drinks. American Heart Association News covers heart and brain health. Not all views expressed in this story reflect the official position of the American Heart Association. MICHAEL MERSCHEL DREAMSTIME / TNS Cucumbers are mostly water and low in calories, making them a good snack option. What your resting heart rate says about your health FROM Apple Watches to Fitbits to treadmills, there are more ways than ever for people to keep up with their vitals. So why does so much fitness tech check your pulse? Because your rest- ing heart rate can say a significant amount about your health, including when it might be time to seek imme- diate medical care. What is a healthy resting heart rate? According to Harvard Medical School, a normal resting heart rate is anywhere between 60 and 100 beats per minute. However, it reported that most healthy adults actually fall within 55 to 85 beats per minute. An individual’s expected heart rate also changes as they age. According to the American Heart Association, a 35-year-old person should have a heart rate of about 93 to 157 bpm during moderate intensity activity — 24 per cent faster than someone twice their age. A person’s heart rate should be 50 to 85 per cent of their maximum heart rate during moderate activity, according to AHA, and maximum rate should be about 220 minus your age. Having a heart rate on the lower or higher end of the healthy 60-100 spectrum is not necessarily a sign something is wrong, but an especial- ly low or fast heart rate could be a symptom of something demanding immediate medical attention. What does it mean if your resting heart rate is low? A heart rate that’s too slow, often under 60 beats per minute, is known as bradycardia, a condition more common in older adults. A low heart rate is not always bad, though, be- cause it often indicates more efficient heart function and better cardiovas- cular fitness. The heart drops below 60 beats per minute during sleep, and physically active adults (particularly athletes) can have resting heart rates slower than 60. “In certain cases, a lower resting heart rate can mean a higher degree of physical fitness, which is associ- ated with reduced rates of cardiac events like heart attacks,” Massachu- setts General Hospital Heart Center director of quality and analytics Dr. Jason Wasfy told Harvard Men’s Health Watch. Bradycardia in older adults, how- ever, can be a sign of wear and tear over time. “This may be the result of the electrical nodes of the heart aging, or not transmitting electrical signals correctly,” Wasfy added. “You should report these symptoms to your health-care provider.” According to the American Heart Association, symptoms of bradycar- dia often include fatigue, dizziness, confusion, fainting, shortness of breath and chest pain. What if your resting heart rate is high? A heart rate that’s too high, often over 100 beats per minute, is known as tachycardia, a condition that’s not necessarily a concern. A person’s heart rate can rise briefly because of stress or from physical exertion, but tachycardia that lasts longer or is accompanied with certain symptoms could be a sign something is wrong. “However, a high resting heart rate could be a sign of an increased risk of cardiac risk in some situations, as the more beats your heart has to take eventually takes a toll on its overall function,” Wasfy said. According to the Mayo Clinic, any- one experiencing chest pain, short- ness of breath, weakness, dizziness or fainting with tachycardia should seek immediate medical help. Heart failure, stroke and sudden cardiac death are some of tachycardia’s seri- ous health risks if left untreated. How to check your pulse To check your pulse, lightly place your index and middle fingers along the artery in one of your inner wrists. Count the number of pulses you feel through your fingers within 60 seconds. The total pulses will be your heart rate. How to improve your resting heart rate The Cleveland Clinic reported that bradycardia is often not preventable. When experiencing chest pain, short- ness of breath or dizziness as a symp- tom of a low heart rate, especially if these symptoms change suddenly and worsen over time, it is important to seek immediate medical help. When it comes to preventing an overly quick heart rate, however, there are measures that can be taken. According to the Mayo Clinic, the best way to avoid tachycardia is to maintain a healthy heart. Regularly receive health checkups, don’t smoke, eat a low-sodium and low-saturat- ed-fat diet, reduce stress, maintain a healthy weight, get good sleep and maintain healthy blood pressure. — Atlanta Journal-Constitution HUNTER BOYCE MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES Devices like the Apple Watch can help you keep track of your resting heart rate. Justin Baldoni won’t ‘be bullied’ by gag order NEW YORK — Amid the seemingly never-ending drama surrounding the film It Ends With Us, Justin Baldoni’s attorney is saying his client will not be silenced by Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ calls for a gag order. The A-list couple requested a judge put a stop to what they called a “retaliatory media campaign” on Tuesday — the same day Baldoni’s team leaked behind-the-scenes footage intended to dispel Lively’s claims of sexual harassment on the set of the film. “We will never be bullied by those suggesting we cannot defend our clients with pure, unedited facts,” attorney Bry- an Freedman told TMZ on Saturday. Freedman maintains the Gossip Girl alum and Deadpool star are attempt- ing to wield their power to induce “pure fear.” He says their request for a gag order is nothing more than their attempt to “gag the truth.” “It seems that in a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolution- ary act,” he told TMZ. Freedman’s latest statements come roughly a month after speculation of an on-set feud was confirmed by Live- ly filing a lawsuit accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment on the set of It Ends With Us, which she claims was followed by a co-ordinated smear cam- paign meant to destroy her reputation. On Dec. 31, Baldoni sued the New York Times for US$250 million over their article detailing Lively’s allega- tions” Freedman then released the nearly 10 minutes of behind-the-scenes foot- age on Tuesday, which shows Lively and Baldoni filming three takes of a scene she referred to in her allega- tions. Lively’s camp maintains the foot- age is “damning” and proves Baldoni crossed a line, while Freedman says it shows the opposite. — New York Daily News JAMI GANZ ARTS ● LIFE I LIFE Justin Baldoni ;