Calling a cucumber cool is surely understating its essence.

The list of nutritional benefits from this elongated gourd reads like a what’s-what of healthfulness.

Native to India, the cucumber became – and remains – a vital fruit in Asia, where China grows 60 percent of the world output. Yep, it’s a fruit, not a veggie.

The earliest recorded use of cucumber dates back nearly 5,000 years, to the city of Ur. It has been farmed since 3,000 BC and became a vital foodstuff throughout the Roman Empire. The cucumber is also biblically mentioned as a food eaten by the Israelites while in Egypt.

While long famed as a pickled product, fresh cucumbers have reached a new pinnacle of popularity. Helped along by a year-round availability and moderate shelf life, cucumbers have become an integral part of salads and assorted side dishes.

Despite their familiarity in the kitchen and garden, cukes are more often than not stored wrong. They’re not big fans of coldness, meaning they’re not long for excellence when stored in the fridge – even in the crisper drawer. A University of California, Davis study determined that cucumbers tend to ‘go south’ when exposed to temperatures below 50°F.

Cold exposure also leads to the fruit’s fairly famed “chilling injuries,” marked by mushy water-soaked areas, easily penetrated by a thumb when even lightly squeezed.

Nutritionally, cucumbers are a powerhouse. As noted in top10 homeremedies.com, they are an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin C and numerous B vitamins. They are also a good source of sodium, copper, amino acids, carbohydrates, sugar, soluble and insoluble fiber, potassium, manganese, fatty acids, phosphorus, magnesium, biotin and silica.

Being nearly 96 percent water, cucumbers are also valuable for their hydrating ability. Easily blended and juiced, cukes can be eaten raw as a hydrating pick-me-up. The juice of cucumbers is considered a premier blood cleaning and detox agent.

It has also been suggested that regularly consuming cucumbers, either raw or juiced, can reduce bad cholesterol, maintain healthy blood pressure, aid in digestion, relieve muscle soreness, and even help fight cancer.

Cucumbers are frequently used as a beauty and health treatment for skin. Slices are customarily applied to eyes to remove “bags” and puffiness. When consumed, they also promote healthier nails and hair. The juice is even thought to enhance natural hair growth.

A salon-quality cucumber toner can be easily made by grating a medium cuke onto cheesecloth, over a glass bowl, squeezing out the liquid and, using a cotton ball, applying it to the face in an upward motion. That same method produces a cool relief for sunburned skin – another quite literally ‘cool” application of this many-splendored fruit.

Ice pops, popularized under the brand name Popsicles, may be one of the few frozen sweets that most folks outgrow, essentially leaving the sugary and colorful frozen confections to kids.

While the kid-level love of ice pops has never melted away, the concept behind these frozen sweets has reemerged in what might be deemed a more mature form, linked to the original look and feel by virtue of stick alone.

Frozen sugar water has given way to complex fruit ingredients, as seen in popular store brands, all products emphasizing assorted fruit and vegetable essences. Entire frozen food sections are now dedicated to fruity, frosty treats on sticks.

But the variety of mass-produced modern ice pops actually pales by comparison to the diversity of such goodies that can be made at home — with little more than a cheap plastic mold and some kitchen creativity.

Here are two of my favorite concoctions. And the best part is, you can make them totally organic and at a fraction of the cost they would be in the supermarket (assuming you could even find them in the supermarket, that is)!

Mango Maple Lime pops

Instead of sugar, I used my favorite sweetener, maple syrup. If you’re not already a maple-syrup fan, you absolutely should give it a try, But be sure to get the real deal – pure maple syrup, preferable organic – and not one of those fakes with high fructose corn syrup and artificial maple flavor. (And real honest-to-goodness maple syrup can be bought at a reasonable price, too.)

Also, mangos are a terrific source of antioxidant compounds and vitamin C that guard against various forms of cancer, vitamin A, which helps strengthen vision and prevent “night blindness,” and enzymes that assist in digestion. In addition, the vitamin C they contain together with the fruit’s more than two dozen carotenoids, helps strengthen the immune system, as well as lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol (with the help of pectin and fiber).

Ingredients:

• 2 mangos
• 1 cup coconut milk
• Juice of ½ a lime
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Score, peel and pit mangos. Put mango pieces in a food processor or high speed blender with the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.

Pour into pop mold and freeze until solid.

Makes 4 to 6 servings depending on the size of your mold.

Yogurt chocolate cherry pops

Because this recipe uses plain cocoa powder, you’ll be getting all the health benefits of cocoa without the added fat or calories. (plain cocoa powder has only 10 calories per tablespoon, quite a bit different from a chocolate bar!)

Cocoa is good for your heart, can protect against diabetes and has an incredibly high amount of antioxidants in it. So you can actually think of these pops as a health food!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup organic yogurt, plain or vanilla flavored
• 2 tablespoons plain (unsweetened) cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup, preferably organic
• ¼ to ½ cup of frozen whole, pitted cherries, unsweetened
• ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Put your yogurt, vanilla, maple syrup and cocoa powder in a food processor or high-speed blender and mix until combined well (you may have to scrape the sides of the bowl with a knife once or twice).

When the cocoa powder is well mixed, add the cherries and blend for just a few seconds. You want them chopped slightly, not pureed.

Pour into pop mold and freeze until solid.

Makes 4 to 6 servings depending on the size of your mold.

Now you’re ready for those steamy summer days with a thirst-quenching treat that’s not only cold and delightfully sweet, but remarkably healthy as well!

On April 13^th, the American Heart Association (AHA) released their new recommendations for designing, measuring and recognizing “Workplace Wellness Programs”.  The AHA feels that these heart-healthy workplace rules could “significantly impact efforts to improve the cardiovascular health of the American workforce.”

As I read through the recommendations, it was so obvious that this “Workplace Wellness Program” could also be our “Homelife Wellness Program” too!  The AHA created “Life’s Simple 7” …. seven measures of health that will significantly impact heart health.  One of the initiatives  the AHA has is the “2020 Impact Goal” ….. that by the year 2020, the cardiovascular health of Americans will improve by 20% and the deaths from heart disease and stroke will go down 20%.  2020 Impact Goal  … I like it!

Here is the AHA “Life’s Simple 7” list …. whether at work or at home or both:
1)  Stop smoking
2)  Get active
3)  Lose weight
4)  Eat better
5)  Manage blood pressure
6)  Control cholesterol
7)  Reduce blood sugar

See what I mean?  This is so much more than a workplace wellness plan.  Since there are about 155 million working-age adults in the U.S., if these “Life’s Simple 7” became part of the work culture, the employees would be healthier and they would probably take those good habits into the rest of their lives.  Of course, if we practice the Simple 7 at home we would also bring those good habits to work with us!

The Wild Oats “Oaties” often touch on 6 of these 7 areas in our blog content  …. especially the “eat better” part.  We are a varied group of voices who love and respect what Wild Oats is bringing to the marketplace.  We celebrate healthy choices and healthy lifestyles.  You’ll find tons of great information on eating better, getting active and losing weight.  These 3 things alone will help in the areas of blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol control!  So, what’s left?  Smoking!

Really, no one, not even smokers, think that smoking is good for us. Lung cancer and coronary artery disease are the two biggest health issues, and the addictive quality of nicotine makes this one difficult habit to break.  Over the last decade, the arrival and popularity of “e-cigarettes”  continues to change the tobacco use landscape.  E-cigarettes contain flavored liquid that carries the nicotine.  The liquid is heated and inhaled.  Viola …. nicotine without actual cigarette smoke!

The new AHA Life’s Simple 7 includes “stop smoking” but does not include “stop vaping” (the term for e-cigarette use).  Does that imply the vaping is safer than smoking?  It’s an area of confusion.  We’ll see lots of scientific data and public policy adjustments in the years to come.  Last year, the AHA published their “E-Cigarette Policy Recommendations” . This document outlines many of the concerns related to e-cigarettes that are still unclear, calling for “comprehensive and continuous research on e-cigarettes’ use, their characteristics, their marketing, and their long-term health effects on individual users, the environment, and public health.”  The bottom-line is that vaping was not included in the Life’s Simple 7 because there isn’t enough scientific data yet to know what problems might be occurring.

Life’s Simple 7!  Smokers, do your best to address that serious issue.  The other 6 areas apply to all of us!  Whether at home, or a work, it’s a smart and sensible wellness program.  Good health for all has a nice ring to it …

Are you looking for a new summer salad recipe that is unique, delicious and full of nutrition-packed superfoods? Who isn’t?! Check out one of my favorite simple summer salad recipes that is easy to make and even easier to eat. Enjoy!

Total time: 15 minutes  Serves: 2

Ingredients

Wild Oats Marketplace Organic Honey Mustard Dressing
Wild Oats Marketplace Organic Whole Flax Seeds
1 head organic red leaf lettuce, leaves separated
1/2 cup organic strawberries, cored
1/2 cup organic blueberries
1/2 cup organic blackberries
1/2 cup organic kiwis, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup organic fresh cilantro, coarse chop
1/2 cup organic fresh basil, coarse chop
1/2 cup organic fresh mint leaves, coarse chop
1 handful organic sliced almonds

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients except flax seeds and almonds and toss with desired amount of dressing in large bowl.

2. Top with desired amount of flax seeds and sliced almonds. Enjoy!

My favorite drink in the summertime is iced coffee, but I don’t love the price tag that comes with the iced coffees from our coffee shops. Thankfully, I discovered how to cold brew my coffee and make the perfect iced coffee at home. This month on my site I am showing you how I cold brewed my coffee and today we tackle how to make the perfect iced coffee just for you by adding your own favorite flavor combinations.

Start With a Great Base

You can add lots of flavor to your coffee, but if it isn’t great coffee to start with then you will be disappointed in the results no matter how many flavors you add to it. Thankfully, Wild Oats has a great ground coffee that you can use as your base for all of your coffee recipes. Starting with the best gets us off on the right foot from the beginning!

Top It With Your Favorite Milk or Milk Substitute

The biggest struggle for me when purchasing my coffee out is the milk substitute offerings. Almond milk is my go-to choice for my coffee, but most coffee shops don’t offer this as an option, yet another reason why I love making my coffee at home. Experiment with different milk types like almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk, half-and-half. You can even try something new like a delicious Vietnamese coffee tradition by adding some sweetened condensed milk for a decadent treat.

I prefer a half to half ratio on coffee to milk especially since the cold brew method yields a strong concentrate for your coffee drinking needs.

Add Your Flavored Syrups

Have you ever made your own simple syrups? It really could not be easier and these are great not only to have on hand for your morning coffee (hot or cold), but also for fresh summer cocktails.

The process of creating these is a simple one. Simply mix equal parts sugar and water in a saucepan, heat until your sugar dissolves, then add your favorite flavorings to create your syrup. I store these cooled syrups in my fridge in mason jars for whenever the iced coffee mood strikes me.

Here are a few of my favorite winning combinations:

Vanilla Coffee Syrup

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the pan and throw in the pod. Heat the mixture over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat, discard the vanilla bean pod and stir in the vanilla extract. Let cool. Store in the refrigerator.

Caramel Syrup

¾ cup sugar
½ cup water
¼ cups caramel sauce

Combine the sugar, water and caramel sauce in a small saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool. Store in the refrigerator.

Peppermint Syrup 

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 teaspoons peppermint extract

In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and stir constantly until sugar is dissolved. Stir in the peppermint extract. Cool to room temperature and store in a glass jar in the refrigerator.

Finish With A Dusting of Cinnamon

A sweet and simple dusting of cinnamon is the perfect way to finish this yummy treat. Wild Oats Cinnamon is one of my own pantry staples and adds that fancy coffee shop touch at a price that is just right!

I hope these ideas inspire you to try something new with your coffee today!