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If you want to manage your weight and blood sugar, you shouldn’t start your meal with carbohydrates, such as rice, noodles, bread or potatoes. On an empty stomach, carbohydrates are digested and absorbed quickly. This rapid absorption can lead to increases in blood sugar and body weight.
Instead, try placing cucumbers and cherry tomatoes on the table and eating them first. This habit can help raise blood sugar more gradually and support weight control.
Cucumbers and cherry tomatoes are low in calories, making them helpful for weight management. They are rich in dietary fiber, which slows the rise in blood sugar and contributes to vascular blood vessel health. Eating them before rice can create a feeling of fullness, helping prevent overeating carbohydrates.
In particular, eating cucumbers on an empty stomach may help protect the stomach. According to the National Institute of Crop Science, a compound called elaterin—responsible for cucumbers’ slightly bitter taste — can help maintain a healthy stomach lining.
Both cucumbers and cherry tomatoes are also rich in antioxidant nutrients that help reduce oxidative damage in the body.
How to choose
Cucumbers are best chosen according to how you plan to prepare them. Banbaek (half-white) cucumbers have a light green color, a mild, slightly nutty taste and less bitterness, making them ideal for fresh salads, stuffed cucumber kimchi and pickled cucumbers. Chwicheong cucumbers are mainly used for pickling or making kimchi. Spiny cucumbers, which have many sharp bumps, offer a crunchy texture and are great in dishes like mixed noodles and salads.
Cucumbers are composed of more than 95 percent water and are an alkaline food rich in vitamin C, potassium, and minerals. They are prized for their crisp texture and refreshing aroma.
Tomatoes work wonders
Lycopene, the key nutrient in tomatoes, is now widely recognized for its benefits. Its content varies by color, with the highest levels found in dark red tomatoes, followed by red then yellow. Lycopene helps prevent cellular oxidation in the body, lowering the risk of various cancers, such as prostate, lung and breast cancer, as well as cardiovascular diseases. It also helps reduce “bad” cholesterol, contributing to the prevention and management of hyperlipidemia.
In addition, lutein and zeaxanthin support the protection of the retina. Lutein, in particular, has been shown to help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, aiding in the prevention and treatment of hypertension.
Tomatoes contain a balanced range of nutrients, including vitamins A, B1, B2, folate, and vitamin C.
Cherry tomatoes are especially good for weight control, as they contain only about 16 calories per 100 grams. They are rich in dietary fiber and pectin, which promote a feeling of fullness and support weight loss.
They also help improve gut health and relieve constipation. Tomatoes are high in organic acids such as citric acid and malic acid, which stimulate gastric juice secretion and aid digestion. When eaten with meat, they help counteract excess acidity in the body.
For better weight and blood sugar control, it is recommended to eat vegetables before rice or other carbohydrates.
This article from Kormedi.com, Korea’s top health care and medical portal, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.
