You're probably familiar with the old adage, 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away' - but suitably named TikTok nutritionist Dr Blake Livingood thinks another, lesser-known fruit is better placed to protect our health when eaten regularly. Dr Livingood, who has written four books about how to boost your immune system through food, has shared his secret to beating the afternoon slump with his 177,000 followers on the platform, and urged them to abandon caffeinated energy drinks in favour of a snack from mother nature . Known for regularly disseminating advice across TikTok and Instagram , the nutritional expert has built up a loyal and health-aware audience.
It's not surprise, then, that so many of them were receptive to his spotlight on the benefits of eating "at least half a cucumber" a day to supercharge vitamin and micronutrient intake. In a video posted to TikTok , Dr Livingood said cucumbers "contain most of the vitamins, minerals and micronutrients that you need every single day". He also addressed the common misconception that cucumbers are vegetables - describing them as "botanically a fruit" although "culinarily they're treated as vegetables".
He explained that while energy drinks like Red Bull and Monster include B vitamins and electrolytes to boost performance, nothing beats naturally occuring ingredients. Alongside providing B1, B2 and B3, cucumbers help along "lots of other processes in the body" and are a source of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus, which "most .