by Bronwyn Ison
After my most recent trip to the grocery store I left with four hothouse cucumbers. I had no plans to entertain but rather noticed I was eating a cucumber a day. I wanted to make sure I had enough to last me a few days. I love the crunchy consistency and the texture. Cucumbers enhance any salad and they taste refreshingly delicious. I began to wonder if my body was missing something the cucumber provides nutritionally. I have a healthy diet so this seemed odd to me but completely possible. I ascertained cucumbers contain most of the vitamins our body needs everyday. Therefore, my body was begging for more.
Cucumbers offer a plethora of health and beauty benefits. Cucumbers are a type of melon. They are a part of the watermelon, zucchini, and squash family. Cucumbers have the ability to aid in the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and certain types of cancer. They have also been known to help with weight loss because they are low in calories when eaten raw. Plus, the cucumber is approximately 96% water. Cucumbers are a filling and healthy snack. They are an excellent replacement for chips, pretzels, or other high calorie snacks. Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, folic acid, vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, and Zinc are all contained in the cucumber. You can forego the soda pop or coffee and eat some cucumber slices as a great pick-me-up snack. According to Juicing-for-Health.com, cucumber juice is known to be an excellent diuretic to assist in passing kidney stones. Plus, the cucumber juice is helpful in neutralizing acidity in the body via the natural minerals. You may be pleased to know the connective tissues in our body are being fed properly by the excellent source of silica.
When it comes to beauty, most women will not pass on a few helpful hints. Cucumbers are excellent for hair growth, treating puffy eyes, excellent for your skin and potential skin conditions, sunburn, and water retention. All of the above should cause a girl to smile and head to the store. If you would like to stimulate hair growth, the silicon and sulfer content in the juice are plentiful. The old adage of placing cucumbers over your eyes is true. Place a slice of cucumber on each eye upward to 10 minutes and you should see a reduction in puffiness. The vitamin C and anti-oxidants in cucumbers is helpful in treating eczema, psoriasis, acne, and other irritating skin conditions. The juice from a cucumber can also help soothe and cool a sunburn. Also known to be extremely hydrating and aids in water retention. The electrolytes help to restore and hydrate the cells in your body.
Try my favorite cucumber salad.
1 Hothouse Cucumber (do not peel) diced
2 large tomatoes (heirloom are divine & optional)
Fresh Mozzarella (Ciliegine ½ or whole container, cherry size) optional
Fresh Basil (6-10 chopped leaves)
Olive Oil (moderate)
Sea Salt (freshly ground)
Pepper (freshly ground)
The health and beauty components are near endless. Now with this insight you may be able to understand why I have had been so drawn to the cucumber. Stay healthy and beautiful? One cannot argue with such a bargain. Enjoy!
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