Cucumber Secret Revealed

Cucumber is no alien to anyone of us. Most commonly, the cucumber is referred to as a beauty element (we always notice beauticians placing a slice of cucumber on our eyes), a food product (often served with many main courses, let it be Asian, Western, Thai etc as a salad). 

Why is it so popular? We have been consuming it for ages probably because it's just there (we don't like wasting food right?) but do we deliberately look for cucumber for consumption? Some of us may, some of us may not....For either case do we actually know the benefits of it? 

Well, more than just an eye patch, cucumbers have a lot of wonderful values which i am going to list below. 

Before the list, is cucumber a fruit or a vegetable? Hahaha... seems like a weird question but you will be surprised that many don't really know this.. 

The Cucumber is actually a fruit unlike what many think.. Why is it classified as a fruit? Theoretically anything that grows from a flower and contains seeds are classified as fruits. Other fruits commonly perceived as vegetables are chillies, egg plant, bell peppers, etc. Well, you just had a brief intro to Agriculture 101..:)) 

Back to business.. THE CUCUMBER:-    

Properties of Cucumber - It is high in Manganese, Sulfur, Potassium, Silica, Chlorophyll, Vitamin A, has high water content and very Alkaline

All it's properties play an important role in maintaining good health in our body

1) Sulfur and Silica - Substances very important for great hair growth, beautiful looking nails, maintaining of connective tissues such as muscles, tendons, cartilage, ligaments and bones.

2) Potassium - helps in reducing blood pressure (something very common among adults. 1 in 10 adults have hypertension)

3) Vitamin A - Great for maintaining good eye sight, helps with skin health (includes smoother skin, younger looking skin, reduces acne, etc)

4) Its Alkaline property make it an excellent anti-oxidant (Cancer cells cannot live in an alkaline environment)

5) Its high water content makes it an extremely good body cooling component and an excellent diuretic. It cleans up our kidneys pretty well

Recent studies have shown that cucumbers are good for the following:- 

1) Acne

2) Eczema

3) Hair Loss

4) Kidney Health

5) Weight Loss

6) Arthritis

7) High Blood Pressure

8) Psoriasis

9) Detoxification

Infact it is also said to be great for treating light burns, skin blemishes etc (Simply crush and apply to affected area)

Well friends, here's a brief list of what can cucumbers do for us. All we need to do is to make it a practise to consume them on a regular basis. 

Health professionals recommend that cucumbers are best to be consumed as juice (by placing them in a juicer) or crushed (by placing them in a blender and crushing them). 

I personally prefer it crushed... why? Because i can consume what i need and the balance i just rub it over my face... leave it for 15 mins and wash it off... 2 in 1 a great healthy drink and a wonderful soft skin.. :)

Tips To Choose A Good Cucumber 

Look for dark green Cucumbers. Good Cucumbers do have a bumpy surface. Choose Cucumbers that are about 10 to 20 cm long.

Cucumbers are usually waxed and so if you can, get Cucumbers that are not waxed.

If the cucumber is old, it will appear yellowish.

Stay healthy guys...