Cucumbers For Me!! (More for me if you don't like them)

 Since you asked, (you did ask, didn't you?) I can be seen every (nearly every) weekend at the store picking up at least 6 or 7 fresh green cucumbers to juice on a nearly every day basis. To be honest, it's gotten to the point that I notice the difference in my joints and muscles aching if I don't. Who knew cucumbers could be so powerfully packed with such marvelous anti-inflammatory properties? Who knew? Well, God knew! He made them!

    I will go to the store and pick out a bunch of cucumbers without even going over them. I don't check them. I don't measure them. I don't see if they have bad spots; I assume they don't. If they do I cut that part out before I juice them. I literally go through about 6 or 7 cucumbers a week and I'm not even eating a single one of them. Nope. I'm juicing them all. I don't juice them by themselves mind you, no, I don't do that. I put a whole host of other things in that juicer most nights.  I start with cranberries because I think you should. If you use cranberries or carrots you need to juice them first so you can clean out the silt and use it for the next day either in bran muffins, oatmeal, or grits. It's a thang - - don't argue with me.

    I would say that on the average I will do cranberries two nights, carrots and pears another two nights, grapes and carrots one night, apples and spinach (yes, you read that correctly) one night, and then I can either do lettuce, lemon, parsley, cantaloupe. squash, or even celery (or a wild combination of these) the last night. Why do I do this? What? You don't know about cucumbers? Are you serious right now? OK, no worries, I'll let you in on the biggest secret this side of the Pecos. I say that, I don't know if those good folks in Mexico are doing this or not, I assume some are. Cucumbers just can't be overstated. 

    Cucumbers pack such a mixed bag of goody-good-stuff!  For starters there's all the really good medical reasons to do it. With enough phytonutrients to fill you us and keep you going (those would be things like triterpene, flavonoids and lignans if you're into that) and they work really hard at being one of the best homeopathic anti-inflammatory assists out there! If for NO other reasons, it's a great thing to do. Then there's all the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that help fight of diseases including high blood pressure and blood sugar! You can literally drink cucumber juice to stay alive! It helps with hydration as they are mostly (95%) water, and because they're in the same family as pumpkins and other melons (did you think they were veggies?) they have a great amount of fiber and protein to boot! Seriously, these little green guys are worth their weight in....whatever precious metal you want to throw out there; they are awesome.

    Drinking a juice every day can and will (for me) assist with constipation, and if you know me, you know it's all about the poop folks. If you can get those pipes clean, and you can keep them clean, you're fighting off cancers!  EVERY cancer (I'm told by professionals) starts in the colon. EVERY one of us needs to keep that in mind, as our insurance actuaries tell us that just about one out of every two people are going to be diagnosed with some form of cancer in their lifetime. I don't know about you, but I don't want that. If I can fight it, and do whatever I can to make that not happen, I'm doing it. Cucumbers are just one way to stave that burden! 

    So yeah, you might say I'm a fan of the multi-purpose, multi-talented, and underrated fruit melon-cousin! I have to be honest with you; when I was growing up and I watched Barry and Maurice Gibb star in the absolutely horribly produced movie that I love and will always cherish, Cucumber Castle, I was a fan of Marmaduke, Maurice Gibb, who happened to be King of the Jelly, not the Cucumber side of things, but that's just fiction -- not real people!!  Cucumbers are and will always be a better choice than jelly! (which is like Jell-O for those of us in the States.)  Watch the movie, laugh. Eric Clapton is in it, as is Vincent Price! I have the soundtrack of course, and yes, a girl can dream - - Marmaduke!

    That's it for now, I've got a juice to blend - - today it's a little lemon to start off, maybe 1/2 of a small one. I'll add the cucumber, grapes, pears, and left over baby carrots that need to be eaten.  You can't go wrong on baby carrots either! Some days, just because I can, I juice carrots, apples and throw in a bit of cranberries and add cinnamon.  Wow...now I'm making plans for tomorrow!!

Photo Credit: Beta Healthy