all about Cucumbers

 a relative passed this info along to me in an email this afternoon, ironically right after i just bought some cucumbers for my daughter who asked to have some for lunch. I had no idea they had so much nutrition and so many other uses.

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!

6.. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!

7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.


9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber will react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown to reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm your fingers or fingernails while you clean.

13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

FDA Argues Feds Can Deny Consumers the Right to Buy Raw Milk and Dairy Products

Attorneys for the federal government have argued in a lawsuit pending in federal court in Iowa that individuals have no "fundamental right" to obtain what food they choose. The brief was filed April 26 in support of a motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund over the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's ban on the interstate sale of raw milk.  read full story here

and lots more info about the fight to keep raw milk legal  HERE

And FYI, here is the FDA's public stance on raw milk The Dangers of Raw Milk 
 blahbity blah...

My personal opinion on raw milk is that fundamentally, cow milk was intended for baby cows, not humans. I was vegan for 8 years and still believe that cow milk should not be a staple food for us--it should be consumed as a treat, if at all. But if people do choose to include dairy products in their diet, raw dairy is the absolute most healthy choice. Raw milk contains the live enzymes necessary to properly digest the proteins and fat in the milk, which enables us to assimilate the nutrients. I invite discussion about milk consumption here, so please feel free to comment with your opinion or any links you may have to share. Here are a few raw milk links to articles I found:


raw-milk-facts.com
mercola.com
a campaign for real milk
NY Times

I believe that the best thing you can do for your health is learn to trust your own inner guidance to find what is best for your unique body, mind and spirit. I personally consume, in small quantities, raw dairy products. I eat raw cheese, (cheddar is so good with apples!) and when i can find it, i buy raw milk for my daughter who loves it. It will not be so easy for me to obtain it anymore. PCC, our local natural food chain market, recently stopped carrying raw milk. Apparently, Whole Foods has also pulled raw milk from the shelves. read full story here. They cite concern over food safety, however, given the stories i read about the FDA's raid on an Amish Farmer, it's clear that the FDA campaign is becoming more and more aggressive. I would not doubt that the government has threatened retailers even more than independent farmers, and of course Whole Foods isn't going to issue a public statement about that when they can simply attribute the decision to concern over our safety.

I do have friends who own a cow, and they have offered me a small amount of milk if I want it. They don't have very much, but we don't use very much--so I may take her up on the offer. It looks like this will be the only way for us to get access to raw milk unless consumer campaigns prove successful. I am interested to see how this affects the raw cheese market, as I have seen more and more raw cheeses being offered at Trader Joe's. It's looking to me like we are going to have to raise and produce all of our own food soon enough, if we want to maintain control over our own dietary choices. If the day ever comes when the government starts destroying or confiscating citizens' personal livestock, gardens or seeds, I will be moving my family to Europe.

In the meantime, I intend to resurrect an organization I started a few years ago, Temple of Hygieia and update it with these current issues. I was doing way too much at the time I started that website so I dropped the ball on it, but my intention was to form a legal church to protect our constitutional right to our own health freedom. If anyone is interested in helping me develop that organization, please contact me at madame7@gmail.com