One of my husbands favorite salads is cucumber salad. The cucumber salad I used to make was filled with sugar, thus I set out to find a healthier alternative. I was pleasantly surprised when I tasted this salad because it tasted exactly like the salad I used to make with all the sugar. It was really easy to make and would make a great side dish for those hot summer picnics.
Cucumbers are one of the best foods for your body’s overall health, often referred to as a superfood. Cucumbers are often sprayed with pesticides so it is important to buy organic or even better, grow them yourself.
Here are Some Benefits of Cucumbers:
1.Quick pick me-up – Cucumbers are a good source of B vitamins. Put down your sodas and coffee and eat a cucumber slice.
2. Rehydrates body and replenishes daily vitamins – Cucumbers are 95 percent water, keeping the body hydrated while helping the body eliminate toxins. Cucumbers have most of the vitamins the body needs in a single day.
3. Skin and hair care – Save the skin when you peel your cucumbers! The skin can be used for skin irritations and sunburns as aloe would be used. Place a slice over puffy eyes and its anti-inflammatory properties help reduce puffiness. The silicon and sulfur in cucumbers help to stimulate hair growth.
4. Fight cancers – Cucumber are known to contain lariciresinol, pinoresinol, and secoisolariciresinol. These three lignans have a strong history of research in connection with reduced risk of several cancer types, including breast cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer and prostate cancer.
5. Relieves bad breath – Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.
6. Hangover cure – To avoid a morning hangover or headache; eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish many essential nutrients, reducing the intensity of both hangover and headache.
7. Aids in weight loss and digestion – Due to its low calorie and high water content, cucumber is an ideal diet for people who are looking for weight loss. The high water content and dietary fiber in cucumbers are very effective in ridding the body of toxins from the digestive system, aiding digestion. Daily consumption of cucumbers can be regarded as a remedy for chronic constipation.
8. Beneficial to diabetics, reduces cholesterol and controls blood pressure – Cucumber juice contains a hormone which is needed by the cells of the pancreas for producing insulin which has been found to be beneficial to diabetic patients. Researchers found that a compound called sterols in cucumbers may help reduce cholesterol levels. Cucumbers contain a lot of potassium, magnesium and fiber. These work effectively for regulating blood pressure. This makes cucumbers good for treating both low blood pressure and high blood pressure.
9. Promotes joint health, relieves gout and arthritis pain – Cucumber is an excellent source of silica, which is known to help promotes joint health by strengthening the connective tissues. They are also rich in vitamin A, B1, B6, C & D, Folate, Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium. When mixed with carrot juice, they can relieve gout and arthritis pain by lowering the uric acid levels. (Source)
Real Cucumber Salad
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
WholeFoodRealFood.com
Ingredients
- 4 cucumbers (I use seedless)
- 1 red or white onion, sliced
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt
- 4 tbsp boiling water
- 4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Peel and slice cucumbers and onion, using the thick slicing blade of your food processor. Place them in a large bowl.
- Mix honey and salt with boiling water and stir to dissolve completely. Drizzle over cucumber/onion mixture.
- Add vinegar and mix well.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
- Enjoy!
Notes:
Real Cucumber Salad
4 cucumbers (I use seedless)
1 red or white onion, sliced
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt
4 tbsp boiling water
4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1. Peel and slice cucumbers and onion, using the thick slicing blade of your food processor. Place them in a large bowl.
2. Mix honey and salt with boiling water and stir to dissolve completely. Drizzle over cucumber/onion mixture.
3. Add vinegar and mix well.
4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
5. Enjoy!
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