Cucumbers…. 2011/03/14

Ek gaan verseker sorg dat my yskas van nou af vol komkommertjies is

Cucumbers are underrated. Despite chucking it into a salad to benefit from their nutritional benefits, no one really pays them much attention. But the other day I discovered something amazing….

Let me just start by saying that what I did was stupid …

You see, I gave into my garlic craving at lunch yesterday. It shouldn’t have been a problem, after all, I didn’t have any afternoon meetings and I always carry a box of gum with me wherever I go (except, as luck would have it, I’d chewed my last one on the way to the office that morning).

When I got back from lunch my boss pounced on me. She was about to have a meeting with one of our most important clients and she wanted my input in the meeting.

What a disaster!

Here I was with garlic breath and our company’s most important clients walking through the door.

I panicked! Frantically searching for gum… A mint… Anything that could get rid of the smell – and FAST.

That’s when my colleague, and managing editor of the revolutionary daily eletter, Health Bytes, Taryn told me something that saved my day!

She told me to press a slice of cucumber to the roof of my mouth with my tongue for 30 seconds. Doing so, she said, would eliminate the odour in a matter of seconds.

And you know what, it really worked. You see, the phytochemicals found in cucumber are incredible, they literally eliminate bad breath there and then.

Thanks goodness for cucumbers (and for Taryn)!

But bad breath isn’t the only things they’re good for, read on to discover ten more incredible uses for this  little green gem…
 

Unbelievable D.I.Y uses for cucumber…

#1: Overindulged at dinner and need to be in top form for a meeting in the morning?
Eat three slices of cucumber before going to bed and you’ll wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, vitamin B and electrolytes to replenish the essential nutrients your body has lost during binge drinking. By re-establishing equilibrium in your body, it’ll help you avoid that awful hangover and headache!

#2: Have an important meeting or job interview and forgotten to polish your shoes?
Rub a freshly cut cucumber over your shoes. The chemicals in this veggie will provide them with a quick, durable shine that not only looks great, but will repel water too.

#3: Need to fix a squeaky door but run out of WD-40…
Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge. Voila! The squeak will disappear.

#4: Need to re-charge your batteries?
Need a boost to get you through the afternoon? Don’t reach for a can of Coke or a Red Bull, pick up a cucumber instead. Because cucumbers are such a good source of vitamin B and carbohydrates, they can provide a pick-me-up that lasts hours.

#5: Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower?
Rub a cucumber slice along the mirror. Doing so will not only eliminate the fog, it’ll provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance to your bathroom too.

#6: Keep your garden “pest-free†all summer
Get rid of pesky grubs and slugs by placing a few slices of cucumber in a small aluminium pie tin. How does it work? Well, the chemicals in a cucumber react with the aluminium to give off a scent which, while undetectable to humans, will drive garden pests crazy. They’ll hightail out of your garden in next to no time.

#7: Stop binge eating with the help of this “super†veggie
For centuries, cucumbers have been used by European trappers, traders and explorers as a quick meal to thwart off starvation. So before you raid the fridge in search of that heavy midnight snack, grab a few slices of this vegetable instead.

#8: Stressed out about that presentation at work tomorrow?
Cut up a 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 into the air around you. This will create a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been proven to reduce stress in new mothers and students preparing for their exams. You’ll sleep easier and wake up refreshed for that all-important meeting.

#9: Introducing a “green†way to clean your taps, sinks or stainless steel
Rub a slice of cucumber on the surface you want to clean. Doing so will remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine. Even better, it won’t leave streaks or harm your hands while you clean.

#11: Using a pen and made a mistake?
Forget Tipex, use the skin of a whole cucumber to erase the error. This also works well on crayons and Koki pens if your “budding Picassos†try to decorate their bedroom walls.

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