The Mighty Cucumber

Cucumber, the watery low calorie green vegetable, is often known for its cooling effects on the body and is widely used besides hot spicy food as a cooling substance. This cooling effect basically comes from the blue prana that exists in cucumber in abundance.

Since cucumber contains about 96 percent water, it can be helpful to keep the body hydrated. Especially in summers when the weather is hot, the blue prana and water supply in the cucumber can be a relief.

Cucumber is believed to be one of the oldest cultivated crops, originated from northern India. Apart from being low in calories and fat, cucumber contains many vitamins and minerals that make it a healthy choice for cooking. The nutrients available in cucumber include dietary fiber, potassium, magnesium, manganese, calcium, iron and zinc while the vitamins include vitamin K, C, B1, B2, B5 and B6. In fact cucumber contains no saturated fats or cholesterol and provides a good source of dietary fiber that helps reduce constipation and the risk of colon cancer by removing toxic compounds from the gut. This cleansing effect is also the result of having green prana. Ptassium is basically a heart friendly electrolyte and helps in reducing blood pressure and heart rate by countering effects of sodium.

Vitamin K in cucumber has potential role in bone strength and is believed to be helpful in treating Alzheimer by limiting neuronal damage in the brain.

The prana contained in cucumber is mainly green and blue pranas that give it cleansing and cooling qualities simultaneously. Green prana basically has cleansing, decongesting and dissolving qualities while blue prana is cooling and soothing. Furthermore both green and blue pranas have disinfecting and anti-inflammatory qualities. Having lots of blue prana, makes cucumber be one of  the amazing vegetables widely used in summer to fight heat.

It is believed that most of the nutritional value of cucumbers rest in its peel. So it is often suggested to leave the peel although it appears to be rough and difficult to chew and digest.

Similar to other foods and vegetables, excessive consumption of cucumber is not recommended as certain side effects have been experienced such as baldness and toxicity. Allergies to cucumbers are also common that can be remedied by cooking instead of taking it raw.

In general cucumber helps in:

1. Keeping the Body Hydrated – If you find it difficult to drink enough water, you may munch cucumber instead. Having about 96 percent water, can helps in keeping the body hydrated specially during hot summers.

2. Cooling Down – The blue prana in cucumber has basically cooling effects on the body. If you take hot spicy food, you may use cucumber to relieve from heartburn. Especially in hot weather, taking cucumber can cool down the body. You may apply cucumber on your skin to treat sunburn.

3. Flushing the Toxins Out – Having a great content of water, besides a great amount of green prana acts as a broom and can sweep the waste products as well as dirty used up energies from your system.

4. Skin, Nail and Hair Care – The high water content, green prana and presence of vitamins and minerals including vitamin B and C, magnesium, potassium, manganese and silica make cucumber an essential part of skin care. Facial masks containing cucumber are normally used for skin tightening. Silica can further help in making the nails and hair stronger and shinier.

5. Weight Loss – Due to its low calorie and high water content, cucumber is a good food for weight loss. Furthermore, the green prana of cucumber and high water content and dietary fiber are effective in removing toxins from the body and aiding digestion.

6. Regulating the Blood Pressure – Cucumber is a good remedy for regulating the blood pressure. Potassium, magnesium and fiber work effectively in regulating both high and low blood pressure.

7. Reducing the Risk of Cancer – Due to having lots of green and blue pranas, cucumber can be helpful in lowering the risk of several cancers, including breast cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, prostate cancer and colon cancer. It is believed that containing lariciresinol, pinoresinol, and secoisolariciresinol is connected to anti-cancer qualities.

8. Reviving the Eyes – Placing chilled slices of cucumber on the eyes has shown effective in reducing puffiness and under-eye bags. This is due to anti-inflammatory properties of green and blue pranas. Cucumber also helps in lightening the dark circles under the eyes.

Cucumber is beneficial for soothing tired eyes because of having green prana that has cleansing effect on the eyes.

9. Reducing Cholesterol Level – Researches show that having a compound called sterols may help in reducing cholesterol levels.

10. Diabetes – It is believed that cucumber contains a hormone needed for producing insulin by the cells in the pancreas. Manganese is also present in cucumber, which assists in the synthesis of natural insulin.

11. Reducing Joint Pain – The green prana with dissolving and cleansing properties and blue prana with anesthetic and soothing properties make cucumber a good substance for pain reduction.

The silica content of cucumbers helps further to promote joint health by strengthening the connective tissues. When combined with carrot juice, cucmber juice is believed to be very helpful in treating joint pain, gout and arthritis. This is because of the orange prana of carrot, and the green and blue prana of cucumber that together act beneficial in treating joint pain.

12. Keeping Kidneys in Shape – Regular intake of cucumber is believed to dissolve kidney stones. Green prana in this case is helpful in breaking down and dissolving the kidney stones.

Cucumber also lowers uric acid levels that help in keeping the kidneys in shape. The high water content of cucumber further aids the kidney function by promoting urination.

13. Relieves Bad Breath – Cucumber juice can heal the diseased gums and therefore leave the mouth smelling good. It is believed that the phytochemicals present in cucumber help kill the bacteria in the mouth that are responsible for causing bad breath.

14. Aids in Digestion – Daily intake of cucumber can be regarded as a remedy for constipation and its fiber helps indigestion. Digestive disorders such as heartburn, gastric and ulcers can be improved by regular consumption of cucumber. This is due to its high water content, dietary fiber and having lots of green and blue pranas that sweeps the toxins away from the digestive system and cools down the body in case of having spicy food.

15. Stress Relief – Because of its green and blue pranas, cucumber is a good food to take in case of stress and anxiety. You may cut cucumber in slices and put them in a pot of boiling water. The aroma created can induce a calm and relaxing feeling in the atmosphere.

16. Teeth and Gum Health – Cucumber is proven beneficial for people with teeth and gum problems, especially in cases of pyorrhea. Dietary fiber in cucumber basically massages the teeth and gums. Raw foods also increase salvation and therefore bring a neutralization of the acids and the alkalis within the oral cavity.

Although most of the facts mentioned above have scientific reasons behind them, these qualities are either directly or indirectly related to the qualities of blue and green prana that is available in cucumber. The quality of all color pranas and their effects on the human body have been completely explained in Advanced Pranic Healing by Master Choa Kok Sui.

References

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