i'm having such intense cravings for cucumbers, its sometimes all i think about. in fact, i was so greedy for the bowl of quick pickle i was making a few days ago, i uncharacteristically sliced off the tip of my little finger on the mandolin. i took the opportunity to investigate why i was feeling so compelled and getting so much satisfaction in eating as many as i can. here's what the excellent, 'Healing with Whole Foods [Pitchford]' has to say...

CUCUMBER
Cooling thermal nature; sweet flavour; diuretic; counteracts toxins and lifts depression; cleanses the blood; influences the heart, spleen-pancreas, stomach and large intestine; quenches thirst, moistens the lungs, purifies the skin; acts as a digestive aid, especially in the form of pickles. Helpful during the hot or dry times of the year - treats the effect of summer heat. Apply the juice from cucumbers to relieve all burns, especially sunburn; drink the juice to help treat kidney and bladder infections. Consuming whole cucumber or its juice cools inflammatory conditions including stomach inflammation, conjunctivitis, sore throat, acne, inflamed skin diseases and discharges.

A pack of grated cucumber placed on the face beautifies the skin. If placed over the eyes, it relieves hot, inflamed, swollen, dry, or irritated eyes.

Cucumber contains erepsis, a digestive enzyme that breaks down protein and cleanses the intestines. This property also enables cucumber to destroy worms, especially tapeworms.

Caution: cucumber is not recommended for those with watery mucus or diarrhea.
Dosage: six whole cucumber daily or 1 cup juice.

Cucumber skin is rich in silicon, chlorophyll, and is bitter. Eating cucumber with skin (organic only) enhances its medicinal virtues. A tea of the skin alone is used for swelling in the hands and feet.

here's what naturalnews.com has to add....

Here are 10 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. Don't forget to leave the skin on because the skin contains a good amount of vitamin C, about 10 percent of the daily-recommended allowance.

3. Skin and hair care - If you don't like to eat the skin, it 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. Home care - Eliminates a foggy mirror. Before taking a shower, rub a cucumber slice along a mirror and it will eliminate the mirror fogging up. Instead of WD40, take a cucumber slice and rub it along a squeaky hinge and your door will stop squeaking.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. Cures diabetes, 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.

10. 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.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/036769_cucumbers_health_benefits_rehydration.html#ixzz23d84NNAm

on kidneys

Psychological resemblence and general ailments:

"Conscious and unconscious emotional experiences and feelings are processed, purified, filtered and released. New energy is released through this; we are constantly transforming. The kidneys symbolize the filtering workings within ourselves. Thanks to this emotional growth, thanks to the elimination of toxins (through urine) we can experience pure joy. We purify ourselves constantly; we take in new experiences through our feelings and emotions, and we transform ourselves through processing these expereinces that also bring up old, unprocessed emotions by association. The old is brought up to the here and now, and through this we can come to an ever growing awareness. Emotional ballast is eliminated; old junk is cleaned up when we are open to this. A free surrender to your nature, a trust in your deepest Self, is necessary for this.

However, when you fearfully hold on to old emotions, or when you block the flow of your feelings with rational thought, then you slow down a decent functioning of your kidneys. After all, your awareness directs the organs, and not the other way around. A harmonic unity between the feminine and the masculine aspect is necessary. The soft, receptive, intuitive, sensitive… needs to be accompanied in a self-assured way by the aware "I", that organizes and arranges, that lets through and handles the natural aggressive and emotional energies.

The kidneys represent the continual rebirth within yourself, when you wash away old worries and grief, when you let everything flow off your shoulders that is no more than ballast in the present. A wonderful, light feeling of liberation, joy and happiness. Kidneys function optimally when you are open for these transforming powers within yourself, which process energies and transform them into joyous, radiant feelings, on the condition that you don't clamp onto dark and pessimistic thoughts, nor to a burdensome past. Trusting that your Nature will help you always; a deep connection with your nature, with your physical body, with your deepest core of feelings. The kidneys reflect the relation you have with yourself: trust or fear? When it comes to yourself, are you hard and aggressive, or soft and welcoming? Do you despise your body or do you love yourself entirely? Do you let those emotional energies flow through freely or do you block yourself with critisism, with limiting rational thinking? The optimal relation between the inner man and the inner woman, your feelings know themselves to be safely carried in the strong arms of your self-aware Self. The cause of kidney problems are mostly related to issues with the Relationship you have with yourself. Repression of feelings (not integrating the feminine within yourself) as well as denying your self-Worth. Do you destroy yourself by distancing yourself from your body, by living in your head in an exaggerated way, instead of feeling one with your physical nature? A fearful nervous tension, constantly being *too* alert, a feeling of being overwhelmed and suffocated because you don't let your feelings flow freely. The kidneys symbolize your sense of "connection": with yourself and with others. When you truly experience this union, this love for yourself, your kidneys will feel comfy, you will draw friends and a partner toward yourself, with whom you will also feel good and relaxed. To feel connected with life, with all that lives, with nature. No struggle, but peace. No distancing critisism, but an unlimited sense of safety, peace and joy. A fresh fountain, unconcerned and beaming. The kidneys ask for a balance: a guiding and organizing structure, based on common sense on the one hand, and a total acceptance and free through-flow of energies and emotions on the other hand. A marriage within yourself."

Translated from the Dutch version of "The Key to Self-Liberation" by Christiane Beerlandt.

Louise Hay on kidneys...

Under probable cause:

"Criticism, disappointment, failure. Shame. Reacting like a little kid.

Under new thought pattern:

"Divine right action is always taking place in my life. Only good comes from each experience. It is safe to grow up."