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1. Adding a cucumber to salad is a great way to boost your fiber and water intake. Increasing fiber in your diet helps lower blood pressure.
2. A friend of mine served up some slap-in-the-face refreshment the other day at a meeting that I had never tried before. She washed and thinly sliced a couple of cukes and added them to a big pitcher of water she cooled in the frig. Amazing--thanks, Jean!
3. Cucumbers are very high on the list of "volumetric" foods. If you are having a difficult time controlling your weight, adding foods like cucumber that are high in bulk and nutrition rather than calories will help you feel full.
4. I did peek inside the spa at the Mandalay Bay in Vegas last week, and wouldn't you know it--older ladies by the pool with their eyes covered in cucumber slices. It's almost a spa cliche, but there is a reason. The skin contains Vitamin C and caffeic acid; both reduce swelling and skin discomfort. The cuke has been used since the ancient Greeks and Egyptians for healing rashes and swelling.
5. Cucumbers are an excellent source of the rather rare nutrient silica. From my favorite nutrition website, WHFoods: "The silica in cucumber is an essential component of healthy connective tissue, which includes muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and bone. Cucumber juice is often recommended as a source of silica to improve the complexion and health of the skin, plus cucumber's high water content makes it naturally hydrating-a must for glowing skin."

1. The big guys make useful doorstops.
2. Use cucumber slices instead of crackers to serve summer hors d'oeuvres.
3. Make cucumber boats and use them as refreshing vessels to serve up chicken or shrimp salad. I've seen them seeded and cut like canoes or else a 4" section cored, set on a plate and loaded from the top with salad. Very pretty!
4. Peel and scoop out the seeds. Pop in your blender with some fresh dill, salt and pepper, and some fat-free cream to make a refreshing summer soup. You can also add a bit of low-fat sour cream as well.
5. When I starting talking cucumbers with my friends, I didn't realize how popular the old recipe for cucumber salad was. I recall my mother-in-law always had this on the table in the summer in Iowa. Here's the recipe.
6. I've not resorted to this drastic level yet, but I'm ready to experiment with cooked cucumber to reduce my inventory. Yes, people do cook them. I found a few random recipes on-line. This link will give you some ideas.
7. If you run out of spuds for your potato gun, a mature cucumber sliced in two makes a good substitute.