TURNIP (SHALGAM)
It is also a root vegetable akin to beet-root in shape and form. In appearance it is fully white or indigo coloured on the top. It falls within family of radish carrot, beet-root. In taste it is sweet (though in moderation) with slight pungent taste also, is watery, easily available and easy to digest, is rich in vitamins, minerals, fats etc.
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CUCUMBER (KHEERA OR KAKARI)
It is a creeping plant. Its food value is almost nil. But, as it grows in summer months, it has plenty of water content and, thus, its water is used to quench thirst. It is generally used in raw form, in. salads and rarely in cooked vegetable form. It is a boon in summer days. Excess use of cucumber can inflate stomach, cause excessive urination and also vomiting (especially if there is cholera as a result of its excessive use). Hence, it should be used, in moderately reasonable quantity to quench thirst, for free flow of urine, to ward off ill-effects of heat.
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TRICHOSANT CUCUMBERINA (PARVAL)
It is used as a cooked vegetable, in juice form and is anti feberile. It improves digestion, removes colic pain, is stomachic. Its juice from leaves being emetic, should always be taken with coriander. Its root has strong purgative qualities. Its juice, if applied over head, can cure baldness (alopecia) which is not of hereditary origin. It is a heart tonic and subsides fever also. Its chemical properties consist of glycoside, tannis, saponin hydrocarbons, sterols. Principally, it affects stomach and head.
CHEBULIC MYROBALAN (HARAR, HARITAKI)
It is also known as Tenninalia Chebula. It is one of the three major constituents of ‘TRIPHALA’ the other two being Amla and Bahera. It is claimed, and perhaps quite rightly so, that triphala tones up all organs of body and activates their functions and is profusely used for treating stomach disorders, liver complications, for improving eye-sight, regulating bowels. Its efficacious effects vary and depend upon the liquid source, with which it is taken.
Ilaritaki (C. Myrobalan) will keep a person free from all diseases, if one bites a piece of it after meals and chews and swallows its juice.Synonyms of C. Myrobalan are Vijaya, Avaya, Rohini, Putana, Jeevanti, Amrita, Ketaki. Its medicinal values are par excellence. If one chews a piece of it in the morning, he will not have complaints like skin eruptions, disorders of vocal chords asthma, acidity, wounds, gall-stones, colitis, weak and defective vision.
It induces and promotes appetite, if chewed with black salt. If its boiled water is taken, it will remove constipation, if taken, after grinding, will purify blood; if taken with other food items it will improve vitality, sexual power and thinking power, sharpen intellect. All the three basic causatives of physical disorders (Kapha, vata and Pitta) will be kept under balanced control if it is taken after being fried in ghee (clarified butter). It is a preventive of bilious disorders, stomach disorders, cough, cold, acidity if it is taken after two principal meals.
There is an old saying in Sanskrit which reads “One’s mother may get annoyed, though even for a while, but a harar will never get annoyed or prove ineffective”, (that is, it will always benefit its user who uses it, at whichever time whatsoever); hence its all-round efficacy. Mr J.F. Dastur spells out curative powers of C. Myrobalan like tliis. ‘Chebulic Myrobalan is a mild, safe and efficacious laxative, astringent, stomachic, tonic, an alterative; the pulp of the fruit is given in piles, chronic diarrhoea, dysentry, costiveness, flatulence, asthma, urinary disorders, vomiting, hiccup, intestinal Worms, ascites, enlarged liver and spleen.
Caution: Pregnant women must not lake it, as it may cause abortion of faetus.
Uses of C. Myrobalan in different seasons:
During Winter: To be taken alongwith ground pepper or pepper longum.
During Spring: It should be taken with honey. During Autumn: It should be taken with sugar-candy. During Dewy Season: To be taken with ginger (or ginger juice) During Rainy Season: It should be taken with rock salt Medicinal
Uses:
In Eye-Troubles: Extract juices of C. Myrobalan and E. Myrobalan (Amlaki, Amla) to keep general health of eyes, to improve vision. If C. Myrobalan is soaked in water, after removing its stone, mashed and strained and the juice, so obtained, should prove a boon, if eyes are washed simply or still better, with the help of eye-bath cups.
Gail-Stones: To melt and dissolve the stones in the gall-bladder, take regularly the juice of both the Myrobalans.
Acidity: Juice of C Myrobalan, if taken after both principal meals, will neutralize acidic contents. To derive a miraculous benefit, its juice should be mixed with E. Myrobalan.
Piles: Before retiring to bed take a piece of C. Myrobalan.
Asthma: Chewing a piece of C. Myrobalan at bed time, will minimize chance of an asthmatic attack, and also prove use in cutting down paroxysms of asthma.
POTATOES (ALU)
Potato is known as ‘King of Vegetables’ as no dining table’s menu is complete without it. It is widely grown, and frequently used by all classes of people in various food preparation but not used as a raw vegetable. It is the richest source of carbohydrates and thus full of energy to assist the body to carry out various functions. In the northern region, ‘Alu ka paratha’ is a very famous item.
Potato is served in vegetables, is mashed, cooked and also ground. It is also used to thicken the cooked vegetables and sauces, alone or in combination with other vegetables. It is liked by all age groups due to its abundant pulp content, since old persons and young kids also eat it. Potato is also rich in amino acids, iron, protein, Vitamin ‘C, nicotinic acid and amino acids, besides plenty of carbohydrates. Due to its rich content of carbohydrates, it should not be eaten by diabetics, heart patients, patients having high blood pressure and the obese (fat persons), the rheumatic persons, gouty ones and those having joint pains etc. Potato is not so useful in a raw form because, except for two or three therapeutic uses, it is always used in a cooked form.
It is said that rheumatic pains can be relieved by application of juice of raw potato. Crushed contents of potato can also be externally applied on wounds or sore organs or else the affected organ(s) may be bandaged after applying crushed potato. For those who burn their organs, due to any Reason/cause, should apply crushed potato on the burnt site, to get instant relief. As is well known, Germans consume, at least 1kg of potatoes in their diet daily, because they require to replenish their energy which they lose while working hard. Intake of potatoes must commensurate with amount of (hard) labour put in.
SPINACH (PALAK-KA-SAAG)
Spinach is used in winter in northern parts of our country, especially Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. It has high content of iron, besides moderate presence of vitamins, AB,C E and K Spinach is frequently used in various soups, in cooked vegetable form, in mixed-vegetables, or in juice forms. Its fresh leaves contain Phosphorus, Calcium, Iron and Vitamin ‘C.
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PARSLEY (AJMOD)
Its seed grows very slowly. Hence, to hasten its growth, it is sowed alongside radish so that it quickly sprouts. It is used to garnish meats and fish and also used to stuff fowl. Parsley has pleasing aromatic flavour which aids to appetizing of meat, fish, sauce, salad and fish but its leaves should always be collected and used fresh so that its food value and aroma are retained. Its leaves are also used to garnish and flavour food and other preparations.
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ORANGE
Orange is grown in various parts and according to its growth in a particular area, its size, water content, taste also differ but its food value or nutritional value remains unaffected. Orange is a reservoir of vitamin ‘C’ and this increases resistance of the body. It is a citrus fruit, with acidulous and sweet pulp which is more sweet than citrus. Its skin (peel) is smooth and its oil glands are carved. Before use, in any form, its skin, seeds and fibres should be severed. It is used in raw and juice form, in custard and dessert. Its juice should always be used fresh and should never be stored in a fridge or kept exposed.
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There is hardly any fruit that can match curative qualities of papaya which has vitamins A B, C, is tonic, stomachic stimulant, rejuvenative, digestive, laxative, is equally of benefit in ripe or unripe forms; can be used in fruit and (cooked) vegetable forms. Its rind is thick but not hard, has fleshy pulp and small black seeds inside. Its juice consists of papain—a protein which splits enzyme for use as a meat tenderizing agent. In order to tenderize meat, its juice of ripe fruit, or slices of unripe fruit were rubbed over meat for tenderising purpose.
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Mango is rightly called ‘king of all fruits’. It has many varieties viz. dussehari of U.P., langrha of Banaras, Malda of Malda, Alphanso of Bombay, Safeda of Andhra, Chausa of U.P., Sindoori/Totapari etc. In addition, it has many other names and varieties which are found in many parts of our country. Its delicious, juicy, sweetish, pulpy and easy to eat and digest ‘qualities’ have made it popular in western countries also. It is available in summer and rainy seasons, though some hybrid qualities are sold all the year round.
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APPLE (SEB)
Apple strengthens the body, after dispelling and removing various disorders thereof. It is rich in phosphorus and iron, hence it provides nutrition to brain—an excellent brain tonic. Taken in any form, say raw, ripe, jam, pickles, sauce, dessert, juice or as cooked vegetable or as a fruit salad, its efficacy and nutritive value remains unchanged, it also sharpens memory, restores partially or wholly lost memory. It is an asset to obese and sedentary persons, because it energises such persons, induces and motivates their movements.
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