Importance
The protective articles of food must be available in plenty in a healthy diet. Vitamin, Minerals, Calcium, Phosphorous, etc., are important protective ingredients. We have examined the necessity for these. We have understood that in their absence diseases will attack the system. We also understood that from what essentials the same could be obtained. Could we say now that vegetables and greens are necessary? Or would it be enough to use these in indifferent, improper ways?
For poors
Most of our people are poor. It would be impracticable to prescribe Kulu Apples and Coorg Oranges. Those who cannot get even the conji, how can they procure Kabul Grapes? Carrot, Beetroot and Cabbages can be easily the best for the rich. What could Kandan the tiller do? Where is Lingan the labourer to go to procure these?
Cultivate in Backyard
Nature is not tainted with partiality. It has not created to please the idiosyncrasies of the rich. Nature grows in vast abundance all the essential life giving vegetation. In our country sun and moon show their prowess well and fertile land sends up shoots, shrubs and food articles in plenty. People can produce the protective foods in their private gardens.
Whatever may go up in price, the Greens do not demand huge dowries of gold or silver. Just shower the seeds, you will get in a few days green leaves fit for human consumption. One fistful of seeds will produce several bundles (small) of the Amaranth. Even those who do not own gardens will have their need of Greens met for small expense. There are many varieties of these Greens, like the Spinach, the Arai Keerai, the Thandu Keerai, etc., to protect the body.
Why should the fashionable suburban resident prefer a lame excuse and say that the conveniences of the countryside are not available for procuring these Greens. The growing of ornamental greens could be reduced and such pots used for sprinkling Coriander seeds. A crop of Coriander leaves, green and fresh will shoot up in a few days giving essential vitamins. The flower plants so attractive to the want of eye, what use could they be if once the eyes are spoilt for Vitamin and fall ill? Will the attractive creepers so much valued by the citizen, be of any use once the master himself falls ill?
Flowers and creepers are there as decorations, but the vegetables and greens have to be there for health! Which is more important adornment or Health? Which has to get the first place in endeavour and result? A little thought will bring out the truth. The health in the town and the country could be raised very quickly in one effort. The prevalence of disease could be reduced. Loss of wealth could be avoided. The necessity for ever increasing number of hospitals could be controlled. A little thought, a slight expense and a sincere attempt are the only needs.
Role of the Government
The greens and coriander leaves are most essential for attaining the heights of health. The flower pots could accommodate the growth of the Greens. The village folk should grow vegetables and greens in their backyards. The Agricultural Department should make easily available, seeds for vegetables and greens and also manure. Each home must grow a garden self sufficient in the matter of vegetable supply. Health will certainly improve when ignorance goes and self effort shoots up.
Greens – everyday
Each day one should use at least one variety of Greens (Keerai). There are many varieties. You can prepare these in many ways to suit the most fastidious. Except the roots one need not eschew anything of these Greens. These Greens could get into the soup or into the other items of the menu, or be prepared independently.
No spoiling of Taste
All political Reforms have to be approved by Whitehall. But in the case of health reform, the Tongue Minister has to give the assent. It is essential to get out of this slavery. It is not easy to control the tongue. For the sake of diet reform one has to disregard the orders of the tongue, ignorant notions and silly idle talk. Before baking vegetables and Greens, sprinkle a little of tamarind water. The vitamins will not get killed by cooking. When baking soda is added the Vitamin in the stuff will take a different chemical birth?
People pour too much water to cook the Greens. This is not necessary. A little water has to be used. After the Greens are cooked why should we drain the juice and send it to the drains? We can mix it with soup or Rasam and use it. At the time of cooking the vitamins and salts may drain away into the liquid juice. Should we part with the juice and eat the chaff?
Do not decant cooked liquid
We can prepare the Greens without decanting any part of the cooked liquid. Using a proper vessels on the oven, the frying articles could be cut and put in after washing. The greens after cutting should be washed once or twice thoroughly before putting into the pot, for cooking. Fresh Greens need no extra water for cooking. After this gets cooked, coconut chips could be mixed as also cooked dhal. The Greens should be got down from the oven after sprinkling rice flour to make a dry consistent mass.
Energised greens
Some eat only rice and clean out the cooking pot. If a healthy man eats about six ounces of rice with other protective foods, this glutton will eat away 15 ounces of rice. Milk taken will not go beyond four ounces. Inspite of all this increased intake of rice the resultant heat energy will be only 1,800 units.
If a man takes in 10 ounces of rice, he has to take in 4 ounces of Greens. Apart from this he has to add 6 ounces of other vegetables. One must eat vegetables and greens equal in weight to the rice taken. Even in the families where these factors are known, the vegetables and Greens taken do not exceed one eight of the weight of rice. Without much additional expense this mistake could be rectified.
Many have a poor idea of the Greens. This is a bad mistake. Just scrutinise the data given bellow:
Names – Protein – Minerals – Calcium – Phosphorous : all in %
Cabbage – 1.75 – 0.61 – 0.034 – 0.046
Coriander Leaves – 3.29 – 1.65 – 0.137 – 0.058
Chow-Chow Greens – 6.11 – 4.17 – 0.811 – 0.057
Drumstic Leaves – 6.65 – 2.27 – 0.437 – 0.071
Akathi Keerai – 8.40 – 3.11 – 1.131 – 0.077
Manathakali – 5.86 – 2.13 – 0.410 – 0.074
Spinach – 1.92 – 1.50 – 0.061 – 0.010
Margosa tender leaves – 11.56 – 2.61 – 0.124 – 0.189
Do not neglect greens
Nature has created many varieties of vegetables. All these are not suitable for human consumption. However, one should not give room to stinginess. The money thus saved from the vegetable is not going to remain for any other good purpose. Even if man forgets, disease it may be possible to live on dried bitter gourd. But the next year as a result, a thousand rupees may have to be paid to the doctor. Even when there is difficulty for a meal, is there dearth of means for tobacco, snuff and Beedi. These small devils rob away the money from the income of the poor man. Could not this money be utilised for vegetables and Greens?
Suitable vegetables
Everyone cannot find every variety of vegetable suited for healthy assimilation. When the body is suffering from any disorder, an Ayurvedic Physician will be able to specify the vegetable to be rejected. During normal conditions all vegetables now in use are fit for daily consumption. It is better to take in some vegetable than forget these in toto.