Wherever the word ‘Vegetable’ is used if is intended to be used to mean ‘vegetable foods’ which form part of our meals, thus excluding all dry fruits, herbs used in medicinal preparations, trees or their products having no food value or which cannot or are not used for human consumption. Further, since we are using the word ‘Juice Therapy’ we will not mention any food product used for spices or such plantations whose products have no water or pulp in them.
Because, if any vegetable is bereft of water/pulp content, its juice cannot be extracted, even though it may be used as a cooking item. Hence reference, as and when made, should be taken to convey fresh edible content (portion) which, belonging to herbaceous products, is consumed, cooked or taken in raw form. Vegetables can be divided into following eight major classifications:—
Bulb Vegetables: It includes onion and garlic Fruits, when used as Vegetables: Immature fruits are used and consumed as vegetables like cucumber, cow-pea, Jack fruit, Lima bean, pea, gourd (summer squash) Papaya etc…
Leaf & Leaf-stalk Vegetables: They include cabbage chard, celery, endive, parsley, lettuce, pie (Rhubarb) Spinach, Brussels, Sprouts, Chicory.
Mature Fruit Vegetables: Under this group Tomato, Musk melon, Pumpkin, Watermelon are classed.
Root Vegetables: Turnip, Yam, Beet, Carrot, Radish, Rutabagas etc. come under this category.
Tuber Vegetables: Vegetables which have their stems underground are known as Tuber vegetables, such as Yam, Potato, Jerusalem Artichoke, Girasole.
Stem Vegetables: Kohlarabi and Asparagus from part of this type of classification.
Immature Inflorescence Vegetables: Broccoli, Cauliflower and Artichokes come under this group.
Almost all vegetables and fruits are rich in various nutrients and vitamins. Except citrus vegetables (like lemon), other vegetable varieties do not have Vitamin C and, if there is any, it is easily destroyed when cooked. Cereals have no Vitamin C, like the vegetables but most of the fruits are an abundant source of this vitamin.
In vegetables, there is 3/4th weight of water. Some vegetables are rich in Iron, others in Carotene. Selection of a particular vegetable, for the purpose of serving to an acting or healthy person, will depend upon the health condition of an individual. Hence, one has to be externally selectively choosing in’ opting for suitable variety and quantity of vegetables.
It is, however, shocking that man is often not able to discern the right and wrong use of a vegetables whereas animals have natural instinct to choose between right and wrong. All animals do not eat, at all, when they are unwell and eat only at the right time and right type of food in requisite quantity only—rarely do they indulge in overloading their system. But man, despite being endowed with a discriminative faculty, often indiscreetly indulges in overeating and other prohibitive dietary manipulations.
To them, taste is more important than physical requirements of their body. It is rather an unfortunate aspect of modern life style that use of green vegetables and salads has been given a go-bye and, by overt or covert inclinations and intentions, use of green vegetables has been replaced by spicy, saucy, fat-enriched and cooked food.
These days fast-food jaunts have replaced balanced, vitamins-enriched and nutritious diet. Food habits have gone a sea-change, homemade hygienic and clean food has been substituted by ready made, ready-to-serve, un-hygienic meals which are bereft of any nutrients but are certainly rich in such elements which are quite capable of inviting health problems. There is hardly any home which does not have outside food— not as a matter of necessity but simply because that is indicative of a ‘Status Symbol’ and affluence of a home.
As a result of all such unfortunate and unwelcome signs, there is hardly any person who is free from digestive disorders. Not only the old people, but also the young persons, are advised in their own interest, to always prefer home-made diet to an outside food preparation. It restores health, can hardly do any harm, is nutritious and cost-effective also. Moreover, importance of and presence of green vegetables and Salads should form an essential part of every home’s food menu. Dietary indiscretion should always be avoided.
Always use plentiful of raw, boiled or semi-cooked (or else fully cooked) green vegetables, made at home. Concept of ‘Kitchen-Garden’ is a welcome sign. It is a good part time for retired persons, house wives and children. It is cost-effective also. You get vegetables of choice, as and when required. Those who cannot eat vegetables are advised to opt for juice or vegetables which, if needed, can be blended with some fruit juice also, adding some salt and lime juice to add to taste.
Use and consumption of green vegetables will depend whether they are to be used by a patient or healthy person. For a healthy person, one hardly needs to go to a dietician but, in case of patient, the dietician’s guidance is advised who will prepare a dietary pro-gramme, keeping in view all the facts of patient, Ms disease, his body’s requirements, his nature of job, sex, age and body-condition. Dietary regimen may have to be changed until a satisfactory level of success has been achieved. Diets do vary in healthy and diseased conditions.