Mangoosteen

th MARCH 09: MANGOSTEEN

Mangosteen is a seasonal fruit and its fruit bearing coincides with durian. Both fruits are god's gift to mankind as mangosteen is created to balance the heat from the durian. Mangosteen is a cooling food and it has many medicinal values. Therefore try to eat the fruit whenever the fruit is in season.Do not throw the skins away. Cut the skin in small pieces and dry the skin until it hardens. Store the dried mangosteen skins in a bottle/jar as it will be useful for home remedies. Eating too much seafood, chicken or red meat will cause excessive heat in the body. Even vegetarians' will experience excessive heat in the body. Excessive body heat mainly depends on their body type, i.e. tridosha. When there is excessive heat in the body, it will lead to dehydration which causes stool to be hardened and dry and require great pressure for bowel movement. When this happens, the tissues in the anus area will swell up.

The symptoms of having this condition are:
a) Short temper and
b) Constipation.

Home remedies to solve the swelling:
a) Pound dried mangosteen skin into powder form
b) Consume one teaspoon of the powder.
The astringent properties in the skin will cool the interior and reduces the size of the swelling. Pound raw mangosteen skin and extract the juice. The juice is best to be consumed by anaemic patients as the juice helps produce blood. The juice also helps reduce excessive blood overflow during menstrual period.

In previous episode, 21st Jan 09, it has been mentioned that coconut flower also helps to cure excessive blood flow. Try to combine ingredients, coconut flower and mangosteen skin when you are treating menstrual problems. If you can't find coconut flowers, consume mangosteen skin extract alone as it produces the same effect. Western medicines are currently using mangosteen skin to produce expensive facial creams.

For home treatment,
a) Blend the mangosteen skin
b) Add turmeric
c) And apply as a facial mask.
Leave to dry and wash with fresh water.The properties in the mangosteen skin and turmeric will bring glow to your skin. Try it as it really works!

6th MARCH 09: PUNCTURE VINE (Nerinjal)

Men are more prone to diseases than women. One of the many frequent diseases than men suffer is formation of urinary bladder stone.When men consume modern or traditional medicines, it will cause excess body heat. Once there is an increase heat in body fluid and the heat penetrates to the interior, the urine will be dark yellow.

If this condition is ignored, it can lead to formation of bladder stone/stones.
Symptoms of having bladder stone/stones are:
a) burning/irritation during urination
b) swelling of prostrate glands and
c) lower abdominal pain

Chronic stage of bladder stone will lead to:
a) Spermatorrhoea (involuntary release of semen during urination) and
b) Impotence.

Puncture vine plants are rarely found in Malaysia . However it can be easily obtained in Indian medicinal and grocery shops. The vines are sold in dried form and are very effective in reducing body heat.When you have abdominal pain or burning sensation during urination, boil dried puncture vines and consume the boiled water. Treat this ingredient as barley and drink the boiled water whenever your body is heaty or feeling pain when urinating.

In Siddha Medicine shops, puncture vines are added with other ingredients and prescribed as tea. However you can use puncture vine only and consume the boiled water as it produces the same effect.

5th MARCH 09: KARIAPALAM

Kariapalam is produced from the gum extracted for the aloe's flesh. The gum, when dried will form a black hard rock and is an effective ingredient to heal wounds and swellings.

How to prepare Kariapalam Solution?
a) Pound a small piece of kariapalam.
b) Add a little water or lime juice or rinsed rice water and boil the mixture.
c) When the mixture is boiling, it will bubble up. Use a thin stick and stir the solution. Do not use a spoon as the solution will be sticky. Therefore it is cleaner to use a stick.
d) Once the solution becomes thick and sticky, remove from fire and keep aside to cool.
e) Once cool, apply on areas where there is wound or swelling and leave it to dry for a night. There is no need to bandage the wounded area.
f) The swelling and pain will reduce significantly within a day. Wash the applied area with fresh water.

Kariapalam can be easily obtained from Indian shops and is an effective medicine to cure swelling, pain and wounds if we have a sudden fall or injury.

4th MARCH 09: AVARAM SENNA FLOWER (Avaram Poo)

Avaram Senna trees can be seen in many places along the roads. This tree has more than 20 different varieties and each species has got is own medicinal values.Avaram flower is best to be consumed by diabetic patients. Make sure you wash and clean the flowers before consuming it.
a) Grind avaram senna leaves and flowers and use it as a scrub or soap for bathing.
b) Grind dried avaram flower, cumin seeds and cardamom into powder form. Boil and drink it as tea.

By drinking avaram flower tea, it helps:-
i) Ease urination
ii) Ease bowel motion
iii) and control sugar level.

Our forefathers in India used to drink avaram flower tea, hibiscus tea and other dried flower teas to help clean their kidneys, control sugar level, blood pressure and also fat. Therefore instead of giving carbonated drinks, coffee and tea to your children, serve dried flower tea as this healthy beverage promotes good health.

rd MARCH 09: SAYUR MANIS (Tausi Murunga Keerai) Sayur Manis got its Tamil name "tausi murunga keerai" as this vegetable was eaten by sages and seers

rd MARCH 09: rd MARCH 09: SAYUR MANIS (Tausi Murunga Keerai)

Sayur Manis got its Tamil name "tausi murunga keerai" as this vegetable was eaten by sages and seers of yester years who were practicing austerity in deep forests. This vegetable has the properties to ward off hunger and feeling full for a long time. However this vegetable is a gassy food and should not be eaten regularly. You can eat it once a week or once every fortnight. When cooking, add grated coconut as it helps avoid excessive gas production in the body.

To reduce feet swelling, leg swelling or heaviness in legs:
a) Pound the leaves and extract the juice.
b) Pour the juice in a wide container, large enough to place your foot. The juice should cover the ankle.
c) Soak your foot for at least 20 minutes. After a while, you will notice dirt coming out from the cuticles.

Remove your foot and throw the dirty water away. You can also apply the juice on your hands or other body parts if there are any swellings or pain. The juice extract can also be applied on your forehead if you have sinus headaches. Make sure there is no water in the extracted juice. You can even treat the extracted juice as a medicine. Drink one tablespoon of the juice continuously for 3 or 5 days. This will heal throat irritation which causes cough and cures boils or eczema. The leaves are very effective in purifying blood.



Sayur Manis got its Tamil name "tausi murunga keerai" as this vegetable was eaten by sages and seers of yester years who were practicing austerity in deep forests. This vegetable has the properties to ward off hunger and feeling full for a long time. However this vegetable is a gassy food and should not be eaten regularly. You can eat it once a week or once every fortnight. When cooking, add grated coconut as it helps avoid excessive gas production in the body.

To reduce feet swelling, leg swelling or heaviness in legs:
a) Pound the leaves and extract the juice.
b) Pour the juice in a wide container, large enough to place your foot. The juice should cover the ankle.
c) Soak your foot for at least 20 minutes. After a while, you will notice dirt coming out from the cuticles.

Remove your foot and throw the dirty water away. You can also apply the juice on your hands or other body parts if there are any swellings or pain. The juice extract can also be applied on your forehead if you have sinus headaches. Make sure there is no water in the extracted juice. You can even treat the extracted juice as a medicine. Drink one tablespoon of the juice continuously for 3 or 5 days. This will heal throat irritation which causes cough and cures boils or eczema. The leaves are very effective in purifying blood.

2nd MARCH 09: HYPERTENSION AND STAR FRUIT

Hypertension or High Blood Pressure has become a common disease today. In every family, there will be one member, either the parents or grandparents who will be suffering from hypertension. Hypertension can be caused from mental tension, work stress or lack of sleep. Hypertension also occurs when body temperature especially the head area becomes increasingly high. That is why Ancient Tamil Traditional always stresses the importance of oil bathing as it helps clear body heat and promotes good health.

Drowsiness and dizziness are common symptoms of hypertension and these symptoms occur when Pitta predominates in the body. To stabilize the condition, it is best to consume lime juice in an empty stomach. Gastric patients are advised to drink lime juice after their meal. Make sure you add a pinch of salt before drinking as the salt helps prevent gastric.Therefore the only remedy to cure drowsiness or dizziness is by drinking lime juice! Hypertension patients are also advised to eat orange regularly as orange has the properties to prevent drowsiness or dizziness.

STAR FRUIT

If you feel your pressure is going up, drink star fruit juice in the morning in an empty stomach. The juice work wonders as it helps drop the pressure to almost normal level. It is advisable to eat star fruit at least 2-3 times a week to stay healthy. If you can't find star fruit, substitute it with other types of sour fruit. This is because sour fruits have the properties to control high blood pressure. S

ince star fruit is sour, add sugar or honey and salt and serve it as a dipping sauce. Teach your children to eat this fruit as it has many medicinal values. You can also substitute tamarind with star fruit to add sourness to your dish. Add star fruit when preparing ��Ventaiyam Kuzhambhu��. It gives a good taste to the dish.

சித்த வைத்தியம் siddha medicine

28th FEB 09: SIDDHA MEDICINEWomen who have gone through child birth must take care of their body by taking the right food and different type of medicines to stay strong and healthy. Some women consume herbal medicines as leyham (Leigiyam) or have it added as a spice ingredient in their daily cooking. Delivered women who are in confinement period should not eat spicy food. They must only eat free range chickens. Eating farm chickens are to be avoided as it lacks sufficient nutrients and are very fatty. Therefore cook free range chicken with a special masala which is a mix of many medicinal herbs. This herbs mixture can be bought in any Siddha medicine shop or consult an elderly person on how to prepare the medicinal herbs. These special herbs are good in a) Cleaning internal dirt b) Help remove and cure muscle pulls, crams and back problems.c) Increase body strength To notice or experience the effects of the herbs, you need to continuously consume it for 16 days. You not only regain your strength back but also able to heal internal wounds and cure gastric.

Indian acalypha குப்பைமேனி

26th FEB 09: INDIAN ACALYPHA (Kuppameni)Indian Acalypha can be treated as a fresh herb or a vegetable. It grows every easily in rubbish or garbage areas and Indian Acalypha got its Tamil name, ��Kuppameni�� based on its growing place. Whenever a cat is sick, it will search for Indian Acalypha as it helps cure the cat from any types of sickness. You can also use Indian Acalypha to treat piles. a) Fry 4- 5 leaves of Indian Acalypha with castor oil and eat it as a medicine OR b) You can also fry the leaves with castor oil and wrap it around your anus. By doing this, small boils in the anus will dry and drop off. Kuppa Meni is usually cooked together with other vegetable and it is called ��Kalapu Keerai��. If you were to cook and eat this vegetable often and on its own, you will purge frequently. Therefore to avoid purging, add the leaves with other vegetables like ��Kasalangkani��, ��Kuppa Keerai�� and ��Pasalai Keerai��, when you are planning to cook this vegetable to your family members.

hibiscus flower செம்பரத்தை பூ

25th FEB 09: HIBISCUS FLOWERHibiscus flower is our national flower and hibiscus tress are easily found along the roads and residential areas. Instead of using it for flower decoration and during payers, you can also eat it as it has loads of nutrients. Hibiscus flower has more than 200 different varieties and has a wide range of colors i.e. dark red, light red, yellow, white, pink and many more. Separate the petals from 500 hibiscus flowers. Soak the petals with lime juice until it turns into a leyham. (Leigiyam). Eat it everyday. OR Boil the petals from 100 to 200 red hibiscus flowers in 1- 2 liters of water. Boil until the water turns red. Remove the petals and set aside until it cools. Once cool, add lime juice. The water will change its color into blood red. Natural foods or drinks which are red in color have high iron content and by drinking this remedy will help build hemoglobin. Elderly people who have a weak heart or have recovered from a long and major sickness can treat this remedy as a tonic. Drink this tonic 1 tablespoon a day. You can add sugar if you want to but diabetic patients are strictly forbidden to add sugar. Hand grind the hibiscus leaves or blend the leaves with a little water in an electric grinder. When you have oil bath, substitute shampoo with the grinded leaves. Apply it on your hair, massage and leave it to soak for a while before bathing. It helps remove dandruff and promotes hair growth. Therefore use the leaves and flowers to gain the medicinal values of hibiscus

red indian spinach சிவப்பு பசலை கீரை

24th FEB 09: INDIAN SPINACH (Pasalai Keerai)There are two types of Indian Spinach, Red Indian Spinach and White Indian Spinach. Red indian spinach has more nutritional value compared to white Indian spinach. This vegetable is rich in vitamin A, C and D and good for cooling the eyes. Any vegetable which gives a cooling effect to the eyes are categorized under the types of cooling foods. Those who suffer from frequent constipation are advised to eat Indian spinach as it will make tools soft and ease motion. When preparing porridge for children, it is good to add 2 to 3 leaves of Indian spinach into the porridge. The leaves are soft and tender and require minimum time to cook. Wash the leaves and cut the leaves into small pieces. Dry fry the leaves with grated coconut. This way of cooking will produce a very tasty dish. Indian Spinach can be treated as a very good medicine to provide sufficient vitamins and minerals to men and ladies reproductive organs. Lack of sufficient vitamins and minerals in women's egg and men's sperm is very common today as many of us tend to eat foods which contain lots of chemicals. Indian spinach is very easy to grow and can be grown in any type of soil without the help of any chemicals. You can grow Indian spinach in a pot and have it grown in your kitchen or any suitable places. Since it is very cooling, do not eat it everyday. It is best to eat this vegetable 2 to 3 times a week. Asthma patients are strictly forbidden to eat Indian spinach .This is because the cooling effect will increase kapa, i.e. more phlegm in the chest area. For those who are not suffering from asthma should include Indian spinach at least once a week as it is rich in nutritional value and has lots of health benefits

young papaya இளம் பப்பாளி

23rd FEB 09: YOUNG PAPAYAYoung papaya has many medicinal values compared to ripe papayas. When you cut a young papaya, its milk will ooze out. Take a small drop of the milk and apply on your gums when it is swollen, sore or infected. The milk will help reduce the swelling and fluid or puss from the gums will be released. Benefits of eating young papaya are: a) When you are cooking red meat or chicken, there may be hidden fats inside the meat. To break the fat, young papaya is an effective ingredient. Cut the young papaya into big pieces (treat it as though you are using potatoes) and cook it together with the meat.You can also add young papaya when preparing Sambar. It has been a tradition to include 3, 5 or 7 different vegetable when preparing Sambar and you can treat young papaya as one of the vegetable. b) Young papaya when included in meat dishes can help reduce cholesterol. Those who have high cholesterol are advised to include young papaya in their cooking at least once a week. It is even better if you can eat it raw. i) Peel the skin and cut the young fruit into half. Scrap the seeds out and grate the fruit with a hand grater ii) Add onions, chilies and yogurt and serve as a salad.

nut gall masikai மாசிக்காய்

20th FEB 09: NUT GALL (Maasikai)Nut Galls are formed by insects. The galls are round in shape and hangs on tree branches as fruits. It is good to use nut galls when the insect is still in the fruit .This is because fruits with insect in it has more medicinal values. Babies usually have white coating (milk residue) on their tongue. By removing the white coating or dirt with hand can injure the baby's tongue. TO CLEAN BABY's TONGUE: a) Grate or scrape nut gall and add gingerly oil. Apply this mixture on the tongue with a napkin. All the dirt will be removed easily. Nut galls are effective in increasing appetite and also has high astringent properties (Thuvarpu). Nut galls are also good in tightening vagina muscles. Women whose vagina muscles are weak and widened, especially women who have just gone through childbirth can have this problem solved by using nut galls. To strengthen or to tighten vagina muscles: a) Boiled the powdered nut gall with water.b) For fragrance, add nanari root and boil all the ingredients together.c) Set aside to cool. Once cool, treat the water as a cleanser and clean and wash your private part. If used frequently, vagina muscles will become stronger and tighter. Nut Gall powder is also good to apply on skin when there is itchiness. Boil ¼ teaspoon of powdered nut gall with a glass of water. By drinking this water, it will heal any wounds or ulcer in the body. When you have stress ulcer, your tongue will have ulcers all over. To cure the ulcers, boil nut gall and consume the boiled water everyday. Stress ulcer happens when you are too tensed, stressed up or pressured over certain matters.

edible stemmed vine பிரண்டை

19th FEB 09: EDIBLE STEMMED VINE (Perandai)Edible Vine is very easy to grow and you can plant them in your house around the fence area. All it needs is daily watering. In Siddha medicine, edible vine is regarded as a fresh herb and effective in removing phlegm from the body. Edible Vine got its Tamil name, ��perandai�� based on its medicinal effects it gives to humans. Edible Vine also helps cure wounds easily. Take the leaves and slaked lime (sunambu) and pound both ingredients. Apply the pounded mixture and wrap the affected area. The wound will heal within 3 days. This mixture can also be applied to big open wounds.

HOW TO MAKE THUVAIYAL?

Fry the leaves with cumin seeds, garlic, onion and grated coconut with a little oil. Grind the fried ingredients to a thick paste. If your child has developed lots of phlegm, a) Fry the leaves with a little oil b) and extract the juice. Give your child, 1 tablespoon of the extracted juice. The juice will be thick and slimy. When the juice is consumed, your child will feel irritation in the throat. Make sure your child swallows a pinch of salt to remove the throat irritation. This remedy forces down the excess thick and stubborn yellow phlegm and removed through bowel motion. Since the vine plant is very easy to grow, you can grow this plant in your house and obtain the medicinal values from the leaves.

roselaa flower

18th FEB 09: ROSELLA FLOWERIf you have low platelets, anemic or a weak body, you need to eat foods which are red in color. Foods which are dark red in color have high iron content and good in producing blood cells. Rosella can be obtained from markets and very suitable to be made as cordial drinks. Break the petals and remove the seeds. Boil the petals with brown or white sugar to a thick consistency. Serve this drink to your children when they are thirsty. Do not throw the seeds away. Dry the seeds and when the seed pods begin to mature it will start to shed it seeds (seedlings). Plant these seedlings if you want to cultivate a rosella plant. You can also use the tender leaves of rosella for cooking.

vallarai வல்லாரை

17th FEB 09: ASIATIC PENNYWORT (Valarai)Pennywort leaves has the tendency to improve memory power. Since the leave resembles the right and left hemisphere of the brains, it is regarded as god creation and gift to human kind to improve the functionality of their brains. HOW TO EAT PENNYWORT LEAVES? a) Blend the leaves and drink the juice. This is a very healthy way and the best method to consume as it is prepared raw. b) You can also boil the leaves and serve it as a soup. This way of cooking may cause nutrition loss. Pennywort is rich in Vitamin C and the leaves are bitter in taste and very suitable to be made Chutney or

��Thuvaiyal.��
HOW TO MAKE THUVAIYAL? *
¼ thumb size ginger (Make sure the quantity of ginger used is very little as it can change the taste of the dish) * Handful of pennywort leaves * 1 clove of garlic * 2 small onions * 2 dried chilies * dry fried grated coconut Make sure you dry fry the grated coconut and then grind all the ingredients together to avoid loss of any nutritional value from the pennywort leaves. It is best to serve pennywort ��thuvaiyal�� or chutney once a week to your children as the leaves is effective in treating blood disorders. You can also take 1 cup of pennywort soup once a week. You can easily obtain pennywort leaves in the wet market or night market. Therefore utilize this vegetable as it has numerous health improving components.

pomegranate மாதுளம்

16th FEB 09: POMEGRANATE (Maathalam)This fruit is very easy to be obtained in the wet market and hyper supermarkets and an effective aid in improving digestion. The seeds are used to make balms for headaches and medicines to cure cancer. When eating any types of fruit, do not throw the seeds away. If possible, try to eat the seeds as it is rich in vitamin E. Pomegranate seeds have the capability to fight and kill cancer cells. The tree also gives good positive aura to the environment. Pound the pomegranate skin and extract the juice. By consuming the pomegranate skin juice, it can cure or control heavy menstrual bleeding. Pomegranate skin is rich in astringent properties (Thuvarpu). Astringent foods are rich in Vitamin K. Women who are Vitamin K insufficient will experience extremely heavy menstrual bleeding as the body lacks the capability to cloth the blood. If you find it hard to drink the juice of the skin, then you can boil the skin and drink the water. This method can also solve heavy bleeding. Pomegranate has sweet, sour and astringent taste. Foods which have the combination of these three tastes, i.e. sweet, sour and astringent are effective in increasing blood flow. Therefore try to eat this fruit 1-2 times a week to stay healthy.

Siddha medicine

13th FEB 09: SIDDHA MEDICINE Siddha Medicine is founded by ancient Siddha's. Paati Vaithiyam, Nattu Vaithiyam�, Muligai Vaithiyam is different from one another and cannot be associated with Siddha Medicine. Siddha Medicines are done using various herbs and vegetables found in the deep forest and these herbs have many medicinal values. Siddhis used to write the cures and ways of treatment in palm leaves using nails. These teachings and prescription written on palm leaves, when followed and treated to man kind is called Sidhha Medicine. When you buy spices/vegetables, you need to know how long the stocks will last. If you keep an ingredient too long, it can cause insect infection. Therefore when buying species, make sure you clean, dry under the sun, dry fry and powder it to last longer

Galanga சிற்றரத்தை

12th FEB 09: GALANGAL (Chitharathai)Galangal can be obtained in raw or dried form. Raw galangal is used when preparing meat dishes. The use of galangal will help burn fat and increase digestion. Dried galangal is very effective in removing phlegm. Take ¼ tablespoon of powdered dried galangal, add honey and consume. This remedy helps push the phlegm trapped in the throat and chest area down and be removed through bowel motion. Take 2-3 dried galangals, soak it overnight and drink the water. This drink is suitable to be given to children in the morning as it helps cool the body. Dried galangal also helps stabilizes tridosha (vata, pita, kapa) and it is used in preparing Siddha medicines. Since dried galangal has strong fragrance, it can also be used in aromatherapy. Pound and boil the dried galangal. Use the boiled water for bathing. Cut fresh galangal into small pieces and grind it. Add yogurt and apply to your body before bathing. This will remove white spots and skin rashes. Galangal gives energy and helps to perk you up. Therefore include galangal in your daily cooking everyday.

rose ரோசாப்பூ

11th FEB 09: ROSE FLOWERRoses which are grown at home ground are best to consume and it has more medicinal values compared to roses which are specially cultivated in the farms. This is because specially cultivated flowers are grown with the help of chemicals. Soak rose petals in honey and add palm sugar, blend it into a thick paste or leyham. By eating 1 tablespoon of rose leyham (legiyam) everyday, will help make the heart stronger. You have to teach your children to eat rose petals as it rich with nutrients and minerals. Rose petals can be used as garnish when preparing fruit or vegetable salad. In aromatherapy, rose petals are soaked in water and used for bathing. HOW TO PREPARE ROSE WATER (Paneer) 4.5 liters of water 1.5 kilo's of rose petals Boil for at least ½ to 1 hour and the boiled liquid should be obtained through distillation process. You can include Rose Water while cooking ��Kesari��or ��Beriyani��. Rose water can also be used as body perfume.

Drum stick முருங்கை கீரை

10th FEB 09: DRUMSTICK LEAVES (Murangakeerai)Drumstick trees are easily grown in hot climate countries. Its root, flower, bark, fruit and leaves have loads of nutritional value. HOW TO COOK DRUMSTICK LEAVES? a) Fry the vegetable with grated coconut. b) Or include the leaves when preparing ��Sambar�� or ��Tanni Saar��. If your child has developed lots of phlegm in the chest, you can cure the condition by giving 1 tablespoon of extracted drumstick leave juice with a pinch of salt. Your child will vomit out the excess phlegm trapped in the lungs area. The leaves are also good in curing chronic constipation. It is also beneficial for diabetic patients as it is rich in iron. For iron supplement, boil a handful of drumstick leaves and drink the boiled water everyday. By eating the drumstick leaves, it will help prevent formation of body hair and contributes skin glow. The leaves are also rich with Vitamin A& D. Women, who find hard to conceive, are advised to soak drumstick flowers in milk. Boil the milk and flower together, remove the flower and drink the milk. Effective results can be seen as the flower provides nutrients to woman reproductive organs.