COMMON RUE (Aravatham Pacchai)

16th JUNE 09: COMMON RUE (Aravatham Pacchai)
The leaves have strong fragrance and in Tamil tradition, the leaves are used to tie around infant's wrist. The strong fragrance, when inhaled by the infant, will increase and helps build good digestion system.

Boil two leaves with water and consume the herbal drink. The herbal drink will cure constipation and aids in removing bad bacteria and dirt from the body. You can even dry the leaves and smoke it to prevent small insects, like ants, flies and flees from infesting your home. The leaves are also good to be eaten raw. Serve the leaves as garnish when preparing salads of your choice.

Pound the leaves and extract the juice. By giving one teaspoon of the extracted juice to your baby, it will help control kappa in their body. Therefore to treat infants and small children, you should have 3 types of plants, i.e. Holy Basil (Thulasi), Coleus aromaticus (Karpooravalli) and Common rue (Aravatham Pacchai). These plants are regarded as holy plants (thevigai muhligai) and considered pure. If you were to grow these plants in a pot, make sure you have them placed in a special and clean place. It is said that when woman with menstruation were to touch common rue (aravatham pacchai leaves, the plant will become dull.

The leaves can also prevent excess phlegm from developing and also kills bacteria and small tiny insects. Common rue leaves can also be grinded and used as a body scrub while bathing

Sunflower

15th JUNE 09: SUNFLOWER
Sunflower plant is native to Mexico and during the 14th century, the sunflower production was brought out of Mexico and became famous in many countries due to its usage.The roots of the plants to its flower are used for various purposes. The head of the sunflower tend to follow the predominate direction of the sun. The head normally faces to the east when the sun rises and changes it position to the west in the evening when the sun sets.
In Russia, oil is extracted from the sunflower seeds and exports more than 180, 000 tons of sun flower oil. In China, fibres from the plant's stem are used to produce china silk. The leaves are used to feed farm animals and the roots are used for medicinal purposes whereby it is boiled and consumed. The roots are used to treat malaria patients

Banana flower

11th JUNE: BANANA FLOWER ( Jantung Pisang)
Banana Flower has many medicinal values and rich in astringent properties. Foods which are rich in astringent properties are good in producing blood and works as a blood thickening agent.The astringent taste can be reduced significantly by adding the flower in "sambar".The over powering taste can also be reduced by making "kootu". Try to eat the flower once a week as the properties from the flower helpsa) Prevent urinary track problems and ease urinationb) Helps prevent kidney problemsc) Avoids failure or malfunction of prostrate veins andd) Increases appetite.Like banana, the flower is also rich in potassium.

Red sorrel

10th JUNE: RED SORREL ( Pulicha Keerai)Red Sorrel leaves are very sour. We should eat this vegetable as sourness is one of the six types of nutrients we need to consume to maintain a healthy body.Some cook the vegetable by boiling the leaves and throwing the excess water away. This is a wrong way of cooking as all the nutritional values in the water will be lost. . Before cooking the leaves, remove the core vein from the leaves and cut the cleaned leaves into small pieces. Add garlic, onion, 1 small brinjal, 1 tomato, 2-3 chillies and boil all the ingredients and mash the leaves. If you are suffering from piles, omit chillies with black pepper.The sourness property promotes salivation and effective in removing stones from the body. Stones are formed in kidneys, throat, mouth and gall bladder. The more saliver the body produces, the easier it will be for the saliver to flush out the remaining small tiny stones out from the system. Even specialist prescribes this vegetable to patients suffering from various types of stone problems.Therefore try to eat red sorrel once a week. This vegetable is not only tasty but also aids digestion

Ubi kayu tapioca

9th JUNE 09:TAPIOCA (Ubi Kayu)
Tapioca is rich in carbohydrate. During the Japanese occupation in our country, tapioca became the staple food. This was because rice was very expensive during the time. Tapioca was suitable as it was a cheap alternative and grown very easily in gardens.

Do not boil tapioca with its skin intact as boiling with its skin will cause the flesh to taste bitter. To consume tapioca the healthy way, you can either

a) boil the root and eat it with sugar and grated coconut OR
b) boil the tapioca and mix with chilli paste.
To prepare the chilli paste or "sambal", pound together 1 onion, 1 garlic clove, 2
dried chillies, and a small piece of ginger. Add salt and tamarind juice and mix well
with the boiled tapioca.

Do not fry the tapioca as it is oily and has no nutritional value. Try to add tapioca in your daily diet once a week as it helps provide energy.

Jambu air

8th JUNE 09:WATER APPLE ( Jambu Air)
Water Apple not only tastes good but also has high water content and a great source of vitamin C. 70 % of our body consists of water and due to its high percentage of water content, water apple has the capability of quenching your thirst if you are not in favour of drinking plain water or any other types of quench thirsting drinks.Water apple is good in curing mouth blisters. By eating and chewing the fruit slowly, the blister/s can be cured within 2 days. Children from the age of two can be given water apple juice to cure mouth blisters.Water apple juice is very effective in diluting the thickness of carrot juice. The mixture is a good nutritional food and provides a marvellous flavour combination. Water apple can also be added in salads. Try to consume water apple once a week as this fruit has high content of vitamin C.

Raja ulam

5th JUNE 09: RAJA ULAM
Ulam Raja leaves are eaten raw and are used in Malay cuisine. The leaves are used for ulam, a type of Malay salad.

The leaves have properties in
a) increasing digestion
b) removing excess gas from the body and
c) help increase body strength

The leaves cannot be cooked or juiced up. It has to be eaten raw. Our body is dominated by vata, pitta and kappa.
a) If pitta predominates, consume boiled cumin and coriander leaves water to stabilize the condition.
b) If vata predominates, consume raja ulam leaves to release the excess gas.
c) If kappa predominates, consume "thuthuvalai" leaves or "karpooravalli" leaves to remove the excess phlegm from the body

To have a healthy body and free of any sickness and diseases, we need to keep the three dosa's in balance

4th JUNE 09: BEETROOT
Blood is very important for our body. Individuals who have less blood count will tend to put on weight. To prevent this problem and to produce more blood, we normally opt to taking pills.

Instead of consuming pills, it is better to consume fresh food which can act as a medicine. This method is much safer and healthier. Beet Root is one type of vegetable that helps in blood production. It also helps to support proper spleen and liver function.

You can consume beet root by cooking or by juicing it. Make sure when juicing beet root, only a small piece of the vegetable is used. Blend the fruit together with a small piece of carrot as it helps provide a sweet taste. Drink the juice daily.

You can even grate the root vegetable and serve it raw as a salad. Add chopped onions, chilies and a pinch of sugar for extra taste

thuthuvalai

1st JUNE 09: PURPLE FRUITED PEA EGGPLANT (Thuthuvalai)
This plant is a thorny creeper that bears small sized fruits and effective in balancing the function of tridosha i.e. vata, pitta and kappa. The leaves are also effective in neutralizing the excess heat and gas trapped or formed in the womb.

Take 7 leaves and 7 black peppers. Pound or grind the leaves and peppers together into a thick paste. Shape the paste into small round balls and consume daily for 3 days. Stomach pain caused by extreme heat and excessive gas will disappear.

The leaves are best to be used to prepare "rasam". Pound the leaves and other dried spices in mortar and boil. "Thuthuvalai Rasam" is good in balancing the body tridosha system.

Siddha's of yore have declared Thuthuvalai leaves as a kaya kalpam (long life elixir). The leaves have the medicinal values of
a) producing blood,
b) increasing blood flow and
c) prevent blood thickening which causes many types of sickness

foot yam,சேம கிழங்கு

29th MAY 09: ELEPHANT FOOT YAM To consume the yam, remove the skin and wash the peeled yam. Cut the yam into small pieces and boil with a pinch of salt. Throw the boiled water away as the water cannot be consumed. Treat the cooked yam as potato.The difference between potatoes and yam is potatoes have high content of carbohydrate and yam has only 0.01 mg of fat in it.Benefits of consuming elephant foot yam are:
a) cleans urinary bladder
b) strengthen urinary bladder linings
c) ease bowel motion
d) cures all types of piles problemElephant Foot Yam relieves constipation problem and is rich in potassium, nitrogen and amino acid. Since the yam has many medicinal values, try to consume this vegetable at least once a week to gain the nutrients and help treat your body to prevent any major sickness or diseases

karisalangkani,karisalai

27th MAY 09: FALSE DAISY (Karsilangkani)
Pound and extract the juice from the leaves. Add this juice while preparing hair oilment. The juice has the properties to blacken grey or white hair effectively.

In siddha medicine, false daisy leaves are used to treat damaged spleen.Some individuals may suffer from wounds or damage due to

a) excessive alcohol consumption
b) excessive smoking
c) virus infection
d) a fall or an accident
e) or any other serious problems that has affected the spleen.

There are many plants that look similar to False Daisy. To determine whether the leaves are false daisy leaves, rub the leaves on your palm. If your palm blackens, the leaves are indeed false daisy leaves.

The blackening effect helps to treat graying problems and when consumed internally, it becomes a long life elixir (kaya kalpa).

Benefits of false daisy leaves
a) Helps cure all types of spleen problems
b) Helps spleen function efficiently
c) Helps spleen produce more blood which leads to a good body system.
d) Helps cure anemic patients by producing blood.

You can consume the leaves by juicing it or by eating it raw or cooked together with other green vegetables, Indian style.

செலரி,celery

26th MAY 09: CELERYCeleries are rich in nutrients and it has soluble salt properties which includes sodium, needed by our body. You can either stir fry or eat it raw as a salad. Blend 2 celery sticks and consume the juice. This will help reduce high blood pressure. If you feel your pressure is going up, feeling dizzy or heavy headed, blend star fruit and celery together and consume half glass of the juice. You will notice a big difference after 1 week or 10 days. Consuming celery regularly can help control your blood pressure. Make sure you also apply oil on your head to reduce heatiness which can be one of the causes of hypertension. Celeries are good in controlling body weight, removing excess water and ease bowel movement. When you are eating meat, chicken or any types of seafood, make sure you add celery in your meal as it provides a good combination and balances the body's yin and yang. When consuming celery, try not to cook it as it will lead to nutrition loss. Celery has great nutritional values, therefore try to add this vegetable in your diet. Celery is best to be consumed once in every fortnight and should be consumed raw. To live a healthy live and maintain a healthy body, eat more vegetables in raw form.

drumstick flower

25th MAY 09:DRUMSTICK FLOWER
Flowers and fruits that bear from trees with deep long roots have many medicinal values. This is because the long roots are able to absorb the nutrients and minerals stored deep down the earth.

Do not throw away the flowers which have fallen from the tree. Dry these flowers and grind or pound them into powder form. Store in a bottle and use the powder when necessary. Add one tablespoon of the powdered drumstick flower in milk and consume.

The flower is good in increasing men virility and women fertility level. Try to consume drumstick flower once or twice a week if you want to improve, increase or maintain your fertility or virility level

Misai kucing

22nd MAY 09: CAT WHISKERS ( Misai Kucing)Cat's Whiskers are widely found throughout South East Asia region, especially in Malaysia and Indonesia. It is called "Misai Kucing" in Malay as the flower resembles the shape of a cat's whiskers. Cat's Whiskers leaves are very effective in cleaning urine and helps cure kidney problems. The leaves have the function in increasing the excretion of creatinine in the urine. This plant has great medicinal values and everyone should grow this plant in their home. In siddha medicine, cat's whiskers leaves are added with other herbal ingredients to treat high fever. The mixture of herbs are boiled and consumed as tea. You can even eat the flowers raw. When boiling the dried cat whiskers leaves, add dried avaram senna flowers (avaram poo) and other dried flowers. Consume the boiled water as tea. By prescribing this tea, it will not only help reduce kidney malfunction but also prevents kidney patients from dialysis treatment. Puncture vines (Nirenjal) and cat's whiskers leaves are effective in removing excess water from the body through urination. The leaves also helps avoid body swelling which is caused by excessive water held in the body. If the excess water is not removed, it will lead to various kinds of diseases. Therefore to avoid sickness and promote good health, consume cat whiskers leaves as tea.

Misai

lotus flower

21st MAY 09: LOTUS FLOWERLotus flower is good in treating patients and elderly persons who have a weak heart. Boil the petals and consume one glass of the boiled juice everyday. The lotus flower has its root deep in the soil and grows under water. This root is edible and should be treated as a vegetable. It can either be stir fried or added in "Sambar". The seeds obtained from the flower pods can also be consumed. The seeds are good and effective in increasing male virility. The seeds are very tasty if it is stir fried. If you have the seeds in dried form, powder the seeds and prescribe one tablespoon of the lotus seed powder to your husband or male counterparts. It not only provides virility to men but also gives good strength to the body.

kadukkai,

19th MAY 09: CURRY LEAVES
Curry leave is a vegetable and is used in our daily cooking for taste and fragrance. In indian cooking, curry leaves are used for tempering and while eating, the whole leaves are taken out and thrown away. We should not throw away the leaves as it has many medicinal values. You should train your children to eat curry leaves and the leaves should be slowly chewed and swallowed in.Curry leaves are very effective in blackening white hairs which are very common in children today. You will not notice the effect by eating 1-2 curry leaves. One should eat at least one handful of curry leaves daily to notice the blackening effect.You should not throw the stems away. Dry the stems and boil and consume the boiled stem juice when your child is suffering from indigestion or fever. By consuming the water, your child will be prevented from fever as the water helps build your child's immune system.Curry leaves aids in reducing excess pitta, helps strengthen womb and removes ovarian related problems.HOW TO MAKE CURRY LEAVES CHUTNEY?A handful of curry leaves, a small piece of ginger, 1-2 cloves of garlic, 1 onion, salt and dry fried grated coconut. Hand grind or blend into a thick paste.This chutney is very effective to cure morning sickness among pregnant women. Morning sickness, i.e. frequent vomiting is caused due to excess pita in the body. Hence to cure and prevent morning sickness, it is best to consume a little rice with the curry leave chutney before adding other dishes in your meal.

19th MAY 09: CURRY LEAVES
Curry leave is a vegetable and is used in our daily cooking for taste and fragrance. In indian cooking, curry leaves are used for tempering and while eating, the whole leaves are taken out and thrown away. We should not throw away the leaves as it has many medicinal values. You should train your children to eat curry leaves and the leaves should be slowly chewed and swallowed in.Curry leaves are very effective in blackening white hairs which are very common in children today. You will not notice the effect by eating 1-2 curry leaves. One should eat at least one handful of curry leaves daily to notice the blackening effect.You should not throw the stems away. Dry the stems and boil and consume the boiled stem juice when your child is suffering from indigestion or fever. By consuming the water, your child will be prevented from fever as the water helps build your child's immune system.Curry leaves aids in reducing excess pitta, helps strengthen womb and removes ovarian related problems.HOW TO MAKE CURRY LEAVES CHUTNEY?A handful of curry leaves, a small piece of ginger, 1-2 cloves of garlic, 1 onion, salt and dry fried grated coconut. Hand grind or blend into a thick paste.This chutney is very effective to cure morning sickness among pregnant women. Morning sickness, i.e. frequent vomiting is caused due to excess pita in the body. Hence to cure and prevent morning sickness, it is best to consume a little rice with the curry leave chutney before adding other dishes in your meal.

mangoosteen ,manggis

18th MAY 09: MANGOSTEENMangosteen 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!

AMARANTH LEAVES(Mulai Keerai)

15th MAY 09:AMARANTH LEAVES(Mulai Keerai)Mulai keerai's root, stem, leaves, fruit and flowers has its own nutritional value.If the vegetable's stem is big, throw away the root and utilize the stems to prepare soups. If the stem is thin and small, utilize the roots, stems and leaves when preparing a dish for your family. How to prepare a tasty dish with Mulai Keerai? Clean the leaves, boil and cook the leaves with garlic, onion, cumin seeds and a chili. Mash the leaves and once the leaves are cooked, add coconut milk. The dish is good to be eaten by children from the tender of two as it is not hot and spicy. This vegetable cannot be eaten raw and has to be cooked before eating it. Make sure you do not overcook the leaves. Mulai Keerai is rich in calcium and can be consumed 2 to 3 times a week. However those who have chronic arthritis are not advised to eat this vegetable as the leaves has the properties to retain water in the knee cap. Patients with knee pains, swollen knees or excess water in the knees are forbidden to eat Mulai Keerai.

CREPE JASMIN (Nandiavatta Poo)

14th MAY: CREPE JASMIN (Nandiavatta Poo)
Our forefathers used to have this plant grown in temples as the fresh flowers are used as an offering to the Lords. The flowers are also used to treat eye problems or eye heatiness. The juice of the flower is used to treat 99 types of eye problems.When your eyes turn red due to extreme heat, crush the flower and pour two drops into each eye. Make sure you do not use the milk. The juice will cool the eyes and eye redness will disappear.