amaranth leaves,முலை கீரை

10th APRIL 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 jasmine,நந்தியாவட்டை

9th APRIL 09: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.

திராச்சை,grapes

th APRIL 09:GRAPES

In Malaysia grapes are grown in Cameron Highlands. There are around 8,000 types of grapes available in this world. Even though there are many varieties of grapes, the most common types of grapes we encounter are black, purple and green grapes.

Black grapes have more medicinal values compared to purple and green grapes. In western countries black grapes are used to prepare wine.

If you, siblings or your life partner is weak, tired or stressed up, instead of consuming alcohol drinks, it is best to consume black grape juice.

Take 1 handful of black grapes.

Blend the fruit with water (optional)

Make sure you blend the seeds also.

Strain and leave for 4- 6 hours.

Serve to your husband or siblings. This juice is good as

a) it aids and increase digestion. Make sure you take one glass of black grape juice after your meal

b) ease bowel motion

c) gives strength to small intestines

d) provides strength to children

Grape seeds have many medicinal values. The seeds are used to produce oil and have the healing nutrients to prevent cancer. When serving grapes to your kids, make sure you remove the skin as their body system will not be able to digest the skins properly. As for adults, they should consume the skin, flesh and seeds. This is the right way of eating grapes and the way to gain the fruits full nutritional values.

Black grape juice will not cause dizziness. Instead it will calm the mind, promotes good sleep and gives vigorousness to men when they wake up in the morning.Hence try to consume black grapes at least once in every fortnight.

health,ஆரோக்கியம்

7th APRIL 09:HEALTH

Health is very important to lead a happy life. However we tend to spoil our health by leading a wrong lifestyle which causes or leads to various types of sickness or diseases.

Headaches, stomach pain, gas problems, hand, leg and joint pains are some of the sickness you will suffer if your have a poor health. If you have excess toxins in the body, you will also experience similar problems. When you experience these symptoms, boil suitable leaves and herbs and consume the herbal drink to remove the excess toxins from your body.If you frequently catch a cold, accumulation of phlegm in the chest area will increase, thus creating difficulty in breathing. Therefore you need to take proper care and medicines to cure this problem as phlegm is toxic.

To prevent your children from frequent cold and running nose, practice oil bath as this prevents heatiness which leads to cold and accumulation of phlegm. Also during oil bath, excess phlegm will flow down to your nasal area and make sure you force the excess phlegm out by blowing your nose.

In Siddha medicine, there are various types of medicated herbal oils (tailam) to be applied on the chest, leaves and herbal medicines to be consumed which helps reduce excess body heat. When proper care is taken from tender age, asthma, cold and flu can be prevented. Hence children will lead a healthy life and their growth will not be hindered.

Instead of giving carbonated drinks to your children which increases body heat, boil dried flower and dried herbal leaves as serve as tea. Licorice (nanari) root can also be boiled and served as a drink. The herbal drink has the properties to cool down the body.

onian,வெங்காயம்,

6th APRIL 09:ONIONS

Onions are used in various dishes for thousands of years by many cultures around the world. There are many different varieties of onions, i.e. small onions, big red onions, white onions and yellow onions.

All varieties of onions have the same nutritional and medicinal values. In India, poor families usually pour water in left over rice and eat it the next day. They usually eat raw onions with the old rice as the raw onions have the properties to kill insects and germs which can be formed or found in the old rice.

If you have boils on your skin, take two onions, dry fry the onions, grind and add a little turmeric. Apply on the boils. The boils will ripe and fall off after 2 days. You do not need to go for an operation to remove the boils. Onions will do the trick!

Make sure you teach or train your children to eat raw onions as they will gain the full medicinal and nutritional values. Cut onions in small tiny pieces and add together with other raw vegetables i.e. cucumber, celery, salad leaves, tomatoes. Add fresh herbs like mint, coriander and asiatic pennyworth (vallarai) leaves into the vegetables. Mix all the ingredients together with thick yogurt and salt.

Eating raw vegetables is the right way of eating as it will provide you the full nutritional value your body needs.

ரோசா,ரோஜா,rose

3rd APRIL 09:ROSE FLOWER

Roses 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.

ranakkalli,ரணக்கள்ளி

2nd APRIL 09:DAUN SETAWAR(Ranakali)

Chikungunya is a very dangerous disease which is caused by mosquito. In India, enzyme from the leaves is taken to cure the life threatening disease. The thicker the leaves, the more toxic water it removes from the body.When there are excess toxins in the body, boils or growth will form on our skin. Instead of going for an operation to remove the growth, use rana kali leaves which can effectively remove the growth without any pain and fuss.

a) Place the leaves at the area where you have the growth.

b) The bacteria and toxic poison will be released and the growth will be removed by itself.

Improper cleanliness or excess toxins in the body can also cause growth or boils under the armpit. To remove the growth, place 2 leaves under your armpit and amazing results can be seen after 3 days.

If your child is suffering from fever due to body heatiness:

a) Crush the leaves in water with your hands.

b) Wet a small cloth in the water and place it on your child��s forehead, shoulders and chest.
The leave gives a cooling effect and helps reduces fever.

If you purging or having a stomach upset:

a) Pound the turmeric into powder form

b) Grind the leaves

c) Add both ingredients and wrap the solution around your hips. It will heal purging and also removes stomach pain.

அகத்தி கீரை,agathi keerai

1st APRIL 09:AGATHI LEAVES

In Malaysia, there are only a few trees and plants that can be used as food, i.e. drumstick leaves are taken from drumstick tree. Agathi leaves are taken from agathi tree. Agathi leaves are rich in Vitamin E, have the properties to kill germs, bacteria, and clears poison.

If someone has cast eye on any of your siblings, they experience loss of appetite, indigestion, face looking tired and dull:

a) Boil a handful of agathi leaves in plain water or washed rice water.

b) Do not add salt

Drink once a week. The poison in the body will be removed and will lose it��s effect.

You can even give the boiled water to your children to drink.

Agathi leaves have the properties to balance excessive pitta in the body and is a cooling food. That is why our fore fathers consume agathi keerai when they break their fast during ��amavasya�� day. Agathi leaves are a must and should be eaten during amavasya day.

This is because the body gets heated up during fasting period and by taking the leaves, it will cool down the body. You can cook the leaves by frying it with grated coconut.

The leaves are rich in Vitamin A and are very good for the eyes. Therefore try to eat agathi leaves once a month or during amavasya fasting day or any other fasting days.

Besides the leaves, the flowers are also good to consume as it has many medicinal values. Agathi flowers are rich in iron.

setawar,ரணக்கள்ளி

31st MARCH 09:DAUN SETAWAR(Ranakali)

Siddha of yester years have given a name to each and every herbal plant available according to its medicinal capability. Rana Kali comes under the cactus family. This plant does not produce milk and grows very well in dry and hot environment. It needs very little water to grow.

Every family should cultivate this plant in their home as it has many medicinal values. and can be used to treat many types of sickness and diseases. This plant can be seen in many Chinese homes as they are fully aware of the plant��s medicinal capabilities.

How to grow this plant?

Pluck one leave and soak in water for a couple of days. Transfer the leave to the soil.

women and menstrul cycle,

30th MARCH 09:WOMEN AND MENSTRUAL CYCLE

Every teenage girls and woman should have their menstrual cycle once in every 28 to 30 days. If you do not get your period on time, the lower layer of your throat will swell up. The swelling of the throat indicates that there is a problem in your womb and the relevant hormone, estrogen is not in balance. This problem should be fixed by taking the right medicines or remedy.

You can either eat boiled Horse gram (Kollu) or boiled sesame seeds (Ella). If the problem still persists, it is best to consult a physician or a siddha practitioner to get the right and proper prescription. If ignored, it can lead to major health problems.

By having your menstrual on time, internal dirt will be removed which causes the body will to be healthy and fertile. Failure to get your period can cause growth of tissues in the womb and pelvic area. If the growth is not removed, the dirt will turn toxic and will spread through the body. Once it starts to spread, it will damage other internal organs. At the same time the blood will become dirty and you will have boils on your skin. There are many medicines to clean the blood. Also try to take bedhi (purging medicine) to clean your stomach. Eat sufficient fruits to gain the necessary nutritional value. Make sure you find out why your period is delayed. The cause of delay could be due to:

a) Excess air/gas in the body ( vata)

b) Excess pitta

c) Or lack of blood

If you are anaemic, you need to consume proper medicines to increase blood production.

The beauty of women lies on the size of their waist and flatness of stomach. If you have growth or boils in your stomach, your stomach will bloat up. Therefore exercising alone is not enough. You need to consume proper herbs and medicines to avoid menstrual problems

நுணா,Mengudu

27th MARCH: NONI (Mengkudu)

Siddha of yesteryears have prescribed many types of herbs for newly delivered women to consume to prevent them from having side effects, sickness or diseases which can be caused by improper care after delivery.

NEWLY DELIVERED WOMEN who suffers from stomach pain or whose dirt are not completely removed during delivery can use below remedy to cure their related problems:
a) Boil noni leaves and drink the boiled water. The water is very effective in removing trapped dirt from the body.
b) Boil noni leaves and wash joint areas.

This is because newly delivered women usually suffer from joint pains. The boiled herbal liquid can either be consumed or used as a body wash.
If your spleen or liver is swollen, take a few large noni leaves and wrap around your waist with a thread before you go to sleep. Remove the leaves in the morning. The leaves have the power to reduce swelling.

Cut noni fruit into small pieces and extract the juice. Add brown sugar and water into the juice and consume the herbal liquid. The juice of the fruit helps remove dirt and has the tendency to kill bacterial infection in the intestines. Drink this herbal juice once a month. Both noni leaves and fruit are rich in antioxidant and each has the properties to kill bacteria and germs.

Mash the fruit with water and use it as a genital wash to wash wounds caused after delivery. All dirt and bacteria infection will be removed. Since noni leaves and its fruit have many medicinal values, try to grow this plant in your home and obtain the medicinal values from it.

mengkudu,நுணா

26th MARCH: NONI (Mengkudu)

This plant is originated from Queensland, Australia and grows very well in our country's soil. This plant is currently being cultivated largely in rural areas.Noni leaves and its fruit were used by Hawaiian natives over 2,000 years ago. Noni fruit is known as "Hawaiian Magical Fruit" and the herbal plant has been an integral part of ancient Hawaiian folk medicine.

In Siddha medicine, noni leaves are boiled and the boiled water is used for bathing mainly by newly delivered women. The boiled water can also be used to heal wound and skin rashes. Its roots are also grinded to treat arthritis and gout patients.Arthritis is caused by gas trapped in the joints. To remove the gas, noni leaves and its root are very effective in removing the trapped gas from the joints which can cause extreme pain and suffering.

Javanese use over - ripe noni fruit to make shampoo as they believe it is good for the hair and helps remove dirt from the hair. Mash the ripe fruit with water. Instead of wetting a cloth in ice water, wet the cloth in the fruit mixture and place it on your child's forehead when they are suffering from a high fever. The fruit liquid is effective in curing headaches, heaviness of head and reduce fever. Noni fruit is rich in vitamin C and beneficial in increasing blood flow and helps regulate menstrual flow.

Pudina,புதினா

25th MARCH 09: MINT (Pudina)

Extract from mint leaves are used as a fragrance and gives an appealing taste in sweets and cigarettes. Mint are best to consume raw. Take 10 mint leaves and garnish on salads. By serving mint this way, you will be able to get your family members to eat raw mint and obtain the nutritional values from the mint leaves. Mint leaves are very effective in killing germs and bacteria. If you have an insect bite which has turned into a wound, take a few leaves, pound into a paste and apply on the affected area. Mint leaves are normally used to make chutney.

HOW TO MAKE MINT CHUTNEY?
Grind mint, grated coconut, one small piece of ginger, 1 to 2 cloves of garlic, 1 onion, salt and tamarind juice into a thick paste.

Eat this chutney with rice. By eating mint chutney,
a) Help reduces pitta
b) Helps cure loss of appetite or poor appetite
c) Helps pregnant women cure indigestion and vomiting

Instead of juicing the mint and consuming it in liquid form, it is best to consume mint in chutney form. Grind mint into a thick paste and apply as a facial mask. The mint has the properties to make the skin looking fresh and bright. Mint leaves and any leaves which can be eaten raw are rich in vitamin A, E, C and phosphorus.

rose flower,ரோசா,ரோஜா

24th MARCH 09: ROSE FLOWER

Roses 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.

தக்காளி,tomato

23rd MARCH 09: TOMATOES

Both unripe green tomatoes and ripe red plum tomatoes can be consumed either by cooking it or eating it raw. Lycopene is a nutrient, responsible in transforming tomatoes to turn red and is regarded as a potential agent for cancer prevention. Siddha's of yester years have advised us to eat tomatoes raw including the skin. Tomato skin has many nutritional values, therefore do not remove the skin, and try to eat the skins when eating raw tomatoes.

Chinese medicine prescribes tomatoes to be the best medicine to cure eye redness. Eye redness could be caused from lack of sleep or an increase in eye pressure. Blend 2 tomatoes and drink the juice in the morning on an empty stomach. Drink the juice continuously for 3 days and eye redness will disappear.

In Siddha medicine, tomatoes are used as a body scrub while bathing. The enzymes in the tomatoes help transform dry, rough and wrinkled skin to soft, smooth, silky and glowing skin. Blend the tomatoes and apply as a facial mask. The enzymes helps remove dry and dead skin cells and help build new skin cells.

Tomatoes can be eaten every day and teach your children from the age of two to eat raw tomatoes and other vegetables raw. This practise will benefit them in future as they will not have the difficulty to eat raw vegetables when they grow up. Make sure you wash the tomatoes before you consume as cultivated tomatoes are usually sprayed with pesticides.

Eat tomatoes with its skin intact, RAW!

oil bath,எண்ணெய் குளியல்.

20th MARCH 09: OIL BATH

We should and must take oil bath once a week and not have oil bath once a year, i.e. during Deepavali! Gingly oil is obtained from sesame seeds (Ella) and coconut oil is extracted from coconut milk. These two oils are the common oils which are used to apply on the head and body and have been practiced from years of yore.

OIL BATH FOR CHILDREN
Tear two betel leaves, pound 1 thumb- sized turmeric and 2 cloves of garlic and add all the ingredients into the oil.

You can apply this oil mixture on your children when they are having a cold. By having oil bath once a week, it will prevent your children from getting frequent colds. When your child is suffering from a cold and has developed lots of phlegm, heat the oil and massage your child��s head, forehead and the whole face. You can also pour a drop of oil into their ears and eyes. Applying oil into the eyes can be done once a week or once a month. By applying oil into the eyes, it will help loosen the hardened phlegm trapped in the nose and throat and the oil will help push the phlegm out either through the nose or throat. By applying oil into the ears, it will provide lubrication and help soften the veins around the ear-neck area.

In aromatherapy, cinnamon and cloves are added into the oil for fragrance and is used for massaging the body. You can also add these herbs or any other fragrant herbs and use it for your children.

Coconut oil cannot be used for sinus patients. Those who have a heaty body should use gingerly oil. It is best if you could add betel leaves, turmeric and garlic into the gingerly oil as it produces good results to sinus patients. Therefore practice oil bath every week and if possible make oil bathing a family ritual.

spinach,pasalai keerai

19th MARCH 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. I

ndian 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.

நெல்லிக்காய் indian goosberry

18th MARCH 09: INDIAN GOOSEBERRIES (Nellikai)

There are two types of gooseberries. The first type of fruit is very sour and the size of the fruit is small. The fruit is light green and has few medicinal values. This type of fruit is normally included while preparing fish curry or ��puli�� curry. The second type of fruit is the actual Indian Gooseberry.

The leaves are similar to agathi leaves (agathi keerai) and should have white vertical lines on it. This type of fruit is very hard to obtain. If you can find fresh Indian Gooseberry, pound it and extract the juice. Add honey as the Indian Gooseberry juice is very sour and should be consumed by diabetic patients.According to Siddha medicine, diabetic patients will see vast improvements if they were to consume Indian Gooseberry juice, 1 tablespoon a day. Dried Indian Gooseberry is easier to be obtained.

To cure constipation,
a) Soak dried gooseberries in water and boil it.
b) remove the dried fruit and drink the water only.
Constipation is very common problem and is the cause of many types of diseases. If waste is not removed from the body, it will turn toxic and will cause bacteria infection. This will then lead to various types of skin and internal body diseases.

celery செலரி கீரை

17th MARCH 09: CELERY

Celeries 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.

banana வாழப்பழம்

16th MARCH 09: BANANA

Banana root, its core trunk, flower and fruit can be treated as medicine.Bananas have loads of nutritional value and it is rich in potassium, vitamin A and D. Banana also helps to restore normal bowel actions and cures constipation.

You can feed bananas to toddlers who are 8 months and above.
Cut the bananas into small size pieces, boil the bananas with water and serve. Bananas have to be boiled before giving to toddlers as it can cause side effects if bananas are given as it is.

Another healthy way of serving bananas to your children is by cutting "rastali" bananas into small round pieces and place it in a wide bottle. Pour castor oil until it covers the bananas, add palm sugar and mix the banana with the oil and palm sugar. Soak it for at least 2 days and serve your child 1 piece of cut banana and 1 teaspoon of castor oil. Children will be able to eat this as it is sweet and very effective method of curing constipation. Banana can also be used as a garnish while preparing sweet rice (Ponggal).

TIP: Do not overeat. All types of food have to be eaten moderately. Instead of living to eat, we should eat to live and stay healthy. Therefore practice eating healthy food in moderation.

13th MARCH 09: CAT'S WHISKERS PLANT (MISAI KUCHING)

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.

lotus flower தாமரை பூ

12th MARCH 09: LOTUS FLOWER (Tamarai Poo)

Lotus 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.

chebulic myroblen கடுக்காய்

11th MARCH 09: CHEBULIC MYROBLAN (Kadukkai)

Slightly knock the dried fruit with a pestle and remove the seeds. Use the outer skin only. Like the skin of dried ginger, the seeds of chebulic myroblan are considered toxic.
Chebulic Myroblan skin helps to heal stomach wounds and open wounds.
a) Boil the skin with water
b) Strain the herbal concoction
c) Wash the open wounds with the boiled herbal liquid.

The concoction works effectively in removing bacteria's from the veins. If you have gastric and unable to eat hot and spicy food, you can cure the severity of your gastric by mixing one teaspoon of the powdered chebulic myroblan with honey. Consume regularly. This remedy also prevents constipation. You can also eat the skin raw by itself. Siddhas treat chebulic myroblan as Kaya Kalpam (long life elixir).

Chebulic Myroblan's skin is rich in astringent properties and any food which is rich in astringent helps ease bowel motion. Hence Chebulic Myroblan is effective in curing and relieving constipation.

ivy gourd leaves கோவை கீரை

10th MARCH 09: IVY GOURD LEAVES (Kovai Keerai)

Ivy gourd leaves cannot be obtained from the market and are very effective in treating excessive heat in the anus are. If your have the plant growing around your house area, try to add the leaves in your diet. Cook it like you are cooking Indian spinach (pasalai keerai) or add the leaves when preparing any types of soup.

The leaves are effective in healing boils in the anal canal.
a) Apply a few drops of castor oil and gently heat the oiled leaves.
b) Place the leaves below the anus.

The leaves will kill the bacteria and transforms it to pus. The boils will heal once the pus matures and oozes out voluntarily. Since the vegetable is a cooling food, try to eat this vegetable once a week. You will be free of piles problems. The vegetable will ease bowel motion and helps cool the body.

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.