Most vegetarians don’t eat vegetables!

Among the most striking breakthrough in nutrition is the discovery that vegetables have enormous healing powers. It has now been accepted without a doubt that reduced vegetable intake (which is so common in our teenagers today) affects our health in an adverse way. Serious degenerative diseases like heart diseases and cancer can be precipitated due to inadequate vegetables and fruits intake.

What distresses me most is that in our urban society especially in the metros, people glorify vegetarianism and feel more evolved being vegetarians without eating adequate vegetables. Yes! Most vegetarians do not eat vegetables. Their concept of being vegetarian revolves around rice, dal, potatoes, pasta, pizzas, burgers, khadi, idlis, dosas, puri, chhole, pav bhaji, parathas, pickles, dahi kadi etc. If they do eat vegetables, they are usually loaded with oil, overcooked and mish-mashed. This removes the healing power of vegetables Vegetables retain their healing power mainly when consumed in their raw form or when partially cooked. Broths and soups made from certain vegetables like carrots, tomatoes and spinach also retain their nutrient value. Certain vegetables have specific healing properties.

Spinach: Just looking at it makes one feel healthy. The cartoon character Popeye has immortalised its benefits. It is rich in chlorophyll, foliates, carotenoids, antioxidants and trace minerals. The structure of chlorophyll stimulates hemoglobin. Therefore spinach is known to have blood building properties. It is rich in laxative fibre and prevents constipation. Research suggests that regular intake of spinach may prevent age related damage to the retina of the eye, thus preventing progressive degeneration of the eye. The juice of raw spinach also helps to reduce acidity caused by smoking or excessive consumption of alcohol.

Potatoes: Raw potato juice is known to be especially beneficial for those suffering from gout or high urine acid levels. The procedure for extraction is simple. Take a raw unpeeled potato. Wash thoroughly. See that it is free from green colouring on the skin as this green colour contains an alkaloid toxin called solanine, which has adverse effects, then push it through a juicer. Drink this juice twice a day before meals. This helps to relieve inflammation and pain in gouting patients. The skin of the potato is an excellent remedy for reducing uric acid levels in the blood. Another way to get the benefits of the skin is to peel a few potatoes. Collect the skins and boil them in a litre of water until they are tender. Then strain the skins away and drink this decoction three to four times a day between meals. It makes the blood alkaline and reduces gouty symptoms.

Raw potato juice can also be applied on the face to clear away age spots, blemishes and lighten wrinkles. If you are constantly taking antibiotics then you might suffer from burning and acidity. Potatoes are highly alkaline in nature and help to maintain the alkali reserve of the body. They are a natural antidote for the acidity.

Pumpkin: The seeds of pumpkin are rich in the mineral zinc and known to be effective in correcting prostrate gland problems. One tablespoon of powdered pumpkin seed taken regularly may help reduce pain of prostrate gland enlargement. The powder can also be mixed with honey and consumed. Sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds are amongst the richest sources of zinc as compared to other foods. It is due to their high zinc content that they seem to have a normalising effect in disorders of the prostrate gland.

Just as wrong food choices cause disease conditions to proliferate, knowledge of the correct foods helps in preventing a range of medical ailments. Knowledge of the healing power of specific foods offers real possibilities for the improvement of our health.

(This Article Written By Dr Anjali Mukherjee in Deccan Chronicle )