Nuts and seeds are not common foods items. They are rarely used on special occasions, but are rich in proteins and oily (fat) components.
Almonds (Badam)
They build up health of mind and body, used also for cosmetics and perfumes. Their oil has medicinal and food values. Almonds should be kept soaked in water overnight, and next morning, after peeling them off, a paste (then) should be made. It is known as almond butter which is far more superior to the dairy butter.
Food Values : Moisture-5.2% Protein-20.8%, Fat-58.9%, Fibre-1.7%, Minerals-2.9%, Carbohydrates-10.5%, Calcium-230 mg, Phosphorus490 mg, Iron-4.5 mg, Niacin-4.4 mg and small amount of vitamin B Complex, calorific value-655 (Per 100 gms of edible portion).
Almond milk is the most useful health tonic. It should be prepared by grinding the blanched almonds with milk, adding some more milk and little sugar to it. Almond fat is in an unsaturated form. Besides, it as also 11 gms of a fatty acid (linolenic acid) in 100 gms of almonds. Thus, almonds help to lower serum cholesterol level. Almonds help to raise haemoglobin, form new blood cells, enable liver, heart, brain and nerves to perform their respective functions normally. It prolongs life, tones up and energises muscle function, energises brain power and strengthens health. Take equal quantities of raisins, almonds and roasted black grams. If 50-100 gms of this recipe is taken with milk, it will meet all food requirements of body and brain. Almond is laxative, removes skin disorders, respiratory problems, rejuvenates sexual power and system, does away with constipation but, for all such or any other disorder or to derive tonic effect, only sweet almond should be used, but not the bitter variety.
For healthy skin mix equal quantity rose petal’s paste, almond paste (of blanched almonds) and milk cream. If applied locally, daily, over face, it will beautify the face, by nourishing the skin, It will also provide glow, softness and lustrous look to skin, remove wrinkles, black-heads, pimples, dryness of skin and retard pre-mature aging effects on face. To remove constipation, mix half teaspoonful of almond oil to hot milk but, those who have sensitive stomachs, should not use the oil, in stead they can chew the almonds (blanched) to be followed by hot milk drink. Almond oil with rose water can be applied to face for facial tenderness. For relief in asthma, bronchitis and whooping cough, mix ten to fifteen drops each of ginger and lemon juices to a spoonful of almond oil and take for 10-15 days at a stretch—once or twice a day, depending on severity of the symptoms.
GROUND NUT (Peanut, moongphali)
It has more protein value than the meat. In protein value it is next only to soyabean and yeast. It is not easily digestible unless roasted and chewed properly.
Food Value : Moisture-3%, Protein-25.3%, Fat-40.1%, Minerals-2.4%, Fibre-3.1%, Carbohydrates-26.1%, Calcium-90 mg, Phosphorus 350 mg, Iron-2.8 mg, Vitamin-E-261.40 mg, small amount of Vitamin B-complex, calorific Value-567 (Values Per 100 gms of the edible portion of ground nut).
Excessive use of ground nuts is liable to cause acidity, premature ejaculation, urticaria, diarrhoea, asthma and persons who are prone to gastritis, hepatitis, jaundice and stomach disorders should avoid taking them. To keep cholesterol level under control, cook the vegetable with ground nut oil. They can be used in steamed, roasted, boiled forms or else eaten raw (but in roasted form only). They are also used in various types of candies, sandwiches, salties, chocolates etc. Ground nut milk and curd are also used. But, use of groundnut flour is more popular in the west due to superior food values, as compared to wheat flour. As indicated elsewhere, if one takes daily 50-100 gms. of roasted ground nut, he has lesser chance of heart attack. Incidence of heart attacks in Gujaratis is far less when compared with persons of some other communities/regions who do not use ground nuts. After chewing ground nut, avoid using cold water. In certain cases of bleeding (from nose or during menses) tendency, diabetes, obesity, diarrhoea, and protein deficiency disorders, use of ground nuts has been found to have curative effects.
Sunflower Seeds (Suryamukhi)
Kernels of sun-flower are rich in iron, protein, phosphorus and protein, vitamin B-Complex. Its kernels have about 5% of fat which dispels feeling of run-down, fatigue and weakness due to excessive use of carbohydrate rich foods. Potassium content in it helps to maintain proper salt balance in daily diets, thus inhibiting deposit of excessive salt in tissues. Magnesium content helps to maintain proper balance between calcium and magnesium. Its linoleic acid contents do not let cholesterol adhere and stick to walls of arteries, as it is known to reduce serum cholesterol level. The Germans use sunflower oil in plenty. If one practises ‘Oil Pulling’ method with sun flower oil, a person, who has got heart problems, will find much relief and those who are the border line cases will have less of heart problems.
Method is like this : On getting up early in morning, 10 ml of sunflower oil should be taken (taking care that mouth is not rinsed) and rinse for ten minutes, revolving the oil in the mouth without break/pause. After ten minutes the oil (which becomes liquefied and whitish now) should be spitted out, and mouth rinsed with hot/lukewarm water. After that, paste may be used to, cleanse teeth. The reason behind the exercise being that during the sleep certain acids accumulate in the mouth and those very acids should get mingled with the oil to hasten the oil to reach all the blood vessels (through sub-brigual portion) improvement can be felt after a month or so, but the suggested exercise must be carried on without break. Let the heart patients give a fair trial to the suggested method and see if they can benefit and to what extent.
Mustard Seeds (Sarson)
Its fixed oil is used in soap-making and medicines and the seeds are used as a condiment throughout the country and the oil, extracted from the seeds, is used as a cooking medium and for oiling the hair. It is used in pickles and salads. White mustard seeds are first roasted in coconut oil or sesame oil, and then they are strained and allowed to cool. When cool, it should be bottled. It should be applied over face to improve complexion and cure facial pimples. If needed, some water may also be mixed with the oil. It is an age-old vehicle to massage the body, as it renders bones stronger and removes dryness of the skin. In a few cases, the oil causes skin-irritation. Henna leaves boiled with mustard oil, when applied over the head, yield thick, lustrous growth of dark, black hair. The mustard oil is also used as a rubefacient. If some salt is added to the oil, it facilitates easy penetration of oil through skin pores.. Its local application relieves muscular pain in body and other disorders like, sciatica, rheumatism and joint pains. If the oil is applied in the navel it will remove constipation.
Sesame Seeds (Til)
Its seeds are either red, black or white. White seeds are so rich as that they make up almost entire deficiency of calcium, whereas the black seeds have more medicinal uses. The red seeds are rich in iron content. The seeds are soothing, diuretic, have tonic effects, stimulate the menstrual process, are laxative and nourishing. When oil is extracted from the seeds, it carries high degree of medicinal properties.
The seeds are capable of treating opiates, for which they should be reduced to paste and mixed with butter and then taken or else they may be used in sweet meats or in decoction form. Anaemia can be removed by soaking the black seeds (which are rich in iron) in water for 10-12 hours, and then the seeds should be ground and strained so that the contents turn into an emulsion form. Some sugar or jaggery may be added and the resultant contents be mixed in milk. In respiratory disorders, bronchitis and pneumonia, prepare and take an infusion, prepared from 15 ml of honey, 10 ml of linseed and 10 ml of sesame seeds, adding a pinch of salt to it. It should be used at bedtime only once.
Prepare a decoction from root and leaves of sesame and use it to wash hair. Similarly, a decoction of crushed sesame leaves be or so after the application, the head should be washed thoroughly, but no soap or shampoo should be used. If powder of sesame seeds is taken with hot water, four to five days prior to the expected onset of menses, it will relieve spasmodic pain, during menstrual period of young maids and cure scanty menstruation. Warm hipbath, with addition of bruised sesame seeds to water, will accelerate the curative effects.
