When cooking becomes worship....

Hinduism stresses greatly on the thoughts of a person who is cooking.It is believed that the vibrations of the cook  is transferred to the food and this can greatly influence the mind of the person eating the food.
        Devi Annapoorna is the Goddess of the kitchen so the kitchen is like her Temple and therefore it is recommended that a very strict standard of cleanliness is maintained.The person cooking the food should be focused ,calm and very spiritually inclined which ensures good health for the people partaking this food.
           For instance the food cooked by a very angry individual may be palatable but the subtle negative vibrations will influence the eater in a negative way.
      

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A simple cure for hiccoughs

Rub the soap nut on a rough stone with water and collect this thin paste and apply on the throat.Hiccups stop.
--As told by Pandith Elchuri.
(For more info on soap nuts refer previous post)

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The germ killing properties of Copper.

photo source wikipedia.org - public domain.

Copper * is a brown metal with a beautiful sheen used widely for making utensils and in many Industries.

•                 " Copper water" is always recommended in Ayurveda .Clean water must be kept overnight in a clean copper vessel and it is good to drink this water in the morning.
• Copper is naturally microbial resistant.It also kills microbes and germs thus making the water very drinkable.
•   Copper  kitchen sinks are being preferred by some these days because of this property of  resisting bacterial growth.Stainless steel sinks look clean and shining but the scratches on its surface have many microbes in them.Especially the E.coli bacteria can live for 2-3 weeks in a  normal kitchen sink but cannot survive for so long in a Copper wash basin.
• However Copper water cure should not tried by people with high levels of copper and pregnant ladies.

* Copper is called thamba in Hindi.Thamiram in Tamil and Raagi in Telugu.

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A good cure for a Hangover in Ayurveda

2-3 Dates must be soaked in water and mashed and given to the person with the Hangover.The symptoms of drinking excess alcohol and its unpleasant effects  reduce considerably after drinking this dates juice.
--As told by Pujya Sri Asaramji Bapu.

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A simple tip for Dental hygiene

Rub a mixture of mustard powder and salt on the teeth and gums to maintain healthy teeth and gums.

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A simple cure for people who've eaten too many raw carrots

The beneficial properties of carrots are undoubtedly many.But eating excess raw carrots may give a tummy ache.There is a simple remedy for this stomach pain which is caused by consuming a "little more" of this orange root.Eating a small piece of Jaggery reduces the symptoms.The inner core of the carrot  is not tolerated well by many.
-As told by Pujya Sri Asaramji Bapu.

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Medicinal effects of Marigold

picture source:wikipedia ,Public domain

Marigold :Latin name:Tagetes erecta has many medicinal uses.It should not be confused with Dandelion or Calendula which may be similar but have different medical properties.

It is also called  Genda phool in hindi, Banti puvvu in Telugu and Zandu in a few Indian languages.

•  It is used as a natural food coloring.The extracts of the flowers are used as a food additive  for coloring agent in  industries.

•  It's flowers are used in face packs.The flowers are made into a paste with honey and applied on the face for a glowing complexion.

•  It is used for repelling insects and pests in fields.Insects and even some kind of mosquitoes do not attempt to live around this plant.So they are planted in between crops in fields.

• It is also a natural rain indicator.They bloom usually in the mornings but if they are closed shut  or become compact it indicates stormy weather ahead.

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Cure for swelling of the spleen in Ayurveda

Grind mustard seeds* and an equal amount of Neem leaves to a paste.Give 5 gm of this mixture to the person who is suffering from enlarged spleen.
As told byPandith Elchuri.
*also called avalu in Telugu,Kadugu in Tamil,Rayi in Hindi.

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An ayurvedic help for Jaundice

Boil 5 gm of sont/dry ginger with Cows milk.Drink this twice a day for 5 days if suffering from Jaundice.
The symptoms disappear.
-As told by Panditha Elchuri.

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Sri Annapoorna devi Ashtakam

Annapurna Devi Ashtakam is composed by Adi Shankaracharya and usually chanted before meals by Hindus .This is a prayer for nourishment ,wisdom and renunciation.

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Matha Annapoorna Devi

Public domain image from wikimedia.

Goddess Annapurna Devi is a form of Parvathi Devi.
According to a Hindu legend  Shiva told Parvati his wife that the material world is nothing but " Maya" or illusion. Devi was quite upset with the very casual opinion Shiva had about food.She wanted  Shiva to realize the value of nourishment and thus disappeared to prove her point. Since then there was no food to be found and all the beings  including the Devas, Manavas and Asuras  were suffering from hunger .Time too stood still.
Even the saints cried-" Spirituality cant be appreciated on an empty stomach".
              Seeing this utter chaos the very kind Devi Parvathi manifested herself as Matha Annapoorna and set up a kitchen in Varanasi . Shiva ran to her with the other very hungry beings and accepted that the material world cannot be dismissed off so easily as a mere illusion.the Devi smiled and fed Shiva and everyone else.
    Since then Devi Parvati is worshipped as Mata Annapurna Devi.Anna means food and Poorna means complete.
Her idol is always the ever smiling peaceful Goddess with a bowl and ladle ready to dole out nourishment and food for her children.

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Ragi porridge for Diabetes and excess urination problem.

Finger millet picture-public domain from wikimedia.org.

Ragi or Finger millet is commonly available.Make flour from its sprouts.When a porridge is made from this flour and eaten with a little rock salt or Saindhavalavanam and  thin buttermilk without cream,it is an excellent help for people suffering from Diabetes and excess urination problem.

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Medicinal effects of Five leaf Chaste tree or Vitex Negundo.

Vitex negundo is a common medicinal shrub .It is also known as Vavili chettu in Telugu and Nocchi in Tamil.In Sanskrit its name is Nirgandhi.In Hindi it is known as Indrani.

Vitex negundo leaves-photo attribution:Doreneko from wikipedia.org

This plant is used for treating coughs,fevers,dyspepsia,Asthma,Worms in the stomach ,Boils, Cholera, Sprains, Skin infections and Rheumatism.

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A simple cure from ayurveda for Vata pains

Vata pains include joint pains and for people suffering from Arthritis.
This tablet or goli recipe is as recommended by Pandit Elchuri:
100 gm of Chaste tree leaf powder or juice of the leaves(refer previos post)
Garlic-100 gm
Ginger juice-200 gm
Ajwain-100 gm
Peppercorns-100 gm
Mix everything and make small tablets which are almost the size of a split Chana dal and use.
Dosage:
1 tablet in the morning on an empty stomach.

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For any unpleasant effects of eating too many sweets

When one eats too many sweets the stomach definitely feels heavy and abnormal.A very simple way is to drink  a glass of very thin rice gruel with 3 pinches of salt or drinking warm water with 3 pinches of salt.
-As recommended by Dr.Elchuri

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A Home remedy for Morning sickness in Ayurveda

Soak 2 cloves *  in a glass of warm water and ask the lady with the morning sickness to drink it.This helps in reducing nausea and the vomiting during pregnancy.
--As told by Asaramji Bapu.
*(laung in Hindi/lavangam in Telugu and Tamil)

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