There are three types of chikus :-
1) Oval shaped chikus 2) Medium oval shaped chiku 3) Round chiku
The first type is considered to be the best of all the three.
Properties
Chiku is cool, sweet, and heavy to digest and relishing. It eliminates the excessive bile in the body.
Uses:
- Only ripe chiku fruit is used.
- The use of ripe chiku in our diet gives agility and freshness. It activates the performances of intestines. Its use after the meal is very beneficial.
- Eating chiku in the morning which has been soaked in butter for the whole night, cures impurities due to the bile and is also beneficial in fever.
- Eating chiku with sugar strengthens the semen in inflammation during urination.
- A semi liquid of chiku's skin (boiled) is given to children in their loose motion. It is also beneficial in fever.
Note
Chiku is diuretic and contains sugar hence it should not be used by a diabetic patient.
Beetel leaf should not be chewed instantly after eating jackfruit, as it may turn out to be fatal.
Custard apple (Sitaphal)
Properties
Custard apple is very cold and causes the formation of wind and phlegm in the body. It is sweet in taste and is nourishing. It also develops flesh and blood in the body. It gives strength and is very beneficial for the heart.
Uses
- If the heartbeats have become irregular due to weakness then the use of custard apple is very beneficial.
- It is also beneficial in general weakness, tiredness and weakness after illness.
- If the hunger remains unsatisfied even after a heavy meal it is satisfied if custard apple is eaten after a meal.
- Raw fruit of custard apple is beneficial in diarrhea and dysentery.
- Applying the powdered seeds of custard apple on the hairs for the whole night eliminates the lice, but it is harmful to the eyes.
- Keeping a custard apple in the open for the whole night so that dew drops are formed on it, and then eating it in the morning cures inflammation.
- If the roots of custard apple are rubbed in water and then drunk, strangury is cured.
Note
Excessive use of custard apple for it, can cause fever attended by cold.
Date
Date fruit is being used in our country since ancient times. Even during sage Charaka's time, it was famous for its energizing properties.
There are two types of dates available in the market:
1) Yellow date 2) Blackish red date
The second type is considered to be superior in taste, property and quality.
Properties
Date is cool, tastes sweet, relishing, good for health, heavy, satisfying, nourishing and strength giving. It causes constipation but is beneficial in many diseases like consumption, plethora, flatulence, cough, asthma, thirst and hunger.It also cures the diseases caused by alcoholism.
Uses
- Jaggery is prepared from the juice extracted from the date tree.
- Prepare a semi liquid medicine by taking equal quantities of dates, grapes, sugar, ghee and honey.
Intaking, 24- 36 grams daily is beneficial; in many diseases like cough due to consumption, breathing problem due to excessive phlegm and sore throat. It is also beneficial for children.
- After eating some dates daily and then drinking water helps in the evacuation of phlegm. The lungs become clear of phlegm. It is also beneficial in cold, coryza, cough, asthma and the blood is purified.
- A cup of hot milk after intaking 20-25 dates daily after agility and strength to the body. It also creates new blood in the body and increases virility.
- If dates fried in ghee for five minutes without its seed is taken with cooked rice daily in the afternoon, then even a thin person becomes strong. His weight strengthens and radiance increases.
- Making powdered cardamom, sugar and "kaunch" (a creeper like bean) in dates fried in ghee and taking it with boiled milk give supreme nourishment to the semen and increases virility.
- Eating dates with honey cyres plethora.
- Make a solution by mixing 6 grams of fenugreek (methi) in boiled dates (5). If this solution is taken back pain is cured.
- Soak 120 grams of dates in water in the night. Mash it in the morning. If the filtered water is taken flatulence and other gastric troubles are cured.
- Women who leave their consciousness because of hysteria, gets benefit if they use dates daily.
- Soak 4 to 5 dates in water in the night. Mash it in the morning and take it with honey for a week. It is beneficial in enlarged liver and enlarged spleen.
- Gum which is extracted from date tree is a panacea in diarrhea.
Fig (Anjeer)
Figs found in India are not found in India are not as tasty and large as found in Arabia. Dry figs are available in the market throughout the year. Although they're many types of figs but green figs are reatively more nutrious than the other figs.
Properties
Large fig is cool, tasty and sweet. It is beneficial in diseases like excessive bile, blood impurities and flatulence.
Small fig causes the formation of bile. Fig is also beneficial in inflammation and dry cough. Its limited use in the night clears the stomach.
Uses
- Boil some figs in the milk. Eat them and drink the milk. It will give strength and develop blood.
- Boil a fig and 5 to 10 almonds in the milk. If this milk is taken with some sugar, it purifies the blood and stomach. It also gives strength and pacifies the heat in the body.
- Daily use of some figs cure chronic constipation.
- Applying the dry figs boiled in water on the throat, cures the swellings of the throat.
- Figs increase the appetite.
Note
1. It is heavy so it should be used according to one's digestive capability.
2. It is beneficial in diabetes.
3. If a child has swallowed a piece of glass accidentally, giving him figs to eat would help in its ejection from the body through bowels.
Guava
Properties
Guava is a sweet, little salty, little bitter & very cold.It also eliminates phlegm and excessive bile in the body. It is relishing and gives virility. It cures inflammation, It is beneficial for a person suffering from irregular remitest fever
Uses
- Guava increases and strengthens the intelligence, so it is very beneficial for the students and other people who do mental work.
- The skin of the roots of guava tree cures fever and hiccups.
- Drinking the water in which the powder made from the seeds of guava fruit and some sugar have been dissolved cures the flaws related with bile.
- Using guava for two or three days cures constipation.
- The intoxicating effects of bhang diminish if 2-4 guavas are eaten or the juice extracted from its leaves is taken.
- Guava is very nutritious as it contains the maximum number of vitamins required by our body.
Note
Eating guava on empty stomach causes the formation of excessive wind in the stomach i.e. flutulence. It can also cause fever.
Nutmeg
Properties
Nutmeg is stimulating digestive & relishing. It is beneficial to flatulence. In the body.
Uses
- If powdered nutmeg mixed in the water in which rice has been washed and is made to drink, a person who is having hiccups will be checked.
- If powdered mixture of nutmeg and dry ginger are rubbed in ghee (cow's milk) and given to a person who is suffering from coryza and loose motions due to coryza, he will be cured.
- A small quantity of nutmeg powder acts as a mild intoxicant it is harmless and helps in sleping soundly.
- A paste made of nutmeg powder applied on forehead causes headache.
- Applying the mixed oils of nutmeg and mustard on the body cures rheuatism
- Excessive use of nutmeg may cause impotency.
Pineapple
Properties
Ripe pineapple is tasty and diuretic. It eliminates excessive bile in the body and worms in the stomach. It also cures the diseases of the stomach, enlarged spleen and jaundice.
Uses
- If pineapple juice is taken with honey fever is cured by excessive formation of sweat.
- The use of pineapple is very beneficial for patient suffering from excessive bile in their body.
- Small pieces of pineapple fruit sprinkled with powdered black pepper and some sugar cures acidity.
- Small pieces of pineapple fruit sprinkled with some powdered -fig-leaves is beneficial in diabetes.
- Pineapple juice cures dyptheria.
- If pineapple fruit is eaten for one week, worms in the stomach are eliminated.
- Pineapple juice is very beneficial for a person affected by sun strokes
- If there is a problem & pain due to accidental entry of hair in the stomach, use of pineapple diminishes that trouble & pain.
- One gets relief from uneasiness due to excessive heat if pineapple juice with some salt sprinkled in it is taken.
Note
Eating pineapple on empty stomach has poisonous effect on the body. Excessive use of pineapple by a pregnant woman may result into abortion.The middle portion of the pineapple fruit is harmful. If a person has eaten it accidentally then eating onion, curd & Sugar neutralizes its ill effects.
Sweet orange
Properties
Sweet orange is sweet, cool, tasty, creates relishness, increases virility and purifies blood. It is very nourishing, stimulates the heart, an appetizer and it cures the disease of the skin.
Uses
- Drinking the juice of sweet orange gives strength to the body and radiates the appearance.
- Drinking the juice of sweet orange mixed with some sugar during the summer season has a cooling effect.
- Drinking the juice of sweet orange mixed with some salt protects from sunstroke during the summer season.
- Giving sweet orange juice to the children improves their digestive system.
- Drinking the juice of sweet orange thrice a day cures skin diseases.
Water chestnut (singhira)
Properties
Water chestnut is cool, sweet, heavy, bitter & controls loose motions.It also increases virility, the humor of wind and phlegm in the body but eliminates inflammations, blood impurities, and the excessive humor of bile in the body.
It is very energetic and drives away tiredness and checks the flow of blood from the wounds. The juice extracted from water chestnut is sweet and nutritious. It eliminates the humor of wind, bile and phlegm. It also cures plethora. It increases virility.
Uses
- If the paste made from powdered skins of water chestnut is applied on the swelling, it gives relief.
- If the porridge made from the flour of water chestnut is given to a pregnant woman after she give birth to a child the hemorrhage is checked. (doze 3times a day mixed in milk).
- Food items prepared from the flour of water chestnut are very nutritious and tasty.