The human race depends on two type of foods – foods of animal origin and foods of vegetable origin. Of the vegetable foods. leafy greens, the humble and much derided vegetables, are ready the nature’s gift to humanity, leafy greens are called as Amaranthus broadly, the botanical family being Amaranthaceae.
Leafy greens are cultivated throughout India. Nearly 51 varieties of leafy greens have been in use as food. These leaf vegetables strengthen the body, build up the body’s immune system and are curative in cases of diseases.
Leafy greens provide necessary vitamins – because they contain ‘Carotence’. When carotene gets into the body, it converted into vitamin ‘A’. This vitamin is essential for eye sight. Well, this is what our elders used to say – ‘Eat greens, your eysight will be healthy”. Fenugreek leaves, Turnip leaves etc have vitamin ‘B’ complex is them. Similarly, spinach, cabbage, Drumstick leaves have vitamin ‘C’.
Greens have also minerals. Calcium, phosporom Iron, magnesium, copper, potassium etc are some of the minerals available in the leafy greens.
Leafy vegetable help in evacuating extra and unwanted salt and water from the body. Some greens like spinach, Radish leaves, turnip leaves are good diuretics. Spinach and Fenugreek leaves contain iron and calcium needed for blood production and healthy bones and teeth. Leafy greens contain sufficient fibre, which is not digested in the stomach but sent to the Intestines for absorption of water and easy evacuation.
Drumstick leaves. Can provide 3260 I.U. of vitamin A in its one day’s quantity against our daily requirement of 5000 I.U. of vitamin A. Leafy greens taken regularly, regulate the calcium – Iron metabolism and therefore delay the effects of old – age. The iron in leafy greens helps cure anemia, thus obviating the need for artiticial supplements. Like fertilizers to plants, leafy greens are essential for healthy growth of the body.
The proper way to use leafy greens
1. If you have your own garden of green leaves, pluck the leaves early in the morning, when the sun is just rising. Do not pick old or too tender / young leaves.
2. Avoid plucking leaves with signs of insect or pest infestion
3. Wash the greens thoroughly before use.
4. It is preferable to boil greens in the pressure cooker. For boiling cut the green leaves into large pieces – not too small.
5. One good way to prepare greens for eating is to boil the greens, strain and add to the water in which the greens were boiled the following:- Season pepper, curry leaves, coriander leaves, Jeera, ginger, mint leaves in ghee and add to the water. This “soup” is excellent for absorbing the benefits of leafy greens, especially its chborophyll.
Leafy green are used in wide variety of preparations. They
taste very well when added with coconut and Dals.
Certain thumb – rules are to adopted when leafy greens are cooked / used.
1. Cooked greens do not keep long. Better to eat them immediately after cooking preperably is him an hour.
2. Excess spice, chillies, salt, tamarind should not be added. Use these in moderate or in lesser quantities while preparing a leafy green dish
3. Leafy green should be eaten only in day time lunch. It is not meant to the eaten in late afternoon, evening or night. It will create digestive problems
4. Avoid greens if you are afflocted with diarrhoea, fever stomach – ache.
5. Do not eat same type of greens every day. Eat different types and varieties.
6. Leafy greens are good for persons with diabetes. High blood pressure or Asthma and who are obese. But the preparakons should be without onion and salt.
7. Leafy greens are to be eaten according to the season. For every season, specific greens are to be chosen & season.
Greens for seasons
Summer Sanskrit Hindi Tamil
1. Solanum Nigrum Kakamachi Makoi Manathakkali
2. Amaranthus Blitum Marisha Marasa Keerai tandu
3. Portulaca quadrifida Upadyaki Chhota Pasalai keerai
lumia
4. Eclipta Alla Bhringaraja Bhangra Garuga
5. Sesbonia Grandi Agasthi Basna Agathi
Flora

Winter / Rainy Season

Sarskrit Hingi Tamil
1. Mentha Arvensis (Mint leaves) – Podina Pudina
2. Amaranthus Paniculatus Rajagiri Chaulai Araikkeerai
3. Solanum Trilobatum Alarka _ Tudivalai

Leafy greens for allseason
1. Moringa oil fera – Shobanjana Soanjana Murungai
(Drumstick)
2. Alternanthera Sessilis – Menakshi
3. Hibiscus cannalinus – Patsan – Pulichai Keerai
4. Centella Asiatica – Manduka parani Brahmi Vallarai.

Specific greens for specific benefits
1. For improvement brain tunchon:- Centella Asiatica and moringa
olifera
2. Aphrodisiac – Moringa olifera, Amaranthus Paniudato Solanum
Tribolatum, Portulaca quadrifid Hibiscus Cannabinus, Centella asiatica
3. Joint aches – Curry leaves, cardiospermum Helicalum (Ianskrit -
Karnasphoto, Hindi – Kanphuti, Tamil – Mudukottam), Delonix Elata (Tamil – vadanarayana)
4. Eyes – Alternanthera Sessilus, coriander leaves, curry leaves,
Moringo olifera,
5. Nervous System – Solanum Tribolatum, hibriscus cannabirus

Fibre content in greens (100 gms)
1. Sesbonia Grandiflora – 1.9 gm
2. Portubaca quadrifida – 1 gm
3. Moringa olifera – 1 gm
4. Mentha Arvensis – 2 gm
5. Murraya koneigi – 1.2 gm
6. Coriandum sativum – 1.6 gm
7. Diabetes – Amaranthus Tricolor (Hindi – Lasang Tamil – Siru keerai)
8. Mouth Ulcers – Solanum Nigrum