When plants say: Good Food Good Mood

The 21^st century is an era of plastic. We have plastic all around us. From food to our basic necessities everywhere the plastic is ruling us. Man is reaching heights of success, reaching the moon, the stars but at the cost of something that will all kill us one day. Recent studies say that by 2050, there will be more plastic than fish. Organic food and nutritious diet will become a myth after a few generations.  The environment is degrading day by day. Our lifestyle and food habits to using essential commodities are all leading to more use of chemicals, pesticides, harmful substances, and plastics. 

Can we as individuals contribute something for the ailing environment? Can we minimize the use of plastic and adopt a few lifestyles that are environmentally friendly. This lockdown promise yourself that we shall be adopting a healthy way of living with minimum use of plastic. I adopted mine. This long period of being homebound I got to observe the vast difference between what we learn and what we actually practice. Societies are full of intellectual beings, but a very handful of them are actually following the principles of being educated. We all know about waste food management, organic fertilizers, say no to plastics, and lot more. But do we actually preach all that we read?  This article will once again throw light on a simple habit that I adopted eventually making it a lifestyle. The outcome was immense satisfaction and a sense of pride in my little effort.

Organic fertilizers are fertilizers that are derived from animal matter, animal excreta, human excreta, or vegetable matter. I used the vegetables matter to give life to my plants. Each day we all use a lot of vegetables from onion, ginger, garlic, potato peels, tomato peels to cooked foods. Eggshells and tea leaves are magic in their own way. Most of the time, these wastes are just thrown away or keep it aside in some alienated areas.  So pick your own spade and start working. Just quickly go throw the essentials and create your own corner of Stay Green, Stay Healthy. 

•     Collect your vegetables, tea leaves, and eggshells daily.
•       Take a pot/ vast or any big container made of mud and add a drainer to it.
•        Make some holes at the bottom of the pot.
•        Put some pebbles over the holes.
•     Collect some dry leaves from your garden and crush them before placing over the pebbles.
•        Put your waste vegetables, tea leaves over the dry leaves.
•        Next, put some mud over the vegetables and throw eggshells above it.
•       Sprinkle some water over the eggshells and cover it to keep it aside for a few days in a shady place.

A day or two later, look at the drainer, you will see some thick brownish color liquid. Use this water to your plants and vegetables and see the growth in a week. The green leafy plants and vegetables that all of a sudden became so useful for us during this lockdown were always ignored. We water them, we nurture them, but maybe that wasn’t getting the perfect blend of vitamin and minerals.  This organic fertilizer created in a simple way replaces the chemical fertilizers giving room for better health. Your garden too will be healthy with good fruits and vegetables. 

      Thank you for reading.  Step out and give life to your plants and vegetables.

A Rich Plate

                                                             

Food a unique identification marks for societies. Every culture of every community has its food and unique cuisine style which makes them different and special in their own ways. Assamese cuisine and food are not left behind. Assamese people, in fact, are known for their exotic and mouth-watering dishes that speak in abundance about the culture, the beauty and the aroma of the food gives a special twist to what is being served. This lockdown where we are all homebound, I found what my little kitchen garden has, the richness it serves. A rich plate. 

The COVID-19 pandemic made us chose a healthy lifestyle that we all were too busy ignoring and food that makes our immune system strong. We came close to Mother Nature. We got ample opportunity to sit with our family and see how far we have come. Indeed a beautiful learning period. Below are a few leafy green vegetables that are commonly found in every corner of a kitchen garden. We do not even recognize them yet they are treasures that indeed have the caliber to make us rich within. I found my treasures which serve us in all its way-be its aroma, medicinal value, or a nutritious diet. These plants grow the whole year and they are known by different names in different regions. They are listed below with their scientific name followed by the English name and the local Assamese name respectively and a few benefits that we have ignored this long while.

v  Houttuynia Cordata/ Fish Mint (Masundari)

Fish mint commonly known as Masundari is famous among the inhabitants of Assam for its rich aroma. It leaves are of heart-shaped and it grows mostly in a wet or moist environment where it gets partial sunlight. It is a small green plant with white flowers. The stem and the leaves can be consumed with cooked vegetables or can be used in salads. The aroma adds beauty to the plate.

Masundari serves us with the benefits of strong muscle and heart. It helps in stomach problems like Dysentery and Stomach ache.  Fish mint is often used in the treatment of Pneumonia and Herpes. It also helps a lot in weight management.

Fish Mint/ Masundari

v  Paederia Foetida/ Stinkvine (Bhaidailota)

      Stinkvine known as Bhaidailota is known for its strong odor. Its smell is offensive when it is plucked or crushed but once it is cooked it disappears. The Stinkvine is a creeper and it grows mostly in places with good sunlight. The leaves are consumed and it serves as magic to the plate for its qualities.

Stinkvine has an anti-inflammatory substance that helps fight Arthritis, Rheumatism pain, treat Infertility, and Paralysis.

Stinkvine/ Bhaidailota

v  Leucas Aspera/ Long Leaf Leucas  (Doroon Xaak)

Long Leaf Leucas or Doroon Xaak is an herb with narrowly linear leaves. It grows in dry places and adds a beautiful fragrance to our bite. The leaves are consumed by cooking and it has enormous medicinal properties like antifungal and antioxidant.

It serves us the benefit by helping to reduce Fever and in Intestinal worm infection in children.

Long leaf Leucas/ Duroon Xaak

v  Centella Asiatica/ Asiatic Pennywort (Bor Manimuni)

Asiatic Pennywort or commonly known as Bor Manimuni is a plant found in any swampy area of a house. This plant stands out for its bold and strong taste and gives a mild fragrance to the plate.

It is one of the main ingredients of salad and a plant are widely known for its benefits of helping fight Infection, Wounds, and Skin irritation. Cognitive functions are boosted and it helps reduce stress.

                                          Asiatic Pennywort/ Bor Manumuni

v  Oxalis Corniculata/ Indian Sorrel (Tengesi)

Indian Sorrel or known by Assamese people as Tengesi, is a plant that most 90’s kids will recall as being their favorite playing mate. Tengesi leaves are beautiful and it has heart-shaped leaves on three sides. The Tangy taste and its perfect fresh lemony sourness that it adds to the plate make it mouth-watering.

The health benefits are it helps reduce sudden Pain and Swelling of the nasal and respiratory tract. It also helps in Bacterial infection and increasing urine flow.

Indian Sorrel /Tengesi

v  Bacopa Monnieri/Brahmi (Brahmi Xaak)

Brahmi an ayurvedic herb. It is known for its cooling energy and memory enhancer.  It has a sweet and bitter taste to tickle the taste buds.

The health benefits are enormous. It helps in reducing inflammation, boosting brain functions and helping lower blood pressure and in reducing ADHD symptom

Brahmi/ Brahmi Xaak

So grab your basket, step out, and look at what you have. What treasures you have been missing in your diet.

Thank you for reading. Stay healthy. Stay safe. Stay home. Stay rich within.