PEANUT (Arachis hypogaea Linn)

Groundnut or peanut is an annual that belongs to the plant family Leguminosae or Fabaceae.  Unlike other members of the plant family, the peanut pods develop underground or in the soil.  The plant is a small, more or less prostate herb with spreading branches, 30-80 cm. long and slightly hairy. The leaves, 8-12 cm. long, are in 2 or 3 pairs, petioled, with each leaflet being oblong or obovate and 2-5 cm. long.  A few yellow flowers, 8 mm long emerge from the leaf axils.  After pollination, the flower stalks respond positively to the geotropic force and the ovaries are forced into the soil where they will develop into 2-4 seeded pods or Peanuts which are commercialized everywhere in the world.

Medicinal use

·         Jaundice, lactacting mothers.

·         Malnutrition, tuberculosis and general weakness.

·         Hemorrhoids or piles.

·         Otalgia or pain in the ears.

·         Removes spots from the face, and heals chapped lips.

How to use

Some people have reported that the eating of raw peanut has cured them of jaundice.  However, this has not been studied extensively.

·         The eating of raw nuts increases the supplying of milk in nursing mothers.

·         Eating peanuts helps in cases of malnutrition, tuberculosis and general weakness.

·         Externally used, the fresh cold-pressed peanut oil is applied in hemorrhoids or piles.

·         Introducing a few drops of fresh peanut oil in the ears helps in cases of otalgia or pain in the ears.

·         The same fresh oil removes spots from the face and heals chapped lips.

Parts used

Peanuts and the fresh cold-pressed peanut oil.

Dose

As recommended above

Caution

Peanuts are not recommended for those who suffer from arthritis and people with weak stomachs.

CUSTARD APPLE (Annona squamosa Linn)

The custard apple tree belongs to the plant family Annonacease.  It is a small tree, which grows to about 6 meters high.  It has narrow oval leaves that are a little hairy when young.  The unattractive, pale-yellow flowers grow singly in the axils of the leaves.  The fruit is round or heart-shaped and about 10 to 12 cm. in diameter. The outside of the fruit is marked by polygonal tubercles.  The flesh inside the fruit, which covers the seeds, is white, soft, with a very agreeable taste.  The seeds are black in color.

Medicinal use

·         Anaemia.

·         Causes vomiting.

·         Dandruff.

·         Indigestion.

·         Relieves fainting spells.

·         Vermicidal and insecticidal.

·         Strong laxative.

How to use

·    The ripe fruit is recommended in case of anaemia.

·  The seeds provoke vomiting – a good way of cleaning the stomach when food poisoning occurs.

·    The powder of the seed, mixed with alcohol, applied externally, is good for dandruff.

·  The poultice from the fresh leaves is recommended for dyspepsia or indigestion.

·   Crushed leaves can be applied to the nose to relieve fainting spells.

·    The unripe fruit and seeds are vermicidal or have the property of killing worms, and insecticidal or have the property of killing insects.

·    The decoction of the root is a drastic purgative.

Parts used

The root, leaves, bark, unripe fruit and seeds, in infusion or decoction.  The ripe fruit is to be eaten.

Dose

Normal

SOURSOP (Annona muricata Linn)

The soursop, sometimes called the prickly custard apple, belongs to the plant family Annonaceae.  It is a small tree that grows to a height of about seven meters.  The leaves are smooth, shiny, oblong and pointed at both ends.  The greenish-yellow flowers are solitary and quite large. The large fruit is generally ovoid and sometimes irregularly shaped and covered with spine-like structures.  The pulp is fleshy, soft, white, and rather fibrous.  The flavor is not agreeable to everybody as it has a sour taste.

Medicinal use

·         Kidney problems.

·         Increases perspiration and used to cause vomiting.

·         Works against spasms.

·         Dysentery.

·         Scurvy.

·    Constipation, obesity, hypertension, coronary disease and diabetes.

How to use

·         The leaves and flowers in infusion are used for kidney problems.

·         The leaves in infusion are used to increase perspiration and to cause vomiting.

·         The flowers are antispasmodic.

·         The unripe fruit is used for dysentery.

·         The ripe fruit is used as a delicacy and it has the property to prevent or to relieve scurvy.

·         The ripe fruit is recommended in cases of constipation, obesity or over weight, hypertension or high blood pressure, coronary or heart disease and diabetes.

Parts used

The leaves, flowers and fruit.

Dose

Normal

GARDEN DILL (Anethum graveolens Linn)

Garden dill is a popular garden plant belonging to the plant family Umbelliferae.  It is cultivated for domestic use as a spice.  This aromatic herb grows up to 1 meter high with hollow finely striped stem with dark green and bluish-white spots. The filiform compound leaves are 2-3 pinnate with sheathing leaf bases.  The flat compound umbels yield yellow flowers producing the oval dill seeds.

Medicinal Use

•       Reduces spasms or cramps.
•       Increases the flow of urine.
•       Helps in expelling gas from the stomach and intestine.
•       Has a soothing or tranquilizing effect.
•       Increases milk in lactating mothers.
•       Helps in digestion.
•       Helps in insomnia.
•      Checks stomach acidity, indigestion and stomachache even in babies.
•       Helps get rid of boils.
•       Fights bad breath.

How to use

·     The infusion of the seeds helps in taking care of the first 8 conditions listed under Medicinal Use.

·      Heat seeds in olive oil and apply over boils.  This speeds up the discharge of pus and brings great relief from pain.

·     Nursing mothers can use dill to increase the flow of milk as mentioned under Medicinal Use.

·       The chewing of seeds cleans up halitosis or bad breath.

·       Tea made from the herb is very useful in colic or stomachache in babies.  When made from the seed, it is stronger, and the dose should be adjusted accordingly.

Parts used

The seeds, by infusion.

Dose

5 to 10 grams for 1 litre of water.  Use 4 or 5 cups a day.

CREAT (Andrographis paniculata Wall)

Creat is erect branched annual, which grows to a height of 0.3 – 0.9 meters and belongs to the plant family Acanthaceae. The branches of this plant are sharply quadrangular and narrowly winged in the upper region.  The leaves are 5-7.5 cm. long, lanceolate and slightly undulate with 4-6 nerves. The flowers are small and solitary and found in the axis or on the terminal ends as a pyramidal inflorescence.  The corolla is light pink, one cm. long, hairy and two-liped.  The fruits or capsules are 20 mm. long and tapering at both ends.  They contain numerous tiny yellowish-brown seeds.

Medicinal Use

·         Stomachache, irregular stools and loss of appetite in infants.

·         General debility or weakness, dysentery and dyspepsia or indigestion.

·         Controls fever, sore throat.  Helps in digestion, liver and spleen enlargement, constipation, and jaundice;  is anthelmintic and laxative.

How to use

• The juice of the leaves mixed with powdered cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon is dried in the sun, made into little round pills and given to infants to take care of stomachache, irregular stools and loss of appetite.
• The decoction of the whole plant is used to take care of general debility or weakness, dysentery and dyspepsia or indigestion.
• The decoction of the roots and the leaves together help with fever, sore throat, digestion, liver and spleen enlargement, constipation, jaundice, and is anthelmintic and laxative

Parts used

The whole plant

Dose

Normal

VYAKULA VINAVYODHIBITI UZITO KUPITA KIASI

Spinachi

Uzito kupita kiasi ni jambo la hatari kiafya kwa kila mtu, lakini zaidi kwa watu wenye umri mkubwa, wagonjwa na wale wanaoishi na Virusi Vya Ukimwi (VVU).

Watu wenye uzito kupita kiasi wako katika hatari ya kupata magonjwa mbalimbali yakiwemo shinikizo kubwa la damu, magonjwa ya moyo, kiharusi, kisukari cha ukubwani, miguu kuuma au kuvunjika mifupa.

Uzito kupita kiasi pia, unaweza kuchangia kupunguza hamu na nguvu za kufanya tendo la ndoa kwa wadau wote wawili, hivyo ndoa inaweza kuwa katika wakati mgumu.

Mara nyingi uzito kupita kiasi unasababishwa na mtu kukosa kufanya mazoezi au kazi za kutoka jasho, kuvuta sigara, kunywa pombe kwa wingi na ulaji usiofaa.

Ulaji usiofaa ni pamoja na kula kwa wingi vyakula vya wanga, sukari na vile vyenye mafuta.  Kula kiasi kidogo vyakula vyenye nyuzi lishe kama vile mboga za majani na matunda ni muhimu.

Zaidi walio katika hatari ya kupata uzito kupita kiasi ni wale wale wanaotumia vyombo vya usafiri kwa muda mwingi, wanaokaa ofisini au dukani kwa muda mwingi, wasiokuwa na taarifa za kutosha kuhusu afya na lishe bora na wenye msongo wa mawazo.  Vilevile kuwa na marafiki wasiojali afya zao ni hatari kubwa zaidi ya kuwa na uzito kupita kiasi.

Ulaji saladi ya spinachi, matunda ya epo na parachichi unaweza  kumsaidia mtu kuwa na uzito unaotakiwa kiafya.

Matunda ya Apple

Kabla mtu hajaanza kula mlo wake wa asubuhi, mchana au usiku anashauriwa aanze na mboga za majani za spinachi au aina nyingine.

Saladi iwe chakula cha hamu.  Ulaji wa namna hii unamuwezesha mtu kula kidogo vyakula vyenye wanga, sukari au mafuta ambavyo vina mchango mkubwa wa kuongeza uzito.

Vyakula vyenye wanga vinavyoliwa sana hapa nchini ni kama vile wali, ugali, mikate, maandazi, vitumbua, chapati, viazi vitamu, viazi mbatata, ndizi na chipsi.

Vyakula vyenye sukari ni pamoja na soda, keki, biskuti na asali.  Vyakula vyenye mafuta mengi ni vile vilivyokaangwa ikiwemo chipsi kuku au mayai.

Mlo wa mboga za majani kama vile spinachi unajaza tumbo na kumfanya mtu ajisikie ameshiba na hivyo kuzuiwa tabia ya kutamani kula vyakula vya wanga au sukari.

Mboga za majani za spinachi, pia, zina kirutubisho kinachoitwa thylakoids, ambacho kinachochea mwili kuzalisha homoni inayopunguza hamu ya mtu kutaka kula, hasa vyakula vyenye sukari.

Kuhusu matunda ya epo, kwa siku mtu akila tunda moja ni jambo zuri.  Matunda ya epo yana maji na nyuzi lishe ambazo zinalifanya tumbo kujisikia limeshiba.  Matunda ya epo pia yana kirutubisho cha pectin, ambacho kinakifanya chakula kilichopo tumboni kusagwa kwa muda mrefu na kumfanya mtu kujisikia ameshiba.

Mtu akila tunda zima la epo, (sio juisi) kabla ya mlo, atajisikia hali ya kushiba na hivyo atakula kidogo chakula cha wanga au sukari.

Kwa upande wa matunda ya parachichi, kula nusu ya tunda hilo kwa siku kunaupa mwili mafuta bora kiafya na nyuzi lishe ambazo zinamfanya mtu ajisikie ameshiba muda mwingi na kutokutamani chakula mara kwa mara.

Unapokula kwa wingi vyakula vya wanga, sukari au mafuta, ndipo mwili unaongezeka uzito kupita kiasi. 

JANGA LA UNENE KUPITA KIASI

Tatizo la unene uliokithiri limeongezeka sana kiasi kwamba wataalamu wa afya wameanza kuliita gonjwa la mlipuko.  Ugonjwa wowote ukizidi katika jamii au eneo fulani, sayansi ya tiba huliita janga, lakini ikitokea katika sehemu nyingi za ulimwengu kwa wakati mmoja pia huliita janga.

Kulingana na shirika la afya ulimwenguni, kwa uchache watu milioni 2.8 hufa duniani kote kila mwaka kwa sababu ya kunenepa kupita kiasi.  Tatizo hili lipo katika nchi tajiri na maskini pia.  Unene kupita kiasi si suala la jamii zenye kipato kikubwa tena.

Unaweza kukokotoa kiwango cha unene, ambao huelezewa kama usio wa “mrundikano mkubwa au uliokithiri wa shahamu unaoweza kudhuru afya,” kwa kutafuta kiashirio cha uzito wa mwili wako (Body mass index [BMI]).  Kufanya hesabu hiyo, gawa uzito wako katika paundi kwa kipeo cha pili cha urefu wako katika inch kisha zidisha kwa 703.  BMI yako 25 au zaidi, una uzito mkubwa, na kama ni 30 au zaidi, una ugonjwa wa kunenepa kupita kiasi.  Kwa hali zote mbili, ni vyema kuanza program ya kubadili mtindo wa maisha.

Kwa kifupi fomyula katika vipimo vya metriki ni: BMI = (uzito katika kilo) / (urefu katika mita x uzito katika mita).  Kwa mfano, kama uzito wako ni kilo 60 na una urefu wa mita 1.70, BMI itakuwa BMI =60 / (1.7 x 1.7) = 20.8 (upo katika kategoria ya kawaida).

Kama hutaki kuhangaika na mahesabu, ingia tu katika intaneti upate kikokotoo cha BMI.  Utapata vingi, vya vipimo vya kiingereza na vya metriki.

BMI inaashiria nini?  Je, uko hatarini?  Je, una uzito mkubwa?  Shinikizo la damu yako ni la kawaida?  Je, unakula mafuta mengi, karoli, au vyakula vilivyokobolewa na kusindikwa?  Je, chakula chako cha kawaida hutoka katika migahawa ya chakula cha haraka?  Kama ni hivyo, uko hatarini, au tayari unaweza kuwa na matatizo ya kiafya na hujui.

Vyombo vya habari hutangaza njia nyingi “za ajabu” za kupunguza uzito, lakini njia bora kuliko zote ni badiliko kubwa la mtindo wa maisha.