Chicory- An Excellent Health Aid

‘Chicory’ or Kasni in Hindi

Legend

This mystical plant is native to Europe and has a very interesting Greek legend attached to it.

It is said that a beautiful blue-eyed girl refused the amorous pursuit of the Sun God Apollo. Hence to avenge his rejection, Apollo turned the maiden into a blue flower that opens each morning to face the sun and slowly fades throughout the day.

About Chicory

It was well known among the Romans and eaten by them as a vegetable or in salads. In Belgium, the young and tender roots are boiled and eaten with butter.

On recognizing the versatile uses of this medicinal plant people have made it a part of their daily lives.

The leaves of this plant are a good source of potassium, calcium, zinc, vitamin A, K, E and B complex. 

Method

Always use the tender and newer leaves of this plant since they are less bitter as compared to the older ones. You can add them as a part of salad dressing or just simply boil them then strain and drink.

Its roots are dried and processed before using it as a coffee substitute

Medical Uses

• Stimulating
• Gall stones
• Digestive weakness
• Constipation
• Liver problems
• Hemorrhoids
• Varicose veins
• Blood cleaning
• Metabolism strengthening
• Diabetes
• Uterine strengthening
• Headaches
• Ulcers
• Hair loss
• Skin impurities
• Coffee substitute

Today it is readily available in shops and can be directly consumed.

Wonderful uses of baking Soda

Baking soda remains one of the world’s best kept secret!

There is absolutely no need to go about spending an absurd amount of money on buying beauty products when an effective and cost efficient product sits right on top your kitchen cupboard-Baking Soda

It is an excellent beauty aid for skin as well as hair. It also used internally to control indigestion and gas. Its deodorizing qualities are used to its hilt while cleaning Refrigerators, Microwave, kitchen sink and the like.

Following are some quick Beauty tips which might come handy to you:

1. Bath: Add some baking soda along with lemon and castor oil (you can also add olive/baby/coconut) oil  in your bath tub. It will relieve you from itchy skin caused specially during winters. If you soak urself in the bath for 10 -15 mins it will also act as a mild bleaching agent for your skin thus providing a touch lighter shade to it.

2. Foot Soak: For general maintenance of your feet or for callous and hard foot skin do the following remedy. Prepare a foot soak with a spoon of Baking soda in warm water. Soak your feet for 30 mins in it. Trust me your feet will thank you for this especially if you are suffering from nail infections in your feet. If you want you can also put a thick paste of Baking soda with water along with tea tree oil if available otherwise a water paste inside the infected nail. Let it be as long as you can before washing.

3. Face Scrub: Mix a pinch of baking soda with a your regular face wash and start rubbing it on your face. Then wash it and see the difference. It helps in removing dead skin cells, makeup and acts as a natural scrub.

4: Hair Care: Take some 1 teaspoon of baking soda with a cup of water prepare a mixture and start rubbing it on dry hair for about 4-5 mins. Now wash with shampoo and conditioner as usual. You can also directly use it directly with the shampoo.

This helps remove old build-up of hair products on the scalp due to long term use of shampoos, styling products and hair colors.

Do this at least once a week or twice a month and you will immediately fall in love with your thoroughly cleaned, shiny & bouncy hair.

5. Deodarent: Immediately after having your bath rub some baking soda on your underarms in clock wise and anti clock wise motion. This is will not only keep bad odour away from you but is an excellent remedy for blackness around under arms.

Some other uses of baking soda (BS) are as follows:

1. Relieve Canker sore pains by using baking soda with water as a gargle. It can also be used as a mouth freshner and is an excellent replacement for toothpaste. A mixture of BS with salt can be used to rub on your teeth for effective cleaning and removing stains from them.

2. Use it in the toilet to flush out the stains and keep out the odour.

3. Sprinkle a little BS on gas stove to remove stains and unblock the clogged gas stove.

4. As an antacid for an upset stomach.

5. It can be effectively used to remove stains from cloth, remove rust from metals, clean mirrors and keep fridge sweet smelling.