Health Benefits of Aloo Bukhara / Plum / Prune Fruit

About Aloo Bukhara/Plum/Prune

Aloo Bukhara is very famous, nutritious and summer season fruit looks very nice and attractive. It is very sweet and juicy fruit found in abundant amount during season and most loved by the people to keep their health strong and powerful.

It is well known with many names such as plum, prune, damson (dried plum) and etc however, it is most famous by the name Aloo Bukhara. Approximately 140 varieties of the Aloo Bukhara are found during the season in the market. It is a fruit of very old origin having no any particular country of origin. However it has been estimated that it was first originated in the Asia. Some of the leading cultivators of the plum are China, USA, Serbia, Turkey, Italy, Spain, Romania, France and etc all over the world. It belongs to the same family of cherries and peaches and found in many colors such as purple, red, bluish black, green and yellow.

Aloo Bukhara

Benefits of Aloo Bukhara (Plum)

Aloo Bukhara is very attractive, healthy, tasty and antioxidants rich fruit packed with the vitamins (especially vitamin A), minerals, iron and etc. it boosts the mental and emotional health of the people as it contains all the essential properties of boosting the health if consumed on daily basis. It can be used as a wonderful vitamins capsule of boosting the health. It has been used for years for both health and beauty benefits by the people. Some of its benefits from both aspects are discussed below:

Benefits of Aloo Bukhara to Prevent Cancer

Boosts Immunity

• Since I have mentioned already that it is rich source of antioxidants and vitamins thus it is very effective fruit which boosts the body immunity to get prevented from the cancer.

Prevents from Cancer

• Plum contains beta carotene in sufficient amount which is very essential phytonutrients required to fight against various types of cancer.

Benefits of Aloo Bukhara for Aging

Improves Brain Capacity

• Aloo Bukhara is an anti-aging fruit boots the power of both body and mind thus enhances the brain capacity to function actively for long time.

Energizes Body

• Plum also enhances the level of vitality among people if eaten on regular basis.

Fights Ageing

• Prune fights with aging by slowing down the process of aging such as lack of attention and focus, declining memory, problem to remember things and so many.

Benefits of Aloo Bukhara for Heart

Promotes Heart Health

• It is the healthiest fruit having capacity to keep heart healthy by reducing the bad blood cholesterol level, increasing good cholesterol level, boosting blood health, keeping arteries healthy and etc if consumed regularly.

Removes Unnecessary Bile

• Plum helps in removing unnecessary bile from liver so that extra cholesterol can be used for addressing the bile deficiency. In this way it reduces the bad cholesterol level and prevents heart from the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Normalizes Blood Pressure

• Its high level potassium and low level sodium minerals plays vital role in normalizing the blood pressure level and lowering down the water retention in body.

Protects from Blood Clotting

• It is the good source of vitamin K which helps in protecting from the unnecessary blood clotting thus prevents from high blood pressure and stroke.

Benefits of Aloo Bukhara for Diabetes

Maintains Normal Blood Sugar Level

• It contains proper amount of soluble dietary fibers which helps in maintaining the normal blood sugar level by regularizing the absorption of glucose in blood.

Reduces Risk of Type-2 Diabetes

• Plum prevents from type-2 diabetes by boosting the insulin sensitivity in the body.

Benefits of Aloo Bukhara for Skin

Provides Proper Nourishment

• Aloo Bukhara is the rich source of vitamin A and beta-carotene which are the most essential elements for the skin health thus it helps in nourishing the proper skin health if eaten on regular basis.

Prevents from Skin Problems

• It prevents skin from various skin problems like blemishes, eczema, acne and etc.

Makes Skin Soft and Glowing

• It provides skin a radiant glow, soft and supple touch.

Prevents Skin from Dryness

• Prune prevents skin from the dryness and roughness including other facial skin problems by providing it a natural freshness.

Solves Dark and Black Lips Problem

• It also provides relief from the dark and black lips problem if fresh peeled plum is rubbed on the lips and gives lip a soft and pink look.

Protects Skin from UV Rays

• Plum prevents skin cells damage by protecting it from the harmful UV sun rays.

Keeps away from Seasonal Infections

• Vitamin C found in it protects skin from various seasonal infections.

Benefits of Aloo Bukhara for Women

Reduces Risk of Bone Problems

• It reduces the risk of osteoporosis, bone demineralization and other problems among women after the menopause.

Keeps Bones and Joints Healthy

• Plum boosts the proper growth and development of the bones and joints (by enhancing the secretion of enzymes and growth factors for bone growth) among menopausal women if consumed in adequate amount.

Reduces Risk of Early Menopause

• It is the rich source of iron and folic acid thus reduces the chance of early menopause by maintaining the proper flow of blood and hemoglobin count among women.

Benefits of Aloo Bukhara for Men

Treats Semen Leakage Problem

• It provides relief from the semen leakage problem among men if the mixed water of soaked plum and 1 tsf aniseed (saunf) is taken regularly.

Other Health Benefits of Aloo Bukhara

Improves Blood Haemoglobin Count

• It is the richest source of iron and folates which are most required elements to enhance the blood haemoglobin count thus it is most beneficial to get prevented from the anemia.

Boosts Nerves and Muscles Functioning

• Aloo Bukhara contains high level of potassium which boosts the functioning of nerves and muscles thus prevents from many health problems related to the nerves and muscles during old age.

Manages Normal Weight

• Its high level of insoluble dietary fibers provides stomach the sense of fullness for longer period of time thus prevents from overeating and involves in the weight management.

Improves Eyesight

• It contains vitamin A and beta carotene which helps in improving eye sight and preventing from the various eye disorders.

Normalizes Digestive System

• It also helps in improving the appetite and normalizing the digestive system functioning as it is the best natural home remedy for all.

Boosts Energy

• It provides instant relief from the weakness and fatigue if taken on daily basis on empty stomach in the morning after routine walk.

Provides Relief from Enlarged Spleen

• Its regular consumption is very effective home remedy to get relief from the problem of enlarged spleen and get normal sized spleen.

Relieves Inflammation

• It provides relief from the foot inflammations if plum is rubbed on the foot palm for around 15 mins.

Treats Sleeping Disorders

• It helps in treating the sleeping disorders among people if it (6-8) is taken regularly before sleep time.

Boosts Memory Power

• Its antioxidants richness makes it able to boost weak memory power during old age.

Provides Relief from many Problems

• Plum also provides relief from the problems of throat swelling, soreness, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, scanty urination and prostate gland problem.

Enhances Metabolism

• It enhances metabolism by promoting the enzymatic actions in body.

Destroys Free Radicals

• Its high level of antioxidants, carotenoids and phytonutrients helps in getting prevented from the diseases caused by free radicals.

Good Source of Magnesium

• It contains good level of magnesium mineral which has ability to promote muscles, nerves and blood vessels relaxation. It also protects from the asthma, muscle soreness, migraine, headaches and etc.

Treats Digestive Tract Disorders

• It naturally assists in treating the problem of constipation, irregular bowel movements and etc disorders of digestive tract due to the availability of insoluble dietary fibers.

Prevents from Old age Problems

• Its regular consumption prevents from the age-related macular degeneration, infections as well as enhances the iron synthesis and absorption in the body.

Fights Early Ageing

• Prune contains lutein, beta carotene, cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin and etc which actively help in fighting against the free radicals and early ageing problem.

Benefits of Aloo Bukhara Leaves

Provides Relief from Intestinal Worm

• It provides relief from the intestinal worm problem if paste of the plum leaves is applied to the lower abdominal area means below the belly point.

Relieves Running Nose

• Drinking water or tea prepared by boiling some plum or Aloo Bukhara leaves provides instant relief from the excessive running nose problem.

Nutritional Benefits of Dried Aloo Bukhara per 100 g

(Source: USDA Nutrient Database)

Energy: 240 kcal

Carbohydrate: 63.88 g

Sugar: 38.13 g

Dietary fibers: 7.1 g

Fat: 0.38 g

Protein: 2.18 g

Vitamins

Vitamin A: 148 μg

Thiamine: 0.051 mg

Riboflavin: 0.186 mg

Niacin: 1.882 mg

Pantothenic acid: 0.422 mg

Vitamin B6: 0.205 mg

Folate: 4 μg

Choline: 10.1 mg

Vitamin C: 0.6 mg

Vitamin E: 0.43 mg

Vitamin K: 59.5 μg

Electrolytes

Potassium: 732 mg

Sodium: 2 mg

Minerals

Calcium: 43 mg

Iron: 0.93 mg

Magnesium: 41 mg

Manganese: 0.299 mg

Phosphorus: 69 mg

Zinc: 0.44 mg

Selenium: 0.66 mcg

Copper: 150 mcg

Fluoride: 4 µg

Phytonutrients

Beta-carotene: 39 μg

Beta-crypto-xanthin: 35 μg

Lutein zeaxanthin: 394 μg

How to Select and Store

It is widely found in the summer season at every place in the market. Always select bright colored, reddish dark and deep colored, medium sized, even skinned, fresh, firm, juicy, well ripe and in small amount from the market. Avoid buying green or unripe, wrinkled, bruised, spotted, uneven size and large amount.

Unripe aloo bukhara can be stored at room temperature to get well ripe. However, well ripe aloo bukhara is stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in air tight poly bags after well wash under running water. Dried plums can also be purchased, used and stored at room temperature according to the need and requirement.

How to Enjoy

Aloo Bukhara can be enjoyed in many ways such as chatni, sharbat, jam, juice, dried, fresh and etc. It can be enjoyed as a fruit salad, added in ice-cream, fruit chat, mixed fruit cream, dessert, fruit soup, cake and etc.

Precautions, Side Effects and Disadvantages of Aloo Bukhara

In spite of its lots of health benefits, it is very necessary for the health that everyone must know it’s all the pros and cons before adding it to their daily diet plan. Some of its precautions, side effects and disadvantages are mentioned below:

• It should be avoided by the person already suffering kidney or gall bladder stone problems as it contains high oxalates content which may worsen the condition.
• Higher amount consumption of it should be avoided as it may lead to the stomach bloating, gas formation and etc digestive system problems.
• Generally, eating dried prunes or plums should be avoided as it contains a carcinogenic chemical called acrylamide (neurotoxin) which causes some toxic effects to the health like neuropathy, fertility and etc.

How Much Aloo Bukhara to Eat a Day

Aloo Bukhara should be eaten within limit and requirement of the body as I have already mentioned it’s all the disadvantages above. Its daily need to the individual body depends on the age, sex and health conditions of the person however; approximately 200-250 g of it can be eaten by the normal healthy person.

6th Week Pregnancy - Symptoms, Baby Development, Tips And Body Changes

As you enter your 6th week of pregnancy, you are reaching a milestone of being halfway through of your first trimester. Whew! There are 5 such phases left to go.

If you have been a woman who is proud of being in control, this could be the time to shed the pride. Your mood may spring from one extreme to other making you feel embarrassed of yourself. But don’t be; it is not you but the upheavals in the hormones that are causing all the changes in your mood and your body.

You are not alone; there are thousands of mommy-to-be around the world who share this predicament with you. Being aware of your 6th week pregnancy symptoms will make you deal with them conveniently.

The First Prenatal Visit:

Your home pregnancy test can predict your pregnancy accurately by the 6th week. You may or may not have confirmed your pregnancy with your gynaecologist yet. If you haven’t been there yet, plan for your first and very important prenatal check up sometime soon.

The visit is not just to confirm your pregnancy, but also to get some necessary and important tests done which include-

• Blood test
• Rh factor test
• Iron deficiency test
• Pap Smear test
• Examination of your pelvic region.
• Test to rule out urinary tract infection.
• Urine test to check glucose, red and white blood cells, bacterial infections and protein.

The doctors will take necessary tests to ensure that you and your baby will be safe and healthy for the next 8 months. You will have to answer all their questions honestly. If you have addictions, drink alcohol or smoke, confess about it honestly with your doctor. Do not hide information which could mislead them.

Apart from answering their questions honestly, get all the doubts you have lingering on your mind cleared by asking questions. Take your partner along with you, so that he can get answers to his own questions as well. Also, after knowing what is good for you, he will be there to help you make right decisions during your pregnancy. This would be the best time to get clear picture about how sex during pregnancy is going to affect you or your baby.

Most probably you will have to go through an ultrasound scan after the confirmation of your pregnancy. Ultrasound scan early in the pregnancy can detect ectopic pregnancy, which can be life threatening if left undetected.

You need to have a full bladder for the abdominal scanning, because it will provide a wider and deeper field of view. Anyway it would be wise to wait another week or two before going for an ultrasound scan which makes the findings more clear. Often, a scan in the 6th week will show very little of what is going in your uterus or nothing at all.

6 weeks Pregnancy Symptoms and Signs To Watch Out For:

There are no visible changes in your body yet, but internally there is huge surge of pregnancy related hormones that are changing the functions of your organs including the uterus and bladder. You may either gain as much as 5 pounds of weight by the time you step into 6th week of pregnancy, or lose some weight due to morning sickness and nausea. Both are natural occurrences which you need not worry about.

Your uterus is beginning to grow to accommodate the baby and the placenta, but it is not enough to show on the outward. Let us discuss in details some of the 6th week pregnancy symptoms but will continue for few more weeks.

1. Increased Frequency in Urination:

The increased urine output is something you can notice and feel easily, as this can be a matter of discomfort to you; especially if you have to get up in the middle of the night to relieve your bladder.

6th week of pregnancy would be just a beginning, hence you better mend your relationship with the bathroom as you are going to spend more and more time there as the pregnancy progresses.

The mother’s blood volume will expand during her pregnancy, as a result the kidneys will receive more blood flow and moreover the blood is flowing at a faster rate. The increase in volume and rate of blood flow will help better functioning of the uterus and also provides the required nourishment for the growing baby. But unfortunately, this will also increase your urine production. Take plenty of fluids, especially water to keep up with the change.

2. Congestion:

Do not panic and rush pop in pills if you feel as though you are congested or have a cold. It is nothing but the result of swollen mucus membranes which are more mucous due to the hormonal changes of pregnancy.

3. Fainting Spells or Dizziness:

During pregnancy, you are more prone to a vagal reaction, which is a neurological reaction which dilates blood vessels and decreases your blood pressure.

The cardiovascular and nervous system sometimes fails to cope with the changes in blood pressure. The lowered blood pressure decreases blood supply to your brain which may cause a temporary feeling of light-headedness or dizziness.There could be spells of fainting during this period, which will pass away.

4. Mood Swings:

You will be shocked to notice the extreme mood swings you will have during the first trimester of your pregnancy. You may begin to notice that you may feel extremely happy one moment and then start feeling extremely sad the other.

You may keep changing your attitude towards your pregnancy, thinking whether this is the right thing happening to you or not. Do not doubt yourself as a parent because of this, as this roller coaster ride of emotions is common in pregnancy due to hormonal changes occurring in you. Do not hesitate to reach out and talk to your partner or a counselor about how you feel and what you are going through. You don’t have to deal with your emotions all alone.

5. Morning Sickness:

When you are 6 weeks pregnant, morning sickness is probably the best-known and one of the worst symptom that makes its presence felt quite early. You can identify the morning sickness with the queasy feeling you have and rushing to the bathroom to throw up.

Though there is no sure way to tell what causes morning sickness, like everything else, blame it on the hormonal changes. Morning sickness is going to last you for the whole of first trimester. Fortunately, it starts to subside as your pregnancy advances. Morning sickness can appear any time of day or even in night at times. Lot of things triggers it like the smell of trash (which is natural), smell of tea brewing (now that is surprising) or even the smell of flowers. You will feel the bile rising in your throat and have instant urge to throw everything up. That is morning sickness for you.

6. Concerns about your Body:

It is not unnatural for you to start worrying about your body and worry whether motherhood is going to make you less attractive. Don’t worry about that, pregnant women oozes of graceful beauty and a mother is the most beautiful woman in the world. Practically, you may notice that today, women do not change physically after motherhood if they take proper care of themselves.

The body bounces back to normalcy after childbirth, and on top of that you have your princess to boast of. Don’t go through the guilt, if you are worried about your body, because this is again a part of pregnancy woes.

7. Changes in the Baby:

The most important development you see in your baby in the 6th week is the first movement she makes. Since the early ovum stage when she has been motionless, finally now she is able to make gentle movements that cannot be felt by you, but nevertheless they are there.

Another important change is that the gorgeous mouth, the amazing eyes, the more than perfect nose and beautiful ears of your little princess, which you will not stop admiring in future, are developing in your womb at this moment. Don’t be too excited to have a look at your baby, because all the beautiful features are just taking shape at the moment. She still looks like a tadpole but the tail is not as long now as it was in the 5th week.

The eyes and nose appear just like dark spots on the head that is oversized. The ears instead of protruding outwards appear like a depression at the sides of the head where as the arms and legs look like tiny buds. The neural tube, connecting the brain and spinal cord, closes at this time forming brain at one end and spinal cord on the other.

The rate of your baby’s heartbeat will be more than double of your own. The heart beats somewhere between 100-160 times every minute, pumping blood inside the tiny body. There are tiny lesions which will later develop into lungs, pancreas, liver and intestines. Finally, by the end of 6 weeks of pregnancy, the embryo develops from a layered disc to adopt a C-shaped curvature. It is now fast changing into a curved body form with a head and tail.

8. Size Of The Baby:

The approximate CRM measurement of the baby is somewhere in between 1/5th – 1/4th of an inch or 2-4mm, which is about the size of a small pea or lentil. The shape is yet to resemble a human baby, though the head and torso are fast forming now.

Care and Tips:

Take care of health and avoid situations that will make you sick. Even if you have followed hygienic habits earlier, this is the time to take extra precautions. You don’t want to be sick in addition to suffering from morning sickness; moreover, it could harm the development of your baby.

• If there are heavy objects to moved around or lifted, wait until you find someone to help you out.
• There is nothing more important at this moment then the safety of your baby. Pass on the duty of cleaning the toilet, dealing with phenyl, bleach or chlorine to some other member of your family.
• Cook your food well. Wash the raw vegetables cleanly before you consume them.
• Take plenty of water and nutrients to substitute the loss through nausea and vomiting. Remember, mineral supplements cannot be substitution for healthy and nutritious food.
• Get dressed and go out to have some fun and fresh air once in a while. Do not allow the morning sickness to turn you into a bedridden, pajama clad grumpy woman.
• Eat smaller portions of meal more often than trying to have one big meal. This will help you eat enough and also keep morning sickness at bay as it is worse on an empty stomach.
• Multivitamins such as folic acid should also be taken as it can prevent neural tube defects of the brain and spine in an unborn baby. Despite the fact that you can take it throughout pregnancy, it’s more important in the early stages of pregnancy and before the conception as well.

For Dads to Be:

Take active part in the prenatal visit your partner will have with the doctor this week. Pay attention to what the gynaecologist is saying about taking care of your partner during her pregnancy. If you have any doubts or worries about 6th week pregnancy symptoms & signs your wife is showing, then discuss them with your doctor.

Most of the time, it will be nothing more than the normal changes taking place during pregnancy. This is the time when your partner is feeling insecure and vulnerable both physically and emotionally. Assure her that you are going to walk with her in every step she takes in the journey of parenthood.

Do not hesitate to rub her back, or bring her a glass of water when she is going through terrible morning sickness if you are around. It will mean a lot to her and will assure her that everything is going to be OK.

Hope you will follow all these useful tips, when you are 6 weeks pregnant. Be smart, remember that you’re staying healthy for two now.

Improve your eyesight with ayurveda

There are many ways to improve eyesight with ayurveda. Drishti dosha is the name for defective eyesight in ayurveda. This can be caused due to a multitude of factors such as nervous disability, diabetes, excessive smoking and alcohol intake. Age related defects can also lead to problems with eyesight.

How to improve eyesight with ayurveda

Diet

A good diet goes a long way in improving your eyesight. Apples and grapes are considered good for eyesight.  Spinach is known to increases haemoglobin thereby aids good eyesight. Carrots and cucumber juice are very helpful improving eyesight. In addition, foods such as turnips, tomatoes, oranges and dates, are good sources of Vitamin A and should be eaten regularly. You can also eat almonds daily to enhance your vision and reduce mental stress.

Other ayurvedic methods  to improve eyesight

• Mixture of cardamom seeds with one tablespoon of honey daily.

•  Juice of ayurvedic herbs such as amla and garlic can help a lot to enhance vision

• Bhringraj herb or amla oil can be applied to improve vision.

• Rubbing a small amount of ghee on the soles of the feet to improve eyesight.

• Yoga and pranayama work wondrously to improve eyesight.    

• Use a few drops of honey, ghee or sesame oil to boost vision

Triphala is a very potent medicine for eye health, especially blurred vision. It also prevents the development of cataract. Wash the eyes with water to which triphala powder has been added to cure eye problems and enhance vision.

Ayurveda also suggests meditating by focusing on the flame of a candle to improve eyesight. You must rinse your eyes with water daily. Eyes must also be given ample rest if you work for long hours, particularly in front of a computer.

 Exercises to improve eyesight:

• Close both eyes very tightly and then open them suddenly. Feel the stretch. Open and arch your brows. Repeat several times a day.

• Look as far as possible. Inhale. Look down and then blink a dozen times.

• Rotate your eyeballs slowly and steadily in all directions. Do these with your eyes shut, and several times a day.

• Warm your hands by rubbing them together. Now, cover the eyes without touching the eyelids. This relaxes the nerves and also increases the blood circulation. This is an ancient yoga technique known as hatha yoga.

• Try ‘sunning’. Move your head from side to side to benefit the eyes. Never look directly at the sun though.