DATES

Dates  - A divine fruit

The botanical name of dates is “Phoenix dactylifera L.” It’s a perennial plant & starts giving fruit within an average of 5 years.

Dates have also been honored in Quran as a blessing of Jannah. Hazrat Maryam (A.S) was commanded to eat this fruit in Surah Maryam:

The pains of labour drove her to the trunk of a date-palm. She [Maryam] said, “Oh if only I had died before this time and was something discarded and forgotten!” A voice called out to her from under her, “Do not grieve! Your Lord has placed a small stream at your feet. Shake the trunk of the palm towards you and fresh, ripe dates will drop down onto you. Eat and drink and delight your eyes…” (Quran)

Research shows  that dates contain some stimulants, which strengthen the muscles of the uterus in the last months of pregnancy. This helps the dilation of the uterus at the time of delivery .

Dates have also been mentioned frequently in many Hadiths of Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). His favorite dates were Ajwa.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "He who eats seven Ajwa dates every morning, will not be affected by poison or magic on the day he eats them." (Sahih Bukhari)

Narrated Salman ibn Amir: "The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: When one of you is fasting, he should break his fast with dates; but if he cannot get any, then (he should break his fast) with water, for water is purifying."

Dates can be considered a powerhouse of energy. They are rich in sugar particularly glucose and fructose. They are alkaline in nature so they can be used to treat the problem of acidity. Dates have high iron content and are very useful for treating anemia. Being rich in fiber, they are very effective to prevent and treat constipation. Soak dates overnight and take them along with water to have added advantage. Dates are rich in potassium and low in sodium which makes them an ideal fruit for people having hypertension. Dates are a good source of antioxidants, mainly carotenoids and phenolics. Eating dates in the morning on an empty stomach kills intestinal worms and other parasites, for dates have an antidotal potency, which inhibits their growth.

Recipe:

Dates Smoothie

Dates _______________________ 10

Coffee ______________________ 1/4 tsp 

Chocolate sauce _______________ 2 tsp

Yogurt ______________________ 1/2 cup

Milk ________________________ 1/2 cup

Put dates, coffee, chocolate sauce, yogurt and milk in a blender and blend these ingredients well. Then add crushed ice to it and serve cold.

Note: A healthy recipe for those who want to gain weight. Have at least one serving of it daily to see good results.