Pages

Saturday, June 22, 2013

IMPORTANT THINGS TO SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE


“Purity and simplicity are the two wings with which man soars above the earth and all temporary nature.” – Thomas Kempis

Simplicity brings balance, freedom, and joy. When we begin to live simply and experience these benefits, we begin to ask the next question, “Where else in my life can i remove distraction and simply focus on the essential?”

Here are few important things to simplify in your life today to begin living a more balanced, joyful lifestyle:

Your Possessions - Too many material possessions complicate our lives to a greater degree than we ever give them credit. They drain our bank account, our energy, and our attention. They keep us from the ones we love and from living a life based on our values. If you will invest the time to remove nonessential possessions from your life, you will never regret it. 

Your Words – Use fewer words. Keep your speech plain and honest. Mean what you say. Avoid gossip.

Your Time Commitments – Most of us have filled our days full from beginning to end with time commitments: work, home, kid’s activities, community events, religious endeavors, hobbies… the list goes on. When possible, release yourself from the time commitments that are not in line with your greatest values.

Your Goals – Reduce the number of goals you are intentionally striving for in your life to one or two. By reducing the number of goals that you are striving to accomplish, you will improve your focus and your success rate. Make a list of the things that you want to accomplish in your life and choose the two most important. When you finish one, add another from your list.

Your Negative Thoughts – Most negative emotions are completely useless. Resentment, bitterness, hate, and jealousy have never improved the quality of life for a single human being. Take responsibility for your mind. Forgive past hurts and replace negative thoughts with positive ones.

Your Debt – If debt is holding you captive, reduce it. Start today. Do what you’ve got to do to get out from under its weight. Find the help that you need. Sacrifice luxury today to enjoy freedom tomorrow.

Your Artificial Ingredients – Avoid trans fats, refined grain (white bread), high-fructose corn syrup, and too much sodium. Minimizing these ingredients will improve your energy level in the short-term and your health in the long-term. Also, as much as possible, reduce your consumption of over-the-counter medicine – allow your body to heal itself naturally as opposed to building a dependency on substances.

Your Screen Time – Focusing your attention on television, movies, video games, and technology affects your life more than you think. Media rearranges your values. It begins to dominate your life. And it has a profound impact on your attitude and outlook. Unfortunately, when you live in that world on a consistent basis, you don’t even notice how it is impacting you. The only way to fully appreciate its influence in your life is to turn them off.

Your Multi-Tasking - Research indicates that multi-tasking increases stress and lowers productivity. while single-tasking is becoming a lost art, learn it. Handle one task at a time. Do it well. And when it is complete, move to the next.

Your Connections to the World - Relationships with others are good, but constant streams of distraction are bad. Learn when to power off the blackberry, log off facebook, or not read a text. Focus on the important, not the urgent. A steady flow of distractions from other people may make us feel important, needed, or wanted, but feeling important and accomplishing importance are completely different things.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

HOME REMEDIES FOR PREMATURE GRAYING OF HAIR

The hair has a tendency to lose its natural colour with advancing age and turn grey, but premature graying is a morbid condition and it makes even the young look older. The hair is an appendage of the skin. It is composed of the same kinds of cells as are found in the outer layer of the skin, which is known as the epidermis. Hair grows from hair follicles which are deep recesses in the epidermis. The sebaceous glands of the scalp secrete an oily substance called sebum, which is the source of nutrition, lustre, and blackness of the hair. The hair cannot be fed externally, for such nourishment, as the scalp requires, must come to it from the bloodstream.


Symptoms of Premature Graying of Hair

Causes of Premature Graying of Hair

Faulty diet, Mental worries and lack of vitamins
A faulty diet and mental worries are the two primary causes of premature graying of hair. Lack of some of the B vitamins, iron, copper, and iodine in the daily diet is said to be a contributory factor. Mental worries produce extraordinary tension in the skin of the scalp; this interferes with the supply of vital nutrition necessary for the health of the hair.

Heredity, unclean condition of scalp etc
Other causes of premature graying of hair are an unclean condition of the scalp, washing the hair with hot water, drying it with an electric dryer, and use of hair dyes. Heredity is also a predisposing factor.

Home Remedies for Premature Graying of Hair 

Indian Gooseberry
The use of Indian gooseberry is the foremost among the home remedies found beneficial in the prevention and treatment of premature graying of hair. This is a valuable hair tonic for enriching hair growth and hair pigmentation. The fruit, cut into pieces, should be dried, preferably in shade. These pieces should be boiled in coconut oil till the solid matter becomes like charred dust. This darkish oil is very useful against premature graying. The water in which dried amla pieces have been soaked overnight is also nourishing for the hair. This water should be used for the last rinse while washing the hair. Massaging the scalp every night with a teaspoonful of amla juice, mixed with a teaspoon of almond oil and a few drops of lime juice, also proves beneficial in the prevention and treatment of premature graying of hair.

Amaranth
Amaranth is another effective home remedy for hair disorders. Application of the fresh juice of the leaves of this vegetable helps the hair to retain its black colour and prevents it from premature graying. It also helps the growth of the hair and keeps it soft.


Curry Leaves
Liberal intake of curry leaves is considered beneficial in preventing premature graying of hair. These leaves have the property of providing vitality and strength to hair roots. New hair roots that grow are healthier and contain a normal pigment. The leaves can be used in the form of chutney, or may be squeezed in buttermilk. When the leaves are boiled in coconut oil, the oil forms an excellent hair tonic to stimulate hair growth and bring back hair pigmentation.

Ribbed Gourd (Jhinga)
Ribbed gourd boiled in coconut oil is also an effective remedy for premature graying of hair. Pieces of this vegetable should be dried in the shade. These dried pieces should be soaked in coconut oil and kept aside for three or four days. The oil should then be boiled till the solid is reduced to a blackened residue. This oil should be massaged into the scalp. It will help enrich the hair roots and restore pigment to the hair.

Butter
The butter made from cow's milk has the property of preventing premature graying of hair. A small roll may be taken internally and a little quantity may be massaged into the hair roots twice a week.

Vitamins
The vitamins considered useful in guarding against premature graying of hair are pantothenic acid, para-aminobenzoic acid (paba), inositol. The minimum daily requirement of these vitamins appears to be 10 mg of pantothenic acid, 100 mg of para-aminobenzoic acid, and 2 gm of inositol. To obtain satisfactory results, all three of these vitamins belonging to the B group should be supplied at one time, preferably in a form which supplies all the B vitamins, such as yeast and liver. The three anti-graying-hair vitamins can also be produced in the intestinal tract by bacteria. Thus, taking a sufficient quantity of yoghurt daily and a tablespoonful of yeast before each meal is an excellent remedy for the prevention and treatment of premature graying of hair. If one wishes to take tablets of calcium pantothenate and para-aminobenzoic acid (paba), they should be taken in addition to the yeast and yoghurt, and not as a substitute for them.

Dietaries for Premature Graying of Hair

Take nutrients rich diet
Diet is of utmost importance in the prevention and treatment of premature graying of hair and persons suffering from this disorder should take a diet rich in all essential nutrients.

Avoid devitalising foods, soft drinks etc
Devitalising foods such as white flour, refined sugar and all products made from them, soft drinks, pastries, jams and jellies should be avoided. These foods take away energy, cause wrinkles, unattractive skin, gray hair, and premature old age.

Other Premature Graying of Hair treatments

Massage of scalp with almond oil

Massage of the scalp with almond oil is recommended.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.


This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor.

NATURAL & HOME REMEDIES FOR TOOTHACHE

Toothache is one ailment that can make your life miserable. The intense and unbearable pain won’t let you sleep, eat, drink or even draw in cold air through the mouth because of your tender tooth! Generally, toothache is caused when tooth decay invades or is about to infect the pulp chamber, which contains nerve endings and tiny blood vessels.

Pain is not the only problem in a toothache, it may be a symptom of several other things. It can indicate gum infection, molar decay or cracked bicuspid. It can even be fallout of sinus problem or simply be due to a piece of food caught between the teeth! Although, there are many over-the-counter toothache cures, they all have some side effects. Today, home remedies for a tooth ache are becoming quite popular.

HOME REMEDIES FOR TOOTHACHE


The best ‘home remedy’ is to take good care of your teeth! So, always rinse your mouth regularly, especially after meals; brush and floss to remove morsels sticking between the teeth; and generally follow good oral hygiene. However, if you do get saddled with a toothache, opt for toothache pain home remedy instead of over-the-counter medication, since they’re safe and effective.

1. Ice massage by finger:

Gently rubbing an ice cube in the area between the forefinger and the thumb for several minutes is an effective toothache remedy, as it eases toothache. It acts by overwhelming the pain impulses that usually travel along the nerve pathways. It has a 60 to 90% success rate. Ice placed directly on a throbbing tooth also helps ease the pain.

2. Garlic:

Placing a clove of garlic with little rock salt on the affected tooth helps relieve or even cure the pain.

3. Oil of clove:

Clove oil, put directly onto the affected tooth or dabbed with a cotton ball on the decayed tooth, relieves toothache.

4. Pepper:

A pinch of pepper powder mixed with common salt is an excellent cure. It’s especially effective against the increased sensitiveness of the teeth.

5. Onion:

Toothache pain is often allayed by placing a small piece of onion on the bad tooth or gum, since onion has antibacterial properties that kill the germs in the mouth.

6. Lime:

This rich source of vitamin C prevents tooth decay and also provides toothache pain relief.

7. Wheat grass:

The juice of wheat grass is an excellent mouthwash for tooth decay and a natural toothache remedy. It also draws out the toxins from the gums and checks bacterial growth.

8. Asafoetida (Hing):

This bitter, foul-smelling resinous material obtained from the roots of several plants of the parsley family, helps in instant toothache relief.

9. Bay berry:

This is an effective toothache natural cure. Applying a paste made from bay berry bark mixed with vinegar helps relieve the toothache.

10. Oil of oregano (Ajwain):

This is an effective remedy for toothache, because it displays antimicrobial activity against food-borne pathogens that cause tooth decay.

11. Salt:

A salt water mouthwash gets rid of tooth infection and helps cure toothache. Thorough rinsing of the mouth with salt water is important.

12. Liquor:

One of the best quick-fix home remedies for a toothache is, of all things, a good strong drink of liquor. By squeezing a wad of cotton wool soaked in brandy or vodka against the affected tooth helps numb the pain. You can also make the gum numb by taking a swig of whiskey and holding it over the painful tooth.


Toothache can strike without warning and once it does, it just can’t be ignored. So, if you’re prepared to tackle this menace with homemade toothache remedy, you can be sure of a quick and effective relief.

Friday, June 14, 2013

HOME REMEDIES FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

Hypertension or high blood pressure, as it is more commonly known, is regarded as a silent killer. It is a disease of the modern age. The fast pace of life and the mental and physical pressures caused by the increasingly industrialised and metropolitan environments have a role to play in the rise in blood pressure. Blood pressure is measured with an instrument called sphygmomanometer in millimetres of mercury. The highest pressure reached during each heart beat is called systolic pressure, and the lowest between two beat is known as diastolic pressure. Most young adults have blood pressure around 120/80. It increases normally with age, even going up to 160/90.


Symptoms of high blood pressure

Pain at the back of the head and neck
The first symptom of hypertension may appear as a pain at the back of the head and neck on waking in the morning, which soon disappears.

Dizziness, Palpitations
Some of the other common symptoms are dizziness, palpitations, pain in the region of the heart, frequent urination, nervous tension, fatigue, and difficulty in breathing. 

Causes of high blood pressure

Stress and faulty life style
The main causes of high blood pressure are stress and a faulty style of living. Smoking and an excessive intake of intoxicants, tea, coffee, and refined foods destroy the natural pace of life and prevent the expulsion of waste and poisonous matter from the body. Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), obesity, and diabetes lead to hypertension.

Excessive intake of common salt, and high fat diet
Other causes of high blood pressure are an excessive intake of common table salt, and eating a high fat and low fibre diet.

Home remedies for high blood pressure 

High Blood Pressure treatment using Garlic

Garlic is regarded as an effective means of lowering blood pressure. It is said to reduce spasms of the small arteries. It also slows down the pulse rate and modifies the heart rhythm, besides relieving the symptoms of dizziness, numbness, shortness of breath, and the formation of gas within the digestive tract. It may be taken in the form of raw cloves or two to three capsules a day.

High Blood Pressure treatment using Indian Gooseberry
Indian gooseberry (Amla) is another effective remedy for high blood pressure. A tablespoon each of fresh amla juice and honey mixed together should be taken every morning in this condition.

High Blood Pressure treatment using Lemon
Lemon is also regarded as a valuable food to control high blood pressure. It is a rich source of vitamin P which is found both in the juice and peel of the fruit. This vitamin is essential for preventing capillary fragility.

High Blood Pressure treatment using Grapefruit
Grapefruit is useful in preventing high blood pressure. The vitamin P content in the fruit is helpful in toning up the arteries.

High Blood Pressure treatment using Watermelon
Watermelon is another valuable safeguard against high blood pressure. A substance extracted from watermelon seeds is said to have a definite action in dilating the blood vessels, which results in lowering the blood pressure. The seeds, dried and roasted, should be taken in liberal quantities.

High Blood Pressure treatment using Rice
Rice has a low-fat, low-cholesterol, and low-salt content. It makes a perfect diet for those hypertensive persons who have been advised salt-restricted diets. Calcium in brown rice, in particular, soothes and relaxes the nervous system and helps relieve the symptoms of high blood pressure.

High Blood Pressure treatment using Potato
Potatoes, especially in boiled form, are a valuable food for lowering blood pressure. When boiled with their skin, they absorb very little salt. Thus they can form a useful addition to a salt-free diet recommended for patients with high blood pressure. Potatoes are rich in potassium but not in sodium salts. The magnesium presents in the vegetable exercises beneficial effects in lowering blood pressure.

High Blood Pressure treatment using Parsley
Parsley is very useful in high blood pressure. It contains elements, which help maintain the blood vessels, particularly, the capillaries. It keeps the arterial system in a healthy condition. It may be taken as a beverage by simmering 20 gm of fresh parsley leaves gently in 250 ml of water for a few minutes. This may be drunk several times daily.

High Blood Pressure treatment using Rauwolfia
Among the herbs, rauwolfia is the best remedy for high blood pressure. Alkaloids of this drug, which have a direct effect on hypertension, have been isolated and are being widely used by practitioners of modem medicine, but they have certain unpleasant side-effects which the drug, taken in raw form, does not have. Practitioners of the Indian system of medicine have, therefore, preferred to use the root of the drug in a powdered from. Half a teaspoon of this drug, taken thrice a day, is very effective in hypertension. 

High Blood Pressure treatment using Vegetable Juice
Raw vegetable juices, especially carrot and spinach juices, taken separately or in combination, are also beneficial in the treatment of high blood pressure. If taken in combination, 300 ml of carrot juice and 200 ml of spinach juice should be mixed to make 500 ml or half a litre of the juice, and taken daily. If taken separately, one glass should be taken twice daily, morning and evening.

High Blood Pressure treatment using Dietary Calcium and Potassium
Recent studies have revealed an important link between dietary calcium and potassium and hypertension. Researchers have found that people who take potassium-rich diets have a low incidence of hypertension even if they do not control their salt intake. They have also found that people with hypertension do not seem to get much calcium in the form of dairy products. These two essential nutrients seem to help the body secrete excess sodium and are involved in important functions which control the working of the vascular system. Potassium is found in abundance in fruits and vegetables, and calcium in dairy products.

High Blood Pressure Diet
Persons with high blood pressure should always follow a well-balanced routine of a proper diet, exercise, and rest. Diet is of primary importance. Meat and eggs, more than any other food, cause the blood pressure to rise. The pressure can be lowered and blood clotting diminished by increasing the consumption of fruits, reducing protein intake, and sticking to a vegetarian diet. A natural diet consisting of fresh fruits and vegetables instead of a traditional diet, helps to get rid of the toxins from the body. Salt should be avoided; in any case, it should not exceed more than three grams or about half a teaspoon per day.

Other High Blood Pressure treatment

Persons suffering from hypertension must get at least eight hours of good sleep, because proper rest is a vital aspect of the treatment. Most important of all, the patient must avoid over-strain  worries, tension, anger, and haste. He or she must develop a calm and cheerful attitude and develop a contented frame of mind.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

HOW TO REDUCE WEIGHT BY NATURAL WAYS


The chief cause of obesity or overweight is often overeating, irregular eating habits and not following the rules of eating such as improper mixing of food items in one meal.

In ayurveda, describes eight different types of bodies that are disease prone. Out of these, the obese body is described as the one afflicted with the most diseases and troubles. Obesity is the condition or physical state of the body when excessive deposition of fat takes place in the adipose tissue.
 

Extra fat puts a strain on the heart, kidneys, liver and the joints such as the hips, knees and ankles and thus, overweight people are susceptible to several diseases like coronary thrombosis, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, gout, liver and gall bladder disorders. Chief cause of obesity is overeating, irregular eating habits and not following the rules of eating or mixing non-compatible food items in one meal. 

To decrease weight and get rid of obesity three things must be kept in mind:
·  Controlling eating habits.
·  Regular exercise.
·  Avoiding the causes of weight gain

Diet recommended to lose weight

 Early morning
Juice of half a lemon mixed in a glass of warm water and a teaspoon of honey.

 Breakfast
Wheat or Mung bean (green gram) sprouts and a cup of skimmed milk.

 Midmorning
A glass of orange, pineapple or carrot juice.
  • Lunch

o    Salad of raw vegetables such as carrot, beet, cucumber, cabbage, tomatoes. Steamed or boiled vegetables
o    Whole grain bread or whole wheat chapatis (Indian bread) and a glass of buttermilk.
o    Roasted cumin seeds, green coriander leaves, a little salt and some grated ginger mixed in the buttermilk.

  • Mid-afternoon

o    Coconut water
o    Dry fruits
o    Lemon tea
o    Fresh vegetable soup

  • Dinner

o    Whole grain bread or chapatis
o    Steamed vegetables
o    Seasonal fruits except banana and apple.

Home Remedies for Losing Weight
·  Increase the quantity of fruits and vegetables and low calorie foods.
·  Avoid intake of too much salt as it may be a factor for increasing body weight.
·  Milk products like cheese, butter etc. and non-vegetarian foods should be avoided as they are rich in fat.
·  Mint is very beneficial in losing weight. A chutney of green mint with some simple spices can be taken with meals. Mint tea also helps.
·  Spices like dry ginger, cinnamon, black pepper etc. are good for loosing weight and can be used in a number of ways.
·  Regular intake of carrot juice.
·  Avoid rice and potato, which contain a lot of carbohydrates. Among cereals wheat is good.
·  Vegetables like bitter gourd (Karela), and bitter variety of drumstick are useful in loosing weight.
·  Honey is an excellent home remedy for obesity. It mobilizes the extra deposited fat in the body allowing it to be utilized as energy for normal functions.
Dosage: One should start with small quantity of about 10 grams or a tablespoon, taken with hot water early in the morning. A teaspoonful of fresh lemon juice may also be added.
·  Fasting on honey and lime- juice is highly beneficial in the treatment of obesity without the loss of energy and appetite. For this, mix one teaspoon of fresh honey with the juice of half a lime in a glass of lukewarm water.
Dosage: Take several times a day at regular intervals.
·  Raw or cooked cabbage inhibits the conversion of sugar and other carbohydrates into fat. Hence, it is of great value in weight reduction.
·  Exercise is an important part of any weight reduction plan. It helps to use up calories stored in body as fat.
·  Walking is the best exercise to begin with and may be followed by running, swimming or rowing.
·  The gum of Commiphora Wightii (also called guggul, Mukul) is the drug of choice for the treatment of obesity.

Preparation of Home Remedies
According to ayurveda home remedies are prepared in the same way and with the same purpose as other ayurvedic medicines. The main aim is to obtain the maximum therapeutic benefit while making it palatable.

Some common methods of preparing home remedies are:
·  Juice
The juice may be taken from the fresh leaves, flowers or stems of the herb. The part of the herb used should be crushed or ground in a mortar and pestle, to make a paste. This paste should be put in a piece of cloth and squeezed to take out the juice.
Dosage: One to two tablespoons twice a day.
·  Powder
Dried herbs are used for powders. The herbs are usually dried in a cool, shady and well-ventilated place, although some herbs are dried in direct sunlight. The herbs are then ground into a fine powder and stored in a dry, airtight bottle. The powder may be taken with water, or if specified, with milk or honey.
Dosage: Half to one teaspoon twice a day
·  Decoction
A decoction is prepared by boiling the herb in water (ratio: 1 part herb to 16 parts water). The herbs are broken into pieces and soaked in water overnight. This mixture is then boiled until it reduces to one quarter of the original volume. It is then filtered and stored in a glass bottle.
Dosage: One to two tablespoons twice a day.
·  Infusion
Herbs are soaked in water to make an infusion (ratio: 1 part herb to 8 parts water). Hot infusions result from adding herbs to hot water, or gently heating but not boiling the mixture. This is strained and taken internally. Herbal teas are forms of hot infusions. Cold infusions are made from soaking the herb overnight. Honey can be added.
Dosage: half to one cup once or twice day.
·  Paste
A paste can be made from either fresh or dried herbs. The flowers, roots, stems, leaves or bark are ground and mixed with water. Pastes are mainly used for external application, in cases of cuts, burns and swellings. The paste should be thick enough to be applied in a layer to the skin.
·  Tablets
The herbs should be first dried separately and then mixed together in a powder form, in fixed proportions. Water or herbal juice can be added to this powder to make a paste, from which tablets of a specific size or weight are made. Tablets remain potent longer than juices, powders, pastes or decoctions.
Dosage: 1 or 2 tablets twice a day.

·  Medicated ghee and oil
Ghee is cooked with herbal juices, decoctions or pastes. The ghee should be heated with the herbal mixture at a moderate, controlled temperature. High temperatures can easily burn the ghee or oil, destroying its effectiveness. Medicated ghee and oils are either used internally or massaged externally.
Dosage: Half to one tablespoon.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor.
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...