Ayurvedic Tips for Constipation Part I

One reason for constipation is frequent intake of foods that do not have the necessary viscosity or laxity. Intake of such foods regularly for a few days leads to absence of viscosity in intestines, resulting in hardening of stools which ultimately ends up as constipation.

Suppressing the urge to defecate also leads to constipation in the long run. Similarly exerting oneself to defecte when there is no urge is also harmful.

Absence of exercise results in inaction of rib muscles and this can also lead to constipation.

The posture adopted to defecate can also result in improper defecation. Our forefathers adopted a squatting posture which helped to dilate the anus naturally and it resulted in better and fuller evacuation of the bowels. When using a western closet this does not happen as you have to sit on it like on a chair.

These are some of the reasons for constipation. From this it is quite obvious that changing your diet and adopting an active lifestyle which includes daily exercise can cure constipation to a large extent.

Technorati Tags:
, , ,

Ayurveda for Diabetes and Triglycerides

Increasing consumption of sugar in various forms is one reason for increase in triglycerides. Excessive consumption of tea, coffee also increases triglycerides.

The fat (triglycerides) produced by the body from unused calories attach to lipoproteins of the liver and enter into the bloodstream. Thus triglycerides can settle on the walls of the blood vessels and reduce the passage for free flowing of blood into the heart and other vital organs. This can lead to heart attacks. Along with smoking, coffee, alcohol, excessive consumption of sugars can lead to increase in the level of triglycerides.

The great Ayurveda sage Charaka gives following reasons for diabetes and a host of other diseases including elevated levels of triglycerides.
  1. Staying in a comfortable physical posture for an extended period of time.
  2. Lying in a cushioned bed beyond necessity.
  3. Consuming excessively sweetened yoghurt or curd.
  4. Consuming chicken, mutton and fish grown in marshy areas.
  5. Excessive consumption of sugar and palm candy.

All these lead to increased triglyceride molecules in the body. When the level of sugar in our diet increases, the pancreas is forced to secrete more insulin to process the sugars. The insulin thus released acts on adipose tissues (triglycerides) and these tissues in turn get into the blood stream. The tissues may settle down in aorta thereby thickening the blood vessels. The thickened blood vessels now prevent easy blood flow resulting in heart attacks.

So the most important preventative measure to bring down dangerous levels of triglycerides is to eliminate consumption of sugar and sweet products. For South Indians, consumption of idlis, dosas, puttu, and other dishes made from rice should be reduced to the minimum. This should be substituted with dishes made from whole grains like wheat, barley, oats etc. Diet should include more of fresh vegetables and greens.

How to bring down Triglyceride Levels

Some Ayurvedic herbs, remedies to bring down triglyceride levels include guggul, jambul (Java plum), aavaarai (Cassia auriculata) etc.

One way to reduce or lower the increased levels of triglycerides is given below.

The bark of rose apple or Java plum tree, rose apple seeds or Java plum seeds, turmeric, Indian gooseberries, nannari root, bark of marutham pattai (arjuna terminalea), aavarai (causia auriculata), coriander seeds, all these are collected in equal quantity by weight. They are powdered together and stored in a bottle. Mix 60 gm of this powder in 1 litre water and boil. Reduce it to 250 ml. Half of this kashayam (decoction) is taken morning and evening on empty stomach. This helps lower triglyceride levels to a large extent.



Technorati Tags:
, , ,

A Simple Remedy for Joint and Muscular Pains

Joint and muscular pains flare up during the winter season. Ayurveda has very effective formulations to mitigate this pain.

Described below is the method of making 'Karpoorathi thailam' a famous remedy for joint and muscular pains. This oil is applied on areas of pain and massaged gently. For good results, a warm water bath 30 - 45 min after application of oil is recommended.

Though it is available in market readymade, the home made one is more effective. Now let's get down to the nitty-gritty of making the oil.

The ingredients are 1 kilogram of ajwain (Bishop's Weed), 1 litre of coconut oil and 200 gm camphor.

800 gm of ajwain is powdered. This powdered ajwain is added to 6 litres of water and boiled and reduced to 2 litres. This is called kashayam.

The remaining 200 gm of ajwain is then ground to a fine paste using water.

Take a wide bottomed pan and pour 1 litre coconut oil into it. Add the 2 litre kashayam to this coconut oil. Now add the fine paste of ajwain. Heat the mix and let it boil in simmering heat. Once you get a sort of sandy deposit at the base, remove it from stove. Place 200 gm camphor in a steel vessel and pour the somewhat hot oil into this vessel. Allow the oil to cool to room temperature. Now store this oil in glass bottle.

Now the 'karpoorathi thailam' is ready. Apply it on painful joints and muscles and massage gently as explained above.

Courtesy: Dr. Hareendran Nair, Jeevanam

Technorati Tags:
, , ,

Some Tips for Hair Removal

A couple of my female readers had queried on removal of unwanted facial hair.

As men grow up they have mustache and hairgrowth on chest, forehand, legs etc. Women usually do not have any growth of hair in these areas.

Each sex will have some characteristics of the other sex to a small extent.

Some Ayurveda experts advise people to involve themselves in activities specific to their gender and not to mimic the opposite gender's activities.

Let us have a brief look at some the conventional options available at the present time for hair removal.

Hair removal techniques are broadly classified as permanent hair removal techniques and temporary hair removal techniques.

Electrolysis and laser treatment are two of the most common permanent hair removal treatments.

Laser treatment utilizes a pulse of light to destroy the hair follicles. Those with dark hair and light skin would find this technique more beneficial as the hair color pigment melanin absorbs the laser light better. One needs to undergo frequent treatments a year and the results vary from person to person.

Electrolysis involves a more invasive approach. It makes use of a needle to destroy hair follicle. Thermolytic method uses heat and galvanic method uses chemicals for this process. Mild anesthetics are used to numb the area to ease the pain.

Temporary hair removal techniques include using depilatory creams (which often involve chemicals), waxing, bleaching, shaving, plucking using tweezers etc.

Depilatory creams are a painless alternative to waxing. They contain sodium and calcium thioglycolate and dissolve the keratin in hair shafts. They give out an unpleasant odor. As these contain chemicals care should be taken not to use it on skin breaks or cuts. This is found to ineffective in dealing with coarse hair.

Waxing is a semi-permanent hair removal technique which involves removing of hair from its root. Thus you obtain a time gap of six to eight weeks for hair re-growth. This is done by application of a thin layer of wax combination on the skin. Paper strip or cloth is then placed over this layer and pressed and ripped off with a swift movement against the direction of hair growth horizontally along the skin.

Bleaching involves application of chemicals on hair, which is left in place for a specific duration of time and then washed off with water. This does not involve removal of hair. The bleached hair appears less noticeable, and the results last for three to six weeks.

Shaving is the process of removing hair using a razor. Shaving gel or foam is applied on the skin to smoothen hair follicles which are then removed using a razor. It is not an appropriate method for women's facial hair removal. Electric shavers are a good alternative to the razors.

Tweezing is a painful process involving removal of a hair or few at a time using metal forceps called tweezers. This is ideal for eyebrows and a few isolated hairs hare and there on face. This method cannot be used for larger areas and it may even result in ingrown hairs in some instances.

One of the oldest hair removal methods is sugaring, which is a lesser painful homemade alternative to shaving and waxing. This process is done by making a paste of sugar, lemon juice, and water that are heated to a candy ball state. Once cooled to bearable levels, a thin layer of the paste is applied on the skin, cover it with a thin piece of cotton cloth and rip it off with a rapid movement just as in waxing. Hair grows back again in six to eight weeks, the new grown hair is found to be thinner. This method is ideal for removing hair from underarms and other sensitive areas. The area has to be free from grease or oil before application of the paste. This is done by applying a thin layer of baby powder or corn powder.

Now for some ayurvedic tips for permanent hair removal.

Following tips are recommended.

  1. Increase the intake of blackgram in diet.
  2. Reduce intake of hot and sour foods.
  3. Apply turmeric paste to face and areas of hair growth while bathing.
  4. Asoka gritham 2 spoonful morning and evening on empty stomach.
  5. Asokarishtam 25 ml after food at bedtime.

Application of blackgram powder mixed with turmeric powder on face removes oil from face. It does not dry up the skin but arrests unwanted hair growth.

Experience has shown that for permanent hair removal a few sessions of sugaring followed by application of turmeric and black gram (Bengal gram/besan) paste on the affected areas seem to work wonders. The subsequent hair growth is found to be thin and sparse. Repeating the process eventually leads to permanent hair removal.



Technorati Tags:
, , ,