Home Remedies for Facial Hair (Hirsutism)

 Ayurvedic
Dec 062017
 

Unwanted facial hair is a cause of concern of about 60% of the women. It not only affects the physical appearance but in few cases leads to stress. Even though women find their own temporary solutions or try several home remedies for facial hair to have that clean look, it leaves them puzzled on how to remove the facial hair naturally!

Medically termed as Hirsutism (pronounced Hur-soot-ism) is a condition of male pattern hair growth in women. This condition is more common in teenage girls after puberty or mostly in women of reproductive age. The degree of hair growth and texture might vary from person to person. Other than on the face one may notice excessive hair growth on the chest, abdomen and back. It can be a sign of serious underlying medical condition that requires medical attention.

Hirsutism can affect any gender but is a cause of worry for a women particularly due to social concerns.

Causes of Hirsutism

  • Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome:  This is most common causative factor for hirsutism, obesity, irregular periods and acne.
  • Hormonal imbalance:  A tumour that secretes androgen in the ovaries or uterus may cause hirsutism. 
  • Medications. Some medications can cause hirsutism. These include danazol, which is used to treat women with endometriosis; systemic corticosteroids and fluoxetine (Prozac) for depression.
  • Cushing’s syndrome:  This occurs when your body is exposed to high levels of the hormone cortisol. It can develop from your adrenal glands making too much cortisol or from taking medications such as prednisone over a long period.
  • Congenital adrenal hyperplasia: This inherited condition is characterized by abnormal production of steroid hormones, including cortisol and androgen, by your adrenal glands.
  • Hereditary factors: In some cases, the problem runs in the family.

Risk factors:

There are certain factors that increases the likelihood of developing hirsutism.

Obesity: Being overweight or obese can increase the androgen levels in blood that may cause hirsutism.

Familial history : Women whose mother or grandparents affected with hirsutism are likely to develop this condition.

Endemic regions: Women of South Asian or Mediterranean regions are more likely to suffer from hirsutism than other women.

How to identify hirsutism?

  • This problem is self diagnosed from the pattern of hair growth after puberty.
  • The hair growth follows a male pattern of hair distribution, more on the upper lip, chin, neck, back, stomach and chest.
  • The hair looks more coarse and dense than the normal peach fuzz light hair that is seen on the whole body.

Although hirsutism doesn’t cause physical complications, the underlying cause of a hormonal imbalance can.

How to remove facial hair permanently in Ayurveda?

Lomasathana Thailam

Lomasathana thailam is an ayurvedic herbal oil for Removing unwanted hair from body. This oil comes from the great Ashta vaidya tradition of Kerala and is very effective in removing unwanted hair due to different aetiology like PCOS, hormone imbalance, etc.

Dosage:

Take 10 – 15ml – external application.

Mode of administration:

·          The oil is mixed with equal quantities of kasturi haldi and applied on the face.

·          Wash it off with warm water after 20 – 30 minutes.

·          Repeated use give better results.

Treatment and home remedies for facial hair:

Treatment of hirsutism includes medications and home remedies for facial hair, cosmetic procedures that gives short term and long term relief.

  • Medications that are generally prescribed are anti- androgenic medicines, oral contraceptive pills or tropical creams containing eflornithine. These drugs gives relief as long as they are taken and also comes with a wide range of side effects.
  • Treating the underlying conditions such as PCOS, hormonal imbalance helps.
  • Other procedures that may be found helpful are electrolysis or laser hair removal depending on the growth and type of the hair. These are effective after 6-8 sittings but are very costly.
  • Short term therapies include bleaching, waxing, epilator creams, shaving and threading. These are pocket friendly procedures but the results aren’t long lasting And most of these are really painful.
  • Due to the failing results from medications and cosmetic therapies, one may turn towards home remedies for facial hair which gives considerable results in most of the individuals.

You may try the following home remedies for facial hair consistently for beneficial results:

  1. Peel and grind raw papaya.  Add turmeric powder and mix well. Massage your face with this paste for fifteen minutes and wash with cool water. Repeat this once or twice weekly.
  2. Turmeric mixed with milk and made into a paste can be applied as face pack. When it is dry mildly scrub and remove.
  3. Make a paste of chickpea flour, turmeric powder and fresh cream.  Apply this paste as a face pack.
  4. Mix few drops of honey and lemon juice in egg white and apply on affected area. When it is about to dry, remove with cotton dipped in warm water.
  5. Mix sugar, lemon juice and water. Apply this to your face in the direction of hair growth and  Leave for 15-20 minutes. Wash off with water by rubbing gently. Do this twice or thrice a week. After few weeks, you will see noticeable reduction in hair growth.
  6. How to remove facial hair naturally in one day?  Mix sugar and cornflour in egg white. Beat it till you get a smooth paste. Apply this egg mask to your face and let it dry.Once it is dried, pull this egg mask along with the hair.
  7. Applying honey alone on the affected area can lighten the colour of your facial hair and make it blend in with your skin colour. This has to be done on a daily basis. You can also read about natural face packs for hair removal here.
  8. Consume foods rich in Phyto estrogens like flax seeds, fennel, liquorice, alfalfa, asparagus, soy products and aloe vera.
  9. If you are obese, losing excess weight also reduces facial hair growth.
  10. Decoction prepared of Anantmool can be consumed to regularize your hormones.
  11. Spearmint is a drug having anti-androgenic property which is one of the health benefits of spearmint that aids in the removal of unwanted hair.A study conducted by Turkish researchers indicates that spearmint tea can help women with hirsutism. The study subjects were given herbal spearmint tea twice a day for five days in the follicular phase of their menstrual cycles. The follicular phase begins on the first day of your cycle and lasts about 14 days.

Spearmint tea: 

  1. Boil a cup of water. Add one teaspoon of dried spearmint to it. If you have fresh spearmint leaves, use four or five of them.
  2. Cover the container and let it steep for about five to 10 minutes.
  3. Strain and drink the tea.
  4. Have it twice daily.

12. DIY “Lemon and honey wax” home remedies for facial hair:

Things Required:

  1. 2 tablespoons of sugar
  2. 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice
  3. 1 tablespoon of organic honey
  4. 1 to 2 teaspoons of cornstarch or all-purpose flour
  5. Water, if required
  6. A waxing strip or a piece of cloth

Procedure:

  1. Mix the sugar, lemon juice, and honey.
  2. Heat the mixture for about 3 minutes, till it becomes a waxy paste.
  3. To make the paste thinner, you can add water. Ensure that the paste is smooth.
  4. Allow the mixture to cool down.
  5. Apply the cornstarch or the flour on the areas where you have unwanted hair.
  6. Next, spread the paste in the direction of the hair growth.
  7. Using a waxing strip or the piece of cloth, pull the hair out in the opposite direction.

This home wax does not cause any allergic reactions a chemical wax does.

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Top 4 Secrets To Live Longer To Keep In Mind!

 Ayurvedic
Dec 052017
 

by Hang Pham

December 5, 2017

The average lifespan is now longer than it used to be a few years ago. This has been thanks to the medical advancements for curing illnesses and the increasing health awareness among human beings. If you are among people who want to live longer, then your lifestyle must be always healthy and positive. Follow a healthy balanced diet with a lot of veggies and fruits is a good idea. There are even more secrets to live longer you can explore here in the entire article today, so keep reading!

  1. 1. Manage Your Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a very common issue in the social life in nowadays. It can bring about real damage and harms to our body and put us at increased risks for heart disease and stroke. Think of your blood and the blood flow through the body as plumbing in the house. If the water pressure becomes too high, then it could burst a pipe — this can be like a stroke in our body. If the blood pressure in our body is always high, it will put undue tear and wear on our “pipes” (the equivalent of atherosclerosis) and shorten their life.

The good news is that if recognized and managed properly, hypertension is now controllable. It is essential for people to check the blood pressure levels on a regular basis and control it properly. Diet, exercise and a low-salt, healthy diet can provide a great help.

  1. 2. Control Stress

This is also among the most important secrets to live longer you must know! Very few things can boost our natural aging process faster than stress, particularly the chronic one. Have you ever realized how fast presidents age while working in the office? We all have stress in life, and it could even be good for you in small doses. However, when stress becomes part of our daily comings and goings, it starts to take its toll. Live with more relaxing and try to prevent stressful feelings, and you will definitely live longer than you can imagine!

  1. Get Good Sleep

OK, wake up. Good sleep is really among the key secrets to live longer and you must keep in mind this thing. Sleep is probably one of the most underappreciated aspects contributing to a healthy life. Sleep well will help your memory and your brain function a lot. It is now known that sleep can help embed the things we learn throughout the day in our brain.

  1. 4. Stop Smoking

This is not relevant to brain power, yet smoking can lead to lung and heart disease – the thing we all know clearly. However, did you know that it can also accelerate aging, especially of the skin? Stop smoking if you want to look younger and live longer right from today!

In summary, living a longer life is always the wish of everyone in the world every day. Make it no longer a wish but the reality by following those secrets to live longer we exposed above and enjoy!

Author Bio: Lien Nguyen – Writer and Blogger, who has more than 6 years of experience in the industry of Health and Skincare. I work for Healthy Guide – reliable resources that help readers solve all their health, beauty concerning, and many other issues in life. I also focus on nutrition, relationship, fitness, lifestyle, men and women’s issues. Find more of my articles on Facebook.

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Successful Tonics to Boost the Kidneys

 Acupuncture
Dec 042017
 
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The kidneys in Traditional Chinese Medicine are a vital energy system. They are the root of all yin and yang in the body, and they store our essence. They govern growth, reproduction and healthy progression through the different cycles of life. They play a role in healthy aging and preventing lots of age-related decline. They also control the bones, the low back and the knees. On a mental-emotional level, the kidneys are associated with fear – an imbalance in the kidney energy often leads to irrational or pervasive fear. On a spiritual level, the kidneys are the source of our Zhi, or will-power – our drive to succeed, to thrive and to be alive.

So a weakness in the kidney energy can create any number of problems in the body. An accurate diagnosis of a kidney weakness requires evaluation by a practitioner of TCM, but most people can benefit from some kidney tonification, particularly if trying to get pregnant, when healing from a chronic illness and after the age of 65. Chinese Herbs are safe and effective when prescribed by a licensed practitioner. Below are some of the most common tonic herbs we prescribe in TCM to nourish the kidneys.

Shu Di Huang (Rehmannia Root, Chinese Foxglove Root): Shu Di Huang tonifies and nourishes the yin aspect of the kidneys. It also strongly nourishes the blood energy of the body. Shu Di Huang is used in many herbal formulas for insomnia, hot flashes, night sweats and anxiety.

Gou Qi Zi (Chinese Wolfberry Fruit, Goji Berries): Gou Qi Zi nourishes the yin and blood of both the Kidneys and the Liver. It benefits the essence stored in the kidneys, and has a specific function of brightening the eyes. It can be used in the appropriate formulas for issues such as weakness in the low back, trouble sleeping, dizziness, blurry vision, nocturnal emissions and infertility.

He Shou Wu (Polygonum, Fleeceflower Root): He Shou Wu is another herb to nourish the yin and blood of the liver and kidney. It has a specific function of nourishing the hair to prevent premature thinning and graying. It can also be used in formulas for chronic constipation, dizziness, vertigo, blurry vision, infertility or weakness in the low back and knees.

Rou Cong Rong (Broomrape Stem): Rou Cong Rong strengthens the yang aspect of the kidneys, or the source of warm, fiery energy in the body. As such, it is used in formulas for infertility, impotence and urinary disorders such as urinary dribbling or incontinence. It also has a function of moistening the intestines and can be used for certain types of chronic constipation.

Rou Gui (Dried Cinnamon Bark): Rou Gui also strengthens the yang of the kidneys, and warms the kidneys and the channels. It is used in formulas for symptoms such as a deep feeling of cold, cold limbs, weakness in the low back, impotence, frequent urination, chronic pain worse in the cold, wheezing and certain types of menstrual pain.

Most of these herbs need to be prescribed by a licensed practitioner of Chinese herbal medicine. If you want to nourish the kidneys on your own, consider adding Shan Yao (Chinese Yam) into your diet, and picking up some Goji Berries at your local health store. You can also incorporate kidney-nourishing foods into your diet, such as fish, seaweed, miso, kidney beans, black beans and bone broth.

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Golden Milk or Turmeric Latte

 Ayurvedic
Dec 042017
 

TURMERIC LATTE OR GOLDEN MILK

Turmeric latte or turmeric milk is also known as golden milk which is the combination of turmeric and milk. The milk can be of any type (almond, cashew, coconut, etc..,).

This golden drink marks an important place as essential drink in the healthy diets. This energetic drink comes with amazing anti-inflammatory and digestion boosting properties. It makes an alternative to caffeinated drinks.

Nowadays people like to sip a cup of golden milk before going to bed and some love to drink it in the morning instead of coffee or tea.

Benefits of Turmeric and Turmeric Latte

Turmeric is mostly used in daily cooking, especially in curry dishes. It adds and leaves yellow stains on utensils and fingernails. Turmeric adds flavour, anti-inflammatory benefits and anti-microbial benefits to the foods cooked.

More than being used as spice, turmeric also addresses itself a healing ingredient, which comes with powerful medicinal features.

Turmeric forms a major part of Ayurvedic medicine that has been practised for centuries in India. The combination of turmeric and milk commonly known as haldi doodh, is a regular drink that most people consume every day. People used to drink turmeric latte for many reasons, from digestion to cosmetic reasons.

From ancient times, turmeric has marked its name for its medicinal properties in both Indian Ayurvedic medicine as well as traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Turmeric is used as a primary medicine to treat many health conditions. Some of the severe conditions that use turmeric in the treatment include liver disease, skin problems, respiratory and gastrointestinal problems, sprained muscles, joint pains, and general wound healing.

CURCUMIN, the major ingredient in Turmeric

Curcumin, which is present in turmeric, is one of the most effective anti-inflammatory ingredients in nature which lowers the levels of two enzymes in the body that cause inflammation.

It also acts as anti-angiogenesis that helps in preventing the development of additional blood supply necessary for cancer cell growth. Curcumin is also used in the treatment of arthritis, sports injuries, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, tendonitis and various autoimmune diseases.

Consistent use of curcumin can lower the risk of developing diabetes. Those who have diabetes and who took capsules containing curcumin were less prone to develop Type 2 diabetes, compared with people who didn’t take the curcumin capsules.

Milk or Coconut Milk in Preparation of Turmeric Latte

Turmeric latte can be prepared with cow’s milk. Alternatively, you can use coconut milk replacing cow’s milk. Adding coconut milk in turmeric not only gives a soothing feel but also has lots of health benefits.

Coconut milk is nothing but liquid extraction of the fresh coconut scraps. It is easy to extract the milk from the grated coconut. The fat in coconut oil consists of lauric acid, which is hardly found elsewhere. Next to mother’s milk, lauric acid is found only in coconuts.

Our body converts this lauric acid into monolaurin which destroys the lipid-coated viruses such as HIV and herpes.

In addition to using coconut milk to prepare turmeric latte, you can also choose soy milk or almond milk.

How To Prepare Turmeric Latte

Turmeric latte or golden milk is prepared with the following ingredients.

We can also sweeten the turmeric milk with choice of our favourite sweeteners. Traditionally honey is used as a sweetener since the sweetness honey has its own medicinal qualities. Instead of sweetening the milk, we can also add black pepper to turmeric milk as it enhances curcumin’s bioavailability.

  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 1 cup whole milk/almond milk/coconut milk/ soy milk
  • 1 tsp honey or your favourite sweetener (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp ghee/coconut oil/almond oil (optional)
  • 2-3 black peppercorns crushed
  • Pinch of cardamom/ cinnamon powder for flavour (optional)

Take milk in a bowl and add all the ingredients in it except coconut oil and sweetener. Heat milk over a low heat and stir it continuously. Bring it to boil and allow simmering for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and pour the milk into the cup and then add ghee/ coconut oil / almond oil. Add 1 tsp of sweetener (honey) once the milk has cooled down. Drink the milk while it is warm.

You can drink this turmeric latte once a day.

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SEO Tips for blogs

 General
Dec 022017
 

By BloggerKhan

My profession is Management and Marketing and it revolves around outsourcing, ecommerce and marketing on the internet. Wise men say identify what you are passionate about and then see if ...

Have you been blogging for a while but still get just a little traffic? Isn’t that discouraging. Thinking about quitting? Don’t. Not yet. People will come to read your content only if they know about it. You need to get the word out. The SEO optimization of your content will be of huge help. Giving your content an SEO boost will improve your search engine ranking, more people will be able to find your blog, they in turn may share your posts, cross pollination happens and that’s when traffic starts coming.

Let’s start from the basics. Rule number one is keywords. Keywords are words or phrases people use when looking up stuff on search engines. Decide which ones you will try to rank for. The shorter the keyword phrase, the more effort it will take to rank but it is worth giving a shot. However tempting it may sound to use them multiple times in your post, we do not advise it as search engines ban keyword stuffing. So, think wise and place them strategically. Near the beginning and at the end of the article is a good place to start. Then every 300 words or so, include them again. The Yoast SEO plugin may come in very handy in this regard, definitely worth adding that one to your site. Another good one is All-in-One-SEO.

Here are additional tips to optimize your blog posts for SEO:

  • Add several pictures to your content, with captions, alternate text and description. And give the pictures relevant names whenever you are uploading them to your site. IMG005698.jpg is a no-go if you want to make any kind of SEO effort but sailing-hawaii.jpg adds value to your SEO.

  • Hire somebody to make cartoonized pictures. Readers find them interesting and like to share them on social media. This will get you additional traffic.

  • Add short videos – Google likes multi-media content especially videos.

  • Encourage readers to comment. Ask them questions, include Calls to action etc.

  • Mention your blog posts in your newsletter to reach an even bigger audience.

  • Include quality links whenever you are referencing other blogs, articles, link to previous blogs and articles of yours whenever possible.

  • Have visitor friendly URL. These are easy to read and describe the content.

Last but not least, broaden the reach of your content with the help of social media. Target the channels your current and potential new customers are using, then focus on those. Share your links and snippets on social media and invite the audience to read more on your blog. Programs like Hootsuite make this super easy, just a couple of clicks and the link to your new blog post will be published on all your social media accounts. They even let you schedule content ahead of time.

All of the above does not mean your content should be robotic and full of keywords. Your writing is ultimately the most important thing, however you need to follow our tips and tricks to get the attention of search engine algorithms. Once you write the blog post, read through it to make sure everything is SEO friendly and you are ready to hit publish.

Good luck!

PS: Do you have some points to share about promoting blog posts? If so, share your experiences in the comments section below. That’s how we all learn – by sharing.

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Ayurvedic Reason to Soak Nuts and Seeds before Eating

 Ayurvedic
Dec 022017
 

Nuts and seeds are the part of a healthy diet. They play a vital role in preventing disease form our body and keep us healthy as we grow. Nuts and seeds consist of fiber, minerals, vitamins and healthy fats which help to reduce the inflammation in our body and it also reduces the risk of heart disease.

Ayurveda celebrates nuts and seeds as super foods. According to Ayurvedic diet, intake of all types of nuts and seeds in moderation, butters and milks are healthy. Nuts and seeds have been one of the staples of foods for ages across different cultures, various countries all over the world. Nuts and seeds provide lubrication and nutrition to body, skin, joints and hair. Nuts and seeds functions as a good fuel for gastrointestinal fire (heart burn).

Purpose of Soaking Nuts and Seeds

Naturally, a seed or nut normally gets enough moistness from rain to wash-down the acids and enzyme inhibitors so it can take root and yield a plant. By soaking nuts and seeds before we eat, we are imitating nature by neutralizing these toxic growth inhibitors by discharging the natural enzymes and energy within them.

Soaking also makes the nuts and seeds easier to digest. The nutrients in them will be easily and fully absorbed by the body. Nuts and seeds are also soaked to get rid of the dirt, dusts and tannins. Please note we are not supposed to use the water used for soaking nuts and seeds.

The water contains inhibitors and toxic substances like enzyme inhibitors, phytates (phytic acid), polyphenols (tannins), and goitrogens.

We can either use warm water to soak the nuts and seeds. Seeds and nuts contain phosphorus in form of phytic acid. It binds to a mineralit and becomes phytate. This process stops nutrients from being engrossed in the digestive system and reduce the digestibility of these foods.

To make these enzymes ineffective we can add little amount of salt in the water before soaking the nuts and seeds.

Benefits of Soaking Nuts and Seeds

Remove Phytic Coating

Phytic acid coats the raw nuts externally. It actually benefits the nuts but not humans. It may lead to gastrointestinal problems and obstruct the absorption of nutrients. Especially, nuts are rich in minerals, which are not absorbed. Soaking nuts before eating removes phytic acid coating.

Nuts and seeds are especially high in phytic acid which can be removed through the process of soaking (and sometimes sprouting) and drying to further reduce the anti-nutrient content. Soaking is still recommended for ease in blending and for nutritional purposes.

Remove Tannins

Soaking removes the enzyme inhibitors which coats the nuts and seeds to protect them. It is critical to those who are already suffering from digestive problems. Tannins is another element, which may lead to digestive and gastric problems.  Besides, there are many with allergic reaction to Tannins. Eating it aggravates the health issues, if the individual is sensitive to it.

So, soaking remove the tannins from the nuts and seeds.

Soaking nuts before eating them also helps to rinse out the colon thus removing the harmful toxins. It also helps in the better absorption of nutrients

Process of Soaking Seeds

Soaking nuts and seeds required two major things. You can either soak in normal water or warm water.

  • Warm water
  • Sea salt

Take warm water (enough to cover the nuts completely) in a glass bowl or jar and mix sea salt to it. Soak the nuts and seeds for 10 to 12 hours. Drain out the soaked water and completely rinse the nuts.

You can either refrigerate the soaked nuts, after drying. You can dry the nuts in a dehydrator or under the natural sunlight. Once it is fully dried, store in an airtight container.

Alternatively, you can eat nuts within 24 hours or include in cooking or otherwise.

Why warm water and salt?

Ayurveda highlights, soaking nuts and seeds in warm water give added benefits. Soaking in warm water will deactivate all the enzyme inhibitors. It effectively increases the bio-availability of the micro nutrients.

Salt is natural preservative. Adding salt to the nuts and seeds gives more benefits. The salt helps in activating the enzymes that deactivate the enzyme inhibitors present in nuts.

SOAKING TIME OF COMMON NUTS

     
NUTS &SEEDS SOAKING TIME (Hrs.) SPROUTING TIME (Days)
Almonds 8-12 No sprouting
Barley 6 2
Black beans 8-12 3
Brazil Nuts 3 No sprouting
Cashews 2-4 No sprouting
Chickpeas 8 2-3
Flax seeds ½ No sprouting
Hazelnuts 8-12 No sprouting
Macadamias 2 No sprouting
Pistachios 8 No sprouting
Pumpkin seeds 8 3
Sunflower seeds 8 12-24 hrs
Walnuts 4 No sprouting
Pecans 6 No sprouting
Oat grouts 6 2-3
Quinoa 4 2-3
Wheat berries 7 3-4

 

Points to note after soaking nuts

  • Since the water removes the coatings of enzyme inhibitors, it should be drained.
  • Rinse the soaked nuts and seeds properly
  • It is also recommended to do a final rinse with a diluted solution of apple cider vinegar or salt water rinse.

Include nuts and seeds in any form in your diet, regularly.

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Reduce arthritis pain with these Ayurvedic herbs

 Ayurvedic
Dec 012017
 

Winter is usually a difficult season for majority of our elderly folks. This is the season of the year when their Arthritis pain will be at its peak. Arthritis refers to joint pain or joint disease, due to inflammation of joints, affecting one or multiple joints.

Symptoms of arthritis are often seen in adults over 60 years of age. The cold weather further adds to excessive pain, stiffness and swelling in joints. Although there is no permanent cure to this condition, Ayurveda recommends some herbs that can help relieve joint pain. These herbs stem inflammation and help the body in its detoxifying efforts.

According to Ayurvedic experts, hot water fomentation is an excellent therapy to relieve Arthritis pain, as it soothes your joints and helps in better functioning. But, this may help only in mild cases. Although, the kind of medicines or herbs to be used may vary from one individual to another, depending on their severity and other health conditions, given below are some common herbs used by the majority for management of arthritis pain.

Nirgundi

This is among the most common herbs used for relief from joint pain. The plant also helps in reducing inflammation and excess pain, as it has anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-convulsing properties. The leaves of the plant carry medicinal value, followed by the stem and seeds. Nirgundi oil can be applied on joints. Or, make a paste of the leaves and apply, or make a decoction with the leaves. But, Nirgundi oil is the most effective form for arthritic pain. Apply the oil on affected area and leave it for 10 to 15 minutes before washing in lukewarm water. It is more beneficial to apply nirgundi oil before bath to reduce inflammation and pain.

Burdock Root (Arctium lappa)

Burdock contains fatty oils, apart from the presence of sterols and tannins, which makes it a good anti-inflammatory. You can add burdock in your stir-fry recipes, or make decoction (by adding the root to boiling water and allowing it to simmer for 10 minutes. Strain and drink this lukewarm water thrice or four times a day). The herb is also available in capsule form.

Turmeric

There is no herb, which is as effective as an anti-inflammatory herb, as turmeric. It is also a great pain reliever. It contains curcumin, which decreases inflammation. This anti-inflammatory effect is also the reason behind turmeric being often recommended for treatment of cancer, cataract and Alzheimer’s. However, to get the full medicinal benefits of turmeric, you will have to take it as a supplement, apart from adding to your daily diet. The herb can also be used topically to relieve pain.

Ginger

Ginger, which is usually found in every household, has excellent antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. It helps reduce joint pain and swelling. It improves blood circulation too. So it would do good to sip on ginger tea regularly. Also, its essential oil can be applied externally for relief from pain and inflammation.

Ajwain

Ajwain (carom seeds) is a natural aid to arthritis pain, as it has excellent anti-inflammatory properties. The presence of anaesthetic properties in ajwain helps in relieving excessive pain during winter. Add a spoonful of carom seeds into a tub of hot water. Soak your aching joints in the water and sit for 5 to 10 minutes. This will help ease pain and inflammation. This will help in cases of mild pain. Another option is to crush the seeds, make a paste and apply on the affected areas. You can do this, along with drinking ajwain water every day.

Dashmool

Dashmool is a mix of ten medicinal herbs that helps cure variety of ailments. Dashmool (also known as dashamoolam) is an effective anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, analgesic, and sedative, and helps cure joint pain effectively. It is available in the form of oil and powder.

Shallaki

The herb keeps your joints strong and relieves pain and inflammation. It improves mobility too. It is used by Ayurvedic physicians as a substitute to pain killers. It is available in the form of essential oil and in the form of powder.

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus oil is a popular herbal remedy for arthritis. The tannin, present in the leaves of the plant, helps reduce inflammation and pain associated with arthritis. Moreover, the aroma of eucalyptus oil has a calming effect on the brain, while the oil helps relieve the pain and swelling in the joints.

Flaxseed

Due to the presence of Omega-3 in abundance in flax, it helps build immunity and fights inflammation. Include two tablespoons of flaxseeds into your daily diet. However, people with digestive conditions like IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), should avoid it, as it may aggravate their condition.

Note: Although these herbs help in relieving pain associated with arthritis, it is important to consult your doctor before taking any ayurvedic medicines.

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8 Effective Ayurvedic Hair Oils for Hair Fall and Premature Graying of Hair

 Ayurvedic
Nov 302017
 

Let me tell you the truth.

One of these Ayurvedic hair oils is certainly going to rescue your hair!

Hair loss and thinning hair, baldness, dandruff and scalp problems, split ends and premature graying of hair are common hair problems. If you suffer from any of these woes, then it is time to reconsider your regular hair oil for an ayurvedic hair oil.

Coconut oil is known to be the best for hair. And herbal infused coconut oil? Even better! If you are wondering what exactly is an Ayurvedic Hair Oil, then I am going to tell you exactly that. For that, let me address your queries one by one.

 What might be the reason for your hairfall?

  • Stress: stress relates to about 30% of the total causative factors of hairfall. This can be temporary unless you take a serious step in managing your stress levels. “When you have a really stressful event, it can shock the hair cycle, (pushing) more hair into the shedding phase,” explains Marc Glashofer, MD, a dermatologist in New York City.
  • Genetic factors: Genes play a role in the hair fall as well. This is likely to happen in the middle age or later years.Unlike men, women don’t tend to have a receding hairline, instead their part may widen and they may have noticeable thinning of hair. But this can be kept in control if one applies oil on the hair and takes care of the roots.
  • Hormonal changes : This might be a major issue especially if you are a female. Generally women with PCOS, Hypothyroidism. Hair fall is also very common during pregnancy as there is a shift in the normalcy of the hormones. Also hair fall is reported with the women using oral contraceptives and the reason is hormones again!
  • Nutritional deficiencies: Anemia and deficiency of vitamin E and B are known to cause hair fall and it is reversible.
  • Chemotherapy and other drugs: Some of the drugs used to beat back cancer unfortunately can also cause your hair to fall out. “Chemotherapy is like a nuclear bomb,” says Dr. Glashofer. “It destroys rapidly dividing cells. That means cancer cells, but also rapidly dividing cells like hair.” Certain other classes of medication may also promote hair loss. More common among them are certain blood thinners and the blood-pressure drugs known as beta-blockers. Other drugs that might cause hair loss include methotrexate (used to treat rheumatic conditions and some skin conditions), lithium (for bipolar disorder), non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) including ibuprofen, and possibly antidepressants.
  • Styling products: This is an inevitable cause indeed. Hair fall and dandruff occurs to the harsh chemicals in the shampoos, hair dyes, serums, styling products and chemicals used for smoothening or rebonding the hair.

How does Ayurveda explain hair loss?

According to Ayurveda, hair loss (fall) occurs due to excess of Vata. This vata aggravation is in the site of kapha (as head is the site of kapha). The treatment principle therefore adopted is to regulate Vata and strengthen Kapha. It can also occur due to rasa vaha srotodushti which is blockages in the channels carrying the rasa/lymphatic fluid leading to undernourishment of the hair follicles. (I know that’s a bit of techy! But that’s how serious Ayurveda is about hair loss.) A hair oil is selected depending on the root cause of hair fall.

Symptoms:

  • Loss of clumps of hair from your scalp
  • Excessive thinning of your hair/ receding hairline – you may confirm this from your past photographs.
  • Unexplained loss of hair from any part of the body
  • Incomplete hair loss on the scalp and/or eyebrows
  • Flakes or skin on the scalp
  • Dry scales or dust falling to your shoulders
  • Acne on the fore head region
  • Itchy scalp.
  • Unusual change in the colour of the hair.
  • Splits at the end of the hair giving it a rough and shabby look

bhrngraj

Do’s and Don’ts for a healthy hair

Do:

  • Use a mild herbal based shampoo
  • Prefer a natural hair colour such as henna or Bringaraj to synthetic hair dyes.
  • Take nutritious diet and drink enough water
  • Make oiling your hair as a part of your routine
  • Keep your stress levels down
  • Identify and treat your underlying health issue.

Avoid:

  • Tying the hair tight for a long time. This might damage the shaft of the hair
  • Rubbing your hair when it is wet because wet hair is the most vulnerable to damage
  • Using a lot of hair styling products and creams
  • Overuse of blow dryers and straighteners
  • Alcohol, soda and smoking
  • Usage of oral contraceptives
  • Using combs or hair brushes used by another person.

Recommended diet for a healthy hair

A balanced diet with carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals and fats is essential. Some food stuffs that are beneficial include

  • Amla
  • Curry leaves
  • Eggs
  • Walnuts, Almonds and Raisins
  • Lentils
  • Spinach
  • Yogurt
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Bananas
  • Guavas
  • Green tea

Foods to avoid:

  • Sugary drinks/soda/alcohol
  • Strong tea and coffee
  • Fast food
  • Low carb/Low protein/ Low fat diet

Recommended Lifestyle changes

  • Get enough sleep of around 6-7 hours preferably during the night.
  • Regular exercise and healthy sleep habits will increase circulatory and overall health, promoting healthy hair.
  • Take measures to beat the stress.
  • Make oiling the hair a routine and wash it with a very mild herbal based shampoo.
  • Use natural dyeing products like Bringaraj, Amla, Hareetaki and henna.
  • Limit grooming. Do not over brush your hair.
  • Avoid exposure to chlorinated or excessively salty water.
  • Protect your hair from pollution and the sun when you step out.
  • Don’t smoke. According to one report, smokers were four times more likely to have grey hair than non-smokers and were more prone to hair loss.
  • Practice Bhramri pranayam, Uttanasana, Pavanamuktasana, shirasasana, Vajranasana and Ushtrasana helps in increasing the blood circulation to the scalp and helps in hair growth.
  • Love your hair. Gently massage the cuticles, hair shaft and the roots with your finger tips to improve blood circulation and to maintain a healthy hair.

What should you look for in an Ayurvedic hair oil if you have hair problems?

Bhringaraja (Eclipta alba), Amlaki (Emblica officinalis), Bibhitaki (Terminalia bellerica), Aswagandha (Withania somnifera), Yashtimadhu (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia) and daruharidra (Berberis aristata),  are the main herbs used in most of the Ayurvedic oils.

  • Bhringaraja– Also known as Kesharaja or kesharanjan due to its unique quality to strengthen the hair roots and to impart colour to the hair at the same time. Tis herb helps prevent hair fall, rejuvenates the hair and restores the natural colour of hair. It is known to prevent split ends. It also makes hair more manageable and brings damaged hair back to life.
  • Amla(Amlaki/Indian gooseberry) reduces all the aggravated doshas by balancing them. Amla is a rejuvenator to the body so it does the same to the hair as well. It strengthens the hair follicles and reduces the inflammation of scalp. The juice of amla fruit reduces the burning sensation of the scalp.
  • Yastimadhu also balances the tridoshas, (mainly Pitta).  Yashtimadhu prevents baldness, greying and reduces hair fall.
  • Daruharidra – Aqueous extract of this drug called as ‘anjana’ is known to promote hair growth and impart colour to the hair.
  • Ashwagandha(Indian ginseng) pacifies vata dosha. It is indicated in various problems like stress,insomnia,which results in hair loss.
  • Bibhitaki is a rejuvenative to aid hair growth and acts as a natural hair dye to reduce premature graying of hair.

What are some classical Ayurvedic hair oils for hair problems?

You cannot make a choice of hair oil by looking at these herbs alone. Hence I am providing you with some top rated classical hair oils and combinations for a healthy hair.

  1. Kayyunyadi Tailam & Amla powder : A very popular hair oil, Kayyunyadi tailam is made of coconut oil using herbs like bhringaraja, guduchi, amalaki, yastimadhu, daruharidra and cow milk. This is right for you if you have split ends, grey hair and hair fall. This combination balances all the three doshas  and rejuvenates the dry and unmanagable hair.
  2. NeelibhringadiTailam & Bhringaraj powder: Another favourite of women, Neelibringadi oil is contains the extract of neeli (Indigofera tinctorea), bhringaraja, amla, liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) and daruharidra. It would surprise if I am to tell you that Neelibringadi contains not only the essence of coconut milk but also of the milks of cow, goat and buffalo. You should try this if you have itchy scalp, scalp related disorders, alopecia, premature graying, hair fall, and dandruff. This oil promotes hair growth and has cooling effects, best for pitta kapha doshas.
  1. Bhringamalakadi tailam & Brahmi Tablets: This is excellent for scalp problems and insomnia. With bringaraja and amla as the main ingredients, Bringamalakadi is soothing for the head and the eyes. It is also used in the treatment of eye disorders and head aches. Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri), deservedly called as the Herb of Grace, is used in traditional Indian medicines for centuries for the treatment  blood cleansing , chronic skin conditions, constipation, hair loss, fevers, digestive problems, depression, mental and physical fatigue and many more.
  2. Durvadi kera tailam: Itchy head and dandruff? Durvadi it is! Prepared in coconut oil (or sesame oil), Durvadi relieves dandruff with the potent effects of durva leaves (Cynodon dactylon).
  3. Dhurdhurapatradi Thailam & Triphala Tablets : If you prefer sesame oil to coconut oil, then you can use Dhurdhurapatradi tailam to treat hair fall and dandruff. It is made of the juice extract of dhurdurapathra (Datura metel) and is good for itching of the scalp and dandruff. Just note that some companies do prepare this oil is coconut oil base too. This combination balances kapha and vata, dandruff, itching of the scalp, hair fall due to dandruff. Triphala is known to relieve digestive issues, constipation and increases the absorption of nutrients after digestion. Triphala contains gooseberry and hared that are beneficial for the hair.
  4. Chemparathyadi Thailam: I love this! My mother prepares a variation of this at home. Chemparathyadi is made of ingredients including the juice of hibiscus, leaves of bilwa (Aegle marmelos), paranti (Ixora coccinia), betel leaf, tulsi leaf, neeli, vasini, tamalaki, paste of jeeraka (cumin/ Cuminum cyminum)) and krishnajeeraka (Carum carvi). This is very effective for skin and scalp conditions like eczema, scabies, pruritis and dandruff. You may without doubt use this as your regular hair oil to prevent scalp problems and to promote hair growth.
  5. Malatyadi keram: Malatyadi is coconut oil infused with the extracts of malati (jasmin), naktamala (Pongamia pinnata), karaveera (Nerium indicum) and Chitraka (Plumbago zeylanica). It is very effectively used not only in hair fall but also aloepecia, dandruff and premature baldness. It promotes hair growth.
  6. Kunthalakanti Tailam: This is a highly cooling and soothing hair oil that mainly treats dandruff and premature graying of hair. The ingredients include vibhitaki, bhringaraja, amalaki, jambeera taila, neeli panchagandha and milk.

There are so many hair oils in the market. How to know what is genuine and what is not?

Every day there is a new product in the market and an exciting commercial to promote it. You are not going to get carried away by the words of your favourite celebrity talking about the product. You are going to look at the labels, identify the ingredients and consider the authenticity of the product. At best what you can do is to buy from a trusted dealer and of a known brand.

I feel you should opt for a classical Ayurvedic hair oil rather than follow the latest commercial.

Listen, your hair is waiting for you.

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Digestion and Its Abnormality: An Ayurvedic Perspective

 Ayurvedic
Nov 282017
 

 

Digestion is the process by which the food you ingest is broken down into a simpler and absorbable form. According to Ayurveda, Agni is considered as the key factor for digestion and it is responsible for good health of an individual and Ayurvedic medicine for indigestion aims at correcting the agni.

The definition of health in ayurveda goes like this “Samadosha, samagni, samadhatu malakriyah Prasannatma indriya manah swastha ityabhidhiyate”- Sushruta.

A person is said to be healthy when there is balance in his doshas (Vata, pitta and kapha), metabolic factors (agni),  tissues(dhatus), excretory products (malas) and harmony in mental factors like senses  (indriyas), mind (manas) and the soul (atma). This signifies the role of agni in maintenance of normal health.

What are the different types of digestive fire or Agni?

In Ayurveda, there is description of 13 types of agni in the human body:

  • Jatharagni – Jatharagni is the biological fire in the body which is responsible for digestion of food which you eat. It is only one and is present in the abdominal region.
  • Bhutagni – Bhutagni refers to the agni attributed to each panchamahabhutas ( Akasa, Vayu, Agni, Jala and Prithvi). The food we eat is made up of five elements and even our body, this bhutagni transfers the energy from the food to your body into simplest form and support the panchamahabutas in your system. .It is five in number.
  • Dhatvagni – Dhatvagni refers to tissue metabolism. According to Ayurveda, our body is made up of seven dhatus- Body fluids like lymph (Rasa),Blood and its components (Rakta ), Muscular system (Mamsa), adipose or fat tissue (Meda),Skeletal system ( Asthi), Bone marrow(Majja ) and reproductive system(Shukra Dhatu). The nutrients absorbed from the intestine is processed in each of these system by respective dhatvagnis for their nourishment, proper functioning and development. It is seven in number.

Jatharagni is further divided into 4 types according to the dosha dominance and intensity of  agni:

  • Vishama Agni– Dominance of vata dosha manifests vishamagni in an individual. It is characterised by varying or irregular digesting capacity. Sometimes the digestion will be fast and good, sometimes it will be slow and weak.
  • Teekshna Agni– Dominance of pitta dosha manifests teekshna agni. It is characterised by intense and quick digestive capacity. Whatever you eat gets digested very soon and it starts burning the body tissues leading to weakness.
  • Manda Agni- Dominance of kapha dosha results in mandagni. Majority of the diseases are characterized by mandagni. In this digestion is very slow and sluggish.

Ayurveda quotes that “sarve rogaapi mandagnau sudaraamudarani cha”  which means all the diseases are due to the mandagni and it starts from the abdominal region. Thus agni plays an inevitable role in the ayurvedic treatment and those herbs that have the property of agni deepana and pachana (appetizing and carminative -metabolic properties) are included as ayurvedic medicine for indigestion.

  • Sama Agni- Balance in all the doshas manifests sama agni. It is responsible for healthy development and normal functioning of the body. In this the digestion is neither slow nor fast.

How do you identify that you have indigestion?

Sounds silly! But one may neglect any of these symptoms usually:

  • Acidity, sour belching
  • Bitter or sour taste in the mouth.
  • Constipation or diarrhoea
  • The smell of food while burping.
  • Bloating or gas in the abdomen.
  • Stomach pain/pricking sensation
  • Discomfort or fullness in the upper part of the abdomen.
  • Fatigue.
  • Loss of appetite
  • Nausea / vomiting.

What causes indigestion?

Before anybody takes any Ayurvedic medicine for indigestion one should know the cause.

    • Are you Skipping breakfast,eating a late night dinner or taking food at irregular timing?
    • Are you over eating or eating before the previously consumed food is digested?
    • Are you a drinking large amount of water or juice immediately after food?
    • Do you drink a lot?
    • Do you take leftovers, refrigerated or frozen foods?
    • Do you Eat too fast or slow, eating while driving, standing, just before going to shower?
    • Do you consume either dry or oily (deep fried) foods very often or foods prepared after soaking for longer duration in water and very spicy foods?
    • Are you emotionally disturbed?
      • “The food you eat can be either the safest medicine and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison”– Ann Wigmore.

What are the different types of indigestion (Ajirna)?

    • Vistabdha ajirna – caused due to vitiation of vata dosha. It is characterized by pain abdomen, bloated stomach or gaseous distension, pain all over the body, fatigue, non elimination of stools and flatus.
    • Vidagdha ajirna – caused due to vitiation of pitta dosha. It cause burning sensation in the chest and throat region, different kinds of pain, increased feeling of thirst, sour eructation or belching, tiredness, fainting and giddiness.
    • Ama ajirna – caused due to vitiation of kapha dosha. The feature of this are puffiness of around the eyes and face, frothy and increased salivation in the mouth, nausea, repeated belching having the smell of the food you ate and feeling of heaviness in the body.
    • Vilambika – caused due to vitiation of kapha and vata along with accumulation of ama. Person suffering with this, feels very lazy and discomfort in the chest region.
    • Rasa sesha ajirna – This is caused due to heavy and late night dinner. In this, you will feel that the food consumed last night is not digested when you wake up in the morning.

What is ama according to ayurveda?

In Ayurveda there is a concept called Ama, which is considered as the main reason for majority of the diseases. Ama is a toxic substance formed due to any of the above said ajirna. This ama is circulated all over the body through minute channels and gets lodged in different parts of the body causing diseases.Constipation is common for all types of ajirna and it is the sign of weak digestion. Ama pachana (metabolising the toxins) is the first step in Ayurvedic treatment for indigestion.

What are the Characteristics of good digestion (Jeerna ahara lakshana)?

  • Clear belching without any smell or taste of the food.
  • Feeling energetic devoid of heaviness and lethargy.
  • Proper and timely elimination of waste products devoid of constipation and loose stools.
  • Sense of lightness.
  • Feels hungry and thirsty after stipulated time.

How to manage indigestion at home?

Ayurvedic treatment for indigestion with home remedies:

  • The first line of treatment for all types of indigestion is fasting (Langhana) . Skip the meal if you feel your previous food is not digested and eat only when you feel hungry.
  • If you are feeling nauseous or vomiting, vomit it out. Never suppress the sensation by taking antiemetic drugs. To ease vomiting, you can drink 2 large glasses of lukewarm water with ½ spoon of rock salt.
  • A pinch of sendha salt with a spoon of lemon juice and ginger juice taken together cures indigestion and increases appetite and taste perception.

Home remedies for Abdominal Pain

  • If you are having pain and gaseous distension of the abdomen, keep hot water bag on your abdomen for few minutes.
  • Chew ½ tsp of jeera with pinch of salt and asafoetida, followed by cup of hot water.
  • Dry roast equal quantity of fennel seeds, coriander seeds and jeera. Grind to a fine powder and take ½ tsp of this powder with warm water thrice a day.
  • Boil 1 tsp of ajwain in 1 liter of water, fill it in a flask and keep sipping this water often.

An ayurvedic medicine for indigestion is not required will not be required for a person who consumes cumin seeds, asafoetida and ajwain on a daily basis.

5 Important must Do’s for a good digestion:

  1. Chew food properly while eating.
  2. Always prefer light food and in moderate quantity. It is advisable to eat only 3/4th of your stomach capacity, never eat full stomach.
  3. Regularly use jeera, pepper, asafoetida, garlic and ginger in your cooking.
  4. Drink water sip by sip along with the meal. Always luke warm water is preferred if you have weak digestion.
  5. Chew a small piece of fresh ginger with pinch of salt just before meals.

How to Naturally Improve Your Appetite and Digestion? Read here

6 Important Things you should NOT DO for Improving Digestion:

  1. Do not take the food stuffs that are incompatible to one another (viruddhahar). See the infographic below on viruddhahar to know about the incompatible food combinations. None of the ayurvedic medicine for indigestion works if a person is continuously taking viruddhahar.
  2. Do not indulge in raw salads. Uncooked foods are difficult to digest. Take soups instead.
  3. Do not eat food if you are not hungry.
  4. Do not consume cold food or reheated food.
  5. Do not take curd  if your digestion is weak. Opt for buttermilk instead.
  6. Do not eat with an anxious, fearful and depressive mind.

Viruddhahar

Ayurvedic medicine for indigestion (Ajirna)

  • Churnas – Hingvastak churna, trikatu churna, vaishvanara churna.
  • Vatis – Chitrakadi vati, agnitundi vati
  • Kashayas – Usually in weak digestion kashayas are not preferred. one may be given Gandharvahasthadi kashayam, Indukantham kashayam according to the nature of indigestion.
  • Arista –  Dasamoolajeerakarishta,, pippalyasavam and ajamoda arka. In children, Aravindasavam is ideal choice as an ayurvedic medicine for indigestion.

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DIY: Prepare your digestive powder / Hingvastak Choorna at home

 Ayurvedic
Nov 282017
 

Toxins get accumulated in the body for various reasons. Ayurveda refers accumulation of toxin as “ama” which is caused by food indigestion, which is an imbalance. Ama affects the immune power, causes imbalance in doshas and opens gate for diseases. Indigestion is the major cause of most of the diseases. Foods you consume should be healthy, fresh and easily digestible in time. Besides, indigestion should be addressed naturally.

Ayurveda Acharyas used “Higvastak Churna” to increase digestion and relieve indigestion in Ayurvedic practice. The hingwastak powder helps to digest the body toxin (ama) and prevents its accumulation. Hingwastak Churna mainly contains very safe and easily available herbal spices.

What is Indigestion

Indigestion (dyspepsia) is a general term for pain or discomfort felt in the upper abdomen and under the ribs that usually occurs after a person has been eating or drinking. Indigestion and heartburn can occur together or on their own. Despite its name, heartburn has nothing to do with the heart. It happens when your esophagus, the tube that goes from your throat to your stomach, gets irritated by acid that comes up from your stomach.

What happens if a valve at the top of the stomach doesn’t work properly? Most people have felt heartburn at one time or Indigestion affects nearly everyone at some point in their lives. It’s uncomfortable, but it’s usually not a serious health problem. If it happens often, you may have a more serious condition called GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease.) Left untreated, GERD can sometimes lead to other problems, including:

  • Inflammation and ulcers in the esophagus
  • Hoarseness
  • Lung disease
  • Barrett’s esophagus — a change in the lining of the esophagus that makes you more likely to get esophageal cancer.

Ingredients of Hingwashtak churna or Powder

  1. Dry ginger powder

Ginger is among the healthiest spices on the planet.It is loaded with nutrients and bioactive compounds that have powerful benefits for your body and brain.Ginger can be used fresh, dried, powdered, or as an oil or juice. Ginger Contains Gingerol, a Substance with Powerful Medicinal Properties. It is believed that delayed emptying of the stomach is a major driver of indigestion.Interestingly, ginger helps to speed up emptying of the stomach in people with this condition.

  1. Ajwain powder

The spice, that every Indian household is more familiar with, “Carom seeds help in maintaining your digestive health”. They treat any kind of abdominal discomfort due to indigestion like stomach pain or burning sensation. Ajwain seeds are rich in fiber, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants.The active enzymes in ajwain help in boosting our digestive functions by facilitating the release of gastric juices.

  1. Long pepper powder

Long pepper (Pippali) is a very diverse essential in the world of Ayurvedic medicine which means to drink and digest. It Increases the digestion and burns toxins. As an herb or a culinary spice, Pippali is commonly used to treat a wide range of disorders.

  1. Black pepper powder

Black pepper is the fruit of the black pepper plant. The chemical piperine, which is present in black pepper, causes the spiciness, eases digestion and stimulates the stomach, which then secretes more hydrochloric acid that helps to digest proteins in food. Black pepper is a rich source of minerals and vitamins. Black pepper has a high content of dietary fiber and has a moderate amount of protein and carbohydrates too.

  1. Cumin powder

Cumin is a good source of energy, vitamin, and minerals. It is also rich in protein and amino acids, carbohydrates, dietary fiber and a reasonable amount of fats & fatty acids. Thymol, a compound in cumin, helps with digestion by preventing the formation of gas in the gastrointestinal tract.

  1. Black cumin powder

Black Cumin is rich in nutrients like protein, vitamins, and calcium and iron. Black cumin after the meals helps digestion or clam upset stomachs.

  1. Rock salt

It is also known as “Halite”, which is a mineral of Sodium chloride. Rock salt is rich in minerals and does not pose health problems. It is used for digestive disorders as it improves appetite, removes gas and soothes heartburn.

8. Hing – This is the major ingredient in this Churna

Hing means Asafoetida, which is the main ingredient and Ashta means 8 indicating that this product contains 8 ingredients. Churna means powder. Hing is known as an old culinary ingredient which is enriched with various healthy properties. In this article, we are going to see how to prepare this Hingwastak choorna at home. This can be prepared at home easily by using ingredients available on kitchen shelves.  Here is a method of preparing “hingwastak powder or churna”.

Preparation of Hingwastak Churna

Take 1 teaspoon of all the above-mentioned ingredients and mix it well. The prepared hingvashtak powder can be stored in an airtight jar and can be stored for 6 months. Consume ¼ teaspoon of higvashtak churna with the equal quantity of ghee (clarified butter) before consuming food, two times a day.  It is a boon for foodies who want to relish food without landing up in indigestion.

Benefits of Hingwastak churna

  • This herbal preparation is the mixture of salt, spice, and herbs.
  • Provide relief from gas, bloating, and spasms.
  • Very good to improves metabolism.
  • This medicine helps in reducing fat.
  • For improving appetite, digestion, and assimilation this is very good.
  • This medicine stimulates healthy and unobstructed peristalsis.
  • It balances downward moving energies.
  • Very effective in stomach infection, bloating, indigestion and abdominal pain.
  • This churna regulates apana vayu (vata responsible for moving downwards and eliminating stool, flatus, urine, menses and the fetus).

Note:

This article is composed for awareness and education purpose only. Visit the nearest Ayurveda doctor or practitioner for the proper dosage and prescription of the preparation for the better management.

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How to improve your Linkedin Engagement

 General
Nov 262017
 

By BloggerKhan

My profession is Management and Marketing and it revolves around outsourcing, ecommerce and marketing on the internet. Wise men say identify what you are passionate about and then see if …

Many people who join Linkedin understand its importance for B2B networking but struggle with engaging members. They post content, some heavily, some lightly and though that helps, it still does not deliver many leads.

Many people approach Linkedin as an avenue to siphon off traffic from Linkedin to their own website. Though an understandable and sound approach, that ignores the fact that a lot of engagement can and does takes place on Linkedin itself.

Your profile on Linkedin and your company pages on Linkedin can be put to good use to help people understand what you do and if there is common ground for both of you to further explore. Once you understand this, your strategy changes from generating traffic to your website to generating more profile views and more people requesting to connect with you and joining your group(s).

This video will help you improve your Linkedin engagement, generate more profile views, and grow your Group.

Good Luck!

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Top 5 Healthy Drink For Your Digestion Are Revealed

 Ayurvedic
Nov 242017
 

by Hang Pham

November 24, 2017

Topics: Ayurveda

Healthy drinks not only have the effect of regular refreshments but also detoxify the body and make the digestive system work more smoothly. Besides having a good diet, you should pay more attention to your daily drinks because they will work well to give you a better health.

This article is only for informational purpose and not aimed at medical advice. In the following content, there are top 5 healthy drinks for your digestion that we recommend you to use every day. Hope that after reading this, you can find the best choice for yourself.

Mint Tea

The very first kind of drinks in top 5 healthy drink for your digestion. Mint tea not only helps to raise our mood up and refresh the muscles but also have many other benefits such as weight loss, bright skin, gastrointestinal treatment. Mint leaves are thought to work well in improving the flow of bile through the stomach, helping to speed up the digestive tract and making it easier to digest. For this reason, you should drink mint tea as a natural remedy for flatulence and may also relieve pain and discomfort from flatulence.

Yogurt

Through the lactic fermentation process, a portion of the protein in the milk breaks down into amino acids, the carbohydrates that are converted into lactose that is easily digested, and when producing the yogurt people will ferment it to create some bacteria good for the intestinal tract, helping balance the intestinal flora. There is a good bacterium in our body that hydrolyzes organic matter, in addition to this, it also produces B vitamins and K vitamins, and in particular, works as a barrier to biology that helps the body fight infections. Lactobacillus Casei Shirota is a highly viable bacterium, regardless of facing gastric or bile drainage. It not only helps stabilize the intestinal tract but also increases the immunity, helps people who are tired of eating feel the appetite. Because of those vital benefits, yogurt is undeniable to be one of the top 5 healthy drinks for your digestion.

Ginger Tea

The next healthy drinks for your digestion is ginger tea. Ginger has been well-known as a favorite spice for its ability to treat various problems of the digestive tract. Some kinds of common illnesses include: Bloating and abdominal distension, indigestion, stomach cramps and nausea or morning sickness can be treated effectively by using ginger. Ginger is used as a condiment ingredient or made into products such as cakes, candies, jams, tea. A cup of hot ginger tea will help you feel much more comfortable, prevent digestive diseases besides supporting, balancing the acid in the intestines and reduce intestinal spasm. You can make fresh ginger tea or use ginger tea prepared as a powder to mix, especially on cold days a cup of ginger tea will help you warm your belly and have a deeper sleep.

Carrot Juice

The next kind of 5 healthy drinks for your digestion is carrot juice. Carrots are the foods commonly used in family meals, not only to help our food more colorful but also good for our health. Substances found in carrots such as vitamin C, D, E and B vitamins. In addition to this, it contains carotenes (higher than in tomatoes) that after entering the body, this substance will gradually metabolize into vitamin A, the vitamin of the growth and youth. Beta-carotene is the active ingredient that helps the liver to eliminate toxic effects, the pectin is especially good for people with gastrointestinal disorders removing all the toxins in the intestine so that the toxins are not absorbed into the body. A delicious and healthy carrot juice that is good for your health should be added to the menu right away.

Sweet Potato Milk

It contains a lot of fiber, calcium, iron, vitamins A, C, E that are good for the digestive system and provides many good nutrients for the digestive system. Sweet potatoes also have the advantage of being easy to find and buy and it is also quite cheap, and this is also the least pest-affected food due to its underground roots, which is very safe for the digestive system especially for young children. Folk experience often tells that if you get into trouble with constipation, you should eat raw potatoes or you can turn it into cooked dishes which also have the same effect. Especially purple sweet potato vitamins replace canned fruit juices with the much better effects such as a fresher mouth, good young skin. To make sweet potato milk, you can prepare milk, filtered water, blender, and get the sweet potato steamed and sliced into the blender with milk. By giving you those important benefits, the sweet potato milk deserves to be one of the top 5 healthy drinks for your digestion.

A healthy body must excrete the toxins in the body smoothly. Do not wait to get into trouble with some diseases of the digestive tract and then try to find drugs. Get started right away with the familiar foods that are recommended to add to your diet every day. Hope that the top 5 healthy drinks for your digestion above will help you in some ways to improve your digestive system. If you have any question, please leave a comment below.

Posted by Huyen My, a health and beauty expert at VKool.com and AllRemedies.com

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Frequent Urination: Causes and Ayurvedic Treatment

 Ayurvedic
Nov 242017
 

Normal frequency of urination varies from 4-7 times to 6- 10 times a day for each individual. Frequent urination is the condition where you tend to pass urine more frequently than what’s normal for you. It may occur either only during night time for some individuals or may be both morning and night time. Ayurvedic treatment for frequent urination employs, medicines, diet and lifestyle.

Causes of Frequent Urination

  • Urinary tract infection.
  • Certain medications which increase urine production.
  • Excessive consumption of certain beverages and fluids.
  • Diabetes mellitus and insipidus.
  • Benign prostatic hypertrophy in males.
  • Pregnancy in females.
  • Overactive bladder.
  • Stones or calculus.
  • Abnormal kidney functioning.
  • Mental disturbance like anxiety, unusual fear, etc.
  • Urinary incontinence due to muscular or neural weakness.

When to see your doctor?

These are alarming call for a person with frequent urination to consult a doctor.

  1. Is there blood in your urine?
  2. Is your urine dark yellow or brown?
  3. Do you have pain while urinating?
  4. Don’t you have control over your bladder?
  5. Do you have fever?
  6. Do you wake up more than twice on the night to urinate?

Ayurvedic view of frequent urination

Atimutrata is the term used for increased frequency of urination. It may be referred to as the excessive secretion of urine (polyurea) or the excessive elimination. The pathogenesis according to ayurveda varies in these two condition which changes the treatment pattern completely. It is considered as vitiation of apana vayu (apana vayu vaigunya) in the channels that carry urine (mutra vaha srotas). The mutravaha srotas has its root at the kidneys and the path extends upto the urethra via the ureter and urinary bladder.

  • When it is due to excessive secretion, it is a pathology in the kapha dosha and the water element (drava dhatu) of the body.
  • When there is no excessive secretion, it is the vitiation of vata dosha along with the water element (drava dhatu) of the body. It may or may not be associated with kapha.
  • In the symptoms of prameha(a group of urinary disorders that includes madhumeha/diabetes), excessive urination (prabhuta mutrata) is mentioned as a cardinal symptom.

Ayurvedic Treatment for frequent urination -Protocol

Ayurvedic treatment for frequent urination (atimutrata) includes the following:

  1. Snehana-swedana (oleation and fomentation) followed by snigdha virechana (purgation) in case of retention of urine (mutraghata).
  2. Enema procedures such as Asthapana basti, anuvasana basti and uttara basti are helpful.
  3. Medicines causing movement of vata in a normal direction (Vatanulomana and udavarta hara) and those which help in voiding of urine (mutrala) are helpful.
  4. Tub bath (avagaha) with herbal decoctions of varuna, gokshura, Brihati, shatavari punarnava are helpful.

Ayurvedic treatment for frequent urination

  1. Sukumaram kashayam is a herbal decoction that is helpful in this condition.
  2. Chandraprabhavati tablets relieves symptoms of urinary retention, Urinary tract infection and BPH.
  3. Ayurstate tablets are exclusively used in the treatment of BPH, urinary retention and Prostate cancer.

Treatments for frequent urination

  1. Kegel exercises: These are floor exercises that can be performed by both men and women that will improve the muscle tone of the pelvis. Results are observed as early as two weeks when performed properly. It is known to reduce incontinence and over active bladder.Learn how to perform kegel excercises here.
  2. Bladder training: This involves holding the urge for a certain amount of time, setting time intervals for passing urine. This technique is known to change the bladder habits.
  3. Changing diet: avoiding foods that irritate the bladder or act as a diuretic, for instance caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, spicy foods, artificial sweeteners. Eating high-fiber foods can help reduce the constipation that worsens an overactive bladder.

Home remedies in ayurvedic treatment for frequent urination

  1. The fruit rind of pomegranate is ground and 1 tsp of this paste is taken with water in the morning and evening before food daily. This is known the cure the urinary frequency.
  2. Fenugreek seed powder  consumed with a pinch of dry ginger in the early morning and at night relieves this condition.
  3. Intake of jamun seed powder with raw honey on an empty stomach is known to cure frequent urination. It is also an effective remedy to reduce blood sugar levels.
  4. Intake of sesame seeds with jaggery thrice a day controlls frequent urination.
  5. Intake of coconut water relieves the UTI symptoms and cures frequent urination.
  6. Intake of Curd helps in reducing frequent  urination. Curd is known to have the property of withholding the liquids (grahi) and thus cures the problem.
  7. Intake of juice of one amla with honey and a banana along with it will take you out of this problem. It can be taken three times in a day and is beneficial for all age groups and in pregnant women.
  8. Reetha powder (soapnut) – 1/2 tsp with a glass of water will relieve the symptom in a week.
  9. Powder of pumpkin seeds with water cures the problem.

Diet to control frequent micturition

The following food habits is known to help along with the medicines is employed in the ayurvedic treatment for frequent urination:

  1. Juice of pomegranate, aloe vera juice, tender coconut water, cranberry juice and gooseberry juice is helpful.
  2. Intake of apples, bananas,apples, sweet potatoes, grapes, raspberries, beans, bananas, brown rice, and cherries.
  3. Add cumin, fennel seeds, jaggery, cinnamon and fenugreek seeds in your diet.
  4. Include curd and buttermilk in your diet.
  5. Take a lot of spinach,pumpkin and plantain stems.

3 foods to avoid:

  1. Artificial sugar
  2. Alcohol
  3. Fried food, junk food and pastries.

3 Yoga poses for controlling  frequent urination

There are a few yoga poses just like kegel exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor.

1.Triangle Pose(Trikonasana):

Stand with your feet very wide apart so your legs make a triangle to the floor. Turn your right foot 90 degrees. Align the center of the right heel with the center of your arch of your left foot. Inhale deeply. As you exhale, bend your body down from the hips to the right. As you bend down keep your back straight, place your right hand down by your right foot (you may place it on your shin, foot or on the ground beside your foot for balance) and point your left arm up to the sky. Breathe deeply while you are in this pose. After you’ve done some deep breathing, inhale and come up. Bring your arms down to your sides and straighten your feet.

2. Squat Pose(Malasana):

Stand with your feet a little wider than hip distance apart. Pivot your toes so they are facing outward and are wider than your heels. Bend your knees deeply until your hips are lower than your knees. Bring your hands palm-to-palm and place your elbows at the inner parts of your knee. Push your elbows into your knees to open up your hips. Attempt to raise your heart up to the sky to stretch your back and spine. Hold for 30 seconds. To release, sit back on your buttocks or push up to stand.

3.Chair Pose (Utkatasana):

Stand with your feet facing forward hip-width apart. Inhale as you face your palms forward moving them above your head. Exhale and bend your knees, while squatting down. Move your hips into the floor, almost like you are sitting in a chair. Bring your weight to the heels of your feet and do not lower your bottom to lower than your knees. Keep your knees pointing straightforward. Press your shoulders down and try to arch your spine. Breathe for roughly three to six minutes. To release this pose, inhale and slowly straighten your legs. Reach your arms up and stretch as you exhale and place your hands by your side.

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Life Changing Ayurvedic Documentary – Have You Watched?

 Ayurvedic
Nov 232017
 

Ayurveda is the science of life. It is one of the ancient healing practices, dates back to 5000 years. Ayurveda emphasize on the way of life. It is not just a medication, but a lifestyle. It connects body, mind and spirit. Besides, it harmonizes the system of wellbeing by focusing on physical, psychological and emotional health.

Adding more life to the the film is a subtle gem. It invites you to discover nature and human nature with poetic images of ancient healing system known as AYURVEDA. The director did a wonderful job of displaying India as the custodian of the ancient science of healing, Ayurveda and covered a lot of ground, both figuratively and literally.

Background score adds life to the movie. The tranquil score evokes another aspect of Vedic knowledge –Ghandharva Veda  the melodious of nature.

Ayurveda: Art of Being – Movie Casting 

DIRECTOR Pan Nalin
YEAR OF RELEASE 2001
CAST Brahmanand Swamigal
Vaidya Narayan Murthy
Dr. Nicolos Kostopoulos
Dr. Ashwin Barot
Dr. Scott Gerson
PRODUCERS Karl Baumgartner (producer)
Christoph Friedel (producer)
Claudia Steffen (line producer)
Christa Saredi (co-producer)
Reinhard Brundig (co-producer)
WRITERS Pan Nalin
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Serge Guez
PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT Dilip Shankar (production manager & researcher)
Natasha de Betak (2nd unit director)
EDITING Pan Nalin
Ben von Grafenstein
MUSIC Cyril Morin
SOUND Dominique Davy

About the Director and an Excerpt from his Interview

Pan Nalin is a director, screen writer and a documentary film maker. He is an award winning film maker.

First and most important thing that every film maker should keep in mind is to develop the clarity about the theme on which they want to make a short film. Due to internet, DVD etc. borders are being vanished. Spirituality is in our culture. I came to realize that let it be any kind of story, understanding of spirituality in it has great importance. For example, the latest highly successful commercial film Avatar has the spiritual angle in it. Likewise other films such as Star Wars and Matrix too have the spiritual concept.

But often, people do confuse spirituality with religion. I don’t believe in it at all. I believe that spirituality can exist equally in Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. Those who are highly religious, sometimes, there is no spirituality at all in them and to reverse to it, those who are not religious at all, are highly spiritual. This is actually hard to define. It’s indeed a matter of sadness that the gap between spirituality and religion is increasing day by day.

When I left my home for my passion, my father asked me “If you’ve two paths ahead of you, one quite easier and the second very tough, which one will you chose?” To which I replied “the tougher one.” And he said “Now you’re ready to go ahead.”

Take a look at some of the reviews / comments from the movie viewers:

It has been awhile since I last watched this film, but I’ve watched it several times from a standpoint that includes quite a lot of knowledge and direct experience of Ayurveda. Ayus is life and Veda is Knowledge – so Ayurveda is Knowledge or science of life. So-called “modern” or “western” medicine is a relative newcomer – having really only been around for the past 150 years or so, while Ayurveda is thousands of years old. Even in the US there is still a LOT of traditional folk medicine, and increasingly Ayurveda is making inroads and being recognized as holistic and preventative and truly a system of health care – as opposed to “modern” medicine’s fragmented (just look at the specialties) and disease care approach.

It was pleasure to watch this film. I applaud the makers of this film for bringing out this wealth of knowledge; making people aware of this ancient science. Such simple film-making and yet so impacting.

The film is about how the order of the universe, when you have the ability to perceive it, can be used to make individuals right. In essence it is about the practice of understanding cosmic order and the place of entities in that order.

Being a fan of this unique Indian filmmaker, I could not ignore Ayurveda. I watched it twice in theaters and later at home on DVD. One of the most inspiring and thought provoking work.

With “western” medicine – disease care – becoming less affordable every day, “western” drugs costing so much and having so many harmful side effects, and an epidemic of obesity in the US, this refreshing look at a simpler approach is quietly reassuring and shows us the path to integrating the best of western medicine with the time tested Knowledge of Life

Here is the link to the full movie, Ayurveda – Art of Being.

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New tourism programme ‘AyurBodha’ launched in Kerala

 Ayurvedic
Nov 232017
 

For those visiting Kerala, a new tourism programme, titled ‘AyurBodha’, a blend of tourism and information on Ayurveda, would be available. The programme was launched at the World Travel Mart (WTM) in London.

The programme was launched by the Tourism Minister of the State, Kadakampally Surendran. The new offering is from the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC), and those opting for this programme can stay at any of the KTDC resorts located in pristine parts of Kerala, and learn about Ayurveda, the ancient medicinal stream.

The focus would be mainly on basic home remedies and diet regimes, ayurvedic practices for rejuvenation of body and soul, secrets of pressure points, basics of Panchakarma treatment, and history and use of medicinal plants.
The visitors would also get a certificate for having gained the knowledge of Ayurveda.

Speaking on ‘AyurBodha’, the minister said, Ayurveda is a unique initiative and has the potential to increase visitor numbers to Kerala. The KTDC has some of the best ayurveda practitioners for the initiative.

The ‘AyurBodh’ is a 15-day package, priced at $100 per day per person. It includes accommodation and complimentary breakfast. The location is chosen based on one’s preference.

The WTM held from 6th to 9th November this year, was one of the largest of its kind events in the world, and it involves participation of more than 51,000 travel professionals and key industry buyers from around the world.

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The Best Regional Books for Plant Identification and Foraging Wild Foods and Herbs

 General
Nov 222017
 

The Best Regional Books for Plant Identification and Foraging Wild Foods and Herbs

By Meghan Gemma with Juliet Blankespoor

The following article is a sneak peek into our 375-hour Online Foraging Course: Edible and Medicinal Wild Herbs, which begins in early 2018! The course begins with the basic ground rules of foraging safety and ethics, and then moves on to botany and plant identification. Before you know it, you’ll have the skills and confidence to safely identify and harvest wild plants.
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You’ll befriend THE most common edible and medicinal wayside plants, including dandelion, stinging nettles, violet, yarrow, burdock, rose, goldenrod, and many others. The printable manual is hundreds of pages long and filled with close-up photos for identification, medicinal uses, and loads of easy-to-follow recipes. In fact, most of our plant profiles contain more detail than you’ll find in any book on wild foods and herbs.

Registration for this online course runs December 20th, 2017 through January 15th, 2018 and is only open once a year. The course runs January 15th through November 1st, 2018!
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Juliet Blankespoor’s study, including her “top shelf” books

If you’ve ever felt frustrated trying to choose a reliable field guide to take foraging with you, you’re not alone. There are heaps of books on the subject, and the selection can be dizzying. It’s truly important—you might even say a matter of life and death—to make solid choices in this department. To give you a hand, we cozied up in the Chestnut library and got studious, reviewing all the regional wild food and medicine books we could get our hands on, and checking each one for botanical accuracy and attention to detail. The best are queued up here, and there’s a little something for everyone, from bright-eyed beginners to seasoned foragers and plant enthusiasts.

The books we feature are fairly specific; they dial in on bioregions throughout North America and are tailored to help you safely identify plants and forage wild food and medicine right where you live. As a companion to this list, please check out The Ten Best Books on Foraging Wild Foods and Herbs, which is the field guide lowdown to our favorite general foraging books (which pertain to most of temperate North America and Eurasia). We highly recommend starting with our article Sustainably Foraging for Wild Edibles and Herbs. You’ll notice some general guides on botany and plant families at the beginning of this list. Understanding plant families—and how to identify them—is a huge first step for any forager or self-respecting plant nerd.

And if all this merely whets your appetite, come join us for our Online Foraging Course: Edible and Medicinal Wild Herbs (releasing with the New Year 2018). We’ll give you all the tools you need to explore plant identification, wild food and medicine foraging, and the herbal uses of the most abundant and healing wild plants of the temperate world. Plus, we’ll share our very favorite culinary and medicinal recipes. On the other hand, if a more comprehensive course on DIY herbalism is up your alley, take a peek at our Online Herbal Immersion.

In good conscience, we simply couldn’t list many popular wild food guides here, mostly because they do not emphasize poisonous look-alikes in their plant descriptions, which could mean fatal consequences for foragers using those books. If you think there’s a book that deserves to be mentioned but isn’t, please let us know—we’ll continue expanding this guide as new resources become available!
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I can’t wait to really dive into this book!

Contents:

General Botany Books

Botany in a Day by Thomas J. Elpel. A botanical classic and best seller that has a place on every forager’s shelf. Elpel shares what he calls “The Patterns Method” of plant identification, a fast and easy way to begin recognizing the key traits of various plant families. This tutorial has helped more budding botanists, herbalists, and foragers than any other identification guide I know! Elpel also features descriptions of plant families throughout North America, along with profiles of notable members from each family, including comments on edible and medicinal uses. Highly recommended. Be sure to purchase the most recent edition.

Flowering Plant Families of the World by V. H. Heywood. A beautiful book for the coffee table or reference library, this hardcover classic is filled with gorgeous, scientifically accurate illustrations and range maps for over five hundred plant families throughout the world. Make sure to purchase the 2007 edition.

Photographic Atlas of Botany and Guide to Plant Identification by James Castern. Easy to read, with detailed color photographs that illustrate plant family characteristics, this guide is perfect for those who are really excited about botany and plant identification. The book is spiral-bound and quite hefty, so it’s more of a desk reference than an actual field guide. Some of the plant family classifications are out of date, but the general botany photos are still applicable, as is the bulk of the plant family photographs and descriptions.

Plant Identification Terminology: An Illustrated Glossary by James Harris and Melinda Woolf Harris. An excellent reference for those studying botany or wanting to use technical keys in the field, this guide clearly illustrates nearly two thousand botanical terms!

A Tour of the Flowering Plants by Priscilla Spears. Filled with high-quality color photographs, this is a wonderful reference for those who prefer visual learning. The author illustrates and explains over a hundred flowering plant families and includes a botanical glossary to help the beginner get started.
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Usnea (Usnea sp.) harvest

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Northwestern United States + British Columbia

The Boreal Herbal: Wild Food and Medicine Plants of the North by Beverley Gray. Part plant-identification guide, part food- and medicine-making manual, this book is a treasury of plants that grow throughout the north (and much of the temperate world). Excellent reading for beginners, experienced foragers, and anyone who loves herbs. Speaks to the heart and soul of wild food and herbal medicine. Features lots of photography and beautiful writing.

Discovering Wild Plants: Alaska, Western Canada, the Northwest by Janice Schofield Eaton. This superb field guide covers 147 wild plants, detailing their identification, range, traditional and contemporary uses, and medicinal properties. Each plant is accompanied by photographs and line drawings. The book is currently out of print, making used copies a bit more expensive than other field guides, but it’s worth the splurge!

The Jepson Manual: Vascular Plants of California, Second Edition edited by Bruce Baldwin et al. This is a hefty hardcover tome that covers both native and naturalized vascular plants throughout California. This is a technical key best suited to seasoned botanists; IT’S NOT A BEGINNER GUIDE! Unlike many technical keys, however, it features illustrations, and a new chapter on the vegetative history of California is included.

Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West by Michael Moore. One of several invaluable guides written by herbalist Michael Moore. This book covers plants ranging from Baja California to Alaska, featuring identification tips, medicinal uses, preparation, and contraindications for each herb—all infused with Moore’s characteristic wit and humor. Simple line drawings, maps, and some color photos are included throughout.

Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fungi of Coastal Northern California by Noah Siegel and Christian Schwarz. A gorgeous and trustworthy guide to the mushrooms of coastal California, from Monterey County to the Oregon border. Splendid photographs and thorough information on identification, edibility, and toxicity. Easy enough for beginners, detailed enough for experienced mushroom hunters.

Northwest Trees: Identifying and Understanding the Region’s Native Trees by Stephen Arno. An easy-to-use guide with beautiful illustrations and species descriptions. Arno includes writings about the traditional uses of trees, ecology, as well as detailed descriptions, inviting the reader to slow down and take in each tree deeply. Highly recommended. This makes a good companion to a more traditional field identification guide for trees. Be sure to get the thirtieth-anniversary deluxe edition.

Pacific Seaweeds: A Guide to Common Seaweeds of the West Coast by Louis Druehl and Bridgette Clarkston. A beautiful guide to Pacific seaweeds. It features color photos, nutritional information, and accessible recipes—like seaweed kimchi and kelp chips. A lightweight book perfect for foraging trips to the coast.

Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast, Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, and Alaska by Jim Pojar and Andy MacKinnon. This user-friendly field guide features nearly eight hundred species of plants commonly found along the Pacific coast—from Oregon to Alaska—including trees, shrubs, wildflowers, aquatic plants, grasses, ferns, mosses, and lichens. The book encompasses the entire coastal region, from shoreline to alpine, and the western Cascades. Perfect for the beginner and experienced forager.

Trees and Shrubs of the Pacific Northwest by Mark Turner and Ellen Kuhlmann. This is Mark Turner’s companion guide to Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest. It covers 568 species of woody plants throughout Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and northern California with vivid color photographs, identifying characteristics, and range maps. This is an excellent book for beginners or those new to the region.

Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest by Mark Turner and Phyllis Gustafson. This colorful guide describes and illustrates 1,220 plant species that are common to the Pacific Northwest, from southern British Columbia to northern California, from the coast to the mountains and high desert. Plants featured include natives, nonnatives, perennials, annuals, and shrubs. Beautifully photographed, the book is small enough to carry in your backpack and is suitable for all experience levels.
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Field guides and foraging books for the Pacific Northwest and coastal British Columbia

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Regional California Guides

The Jepson Desert Manual: Vascular Plants of Southeastern California by Margriet Wetherwax. A comprehensive field guide focused exclusively on native and naturalized vascular plants of California’s southeastern deserts, including the Mojave Desert, Sonoran Desert, and southern Great Basin (including the White Mountains). This is a technical key, NOT A BEGINNER GUIDE!

The Jepson Manual: Vascular Plants of California, Second Edition edited by Bruce Baldwin et al. This is a hefty hardcover tome that covers both native and naturalized vascular plants throughout California. This is a technical key best suited to seasoned botanists; IT’S NOT A BEGINNER GUIDE! Unlike many technical keys, however, it features illustrations, and a new chapter on the vegetative history of California is included.

The New Wildcrafted Cuisine by Pascal Baudar. This is a truly groundbreaking book, with delectable imagery and recipes that push the edge of even wild cuisine (edible insects, for example). More cookbook than field guide, you’ll find a wealth of wild recipes arranged by foraging season. Most plants in the book can be found throughout the temperate world, but others are found only in Southern California and Mediterranean climates. This is a gorgeous book sure to spice up wild food conversation.

Sierra Nevada Wildflowers: Including Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon National Parks by Karen Wiese. A handy pocket guide meant to be used while plants are in flower. This is an accessible book for the novice botanist, and features easy-to-read descriptions and color photos, plus notes on range and bloom season.

Trees and Shrubs of Nevada and Placer Counties, California by the Redbud Chapter of the California Native Plant Society. The arboreal companion to Wildflowers of Nevada and Placer Counties (see below). Equally charming.

Wildflowers of Nevada and Placer Counties by the Redbud Chapter of the California Native Plant Society. A lovely little guide brimming with photos, brief ID descriptions, and plenty of interesting comments on ecological role. Edibility is briefly mentioned where applicable.

Wildflowers of the Eastern Sierra and Adjoining Mojave Desert and Great Basin by Laird Blackwell. An easy-to-use pocket guide for identifying regional flowers and shrubs. Each plant description is accompanied by color photos and information on habitat, bloom season, and viewing locations.
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Juliet’s library

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Southwestern United States

Common Southwestern Native Plants: An Identification Guide by Jack Carter, Martha Carter, and Donna Stevens. An easy to-use field guide with detailed line drawings and color photos that features both woody and herbaceous flowering plants. This book lives up to its name, introducing the most common species and not being thorough in its scope.

Cooking the Wild Southwest: Delicious Recipes for Desert Plants by Carolyn Niethammer. A flavorful cookbook and field guide that features hand-drawn illustrations, identification tips, harvesting instructions, and 150 southwestern recipes. Ideal for foragers and cooks of all skill levels.

Desert Wildflowers of North America by Ronald Taylor. A beautifully photographed pocket guide featuring range maps, descriptions, and commentary on the desert ecosystem. Geared toward amateur botanists.

Food Plants of the Sonoran Desert by Wendy Hodgson. A beautiful and well-researched hardcover book featuring the traditional uses of nearly 540 edible plants. Includes wonderful black-and-white photos and gorgeous drawings throughout. More ethnobotanical in scope and less how-to guide. Best accompanied by a field guide.

The Jepson Desert Manual: Vascular Plants of Southeastern California by Margriet Wetherwax. A comprehensive field guide focused exclusively on native and naturalized vascular plants of California’s southeastern deserts, including the Mojave Desert, Sonoran Desert, and southern Great Basin (including the White Mountains). This is a technical key, NOT A BEGINNER GUIDE!

Medicinal Plants of the American Southwest by Charles Kane. Like Michael Moore’s books, this guide blends herbal materia medica with plant identification, making it very handy for medicinal foragers. Along with botanical descriptions and suggestions for collection and preparation, Kane shares medicinal indications, herbal precautions, and dosages. There is a centerfold of color photos.

Medicinal Plants of the Desert and Canyon West: A Guide to Identifying, Preparing, and Using Traditional Medicinal Plants Found in the Deserts and Canyons of the West and Southwest by Michael Moore. A must-have guide for any herbalist or wild forager of the Southwest. Arranged alphabetically, the book features the medicinal plants of the region as well as simple line drawings and a centerfold of color photos. Excellent for both beginners and pros; features a therapeutic use index and a glossary to explain botanical and medical terminology.

Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West (revised and expanded edition) by Michael Moore. One of the very best medicinal field guides for the region, this guide is highly relevant to New Mexico, Arizona, west Texas, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and California. Moore writes with his characteristic dry humor but is completely thorough, discussing identification, range, medicinal use, preparation, and contraindications for each herb. The book features line drawings and a centerfold of color photographs and is light enough to easily carry into the field.

Plants of Arizona by Anne Orth Epple. The only complete guide to the rich and unique flora of Arizona, featuring more than nine hundred full-color photographs and detailed descriptions of each plant. Also applicable to much of New Mexico. Be sure to get the latest edition, published in 2012.

The Prickly Pear Cookbook by Carolyn Niethammer. A delightful cookbook devoted to one of the most treasured native foods of the Americas. Learn how to prep and cook the abundant prickly pear cactus.

Southwest Foraging: 117 Wild and Flavorful Edibles from Barrel Cactus to Wild Oregano by John Slattery. Highly recommended for southwestern foragers. This guide is wonderfully accessible to all skill levels and features a range of nourishing edible plants, from wild greens to cacti. The book is filled with full-color photographs and detailed information on identification, harvesting, and preparation.

Trees and Shrubs of New Mexico, Revised and Expanded by Jack L. Carter. Designed for use by both laypersons and plant scientists, this book includes illustrations, descriptions, distribution maps, and dichotomous keys for more than 430 native, naturalized, and cultivated trees, shrubs, and woody vines that are known to occur in New Mexico. A pictorial glossary provides much of the basic information needed to find the plants in question.

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Regional Southwestern Field Guides

A Guide to Plants of the Northern Chihuahuan Desert by Carolyn Dodson. This is a great book for beginning botanists or visitors exploring the region. Filled with photos, line drawings, and brief descriptions, it occasionally references edible and medicinal uses along with notes on toxicity.

Mojave Desert Wildflowers by Jon Mark Stewart. Most notable for its gorgeous photos, this is very small guide that’s easy to tuck in your daypack. A handy reference for identifying desert wildflowers in bloom.

Sonoran Desert Wildflowers by Richard Spellenberg. A light and handy guide to desert wildflowers (best used when plants are in bloom). Spellenberg shares brief plant descriptions, comments on ecological roles, and wee mentions on edible uses. Lovely photos throughout.
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The extensive library at Mountain Gardens in Celo, NC

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Western North America

Trees of Western North America: Princeton Field Guides by Richard Spellenberg, Christopher Earle, and Gil Nelson. A comprehensive and illustrated guide that covers 630 species of native and naturalized trees in the western United States and Canada as far east as the Great Plains. Features color illustrations and range maps. Small enough to put in your backpack.

Weeds of the West, Revised Edition published by University of Wyoming with multiple authors. A pictorial and descriptive identification guide for wild western weeds that shows the plants throughout their life cycle. A very useful reference, but a bit “down” on weeds in general—talks about spraying, eradicating, etc.

Western Trees by George Petrides and Olivia Petrides. A pocket field guide in the Peterson Field Guides tradition, with color drawings, photos, range maps, and identifying descriptions. Occasional, brief references to indigenous uses. One of the best Peterson Field Guides on plants.
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I can’t find the catnip entry in the darned index!

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Rocky Mountain North America

The Boreal Herbal: Wild Food and Medicine Plants of the North by Beverley Gray. Part plant-identification guide, part food- and medicine-making manual, this book is a treasury of plants that grow throughout the north (and much of the temperate world). Excellent reading for beginners, experienced foragers, and anyone who loves herbs. Speaks to the heart and soul of wild food and herbal medicine. Features lots of photography and beautiful writing. Especially relevant to the northern Rockies.

Handbook of Rocky Mountain Plants by Ruth Ashton Nelson. This book comprises fairly technical keys for wildflower identification and includes over 350 black-and-white illustrations. Small enough to take into the field; recommended for more experienced botanists and foragers.

Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West (the revised and expanded edition) by Michael Moore. One of the very best medicinal field guides for the region—highly relevant to New Mexico, Arizona, west Texas, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and California. Moore’s entertaining and completely thorough writing discusses identification, range, medicinal use, preparation, and contraindications for each herb. The book features line drawings and a centerfold of color photographs, and it’s is light enough to carry into the field.

Plants of the Rocky Mountains: Lone Pine Field Guide by Linda Kershaw, Andy MacKinnon, and Jim Pojar. Over thirteen hundred species of trees, shrubs, wildflowers, grasses, ferns, mosses, and lichens are described and illustrated. The authors include notes on origin of name, ecology, native uses, edibility, and similar species. The book also features color-coded sections to allow for quick reference. Perfect for all skill levels.

Wild About Wildflowers: Extreme Botanizing in Crested Butte, Wildflower Capital of Colorado by Katherine Darrow. Applicable to the central and southern Rockies, filled with beautiful photos, identification tips, folklore, ecology, and occasional references to edible and medicinal uses. A useful pocket guide organized by plant family.
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Does this book taste as good as it looks?

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Midwestern North America + the Prairie States and Provinces

Edible Wild Plants of the Prairie: An Ethnobotanical Guide by Kelly Kindscher. A companion guide to Medicinal Wild Plants of the Prairie: An Ethnobotanical Guide (see below) that merges historical and modern knowledge of the wild food plants of the prairie.

The Forager’s Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants by Samuel Thayer. Thayer’s books are hands-down the best resources on wild foods, being enjoyable to read and very informational. Thayer shares detailed material on plant identification (accompanied by color photos) and food preparation, along with entertaining anecdotal stories. He specifically emphasizes wild foods and doesn’t discuss medicinal properties; however, his books are valuable field guides for identifying many herbs that straddle the food-medicine divide (elderberry, for example). Highly recommended. (Note: Thayer does not discuss medicinal uses.)

Incredible Wild Edibles: 36 Plants That Can Change Your Life by Samuel Thayer. Incredible Wild Edibles is styled in a similar fashion to Thayer’s other books but covers a completely new selection of herbs, roots, nuts, and berries. (Note: Thayer does not discuss medicinal uses.)

Medicinal Wild Plants of the Prairie: An Ethnobotanical Guide by Kelly Kindscher. An interesting guide for those who enjoy plant history; includes Native American uses, modern medicinal uses, cultivation, and identification characteristics. Black-and-white drawings and range maps accompany each plant. Includes common and traditional names.

Nature’s Garden: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants by Samuel Thayer. Did you notice we’re recommending another book by Sam Thayer? That’s because he’s simply one of the very best wild food writers around. If you can only purchase a book or two to get started, we suggest beginning with his guides. This is the companion guide to Thayer’s The Forager’s Harvest, featuring a fresh collection of plants. Equally essential and recommended. (Note: Thayer does not discuss medicinal uses.)

Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide by Lawrence Newcomb. Lawrence Newcomb’s system of wildflower identification is based on natural structural features that are easily visible to the untrained eye, enabling amateurs and experts alike to identify almost any wildflower quickly and accurately. This is a great first field guide for beginners and is small enough to fit in a very big pocket. More applicable to the eastern portion of the Midwest.

Trees of Eastern North America (A Princeton Field Guide) by Gil Nelson, Christopher Earle, and Richard Spellenberg. Illustrated and comprehensive, this field guide uses a simple botanical key. The book covers 825 species, including all the native and naturalized trees of the eastern United States and Canada as far west as the Great Plains, with mention of those species found only in tropical and subtropical Florida and northernmost Canada. Somewhat heavy, but small enough to tote into the field.

Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians by Dennis Horn, David Duhl, and Tavia Cathcart. An excellent color photo guide that is tailored to the layperson. This book includes a few botanical keys as well as some edible/herbal tidbits, a little ecology, and the etymology of plant names. More applicable to the eastern portion of the Midwest.
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Ruby and the Morel (Morchella esculenta)

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Northeastern United States + Southeastern Canada

100 Edible Mushrooms by Michael Kuo. Engaging to read, Kuo’s book features a hundred of the most common edible mushrooms and includes color photos, edibility ratings, descriptions, poisonous relatives and look-alikes, and a recipe section in the back of the book. Not exactly a pocket guide, but small enough to accompany you into the field. Juliet’s favorite book on wild mushrooms for beginners.

Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms of New England and Eastern Canada by David Spahr. Filled with beautiful photos, this guide features easy-to-read descriptions of the Northeast’s most common medicinal and edible mushrooms. Includes harvesting and preparation suggestions.

Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada by Henry Gleason and Arthur Cronquist. A technical flora geared toward the experienced botanist or dedicated beginner. This is a technical key, NOT A BEGINNER GUIDE! Uniquely accompanied by a separate illustrated manual, which we recommend as a complementary resource: Illustrated Companion to Gleason and Cronquist’s Manual by Noel Holmgren.

Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide by Lawrence Newcomb. Lawrence Newcomb’s system of wildflower identification is based on natural structural features that are easily visible to the untrained eye, enabling amateurs and experts alike to identify almost any wildflower quickly and accurately. This is a great first field guide for beginners and is small enough to fit in a very big pocket.

The Smithsonian Guide to Seaside Plants of the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts, from Louisiana to Massachusetts, Exclusive of Lower Peninsular Florida by Wilbur Duncan and Marion Duncan. Includes nearly one thousand species of wildflowers, trees, shrubs, grasses, rushes, and sedges. A tad outdated at this point—especially the plant family designations—but still a good primer on the most common plants of the Gulf and coasts.

Trees of Eastern North America (A Princeton Field Guide) by Gil Nelson, Christopher Earle, and Richard Spellenberg. Illustrated and comprehensive, this field guide uses a simple botanical key. The book covers 825 species, including all the native and naturalized trees of the eastern United States and Canada as far west as the Great Plains, with mention of those species found only in tropical and subtropical Florida and northernmost Canada. Somewhat heavy, but small enough to tote into the field.

Wildflowers of New England by Ted Elliman and the New England Wildflower Society. A field guide that features a straightforward key for identifying over a thousand wildflowers throughout all six New England states. Each plant is accompanied by brief descriptions and a color photo. Pocket sized.
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Our favorite field guides and foraging books for the northeastern U.S. and adjacent Canadian regions

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Southeastern United States

A Field Guide to the Trees and Shrubs of the Southern Appalachians by Robert E. Swanson. A detailed field guide compiled by the authors over a decade of hiking through the region. Covers 280 species of trees, shrubs, and woody vines in a range of ecosystems. Applicable to the Carolinas, Georgia, and eastern Tennessee (including Great Smoky Mountains National Park). Features illustrated keys that can be used in all four seasons.

Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States by Alan Weakley. This is a technical flora (not for beginners; this is VERY technical) of the Southeast available for purchase as a print copy or free PDF from the UNC Herbarium. This is a weighty book and not easy to carry into the field.

Florida Ethnobotany by Daniel Austin. Nearly a thousand pages on the traditional and indigenous uses of southeastern herbs—medicines, dye and fiber plants, foods, and mystical tools. Includes line drawings and a selection of color plates. On the expensive side, but this book is worth the splurge if you live in Florida and are into bioregional herbs!

Medicinal Plants of the Southern Appalachians by Patricia Kyritsi Howell. An introductory medicinal guide written by a knowledgeable Southern herbalist. Herbal descriptions feature both traditional and modern medicinal uses, general ID, habitat descriptions, harvesting and preparation suggestions, dosage, and a sprinkling of recipes. No photos, and should be accompanied by a more detailed field guide for foraging.

Mushrooms of the Southeastern United States by Alan Bessette, William Roody, Arleen Bessette, and Dail Dunaway. A descriptive guide to the fungi of the Southeast, featuring ID characteristics, color photos, and comments on edibility. Simple enough to be used by any forager, this book has some extra features that make it appealing for more advanced mycologists (such as photos of microscope slides).

Mushrooms of West Virginia and the Central Appalachians by William Roody. A fantastic guide for Appalachian mushroom foragers. Includes detailed descriptions, notes on edibility, and vibrant color photographs. Small enough to be carried by hand in the field. Highly recommended for both novice mushroom hunters and experienced foragers.

A Reference Guide to Medicinal Plants: Herbal Medicine Past and Present by John Crellin and Jane Philpott. Based on the teachings of southern folk herbalist Tommie Bass, this guide is a treasury of old-timey herbal wisdom and little-used local medicinals. Featuring over seven hundred plants, the book blends folk wisdom with modern scientific research. An excellent reference for those interested in the historical uses of herbs.

Trees of the Southeastern United States by Wilbur Duncan and Marion Duncan. This field guide features excellent keys, species descriptions, ecological ranges, and color photos. It’s midlevel to technical and very comprehensive. The guide treats more than three hundred species—every one known to occur in the region—from the Coastal Plain to the highest elevations. Included are trees native to the region as well as those introduced and now reproducing.

Weeds of the South by Charles Bryson and Michael DeFelice. A guide to four hundred of the most common weeds of the southern United States, featuring range maps, color photos, and handy descriptions of both seedlings and mature plants. Includes notes on toxicity and habitat, but there is no medicinal or edible information. The authors label weeds as “troublesome,” so don’t expect a plant-positive experience (but we still think it’s a handy guide)! More of a desk reference in size.

Wildflowers and Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont by Timothy Spira. A unique field guide! Rather than organizing plants by flower color or family characteristics, as most guidebooks do, botanist Tim Spira takes a holistic, ecological approach and organizes plants on the basis of their natural communities in the wild. His beautifully photographed book includes trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants. Not quite pocket-sized, but it’s still small enough to slip into your daypack.

Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians by Dennis Horn, David Duhl, and Tavia Cathcart. An excellent and comprehensive color photo guide that is tailored to the layperson. This book includes a few botanical keys as well as some edible/herbal tidbits, a little ecology, and the etymology of plant names. The book is most specific to Tennessee but is applicable to most southern and mid-Atlantic states.
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The Southeast’s finest botanical field guides

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Florida

Florida Ethnobotany by Daniel Austin. Nearly a thousand pages on the traditional and indigenous uses of southeastern herbs—medicines, dye and fiber plants, foods, and mystical tools. Includes line drawings and a selection of color plates. On the expensive side, but this book is worth the splurge if you live in Florida and are into bioregional herbs!

Florida Wildflowers, a Comprehensive Guide by Walter Kingsley Taylor. A colorful field guide that discusses plant description, time of flowering, habitat, and Florida distribution. Often includes comments on related species, etymology, and even culinary, medicinal, and landscape uses. Features bright photography.

Florida Wildflowers in Their Natural Communities by Walter Kingsley Taylor. A unique field guide that features plants and their ecological communities. The book is filled with color photos and botanical descriptions that are accessible for both amateurs and more experienced botanists.

Florida’s Edible Wild Plants: A Guide to Collecting and Cooking by Peggy Sias Lantz. An easy-to-read guide to the edible plants of Florida, including their uses, basic identification traits, drawings, photographs, and recipes. A more detailed field guide should be used as a companion to properly ID plants.

Guide to the Vascular Plants of Florida, Third Edition by Richard Wunderlin and Bruce Hansen. This is a very technical key tailored to the experienced botanist; NOT recommended for beginners.

The Shrubs and Woody Vines of Florida: A Reference and Field Guide by Gil Nelson. A companion guide to the Trees of Florida, this book is written to help you identify plants in the field—you won’t find any edible or medicinal information. Easy to use, with simple line drawings and color photos. A bit on the technical side for absolute newcomers.

The Trees of Florida: A Reference and Field Guide, Second Edition by Gil Nelson. A comprehensive guide to Florida’s amazing variety of tree species. There are nearly six hundred color photographs and many drawings and range maps. And now included is a key to tree families that will help with field identification. A bit on the technical side for absolute newcomers.
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The best field guides for Florida

This article is a sneak peek into our 375-hour
Online Foraging Course: Edible and Medicinal Wild Herbs,
which begins in January 2018!

This groundbreaking program is shaping up to be THE most comprehensive online course on the topic of harvesting wild medicinals and edible weeds.

Registration for this online course runs December 20th, 2017 through January 15th, 2018 and is only open once a year. The course runs January 15th through November 1st, 2018!

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Why to Scrap your Tongue with Copper?

 Ayurvedic
Nov 212017
 

Maintaining oral hygiene is crucial for good health and wellbeing. Oral health represents overall health. Tongue scraping is one of the important healthy practices that most of us ignore. It is equally important as brushing teeth. While many of you may aware about tongue scraping, it is essential to consider the element you use to scrap the tongue.

Tongue scraping is one of the ancient Ayurvedic practices, an oral care solution to improve oral ecology. It is a simple process to remove the buildup of toxins on the surface of the tongue.

Oral care remains incomplete without caring for the tongue. It is often ignored. The tongue is one of the diagnostic organs in Ayurveda and ancient medical practices. Tongue scraping is way more beneficial than getting a cleaner tongue and improving oral health.

Let’s see the importance of tongue scraping and why should you copper to scrape your tongue.

Importance of tongue scraping

Many times, the surface of the tongue builds soft plaque, which affects the taste buds. It inhibits the flavor profile and you cannot enjoy the taste of the food. (Tastes are very important part of natural healing. Every taste carries its own benefit). Malfunction of taste buds due to plaque lead to false cravings. Besides, it also builds plaque on your teeth. Eventually, it disturbs the overall oral health.

Tongue connects not only with your taste sense but also digestion. The buildup of plaque in tongue imparts your digestion and builds the ama (toxins) on your tongue. Tongue scrape helps removal of plaque. It is the base defense against bad odor, gum disease etc.

The tongue is mostly a neglected organ in the body. Regular and so-called healthy practices like brushing twice a day, flossing etc are not sufficient to prevent and remove the buildup of plaque.  Tongue scraping helps to revitalize your tongue and improve oral health.

Tongue scraping is essential because it is connected to internal organs. Every part of the tongue is linked with vital organs of the body. Tongue scraping not only protects oral health but also internal organs.

  • The front part of the tongue is related to upper GI tract, lungs, and heart;
  • The middle part of the tongue is connected with liver, spleen, and stomach;
  • The back part of the tongue relates to the large intestine and kidneys;
  • The tip of the tongue is the location of thyroid and vertical line in the middle of the tongue represents the spine.

Why should you use copper tongue cleaner?

Copper tongue scraper is the best friend to take care of your oral health. Copper is one of the elements with numerous health properties. It is rich in anti-microbial properties. Copper has been for ages regulating the microorganisms like fungi, viruses and bacterium.

When you don’t remove the plaque, it will be reabsorbed into the digestive system which causes imbalances in the body.

Copper tongue cleaner is a one-stop solution to improve your oral hygiene with ease and efficacy. This tongue cleaner is made of pure copper and unalloyed metals which make it the safest product to use. Copper carries antibacterial and anti-plaque properties, which keep the oral diseases at bay. It also refines and improves your taste buds. This tongue cleaner provides optimal benefits over the mouthwashes and toothbrushes that come with inbuilt cleaners.

  • Harness the dual benefit of fresh breath combined with benefits of copper
  • Get rid of bad breath in minutes
  • Refines the taste buds and improves your oral hygiene
  • Copper is non-gagging cleaner made of unalloyed elements with great flexibility
  • Safe, simple, easy to use and clinically recommended

Just glide the tongue a couple of three times with this cleaner and get rid of those unpleasant coats in no time. Banish the chemical mouthwashes and get the fresher, healthier and cleaner mouth.

How to scrape your tongue

  • Before scraping your tongue, take a minute to examine your tongue daily. Note for the color and texture of the tongue. If you notice daily, you can see the accumulation of plaque and monitor the texture of the tongue. Eventually, it also helps in monitoring your health.
  • Scrape your tongue from back to front. Gently glide the copper tongue scraper from back to front to remove plaque.
  • Once you find the scraper collects residue, rinse the scraper and repeat again for minimum 5 times to maximum 10 times.
  • Rinse your mouth and wash the copper tongue scraper with warm water.

Tongue Scrape Vs Tongue Brush

What is the difference between tongue scraping and brushing?

Brushing the tongue will loosen the plaque buildup. It just moves around the plaques and loosens it. It won’t help in
complete removal of plaque. Neither it helps in relishing the taste buds nor does it improve the related internal organs. It fails to meet the ultimate oral ecology.

On the other hand, tongue scraping is an ancient method of maintaining good oral health and more to it. Healthy, plaque-free tongue is a sign of good internal health and immunity. In addition to all these, tongue not only connected with internal organs, but also has the reflex points. It massages the GI tract and cleanses the system.

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How to Do Shavasana for Relief from Stress, Insomnia and BP!

 Ayurvedic
Nov 212017
 

Shavasana gives you deep meditative rest. It reduces stress, high blood pressure and insomnia.

Steps to do Shavasana:

  • Lie down flat on your back on a mat.
  • Close your eyes and keep your legs apart.
  • Keep both hands by your side away from the body with palms facing the ceiling.
  • Take long and deep breaths slowly and relax your body parts one by one.
  • After 10-20 minutes, slowly roll over to your right side for a minute.
  • Slowly get up and open your eyes with a smile on your face!

Additional Reading:

De-Stress Yourself with Yoga!

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Tachycardia treatment at home. How to Naturally Lower Rapid Heart Rate?

 Ayurvedic
Nov 202017
 

How to Naturally Lower Rapid Heart Rate

Tachycardia also called tachyarrhythmia, is a heart rate that exceeds the normal resting rate. (source:wikipedia) is a condition where your heartbeat is more than 100 beats per minute. The average rate is usually between 60 and 100 beats per minute for adults. This puts a pressure on the heart muscles that the upper and lower chambers of the heart. However tachycardia treatment at home also might help to manage this condition.

What happens when your heart beats faster?

Before learning about how to naturally lower rapid heart rate(tachycardia) one should know the physiology. When the rate of heart beat increases, the ability to pump the blood becomes low and this creates an insufficiency in the blood reaching to the organs or heart itself. This blood insufficiency causes lack of Oxygen supply to the organs and leads to cell death. This is a serious condition when it comes to the cells of the heart and the brain because brain cells cannot be regenerated after its death and Oxygen deprivation in the heart cells leads to heart attack (myocardial infarction).

However in most of the individuals there won’t be any significant symptoms or complications but it increases the risk of sudden cardiac arrest and stroke.

What causes tachycardia?

  • Anaemia.
  • Anxiety, fear, stress.
  • Exercise.
  • Increased blood pressure.
  • Fever and electrolyte imbalance.
  • Hormonal variations like hyperthyroidism.
  • Any abnormalities related to the heart.
  • Excess intake of alcohol and caffeinated drinks.
  • Smoking
  • High or low blood pressure
  • Abuse of recreational drugs, such as cocaine
  • Certain medications.
  • Abnormal electrical pathways in the heart present at birth (congenital heart conditions, including long QT syndrome)
  • Imbalance of electrolytes, mineral-related substances necessary for conducting electrical impulses

What does Ayurveda say about tachycardia?

The reference of tachycardia can be co related to “Hrit-drava” mentioned by Acharya Charaka in Ayurveda. It is considered as a vata imbalance. Movement or pulsation (“chalatva”) is a function of vata. And so is the increase in movement. Ayurveda manages tachycardia by vata reducing medicines and lifestyle (vatahara oushadhas and vihara).

When to approach a doctor?

The following signs and symptoms of tachycardia are possible:

  • Accelerated heart rate (fast pulse)
  • Confusion
  • Dizziness
  • Hypotension (low blood pressure)
  • Lightheadedness
  • Palpitations – an uncomfortable racing feeling in the chest, sensation of irregular and/or forceful beating of the heart
  • Panting (shortness of breath)
  • Sudden weakness
  • Syncope (fainting)
  • Chest pain (angina) – chest pain or discomfort that occurs when the heart muscle does not get enough blood

It is not unusual for some patients with tachycardia to experience no symptoms at all. In such cases, the condition is typically discovered when the individual has a physical examination. Tachycardia treatment at home can help during the initial stage of the disease.

 Types of Tachycardia:

  1. Sinus tachycardia: Often sinus tachycardia is a normal response to certain situations such as exercise, anxiety, distress, or fever. Certain disorders such as thyroid disease, anemia, and low blood pressure are also associated with sinus tachycardia.
  2. Atrial fibrillation (AF): AF is characterized by chaotic electrical signals, triggering the atria to quiver rapidly and irregularly. Atrial fibrillation is often associated with heart disease, an overactive thyroid, or alcoholism. Frequently, AF causes blood clot formation inside the heart, which increases a person’s risk for stroke.
  3. Atrial flutter: This arrhythmia is similar to atrial fibrillation, except the rhythm is less chaotic.
  4. Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) or paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT): This arrhythmia starts with electrical signals above the ventricles that travel down an abnormal electrical pathway or extra pathway. An extra pathway is the hallmark of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome – the leading cause of SVT in children and adolescents.
  5. Ventricular tachycardia (VT): VT is triggered by an electrical abnormality within the ventricles. During VT, the ventricles may fill poorly and inadequately pump blood. Sometimes a person becomes pulseless during VT – a fatal event unless immediately corrected.
  6. Ventricular fibrillation (VF): VF is a rapid, chaotic rhythm, in which the ventricles fail to pump blood at all. VF is a fatal arrhythmia, unless immediately converted to a normal rhythm. VF is usually related to underlying heart disease. Rarely, a blunt blow to the chest wall of a healthy person precipitates VF.

Complications of Tachycardia:

  • Unstable low blood pressure
  • Heart failure
  • Blood clots
  • Stroke
  • Sudden death (cardiac arrest)

 Confirmatory diagnosis:

When a patient’s symptoms and physical examination suggest an arrhythmia, a physician performs tests to diagnose the disorder and assess for the presence of underlying diseases.

  • Electrocardiogram (ECG).
  • Holter monitor: A wearable device continuously records the ECG for a period of 24 to 48 hours.
  • Cardiac event recorder: A recording device, used for a month or more, is manually activated when a person experiences symptoms.
  • Echocardiogram. 
  • Stress test/ Treadmill ECG: The heart is monitored while a person walks or runs on a treadmill in an attempt to provoke an episode of the arrhythmia.
  • Tilt table test.

Treatment In Modern medicine:

  1. Medications includes beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, other anti-arrhythmic medicines or digoxin. In people who have frequent episodes, treatment with medicines can decrease recurrences. But these medicines may have side effects.
  2. Vagal maneuvers -the Valsalva maneuver – bearing down as if having a bowel movement – can slow some types of tachycardia.
  3. Catheter ablation.
  4. Cardioversion. A properly timed electrical shock (in synchrony with the heart) is delivered to the chest to restore a normal heart rhythm.
  5. Emergency asynchronous defibrillation.
  6. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD).
  7. Maze procedure. This surgery disrupts abnormal electrical pathways in the heart. Such surgery is performed when other treatment options have failed.

Tachycardia treatment in ayurveda

Vata reducing diet and lifestyle activities are recommended in this condition. Tachycardia treatment at home requires strict (pathya) of diet of lifestyle habits.

Diet:

  • Foods that are naturally sweet, sour, and salty in taste.
  • Food seasoned with spices like ginger, black pepper, cinnamon and cumin can be taken.
  • Warm milk seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg
  • A generous amount of high-quality oils or ghee in your daily diet.
  • Eating your meal in a peaceful environment.

Avoid:

  • Foods that are bitter, astringent, and pungent.
  • Foods that are cooling in nature or that has become cold and stale after cooking.
  • Dry and light foods
  • Too much raw food like salads, raw fruit, fresh fruit and vegetable juices, etc.)
  • Legumes
  • Highly processed foods.
  • Cold or carbonated drinks and Caffeine.
  • Overeating or eating very heavy meals.
  • Foods or drinks that contain refined sugar or corn syrup.
  • Deep fried foods.
  • Hard alcohol.

Life style changes to reduce vata:

  • Sleep and wake up at proper scheduled timings.
  • Avoid being awake in the night.
  • Take an oil massage before bath. Apply oil on the vertex of the scalp, on the soles and palms.
  • Practice meditation, pranayama and yoga
  • Avoid over thinking and stress.
  • Do not suppress your natural urges.

Read tips on how to reduce vata here.

Tachycardia treatment at home:

Here are some natural ways for tachycardia treatment at home:

  • Potassium rich foods like banana, raisins have been found beneficial to cure tachycardia naturally.
  • Magnesium rich foods like spinach, Brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds are also beneficial.
  • Tuna, salmon, sardines are rich source of omega 3 fatty acids, proved to be effective in lowering the heart rate.
  • Garlic is also good for your heart. Consume 2-3 cloves of garlic daily.
  • Drink ash gourd juice regularly.

Tachycardia treatment at home with Ayurvedic medicines:

Ayurvedic medicines, which are beneficial in lowering heart rate include:

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Eating Right for Your Body Type

 Acupuncture
Nov 202017
 
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Five Elements

Traditional Chinese Medicine, a medical system that has been around for nearly 3,000 years, views the body differently than modern medicine. When the body is broken down to its core, its tiniest molecules can be classified as energy. This means every element of the universe resides within the human body, to some degree. And every organ has its own properties and energies that must remain balanced for the body to function properly. The energies within the body must be a perfect synergy of elements. This allows for homeostatic balance, biochemical balance, longevity and harmony between the body and mind.

The food we put in our mouths can either fuel us or slowly kill us. By knowing which body type we fit into based on the five elements, wood, fire, water, earth or metal, we can then eat a balanced diet that will allow us to remain healthy and strong throughout our lives. Here are some guidelines that may be helpful.

The wood element body type tends to be slender with a long face, body and fingers, similar to a tree. The liver, gallbladder, tendons, ligaments and sinews are all controlled by the wood element. Recommended foods for the wood body type include anything sour, and green foods with stalks. Make sure to exclude alcohol, processed foods, high fat foods and most dairy, as these foods can restrict the free flow of energy and blood, while wreaking havoc on the function of the wood element.

The fire element body type tends to possess a pointy nose, chin and top of the head. The fire element body is shaped like a torch, pointed on the top, narrow at the bottom and flared in the middle. The fire element handles the circulatory, glandular and immune systems. This includes the heart, small intestine and the lymphatic system. Recommended foods for the fire body type include bitter foods, grains, vegetables, dark leafy greens, beans and seeds. These foods tend to keep the fire at bay, avoiding an overabundance. Foods to avoid include chocolate, salt, meats, stimulants and hot spices.

The water element body type has a tendency towards “thickness.” The face tends to be large and round, with a wider base, while the body is full and chubby. The water element rules the kidneys, bladder, bones, nerves and teeth. Recommended foods for the water element body type include pure water (not what is contained in juices, coffee, etc.), blue, purple and black foods, root vegetables and seaweeds and seafood. Foods to avoid include sugars, alcohol, caffeinated drinks, frozen and excessively raw foods.

The earth element body type tends to be short in stature, with a short body, short fingers and neck. The face tends to be square, while the body is pear shaped with rounded buttocks. The earth element rules the digestive and structural systems within the body. This includes the stomach, spleen and muscles. Recommended foods for the earth element body type include root vegetables, leafy greens and light proteins such as legumes and fish. Foods to avoid include refined carbohydrates, dairy, iced drinks and processed foods as they gunk up the digestive system and overtax the spleen and stomach.

The metal element body type tends to have defined facial features and broad, square shoulders. However, their features tend to be thin in nature, such as thin lips and eyelids. The metal element rules the intestinal, respiratory and skin systems, as well as assisting with the immune system. Recommended foods include those that have a dispersing effect and promote energy circulation. Foods sour in nature are best for this body type. Also foods high in minerals like leafy greens and vegetables are good choices. Foods to avoid include dairy, red meat and bitter foods.

Once we know our elemental body type, we can effectively nourish our body without wreaking havoc. For more information, contact a licensed acupuncturist in your area.

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