An Important Aspect of Health

If you were asked, "Do you take care of your eyes once a week or at least once a month?", the most common reply would probably be in the negative. The eyes are considered to tbe the most important organ in ourt body and yet, people neglect to care for them.

Although we use our eyes everyday, we rarely pay attention until there is some serious problem. Ayurveda advises to take care of health

while in a healthy state. You can maintain perfect eyesight for most part of your life by following some simple remedies.

• • Every morning after waking up, fill your mouth with water, close the eyes and sprinkle water on them about 10-15 times. Be sure, as Ayurveda advises, to wake up before sunrise. Do not use hot water to wash the eyes.
  
  
• • Do not wash the eyes or face when the body is sweating, especially after hard physical exercise or after being exposed to heat and sun.
  
  
• • Do not stare continuously, specially while looking at long distance objects. Blinking or giving rest to the eyes is good. Do not look at the objects in bright sunlight for a long time. Avoid reading, writing or working with eyes in improper light, or when the light is not sufficient. Take a break and give rest to the eyes if you feel heaviness or tiredness in the eyes.
  
  
• • Staying up late in the night and sleeping after sunrise is harmful for the eyes. In case of staying up late, drink a cup of water after each hour or half hour.
  
  
• • Protect your eyes from dust, smoke, strong sunlight and strong wind. Avoid staying long in such conditions. In case you have to stay, blink often and massage the closed eyes gently with your palms.
  
  
• • Try to maintain regular and clean bowel movements. Constipation weakens the eyesight. In addition; too much anxiety, mental stress, grief, anger and worry are harmful for the eyes.
  
  
• • Regular eye exercise maintains perfect eyesight. One simple method of exercise is moving the eyeball - right and left; upwards and downwards and rotating it in the clockwise and anti-clockwise directions.
  
  
• • Another simple way of protecting of eyes is through 'palming'. Rub the palms of both hands for about 30 seconds, close the eyes and gently place the warm palms over the eyes.
  
  
• • Eating cabbage and carrots is very beneficial for the eyes. These should be eaten raw. It is all right to drink cabbage and carrot juice mixed together or separately.
  
  
• • If Triphala (an Ayurvedic preparation) is available, you can wash the eyes with 'Triphala water'. Put a teaspoonful of Triphala powder in a glass of water, and let it stay overnight. Strain the water and wash the eyes with it.
  
  
• • Putting one drop of honey in each eye once a week is also beneficial to the eyes. It causes a bit of irritation, but cleans the eyes.

Try these remedies and keep your eyes healthy and beautiful. These remedies can be used by everyone, including those having weak eyesight. Through these methods, one can even improve one's weak eyesight and maybe even give up the use of spectacles forever.

Back Pain Remedies

Back Pain home remedies and natural cures, Questions and answers

Home Remedies for Back Pain Relief

The treatment for back pain depends on the cause. In general however, you can use the following home remedies for back pain:
- Apply a hot or cold compress using a hot water bottle or an ice pack.
- A hot bath also usually helps. If possible, you should sit in a warm tub for a few minutes.
- Exercise in order to strengthen the back muscles. Simple stretching exercises are also useful, both when you have a back ache and on a regular basis.
- Try to relax and get enough rest to avoid both mental stress and physical strain on your back.
- If possible, get a massage. This does not have to be by a professional - a family member can do it equally well as long as they do not use excessive force. Preferably this should be done using a massage oil such as eucalyptus oil. Another excellent oil is mustard oil in which a little garlic has been fried.
- Vitamin C and calcium supplements may help, but consult your doctor before doing this.
- Cut slices of raw potato and place them on the affected area.

Back Pain Symptoms

Back pain is a symptom, not a disease

Back pain is itself a symptom and not a disease. It is an indication that something is wrong, either with some part of the spine itself, or with the nerves and muscles in the back. Back pain symptoms vary greatly in location and the type of pain, and these factors help diagnose the underlying cause of the symptoms. Back pain can sometimes radiate to other parts of the body, affecting the neck or one or more of the limbs. The pain can be dull or sharp, and sometimes the affected area can also feel slightly warm. Back pain can also sometimes cause weakness and numbness.

Home remedies for obesity

Obesity home remedies and natural cures, Questions and answers

Obesity treatment using Lime Juice-Honey

Fasting on lime juice-honey water is highly beneficial in the treatment of obesity. In this mode of treatment, one teaspoon of fresh honey should be mixed with the juice of half a lime in a glass of lukewarm water and taken at regular intervals.

Obesity treatment using Trifala

Trifala, an herbal combination of amalaki, bibbitaki, and haritaki is good for losing weight.

Obesity treatment using Jujube

The leaves of jujube or Indian plum are another valuable remedy for obesity. A handful of leaves should be soaked overnight in water and this water should be taken in the morning, preferably on an empty stumach. This treatment should be continued for at least one month to achieve beneficial results.

Obesity treatment using Cabbage

Cabbage is considered to be an excellent home remedy for obesity. Recent research has revealed that a valuable chemical called tartaric acid is present in this vegetable which inhibits the conversion of sugar and other carbohydrates into fat. Hence, it is of great value in weight reduction. Substituting a meal with cabbage salad would be the simplest way to stay slim.

Obesity treatment using Tomato

One or two ripe tomatoes taken early morning as a substitute for breakfast, for a couple of months, are considered a safe method of weight reduction. They also supply the food elements essential to preserve health.

Obesity treatment using Finger Millet

Finger millet is an ideal food for the obese, because its digestion is slow and due to this, the carbohydrates take a longer time to get absorbed. By eating preparations made of finger millet, the constant desire to eat is curbed, thus reducing the daily calorie intake. At the same time, finger millet supplies an abundant quantity of calcium, phosphorus, iron, Vitamin B1 and B2 and prevents malnutrition in spite of restricted food.

Hair Treatment

Use natural shampoo or soap to clean the hair.

• Use amla (embilica officinalis), Shikakai (Acacia concinna) for washing the hair.

• Enhance oiling and massaging of scalp.

• Use coconut oil or mustard oil at least three times in a week.

• Use medicated oils like 'Mahabhringraj oil', 'Amala oil' and 'Arnica oil'. Put oil on the scalp and massage gently in the roots of the hair.

• Maintain a regular bowel movement everyday.

• The diet should contain more green leafy vegetables, salads, milk, fruits and sprouts. Take more proteins, milk, buttermilk, yeast, wheat germ, soybean and vitamin A.

• Do regular physical exercise.

• A special Ayurvedic preparation made from Bhringraj (Eclipta elba), Amala, corals, iron and black sesame seeds is very useful and even stops the graying of hair.

• Rub the scalp vigorously after washing the hair. It increases the blood circulation, and activates the sebaceous glands.

• A mixture of lettuce and spinach juice is good to drink to induce hair growth. The juice of alfalfa mixed with that of carrot, and lettuce juice is also good to take.

• Daily application of coconut oil mixed with lime- juice on the hair is also beneficial. Applying juice of green coriander leaves on the head is also good.

• Washing the hair with a paste of cooked Urad dal (black beans) and fenugreek (methi) 2-3 times a week.

• A paste of licorice made by grinding it in milk can be applied in the bald patches. It induces hair growth. A paste of seeds of lemon and black pepper may also be applied on the bald patches.

Causes of Hair Loss

Hair loss is a regular and natural part of the body’s process of renewal. Hair is a very important part of people’s lives and hair loss causes can be very frustrating for those who suffer prematurely. Stress is a leading cause of hair loss along with heredity and an elusive X-factor. Because of the lifespan of a single hair is about 4 ½ years and we also put our hair through a great deal of shampooing,

What are the Basic Principles of Ayurveda?:

Ayurveda is based on the premise that the universe is made up of five elements: air, fire, water, earth and ether. These elements are represented in humans by three "doshas", or energies: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. When any of the doshas accumulate in the body beyond the desirable limit, the body loses its balance. Every individual has a distinct balance, and our health and well-being depend on getting a right balance of the three doshas ("tridoshas"). Ayurveda suggests specific lifestyle and nutritional guidelines to help individuals reduce the excess dosha.

A healthy person, as defined in Sushrut Samhita, one of the primary works on Ayurveda, is "he whose doshas are in balance, appetite is good, all tissues of the body and all natural urges are functioning properly, and whose mind, body and spirit are cheerful