HEALTHY SLEEP

Sleep is most important for maintenance of health and longevity for the human beings. It is appropriately called 'Jagaddhatri ' because of its mechanism of overcoming wear and tear of the body due to physical work and mental stress and tissue loss. Numerous researches have shown the adverse effects of lack of sleep on mind and body.

• One should sleep with head to the east or north.


• The bedroom should be absolutely clean, well ventilated and free from noise and disturbance.


• The bed must be neat clean and free from bugs.


• The bedroom should be draught free.


• One should avoid sleep when the brain is excited e.g. after reading, thinking, drinking etc.


• The mind must be as free from worldly affairs and worries as possible while going to bed.


• This may be achieved by praying to God at the time of going to bed.


• Sleeping late at night leads to ill health.


• A minimum of 7 hours sleep is required in 24 hours to repair the wear and tear of the body.


• Sleep during the day should be avoided as far as possible. However, if one keeps awake at night, he can take some sleep in the daytime. Day sleep is not contraindicated in summer but in winter the day sleep increases kapha thereby causing respiratory and digestive troubles.


• It is advisable to massage the head, soles and palms with oil before going to bed. By massage dreams can be controlled.

Lets follow the tips and have a very good peaceful sleepy nights............:-))

HEALTH BENEFITS OF GARLIC

Garlic is one of the oldest cultivated plant in the world and it has been grown for over 5000 years. Its Native to Central Asia. Ancient Egyptians seems to have been the first to cultivate this plant that played an important role in their culture. Currently China, South Korea, India, Spain and United States are among the top commercial producers of Garlic.

Garlic (Allium Stivum) is a plant with a very strong and bitter flavor which has been used for both cultinary and medical purposes for hundreds of years. The key medicinal ingredients in garlic is Allicin, which is a wonderful anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-oxidant properties.

Garlic has long been considered a herbal "Wonder Drug", with a reputation in folklore for preventing everyting from the Common Cold and Flu.

Now lets talk about the health benefits of Garlic:

• Garlic is known to have antiviral properties, which helps the body to fight against allergies.
• Garlic's antibacterial, analgies and anesthezing properties can help to cure toothaches.
• Garlic's antibacterial properties make it a wonderful treatment for coughs and other throat irritations. It may also reduce the severity of upper respiratory tract infections.
• Garlic is considered to regulate blood sugar levels, by increasing the release of insulin in diabetics.
• Garlic acts as a heart relaxant, garlic regulates the Cardiac rhythm, helping to avoid arrhythmia. This is beneficial for people that have accelerated heart rates and Cardiac arrhythmia.
• Garlic is powerful against tumor formation (including Cancer) due to its Sulfur and Selenium Content.
• Garlic can help cure tuberculosis.
• Garlic aids weak digestion because its stimulates the secretion of Gastric Juices.
• Garlic acts as a great lung decongestant helping to loosen the harmful (infection) secretion of bronchial tubes.
• Garlic may help improve your Iron metabolism. That's because the diallyl Sulfides in garlic can help increase production of a protein called Ferroportin. (Ferroportin is a protein that runs across the cell membrane, and it forms a passageway that allows stored Iron to leave the cells and become available where it is needed)
• One can also benefit from Garlic during Pregnancy. According to studies done by doctors in London hospital supplementation may help Weight-Gain for babies that may be at risk for low birth weight.

Eating Tips:

High doses of raw garlic have caused gas, bloating, diarrhea and fever in some. To fight bacteria, raw garlic is better. However cooking does not diminish blood thinning and other cardioprotective capabilites. As a cancer fighter, raw garlic may be better than cooked ones.

The list of studies involving garlic and our health could go on and on. Continuous research is being done showing the association between garlic and improved memory and learning function, as well as findings show it can help to prevent the onset of "Stress-induced hyperglycemia".

HEALTH BENEFITS OF TURMERIC

Turmeric , known by the name of haldi in India, is a member of the ginger family.It is scienfically known by the name of 'Curcuma Longa' and has been accorded to impart a number of health benefits to its users. Turmeric is dried root that grows about 2 feet in length. The turmeric plant is about 3 feet long with funnel-shaped yellow flowers. Turmeric is bright yellow in color. Turmeric is an important spice in India having great religious significance. Turmeric extract has been known to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiseptic properties, mainly present in Curcumin - one of its active ingredients.

Here are few health benefits of turmeric.....

• It is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent, useful in disinfecting cuts and burns.
• Drinking boiled milk, with a little turmeric powder in it, helps in the Strengthening of bones.
• Termeric powder, when consumed regularly, helps improve blood circulation and also purifies blood.
• When combined with Cauliflower, it has shown to prevent Prostate Cancer and stop of existing Prostate Cancer.
• Turmeric powder, when mixed with cucumber lemon or juice, helps in the reduction of pigmentation.
• Prevented Breast Cancer from spreading to the lungs in mice.
• Turmeric extract is believed to cure liver problems as well as prevent bad cholesterol.
• It helps to reduce the risk of Childhood leukemia.
• Turmeric has been known to be helpful in treating Psoriasis and other inflammatory skin conditions.
• Turmeric powder aids the healing process and remodeling of damaged skin.
• Turmeric is said to be very good for digestion.
• Paste of turmeric and milk cream or turmeric and curd, when applied on stomach, helps in lightening of stretch marks.
• By applying a paste of turmeric, gram flour and milk cream is believed to help in giving a glow to the skin.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF PAPAYA

Know the health values of Papaya

" Papaya" is recommended to be one fruit to pick from a yellow and orange fruits, which promises abundant health benefits. It is melon like fruit with yellow-orange flesh with dozens of smalll black seeds enclosed in skin that ranges in colour from green to orange. Papaya is a pear shaped tropical fruit. It is not only a delicious fruit to eat, it also contains abundant health benefits and medicinal value. This fruit is available in the market throughtout the year and abundant during the summer.

Find out how eating papaya can help us to keep us healthy and strong.

• Papaya contains Natural Fibre, Carotene, Vitamin C, Folate and Panthothenic acid and essential minerals like potassium and magnesium. Papaya also contain enzymes like Arginine and Carpain.
• Arginine is essential for male fertility and Carpain is considered to be good for heart.
• Raw Papaya also helps in reducing Mensural irregulaties for women. Papaya helps to ease the condition by promoting natural flow of menstruation.
• The juice of papaya aids in relieving infections of the colon and has a tendency to break down pus and mucus reached by the juice
• For Lactin monther, according to traditional beliefs, papaya also helps to stimulate MILK Production.
• Traditionally, in many parts of the world including India, people believe that it is unsafe to eat papayas during pregnancy. This belief, however, is only partially true; an unripe or even a semi-ripe papayas is rich in concentrated latex and research indicates that it may trigger Uterine Contrations and cause miscarriage.
• As a natural remedy, papaya not only aids digestion but also prevent Constipatio.
• It also acts as an anti-cancer properties. The anti-inflammatory properties in papaya will help reduce pain for those suffering from arthritis, edema and osteoporosis.
• The skin of the papaya is a first class external treatment for skin wounds and places that do not heal quickly.
• It makes Skin Glow.
• Papaya seeds and leaves are useful in treating intestinal worms found in the body.
• Regularly consuming papaya helps to relieve morning sickness and nausea.
• Also papaya has also shown to low cholesterol leve, prevents the formation of Urinary stones, Prevents intestinal infection by parasites and aids in the proper funcioning of the body's immune system.

All parts of the papaya fruit are useful and beneficial. Right from the seeds to the leaves and the flesh of the fruit, all of it has some medicinal value. Thus, if you love to eat papaya, its great because along with savouring the taste you are also ingesting all the benefits associated with eating the fruit, which will result in good health for you!!!!!!

So, go ahead and eat plenty of those papayas........!!!!!!!!

HEALTH BENEFITS OF BANANAS

A useful piece of information - About Bananas

Never put bananas in the refrigerator!!! This is interesting. After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.

Bananas contain three natural sugars - Sucrose, Fructose and Glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

Depression:

According to recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain Tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into Serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

Anemia:

Bananas are relatively high in iron, which helps the body's hemoglobin function in blood.

Blood Pressure:

Bananas are extremely high in potassium (about 4673mg), yet very low in sodium (1mg), thus having a perfect ratio for preventing high blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stokes.

Healthy Bones:

Bananas are exceptionally rich source of Fructooligosaccharide, a compound that nurishes probiotic (friendly) bacteria in the Colon. The beneficial bacteria produce enzymes that increase our digestive ability and protect us from unhealthy bacteria infections. This probiotic bacteria can also increase both in number and functionality, increasing our body's ability to absorb Calcium.

In addition, green bananas contain indigestive short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that are very nutrients to the cells that make up the mucosa of the stomach. These cells, when healthy, absorb calcium much more efficiently.

Brain Power:

200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams last year by eating bananas at breakfast, break and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation and Diarrhea:

Due to their high content in fiber, they help to restore a normal bowel function. In addition, diarrhea usually depletes your body of important electrolytes (of which the most important is Potassium, contained in high amounts in bananas). They also contain Pectin, a soluble fibre (hydrocolloid) that can help normalize movement through the digestive tract.

Eyesight Protection:

Research published in Archives of Ophthalmology has proven that adults consuing at least 3 servings of fruit per day have a reduced risk (by 36%) of developing age-related macular degeneration(ARMD), the primary cause of vision loss in older adults, compared to persons who consume less than 1.5 servings of fruit daily.

Heartburn:

Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Ulcers:

This is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicle cases. It also helps to reduce acidity and reduces irritation. Bananas stimulate the cells on the internal stomach lining to produce thicker mucus (which protects against acid). Additionally, bananas contain Protease inhibitors that helps to eliminate bacteria in the stomach that have been pinpointed as a primary cause of Ulcer.

Nerves:

Bananas are high in B Vitamins that have been shown to improve nerve function.

Smoking & Tobacco Use:

Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. They contain Vitamins B6 and B12 they contain, as well as potassium and magnesium: these substances help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress Relief:

Bananas are high in potassium, which helps to normalize the heartbeat and regulates the body's water balance. During periods of high stree, our body's potassium levels tends to be rapidely depleted: eating bananas is a healthy way to rebalance them without using drugs.

Stroke Risk:

According to a study in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can reduce the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%.

Conclusion:

A banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it with an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorus, five times the Vitamin A and iron, and twice the other Vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in Potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So, may be its time to change the well known phrase as "A Banana a day keeps the Doctor away!"

MEDICAL BENEFITS OF HONEY AND CINNAMON

It is found that a mixture of honey and cinnamon cures most Diseases. Honey is produced in most of the countries of the world. Scientists of today also accept honey as a "Ram Ban" (very effective) medicine for all kinds of diseases. Honey can be used without any side Effects for any kind of diseases.

Today's science says that even though honey is sweet, if taken in the right dosage as a medicine, it does not harm diabetic patients. Weekly World News, a Magazine in Canada , on its issue dated 17 January, 1995 has given the following list of diseases that can be cured by honey and cinnamon as researched by western scientists
HEART DISEASES
Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, apply on bread, instead of jelly and jam, and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol in the arteries and saves the patient from heart attack. Also, those who have already had an attack, if they do this Process daily they are kept miles away from the next attack. Regular use of the above process relieves loss of breath and strengthens the heart beat. In America and Canada , various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that as you age, the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalize the arteries and veins.

ARTHRITIS
Arthritis patients may take daily, morning, and night, One cup of hot water with two spoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. If taken regularly even chronic arthritis can be cured. In a recent research conducted at the Copenhagen University, it was found that when the doctors treated their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon honey and half teaspoon Cinnamon powder before breakfast, They found that within a week, out of the 200 people So treated, practically 73 patients were totally relieved of pain, and within a month, mostly all the patients who could not walk or move around because of arthritis started walking without pain.

BLADDER INFECTIONS
Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink it. It destroys the germs in thebladder.
TOOTHACHE:
Make a paste of one teaspoon of cinnamon powder and five teaspoons of honey and apply on the aching tooth. This may be applied three times a day until the tooth stops aching.
CHOLESTEROL
Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of cinnamon powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water, given to a cholesterol patient were found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10 percent within two hours. As mentioned for arthritic patients, if taken three times a day, any chronic cholesterol is cured. According to information received in the said Journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol. By the way, if you're taking cholesterol medicine, STOP! They all contain STATIN which weaken your muscles...including YOUR HEART and none has been shown to stop heart attacks or strokes!!!!= 20
COLDS
Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for three days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold, and clear the sinuses.
UPSET STOMACH
Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomach ache and also clears stomach ulcers from the root.

GAS

According to the studies done in India and Japan , it is revealed that if honey is taken with cinnamon powder the stomach is relieved of gas
IMMUNE SYSTEM
Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacterial and viral attacks. Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts. Constant Use of honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles to fight bacterial and viral diseases.