Ayurvedic Hair Care - Part 6

Home remedy for dark and thick black hair

Ingredients

Hibiscus (Shoe flower) the dark red ones 20 nos

Coconut oil 200 ml

Method

Heat the coconut oil and when it nears the boiling point, drop the shoe flowers with the stalk into the oil. As soon as the flowers are dropped remove the coconut oil from heat and allow it to cool. Strain out the flowers and store the oil in a bottle in a cool place. Apply this oil to your hair everyday for healthy hair growth.

Fenugreek remedy for arresting hair loss

Method

A handful of fenugreek seeds are soaked in water the previous night. The fenugreek is ground to a fine paste the next day morning. This paste is then applied to the hair roots. Allow the paste to stay for 5-10 minutes and then wash it off. Regular application will stop hair loss and will help healthy hair growth.

Home remedy for premature grey hair

Ingredients

White karisalankanni plant

Coconut oil or sesame oil

Method

Take a small whole white karisalankanni plant and pound it thoroughly. Make a fine paste of the pounded plant using a mixer. Make dime-sized tablets out of the paste and dry them in shade for a couple days. Once thoroughly dried, store these tablets in a bottle. Soak a couple of these tablets for two days in either coconut oil or sesame oil 50 ml as and when needed. This oil is applied on hair to treat premature greying of hair. For good results regular application for at least 2-3 months is recommended.

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Ayurvedic Hair Care - Part 5

If there are cuts or grazes on skin you can use usilam powder obtained from usilam tree leaves. This powder can be used instead of soap during the Friday/Saturday bath.

In case of skin conditions like scabies or eczema, iluppai oil cake obtained from Indian Butter tree can be an alternative for the usual soap.

Shikkakai powder or boondhi kottai powder can be used for cleaning if you are using herbal oil.

For those using cow’s ghee, green gram powder can be used for cleaning.

The Don’ts

On the day of this special weekly bath you have to observe the following dietary restrictions. You should not have vegetables like ash gourd, snake gourd, bottle gourd and milk. Salt, sour and pungent tasting foods should be reduced to the minimum. No daytime nap and no sex on those days.

The vegetables to be avoided are

• Ash gourd

• Brinjal or eggplant

• Pumpkin

• Cluster beans

• Mango

• Coconut

• Bottle gourd

• Bitter gourd

Onions should not be taken. Green gram, mustard, fennel seeds, sesame, groundnut, palm candy, milk, curds, tobacco, crab, fish, chicken, mutton, pork etc should be avoided.

Avoid alcohol and all other such products that induce an altered state of mind. You should not loiter around in hot sun after this bath.

The Do’s

You can have

• Tender broad beans

• Tender drumstick

• Tender brinjal

• Tender mango

• Indian gooseberries

• Sundakkai (Devil’s fig)

• Manathakkali (Black Nightshade)

• Pepper

• Cumin seeds

• Fenugreek

• Cardamom

• Asafetida

• Fried salt

• Cow’s ghee

As for non-vegetarian stuff you can take quail or iguana in moderation.

Adopting these dietary restrictions on Friday/Saturday bath can help fast and natural hair growth. Some more hair growth products will be detailed in my subsequent posts.

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Ayurveda Hair Care - Part 4

There is a saying in Tamil ‘sani neeradu’ which means ‘bathe on Saturdays’. Some conveniently take it to mean to bathe only on Saturdays, while others see this as a way to conserve water during the dry summer season. But the saying lays emphasis on a complete bathing after application of oil on scalp and the whole body. And it is an experience in itself. This Saturday bathing is meant for men, and women are supposed to have this bath on Fridays, I do not know why this is so.

Apart from the regular bathing on all the other days, this Friday or Saturday special bathing is still followed in many households in Tamil Nadu, India. It is followed as a ritual and when combined with other useful practices recommended by the Siddha system, this is found to re-establish a sort of harmony in the human system. The whole process takes at least 3-4 hours. It is a wonderful relaxing experience.

Proper and regular ‘Saturday bath’ strengthens your body. The mouth and jaws are strengthened. The eyesight gets sharper. The respiratory system improves. The hearing capacity improves. It helps hair growth. It is an excellent hair loss treatment.

With this bath, dry skin problems become a thing of past. You can prevent eczema, scabies and other such skin diseases. You won’t suffer from itchy skin. The body becomes clean and fresh. There is reduction in stress. It cools the brain.

Some things to keep in mind before taking bath

• The oil has to be bearably warm

• Place a bit more oil on the crown

• Also apply some oil to the soles of your feet

• If herbal oil you can instill two to three drops in your nostrils

• Also instill two to three drops in your ears

Similarly use warm water for this bathing.

Herbal oil can work wonders on proper application. When applied on the soles of your feet it cures diseases of the eyes. It improves the eyesight. When a few drops of this oil are instilled into the eyes it cures problems of the ears. A few drops to the ears cure ailments that afflict the head and scalp. It gives you a clear mind. When the oil is applied on head, it cures most of the diseases that affect the whole human body.

Sesame oil and coconut oil are the best ones for application on hair and scalp. Neem oil is also a good alternative except for the smell, which some may not like. Pure cow ghee can also be used as an alternative.

Pancha karpa oil is a Siddha preparation that can be safely used on hair that can benefit you in many ways. With regular usage it is found to strengthen the hair.

Ingredients:

Kasthuri manjal (turmeric)

Pepper

Neem seeds

Kadukkai (chebulic myrobalan)

Kernel of Indian gooseberry seeds

The above items are taken in equal quantity by weight. Cow’s milk equal to the total weight of the five ingredients is taken. All the five ingredients are ground to a fine powder. This powder is dropped into the milk and allowed to boil. This is allowed to reduce to two-thirds of the original quantity. This would have reached an oily consistency by this time. Now it is removed from stove and allowed to cool and then stored in a bottle. This is applied on hair and scalp. Regular application benefits the scalp and hair immensely. This helps to stop hair loss.

My next post will elaborate on the diet and other things to be observed after this special bath.

P.S: I had erroneously mentioned ‘linseed oil’ in some previous posts where it is supposed to be ‘sesame oil’. I have corrected the mistake.

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Ayurvedic Hair Care - Part 3

For healthy hair growth you should adopt certain healthy practices. The most important one is to apply oil to the scalp before bathing. Oil should be applied at least 15 minutes before a bath. Similarly the hair should be patted dry thoroughly after a bath. After this you can apply hair oil. You should ensure that the scalp does not remain dry for quite too long. The scalp and hair should have oil always.

Cleaning your hair is very essential to keep it healthy. Since India is a hot country, and more so the southern part, people sweat a lot and the dust gets settled on skin and scalp very quickly. Bathing twice a day would be ideal. One thing you need to keep in mind is that you should not bathe immediately after some strenuous work which had involved physical exertion. Do not bathe when you are dripping with sweat. Rest for a few minutes to let the body come back to the normal temperature and then have your bath. Also do not bathe immediately after a full meal.

After bathing use a towel to pat your hair and scalp dry. Ensure that the scalp is thoroughly dry. Do not use a hair dryer for this purpose. The hot air can damage the hair roots. Apply oil only after the scalp is patted dry.

Given below is a method to prepare the oil that is applied to scalp before bathing.

The ingredients are dried Indian gooseberry, fenugreek, and dried lemon peel. 50 gm of each of these are powdered and added to a liter of sesame oil. This oil is then applied to the scalp and allowed to stay for some 30 minutes and then washed off.

Another way is to apply sesame oil to hair. Now add soapnut powder, green gram powder, bengal gram powder, and powdered rice to rice congee. Make a thick paste of good consistency and apply the paste onto your hair and scalp. Wash it off after 30 minutes.

Another alternative is to apply sesame oil to hair. Then collect henna leaves, sesame, athimathuram, Indian gooseberries, and make a fine paste of these with cow's milk. Heat this fine paste a little and once it reaches a bearable level of heat apply it on the hair and scalp. Leave it for 10-15 minutes and then wash it off.

Another herbal preparation found to be very effective is to make a paste of karisalankanni leaves, nelli mulli and anthimathuram and applying it on the hair after the usual application of oil. This is then washed off after 10-15 minutes. This helps in luscious hair growth. The hair will have a nice fragrance and it will keep away diseases that affect your hair.

You can try a simple preparation to stop hair loss. For this you need to make a paste of split red gram (thuvaram paruppu in Tamil). Red gram is soaked in water the previous night. The next day morning it is ground to a fine paste and applied to scalp and washed off after 10 or 15 minutes. If you do this frequently, it will help in arresting hair loss and also aid in hair regrowth.

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Ayurveda Hair Care - Part 2

A healthy body begets a healthy mind. I would like to add healthy hair. A comprehensive hair care in Ayurveda starts inside out. Hair weakens with deficiency of vitamins or minerals in the body, or changes in food habits. Some common hair problems are hair fall, inadequate and lackluster growth, change of color, gradual receding of hairline leading to baldness, alopecia or round shaped small bald patches on scalp, dandruff and head lice, graying of hair.

Though many reasons could be attributed to the cause of the above mentioned conditions, the basic one according to Ayurveda is the body ‘heat’. A ‘heat body’ is somewhat akin to an acidic body, and this body ‘heat’ increases with anger, anxiety, confusion, jealousy, depression and such emotions. Some physical reasons could be constipation, walking barefoot in hot sun for long, etc.

Leading a stress free life is essential for good hair growth. Meditation or other such practices can help in managing stress in your life. Also you should start eating more fibrous foods and drinking more water. This alone can take care of constipation most of the time. Stubborn cases of constipation can be treated with some Ayurvedic laxatives. For people who walk too much in hot sun, one way to reduce their body ‘heat’ is the application of sesame oil on the soles of their feet. For this purpose they should clean their feet before going to bed and pat them dry with a towel. Sesame oil is then applied to the soles of both feet and rubbed vigorously for a minute or two. This is said to have a soporific effect and can induce a good night sleep. In addition, it reduces the body ‘heat’ too.

Is it necessary to apply oil to hair? While there is an ongoing debate on whether you need oil for hair growth, Ayurveda does suggest application of oil to help healthy hair growth. One of the famous hair oils that aids in hair growth is the neelibringadhi oil. This can be applied to the scalp after a bath. This oil is found to help arrest hair fall and activate luscious hair growth.

Application of oil to your hair helps in reducing the body ‘heat’. It keeps the hair fresh. The hair would not get tangled. The color of hair improves with regular application of oil. Since the oil strengthens the hair root, there is a reduction in hair loss.

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Ayurvedic Hair Care Tips - Part 1

Human hair grows to half an inch per month. The hair can be divided into three parts, the bulb, the root and shaft. The bulb is the swelling at the base below the root that comes up from the dermis, the root is the portion of hair beneath skin surface and shaft is the hair above skin surface. Life span of a human hair is said to be between two to three years. It is normal to shed 50 to 70 strands per day.

Excessive hair loss can be attributed to weak hair roots. Some of the reasons for hair loss include heredity, infection of scalp, certain drugs, stress, environmental pollution, chlorine in water, hormonal imbalances, menopause, pregnancy, diseases like typhoid, flu etc.

Some more reasons for hair loss include

• lack of essential nutrients in body

• dust that is not cleaned off from scalp

• cleaning hair with excessive hot or excessive cold water

• scalp not patted dry after a bath

• application of oil on scalp after a bath without proper drying

Some precautions to be observed:

• Do not allow others to use your comb, keep it to yourselves.

• Avoid combs with very sharp teeth.

• Never use a dirty comb

• Change your comb after a month.

• Do not use combs of others.

• Do not comb in a hurry. Take your own time to comb your hair.

• Run your comb gently through your hair. Never test your strength with your hair.

Coconut oil has been used from time immemorial for luscious hair growth. Application of coconut oil on scalp nourishes the hair roots and strengthens hair follicles.

One inexpensive way to have a soft and shiny hair is to apply not so sour curd obtained from cow’s milk onto to your hair. After about fifteen minutes you can clean off the hair with lukewarm water.

Records show that our ancestors cared for their long hair with the help of herbs and oils. They took time to dry their hair and expose it to scented fumes. They prepared herbal oils that nourished the hair roots and hair follicles. Above all they led a stress free life which should have been the primary reason for their healthy hair.

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Hair Care in Ayurveda

Human hair has had an important social significance for human beings throughout the history of mankind. It has been a symbol of love and respect in many traditions. In the Hindu tradition, the first born son tonsures his head on the death of his father or mother. This rite of tonsuring the head is done on the day of cremation. He also shaves off his mustache. The next day, the son is taken in procession from his home to the crematorium to take part in the rites and ceremonies performed at the crematorium. You can find this act of giving away of hair as a sign of respect, mourning and for various other reasons in different cultures throughout the world.

The biblical character Samson was said to have had his strength in his hair. When his hair was cut he lost his strength. He regained his strength when the hair grew back again.

Pictures of Lord Jesus depict him with shoulder length hair. The great gurus and rishis were said to have had thick lock of shoulder length hair. The great Fathers of the Church were always found with long hair and beard. The pictures of the great poet Thiruvalluvar show him with shoulder length hair which is tied at the top as a knot.

Devotees in India offer their hair as a token of love and thanksgiving to Lord Balaji in Tirupathi, Andhra Pradesh. Men of certain religious faith like Orthodox Jews and Sikhs for example may never cut their hair or shave some or all of it. Womenfolk of orthodox Christianity and Judaism cover their heads using headscarves as a sign of modesty.

Cutting off hair or tonsuring in public was meted out as punishment. Heads were shaved in the concentration camps of Second World War. Long hair of women was cut as a sign of punishment.

More recently, Yoko Ono, wife of John Lennon cut her long hair on her husband’s assassination. She said “John loved my hair, so I gave it to him”. Hippies of the 60s and 70s grew long hair to show their antipathy towards the mainstream society.

Though hair is not considered necessary for survival, loss of hair or baldness does cause a lot of stress in most of the people.

Women tend to be more careful in the upkeep of their hair. Women with long hair clean it regularly and take extra care in maintaining it. Hair grows and stays well in a healthy body. Care should be taken to keep the scalp clean and free from dust. Frequent usage of shampoo with chemical contents can harm the scalp. Dry scalp is a fertile place for dandruff. Dandruff on scalp can lead to weakening of hair root and result in hair loss. It is very difficult to eradicate dandruff once it has set in. It can also lead to baldness.

Hair loss due to hereditary genetic condition like male pattern baldness or female pattern baldness can be can be reversed with judicious use of excellent herbs and oils. Ayurveda and Siddha manuscripts mention number of hair oils as well as oral preparations that help in restoring hair and preventing hair loss.

Mainstream system utilizes oral drugs like finasteride or minoxidil for hair growth. These drugs were originally meant for treating BPH and high blood pressure and the hair growth was a side effect. The side effect of using these drugs for hair growth remains to be seen. Finasteride is found to cause birth defects in unborn baby of pregnant women. This drug can be absorbed by the skin and so pregnant women should not handle this drug.

I will introduce you to some herbal preparations that help in hair growth as well as prevent hair loss in my subsequent posts.

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Home Remedies For Acne

Home remedies for acne work wonderfully well on skin. With proper supervision, you can get back the natural sheen and color of your skin with no side effects. With a two pronged approach of treating the problem internally as well as complementing it with external herbal application you can cure almost all of the skin afflictions that trouble mankind. This inside out approach cures the system of the basic defect that has caused this manifestation in the first place. In this article I will share with you some home remedies for acne.

Acne affects most of the population at least once in their lifetime. Teenagers are particularly prone to this problem due to the sudden spurt of hormonal activities in their bodies. There is a tempting desire to pop the acne cysts in spite of the eventual pain and infection. There is an unbearable itching sensation around the cysts.

An Ayurveda expert would advise you not to scratch the area or pop the cysts. If the white pus is expressed out by pressing the acne, it could lead to formation of black spots in those areas. These marks thus formed may remain stubborn in some cases and would worsen the appearance. If the cysts are left alone, they would gradually subside with appropriate care. It goes without saying that one needs to practice adequate self-discipline for an effective cure.

Regular application of Ayurvedic products like ‘kumkumadi lepam’, ‘chandanadi thailam’ etc on acne boils help in their subsidence. The skin will regain its lost luster over time. Also application of sandalwood paste is a good alternative. In this case, the paste is to be applied immediately on preparation. Tablets of sandalwood paste available readymade in shops will not suit this purpose.

Reduce the frequency of using soap to clean your face. Soap can remove the oil from the surface of skin. This would result in dry skin and can aggravate the acne boils. Instead just wash the face with plain cold water. Limit usage of soap on your face to twice or thrice a day.

Neelibringadhi oil can be gently massaged onto the hair roots once in two or three days. This will help in hair growth as well as clearing of dark rings around the eyes. This oil also helps in clearing up dark spots and blackheads. A warm water bath an hour after this application is found to yield good results.

Taking natural laxatives once a month for elimination of toxins is a very good practice which should be observed for at least three months. Kashayam made of tender kadukkai or chebulic myrobalan, curry leaves and grapes is a good laxative for this purpose.

Drink one or two glasses of water first thing in the morning. This helps in proper bowel movement and elimination of waste matter. Add more of greens and coconut to your regular diet. Avoid oily food substances. Tender coconut water and bananas in the mornings and wheat kanji in the evenings would be ideal.

Apply skin of milk on affected areas before going to bed. Splash cold water and wash the area off the next day morning. Rub a turmeric finger on rough surface and obtain a fine paste by adding a drop or two of linseed oil to it. Apply this paste to the pimples and leave it dry for 30 minutes. Clean off the area using green gram powder.

Mahathiktha gritham is taken 10 mg everyday morning on empty stomach. This helps in curing blackheads or comedones.

In the coming days I would share with you some time tested home remedies for acne.

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Ayurvedic Home Remedies: Lifestyle Changes and Menopause

Women in their late 40s and early 50s face a lot of physical and psychological disturbances during cessation of their menstrual process. Some physical symptoms include hot flashes, sudden onset of sweating, sensation of heat throughout the body etc. Coupled with this is the risk of postmenopausal weight gain.

To tackle this condition and to effect a smooth transition to the postmenopausal stage Ayurveda suggests some lifestyle changes. Ayurveda regards menopause as imbalance of doshas. Its recommendations include consumption of fresh fruits and leafy vegetables and reduction of intake of hot and sour foods. An exercise regimen consisting of brisk walking in open space for 30 minutes is recommended. Meditation and prayer can help to calm the mind and provide the much needed psychological support.

To neutralize the hormonal imbalance, chandraprabha gulika is taken three times every day after food both morning and night. This preparation is available in two forms, the conventional small peppercorn sized balls and the modern tablets. In case of tablets, two of them can be taken. The conventional balls should be taken after soaking them in a few drops of milk and squishing them to a paste. To complement this, Chandanaasavam and usirasaavam are mixed together and 50 ml of this combination is taken after food both in the mornings and evenings. Application of pinda thailam once or twice a week can take care of body aches and hot flashes. Women who are in the throes of menopause can follow this regimen, even if they do not experience the symptoms mentioned above.

Observation of some dietary restrictions helps in preventing weight gain in postmenopausal women. Intake of sugar, carbohydrate and milk should be reduced to the minimum. Daytime nap is a strict no, no. The importance of consumption of fruits and leafy vegetables cannot be stressed enough. Adequate water intake is also necessary in flushing out waste products from the body.

Some of the ayurveda preparations that can help women facing menopause are asokarishtam, triphala choornam, satavari lehyam, balarishtam etc. These are some of the safer alternatives to the risky hormone replacement therapy recommended to menopausal women by the conventional system.

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Ayurvedic Home Remedies: For Jaundice and Liver Diseases

Kizhanelli and karisalanganni are two herbs that are used in Siddha and Ayurveda for treating fatty liver, jaundice and other liver diseases. The incidents of liver damage are on the increase and it would be beneficial to equip ourselves with the knowledge of these herbs for both preventing and treating a host of liver diseases.

Liver is located on the right upper side of abdomen. The normal weight of liver of an adult is around 3 pounds. It secretes bile into the intestine which is essential in digesting fat. Harmful chemicals that enter the body like alcohol and drugs are rendered harmless by liver. A healthy liver is needed for production of proteins like albumin.

The normal function of liver is disrupted due to viruses, alcohol, toxins in drugs etc.

Kizhanelli (Phyllanthus niruri) is a herb with very tiny round leaves. It grows in lush green areas and can be found in the banks of rivers, lakes and paddy fields. Apart from treating jaundice this herb is useful in curing anemia, skin problems, eyesight defects etc. Kizhanelli juice and ponnankanni juice are mixed in equal quantity of linseed oil and allowed to boil for five minutes. The oil is then allowed to cool. This oil is applied on head for healthy hair growth as well as eye problems.

Karisalankanni (Eclipta alba) is found to grow in river banks and paddy fields. Two litres of karisalankanni juice and linseed oil are mixed and allowed to boil. 40 gm athimathuram powder is added and then allowed to cool. This is a well known remedy for cough, phlegm in chest, disturbances of voice box etc. A spoonful of this oil is taken in the mornings and evenings. The oil can also be used for bathing purposes.

For treating jaundice and other liver problems, leaves of karisalankanni, kizhanelli and thumbai of equal quantity are ground to a fine paste. Around 15 gm of this paste is mixed in buttermilk and taken on empty stomach in the mornings and evenings. This not only cures jaundice but also restores the liver to its healthy normal level within a short period.

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Ayurvedic Home Remedies: Some Useful Remedies Using Papaya

Though papaya (Carica papaya) is a native of tropical America, it is found all over India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and most of the eastern countries. Well known for its rapid growth, the papaya tree grows to a height of 5-6 m. It doesn’t have a woody stem and tends to get uprooted in cyclones.

Milky latex from the unripe fruit has exceptional medicinal qualities. It is a well known vermifuge. It is also used in the manufacture of chewing gums.

Given below are some home remedies using papaya.

For the expulsion of intestinal worms the papaya latex is mixed with castor oil and taken once in the early mornings. For adults the quantity advised is 60 drops of the milk mixed with 30 drops of castor oil. In case of children, oral administration of 15 drops of castor oil is mixed with 15 drops of the latex is suggested. This is a time tested remedy for intestinal worms, very effective and with no adverse side effects.

For a rapid cure of stubborn ulcers in mouth, tongue, throat etc, application of this latex is recommended. This is found to have cured even persistent ulcers that are resistant to conventional medicinal systems.

For treating skin diseases, especially the scabies and scalp eczema varieties, the papaya latex is mixed with alum powder and the paste is applied on the affected areas. The area is then cleaned with warm water after an hour.

One simple way to lose weight is by consuming unripe papaya fruits both raw and cooked. Meat is said to become tender rapidly when cooked with tender papaya fruit.

Pregnant women should keep away from both unripe and ripe papaya fruit in the early stages of their pregnancy. These fruits have a tendency to abort the formation of the fetus.

The ripe papaya fruit is very effective in treating inflammation of liver and spleen. It improves digestion and cures constipation. In case of urinary tract inflammation, this fruit is a very effective compliment to the conventional medicine. Regular intake of this fruit prevents UTI.

The fruit is not expensive and is available in plenty throughout the year. It is an ideal fruit for the breakfast. Papaya juice is very tasty and has excellent nutritional value. Add papaya to your diet and reap rich benefits.

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Ayurvedic Home Remedies: How to treat post-viral fever arthralgias

Almost 30% of those who have had a bout of viral fever have to ‘limp back to normalcy’ literally with considerable pain in the joints. It is pathetic to see people who were run down with chikungunya, rat-bite fever, etc not able to walk normally after the fever has gone. The difficulty and pain lasts for months together in many cases.

The following Ayurveda herbal preparation is found to be very effective in treating these types of conditions. This is also effective in treating convalescents who are recuperating after a surgery.

A kilogram of the root of amukkuram is bought from herbal shops and cleaned thoroughly and dried. It is cut to pieces and boiled in milk till the whole milk evaporates. Then allow the amukkuram to return to room temperature. Now repeat the whole process again by adding milk and boiling the amukkuram. This is repeated seven times. This process is said to increase the potency of the root. Once done, the boiled amukkura pieces are dried in sun thoroughly (may take 1-2 days) and then powdered to a fine consistency.

Similarly a kilogram of Indian gooseberries is de-seeded and cut to pieces. They are dried thoroughly under shade. The dried gooseberries are powdered to a consistency similar to the amukkura powder.

A spoonful of amukkuram powder and quarter spoon of gooseberry powder is mixed in warm water and taken both morning and night before food. This is taken for 40 days or more. You will start feeling the difference in a week or so, but continue the regimen for a complete elimination of symptoms.

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Ayurvedic Remedies: Oil Pulling and Ayurveda

Oil pulling or oil swishing is an age-old practice recommended by Ayurveda. This is done in the mornings on empty stomach after brushing your teeth. A teaspoonful of sesame oil is taken and swished in your mouth for 15-20 minutes. This is a form of cleansing recommended by Ayurveda. This is said to remove toxins from our body. The modern version of oil pulling is done using sesame oil or sunflower oil, before brushing your teeth. The term ‘oil pulling’ was coined by Dr. Karach after he experimented swishing oil in the above mentioned method and cured himself of a horrible blood disease. He further studied it, systematised it and propagated it throughout the world.


I have just finished my tonight’s swishing and had my supper. I re-started doing this from the morning. I had done this some 10 years back and had good results but don’t know why I stopped it. Yesterday I stumbled upon this forum http://www.curezone.com/forums/f.asp?f=738 here people share their experiences of oil pulling. After going through the site, I thought I should start oil pulling again, and here I am typing this post after my second session of oil pulling. Today morning, after the initial swishing, I felt my mouth to be fresh, didn’t have the late evening headache. I felt active throughout the day. Good results for a single session of oil pulling! I have made up my mind to continue this, and make it into a daily habit.

My vegetarian experiment is continuing. Also, no tea and coffee. Now my daily regimen is like this. I get up at 6:30 in the morning. I do the oil pulling first thing in the morning the first 20 minutes. I can also do some multi-tasking along with oil pulling. I can check mails, iron my shirts and pants, do some warming up exercises. Then I brush my teeth. I drink 2-3 glasses of water after this. Then I start doing some yogasanas. I start with suryanamaskars 10 cycles, then sarvangasana, dhanurasana, halasana, padmasana and savasana. All this takes around 30 minutes. Now it would be around 7:30 in the morning. Then I will have my bath, have breakfast and get ready. My office shift is from 2:00 pm to 10:00 pm. I work as a consultant in another company in the mornings. After a hectic day, I reach home by 11:00, have my supper and go to bed by 12:00. Now it is 11:45 pm when I am typing this.

Now for some benefits of oil pulling. Regular swishing twice or thrice a day is said to cure you of skin conditions like eczema, acne, digestive problems, sinusitis, migraines, constipation, diabetes, ulcers, post nasal drip, candida overgrowth, arthritis etc.

This is a simple method which is least expensive, with no side effects. Start swishing, and make it a habit. Cultivate healthy habits for better health.

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Ayurvedic Home Remedies: Turmeric For Alzheimer's Disease

Turmeric has once again been in the limelight for its medicinal properties especially its action in preventing Alzheimer’s disease. It is found to stop the spread of plaque found in brains of Alzheimer’s patients.

A study conducted by Professor Murali Doraisamy of Duke University Medical Center, Carolina showed that curcumin, or turmeric cured Alzheimer’s disease.  Brain plaques dissolved in mice which were given curcumin, and in younger mice turmeric prevented formation of plaque in the first place.

Several studies have shown that turmeric is effective in treating conditions such as cough, cold, to cancer and arthritis.  Incidentally, turmeric is referred as ‘spice of life’ in India.

Indians who take turmeric regularly have a low incidence of Alzheimer’s disease. 

One of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease is memory loss.  This can be a devastating experience.  There will be one million people with this disease in 10 years.  Turmeric can change their life.  Turmeric is cost effective, safe and easily available.

Professor Murali Doraisamy said that efforts are underway that could lead to a curry pill.

Turmeric along with neem was under a patent imbroglio some years back with the big drug companies wanting to patent both of them.  The timely interference of the Indian government prevented this from happening.

Medicinal plants and herbs are meant for all.  They were graciously provided by the Divine for the well being of all human beings.  It should not be cornered by a few greedy crooks.

More on medicinal uses of turmeric in the next post.

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Ayurvedic Home Remedies: How I became a Vegetarian

It was the lent season some time back and I thought it was the best time to become a vegetarian full time, a wish that I had been carrying in my mind for quite sometime.  I grew up as a non-vegetarian, and all in my family are non-vegetarians.  I loved eating fish, chicken, mutton, and beef.  I developed a fascination for vegetarian and then a vegan lifestyle after I read about it in Steve Pavlina's blog.

 

Couple of my friends are vegetarians, but non-vegetarian friends outnumber them.  When I go Kerala, my native place, it is fish everywhere everyday.  Fish tasted really good some years back, when the water bodies were clean and not polluted. Now, a good number of local varieties of fish have become extinct, and the fish today in Kerala doesn't taste good as it was before.

The only time we had veggies was during the lent season, and we would strike back with vengeance on Easter.

Given this background, I was a little hesitant at first to adapt a fully vegetarian lifestyle but the longing for a vegetarian way of living began to grow stronger. Coupled with my interest in Siddha and Ayurveda systems, which advocate a vegetarian lifestyle, and coming to know of the way chickens and cows are grown for meat, there was an aversion towards meat and fish, and I gradually shifted to a 100% vegetarian and have been so for the past two moths.  I took advantage of the lent season and continued the tempo after Easter.  Surprisingly there was no craving for meat or fish during the lent days and that probably helped me stretch beyond those 40 days.   Of late, I have even stopped taking coffee, tea and milk.  I am yet to feel any substantial changes in me.  I am planning to add yogasanas to my daily regimen from June.

One thing is I wanted to be more congruent to the information I share in my blog. I think becoming vegetarian is the first step.  Again I have to thank Steve Pavlina for this.  His writings have influenced me a lot in a very positive manner.

I will share with you more on these changes in the coming days.

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Ayurvedic Home Remedies for Asthma

Ashtma is found to flare up during winter. There are a couple of excellent ayurvedic herbal remedies for asthma that have been found to be helpful.



The word asthma denotes 'panting'. People suffering from asthma have difficulty breathing, especially exhaling. Though not contagious, it is found to run in the families. So if your parents or grandparents have asthma, probability of you getting asthma is more. Stress, environmental pollution etc also can cause asthma.



Prevelance of childhood asthma is on the increase now. Given below is a preparation that has been found to be very effective in treating asthma, both for grown-ups and children.



Ingredients



Kandankathiri whole plant with root 2000 gm

Sitramutti 75 gm

Nerunji root 75 gm

Sitrarathai 75 gm

Chukku (dried ginger) 75 gm

Pepper 75 gm

Thippili 75 gm



Preparation



The whole kandankathiri plant is thoroughly cleaned and dried in shade and cut to pieces. 1750 gm of this is taken boiled in 14 litres of pure water and reduced to 1.5 litres.



The rest of the ingredients are powdered and sieved. They are then added to the above kashayam. Add 1500 gm of cow ghee to this and heat the mixture. Boil it till it bubbles up and forms a foamy layer, then remove it from heat.



Store the preparation in a bottle. Take this one spoon after food both morning and evening. Regular intake is found to cure asthma.



More ayurvedic home remedies for asthma to follow.







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Ayurvedic Beauty Tips

Given below are some ayurvedic beauty tips that can help your complexion.

Our bodies should be fit enough for us to lead a hale and healthy life. A healthy body and healthy mind should be the foundation on which the external beauty is built. Adequate sleep and stress free lifestyle will go a long way in improving the radiance of the skin. Adapting an ayurvedic lifestyle can help in this.

All Ayurveda and Siddha texts stress the importance of applying good quantity of oil on head as well as all over the body. Twice a week minimum would be fine. A good massage followed by a warm bath can relax you and your skin. (Do not expose yourself to too much of direct sunlight on those days).

Moderation in diet and proper exercise are the basic necessities for a beautiful body.

The following preparation can be used to remove facial blemishes. These are available at the local herbal stores.

Powder of Maghizham flower 250 gm
Powder of Kichili kizhangu rhizome 125 gm
Powder of kasthuri manjal ( Curcuma aromatica) 125 gm
Powder of korai kizhangu 150 gm
Powder of Malaysian sandalwood 150 gm
Rose essense 20 oz.

Clean and the powders and dry them in sunlight. Once dried, again grind them to a fine powder. Mix all the powder together. Now using a pestle and mortar or something similar, make a fine thick paste by adding rose essense as needed. Make tablet like pellets (a size of a small marble) of this paste and dry them in shade. Once dried, store them in a bottle in a cool place.

Take a pellet and using milk make a paste. Apply a thin layer of this paste on your face. Bathe after half an hour. This improves the facial complexion and removes all blemishes.

Thikthaka grutham 10 ml morning and evening before food is recommended. Apply Eladhi coconut oil on black spots on face using a piece of cotton. Wash it off the next day morning. Instilling two drops of kumkumadhi thailam into your nose before sleep is also good.

Courtesy: 'Aayul Kaakum Ayurvedam' by Prof. S. Swaminathan

More ayurvedic beauty tips to follow.


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About Me

Shaiju Joseph is an alternative system enthusiast. His interest in Ayurveda, Siddha and other systems led to interaction with many experts in those fields. He shares his experiences and tips with you in this blog.

He can be contacted at ayurvedichomeremedies@gmail.com

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Ayurvedic Home Remedies - Privacy Policy

Update April 2009 - Privacy Policy

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Ayurvedic Home Remedies for Hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids or piles are swollen blood vessels that line the anal region. Close to 40% of human population suffer from this malady. Unhealthy eating, sedentary lifestyle, lack of exercise coupled with constant lifting of excessive weight, prolonged sitting or standing can lead to this condition.

Some of the symptoms include blood on the surface of stool, or on the toilet paper after a bowel movement. There may be itching, or swelling and sometimes pain. In some cases, there may no be noticeable symptoms at all.

Internal hemorrhoids are located within the anal canal. When they grow large and protrude from the anus they are prolapsed hemorrhoids. They can be extremely painful.

Stool softeners, creams, and surgery are the conventional methods of treatment.

People with careless attitude towards healthy eating and exercise are the easy targets. When there is no moderation in the quantity or quality of food taken, when the urge to defecate is suppressed it leads to constipation. And chronic constipation is the root cause of this painful condition.

How to prevent hemorrhoids

The first step in prevention is to eat more of vegetables and fruits that are rich in fiber. Observing discipline in bowel habits is a must. Regular bowel movement, at least once a day would be fine. For those who sit or stand for a long period, they should either sit or stand and move about every few hours and break the continuity. Some herbs like karisilankanni, kadukkai help in treating piles.

Home Remedies for Hemorrhoids

Juice of Kottaikarandhai leaves 1 litre

Sittamanakku oil (Ricinus communis L.) 1 litre

Cumin seeds 250 gm

Powder cumin seeds coarsely, add a little milk and grind the cumin seeds to a fine paste. Now pour the juice of the above-mentioned leaves and the oil to this paste. Heat the mix and let it simmer. When the mix boils to a waxy state, remove from heat and let it cool. Filter the oil and store in a bottle. Take this oil 75 ml in the mornings only for five days.

This is found to cure hemorrhoids, diarrhea and stomach ulcers.

Some more home remedies for piles

The twigs and buds of banyan tree and ground to a fine paste and added to milk and taken once a day for three days.

White onion is sauté in ghee. Add palm candy to this and make a fine paste. This is taken along with food three times a day.

There are much more time-tested ayurvedic home remedies for hemorrhoids which will be detailed in subsequent posts.


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Natural Skin Care Tips

Herbs are useful in nurturing skin and bringing back the lost lustre. I will explain below some simple beauty tips using herbs commonly found around the household.

The skin has a surface area of approximately 2 sq m. and is the largest organ. It comes in direct contact with the environment and bears the brunt of environmental pollution and UV radiation. Skin is also the largest organ of elimination.

A healthy body should have a healthy skin. Most of the skin problems are due to digestive disorders like a sluggish bowel or constipation. Also predominance of bad bacteria in gut over good bacteria leads to skin conditions like psoriasis, rosacea, acne etc. Adequate water intake helps elimination of toxins. Increase of fibrous diet helps overcome constipation. Colon cleansing is recommended in case of chronic skin afflictions.

Ayurvedic Skin Care

A comprehensive Ayurvedic skin care starts inside out. By cleansing the system of accumulated toxins and adapting a healthy lifestyle one can get back a radiant and glowing skin in a matter of months. And there is no risk of side effects.

One of my earlier posts ‘Ayurvedic tenets for a long and healthy life’ describes the basics of an Ayurvedic lifestyle. Adapting this way of life results in re-establishing the lost harmony. You will experience an all round growth in body, mind and spirit. For ayurvedic beauty tips to be effective, a personality based on this lifestyle would be ideal.

To start with, some herbal preparations for beautiful skin are given below.

Arugampul or Cynodon Dactylon also known as Bermuda grass is well known for its action on skin. Collect a handful of this grass and grind it to paste along with a finger of turmeric. Apply the paste on your body in a thin layer and bathe after an hour. This is effective in clearing most of the skin diseases, blemishes, boils, itching etc.

Aavaarai or Cassia auriculata (Tanner's Cassia) flowers can get you a radiant and glowing skin. The decoction of the fresh flowers, or powder of the dried flowers or the fresh flowers themselves when taken regularly cures body heat, body odour, salt deposits on body.

More skin care tips to follow.

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Hair Care With Herbs

Some Ayurveda herbs used for haircare are fenugreek, karisalankanni, henna, hibiscus, soapnut, Indian gooseberries, neem, and lemon etc.

Ayurveda approaches haircare holistically and takes into account the body types before prescribing a regimen. The person is treated externally with medicated hair oil and treated internally with specific herbs to rectify deficiencies if any. This results in overall improvement of health as well.

The lifestyle of an individual plays a major role in health of his/her hair. Major portion of his/her diet should be of greens like spinach, lettuce, karisalankanni (by the way karisalankanni is an excellent herb for liver) and fresh vegetables and fruits. This takes care of premature graying, dandruff, thinning of hair etc.

‘Lohasavam’ taken after food two times a day (morning and night) helps cure anaemia and aids hair growth.

After applying hair oil, massage the scalp with your finger tips. This will help improve blood circulation and strengthen the hair root. Then comb your hair.

Regular washing of hair helps it keep clean. Pollution and dust can settle on the scalp very easily and washing them away keeps the scalp clean.

After washing, rinse the hair with a mixture of warm water and lemon juice.
Avoid constipation. Take plenty of water.

Hair Care for Dandruff

The dead cells that flake off of outer layers of the scalp is known as dandruff. This is caused when the scalp dries up due to body heat. Excessive use of shampoo also can result in drying up of scalp. In such cases, use Bengal gram powder, green gram powder instead of shampoo or soap. This helps in preventing drying up of scalp.

In one of my previous posts I have mentioned about durvadhi kera thailam which is useful in combating this menace.

For Itchy Scalp

This can be due to pollution, stress, excessive use of shampoo, etc. It is considered as an aggravation of pitta dosha.

One hair oil I had mentioned in my previous post helps cure itchy scalp to a large extent.

These are some of the natural ways to take care of your hair using ayurvedic herbs.

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How to Make Ayurvedic Hair Oil

Some methods to prepare Ayurvedic hair oil have been detailed in couple of previous posts.

'Some ayurvedic home remedies for hair loss and hair growth' explains a simple way to prepare ayurvedic hair oil for premature greying. Also it shows another variation of hair oil for healthy hair growth. Another variation of hair oil using kuppaimeni is useful in preventing hair loss. 'Siddha Remedies for Hair Problems' explains two hair oil preparations that help hair growth for the bald.

I will explain below a couple of variations of hair oil that helps luscious hair growth as well as arrests hair fall.

250 gm of fresh leaves of eclipta prostrata (bringraj in Hindi) karisalankanni is ground to a paste and then made to a cake and dried in shade. Once dried, put this cake in coconut oil (500 ml). Regular application of this oil helps hair growth.

250 gm of henna leaves also can be used instead of karisalankanni leaves.

For premature greying 1/4 litre lemon juice, 1/4 litre karisalankanni juice, 1/4 litre milk all the three are added to 1 1/2 litre sesame oil and heated to almost boiling level. Remove from fire and allow the oil to cool. Regular application (at least for six months) will help premature greying, as well as good hair growth.

Expect some more variations to make 'Ayurvedic hair oil' very soon.

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Benefits of Panchakarma

Panchakarma is the process done by an Ayurvedic expert.

Given below are some of the benefits of Panchakarma

• It restores your constitutional harmony thereby improving health and wellness.
• It flushes out toxins from your body.
• It neutralises the negative effects of stress and retards the aging process.
• It strengthens the immune system and builds a resilient you.
• It relaxes you and keeps you calm.
• It improves your health, boosts your energy levels and gives you a clear mind.

Purvakarma is the term that denotes the measures to be followed before a full blown Panchakarma. Snehana or oil massage and swedana or sweating (akin to sweating in a spa) are the two processes that facilitate easy elimination of toxins.

Vamana, virechana, snehavasti, kashayavasti and nasya are the five processes of Ayurveda for elimination of toxins from body and mind.

Panchakarma helps in restoring back your lost vitality.

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What is Panchakarma

The aim of all systems of medicine is restoration of normalcy in an individual. This normalcy should reflect in all spheres of life, physical, mental and spiritual. Ayurveda as a holistic system strives to restore normalcy in the individual and it achieves this by the process of Panchakarma. This word Panchakarma means five actions. It is a cleansing and rejuvenating program for the body, mind and spirit.

The old adage ‘microcosm mirrors the macrocosm’ is the basic premise on which Ayurveda and Siddha systems were built. Ayurveda and Siddha systems try to establish the harmony of macrocosm in the microcosm. Everything in nature has its own rhythm. Panchakarma eliminates toxins from an individual’s body and restores the lost harmony.

An ideal personality is one who has a body clear of toxins, a calm mind, stable emotions. His/her system eliminates waste efficiently. All organs function normally.

Toxins get accumulated in one’s body due to environmental pollution and stress. The accumulated toxins weaken all the systems and create an ideal setting for development of chronic and degenerative diseases. The individual’s health is compromised in the process. When left unattended they develop into serious ailments which destroys one’s health and wellness.

Panchakarma is the ayurvedic way of removing accumulated toxins. By cleansing the body of all accumulated toxins, this process restores the lost vitality and improves bodily function. A subsequent change in lifestyle helps maintain this ideal state of health.

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