A serious effect of plaque: Reducing dental plaque reduces the levels of bacteria in the mouth which, when you have bleeding gums, can get into the blood and increase the risk of atherosclerosis – the narrowing of arteries. Bacteria feed on sugary and high carbohydrate foods. Low-sugar diets, containing a balance of complex carbohydrate, proteins and oils, are linked to lower levels of dental plaque.

Here’s the lowdown on the best plaque busters that can help keep your mouth cavity-free.

Toothpaste Choose a tooth paste containing ingredients designed to prevent plaque. An anti-bacterial substance called triclosan in toothpastes claims to reduce plaque. Some others contain a plaque-dissolving formula that breaks the bonds attaching plaque to the tooth surface.

Polyphenols Green tea, red wine and cranberry juice contains substance called polyphenols that reduce plaque formation and stop cavity causing bacteria from sticking to teeth. Drinks such as cranberry juice may help wash away up to 50 % more cavity causing bacteria from the mouth. Polyphenols can also help prevent oral bacteria from producing acids that dissolve tooth enamel.

Olive oil Limit plaque formation and strengthen teeth by adding olive oil to salads and cooking. Olive oil contains oleuropein, an anti-bacterial compound that stops ‘gram negative’ bacteria – the type that cause gum disease and bone loss from attaching to teeth. Olive oil also covers the teeth with a film of fat molecules that prevents plaque from forming. Other dietary fats and oils also help to neutralize acids produced by bacterial plaque.

Among the several home remedies for halitosis, the use of fenugreek has proved most effective. A tea made from the seeds of this vegetable should be taken regularly for correcting the condition. This tea is prepared by putting one teaspoon of seeds in half a litre of cold water and allowing it to simmer for fifteen minutes over a low flame. It should then be strained and used as tea.

Bad breath treatment using Avocado:

Another effective remedy for bad breath is avocado, which is far superior to any mouth lotion or remedies for this condition. It effectively removes intestinal putrefaction or decomposition which is one of the most important causes of bad breath. Halitosis treatment using

Bad breath treatment using Guava:

Unripe guava is useful in halitosis. It is rich in tannic, malic, oxalic, and phosphoric acids as well as calcium, oxalate, and manganese. Chewing it is an excellent tonic for the teeth and gums. It helps cure bleeding from gums and stops bad breath. Chewing tender leaves of guava tree also stops bleeding from gums and bad breath.

Chewing gum:

Oral dryness is one of the contributing factors to bad breath – dry mouth can increase bacterial buildup and cause or worsen bad breath. Chewing sugarless gum can help increase the saliva production, and thereby help reduce bad breath. Chewing may aid particularly when the mouth is dry, or when one cannot perform oral hygiene procedures after meals (especially meals rich in protein). Chewing gum aids in provision of saliva, which washes away oral bacteria, has antibacterial properties and promotes mechanical activity which helps cleanse the mouth. Some chewing gums contain special anti-odor ingredients, such as Breathanol™. Some common folk remedies that are somewhat similar to chewing gum are chewing on fennel seeds, cinnamon sticks, mastic gum or fresh parsley. It is advised to chew gum for no longer than 4-5 minutes, and not practice that habit too often, or else some damage might be caused to the temporomandibular joint (the joint that connects the lower jaw to the skull).

Scrape the tongue.

Hold the tongue with something made of cotton (gauze, flannel, towel etc.). Do not use paper as it will disintegrate. Hold the tongue out and steady. Place the tongue scraper as far back as possible and scrape forwards firmly, holding the tongue all the time. You may gage initially but the gag reflex subsides quickly. Repeat the scraping until you have covered the whole surface of the tongue, especially towards the back, this is a major source of halitosis. 

According to experts. Bad breath is caused by “volatile sulfur compounds” in your mouth. These compounds are produced by the bacteria in your mouth. The odor causing compounds are found in amoung your teeth, under the top layer of your tongue and in your throat and tonsils. Dry Mouth Dry mouth is a common symptom with people suffering from halitosis, and it is one of the main causes of halitosis. Dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, causes a number of changes to occur in the mouth. First of all the bacteria become more concentrated in the saliva, and they tend to volatilize or evaporate more readily into the air. When this occurs, bad breath will be stronger and more noticeable at greater distances.

The first and simplest thing we recommend patients do is be sure that they are consuming at least the recommended daily allowance of water which is eight glasses of water per day. Chewing sugarless gum also helps to increase salivary flow while chewing. Despite numerous products claiming they can eliminate or significantly improve dry mouth conditions, we have only found one product so far that significantly helps the problem. Besides causing halitosis, xerostomia often results in a metallic or bitter taste in the mouth. Without a doubt xerostomia is very difficult to eliminate entirely, but even if a patient’s xerostomia remains we can still effectively treat their halitosis condition.

Diet When a person does not brush or floss their teeth thoroughly, food particles may remain in the mouth. These particles may rot and cause foul odors. In addition, food particles over time can promote the growth of bacteria, which can also cause foul odors. The bacteria can also lead to tooth decay and gum disease.

Foods with strong odors also affect the air a person exhales. Foods commonly known to contribute to bad breath include onions and garlic, exotic spices (such as curry), some cheeses, fish, and acidic beverages such as coffee. Foods are absorbed into the bloodstream and then transferred to the lungs, causing noticeable odors when exhaled. These foods may also cause gastrointestinal upset and belching, which can contribute to bad breath. In addition, certain supplements such as fish oil capsules can contribute to bad breath.

Low carbohydrate diets may also cause what is known as ‘ketone breath.’ So-called ‘low carb’ diets cause the body to burn fat as its energy source. The end-product of making this energy are ketones, which cause a fruity acetone-like odor on the breath when exhaled.

Dental problems

Poor dental hygiene and periodontal disease can be a source of bad breath. If you don’t brush and floss daily, food particles remain in your mouth, collecting bacteria that can emit chemicals, such as hydrogen sulfide — the same compound that gives rotten eggs their characteristic smell. A colorless, sticky film of bacteria (plaque) forms on your teeth and if not brushed away, plaque can irritate your gums (gingivitis) and cause tooth decay. Eventually, plaque-filled pockets can form between your teeth and gums (periodontitis) worsening this problem — and your breath. The microscopic uneven surface of the tongue also can trap bacteria that produce odors. And dentures that aren’t cleaned regularly or don’t fit properly can harbor odor-causing bacteria and food particles.

Alcohol consumption causes digestive problems which leads to bad breath. In addition, alcohol dries out the mouth, which reduces saliva production. See below for more information.

Tobacco Products

In addition to causing bad breath, smoking or chewing tobacco-based products can stain teeth, irritate gum tissue, and exacerbate tooth decay. 

Bad breath, medically called halitosis, can result from poor dental health habits and may be a sign of other health problems. Bad breath can also be made worse by the types of foods you eat and other unhealthy lifestyle habits. People of any age may have halitosis. Researchers have determined that bad breath typically begins when the waste produced by bacteria in the mouth, nose or stomach comes into contact with the air.

There are numerous nasal triggers for bad breath. Nasal dysfunction, including a genetic abnormality in the nasal passage, may inhibit proper mucus flow. The bacteria found in sinusitis, post-nasal drip and allergies may pass from the nose to the back of the tongue where it can lie dormant due to improper saliva flow or poor dental hygiene.

When bacterial plaque is not removed from the teeth, the gums or between the teeth, it continues to grow and ultimately may lead to halitosis, tooth decay and gum disease.

Some types of bad breath are considered to be fairly normal. They usually are not health concerns. One example is “morning mouth.” This occurs because of changes in your mouth while you sleep. During the day, saliva washes away decaying food and odors. The body makes less saliva at night. Your mouth becomes dry, and dead cells stick to your tongue and to the inside of your cheeks. When bacteria use these cells for food, they produce a foul odor.



If you don’t want to spend your hard-earned money on gels and scrubs that are not effective most of the time, here are some simple home remedies for blackhead that can help you eliminate blackheads.

Make a paste of fresh methi (fenugreek) leaves and apply it on your face for 10 to 15 minutes every night. It dries the oil from the blackhead, reducing the swelling around it. Grind raddish seeds with water to form a thin consistent paste. Scrub it gently on your face – this helps remove the blackhead completely. Orange peels can be ground with water to form a thick paste. Apply and leave it over night on the affected areas.

Mix mint juice with haldi (turmeric) powder and apply on the affected areas. Keep it on for 30 minutes and wash off with lukewarm water. Put a small bit of toothpaste on the blackheads. It dries them out. Aloe vera is another great remedy. It soothing properties that are great for the skin. It also speeds up the healing process.

Beat an egg white and add to tablespoons of fresh honey to it. Apply the mixture to your face and let it dry for 20 to 30 minutes. Rinse it off with warm water.

The above home remedies for blackhead can also consider as a treatment and eliminate your blackheads

Here are a few tips which may help as positive energy booster: 1. Feel the earth beneath your feet for a few seconds. Establish a connection between your soles and the ground and visualize roots going downwards. If you can walk barefoot in the garden or the park, it would be even better. A quick grounding aid, it helps retain the balance especially on demanding days.

1. Take 10 Deep Breaths. Make them as slow and deep as you can. Not only does more oxygen reach your brain, you find your blood pressure dropping and a sense of calm enveloping you. Do it as often as you like, anywhere and anytime. Every time you exhale, feel your body relaxing further.

2. Rub your palms together and feel the vibrations. Gently place them over your closed eyes. Allow the warm energy of your palm to go within you for a few seconds to restore a sense of inner calm.

3. Affirmations work very well to raise our energy and to promote feelings of self confidence and joy. Powerful statements that instill positive thoughts internally, replacing negative thinking effortlessly and easily if practiced daily.

4. Add a few tablespoons of sea salt or common salt to your bath water. It will cleanse you thoroughly of negative energy and relax your muscles.

5. Wear white or pastel colored clothes. These colors resonate at a higher frequency and can actually raise your vibrations and bring in feelings of harmony.

Finally and most importantly, consciously maintain a positive attitude. Refuse to allow negative thoughts to cloud you.  These are few positive energy boosters, try this yourself and get success.

Yoga for Heart Disease

Ek pad uttanasana Lie down, stretch your body and keep it taut. Inhale and raise your right leg slowly, keeping your arms and hands on the floor. Hold your leg at an angle of 60 degree to the ground for as long as you can. Breathe normally. Return the leg slowly to base position and repeat for the left leg. Repeat 5-6 times.

Breathing Techniques Ujjayee pranayam Inhale with both nostrils and contract your neck muscles to produce a continuous sobbing sound – low but uniformly pitched and without any breaks. Inhale to your lungs maximum capacity. You should feel a slight vibration in your chest and head areas. Now form the pranayam mudra with your right hand and close the right nostril with your right thumb and exhale slowly through the left nostril. Repeat 8-10 times.

Deep breathing and dhyan Sit in sukhasana. Inhale to your lungs maximum capacity and then exhale fully. Repeat this simple breathing 20-30 times but without any extra force. Make sure that as you breathe only your lungs expand and contract, not the stomach. Sit comfortably and do dhyan.

Anulom-vilom pranayam Sit straight, breathe normally and form the pranayam mudra with the right hand. Close the right nostril with the right thumb and exhale slowly through the left nostril. Inhale slowly to your maximum capacity. Close left nostril with ring and little finger and lift the thumb off the right nostril and exhale slowly through the right nostril. Now repeat the same processes with the left nostril to complete one round.

Hasyasana Sit in sukhasana and close your eyes. Smile and think that you are free from all mental tensions, all ailments. Gradually, start laughing, louder and louder. Let yourself free and laugh out as much as you can. Raise your hands as well. Slowly lower your volume, reduce your tempo and return to the calm, smiling position. 

Normal skin

Healthy normal skin is neither too dry nor too oily.

Cleansing- with face wash or cleansing milk containing 1 to 2 drops of rose or chamomile.

Face oil- 2 to 4 drops of rose, patchouli, sage or germanium in jojoba or wheat germ oil is applied on a clean skin. The skin should be gently massaged with the finger tips, left for 15-30 minutes, then washed. Face mask – apply fresh apricot pulp twice a week.

Dry skin

This is a fine type of skin and has a tendency to develop lines quickly.

Cleansing- with rose water.

Face oil – 2 to 3 drops of sandalwood, germanium in 1tsp wheat germ oil. For mature skin, patchouli with jojoba is useful. Apply with the finger tips, gentle massage and wash after 15 minutes.

Use herbal mask like cucumber paste once a week.

Oily skin

It is shiny and often with acne, blackheads or white heads.

Cleansing – with face wash or cleansing milk camphor.

Face oil – use antiseptic essential oils which are non-greasy and help in rebalancing the condition.

Oily and Acne skin

Cleansing is important, face wash 3-4 times everyday. Avoid makeup.

After each wash pat dry with tissue (avoid force as it spreads infection).

Face oil – 2 to 3 drops of lemon, juniper, lavender or tea tree oil in soya vegetable oil.

Face mask – put 2 to 3 drops of above mentioned oils in fuller’s clay and mix with water and apply twice a week.

Toning – In a spray bottle, fill rose water and put 2 drops of lemon or niaouli (shake well), and spray on face twice a day.

On the tip of acne tea tree oil can be applied, not to be massaged all over the face. Do not squeeze or touch the acne. A good diet, sleep, aerobic exercise and a well hydrated body is the key to good glowing skin.

Osteoarthritis affects the hands, feet, spine and large weight-bearing joints such as hips and knees. Most cases of osteoarthritis have no known cause. Obesity is a risk factor for knee osteoarthritis more commonly in females. Arthritis Symptoms:

Knee joint is affected more

While walking and bearing weight

Inward bending leads to deformity of knees. It’s common due to

genetic genetic predisposition

Common symptoms of knee arthritis

Pain and swelling

Locking and instability of knee joint

Stretching of ligaments

Initially there may be joint stiffness – usually lasting more than 15 minutes – which gets relieved with rest. It is usually better in the morning but it worsens as the day progresses. In case of arthritis, there is some mild joint swelling and tenderness to touch. The joint may also feel warm but a joint that cracks and snaps doesn’t necessarily mean arthritis is present.

Arthritis Treatment:

Weight reduction

Avoiding squatting, kneeling or sitting on the floor

Reducing stair climbing

Use of wedges in shoes

Occasional use of pain relieving medicines

Undergoing physiotherapy

Taking pain killers is not a good solution as they may lead to disturbance while walking or performing daily activities. Excess intake may lead to gastric ulcers and kidney damage. Surgery is considered when arthritis is moderate to severe when joint wear is visible through x-ray. Arthritis is manageable, but a planned and a judicious treatment is important and early diagnosis and treatment is required. 

Some important tips:

Potassium or calcium deficiency can cause weakness in joints and bones. Take milk and banana more in breakfast

Don’t go for long walks or spend hours on the treadmill. Exercise according to your capacity

Do exercise sitting on a hard bed Wear comfortable shoes which are suitable for walking

Yoga for Knee Pain:

Kapalbhati kriya Sit comfortably on the chair, neck straight. Place both hands on your thigh, palm facing upwards, eyes closed. Exhale forcefully through both nostrils, simultaneously pulling your stomach in. Keep your body still. Breathe out completely and relax. Repeat this kriya three times.

Benefits:Fights obesity; shuns all the toxins from your air passages, combats asthma, massages abdominal organs and muscles.

Caution: If you have heart disease, high blood pressure or hernia, please exhale gently.

Titaliasana

Sit and stretch your legs forward. Bend them at the knees and spread them to join the soles of your feet. Interlock your hands and hold your feet at the toes. Now raise and lower your knees in quick succession, to stimulate the fluttering of a butterfly. Repeat this continuously 15 to 20 times.

Benefit: Removes stiffness from leg joints

Exercise for Knee Pain:

Ankle stretches

Keeping the legs stretched taut, move your feet at the ankle. Try and stretch it as far forward as possible and then as far back as possible. Repeat this 8-10 times.

Ankle rotation Stretch your legs. Rotate both the foot in clockwise and anti-clockwise direction, making a circle. Repeat 4-5 times.

Thigh stretches Stretch your legs forward, keep the pillow under your knees, now press your knees downwards gently on pillow, hold the position for some time. Repeat 4-5 times. 

Aging is synonymous to loss of sukra in the body. Sukra is the subtle element that provides luster to hair and skin, strength to joints and organs, longevity and attraction normally seen in abundance in saints and evolved beings, which pulls one towards them unknowingly. This sukra gets dried up due to constant hyperactivity and excessive ama(toxin) produced in the body due to certain unhealthy practices. The four major reasons for the loss of sukra in the body are emotional congestion, excessive physical labour, anger and overindulgence in sexual activities. A practitioner of sanatan kriya is able to check all four without having to make a conscious effort or suppressing any desires. There are also certain yogic measures to reverse the process of ageing by revitalizing the cells.

Yoga for Slowing Down The Aging Process:

Sarvangasana Lie on the back. Inhale and using the support of hands, gently raise both the legs to an upright position while keeping them joined, toes pointing upwards. Thereafter, roll up the buttocks; the lower, middle and upper back such that the entire body up to the upper back is in one straight line, perpendicular to the ground. The shoulders and head are on the ground, chin tucked into the chest and hands support the body. Retain this poature. Release while exhaling.

Caution: People suffering from cervical spondylitis, slip disc and high blood pressure must not perform this asana.

Halasana

Lie on the back. Inhale and raise both the legs taking them over your head, to touch the toes on the floor. Palms maybe placed on the lower back to for support or can be taken backwards touching the toes. Hold this posture, exhaling return.

An extremely effective Ayurvedic antidote to ageing skin is black grapes. They maybe taken orally or crushed and applied on face. Caution: People suffering from stomach ailments, spinal injuries or ailments of the neck should refrain from practicing this asana. 

A few useful tips to prevent infertility:

1. Meditation, relaxation, moderate physical activity and yoga.

2. A balanced diet includes carbohydrates, protein and fibre.

3. Avoid excessive exercise as it may affect sperm production in men due to the heat build up around the testicles.

4. Avoid environmental poisons and hazards such as pesticides, lead, heavy metals, toxic chemicals and ionizing radiation.

5. Limit sex partners and use condoms to reduce the risk of getting a sexually transmitted disease (STD). STDs that go undetected and untreated can damage the reproductive system and cause infertility. Maintain a body weight close to the ideal for your height to reduce the possibility of hormone imbalances.

Another common cause of low sperm count is varicocele. Varicocele is an abnormal enlargement of the vein that is in the scrotum draining the testicles. A quick Doppler test can be done to confirm this ailment. In case you are suffering from this ailment four methods are available to repair this- conventional surgery, microsurgery, laparoscopic surgery and non-surgical radiological treatment- varicocele embolization.

Varicocele embolization is performed by an interventional radiologist and benefits are no pain, no surgical scar, performed on day care and patients are able to return to normal daily activities immediately. A patient with both side varicoceles can have them fixed same time in one sitting. No general anesthesia/sutures is needed.

The interventional radiologist makes a tiny nick in the skin at the groin/neck using local anesthesia and a thin catheter is passed and directed to the testicular vein and by using coils or particles, blood flow is re-directed to other healthy pathways. Whole non-surgical treatment procedure is painless and takes about an hour.

Cornea is a transparent, avascular structure in front and centre of the eye. Any Injury to he eye or infection may lead to corneal ulceration. Delay in corneal ulcers treatment, unhygienic conditions and poor diet may cause corneal opacity and blindness. Being the most anterior part of eye ball, the cornea is exposed and hence prone to infection. Cornea is protected from minor infection by the normal defence mechanisms present in tears. If due to any reason quality or quantity of tears becomes poor, chances of corneal ulcer will be more.

Corneal Ulcers Causes: Any kind of injury to cornea. Corneal infection- bacterial, viral or fungal allergic most of the times corneal infection arises from exogenous source like infected foreign body, infected vegetative material and water borne(from swimming pool) or air borne infections. Because cornea is an avascular structure endogenous infections are of rare occurrence.

Corneal Ulcers Symptoms:

1. Severe pain in eye

2. Redness

3. Continuous watering from the eye

4. Intolerance to bright light

5. Discharge from eye especially in bacterial corneal ulcer.

6. Blurred vision due to corneal haze.

7. Swollen eye

Corneal Ulcers Prevention:

1. Incase of any infection, clean your eyes 2-3 times a day with clean water.

2. Immediately start broad spectrum antibiotic eye drop 3 – 4 times a day.

3. Hot fomentation gives comfort, reduces pain.

4. A balanced diet rich in vitamins helps in early healing.

5. Never use steroid eye drop as it causes corneal opacity and blindness.

6. Consult an eye specialist.

Corneal ulcer is an acute emergency and may lead to dreaded complication like corneal perforation, corneal opacity and blindness.

In India 30 million people are blind due to corneal infection. Once corneal opacity develops it requires corneal grafting. For corneal grafting there is requirement of cornea. In our country there because of lack of awareness of cornea donation. 

Quit sighing when your see someone with thick healthy hair! Stop balming the season. You stressful life and food habits are responsible for dull and lifeless locks. Some simple haircare tips or healthy hair tips and yogic exercise to take care of your tresses: 1. Eat protein rich diet and leafy vegetables regularly. 2. Massage scalp regularly with mustard oil 3. Drink mixture of amla in water before going to bed, 4. Soak amla reetha and shikakal in water overnight and apply to scalp and leave on for 30 minutes. Rinse well with water. 5. Put 3-4 drops of com milk ghee in both nostrils before sleep.

Yoga tips for Healthy Hair Kapalbhati kirya Sit in sukhasana, your hands on your knees in gyan mudra. Close eyes gently. Exhale forcefully through both nostrils, simultaneously pulling your stomach in. Repeat 40-50 times or till you are tired. Then breathe out completely  and relax.

Benefits: Boost blood circulation and reduces hair grayness

Padhastasana: Stand erect, inhale and raise your hands. Your arms must be straight and should touch your ears. Now, as you exhale, bend your body forward and downward. Try to place your palms on the floor beside your feet. Try to tough your forehead to your knees, if possible, without bending them Breathe normally. Hold posture as long as you can, then return to original  position. Benefits: Boost blood flow to the scalp, promoting hair growth.

Uttanpadasana: Lie on your back, hands beside your thighs and palms resting on the ground. Inhale and raise both legs slowly, placing pressure on your hands. Hold your legs at an angle of 60 degree to the ground till you can. Breathe normally. Feel the strain in your leg and abdomen. Get back and relax.

Benefits: Ensures proper blood supply to scalp.

Caution: If you have back pain avoid padamasan and uttanpadasana

Rubbing Nails: Rub you finger nails together for atleast 10-15 minutes daily. Benefits: Reduces graying. 

Common Dental Problems:

1.Bad breath

2.Cavities

3.Dry mouth gum disease

4.Toothaches 5. Pyorrhea.

Dental Problems Causes:

1. Lack of roughage in diet

2. Inadequate care of the teeth

3. Stagnation of food between the teeth.

4. Excessive formation of tartar leads to proliferation of bacteria

5. Poor digestive system

Dental Problems Symptoms:

1. Toothache

2. Dental caries

3. Tooth sensitivity experiencing pain or discomfort to your teeth from sweets, cold air, hot drinks, cold drinks or ice cream

4. Tooth decay

Tips for Dental problem:

1. Regular and proper brushing and flossing

2. Gargle with water every time after eating

3. Adequate calcium in diet

4. Use teeth for chewing food in small pieces rather than just

5. swallowing

6. Exercise of gum by chewing

7. Regular tongue cleaning

8. Extra care of teeth and gums during pregnancy and lactation period.

9. Clinch the mouth during passing usine and stool

Natural Remedies for Teeth Disease:

Chewing sticks of babool, khaira and neem facilitate salivary secretion, help in plaque control. some stems have  an anti-bacterial action.

Use of licorice(Glycyrrhiza glabra), black catechu ir the cutch tree (Acacia Catechu linn), margosa tree(Azadirachta indica or neem), arhuna tree(Terminalia arjuna), Pungent fever nut (caesalipinia bonduc) and the common mildewed plant (Calotropis procera) for cleaning the tooth and guns are recommenced in ayurveda.

Use of sauf and supari after meals helps cleaning of buccal cavity and digestion of food.

Health Tips:

If any dental problem occurs, gargling with decoction of neem followed by chewing of laung provides immediate effect.

Common Cold Causes:

1. Change in weather conditions which favour growth of various kinds of viruses

2. Viral infections of throat

3. Exposure to cold climate

4. Change of drinking water

5. Excessive consumption of frozen or chilled foods

6. Exposure to dust

7. Working late nights

8. Excessive exposure with people who are already infected with cold Poor ventilation

9. Staying in a room with no proper air circulation or in a room with heaters or Air conditioners on the whole day.

Common Cold Symptoms:

1. Running or blocked nose

2. Sneezing

3. Sore throat

4. Congestion

5. Headache

6. Low fever with body pain

7. Loss of appetite

8. Lethargy

9. Insomnia

Common Cold Treatment: Daily intake of chyavanprash leha, khushmanda leha, Ashvagandha and swamala compound enhance the immunity of body.

Exercise tips

Exercises like pranayama and sudarshana kriya will make our respiratory system strong and prevent us from getting any respiratory illness.

Home Tips For Common Cold:

1. A concentrated decoction of peppercorns with cumin and jaggery helps to expel out sputum

2. About 6-8 leaves of tulsi also help during cough and cold Inhalation of smoke from burned dried root of turmeric about 5-6 times relieves the congestion.

3. Vitamin-C rich lemon juice increases body resistance, decreases toxicity and reduces the duration of the illness

4. Soup of four cloves of chopped garlic helps to open up the respiratory passages.

5. Five drops of garlic oil combined with teaspoon of onion juice, and diluted in a cup of water should be taken 2 to 3 times a day.

6. The sweet decoction of 10gm of ginger in a cup of water helps.

7. A teaspoon of the bitter gourd plant root paste, honey or tulsi once every night for a month, acts as an excellent medicine for cold.

8. Half a teaspoon of turmeric powder mixed in 30ml of warm milk, once or twice daily.

Iron deficiency anaemia is common among Indian women and many suffer from this. It is a health issue which often goes undiagnosed and untreated. Expectant mothers often suffer from this condition as the blood volume increases as much as 50% which causes dilution of RBC. Reasons as to why one could be anaemic

When the body stops making RBCs and there is more chance of infection.

Lack of vitamin B12 or folic acid. This when the RBC is not able to carry oxygen properly to the lungs and other parts.

Inherited blood diseases (sickle cell Anaemia and Thalassemia), certain disease can effect the formation of RBC (during kidney failure)

When the body is not able to absorb B12 from the food.

Anaemia symptoms:

Fatigue

Irritable

Breathlessness

Dizziness

Pale skin and nails

Iron plays a major role in the formation of the red blood cells. Iron deficiency can be taken care by following iron rich diet or supplements. Heme is a chemical which helps in the absorption of iron in the body and is present only in meat and fish, non-heme are plants and lentils.

Foods for Anaemia:

Some iron rich food containing heme iron

Clams, pork liver, oysters, chicken liver, beef beef liver, shrimp, sardines and turkey.

Some iron rich food containing non-heme iron

Enriched breakfast cereal, cooked beans and lentils, pumpkin seeds, canned beans, baked potato with skin and canned asparagus. The absorption of non-heme iron can be improved when a source of heme iron is consumed in the same meal. Few foods which interfere with the absorption of iron and could be avoided are tea, coffee, calcium, vitamin E, antacids, over the counter drugs and milk products. Supplements and vitamins are advised to be taken with the consent of an expert specially in the case of pregnancy.

Dehydration Causes:

Insufficient liquid intake

Excessive loss of liquids due to diarrhea, sunstroke or vomiting.

Dehydration Symptoms:

1. Furious thirst

2. Loss of elasticity of skin and wrinkling

3. Diminished muscular endurance

4. Dizziness, headache

5. Tachycardia (galloping heart rate)

6. Increased body temperature

7. Extreme exhaustion

Dehydration Prevention:

1. Non-alcoholic drinks may be given in plenty. Coconut water, barley water, sugarcane juice or glucose-water are the best.

2. A pinch each of sugar and salt in a cup of water.

3. Water flushes wastes from the body through urine

4. Take Nimbupani during prolonged exercise.

5. Bel, sauf water, help curb appetite.

6. Plump up wrinkles with frequent fluid and seasonal vegetable.

7. Watermelon, sweet melon quench thirst.

8. Bananas are recommended for water and potassium depletion.

9. Chamomile tea has the added benefit of being a natural pain reliever. so it helps relieve the stomach cramps that often accompany dehydration.

10. Decaffeinated teas are also excellent.

Warning

In severe cases of dehydration, intravenous fluids are essential, and immediate hospitalization is a must.

Health tips

Bring 2 cups of water to boil for 2-4 minutes in a stainless steel pan (do not use aluminium) and put it aside. Then add ½ tsp of whole coriander seeds, ½ tsp whole fennel (saunf), two 1 inch slices of fresh ginger root and let it soak. After 10 minutes strain out the spices and pour the water into a thermos flask. Sip throughout the day for quenching your thirst.

Tuberculosis diagnosis can be a very challenging task. It’s done through: Chest X-ray Sputum examination for AFB (acid fast bacilli) in typical patients. If these investigations are negative, then tuberculosis diagnosis can be very difficult as TB can be a differential diagnosis in virtually all infective diseases.

In countries like India, where TB is rampant, many a times it is a diagnosis by exclusion.

In spine, brain, bone and abdominal tuberculosis, CT scans of specific areas can be very helpful.

Tuberculosis Treatment:

Lasts for at least 6-9 months. In bone TB, it can take up to 18 months. With proper compliance, response to anti-TB drugs is very good and most patients recover completely.

Not taking first line drugs properly results in drug resistance and emergence of MDR-TB (MTB resistant to Rifampicin and Isoniazide). In MDR-TB, second line anti-TB drugs are used for nearly 18 to 24 months and unfortunately, not with good results.

You may have TB If you have undiagnosed fever and cough for more than 3 weeks If you have blood in your sputum

Also remember Always take complete tuberculosis treatment for 6-9 months Stopping treatment midway, even if you feel well, can promote MDR-TB, a very difficult disease to treat. Never add one or two second line anti-TB drugs to a failing first line regime, as it will only promote MDR-TB.

QuantiFERON- TB Gold test, ELISA test should be recommended by experts only.

DOTS treatment under RNTCP is available at several TB centres free of cost. Today, lack of finance is not a reason to treat TB effectively in DOTS era.

Following are some suggested confidence building tips to boost your confidence: Confidence begets confidence meaning, if you speak with confidence it instills confidence in people around you. If you are afraid to speak in public, practice in front of a mirror, learn the speech by heart, speak on every opportunity that comes your way. May be some people will laugh at you initially, but just continue, learn from your mistakes. Soon you will become a confident speaker.

Be comfortable with who you are, develop skills that you admire in people. It could be people’s skills, it could be the ability to write, or to make people laugh. It is a rare gift.

Remember, the confident picture you see in people, has been cultivated with care and definitely with hard work.

Do not associate with people who pull you down. There are many such sorts, who are ready to stop you and hinder your progress.

Jealousy and envy for your aptitude and ability makes people discourage you. Ignore them.

We are surrounded with people with such an attitude and aptitude, both. People are ready to give you suggestions, ready to advice you too. The wise saying about free advice is, “pass it on”.

You must heed to wisdom, to people who are close to you and people who love you and care for you.

There’s a saying, “fools rush in where angels fear to tread”. Which means taking a step impulsively can be dangerous. Be confident but not foolhardy.

Believe in yourself and in what you do. This will definitely lead you to success.

When you start on your chosen path, you will have hundreds of people following you.

Confidence is also humbling.

With the above confidence building tips or confidence boosters you can reach your goal with you chosen path.