First and foremost, avoid as far as you can, taking laxatives. They will make your bowel dependent on them if you take them frequently. If you must, then go in for a natural laxative like Isabgol or Psyllium husks, which is bulk forming. You can add a spoon of it to a glass of water, mix it well and consume before going to be bed. Or add it to your yogurt or any vegetable at meal.

You can also add flaxseeds, which are fibre rich, to yogurt to act as a laxative.

Bananas also help in bowel movement and hence can be consumed. Interestingly, bananas are known to help in loose stomach too.

Drink 2 glasses of lukewarm water early in the morning. 

Exercise: Exercising helps improve metabolism and something like jogging or running shakes up the bowels and thus helps cure constipation.

To prevent getting constipated, you could make simple dietary changes and build some form of exercise into your daily routine. 

Incude high-fibre foods in your diet. That would mean including whole wheat grains, porridge, oatmeal, bran, whole pulses. Processed foods on the other hand are low in fibre. So you could reduce the intake of white bread, pasta, biscuits, noodles etc. 

Instead of fruit juices, have whole fruits as the pulp is fibre rich. Include whole fruits and raw vegeatbles, especially green leafy vegetables in your diet. Try and have a bowl of salad with your favorite dressing for those between the meal times.

Dry fruits like raisins, figs, dates and prunes also have high fibre content. 

Make these easy changes in your diet and enjoy good overall health. Keep constipation at bay, and you keep several diseases at bay!

Tags: ayurvedic remedy, healthy eating, home remedies, natural cure, natural health

• Cloves are rich in eugenol, which is a natural antioxidant. Eugenol has anti-bacterial properties and is particularly effective against vibrio cholerae,  Gartner’s bacillus and swine Erysipelas bacteria.
• Cloves are useful in treating gastric ailments and dyspepsia.
• Cloves are useful in relieving nausea and vomiting.
• Because of its anti-bacterial properties, cloves are used to fight gum diseases, toothache and other dental conditions.
• Cloves also find use as a local analgesic in dental problems.
• Oil from cloves is also used to treat muscle cramps.
• Cloves are also used to strengthen the respiratory system.

Tags: healthy eating, natural cure

May has just begun and already the heat is scorching. Makes one cringe at the thought of how hot the next two months are likely to be. And so out comes our list of do’s and don’ts to beat the summer heat. Simple changes in diet and lifestyle can help us breeze through the hot summers.

• Ok, top of the list. Drink lots and lots of water. As much as you can. It is important to keep our bodies hydrated, keeps our bodies healthy and skin glowing. If you can’t have too much of plain water, make some lemonade or buttermilk – some light, salty chass or cool lassi are irresistable in summers. You could also add some juice concentrate or RoohAfza to water, for taste. Just make sure you aren’t dehydrated. However, avoid drinking ice-cold beverages. 
• Go easy on fried foods and consume more of fruits, especially those with high water content, like musk melon, water melon. 
• Salads of tomatoes, cucumbers (both water rich) are good.
• Yogurt or curd are great in this season as they are cooling and are easy to digest. They are also rich in Calcium, Phosphorous, Magnesium and Vit. B Complex. Cool cucumber raita is a delight at times when you don’t feel like having food because of the intense heat. Here’s how to make it:

             Take a medium sized cucumber. Grate it and add to a bowl of whipped curd. Add salt and jeera (ground cuminseeds) to taste. Enjoy with a meal or as a stand alone. Works as a good rehydrator.

• Wear cotton clothes.
• Bathe twice a day.
• If you have a tendency to develop rash on your skin in summers, you could try these:

1. Apply ice-packs on affected area
2. Apply cooled cucumber juice on the rash. 
3. Use a mix of curd and fuller’s earth as a face-pack.
4. Maintain good hygiene. Use a good talc or baking soda if you sweat excessively.
5. Use a good scrub to exfoliate and ensure pores do not get blocked because of excessive oiliness in summer.

Tags: healthy eating, healthy living, natural health

Ok, this is a topic I love the most. It pleases me no end to think that chocolates are not just ‘only taste’ but are a health food. It takes away the guilt feeling that one is eating plain fat, sugars & calories and sort of gives one the license to indulge. However, most of the benefits I am about to recount are associated with dark chocolates. So if you love dark chocolates, you are going to love this…

• Chocolates are a good source of energy and make for a good snack on the go.
• Cocoa liquor which goes into making chocolates is rich in polyphenols which are superb antioxidants. The concentration of these antioxidants in dark chocolate is more than that found in green tea or red wine! Dark chocolates have the highest Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity.
•  Reearchers have found that flavonoids present in dark chocolate help bring down blood pressure. They stimulate the production of Nitric Oxide, which in turn acts as a vasodilator on arteries, relax the inner surface of blood vessels,  causing the blood pressure to lower.
• Dark chocolate is a good source of Calcium.  
• Chocolates can also help reduce the risk of certain types of cancers.

So what are you waiting for? Go grab a big bar of dark chocolate!

Tags: healthy eating

Chanced upon some information on the web, which I think is of immense help to those of us suffering from frquent bouts of acidity. Apart from our lifestyle (read constant stress and meal skipping), the type of food we have has a significant effect on the levels of acid in our body. Certain foods are by nature acid forming while others have an alkalizing effect on the body. It is interesting to note that foods that taste acidic may not actually be acidic. So if you think orange juice has an acidic effect on your body, you couldn’t be further from truth. The reason these seemingly acidic foods have an alkalizing effect is that post-digestion, they leave certain minerals which help remove hydrogen ions and thus counter acidity.

Too much of acidity in the body (acidosis) can lead to an impairment of cell metabolism, weak bones and several other diseases. Therefore, one must have knowledge of acidity and alkalinity of various foods in our diet so one can make sensible food choices. It is important to know that no foods are bad. Our body needs both acid causing food and those that have an alkaline effect.

Foods like cheese, chocolates, cashewnuts, pistachio, barley, beans, eggs, chicken, butter, honey, wheat flour, peas, oats, mushrooms, sugar, wine and foods rich in animal protein are acidic.

Bananas, apples, apricots, oranges, lemons, broccoli, carrots, celery, coconut, onions, pineapple, raisins, walnuts are alkaline forming.

If you want to know more about acidic and alkaline foods and how they affect our bodies, I highly recommend this Acid and Alkaline Food List.

Tags: healthy eating, natural cure, natural health

Do you experience heartburn, have a bloated feeling? Belching, acidic burps? Feel like throwing up even after consuming small portions of food? You might be suffering from acidity. Acidity can be naturally cured and is easy to prevent. So before you start taking allopathic medicines, you may want to try one of these easy home remedies:

• Have a banana.
• Have a glass of cold milk. Be careful while trying this one. Some people find their acidity to get worse with milk. Works for most people I know though.
• Coconut water, coconut milk have a very soothing effect.
• Mix a tsp. of baking soda in water and have it while its still fizzing.
• Popping 2-3 walnuts or almonds helps (personal experience).
• Yogurt, fresh curd cool the linings and thus help counter acidity.
• Consume 2-3 dates.
• Orange juice or lemon juice help in acidity. 

To prevent acidity from occuring, keep in mind these preventive measures:

• Avoid stress. This is probably the most common reason for acidity.
• Avoid having meals at irregular timings.
• Do not go hungry for long periods of time. Keep a protein bar or some biscuits handy. Even if you don’t have time to have a sit down meal, be sure to pop in a biscuit anytime you begin to feel hungry.
• Avoid caffeinated drinks.

Remember to consult a doctor if acidity persists.

Tags: healthy eating, home remedies, home remedy, natural cure, Natural healing, natural health

Mango, also known as the king of fruits, is eagerly sought after every summers. Though savoured mainly for its taste, it is a little known fact that mango has several health benefits. 

• Mangoes should be dipped in water for a few hours and then kept in the refrigerator before consuming. Eating cooled mangoes provides a refreshing feeling and fight dehydration.
• Mangoes are good sources of energy.
• Mangoes, being fibre rich, are good for digestion. They help prevent constipation, piles etc.
• Mangoes are rich in Vitamin A, and C. 
• Vitamin E and K are also found in mangoes.
• Mangoes are rich in antioxidants and hence good for skin.
• They are also rich in beta carotene and so protect skin from tanning in summers.
• Mangoes, being rich in Vitamin B, iron and folate help boost metabolism.
• Mangoes are good sources of potassium, calcium and iron.
• Mangoes have low sodium content!
• Mangoes are also good at fighting acidity.

Tags: ayurveda, healthy eating, natural health

Fully ripe olives are purple-black in color. These black olives are natural artery protectors. They contain mono unsaturated oils which help lower the bad (LDL) cholesterol without lowering the good (HDL) cholesterol.

Olives are rich in Vitamin E and therefore good for the skin. And hence is also considered a very good anti-oxidant.

Olive oil is known to be beneficial in ulcers and gastritis. It is easy on the stomach. Olive oil is said to prevent the formation of gallstones in the body as it activates secretion of bile and pancreatic juices. It also aids in metabolism and finds wide use in the Mediterranean diet.

Tags: ayurveda, ayurvedic remedy, healthy eating, High Cholesterol, natural cure, natural cure for heart ailments, natural health

Today is World Health Day. And I thought why not just remind ourselves of some basic do’s and don’t for good overall health. And in the process make some resolutions

So here goes my list of resolutions…

• Exercise – Build any form of exercise into daily routine. Meditation and deep breathing, yoga exercises, aerobics, walking, running, gyming…could be anything. 30 minutes of exercise, especially in the morning help improve our metabolism and also keep us fresh and active during the day.
• Five to ten minutes of Kapalbhati pranayam over and above the above. It improves the functioning of the respiratory system, improves blood circulation, improves digestive system, tones abdominal muscles, cleanses and purifies both the mind and the body, fights stress and helps lose weight.
• Eath healthy – Include nuts and fruits in breakfast and salads in lunch.
• Have a hearty breakfast so I have energy for the day. Also helps improve metabolism to have a good breakfast after the night long gap.
• Go in for a decent lunch but have a frugal dinner.
• Avoid skipping meals even when there seems to be no time for one. Am going to carry a banana or some almonds or one of those Protein bars and po-in any time I feel there isn’t time for a sit-down meal.
• Better still, try and have 5-6 small, healthy meals during the day.
• Have atleast 8-10 glasses of water every day. I find it difficult to have so much of plain water. So am going to try lemonade, RoohAfza, orange squash to get my full quota of water for the day.  Worth doing for good metabolism and happy skin!
• Avoid stress – That is something that is going to be tricky for me. And this will probably be my most important Health Day resolution.
• Avoid late nights as far as I can – whether it is for work or partying. Am going to follow the “Early to bed and early to rise…” dictum. That isn’t going to be tough though as I am mostly a morning person.
• Get atleast 6 hours of sleep everynight. A good, sound sleep allows the body to heal itself and get ready for the next day.
• Catch 40 winks, if I can, during the afternoons. Its like a quick refuel for me!
• Go for nature walks, and just immerse myself in the sights and sounds of nature…pure bliss!
• Laugh as often as I can…not waiting for a big joke to be cracked.

Ok, so thats my list. What’s yours? Do share!

Tags: ayurveda, healthy eating, healthy living, Natural detox, Natural healing, natural health

Did you know that prunes contain natural aspirin? Try some prunes next time you have a headache instead of popping in a pain-killer.

Prunes or dried plums are also a good source of fibre and sugar. It is advantageous to use prunes (a source of natural sugar) as sweetners instead of refined sugar.

Prunes are also said to be a good laxative( dihydrophenylisatin) and are often used to treat constipation. 

Prunes are known to be good anti-oxidants too.  They neutralise the damaging effects caused by oxidation and so fight against aging.  The Chinese use a drink made with prunes to counter acidity.

Prunes are rich sources of Vitamin A and therefore beneficial for eyes, skin and the immune system.  Prunes are a rich source of Magnesium, which is a vital mineral needed in the body. Perhaps because of their rich magnesium content, they are also known to help in prevention of bone loss in post-menopausal women.

Prunes are rich sources of dietary fibre as well. Pectin, the soluble dietary fibre found in prunes helps lower blood cholesterol levels.

So what are you waiting for, go grab a box of prunes or better still buy some ripened plums and dry them naturally!

Tags: ayurveda, ayurvedic remedy, healthy eating, healthy living, High Cholesterol, natural cure, natural cure for heart ailments