Benefits of Onion

1. Onions have anti-biotic, antiseptic, antimicrobial and carminative properties to help you stay away from infections.
2. Onions are rich in sulphur, fibers, potassium, vitamin B, vitamin C and they are low in fat, cholesterol and sodium.
3. It is an immediate cure for fever, common cold, cough, sore throat, allergies etc. A mixture of onion juice and honey can cure these problems easily.
4. A small piece of onion can work against side effects of fever if it’s kept on the fore head.
5. A small piece of onion when inhaled can stop or slow down the bleeding through the nose.
6. An onion a day can cure insomnia or sleeping disorders. This will surely give you a good night sleep.
7. Onions can improve digestive system. If you have digestion problem, then onions can cure it by increasing the release of digestion juices.
8. Onion juice can cure burnt skin or an insect bite or a bee bite. It may burn more but it can heal it very effectively.
9. Onions can be used to prevent cancers. It works against head, neck and colon cancers.
10. You can protect yourself from Osteoporosis and Atherosclerosis by consuming onions daily.
11. Onions increases insulin in the body and also treats diabetes by controlling the sugar levels in the blood.
12. The bad cholesterol that causes heart problems can be burnt or removed if onions are consumed daily. It keeps you stay safe from the coronary diseases and also protects the good cholesterol.
13. Inflammation from Arthritis in the joints which can be healed with onions.

14. There is a small trick with onions to get some relief from body pains. Onions should be fried in sesame or castor oil and can be used to heal any aches.
15. One of the well-known tricks to remove dark patches or pigments on your face is to apply onion and turmeric juice on that area.
16. Onion juice is also used to cure ear and eye problems. This juice is used for infants as eye drops for clear vision.
17. This is also used for toothaches and tooth decaying.
18. Onions have rejuvenation properties on the body tissues.
19. For few types of moles, onion juice works efficiently by removing them.
20. For good memory and strong nervous system, consuming onions is your best bet.
21. Onions cure menstrual disorders. Raw onions should be consumed before a few days at the beginning of your cycle.
22. Use onion juice on the hair or the scalp to get rid of lice and hair fall. This is one of the most prominent of onion benefits for hair.
23. Onions contain water, protein, fats, starch, fibers, minerals, calcium, vitamin C, iron and B complex.

How to get motivated for Exercise?

Most of the people don't like to exercise! Follow bellow strategies will help you to get up and going for good.

Be Realistic
First-time exercisers often set unrealistic goals that are too ambitious for beginners. Gerald Endress, fitness director of the Duke Diet and Fitness Center in Durham, N.C. says, “They want to go for maximal goals, but they tend to get overwhelmed.”

So don’t start off trying to work out an hour every day. Instead, set more reasonable, achievable goals, like exercising 20 to 30 minutes two or three times a week.

Keep Track of Your Progress
Remember to chart your progress, whether it's with a high-tech online tracker or an old-school fitness journal. Seeing incremental improvements, whether it's improved time, increased reps, or greater frequency of workouts, can boost your exercise motivation.

Don't Expect Perfection
Another pitfall is all-or-nothing thinking, a perfectionist way of looking at life that leads to giving up when you miss a day or two or your workout doesn’t go well. Endress says if you accept that there will be some sidesteps on your fitness journey, you’ll be better prepared mentally to deal with setbacks.

Expect that you'll get sick from time to time, and be psychologically prepared to miss a few days of exercise when that happens. Don’t let it be an excuse for giving up. "From then on, many people say, ‘I can’t exercise,'" Endress says. "But there’s always a way to exercise."
To keep injuries from side-lining you, do your best to prevent them by warming up, cooling down, stretching properly, and not doing too much too soon.

Don't Compare Yourself to Others
We’ve all seen those toned, fatless specimens who strut through the gym in their Barbie-sized shorts and sports bras.

Don’t compare yourself to them, Endress says. Forget about them. Forgive them. But do not let them deter you from your goal.

Get Support
Enlist the help of your spouse, girlfriends, boyfriends, buddies -- anyone who will encourage you to stay on track.

"The person should be in support, but not say, 'Why can’t you? It’s so easy,'" says Sottovia. If helpful reassurance turns into criticism, gently remind your pal that you don’t need nagging.
If you need additional help, hire a trainer, she advises.

Find the Fun In It
Sottovia and Endress both say it’s essential to find an activity you like. With an explosion in the number and types of fitness classes at most gyms, it has become easier to find something to appeal to you, from aerobics to Zumba.

If you're not the gym type, walk around your neighbourhood or try activities around the house, such as walking up and down stairs or dancing with the stars in your living room. If you're motivated by being social, follow Geiger's lead and join a team.

Break It Up
You can make it easier on yourself by splitting your exercise session into two or three sessions, says Endress. Research supports the idea that this can be as beneficial as one long workout, he says.
So, for example, if you don’t feel like exercising for an hour on any given day, do three sessions of 20 minutes each.

Make It Convenient
Do whatever you can to remove obstacles to exercise, and make it as convenient as possible, says Sottovia. If you are time-pressed, for example, don't spend 30 minutes driving to a gym. Try exercising at home to fitness DVDs instead. If you're too tired to work out at the end of the day, set your alarm a little earlier and exercise in the morning.

Forget the Past
Don't let previous bad experiences with exercise hinder you, Sottovia says.
So maybe you weren’t the most athletic kid in high school and were the last chosen for class games. That was years ago. Your goal now is not to win a letter jacket or make the cheerleading squad -- you want to exercise to stay healthy and enjoy your life.

Reward Yourself
Treat yourself for making the effort to exercise -- not with food, but with something that you enjoy, like a movie or flowers, says Endress.

Try to think of indulgences that will reinforce a mind-body connection so you can savour the rewards of your hard work. Plan a short trip, or just an hour in a botanical garden. Go to a ball game. And remind yourself with each precious moment that you are enjoying this time because of all the great things you have been doing for yourself.

Stress-Busting Foods

Stress: We all have it, and how we handle it can make all the difference. Stress management can be a powerful tool for wellness, since too much stress can affect physical health. There are many strategies, and one of them is all about what you eat. Read on to learn how a stress management diet can help.

Stress-Busting Foods: How They Work
Foods can help tame stress in several ways. Comfort foods, like a bowl of warm oatmeal, boost levels of serotonin, a calming brain chemical. Other foods can cut levels of cortisol and adrenaline, stress hormones that take a toll on the body over time. And a healthy diet can counter the impact of stress, by shoring up the immune system and lowering blood pressure. Do you know which foods are stress busters?

Complex Carbs

All carbs prompt the brain to make more serotonin. For a steady supply of this feel-good chemical, it's best to eat complex carbs, which are digested more slowly. Good choices include whole-grain breakfast cereals, breads, and pastas, as well as old-fashioned oatmeal. Complex carbs can also help you feel balanced by stabilizing blood sugar levels.

Simple Carbs

Dieticians usually recommend steering clear of simple carbs, which include sweets and soda. But in a pinch, these foods can hit the spot. Simple sugars are digested quickly, leading to a spike in serotonin. Still, it doesn't last long, and there are healthier options. So don't make these a stress-relieving habit; you should limit these.

Oranges

Oranges make the list for their wealth of vitamin C. Studies suggest this vitamin can curb levels of stress hormones while strengthening the immune system. In one study of people with high blood pressure, blood pressure and cortisol levels (a stress hormone) returned to normal more quickly when people took vitamin C before a stressful task.

Spinach

Popeye never lets stress get the best of him -- maybe it's all the magnesium in his spinach. Too little magnesium may trigger headaches and fatigue, compounding the effects of stress. One cup of spinach goes a long way toward replenishing magnesium stores. Not a spinach eater? Try some cooked soybeans or a filet of salmon, also high in magnesium. Green leafy vegetables are a rich source of magnesium.

Black Tea

Drinking black tea may help you recover from stressful events more quickly. One study compared people who drank four cups of tea daily for six weeks with people who drank another beverage. The tea drinkers reported feeling calmer and had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol after stressful situations. When it comes to stress, the caffeine in coffee can boost stress hormones and raise blood pressure.

Almonds

Almonds are chock-full of helpful vitamins: vitamin E to bolster the immune system, plus B vitamins, which may make you more resilient during bouts of stress such as depression. To get the benefits, snack on a quarter of a cup every day.

Raw Veggies

Crunchy raw vegetables can help ease stress in a purely mechanical way. Munching celery or carrot sticks helps release a clenched jaw, and that can ward off tension

De-Stress With Exercise

Besides changing your diet, one of the best stress-busting strategies is to start exercising. Aerobic exercise boosts oxygen circulation and spurs your body to make feel-good chemicals called endorphins. Aim for 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three to four times a week. If you're not active now, tell your health care provider you're going to start exercising -- they'll root for you and make sure you're ready to get moving.

Packed Food: Healthy or Unhealthy

From idlis, dosas, pav bhaji, aaloo chole, navratan korma and vegetable biryani to chicken curry—grocery stores and supermarkets are full of packed foods. Store-owners say that the sale of such items, also known as convenience food, has increased considerably over the past few years. But how healthy are they?

Dr Rekha Sharma, former president of the Indian Dietetic Association, says having such food is convenient but it is not at all healthy. "Ready-to-eat meals are full of salt, trans-fat and colours, which can cause problems related to blood pressure, heart and kidneys. Overdependence on such food items, particularly among youngsters and working couples, can prove disastrous," she said.

According to Swati Bhardwaj, senior research officer at Diabetes Foundation of India, packaged consumer foods use high salt and fat content for long-term preservation. She added that the preservatives make the food unfit for consumption specifically for a population heading towards non-communicable diseases (obesity, diabetes, heart diseases). "If one has to have such meals, it is better to opt for foods which have a lower fat content and contain fewer calories. Steamed, baked, roasted items usually have a lower fat content than fried foods. Adding green salad and fruits to the menu can also help," she said.

Excess salt, a major component and preservative used in ready-to-eat-meals, is a known cause of high blood pressure. It is the cause for 57% of heart attacks and 40% of stroke cases, says the World Health Organization. "A small amount of salt on a daily basis—WHO recommends less than 5 grams per day per person—is essential for nerve and muscle function. But in India people consume eight to nine grams of salt daily," a senior health official said.

Use of phosphate as food additive and preservative is another concern. Nutritionists say phosphate occurs naturally in the form of organic esters in many foods including meat, potatoes and bread. "Natural phosphate is organically bound and only 40% to 60% of it is absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. But the additive phosphate, which is not organically bound, is very effectively absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract thus causing health problems," said a senior doctor.

"Food additives, colors, preservatives and environmental pollution are likely to be contributory factors for kidney diseases especially in young persons with unexplained kidney failure," said Dr R P Mathur, senior consultant and head of the department of nephrology and renal transplant services at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, Vasant Kunj.

Healthy Eating Strategies for New Year

Follow four smart eating strategies that celebrities follow and swear by. A former champion bodybuilder, Rich Barretta has helped sculpt the bodies of celebs like Naomi Watts, Pierce Brosnan and Naomi Campbell. At Rich Barretta Private Training New York City, he offers personalized programs, including target-training methods and nutritional guidance.
Barretta shares the four rules for healthy eating that his clients swear by, which you can easily adopt.

Healthy eating strategy # 1: Cut back on booze

If drinking is a big part of your social life, your waistline may suffer. Not only is alcohol loaded with carbs and empty calories, but people tend to make bad food choices when they're buzzed. A couple sugary cocktails can easily add up to a thousand calories (half of the average person's daily need), so Barretta advises avoiding alcohol altogether. If you are going to indulge, opt for a glass of wine or slim down your drink with smart swaps like trading tonic for club soda.

Healthy eating strategy # 2: Just say "no" to fried food

"Grill it, bake it, broil it, steam it, just don't fry it," says Barretta. Frying something perfectly healthy, such as chicken, takes away nutrients, while adding fat and calories. Plus, by eating fried foods at restaurants that still use trans fats, you run the risk of raising artery-clogging bad cholesterol and lowering fat-clearing good cholesterol.

Healthy eating strategy # 3: Avoid carbs at night

There's no need to deprive yourself of carbohydrates, but you should be conscious of when you eat them. By consuming high-carb foods (potatoes, rice, pastas and breads) early in the day, you have more time to burn them off. At night, carbs are more likely to go unused and be stored as fat. Barretta's smart eating rule of thumb: Stick to lean protein and veggies after 6pm.

Healthy eating strategy # 4: Choose unprocessed foods

We all know that fresh unprocessed foods are better for us, but often reach for processed products out of convenience. While it's challenging to cut out processed foods entirely, there are certain ingredients Barretta suggests you steer clear of, including high-fructose corn syrup, MSG, white flour and processed sugar. Your best bet is to shop around the perimeter of the grocery store, where you'll find fresh meats and produce.

Papaya - The World's Healthiest Foods

पपीता एक ऐसा मधुर फल है जो सस्ता एवं सर्वत्र सुलभ है। यह फल प्राय: बारहों मास पाया जाता है। किन्तु फरवरी से मार्च तथा मई से अक्तूबर के बीच का समय पपीते की ऋतु मानी जाती है। कच्चे पपीते में विटामिन ‘ए’ तथा पके पपीते में विटामिन ‘सी’ की मात्रा भरपूर पायी जाती है।

आयुर्वेद में पपीता (पपाया) को अनेक असाध्य रोगों को दूर करने वाला बताया गया है। संग्रहणी, आमाजीर्ण, मन्दाग्नि, पाण्डुरोग (पीलिया), प्लीहा वृध्दि, बन्ध्यत्व को दूर करने वाला, हृदय के लिए उपयोगी, रक्त के जमाव में उपयोगी होने के कारण पपीते का महत्व हमारे जीवन के लिए बहुत अधिक हो जाता है।

पपीते के सेवन से चेहरे पर झुर्रियां पड़ना, बालों का झड़ना, कब्ज, पेट के कीड़े, वीर्यक्षय, स्कर्वी रोग, बवासीर, चर्मरोग, उच्च रक्तचाप, अनियमित मासिक धर्म आदि अनेक बीमारियां दूर हो जाती है। पपीते में कैल्शियम, फास्फोरस, लौह तत्व, विटामिन- ए, बी, सी, डी प्रोटीन, कार्बोज, खनिज आदि अनेक तत्व एक साथ हो जाते हैं। पपीते का बीमारी के अनुसार प्रयोग निम्नानुसार किया जा सकता है।

 

१) पपीते में ‘कारपेन या कार्पेइन’ नामक एक क्षारीय तत्व होता है जो रक्त चाप को नियंत्रित करता है। इसी कारण उच्च रक्तचाप (हाई ब्लड प्रेशर) के रोगी को एक पपीता (कच्चा) नियमित रूप से खाते रहना चाहिए।

२) बवासीर एक अत्यंत ही कष्टदायक रोग है चाहे वह खूनी बवासीर हो या बादी (सूखा) बवासीर। बवासीर के रोगियों को प्रतिदिन एक पका पपीता खाते रहना चाहिए। बवासीर के मस्सों पर कच्चे पपीते के दूध को लगाते रहने से काफी फायदा होता है।

३) पपीता यकृत तथा लिवर को पुष्ट करके उसे बल प्रदान करता है। पीलिया रोग में जबकि यकृत अत्यन्त कमजोर हो जाता है, पपीते का सेवन बहुत लाभदायक होता है। पीलिया के रोगी को प्रतिदिन एक पका पपीता अवश्य खाना चाहिए। इससे तिल्ली को भी लाभ पहुंचाया है तथा पाचन शक्ति भी सुधरती है।

४) महिलाओं में अनियमित मासिक धर्म एक आम शिकायत होती है। समय से पहले या समय के बाद मासिक आना, अधिक या कम स्राव का आना, दर्द के साथ मासिक का आना आदि से पीड़ित महिलाओं को ढाई सौ ग्राम पका पपीता प्रतिदिन कम से कम एक माह तक अवश्य ही सेवन करना चाहिए। इससे मासिक धर्म से संबंधित सभी परेशानियां दूर हो जाती है।

५) जिन प्रसूता को दूध कम बनता हो, उन्हें प्रतिदिन कच्चे पपीते का सेवन करना चाहिए। सब्जी के रूप में भी इसका सेवन किया जा सकता है।

६) सौंदर्य वृध्दि के लिए भी पपीते का इस्तेमाल किया जाता है। पपीते को चेहरे पर रगड़ने से चेहरे पर व्याप्त कील मुंहासे, कालिमा व मैल दूर हो जाते हैं तथा एक नया निखार आ जाता है। इसके लगाने से त्वचा कोमल व लावण्ययुक्त हो जाती है। इसके लिए हमेशा पके पपीते का ही प्रयोग करना चाहिए।

७) कब्ज सौ रोगों की जड़ है। अधिकांश लोगों को कब्ज होने की शिकायत होती है। ऐसे लोगों को चाहिए कि वे रात्रि भोजन के बाद पपीते का सेवन नियमित रूप से करते रहें। इससे सुबह दस्त साफ होता है तथा कब्ज दूर हो जाता है।

८) समय से पूर्व चेहरे पर झुर्रियां आना बुढ़ापे की निशानी है। अच्छे पके हुए पपीते के गूदे को उबटन की तरह चेहरे पर लगायें। आधा घंटा लगा रहने दें। जब वह सूख जाये तो गुनगुने पानी से चेहरा धो लें तथा मूंगफली के तेल से हल्के हाथ से चेहरे पर मालिश करें। ऐसा कम से कम एक माह तक नियमित करें।

९) नए जूते-चप्पल पहनने पर उसकी रगड़ लगने से पैरों में छाले हो जाते हैं। यदि इन पर कच्चे पपीते का रस लगाया जाए तो वे शीघ्र ठीक हो जाते हैं।

१०) पपीता वीर्यवर्ध्दक भी है। जिन पुरुषों को वीर्य कम बनता है और वीर्य में शुक्राणु भी कम हों, उन्हें नियमित रूप से पपीते का सेवन करना चाहिए।

११) हृदय रोगियों के लिए भी पपीता काफी लाभदायक होता है। अगर वे पपीते के पत्तों का काढ़ा बनाकर नियमित रूप से एक कप की मात्रा में रोज पीते हैं तो अतिशय लाभ होता है।

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITS: Information in Indian System of Medicine

Treatment in AYURVEDA

Definition

 

Ayurvedic name: Amavata

Due to the hypo-functioning of ushma (Agni), the first dhatu viz. the rasa or chyle, is not properly formed and the anna-rasa undergoes fermentation or putrefaction (dushta) being retained in the amashaya. This state of rasa is 'Ama' where the impaired vatadi doshas being mixed up with one another lead to the ama-dosha- According to Vagbhata (A .H. Su. 13/25).

 

The disease 'amavata' is formed due to such vitiated ama-doshas. 'Madhav-nidana' explains this disease descriptively.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term disease that leads to inflammation of the joints and surrounding tissues. It can also affect other organs.

 

Causes

 

• Foods/habits incompatible with your constitution

• Poor digestion
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Consuming too much fat

Preventive Measures

Don’ts (Apathyas)

• Avoid Curd, fish, jaggery, milk, flour of mash (black gram)

• Avoid dushit jala (contaminated water)
• Avoid viruddha bhojan (incompatible food), asatmya food, visham bhojan
• Avoid control of natural urges (vegavrodh), ,
• Avoid heavy, slimy foods (pischhil).

Health Promoting Tips

Do’s (Pathyas)

• Food like Yava (barley), Kulattha (horse gram), Raktashali (rice), Vastuk

• Fresh vegetable like shigru (drum sticks), punarnava, karvellak (bitter gourd),
parawar, ardrak (ginger)• Usage of hot water, rasona or ginger (shodhit with takra), Jangal mansa (meat).

Curative Herbs 

• Guggulu (Commiphora wightii)

• Nirgundi (Vitex negundo)
• Eranda (Ricinus communis)
• Shallaki (Boswellia serrata)
• Shunthi (Zingiber Officinalis)
• Guduchi (Tinospora corifolia Willd.)
• Shigru (Moringa oleifera)
• Rasna (Pluchea lanceolata)
• Rasona (Allium sativum)
• Prasarini (Paedaria foetida)

 

Treatment in UNANI

Definition

Wajaul Mafasil (Rheumatoid arthritis) is an inflammation of one or more joints associated with pain. It may be Balghami (phlegmatic) or Damavi (sanguine) and Murakkab (compound) acoording to predominance of Akhlat (humours).

 

Causes

 • Predominance of Haar (hot) and Ratab (moist) Akhlat (humours) - Dam (blood),
Balgham (phelgm).• Soo-e-Mizaj Azwi (Imbalance of temperament of organ).
• Martoob Aab-o-Hawa (Humid climate).
• Accumulation of Fasid Akhlaat (morbid humours) in blood due to Soo-e-Hazm
(indigestion).

• Infiaalat-e-Nafsania (Psychic influences).

• Excessive intake of hot and moist food such as meat and dairy products.
• Samn-e-Mufrat (Obesity).
• Naqs-e- Taghzia (Deficient nutrition).
• Kasrat-e-Sharab Noshi (Excessive consumption of alcohol).
• Zarba-wa-Saqta (Injury).
• Mauroosi (Hereditary).
• Certain diseases affecting body immunity e.g. Aatshak (syphilis), Suzaak
(gonorrhoea), etc.

Preventive Measures

 

• Maintain body weight.

• Avoid oily/fatty diets.
• Maintain normal Ihtibas-o-Istifragh (retention and evacuation) through intake of
high fiber diet to regulate daily bowel movement.

Health Promoting Tips

 • Do Riyazat (exercise) regularly as per instructions.
• Adequate Naum (sleep).
• Hijamah (cupping) is very beneficial. It decreases the inflammation of joints.

Curative Herbs 

• Izkhar Lemon grass (Andropogon schaenar linn)

• Arand root Castor (Ricinus communis Linn.)
• Ajwain khurasani Henbane (Hyoscyamus alba Linn.)
• Madar flower Madder (Calotropis gigantea (Linn.) Ait. f.)
• Zanjabeel Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe)
• Suranjan talkh Colchicum (Colchicum luteum Bak.)
• Joz masil Datura (Datura stramonium Linn.)
• Asgand Withania (Withania somnifera (Linn.) Dun.)
• Ispand Wild Rue (Peganum harmala Linn.)
• Khulanjan Galangal (Alpinia galangal (Linn.)Willd.)
• Biskhapra Hogweeds (Trianthema portulacastrum Linn.)