HAPPY NEW YEAR..

Wish you all a very happy and prosperous new year.

Ever tried Chukku Kashaya?

My daughter Parvathi is down with fever. Then I found the neighbours' kid, my brother in law Ranjith, his wife Anju all had to go through the same, during the last week.. So it's season of fever? Not exactly. But the climatic changes could get you fever. However, what do we do when the body temperature goes up? Run to the chemist to get Paracetamol? Oh.. please don't do that any more. On seeing the initial symptoms, viz. body pain, sore throat, feeling cold etc. go for a home made 'Kashaya'. Take a small piece of dry ginger (chukku) and 8-10 black peppercorns and grind them well. Add this to two cups of water along with a few Tulsi leaves and boil. Add a piece of jaggery. Boil it till it becomes half. Consume it hot. Lie down under a blanket (and sleep if you feel like), within few hours , you'll find yourself sweating a lot.

Don't like Garlic's smell? Read on..

Could you identify something that you see everyday in your kitchen, which would stop hairloss, reduce cholestrol level, enhance digestion, and is an ingredient in most of the medicines used for vata diseases like Hemiplegia (a kind of paralysis), Sciatica (a condition where the patient walks with pressure of the body on one leg, due to the compression of Sciatic nerve) etc.? See what "Ashtangahridayam" has to say

लशुनो भृश तीक्ष्णोष्णः कटुपाकरसस्सरः

हृद्यः केश्यो गुरुरवृष्यः स्निग्धो रोचनदीपनः

किलासकुष्ठगुल्माशोमेहकृमिकफानिलान

सहिध्मापीनसश्वासकासान हन्त्यस्रपित्तकृल

Yes.. It's nothing but "lassoon" or Garlic!

But , take care. If you are going to consume raw garlic, do NOT consume more than three cloves.

Kollur's Kashaya..

Hi Folks.. Had been away from home & the net for the last few days, seeking the blessings of Kollur Mookambika Devi.
Just happened to observe that distribution of the “Kashaya thirtham”, which they say was introduced by Sri Sankara Bhavatpada, marks the closing of the day at the temple.
Main ingredients of this “kashaya” appeared to be Black pepper and Jaggary.
Black pepper is widely used in ayurveda for diseases of respiratory tract and for indigestion, loss of appetite, cold, toothache etc. For fever and cold, the decoction prepared from pepper, jaggery and Tulsi is very useful and is commonly practiced at homes. Stomach ailments such as dyspepsia, flatulence, constipation and diarrhea are all treated with black pepper.
Jaggery is a good source of Iron that helps in increasing hemoglobin level in the body.
Sushruta Samhita says, Jaggery Purifies the blood, prevents rheumatic afflictions and disorders of bile and possesses nutritive properties of high order. "

Mmmm... How about drinking the holy kashaya everyday ?

M for Motus..

Obesity is the condition or physical state of the body when excessive deposition of fat takes place in the adipose tissue. Obesity could be genetic or due to overeating and/or irregular eating habits. Ayurveda considers an obese body as one which is highly prone to diseases. Obese people are prone to many diseases such as high Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Liver and Gall bladder disorders etc.
'Ashtanga sangraha" identifies an obese person as
अयथो उपचयोत्साहः चल स्फिगुदरस्तनः

To get rid of obesity, it is important to have disciplined and controlled eating habits as well as regular exercises. Taking a glass of water mixed with a spoonful of honey early in the morning in empty stomach would help reduce obesity. Obese people must avoid sleeping during daytime.

A pinch of Salt....

The salt (Sodium Chloride) intake of a person has direct effect on his heart and circulatory system. Human body has a continuous requirement of salt. Chloride ions maintains the balance of water between the cell and its environment, and boosts the digestion process, while Sodium plays a part in regulating volume of blood and blood pressure. Sodium also facilitates transmission of nerve impulses.

Oiling before bath - What Ayurveda says

अभ्यन्गमाचरेत नित्यम
सजराश्रमावातः
दृष्टि प्रसाद पुष्टियायु
स्वप्नसुत्व्क्त्व दार्द्याकृत

Daily oil massage before taking bath keeps the body healthy and delays aging..

Ideal diet ?

Let your diet contain a lot of vegetables, a little of rice/ chappathi, a little milk products to ensure calcium supply (milk/yoghurt/cheese), some high protein food (fish/poultry/meat/eggs, or dry beans, nut groups etc. for veggies).
And of course, drink plenty of water.

It's winter, folks..

It's Winter again.. Take care of your
(i) Skin : Exposure of skin to harsh winter elements such as low temperatures and drying cold winds could result in dry flaky skin, broken lips etc..
Applying a natural moisturizer would help your skin. And for the lips, a little bit of butter would be far better than any cold cream availabl;e in the market.
(ii) Hair : Could become dry and brittle..
Apply pure cocunut oil evenly on the scalp half an hour prior to taking bath. Grind hibiscus leaves to extract the juice and apply it on wet hair to clean, instead of shampoos with chemicals.

Sleep well for Good Memory !

Researches conducted in this regard have shown that sleep deprivation can severely hamper the brain's ability to learn new things. The experiment showed that people who fail to get a good night's sleep before studying new information remember roughly 10% less than their well-rested counterparts.
So.. all you kids there, don’t burn the midnight oil, sleep well before your exams!!