Road to Health Care

By Dr. Seema Kumar

With ever-rising ground, water and atmospheric pollution, every other day one hears the name of a new disease. In fact, ever since man began drifting away from Nature, he has been falling into the trap of a materialistic lifestyle that has desensitised him. Today, we breathe air thick with exhaust fumes, eat processed junk food that has no nutritive value, drink toxic carbonated beverages and lead sedentary lives. In fact, all of these have contributed to different kinds of problems for us at regular intervals. This book shows you how to go back to Mother Nature to beat even the most troublesome and chronic ailments. With natural preventive measures that emphasise Diet and Nutrition, exercise and herbal remedies, there are no fear of side- effects. This book shows you a safe, natural and enjoyable means to overcome it. Most of the ingredients mentioned in the book are the kind available in home gardens or off the kitchen shelf. The book also includes hints for different stages in life. A separate section deals with varied problems in - a woman’s life through adolescence, pregnancy, lactation, menopause and general ailments. Once you have read this book from cover to cover, you need not rush to the doctor every now and then, but will be able to take care of your own and your family’s health yourself

• Language: English
• Publisher: V&S Publishers
• Release date: Apr 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9789350572986

Dr. Seema Kumar

Dr. Seema Kumar, the author, is a graduate in Ayurveda from Delhi University, with eight years’ experience in dealing with patients at various reputed hospitals in Delhi. Even patients advised surgery for renal stones, fibroid uterus and various cysts were cured by her through herbal therapies. She has also cured many other common ailments through natural remedies. Empathising with the travails of women, she has made a special reference to their problems (excessive menstruation, fibroid uterus, abortions and the like) and enumerated health hints for pregnant, lactating and other women in general.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Tips for Health Living

As the common adage goes, health is wealth. And the best way to be healthy is to be happy practise good habits, maintain a regular healthy routine and a healthy way of thought.

The following tips will help you make every meal a healthy one for your body

Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise is a nursery rhyme worth acting upon. One can maintain proper healthy routine only if one wakes up early and performs the right activity at the right time. This ensures good health at all times.

Avoid anxiety and stressful conditions.

Do not surpass the urge to pass stool and urine at any point of time.

To maintain oral hygiene regular cleaning of the tongue removes the extra coatings that cause oral infections.

Brush your teeth after every meal. A toothbrush with soft, rounded bristles is the best. Brush tour teeth for at least two minutes.

Do not use your nails, toothpicks or other pointed things to clean your teeth because it can wear away the gums resulting in complete exposure of the teeth.

To remove food particles from your teeth use a proper up-and-down motion with the brush and then rinse your mouth thoroughly. If brushing is inconvenient at some places, rinse with warm or plain water for at least 30 seconds.

To prevent erosion and cavities avoid chewing betel nut.

Floss regularly in between your teeth.

Use a fluoride toothpaste or baking soda.

Replace your toothbrush every month.

Breathe from the nostrils and not from the mouth. Your nose is lined with small hair that helps in filtering air. The air is warmed and moistened in the nose. Breathing from the mouth dries the pharynx, resulting in dry cough and formation of mucous.

Eat a well-balanced nutritious diet that includes all minerals, vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, fats and water in requisite proportions.

Never eat food while under stress, strain or worry as it hinders the digestive process. Avoid any other simultaneous activity as this forces the heart to pump more blood, slowing down digestion and leading to various ailments including indigestion. Thus, one should avoid reading or studying while eating.

One is sometimes tempted to overeat. Avoid this as it distends the abdomen and leaves no space for water and air.

Drinking lots of water relieves many ailments. Ensure that the water is pure to avoid water-borne diseases. Drink water in the morning just after getting up and before brushing your teeth. Drink at least a litre of water at one go and do not eat anything for an hour. After drinking water, wash your face and brush your teeth. Those unable to drink so much water can initially start with one glass and gradually increase to four glasses. The first one or two glasses have no effect on the body except for excessive urination. After a few days, everything becomes normal. People suffering from arthritis and vata diseases should do this treatment thrice a day. Drinking a copious quantity of water at one time cleans the intestine and improves its functioning. Even the Indian Health Association considers this a scientific method. Poisonous substances in of body are excreted within 24 hours. Constipation is relieved and it prevents many diseases.

Regular use of any item reduces its appreciation. Hence, even seasoned food should be taken alternatively at intervals.

Sweets should only be consumed after meals, as they tend to be tempting and filling. Particularly in the case of children, sweets satiate one’s hunger without actually meeting the body’s nutritional requirements necessary for growth.

Condiments such as chillies, pepper, mustard, garlic, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom should be used in limited amount. Excessive use irritates the mucous membrane of the digestive tract, diminishing the desire for ordinary but nutritious food.

Avoid tea or coffee, especially before meals. In minimal amount, though, they act as a stimulant, making the body active and also increase proficiency. While preparing tea, spice it with tulsi, boosts immunity and is commonly available.

There should be an interval of four to five hours between meals, which gives time for the stomach to clear itself of the previous meal. The evening meal should be the lightest so that it is easily digested. Indians normally follow the contrary practise, especially businessmen, who are late-night heavy-dinner eaters.

Daily bathing is very essential both in winters and summers, otherwise the wastes (along with sweat in the form of oils) coming out of the skin are not washed and can lead to itching and other skin problems. Bathing helps in re-energizing oneself. Do not wash your hair with warm water. It damages the hair roots. For more information on beautiful, glowing and protected skin see Chapter 5.

Body posture matters a lot. You should sit or stand erect so that there is sufficient space for air to enter the lungs ensuring an optimum supply of air when the breath is drawn in.

Man is like a machine. Exercise makes the body active and inspires it to work. The heart beats faster during exercise and every part of the body gets an extra supply of blood. For a good memory and good body, one should exercise daily. If this is not possible, one should exercise at least thrice a week. Sit in the sun after a massage. This facilitates vitamin D absorption, helps in rejuvenating your body, increasing your lifespan and preventing general malaise and insomnia. It is also essential to pour one or two drops of oil in the ears daily. And daily massage of the feet and soles keeps one’s vision perfect as some nerves are directly linked with these body parts. Exercise should be done gradually and within limits, according to the age and health of a person. Exercising beyond one’s endurance is counterproductive as the body is unable to rest, leading to injury and ill health.

There are special postures devised for yoga, which should become steady and pleasant with continuous practise.

Staying Fit

It is very important for every individual to stay fit. However, there are three major components of fitness: muscular strength, flexibility and cardiovascular fitness. Out of these, flexibility is achieved and maintained through a routine of stretching movements. Do the following exercises each day as warm-ups for more strenuous exercise like jogging, cycling or swimming.

Ayurveda and You

In Ayurveda there are thirteen natural urges, which should not be suppressed whenever they arise. They are flatus, stools, urine, sneeze, thirst, hunger, sleep, breath, yawn, belching, tears, vomit can and semen. Obstruction of any of these leads to several problems.

26. As mentioned earlier, purification of the mind is equally essential. Develop good mental and physical habits to avoid diseases and live a happy life. Meditation is the key to keep the mind stable.

27. While studying keep sufficient space between your eyes and the study material. Do not read or write in a poorly lit place. Light should preferably come from the left side or the back. During long hours of study, close your eyes in between for a few seconds to rest them; this helps to concentrate more while studying.

28. Clean your ears regularly after bath but never remove wax from the ear unless it interferes with hearing due to hardening. Wax protects the ear from any insect attack because it is bitter in taste.

29. Trim of your nails and beard regularly as they are considered essential to maintain a healthy life and body.

30. Do not blow your nose violently especially when you are suffering from nasal cold. This forces the germs in the nose and throat to enter the middle ear and causes deafness.

Many a time, natural urges occur when you are in the company of others, then you try to supers the urge. This may later lead to belching, constipation, sometimes diarrhoea, uneasiness, loss of appetite and pain in the abdomen (commonly seen in children nowadays). In severe cases drinking milk or milk with castor oil helps.

As commonly seen in Indian women, the urge to pass stool is often superseded. This leads to headache, belching, calf muscle pain, and chest pain and in severe cases vomiting.

Urine retention leads to headache, sleeplessness and pain in the region of the urinary bladder, penis, vagina or groins. To relieve pain in the area apply hat water bottle.

Many a time a sneeze is held back leads to headache and hampers. This effects functioning of the eyes, ears and nose.

If thirst is suppressed it leads to less water intake and is associated with countless stomach ailments. In severe cases it can cause wasting of the body and may be the cause of heart pain.

If hunger is controlled or one fasts for long hours, forces the body to use stored energy, leading to muscle wastage.

Not sleeping when there is an urge makes you dizzy, inactive and leads to headaches.

Breath control for a long period leads to insufficient supply of oxygen and can cause respiratory distress and other heart problems. If cough is suppressed, it can increase cough attacks, breathlessness, hiccups, etc. Holding back tears leads to eye problems, vertigo and other head related diseases. Skin diseases, cough and breathlessness are due to back the urge to vomit. If semen is held back and not atoned to be released, it can bad to pain in the vaginal region, fever, heart pain, urine retention and body aches.

30. Avoid heat exhaustion by covering your head when exposed to the sun.

31. Restore body fluids; drink lots of water and electrolyte drinks.

32. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables.

33. Avoid alcohol, it causes dehydration and serious liver ailments.

34. Avoid caffeine (present in tea and coffee) and smoking.

35. Keep yourself cool and wear light colours.

36. During summers merely keeping a peeled onion in the pocket protects one from heat. Also eat raw onions during meals, which prevents heat stroke.

37. Before moving out of the house drink lots of water and buttermilk.

38. If a person suffers from heat stroke, for instant relief boil four unripe mangoes, seperate the juice, add a little salt, two grams cumin seeds (if possible, two grams spearmint) and drink. It stops vomiting. To prevent heat stroke, 500 gms of this juice should be taken twice a day. It is a preventive measure as well as a remedy.

Yoga and Your Finger Tips

In this book, I have described many asanas or postures in different chapters to serve as preventives for specific problems in specific regions of the body. A steady and pleasant posture produces mental equilibrium and prevents fickleness and keeps away bad ideas from the mind. Asanas are not merely exercises; they are postures to soothe the nerves. To perform them one needs a clean, airy place and determination. The limbs of the body provide the necessary weights and counter weights; thus one develops agility, balance, endurance and great vitality by practising these asanas. They secure a fine physique, which is strong and elastic without being muscle-bound and they keep the body free from disease. They also reduce tiredness. But their real importance lies in the way they train and discipline the mind.

Tips QCeep in oWind tohilc doing JAsanas or Exercises

(a) Discipline is very important to maintain regularity: There should be an internal will to practise daily.

(b) Urine and stool before starting to exercise.

(c) One should have a clean body before and after performing asanas; so one should bathe to refresh the body and mind.

(d) Yoga should not be practised on a full stomach or full bladder. If this is difficult to remain empty stomach, a cup of tea, coffee, cocoa or milk may be taken beforehand. The Asanas can be practised after an hour of taking of a light meal without discomfort. Allow at least four hours to digest heavy meal before practising. Food may be taken half an hour after completing the asanas.

(e) The best time for most of the asanas is in the morning after attending nature’s call. But if you cannot make time in the morning, then it is recommended to perform asanas either before dinner or three hours after any meal. Stiffness of the body is conquered by regular practise and one is able to do the asanas well. Some believe that in the evenings body moves more freely than in the mornings asanas can be performed with greater ease in the evening. Practise asanas in the morning makes one work better during the day. In the evening it dispels the day’s fatigue and makes one fresh and calm. Difficult asanas should, therefore, be done in the morning when one has more energy and stimulative asanas in the evening.

(f) Do not practise asanas after being out in the sun for several hours.

(g) Aasanas should be performed on the floor on carpet, in a clean, quiet, airy and large place, free from insects and noise. It is best to do them in open air, if climate permits.

(h) One should wear loose or stretchable cotton clothes while doing yoga.

(i) Never force yourself to do a movement or a certain posture; also do not put undue strain. Keep your eyes open in the beginning. If you shut four eyes you will not be in a position to watch the requisite movements of the body or even the direction in which you are doing the posture. You can keep your eyes closed only when you are perfect in a particular asana, only then you will be able to adjust the body movements and feel the correct stretches.

(j) Stop a movement or stretch immediately if you feel pain.

(k) During the practise of asanas, it is the body alone that should be active while the brain should remain passive, watchful and alert. If they are done with the brain, then you will not be able to observe your own mistakes.

(1) Breathing should be done through the nostrils only, not through the mouth.

m) Do not restrain your breath while performing.

(n) After completing the session, always lie down in Shavasan for at least 10-15 minutes, which helps in getting rid of exhaustion.

(o) Women should avoid asanas during menstruation.

(p) During the first three months of pregnancy all the asanas can be practised but with mild movements, for at this time the spine should be strong and elastic and no pressure should be given on the abdomen.

(q) Pmnayam without retention may be practised throughout pregnancy, as regular deep breathing will help considerably during labour.

(r) No asana should be done during the first month after delivery; thereafter, they may be practised. After three months of delivery all the asanas may be practised with comfort.

(s) Dhanurasana is an