Be your own doctor with the help of Ayurveda

Current lifestyles of people both in rural and urban areas are seen to transform the very structure of our society at a rapid pace today. The shift from traditional to 'modern' foods, changing cooking practices, increased intake of processed and ready-to-eat foods,intensive marketing of junk foods and 'health' beverages have affected people's perception of foods as well as their dietary behaviour. Irrational preference for energy-dense foods and those with high sugar and salt content pose a serious health risk to the people, especially children. The increasing number of overweight and obese people in the community and the resulting burden of chronic non-communicable diseases necessitates systematic nutrition educational interventions on a massive scale.

Against this scenario, data about the  the overall doctor population ratio is now 1:1800 which reflects a 3·5 fold improvement. 

In light of above, it can be easily analysed that, if trend will be continue on consumption of fast food and this kind of lifestyle, we can't create more doctors than its requirement. 

However, Indian tradition system has solution of aforesaid problems, which is not dealing with only diagnosis but teaching us how to lead a healthy and happy life i.e., "Ayurveda".

Ayurveda literally means "science of life and longevity." and is considered to be the traditional system of medicine of India. It is the oldest health care system in the world.

Ayurveda is a science in the sense that it is a complete system. It is a qualitative, holistic science of health and longevity, a philosophy and system of healing the whole person, body and mind. The oldest known Ayurvedic texts are the Suśrutha Saṃhitā, Charaka Saṃhitā and the Astang Hridaya. These Classical Sanskrit texts are among the foundational and formally compiled works of Ayurveda.

In Ayurveda all categories of health problems begin due to constipation. Usually all the food that we eat does not come out through evacuation. Some still remains in the stomach and that becomes the root cause of ill health. As a remedy to clear this problem keep some water in a copper pot overnight and after washing your face and mouth, just before going to the toilet, drink it. By doing so, in due course of time your long-standing constipation will be cleared. If long-standing stool is out of the stomach and the stomach is clean, lethargy and feverish feeling will be evaporated and vigor on the face will be seen. 

Sleep on time: Wake up early, preferably before sunrise. A good night sleep can help to start a day with a fresh and clear mind. 

Drink lots of water: Drinking water is advantageous in every way. It assists metabolism and digestion, prevents constipation and the accumulation of waste products (ama) in the body, keeps away diseases and even helps in keeping the skin clear of acne and pimples.

Wash your face often: Wash your face with water many times a day to remove dirt and grime, prevent the occurrence of pimples and acne and get a refreshed feeling. 

Take an oil massage: Massage your body with oil before bath which will rejuvenate you, reduce fatigue and prevent dry skin. Massaging the scalp with oil can prevent dandruff, graying and hair fall, enhance mental alertness and so on. 

Exercise regularly: There is no doubt as to the benefits of a regular exercise routine. Practicing Yoga and meditation can make your body immune to diseases, give your mind the capability to concentrate and ward off stress, lose unnecessary fat, give the body flexibility and suppleness. 

Follow proper hygiene: Cleanliness is very important to preserve health. Bath twice a day, keep your hair and nails clean and wear only clean clothes. Wash your face, hands and legs after going out. 

Watch out for negative vibes: Try to keep your mind clear of negative thoughts and emotions such as anger, jealousy, depression, greed, hatred, sadness etc. Saying a prayer can help- in the morning, at dusk, before having your meals and before going to bed. Avoid speaking ill of others and always keep your mind at ease by engaging in things that you like and enjoy. 

Mind what you eat: Eat fresh and wholesome food and follow healthy eating habits. Food should be well cooked, preferably at home and should be had in a peaceful and calm environment. 

Try not to drink water just before and after eating. If water is required while eating, light sipping of small mouthfuls at intervals is advised. If drinking water is done at least an hour after eating, the meal will digest properly, thus helping build immunities in the body. If this rule of drinking water is not followed then the fire of digestion becomes either reduced or extinguished, which will result in future health problems. 

Right after eating, walking for a hundred yards and keeping the left nostril closed for a few minutes will help digest the food properly. 

Right after eating and washing the hands and mouth, if one goes for a walk, then excessive sugar in the blood becomes reduced. 

Those who eat bitter vegetables in March-April (month of Chaitra in Sanskrit), eat more rice in April-May (Vaisakha), sleep in the day time in May-June (Jyestha), take an oil massage in June-July (Ashadha), avoid eating green vegetables in July-August (Sravana), eat chickpeas in Bhadra (August-September), who eat gur (raw sugar) in Ashvina (September-October), eat radishes in Kartika (October-November), eat oily foods in Margashirsa (November-December), drink extra milk in Pausa (December-January), eat Khichri (rice and dal boiled together) in the month of Magha (Janury-February) and eat very early in the morning in the month of Phalguna (February-March), experience better health and an increase of life span. 

If one's stomach becomes bloated due to excess of gas or due to extra eating, then take a tablespoon of celery seed (called Ajavayan in the Indian store), a table spoon of fennel seeds (called somph in the Indian store), a teaspoon of black salt (called Sanchur or Kalanamak in the Indian store) and a teaspoon of black pepper, mix them together and grind then finely and then consume a tablespoon with normal drinking water. Soon relaxation will be felt. 

If too much gas forms in the stomach and a teaspoon of Ajavayan and an equal amount of black salt is taken along with a cup of Indian buttermilk (yogurt blended with water) then, in due course, this practice will remove gas forming in the stomach. Or if a teaspoon of Hinguastaka Choorna (may be available in the Indian store) is consumed daily with water then all kinds of stomach gas problems will be removed. 

Due to eating steaming hot foods together with cold drink, one may develop a sore throat or hoarse voice. To remove this problem, if a piece of liquorish root is slowly chewed and/or kept in the mouth overnight while asleep, then one's original voice will return. 

If, due to a problem in the spleen, someone's feet becomes swollen or the left side of the stomach becomes hardened, then a leaf of Aloe Vera may be cut open and a teaspoon of Sal ammoniac (ammonium chloride) powder may be sprinkled over it. It should be tied so it can hang over a glass pot to collect the drops. A teaspoon of this juice mixed with two tablespoons of water should consumed twice daily for twenty days then, spleen problem will be reduced. Or eating a whole radish together with its leaves together with black salt daily also helps in curing the spleen. 

 For relief from headache apply ginger paste to the forehead.

In case of cuts, bruises and burns use turmeric paste on the affected area 

If those who are suffering from diabetes walk at a brisk pace daily in evenings and mornings until they become tired then, in due course, their problem of sugar in the urine goes away. Or if a tablespoon of freshly half ground fenugreek soaked overnight in a cup of water and blended into a paste in the morning is consumed, without adding anything, continuously for two months, then it will also help cure the diabetes. Eating vegetable dishes made from Karela (bitter melon) also helps in this disease. 

To remove jaundice, two tablespoon of fresh juice made from fresh radishes should be mixed with a teaspoon of Indian sugar candy powder for 10 consecutive days, and taken upon rising from bed just before brushing the teeth. If this is done, then the problem of jaundice will go. If the radishes are boiled green without any spice or salt and consumed twice daily and ripened papaya is eaten twice daily then it will also surely help with jaundice. 

If one is suffering with continuous headaches, then sniffing fresh juice from the leaves of a lemon tree helps remove this chronic headache. 

If a ringworm is formed on the skin, and just after waking up in the morning (before doing anything else), if a little spit (saliva) is smeared over the ring worm then within three days ringworm goes away. Or if pure camphor properly mixed in coconut oil is rubbed on the ringworm, then in due course it becomes cured. Or if a little juice from Tulasi leaves is smeared daily over the ringworm, then in due course it also gets cured.

If someone somehow got burnt while cooking, and if cow's dung is immediately pasted over the burnt area, then immediate relief will be experienced and the burnt mark will go away. Smearing of uncooked potato paste also helps with the burnt area. 

If someone has nose bleed, then a few drops of lemon juice in the nose will immediately stop it. Or if a handful of raisins are soaked over night in water and if the raisins (not the water) are eaten in the morning daily for a few consecutive days, then nose bleeding will stop. Or if the hands, feet, and head are washed with cold water then nose bleeding will also stop. 

Those who suffer from asthma are advised to eat steaming hot foods, drink hot water and hot milk so the mucus remains thin and thus pressure from asthma becomes lessened. Or if ten almonds are made into a fine paste and boiled with some water, then drunk while it is still hot, them asthma's pressure is reduced. Or if about fifty grams of steaming hot fresh grape juice is drunk then it helps reduce the pressure from asthma as well. 

If someone is suffering from a cough, and one tablespoon of fresh juice extracted from ginger root mixed with a tablespoon of pure honey is heated and then consumed slowly, then in consecutive course of this practice the cough will go away. 

If someone is suffering from fungus, then if a teaspoon of black pepper powder (purchased from an Indian store) mixed with a tablespoon of cow's ghee, is consumed daily for a month, then all categories of itches and skin diseases will go away. Or if 100 grams of coconut oil mixed with 50 grams of pure camphor kept in a bottle and are daily rubbed over the fungus, then in due course it will go away. Or if 21 tender and fresh neem leaves (from the margosa tree) are made into a paste with a little water and then consumed daily for twenty one days, it will surely help cure the itching. Or, if just after waking up, one chews 4-5 corns of black pepper and drinks a cup of water over it, then it will benefit in removing all kinds of skin diseases. 

If someone has a boil on the skin then Menhadi (myrtle leaves' paste, or powder available in the Indian store) paste is placed thickly over the boil it will reduce the pain occurring from the boil and will cure it after a few applications. 

To remove joint pains, if a teaspoon of freshly grounded fenugreek powder is consumed with a cup of water daily then joint pains will gradually go away. This also helps cure anemia, frequent urinations, cramps, diabetes, and the atrophy disease. 

If twenty pieces of cloves and a little camphor are ground finely and rubbed over the teeth, it cures all diseases of the teeth. Rock salt mixed with mustard oil and rubbed on gums cures gum problems and problems from the teeth. 

If someone has blisters on the tongue, then it is advised to smear melted pure ghee mixed with real camphor on the tongue before going to sleep at night which will help with the blisters and eliminate constipation as well. 

If someone has freckles or pimples on the face, then if a teaspoonful of honey mixed with a tablespoon of raw milk directly taken from a cow is rubbed on the face, and after ten minutes if the face is washed using normal water then, in due course of daily usage, it will cure the problem. Or one may rub the inside skin of a lemon (after lemon's juice is removed and its skin is turned inside out but the pulp remains), and after five minutes apply a paste made from Besan flour (available in the India store) and after fifteen minutes, wash the face with fresh water. This will remove freckles and/or pimples from the face. Or if a paste is made from a tablespoon of lentil beans and a tablespoon of the inner part of watermelon seeds, and is applied to the face and washed after fifteen minutes, it removes all kinds of spots from the face and makes it look beautiful. 

If someone wants to remove wrinkles from their face, then the paste made from the skin of soap nut (called reetha, available in the India store) should be applied and then after fifteen minutes the face should be washed with fresh water. If this rule is followed daily then in due course it will remove wrinkles from the face. And/or if a paste made with fresh milk and soaked and peeled almonds is massaged on the face and after twenty minutes is washed of with fresh water, then the face will look young and beautiful. 

If someone has stomach pain, then placing a teaspoon of turmeric powder mixed with a little salt in the mouth and then swishing this with two mouthfuls of normal water and drinking it is advised. If one does so, then air circulation in the stomach will be normalized and the stomach pain will subside. Or mixing half a teaspoon of salt in boiling hot water and drinking it like tea will relax stomach pain. 

If someone has diarrhea, then they may mix one cup of fresh raw milk with juice from one lemon and instantly drink it. If this is repeated a few times, it will stop the problem. 

Eating watermelon on a daily basis reduces high blood pressure, but tomato consumption should be reduced with it. Also, eating early in the mornings, consuming whole wheat chapattis soaked in milk which were made the day before, reduces blood pressure. 

Lime tea can bring relief from diarrhea. A mixture of ½ tsp limejuice, ½ a tsp of ginger juice and ¼ tsp of pepper powder is another remedy for diarrhea. Drink lots of water too in order to prevent dehydration.

For low blood pressure, one may soak about 30-40 raisins in a cup of water overnight and, after they have been soaked for twelve hours, chew them one-by-one till each becomes a paste and then swallow them. If this is done daily it will remove the problem. Eating a little extra salt in one's food is also advised. 

            For backaches, massage the area with eucalyptus oil. Another remedy is the intake of a decoction prepared using basil leaves. For this, ten basil leaves are boiled in a cup of water until the quantity is reduced to half. Add some salt and drink it once a day. 

Drinking a cup of fresh mulberry juice on a daily basis removes the heart's weakness, thus reducing the chance of heart failure. 

     Honey and ginger have been proven to have immense therapeutic effects on asthma. Breathing in the vapours of honey can reduce the blockage in the respiratory system caused by mucus. Honey can also be taken internally with water or milk. Ginger can stop inflammation and help in the removal of mucus. 

If someone is suffering from pains of gallstones, then they are advised to take about 5-7 grams of root from a papaya tree and, after washing it nicely, grind it into a total pulp and then mix it with a cup of water and, strain it through a cotton cloth, and drink it on an empty stomach. If this mixture is taken daily in the morning and in the evening for 21-25 consecutive days then gallstones will be dissolved. 

Turmeric, Sandalwood and rosewood paste are known to cure pimples, acne, blackheads and similar skin problems. 

     Applying saline water (1/4 tsp of salt mixed in 4 ml of water) can effectively reduce the blockage in the nose due to common cold. Taking in a mixture of ginger juice and honey can give relief from cold. 

If someone somehow got a cut (either while working in the kitchen or otherwise), then one may place some turmeric power upon the cut and hold the wound for a few minutes. This act will stop the blood oozing and stop infection and bacteria. 

If someone gets a sprain (leg, ankle, etc..), then using a paste made from the leaves of the pomegranate tree tied with a cloth will relieve the pain. The easiest way to get rid of a sprain is to rub Jhandubam (an Ayurvedic ointment available in Indian stores in the bottle) on the affected area a few times a day, which will cure the sprain in a few days. 

If someone is experiencing bladder or kidney pain, they are advised to drink two tablespoons of juice made from grape leaves, mixed with one tablespoon of water and a pinch of rock salt - if this is taken twice daily, the problem will subside. 

If a teaspoonful of Ajavayan (available in the Indian store) mixed with a half teaspoon of normal salt is taken with hot water, it will quickly remove stomach pain. 

If someone has heartburn then they are advised to squeeze half a lemon (removing the seeds) in water, and without mixing anything into it, drink it and it will remove heartburn, distress, and discomforts. 

If there are worms in the stomach (symptoms of this is seen when one grinds the teeth while asleep) then take two vine ripened round tomatoes and sliced them and sprinkle some black salt and Indian black pepper power and eat them early in the morning before eating or drinking anything for fifteen days- then all the worms will die and be removed through evacuation. 

If one urinates too frequently, then they can take half a pound (250 grams) of black sesame seeds and mix it with syrup made from the same amount of gur (raw sugar from the Indian store) and make about twenty laddus (round balls) and eat one in the morning and one in the evening. This will help reduce the frequency of urination. A minor should be given one laddu a day buy not to a child who is less than three years of age. 

If hairs are falling out, then squeeze a lemon through a cloth and mix twice the amount of coconut oil and slowly apply this to the roots of the hair rubbing into your head, in due course, the loss of hair will stop. This will also help remove dandruff. 

A little sandalwood paste applied daily in the eyes will prevent cataracts from occurring in the eyes. And if cataracts have already formed in the eyes, then if a little honey is applied in the eyes, it will prevent any further increase of the cataract. After this, an operation to remove the cataract should be accepted. 

If a child speaks indistinctly, stutters, and/or falters while speaking then take seven soaked and peeled almonds and seven black pepper corns and grind them into a paste with just enough water to make a paste. Mix some grounded Indian sugar candy into the paste and feed the child in the early morning daily for fifteen days, in due course, this problem will subside. 

If someone wakes up frequently at night to urinate then they should include a cooked spinach dish in their evening meal and they will not have this trouble. 

If someone wants to reduce their weight then they are advised to squeeze a lemon in a cup of normal drinking water and drink early in the morning on an empty stomach. If this act is practiced daily for two months, then one will lose weight. Regular strenous physical exercise also reduces weight. 

If one suffers with fungus, rash, or itch; or they have a hard time falling asleep at night; and they take a half a teaspoon of pure honey just before they go to sleep every night, they will sleep soundly, and in due course they will become free from rashes.