Natural Health Cure

Common Cold = Viral Throat Infection

A common cold, also known as acute coryza, is an inflammation of the upper respiratory tract caused by infection with common cold viruses. A common cold occurs more often than any other disease – hence, its name. A person may suffer from a common cold several times in a year. A cold usually lasts from three to ten days. The patient feels miserable for the first three days or so.

Causes and Symptoms of common cold

The initial signs of a cold are a feeling of soreness of the throat and congestion of the nasal passages. Although the disease normally begins in the nose and throat, it affects all parts of the body. Its usual symptoms are a running nose, sneezing, a rise in temperature, headache, sore throat, chill, aches and pains in the body, and loss of appetite. The skin around the nostrils may become sore. Read the rest of this article »

Arteriosclerosis = Narrowing of the Arteries

Arteriosclerosis refers to the thickening of the walls of the arteries. It has become a common ailment in modern times, accounting for much of the disability and high death rate, more so among older people.

Arteriosclerosis is usually preceded by atherosclerosis, a kind of fatty infiltration in the inner lining of the blood vessel walls. The most risky places for such degeneration are the coronary vessels of the heart and the arteries of the brain. Arteriosclerosis results in the loss of elasticity of the blood vessels and a narrowing of the smaller arteries, which interferes with the free circulation of the blood. Read the rest of this article »

Anaemia – Haemoglobin Deficiency in Blood

Anaemia may be defined as a condition in which there is a decrease in the quantity of haemoglobin or in the number of red cells. Anaemia is among the most common ailments affecting human beings.

Nearly half the blood flowing in our veins and arteries consists of red blood cells which carry oxygen to the tissues. Approximately one trillion or 100 million new blood cells are formed daily in the bone marrow. The raw materials required in the production of these cells are iron, proteins, and vitamins, especially folic acid and B12. Of these, iron and proteins are essential in building up the red colouring matter called haemoglobin. A red cell has a lifespan of approximately one hundred and twenty days and is then destroyed and replaced. Each person should have about 15 gm of haemoglobin per 100 ml of blood, and a blood count of approximately five million red cells per millimetre of blood. Read the rest of this article »

Colitis refers to inflammation of the colon. The disease results from prolonged irritation and inflammation of the delicate membrane which lines the walls of the colon. Chronic ulcerative colitis is a severe prolonged inflammation of the colon or large bowel, in which ulcers form on the walls of the colon.

Causes and Symptoms of ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative  Colitis usually begins in the lower part of the colon and spreads upwards. The first symptom of the trouble is an increased urgency to move the bowel, followed by cramping pains in the abdomen and, sometimes, bloody mucus in the stools. As the disease spreads upward, the stools become watery and more frequent and are characterised by rectal straining. The loss of blood and fluid from the bowels results in weakness, fever, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and anaemia. Other symptoms are a bloated feeling, constipation alternating with diarrhoea or persistent diarrhoea for years together, and insomnia. The patient is usually malnourished and may be severely underweight. Read the rest of this article »

The word allergy means an altered or abnormal tissue reaction after exposure to an antigen (also called an ‘allergen’). The allergic reaction occurs if the body tissues are sensitive to the allergen. The allergen may reach the tissues by direct contact with the skin or various mucous membranes of the organs or through the bloodstream after absorption. Almost any part of the body can be affected by allergies.

Allergic reactions are caused by a wide range of substances and conditions. These include pollens, dust, cosmetics, and animal hair; poisonous plants, serums, vaccines, and drugs; physical agents such as heat, cold and sunlight, as well as a variety of foods. The foods that commonly cause allergic reactions are oranges, milk, eggs, wheat, fish and other sea foods, chocolates, tomatoes, and strawberries. Read the rest of this article »

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

The basic difference, for a layman, between fruit and vegetable is that which could be consumed raw is fruit while that could be consumed raw as well as cooked is vegetable. Botanically speaking fruit is the ripened ovary of a flower, either by itself or in combination with other structures that have matured with it as a single organic unit. Although this definition again refers to both fruit and vegetables, the term ‘vegetable’ in its broadest sense refers to any kind of plant life or plant product. It usually refers to the fresh edible portion of a herbaceous plant consumed either raw or cooked. The edible portion may be a root like beet, carrot, a tuber or storage stem like potato or calacosia; the bulbs such as onion and garlic, a leaf such as cabbage, lettuce, spinach or an immature flower like cauliflower, a seed like pea or green grams or an immature fruit like brinjal, cucumber or mature fruit such as tomato or chilly. There is also a difference. Those plants or parts thereof that are usually consumed with main course of a meal are popularly regarded as vegetables while those mainly used as desserts are considered fruits. These form an essential item of our diet. Vegetables supply some elements in which other food material are deficient and they neutralise acid substances produced in the course of digestion of meats, cheese and foods prepared with rich animal fats like ghee. The dark green leafy vegetables are rich source of carotene which is converted by the body into vitamin A. Vitamin C is also richly provided by leafy and green vegetables.

There are also some vegetables which are valuable sources of proteins or carbohydrates. Beans and peas are also rich in iron and protein, while potatoes are important sources of carbohydrates. It is an established fact that cooking and heat destroys nutritive value of the vegetables. Hence it is advisable to consume vegetables in as much raw state as possible. There are some vegetables like carrots, beans, spinach, turnip, cucumber, tomato, garlic, onion etc. which are mostly consumed raw although they are cooked also. This school believes that most of the diseases are caused by our having vegetables etc. not in the form they are produced. Over 2,400 years ago, Hippocrates, the father of medicine, said : “Let living (natural) food be thy medicine.” It is now being increasingly felt that we can get all the necessary nutrition for our body through our consuming only uncooked food. It has enough of vitality to ensure our healthy survival. Cooked food is considered as dead and actually unsuitable and unsage for the human body.

Drugs and operative methods on the body come and go. But fruit juice therapy has survived and flourished through the ages because of its unique benefits. Fruit juice therapy is very strong and effective as it removes the defect from the root. It has got no side-effects after-effects. It does not damage any part of the body as drugs do. Since they have no narcotic effect they don’t addict you. Nature has provided us with some life-saving fruits like mausambi (sweet orange), orange, garlic, onion, payaya, cucumber, bittergourd etc. As we know that toxins are the main cause of diseases we can’t get get rid of them unless we start taking raw fruits and vegetable juice. It is for this purpose we have selected a few chosen vegetable and fruit therapies for the benefit of our discerning and enlightened readership.

Garlic juice therapy | Amla (Indian gooseberry) therapy | Lemon juice therapy | Ginger Therapy | Papaya therapy | Karela (Bitter Gourd) therapy

BITTER GOURD THERAPY

Botanically called Hairy Mordica, Karela or bitter gourd (bitter guard) is very bitter in taste. But it is a rich source of phosphorus, so much so, that one Karela a day takes care of the entire need of phosphorus by our body. It is a blood purifier and activates spleen, liver and highly beneficial in diabetes. It is purgative, appetiser, digestive, anti-inflammatory, anti-flatulent and has healing capacity.

It has 92.4% water, 8% minerals, 1.6% proteins, 4.2% fats, 4.2% carbohydrates, 0.03 calcium and 0.07 phosphorus. 100 gms of Karela contain 22mg of iron, 210 (IU) Vitamin A, 24 (IU) Vitamin B and 88 mg Vitamin C.

Karela is useful in curing the following diseases :

Arthritis

Massage the affected portion with juice of Karela and eat Karela vegetable to cure pain in joints.

Diabetes

Juice of Karela (Bitter gourd) 5 to 10 gms taken with or without water 3 times a day for 2-3 months eliminates the sugar problem in body. Alternatively or alongwith this treatment taking 3 to 6 gms. of ground karela (cut into pieces, dried in shade and then ground) and washing down with fresh water is also very useful. Also have Karela vegetable a plenty.

Leucorrhoea

Take ½ tsp Karela (Bitter gourd) juice 2 times a day for about two weeks cures this problem.

Jaundice

One to two teaspoonful fresh Karela juice followed by a glass of water cures the malady. However, stop the treatment when yellowness in the eyes disappears.

Liver trouble (of children)

Giving half tsp of Karela juice (Bitter gourd juice) to a child (3 to 8 yrs.) is a good preventive measure to keep the child free of the liver troubles.

Worms

Giving 1 tsp of Karela juice mixed with half teaspoonful of Garlic juice destroys worms and also cures constipation.

Piles

Having 1 tsp of Karela juice (Bitter gourd juice) with sugar-2 times a day stops oozing of the blood from anus and heals the wound.

Constipation

Taking 5 to 10 drops of the homeopathic medicine ‘Memoradica Charantia’ (made from Karela)-4 times a day cures constipation.

Bitter guard as a Blood Purifier

1-2 tsp of Karela juice in the morning taken for a few days purifies blood and it is also a good cure for pimples. Normally Karela is a heat-inducing agent, so it shouldn’t be taken in the excessive quantity. In case one takes a large dose of Karela juice, taking curd or lemon over it sets right the imbalance.

Inflammation of Bronchi

Bronchitis refers to the inflammation of the mucous membrane lining the bronchial tubes within the lungs. Bronchitis may be acute or chronic. In chronic cases, the disease is of long duration and more serious.

Causes and Symptoms of Bronchitis

Due to inflammation in the bronchi, large quantities of mucus are secreted and expelled as phlegm. This phlegm is sticky, semifluid and may even be purulent. The patient suffers from fever, experiences some difficulty in breathing, and has a cough. Other symptoms are hoarseness, pain in the chest and loss of appetite.

An important cause of bronchitis is smoking. Excessive smoking irritates the bronchial tubes and lowers their resistance, so that they become vulnerable to germs breathed in from the atmosphere. Other causes are living or working in a stuffy atmosphere, use of drugs to suppress earlier diseases, and hereditary factors. Changes in weather and environment hasten the onset of the disease. Read the rest of this article »

Bronchial Asthma

Asthma is an ancient Greek word meaning ‘panting or short-drawn breath’. It is an allergic condition resulting from the reaction of the body to one or more allergens, and is the most troublesome of respiratory diseases. An asthma patient gets frequent attacks of breathlessness, in between which he may even be completely normal.

Causes and Symptoms of Asthma

Patients suffering from asthma appear to be gasping for breath. Actually, they have more difficulty in breathing out than breathing in, and this is caused by spasms or sudden involuntary muscular contractions of the smaller air passages in the lungs. The effect is to blow the lungs up because the patient cannot drive the air properly out of the lungs before he has to take another breath. Most asthmatics have more difficulty at night or early morning.

Asthma is caused by a variety of factors. It may be due to an allergy caused by weather conditions, food, drugs, perfumes, and other irritants. Allergies to dust are the most common. Foods which generally cause allergic reactions are wheat, eggs, milk, chocolates, beans, fish, and sea foods. The disease may also result from psychological factors. According to some studies, about twenty-five per cent of young asthmatics have a deep-seated emotional insecurity and an intense need for parental love and protection. Heredity also plays an important role.

Natural Remedies on Asthma

Honey: Honey is one of the most common home remedies for asthma. It is said that if a jug of honey is held under the nose of an asthma patient and he inhales the air that comes into contact with it, he starts breathing easier and deeper. The effect lasts for an hour or so. One to two teaspoonfuls of honey provide relief. Honey can also be taken in a cup of milk or water. Honey thins out accumulated mucus and helps its elimination from the respiratory passages. It also tones up the pulmonary lining and thereby prevents the production of mucus in future. Some authorities recommend one-year old honey for asthma and respiratory diseases.

Figs: Among fruits, figs have proved very valuable natural cure for asthma. They give comfort to the patient by draining off the phlegm. Three or four dry figs should be cleaned thoroughly with warm water and soaked overnight. They should be taken first thing in the morning, along with the water in which they were soaked. This treatment may be continued for about two months.

Lemon: Lemon is another fruit found beneficial natural cure in the treatment of asthma. The juice of one lemon, diluted in a glass of water and taken with meals, will bring good results.

Indian Gooseberry: Indian gooseberry (Amla) has also proved valuable in asthma. Five grams of gooseberry mixed with one tablespoon of honey forms an effective medicinal tonic for the treatment of asthama disease. It should be taken every morning. When fresh fruit is not available, dry gooseberry powder can be mixed with honey.

Bitter Gourd Roots: The roots of the bitter gourd plant have been used in folk medicine for asthma since ancient times.

A teaspoon of the root paste, mixed with an equal amount of honey or juice of the tulsi leaves, given once every night for a month, acts as an excellent medicine for this disease.

Drumstick Leaves: A soup prepared from drumstick leaves, and taken once daily has been found beneficial in the treatment of asthma. This soup is prepared by adding a handful of leaves to 180 ml of water and boiling it for five minutes. After being allowed to cool, a little salt, pepper, and lime juice may be added to this soup.

Ginger: A teaspoon of fresh ginger juice, mixed with a cup of fenugreek decoction and honey to taste, acts as an excellent expectorant in cases of asthma. The decoction of fenugreek can be made by mixing one tablespoon of fenugreek seeds in a cupful of water. This remedy should be taken once in the morning and once in the evening.

Garlic: Garlic is another effective home remedy for asthma. Ten garlic cloves, boiled in 30 ml of milk, make an excellent home medicine for the early stages of asthma. This mixture should be taken once daily by the patient. Steaming ginger tea with two minced garlic cloves in it, can also help to keep the problem under control, and should be taken in the morning and evening.

Bishop’s Weed: The herb bishop’s weed (Ajwain) has been found valuable in asthma natural treatment. Half a teaspoon of bishop’s weed should be mixed in a glass of buttermilk and taken twice daily. It is an effective remedy for relieving difficult expectoration caused by dried-up phlegm. A hot poultice of the seeds should be used for dry fomentation to the chest, twice daily. The patient can also inhale steam twice a day from boiling water mixed with ajwain. It will dilate the bronchial passages.

Safflower: Safflower seeds are beneficial in the treatment of bronchial asthma. Half a teaspoon of powder of the dry seeds, mixed with a tablespoon of honey, can be taken once or twice a day in treating this disease. This acts as an expectorant and reduces the spasms by liquefying the tenacious sputum. An infusion of five grams of flowers mixed with one tablespoon of honey, taken once daily, is also useful in this disease.

Linseed: A decoction of linseed is also considered useful in curing congestion in asthma and preventing recurrence of attacks. The decoction is prepared by boiling a teaspoon of linseed powder and a piece of palm candy in two cups of water till the mixture is reduced to half. This decoction taken with a tablespoon of milk once daily will provide relief from chest congestion. Simultaneously, a linseed poultice should be applied externally during the attack, at the lung bases.

Mustard Oil: During the asthma attack, mustard oil, mixed with a little camphor, should be massaged over the back of the chest. This will loosen up phlegm and ease breathing.

Copper: One of the preventive measures to stop attacks of asthma is to drink water which has been kept overnight in a copper vessel. This water, with traces of copper in it, is believed to change one’s constitutional tendency to get respiratory problems.

Dietary Considerations for Asthama

The patient should avoid common dietetic errors. Ideally, his diet should contain a limited quantity of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins which are ‘acid-forming’ foods, and a liberal quantity of alkali-forming foods consisting of fresh fruits, green vegetables, sprouted seeds, and grains. The patient should avoid foods which tend to produce phlegm, such as rice, sugar, lentils, and curds. He should also avoid fried and other difficult-to-digest foods, strong tea, coffee, alcoholic beverages, condiments, pickles, sauces, and all refined and processed foods.

Other Measures
The patient should also follow the other laws of nature. Air, sun, and water are great healing agents. Regular fasting once a week, an occasional enema, breathing exercises, fresh air, a dry climate, light exercises, and correct posture go a long way in treating the disease.

Inflammation of Appendix

The appendix is a small outgrowth of tissue forming a tube-shaped sac attached to the lower end of the large intestine. Inflammation of the appendix presents itself in acute and chronic forms and affects both the sexes equally. This disease accounts for about half the acute abdominal emergencies occurring between the ages of ten and thirty.

Causes and Symptoms of Appendicitis

Appendicitis usually begins with a sudden pain in the centre of the abdomen. The pain may be preceded by general discomfort in the abdomen, indigestion, diarrhoea, or constipation. Gradually, the pain shifts to the lower right side, and is usually accompanied by a fever varying from 38″C to 39°C. Nausea is common and the patient may vomit once or twice. In the chronic state of appendicitis, the patient may suffer from recurrent pain in the right lower abdomen, constipation, loss of appetite, and mild nausea. Read the rest of this article »