Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

A new study has shown that compared to people in employment, men and women who are unemployed suffer more often and longer from both physical and emotional complaints.


The study was carried out in 2008-2009 by the Institute. The results showed that unemployed people between the ages of 30 and 59 years are especially often affected by physical, emotional, and functional impairments such as sleep disorders, anxiety disorders, and substance addictions. As a result, the unemployed make more use of the health care system.

The health consequences of unemployment result from loss of income, loss of so-cial contacts in the workplace, or loss of social reputation. Unemployed men and women who are supported by their partners, family members, or friends are less frequently affected by these complaints.

A new review of studies has found that reducing the amount of salt in diabetics' daily diet is key to warding off serious threats to their health. In the Cochrane review, the authors evaluated 13 studies with 254 adults who had either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. For an average duration of one week, participants were restricted to large reduction in their daily salt intake to see how the change would affect their blood pressure.

"We were surprised to find so few studies of modest, practical salt reduction in diabetes where patients are at high cardiovascular risk and stand much to gain from interventions that reduce blood pressure," said lead reviewer Rebecca Suckling. "However, despite this, there was a consistent reduction in blood pressure when salt intake was reduced."

High salt intake is a major cause for increased blood pressure and, in those with diabetes, elevated blood pressure can lead to more serious health problems, including stroke, heart attack and diabetic kidney disease. In the Cochrane review, the participants' average salt intake was restricted by 11.9 grams a day for those with type 1 diabetes and by 7.3 grams a day for those with type 2. The reviewers wrote that reducing salt intake by 8.5 grams a day could lower patients' blood pressure by 7/3 mmHg. This was true for patients with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

The reviewers noted that this reduction in blood pressure is similar to that found from taking blood pressure medication. Suckling acknowledged that studies in the review only lasted for a week and that the type of salt restriction probably would not be manageable for longer periods. However, Suckling said, the review also found that in studies greater than two weeks, where salt was reduced by a more achievable and sustainable amount of 4.5 grams a day, blood pressure was reduced by 6/4 mmHg.

Friday, July 30, 2010


Have you ever felt that sudden burst of energy or overwhelming alertness after drinking a cup of coffee? What about the disappearance of your headache after a steaming mug of green tea? Since most of the world seems to think so, it's likely you think caffeine is bad for you. However, are you aware of the many benefits of caffeine?

Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of caffeine is the stimulation it produces. Not that we should expect to live on two hours of sleep each night and coffee alone, but caffeine certainly does have an effect on our ability to function. Caffeine stimulates brain activity, creativity, focus, and motivation.When you have no ideas flowing through your mind, no energy to get outside, or no desire to work on a big project, caffeine supplements or caffeinated drinks can change everything. Within moments of caffeine consumption, you'll feel more energized, alert, and excited.

Aside from the outward improvements, caffeine also stimulates the cardiovascular and digestive systems to be at the top of their game. Caffeine works as a great total-cleansing agent as it keeps everything in the digestive track moving. It also gets the heart rate going and your blood flowing for something akin to an adrenaline rush that lasts a while. Caffeine is used in many medications as a pain reducer. It has been widely proven that a small amount of caffeine can help calm headaches and relieve pain (including lower back pain and cramps associated with pre-menstrual syndrome). Caffeine is even used for premature infants as a way to stimulate the activity of their lungs.

The fact of the matter is that, like with anything else, caffeine should be used wisely. "Everything in modern" is the key. Caffeine is not the cure for all of your problems, but it can be used in many beneficial ways. It'll help curb headaches, increase motivation and uplifting emotions, decrease mild pains, and even help as a weight loss solution. The most important thing to remember about using caffeine wisely is that it does dehydrate the body. Therefore, those who consume caffeine, whether in coffee, tea, soda, supplements, or food, should ensure they are also hydrating themselves with plenty of water (and essential nutrients) in order to keep the entire body functioning at its peak performance!

Enjoy your caffeine in whatever form you consume it! The benefits and results are above and beyond anything negative you've ever heard about this stimulant!

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

RecoveryAs a woman, you might think that the scariest thing that might happen to you is breast cancer or cervical cancer. But “in reality, heart disease kills women more than any other disease,” says leading cardiologist Dr Ramakant Panda. It comes as a surprise to most as it is thought to be more a man’s disease. But women are as much at risk of heart disease as men.“Women are protected by hormones till they reach menopause,” Dr Panda goes on to say. Estrogen makes our arteries stronger. However, lifestyle changes might overpower the protection it offers. Risk factors include smoking, erratic working hours and obesity. Statistics say that in the next ten years, one out every three women will get a heart disease.

“Women are at a higher risk of dying within the first year of having an attack than men,” he adds. The possible reason for this according to him is that since women tend to get heart disease later in life, they may have other co-existing chronic conditions such as high blood pressure or cholesterol. Here are some facts about women and heart disease:

* Women who smoke are at a risk of having a heart attack 19 years earlier than non-smokers.

* Women with diabetes are at a higher risk of heart attacks.

* Women are almost twice as likely as men to die after by-pass surgery.

* Women often do not have the typical symptoms of angina (chest pain radiating to the arms) or other symptoms associated with a heart attack. That’s why they are often not diagnosed correctly and in time.

The good news is that it can be prevented simply by following a healthier lifestyle, since women’s hearts respond better to them. Here are a few pointers from Dr Panda:

* Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables everyday.

* Cut out the extra salt in your food in the form of junk and processed foods. Cut down on sugar too.

* Substitute all high-fat foods with low fat ones.

* Don’t follow fad diets. Instead, eat sensibly.

* If you must drink, limit yourself to one a day and quit smoking.

* Walk for your heart or take the stairs. Get 30 minutes of any form of cardio everyday.

* Get yourself regularly checked for blood sugar levels, blood pressure and cholesterol. It will tell you if you are at risk.

A healthy lifestyle is very important. It goes a long way in protecting you from not just heat disease but lot of other lifestyle conditions like diabetes and osteoporosis. So start taking care today!

Saturday, July 24, 2010


Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Free 3G, 6" Display, White, 3G Works Globally - Latest GenerationHerbal supplements are often an overlooked part of the health arena, but utilizing an herbal remedy can often be the linchpin in solving energy problems. Everything from the little boost needed to focus and ace that big presentation or a continual input of energy that answers the demands of everyday life can be the key factor for motivation, improved concentration, success, happiness, and good health.


Herbal medicine dates back to historical records over five thousand years ago in Ancient Sumeria. However, herbal medicine has been around before the written record. Nearly every civilization on Earth has kept herbal remedies on hand, especially those for to boost and maintain energy levels. In fact, many widely available pharmaceuticals have long histories as herbal remedies. Most modern drugs contain synthesized products from plants, so it should be no surprise that herbal supplements are key to having the greatest energy potential.

Herbal solutions for energy are a wise choice to combat fatigue; instead of dreading the day, one can greet it head on. Herbal energy supplements are natural alternatives to the caffeine in soda or coffee drinks, which are usually loaded with sugars and other unwanted components that can add fat to the body. Integrating an herbal energy solution into the daily routine is easy, and requires little effort. Herbal energy supplements contain all the benefits of natural plant products, providing balance, stability, and harmony in the body. Many herbal remedies that directly impact energy can also have other beneficial effects, like treating pain, lowering cholesterol levels, increasing metabolism, promoting speedier healing, boosting the immune system, and so on.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
In other words, just one herbal supplement for energy can have other positive effects on health besides providing constant, stabilizing energy throughout the day. Coordinating multiple herbal energy supplements can create positive and long-lasting resistance to fatigue and weariness.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

The HeirThe HeirWhenever there is a talk on health issues, women health is one of the elements, which is often left unnoticed. The fact is taken for granted that women are by nature strong and therefore it is always assumed that they will have the least number of ailments. This is not a correct view at any point. The truth is that, women folk suffer from scores of illnesses but the only thing is that most of them never really reveal the fact. Women health care is essentially important so that women can remain fit and healthy.The ability of the women to undergo all the pain and to sustain still makes the fact unrevealed that they also need health care to the core. In very few instances women health care is given importance and this is the reason, major ailments in women are detected in the last stage in most of the cases and at that time there remains very limited scope to treat them well.

We can take a small example in this regards. In most of the cases, we think that, the mother who is an absolute homemaker is the luckiest individual to live in utmost bliss, away from all the stressful work loads and deadlines. It is only when after a long stretch of gap when she falls sick momentarily, then we realize that to what greater horizons she has managed the entire home affair satisfying each and every inmate of it.

The household almost comes to a standstill, if the woman of the house becomes ill. Many times, its also been seen that she has turned seriously ill and it had been a matter of a long time and no one ever knew it. Hence women health care is very important. The cause is not that, she never told but it is our sole negligence that we never wanted to know or attempted taking the extra bit of care.Women health care always needs extra attention in regards to their health especially after they reach the age of 30. They should follow healthy diet regimen otherwise they will be suffering from different types of disease and illness. So try to maintain a healthy diet to avoid any kind of health complications. Some of the common illness which women suffer from is migraine, osteoporosis, anemia, weakness, anxiety, and depression. Do not neglect your health and delay treating your ailment if you have one, you may be badly affected with time.

Health Tips for Women
Some basic women health care tips can be followed in your daily routine so that you can maintain a healthy and fit body. Women health care is important and hence it is important for you to follow certain basic steps and procedures. You should drink ample amounts of water so that your body remains hydrated and the water can help drain out all the toxins. Your diet should include leafy vegetables and fresh fruits. Food with calcium and protein are to be consumed in moderate quantities. If you have any doubt regarding your bodily needs regarding nutrition you can consult a dietician. Try to incorporate some exercise routine in your daily work schedule to maintain a slim and fit body.The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Health Tips for Working Women

As a working woman you need to take more effort and care for your health care routine. Women health care should be formatted in a manner so that the working women benefit from it effectively without spending much time. Dont survive on the sugar based drinks instead opt for water thats a much healthier option. Morning walk or jogging can be a good way to exercise and reduce on your body weight. Dont overwork yourself and become all stressed out. Stress and anxiety will show on your face as wrinkles and dark circles. Hence a good nights sleep is very essential to beat all the stress, so that you can get up next morning looking absolutely fresh as a daisy. Do not skip meals, gastric problems may crop up and leave you in a lot of pain. Before leaving for office eat a big breakfast and then start your day. Try to limit the intake of alcohol at office parties.

Health Tips for Pregnant Women
Women health care needs special attention when they are pregnant. They have special needs and nutritional requirements. Hence you will have to know what to provide and what not. Special diet charts are to be made when you are pregnant. You can consult your doctor or a dietician can also guide you in chalking out your diet chart. During pregnancy you have to strictly stay away from alcohol.
Folic acid supplements are to be taken along with vitamins, calcium, and minerals. Ensure that you rest properly and dont take stress or work too much which may be harmful for you and your baby. Pregnant or not stay miles away from cigarettes it is harmful for you as well as your baby. Consume healthy food and try to avoid junk food. Mild exercise can be good for pregnant women as it helps in proper blood flow and increase of oxygen levels.


Health Care for Women
One of the biggest things you can do is get a health insurance for yourself today so that you can stay safe and secure from any unforeseen ailment or disease. Do not gorge on food try to maintain a balance of what you are consuming. Little intake of food can also be harmful. Your food should include items like grains, pulses, vegetables, fruits, fish, egg or meat. Avoid food which is deep fried. Food containing too much of oil can be harmful which may lead to different types of stomach problems. Food with high calories should be avoided if possible. For women health care try to have food which helps to develop your immunity so that you can stay healthy and fit.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Fever


The term fever is applied to a condition of the body where the temperature has gone above the normal, which in health ranges between 98.4degree F and 99.5degree F.


Naturopathy believes that fever develops in a body only when the system is in a condition of internal uncleanliness. Fever is a direct manifestation of an acute disease but at the same time it represents the effort of the body to expel the poisons which have accumulated in it. If the fever is allowed to run its course in a natural manner, the sufferer would be in better health than before after the body has thrown off the affliction.


It is nature’s way of spring-cleaning of the body.Modern medicine seeks to cure the fever with drugs but it succeeds only in suppressing it. There may be a seeming cure after the administration of drugs and the temperature may go down but in umpteen cases maladies more serious than fever result because the drugs suppress the ejection of the poison which nature tried to by means of a rise in the temperature of the body.


Fever is a natural crisis and it must be helped to run its normal course; any interference, such as administration of drugs, is only likely to retain the poisons which caused the crisis. The first thing that should be done to help the body to carry out the spring-cleaning is to make the sufferer fast. The system of a person suffering from fever does not need any food because all his energies are directed towards ejecting the poisons accumulated in the body.


If the body has to divert a part of those energies towards the digestion of food which in most cases is forced on the patient because the physician thinks that his strength is to be maintained, the only result is that the course of nature is obstructed creating complications. One must not forget that anorexia- loss of appetite- accompanying most fevers is a signal from nature that the patient should not be given anything to eat.


Treatment:


The accumulation of poisons in the body, which results in fever, can be dealt with by making the patient fast. Only water and orange juice in limited quantities should be given. Denial of food to the patient may have to be continued for a week. Only when the temperature has dropped to 98degree F and the tongue of the patient is a healthy pink should he be given food.


During the fasting period the patient should be given a warm water enema daily; it should be discontinued after he has started feeding normally. The best and the safest way of reducing the temperature of the body is to use cold packs; they may be applied to the whole of the body in the case of high temperatures like those of malaria and typhoid, to the chest in the case of pneumonia, and to the throat in the case of diphtheria.


A large piece of linen material or a sheet may be dipped in water, wrung out and wrapped twice round the body (in the case of high temperature) and the patient covered with a blanket. The pack on the throat may be covered with a piece of flannel. Cold or tepid sponging of the body is also recommended and if the patient can stand it he may be given a cold shower.


The packs may be removed after temperature has come down to 100 degree F but the body should be thoroughly sponged. Mud-packs and hip baths also help.Those administering cold packs must hold on to their courage and not panic; if they do and send for a traditional physician, the patient may come to harm, because any food, solid or liquid, after the patient has fasted for some days would worsen his condition.


After the fever has gone down and the tongue of the patient is no longer furred, he should be put on an exclusive fruit diet of some days. The first two days only juice of fruits should be given and then the whole fruits; oranges, grapes and other juicy fruits are the best.


On the third day a limited quantity of unboiled fresh milk can be added to the diet of the patient. After he has been on a diet of fruit juices and milk for three to four days, he should be advised to start taking boiled vegetables and unleavened bread made of whole meal. If fruits are not available during the period of convalescence, vegetable juices may be given. Soups and broths made of animal material - chicken soup etc. - should be avoided.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

DIABETES


Symptoms :


Diabetes is a disorder of assimilation. When the pancreases become inactive or atrophied and cease to produce insulin, the body is unable to convert the sugar into energy for the muscles. Its chief symptoms are weakness and loss of weight, great thirst and increase in the amount of urine passed. There is some times voracious appetite but the patient gradually becomes more and more emaciated. Owing to poor vitality of the tissues, various skin eruptions like boils and carbuncles appear. There may be itching in the groins and eczema.


A serious complication could be gangrene of the skin of the feet, beginning with the toes. A curious phenomenon is that the younger the patient, the more rapid is the course of the disease.Allopathy depends mostly on administration of insulin to dissolve the sugar in the blood and forbidding starchy and sugary foods to the patients.



Treatment :


Naturopathy recommends a dieter ragmen and no drugs, for people suffering from diabetes. The main purpose is to help the body to assimilate the sugar into the system and that can be achieved by a special diet. Adiet, consisting of one kg. Of curd made from cow's milk and various types of gourds without salt is recommended .


The greener the vegetable, the most beneficial it would be. Sour fruits like tomatoes, oranges, pineapple, rose apple (jamun), Scolanum (makoy) could also be taken with advantage. The patient can also take one to two chappaties made of flour which has not been passed through sieve. The person suffering from diabetes must take long walks (preferably ten kilometers) daily.


Cereals, sugar and sugar preparations should not be taken for some time. The other method of treating the disease is by fasting for a couple of days and then eating sour fruit only for a week during which green vegetables may also be alternated with the fruits. Curd made from cow's milk must form an inevitable part of every meal.


If the curd is not available, about 50 grammes of germinated gram may be taken with every meal. After about a fortnight of this regimen, the patient can take bread made of whole flour. During the period of fasting, lukewarm enema should be taken every day.Diabetes must take physical exercise as that helps to utilize the blood sugar, walking, preferably jogging is the best exercise. Hip bath is also extremely beneficial in the case of diabetes, particularly for patients suffering from constipation. For a leathery skin most diabetics develop, the best exercise is vigorous rubbing of the skin with a rough towel for fifteen before a bath with cold water.The diabetic must also try to remain cheerful and keep his poise. There are some asanas recommended by yoga specialists which have proved helpful in dealing with the disease.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Hernia

Causes and Symptoms:

Hernia means the protrusion of any organ, or part of an organ, into or through the well of the cavity which contains it. The most common form of hernia is the hernia of bowel, popularly known as rupture.Hernia may be caused due to a defect of injury of the abdominal wall or increase of pressure within the cavity. It may be caused by sudden exertion as during the lifting of a weight, but generally it develops gradually.

Pain may be experienced while coughing or straining at stool, but really acute pain is suffered when a hernia becomes strangulated as the result of stoppage of its circulation by the pressure of the opening through which it protrudes. It may become inflamed, turn acutely painful and may even produce peritonitis - inflammation of the membrane lining the abdominal cavity - and finally prove fatal. Stoppage of the bowels, onset of acute pain and vomiting are the ominous symptoms which herald strangulated hernia.

Treatment :

The best treatment according to naturopathy is exercise. The torn muscles, the site of the hernia could be helped regain their tone and strength by application of could compresses or application of bandages covered with soft clay. Compresses should be continued for half an hour at a time and should be applied twice or thrice in a day. Diet plays an important part in dealing with a hernia as it does in other diseases.

The patient should take light, bland food, comprising boiled vegetables and fruits in order to reduce the pressure on the intestine. Too much of weight of waste matter would merely burden in increasing the risk of worsening of the hernia.The truss can help during the treatment of the hernia. It comprises a pad which fits over the opening a spring to run round the pelvis and a strap to pass between the legs and prevent the truss from sliding upwards.

Special trusses can be made by firms manufacturing medical and surgical supplies according to the needs of individual patients. The patient must find the truss which suits her hernia. It should be worn constantly so that the hernia does not recur. The regimen suggested needs to be followed strictly to get relief.

Some Exercises:

The following exercises are suggested for hernia patients:

(i) Lie on a hard bed and ask somebody to hold your feet firmly or bind them with a strap passed round the end of the bed. Put your hands on your waste and raise your head about six inches. Turn left and then right and resume your former position.

(ii) Lie in the position indicated above and take your arms behind your neck. Now try to rise with your feet in the former position. See that you do not overstrain yourself.

(iii) Lie straight and fold your knees to touch your abdomen. Then straighten them slowly without touching the bed.

(iv) Hold the bed with your hands and raise your legs and try to touch your head with your feet.Raise your feet perpendicularly and then twist your legs, first to the right and then to the left. Turn more towards the direction opposite to the site of the hernia.

Friday, September 19, 2008

COMMON COLD


Causes and Symptoms:


Common cold caused by a variety of factors, the most common being a sudden chilling because of a change of temperature, coming out of a cozy bed into a blast of cold air or walking from an air-cooled room into a blazing sun. There is an old adage that "if you take medicine, the cold is cured in a week, otherwise seven days". In the case of weak constitutions a cold may lead to more serious diseases like tonsillitis, laryngitis, bronchitis, pneumonia and tuberculosis. What is worse, a catarrh of the respiratory organs may degenerate into a catarrh of the alimentary system.A cold is an extremely irritating condition. You are not sick enough to get into bed, yet not well enough to lead a normal life. A running nose, feverishness, heaviness of the head, pains and aches in the body, loss of appetite and of smell are the main features of a cold which makes life miserable.


Treatment:


Like other disease to which human beings are subject, a cold is the result of inappropriate diet. It is nature's way of expelling poisonous humours from the body. We must attack the malady at its source and that is the putrifying matter in the intestines. The patient must fast till the cold is gone - it will not take more than two days - and take a warm water enema followed by a cup of warm water after every two hours. If he is unable to take the enema, Try the following method:Take half a kilogramme of spinach, 250 grammes of turnips (along with their leaves), 250 grammes of tomatoes, 75 grammes of coriander leaves and 25 grammes of ginger. Cut them into small pieces and boil them in about one litre of water. If some of these vegetables are not available, radishes or other greens may be used. Cover the lid of the vessel with a flat dish full of water so that the water does not evaporate and there is sufficient left. When the vegetables are done, strain them through muslin or other fine cloth. Add a little salt, the juice of a lime and roasted and ground cumin seed and take it in tumblerfuls after every two to three hours. This will clear the bowels and also open the pores by producing sweat. Chronic Cold: A cold sometimes becomes chronic. Such patients should also follow the regimen suggested above. It will clear their bowels. Let them also take some exercise so that their pores open. Those who are too weak should soak their feet in warm water for fifteen to twenty minutes the last thing at night. Let the patient wear a blanket while he is doing it; it will help open his pores and the nose will stop running.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

ASTHMA


Causes and Symptoms:-


Asthma is a disorder of the respiratory system characterized by severe paroxysms of difficult breathing. The onset of an attack is sudden, though the patient starts feeling uneasy, drowsy and irritable a little before the difficulty of breathing starts. Respiration becomes difficult and the breath comes with a wheezing and sometimes whistling sound. The general belief is that asthma is a chronic disease and that once gotten continues to dog its chronic disease and that once gotten continues to dog its victim till the day he dies.In fact, asthma is caused by excess of phlegm and the inability of the body to expel it.


If the patient gives up foods which tend to increase the phlegm, e.g., rice, flour passed through a sieve, sugar, lentils, milk and curds, he can find relief. He should be put on foods which discourage phlegm, such as green vegetables, fruits, and the like. That would tend to reduce the amount of phlegm present in the body and the disease will have him. Unfortunately, under the false impression that asthma being a weakening disease, the patients are fed on high protein diets like meat, fish, milk and milk products and fats and that makes there condition worse.


Treatment:-


An asthma patient must select foods which help contain the amount of phlegm in the body. For breakfast he should take foods like orange, tomato, papaya, guava, mango and rose apple and vegetables like carrots. His dinner and lunch should consist of boiled vegetables. His bath is recommended in the morning and evening to perk up his digestive powers. Taking a walk is also recommended, if jogging is beyond the capacity of the patient.Asthma, particularly when its attack is severe, tends to destroy the appetite of the patient. He should not be forced to eat. He should keep fasting till the attack is over.


The only thing he should take is a cup of warm water every two hours. An enema taken at that time would be doubly beneficial. If this regimen is followed, the attack will not last for more than 36 hours and its virulence in case of a recurrence would be very much less.An asthma patient should regularly fast once a week and take an enema the morning after the fast to clear his bowels. If he is unable to fast regularly, he must not hesitate to stop eating the moment the attack comes. A fortnight after the treatment has been started the patient can take cow's unboiled milk or curd with a breakfast of fruit.The sufferer from this disease should be extremely careful in his eating habits.


He must never overeat. The amount of food taken at one time should be so measured that he must feel extremely hungry at the time of the next meal. A salt-free diet would be the best.At the onset of the attack, soaking of the feet in warm water can relieve the agony to a large extent. A chest pack can also help, even though on application it may seem to aggravate the attack. The pack applied in the afternoon and immediately before sleep would do wonders. The main aim of treatment of asthma should be to augment the vital force of the body with the help of proper diet and a natural living in which clean water and sunshine play an important part.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008


Dyspesia or Indigestion: The cardinal remedy for dyspepsia is light food, if the patient can take to fasting for 24 hours all the better. Thereafter in take of easily digestible, nutural foods is advised. Fats and condiments must be avoided. Bland food, mostly vegetables cooked in water, juicy fruits and buttermilk (churned curd with water added) should be taken. Excess of food, like everything else, is bad and a person suffering from indigestion must eat less than he can digest. That would be the first stop in the treatment of this dsease.Application of heat through hot compress or a hot water bottle to the abdomen for 15 to 20 minutes twice in the day, either on an empty stomach or two or three hours after meals, can activate your disgestive processe. The procedure could be alternated with cold compresses, applied for a minute or so in between hot compresses, could accelerate the pace of recovery.The above procedure is merely a palliative. The patient can get permanent relief if he increases his body heat through vigorous exercise. Indigestion is the disease of the sedantry, active and brisk people generally do not suffer from the malady. Take a walk to begin with or light exercise. Jog a long, if you can and if there is a grassy lawn around your house, walk on the dew covered grass. Avoid rice as in our country rice is associated with lentils which are not easy to digest. Eat rice with vegetables. Take fruits in-between the meals. Masticate your food properly so that it mixes well with the saliva. Take adequate quantities of water. Alcohol and tabacco should be taken in the minimum possible quantities, if not altogether stopped.Constipation:The treatment of constipation should start in the kitchen and not in the lavatory. Eat the wheat flour without passing it through a sieve; unmilled and unpolished rice is the best. Your food should contain two parts fruits and vegetables and one part cereals. Boil the milk only once; let it not thicken by overboiling. That would give your system the roughage it needs.In case of chronic constipation, eat more of cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, spinach and cabbage. The total intake of these should be a minimum of 250 grammes in the day. Eat them as you eat salad - season it with a pinch of salt and juice of a lemon in order to make it more palatable. Eat thrice in twenty-four hours, but if you are above forty, do not take more than two meals in the day. Do not take it literally: you can eat fruit in-between the meals, but in reasonable quantities. Better still, make fruits a part of your morning and evening meals. Talking of fruits, the best fruits are seasonal and those which are available to you within hours of having been picked.Some people suffer from constipation because their intake of water or liquids is too insufficient. The water intake should be three to four litres in summer and one to two litres in winter. A glass of water taken in the morning immediately after waking up can help many cases of constipation.When the muscles of the large intestine lose their tone or strength, stools tend to adhere to its insides. Atony of the intestines can be cured by exercise. A walk in the morning or evening, better still jogging will help.Another way to help the intestine to void the stool is to cool it. Take a rough towel, fold it so that it can absorb water and place it on your lower abdomen after immersing it in cold water. Let the coolness percolate to the abdomen for about fifteen minutes. A mud pack can also be tried. Take about one kilogramme of clay and knead it into a dough-like consistency and spread it evenly on your lower abdomen - from the navel to the pubes. Some people are known to have benefited more from a mud bath than from a cold towel. It should be done before you go for a walk. Cooling and then warming it through exercise helps the large intestine regain its tone.In the beginning, you may not have the urge to void your bowels. But do not wait for the 'Call" of nature. Visit the toilet at the time your usually do, even if the "call" is not there. Remember that habit plays an important part. The best course is to drink about half a litre of water and take a walk for ten to fifteen minutes before you visit the toilet immediately after dinner: it may surprise you to hear of intake of food followed by the effort to void your bowels, but remember that it takes fourteen to eighteen hours for the waste matter left after absorption of food into the system to leave the body. The churning of the stomach and the resultant activity of the intestines when you are ingesting food helps relieve constipation.


Naturopathy as a system of medicine may not be very old, but it has been practiced by all right-thinking physicians for more than two millennia. In fact, its genesis can be traced to Hippocrates (460-377 B.C.), who is mistaken as the father of modern medicine, as he tried to treat his patients according to the basic principles of nature cure. According to Hippacrates, " Nature is the physician of all our diseases". He, therefore, laid stress on the right diet than on drugs.But the real father of naturopathy was Vincenz Priesnitz, who established a clinic in Grafenburg, a small village in the Silesian mountains, more than a century ago. A simple, unlettered farmer, Priesnitz was endowed with a sharp intelligence and the capacity to go to first causes. It was he who discovered the healing power of a cold bath. His clinic became a center of pilgrimage from all over the world. Initially he had to face a lot of scorn and opposition from all quarters. He was hounded by traditional physicians who ridiculed and abused him. Priesnitz had a milestone near his clinic inscribed with the dictum YOU MUST BE PATIENT since he found that perseverance alone could deal with stubborn ailments. He found that the best way to deal with chronic illness was to strengthen the resistance of the body so that it could throw out the poisons accumulated in it due to a wrong way of life.Johannes Schroth followed his footsteps, mainly on the basis of his personal experience.He, too, faced ridicule and banter but the Duke of Wintumburg came to his help in 1849, when wounds in his feet refused to heal and the traditional physicians advised amputation as the only remedy. The patient insisted, however, on giving Schroth a trial and, not surprisingly, he was healed. Impressed by the natural system of drugless healing, the Duke had an account of his treatment printed and distributed to the armed forces of Austria, silencing Schroth's detractors.While Priesnitz depended on the cool waters of the streams and rivers, Schroth gave pride of place to the application of heat through compresses and fomentations. He also devised a system of dietetics, known as the Schroth System.Naturopathy is indebted to the German innovator, Dr. Heinrich Lahmann who opened a clinic in Dresden. He measured the nutrition value of the various food in terms of milk, using it as a standard. His contribution to the science of dietetics is considerable. He underlined the importance of natural foods as aids to health and dilated on the harmful effects of table salt and the senselessness of liquor.One of the greatest teachers of naturopathy was Kunhe, a German, who had lost his health at the young age of 20 years. Disappointed with traditional medicine as it failed to provide him any relief, he turned to nature cure with remarkable success. His recovery convinced him of the utility of the system which he studied for many years and opened a health home in Leipzig. His treatments included sun-bathing, steam baths, hip baths and the like. His dictum was that cleanliness is the only answer to diseaseAnother great teacher of nature cure, Adolf Just, is known for his discovery of the healing property of clay. He stressed the need for going barefoot so that the life giving properties of mother earth may touch a person's body. He believed that disease was a punishment for disregarding the laws of nature. He was a staunch opponent of inoculation.The first American exponent, James C. Jackson, suffered an intractable ailment at the age of 35 years which improved when he sought the help of Silas O. Gleason, one of Priesnitz's disciples. Having got considerable relief after a stay of about a year at Gleason's sanatorium, he went into partnership with him. Disregarding drugs, Jackson used hydropathy, rest, exercise, diet and a psychological approach - all tools of naturopathy. "The way to heath," Jackson taught, "is sane living". Other Americans who contributed to the science of naturopathy include Dr. Russel T. Trall, Dr. J. H. Kellog and Dr. Henry Lindlarh . Dr. Henry Lindlarh believed every acute disease was the sign of natural resistance which the human body possessed. The pride of place among the naturopaths of the USA goes to Dr. J.H. Tilden who taught that the real cure lay in mending one's habits.