dandruff, hair loss remedies, jaundice,Heal Leucoderma

Tip 232. Home Remedies for Dandruff
Several home remedies have been found useful in the treatment of dandruff. The use of fenugreek (methi) seeds is one such remedy. Two tablespoons of fenugreek seeds should be
soaked overnight in water. The softer seeds should be ground into a fine paste in the morning. This paste should be applied all over the scalp and left for half-an hour. The hair should then be washed thoroughly with soap nut (ritha) solution or shikakai.
The use of a teaspoon of fresh lime juice for the last rinse, while washing hair, is equally
beneficial. This not only leaves the hair glowing but also removes stickiness and prevents
dandruff. Washing the hair twice a week with green gram powder in curd is another useful
prescription.
Dandruff can be removed by massaging one's hair or half-an- hour with curd which has been
kept in the open for three days, or with a few drops of lime juice mixed with amla juice every
night, before going to bed. Another measure which helps to counteract dandruff is to dilute cider vinegar with an equal quantity of water and dab this on to the hair with cotton wool in between shampooing. Cider vinegar added to the final rinsing water after shampooing also helps to disperse dandruff.
Tip 233. Home Remedies for Hair Loss
Certain home remedies have also been found useful in case of patchy loss of hair. The seeds of lime and black pepper seeds, ground to get a fine paste, is one of the valuable remedies. This paste applied on the patches, has mildly irritant action. This increases blood circulation in the affected area and stimulates hair growth. The paste should be applied twice a day for a few
weeks.
Another useful remedy for patchy loss of hair is the paste of liquorice (mulethi) made by grinding the pieces in milk with a pinch of saffron. This paste should be applied over the bald patches at night before going to bed.
Tip 234. Home Remedies for Jaundice
The juice of bitter luffa (karvi torai) is regarded as an effective (home) remedy for jaundice. It is
obtained by pounding and squeezing through cloth. The juice should be placed on the palm of
the hand and drawn up through the nostrils. This will cause a profuse overflow of the yellow
coloured fluid through the nostrils. The toxic matter having been evacuated in a considerable
quantity, the patient will feel relieved. It is, however, a strong medicine and may cause in the
patients will delicate nature, side effects like giddiness, migraine and at times high fever for a
short duration. Its use should, therefore, be avoided by such patients.
If the green juice of bitter luffa is not available, it can best be substituted by two or three drops of the fluid obtained by soaking its dry crusts overnight in water. This produces an identical effect. Seeds of bitter luffa which are easily available can also be used for the same purpose after rubbing in water.
Another valuable food remedy for jaundice is the green leaves of radish. The leaves should be
pounded and their juices extracted through cloth. One pound of this juice daily is sufficient for an adult patient. It should be strained through a clean piece of muslin cloth before use. It provides immediate relief. It induces a healthy appetite and proper evacuation of bowels, and this results in gradual decrease of the trouble. In most cases a complete cure can be ensured within eight or ten days.
Tip 235. How to Sprout Sprouts
As a first step, a good variety of seeds should be used for sprouting. It should be ensured that the seeds, legumes or grains are of the sproutable type. Soyabeans do not sprout well as they often become sour. Wheat has to be grown in soil. It is advisable to use seeds which are not chemically treated as this slows down the germination rate. The seeds should be washed thoroughly and then soaked overnight in a jar of pure water. The jar should be covered with cheesecloth or wire screening. The duration of soaking will depend upon the size of the seed. Small seeds are soaked for five hours, medium size for eight hours and beans and grains for 10 to 12 hours.
On the following morning, the seeds should be rinsed and the water drained off. Not more than one-fourth of the jar should be filled with the seeds for sprouting. Soaking makes the seeds, grains or legumes fatty, pulpy and full of water. It should, therefore, be ensured that the jar has enough room for the seeds to expand during sprouting. They will expand about eight times their original size. The jar should be kept at a place which is exposed neither to chill nor hot winds. It should also be ensured that the mouth of the jar is not completely covered so as to allow air in. The seeds should be rinsed and water drained off three times every day until they are ready to eat.
The seeds will germinate and become sprouts in two or three days from commencement of
soaking, depending on temperature and humidity. Care should always be taken to ensure that
sprouts do not lie in water. They should be kept well drained to prevent souring. Sprouts are at
their optimum level of flavour and tenderness when tiny green leaves appear at the tips. Their
nutritional value is also optimum. To retain their freshness and nutritional value, they should be
placed in a refrigerator, if they cannot be consumed immediately after reaching suitable maturity.
Sprouts can be kept for several days in this way.
Tip 236. More Home Remedies for Hair Loss
Several home remedies have been found useful in the prevention and treatment of the loss of
the hair. The most effective among these remedies is a vigorous rubbing of the scalp with fingers after washing the hair with cold water. The scalp should be rubbed vigorously until it starts to tingle with the heat. It will activate the sebaceous glands and energise the circulation of blood in the affected area, making the hair grow healthy.
Amla oil, prepared by boiling dry pieces of amla in coconut oil, is considered a valuable hair tonic for enriching hair growth. A mixture of equal quantity of fresh amla juice and lime juice used as a shampoo stimulates hair growth and prevents hair loss.
Lettuce (salad-ka-patta) is useful in preventing hair loss through deficiencies. A mixture of
lettuce and spinach juice is said to help the growth of hair if it is drunk to the extent of half a litre a day. The juice of alfalfa (lucerne) in combination with carrot and lettuce juice, taken daily also helps the growth of hair to a remarkable extent. The combination of these juices is rich in
elements which are particularly useful for the growth of hair.
Tip 237. Seeds that Heal Leucoderma
Certain home remedies have been found useful in the treatment of leucoderma. The best known of such remedies is the use of seeds of psoralea, known as babchi in Hindi. Seeds should be steeped in the juice of ginger or cow's urine for three days. The fluids should be renewed every day. The seeds should then be rubbed with hands to remove their husks, dried in the shade and powdered. One gram of this powder should be taken every day with fresh milk for 40 days continuously. The ground seeds should also be applied to the white spots.
Babchi seeds, combined with tamarind seeds, are also useful. Equal quantity of both the seeds
should be steeped in water for three to four days. They should then be shelled and dried in the
shade. They should be ground into paste and applied to the white patches for a week. If the
application of this paste causes itching or the white spots become red and a fluid being to ooze
out, it should be discontinued. If there is no itching or reddening, babchi seeds should be taken
also for 40 days.
Tip 238: Home Remedies for Colds
Garlic soup is an ancient remedy to reduce the severity of cold.
Garlic contains antiseptic and antispasmodic properties besides several other medicinal virtues. The volatile oil in garlic flushes out the system of all toxins and thus helps bring down fever. Garlic oil combined with onion juice, diluted with water and drunk several times a day, has also been found in several studies to be extremely effective in the treatment of the common cold.
Ginger is also an excellent food remedy for colds and coughs.
Ginger should be cut into small pieces and boiled in a cup of water; it should then be strained and half a teaspoon of sugar added to it. It should be drunk while it is still hot, in case of colds. Ginger tea, prepared by adding a few pieces of ginger into boiled water before adding tea leaves, is also an effective remedy for colds and for fevers resulting from cold.
Turmeric, with its antiseptic properties, is an effective remedy for cold and throat irritations.
Half a teaspoonful of fresh turmeric powder mixed in 30 grams of warm milk is a useful prescription for these conditions. Turmeric powder should be put into a hot ladle. Milk should then be poured in it and boiled over a slow fire. In case of a running cold, smoke from the burning turmeric should be inhaled. It will increase the discharge from the nose and will bring quicker relief.
Tip 239. More Than Just a Diet For Losing Weight
A suitably planned course of dietetic treatment, in conjunction with suitable exercise and other
measures for promoting elimination is the only scientific way of dealing with obesity.
The chief consideration in this treatment should be the balanced selection of foods which provide the maximum essential nutrients with the least number of calories.
To begin with, the patient should undertake a juice fast for seven to ten days. Juices of lemon,
grape fruit, orange, pineapple, cabbage, celery, may be taken during this period. Long juice fast up to 40 days can also be undertaken, but only under expert guidance and supervision. In the alternative, short juice fasts should be repeated at regular intervals of two months or so until the desired reduction in weight is achieved.
After the juice fast, the patient should spend a further four or five days on an all-fruit diet, taking
three meals of fresh juicy fruits such as oranges, grapefruit, pineapple and papaya. Thereafter,
he may gradually embark upon a low-calorie well- balanced diet of three basic food groups,
namely (i) seeds, nuts and grains, (ii) vegetables and (iii)fruits, with emphasis on raw fruits,
vegetables, and fresh juices.
The foods which should be drastically curtailed or altogether avoided are high-fat foods such as butter, cheese, chocolates, cream, ice-cream, fat meats, fried foods, and gravies; high
carbohydrate foods like bread, candy, cake, cookies, cereal products, legumes, potatoes,
honey, sugar, syrup and rich puddings beverages such as all-fountain drinks and alcoholic
drinks.
Tip 240. Vegetable Juices that Fight Fatigue
Raw vegetable juices, especially carrot juice, taken separately or in combination with juices of
beets and cucumbers, is highly valuable in overcoming fatigue. The formula proportions
considered helpful in the combination juice of 500 ml are carrot 300 ml and beet and cucumber
100 ml each.
The patient should avoid depending for an energy lift, on crutches such as taking aspirin,
tranquillisers and other drugs, drinking coffee or alcohol, smoking, eating some sugar or sweets. They give only a temporary boost and this is soon followed by a downward plunge of energy, leaving the sufferer worse than before.
Tip 241. In Praise of Salt
You are surely worth your salt. Salt is the essential source of the mineral sodium. Sodium chloride, the chemical name for common salt, contains 39 per cent of sodium, an element which never occurs in free form in nature. It is found in an associated form with many minerals especially in plentiful amounts with chlorine.
The body of a healthy person weighing about 65 kg contains 256g of sodium chloride. Of this the major part, just over half, is in the extra-cellular fluid. About 96g is in bone and less than 32g in the cells.
Sodium is the most abundant: chemical in the extra-cellular fluid of the body. It acts with other
electrolytes, especially potassium, in the intracellular fluid, to regulate the osmotic pressure and maintain a proper water balance within the body. It is a major factor in maintaining acid-base equilibrium, in transmitting nerve impulses, and in relaxing muscles. It is also required for
glucose absorption and for the transport of other nutrients across cell membranes. Sodium can
help prevent catarrh. It promotes a clear brain, resulting in a better disposition and less mental
fatigue. Because of its influence on calcium, sodium can also help dissolve any stones forming
within the body. It is also essential for the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach and
plays a part in many other glandular secretions.
There is some natural salt in every food we eat. Vegetable foods rich in sodium are celery,
cucumbers, watermelon, lemons, oranges, grapefruit, beet-tops, cabbage, lettuce, corn, lady's
fingers, apple, berries, pears, squash, pumpkin, peaches, lentils, almonds and walnuts. Animal
food sources include shell fish, lean beef, kidney, bacon and cheese. The sodium chloride
requirements for persons living in the tropics have been estimated at 10g to 15g per day for
adults who are engaged in light work and 15g to 20g for those engaged in hard work. The
requirements of children are from five to 10g and those for adolescent boys and girls from 10g to 25g.
Both deficiency and excess of salt may produce adverse effects o the human body. Deficiencies of sodium are, however, rare and may be caused by excessive sweating, prolonged use of diuretics, or chronic diarrhoea. Deficiency may lead to nausea, muscular weakness, heat exhaustion, mental apathy and respiratory failure. Over-supply of sodium is a more common problem because of overuse of dietary sodium chloride or common salt. Too much sodium may lead to water retention, high blood pressure, stomach ulcers, stomach cancer, hardening of arteries and heart disease.
In case of mild deficiency of sodium chloride, taking a teaspoon of common salt in one half litre
of water or any fruit juice quickly restores the health. In severe conditions, however, administration of sodium chloride in the form of normal saline by intravenous drip may be restored to. The adverse effects of excessive use of sodium chloride can be rectified by avoiding the use of common salt.
Tip 242. Calcium, the Vital Mineral
No mineral is more vital to the human body than calcium.
The human body needs calcium more than any other mineral. A man weighing 70 kg contains
one kg of calcium. About 99 per cent of the quantity in the body is used for building strong
bones and teeth and the remaining one per cent is used by the blood, muscles and nerves.
Calcium performs many important functions. Without this mineral, the contractions of the heart
would be faulty, the muscles would not contract properly to make the limbs move and blood
would not clot. Calcium stimulates enzymes in the digestive process and coordinates the
functions of all other minerals in the body. Calcium is found in milk and milk products, whole
wheat, leafy vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, and cabbage, carrots, watercress, oranges,
lemons, almonds, figs and walnuts. A daily intake of about 0.4 to 0.6 grams of calcium is
considered desirable for an adult. The requirement is larger for growing children and pregnant
and lactating women. Deficiency may cause porous and fragile bones, tooth decay, heart
palpitations, muscle cramps, insomnia and irritability.
A large increase in the dietary supply of calcium is needed in tetany and when the bones are
decalcified due to poor calcium absorption, as in rickets, osteomalacia and the malabsorption
syndrome. Liberal quantity of calcium is also necessary when excessive calcium has been lost
from the body as in hyperparathyroidism or chronic renal disease.
Tip 243. Chlorine, the Digestive Mineral
Chlorine is the digestive mineral. Ensure your body's supply of chlorine by adequate consumption of salt.
In the human body, chlorine is liberated by the interaction of common salt, taken along with food, and hydrochloric acid liberated in the stomach during the process of digestion. It is essential for the proper distribution of carbon dioxide and the maintenance of osmotic pressure in the tissues.
This food element is necessary for the manufacture of glandular hormone secretions. It prevents the building of excessive fat and auto-intoxication. Chlorine regulates the blood's alkaline -acid balance and works with Potassium in a compound form. It aids in the cleaning out of body waste by helping the liver to function.
Chlorine is found in cheese and other milk products, green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, all
berries, rice, radishes, lentils, coconuts and egg yolk. No dietary allowance has been
established, but an average intake of daily salt will ensure adequate quantity of chlorine.
Deficiency of this mineral can cause loss of hair and teeth.
Tip 244. Cobalt, the Chameleon of Nutrients
Cobalt is the mineral that we consume as a vitamin.
Cobalt is a component of vitamin B12, a nutritional factor necessary for the formation of red
blood cells. Recent research in vitamin B12 has shown that its pink colour is attributed to the
presence of cobalt in it. The presence of this mineral in foods helps the synthesis of
haemoglobin and the absorption of food- iron. The best dietary sources of cobalt are meat,
kidney and liver. All green leafy vegetables contain some amount of this mineral. No daily
allowance has been set. Only a very small amount up to 8 mcg is considered necessary.
Tip 245. Fluorine, the Forgotten Nutrient
Who ever hears about the many uses of fluorine by the body? Yet this element is essential to good health.
Fluorine is the element that prevents diseases from decaying the body. It is a germicide, and
acts as an antidote to poison, sickness and disease. There is a strong affinity between calcium
and fluorine. These two elements, when combined, work particularly in the outer parts of bones. They are found in the enamel of the teeth and the shiny, highly polished bone surface. Fluorine is found in goat's milk, cauliflower, watercress, garlic, beets, cabbage, spinach and pistachio nuts.
Tip 246. Iodine, the Vitality Nutrient
Maintain the beauty of your neck and the vitality of your metabolism by adequate consumption of iodine.
The chief store-house of iodine in the body is the thyroid gland. The essential thyroxin, which is
secreted by this gland, is made by the circulating iodine. Thyroxin is a wonder chemical which
controls the basic metabolism and oxygen consumption of tissues. It increases the heart rate as well as urinary calcium excretion. Iodine regulates the rate of energy production and body weight and promotes proper growth. It improves mental alacrity and promotes healthy hair, nails, skin and teeth.
The best dietary sources of iodine are kelp and other seaweeds. Other good sources are turnip
greens, garlic, watercress, pineapples, pears, artichokes, citrus fruits, egg yolk and sea foods
and fish liver oils. The recommended dietary allowances are 130 mcg. per day for adult males
and 100 mcg. per day for adult females. An increase to 125 mcg. per day during pregnancy and to 150 mcg. per day during lactation has been recommended. Deficiency can cause goitre and enlargement of the thyroid glands.
Small doses of iodine are of great value in the prevention of goitre in areas where it is endemic
and are of value in treatments, at least in the early stages. Larger doses have a temporary value in the preparation of patients with hyperthyroidism for surgical operation.