A Simple Exercise to Calm the Mind

Each morning I do a simple exercise that calms my
mind, leaving me with a wonderful relaxed feeling to start
the day. This exercise only takes a few minutes. In fact, I
sometimes use it at other times in the day when I need
to relax before an event that might be stressful. If you
have to make a speech in front of a large group of people,
it can quickly reduce anxious feelings that are often felt
when faced by that prospect.

It has a soothing effect on the entire nervous system and
helps to balance brain activity and strengthens the
respiratory system.

This simple exercise is called "Alternate Nostril
Breathing." It falls into a category of exercises called
Pranayama (or simply breathing exercises).

The technique is simple and only takes about five
minutes. Keep your breathing natural as you perform this
exercise. Do not strain or push the air in or out. As with
other ayurvedic exercises, do them in a quiet room
without distractions, concentrating on your movements.

1. Sit erect in a cross-legged posture or in a comfortable
chair.

2. Close your eyes, rest your mind, place your right hand
near your nose. Let your right thumb rest lightly against
your right nostril. Let your ring finger rest lightly against
your left nostril. Exhale slowly.

3. Gently close your right nostril. Slowly and quietly
inhale through your left nostril.

4. Close your left nostril, release pressure on your right
nostril to open it, and exhale slowly and quietly.

5. Without pause, inhale through your right nostril slowly
and quietly.

6. Press your right nostril closed, open your left, and
exhale.

7. This completes one round. Continue to repeat the
exercise continuously for about 5 minutes, then sit
quietly with your eyelids lowered for about 2 minutes.

To learn more about such breathing exercises visit here http://ayurveda-foryou.com/yoga/yoga.html

Diet plan for Diabetes - Type I
In type -1 Diabetes, pancreas does not produce any insulin at all। Hence type -1 diabetics need to take insulin injections in order to control blood sugar levels।The key to diabetes management is diet, exercise and insulin. Exercise regularly but don't go overboard as there is a risk of hypoglycemia ( low blood sugar) in diabetes.Talk to your Physician/ Diabetes Specilaist, take your insulin injections on time and have small frequent meals. Monitor your blood sugar levels with glucometer.Diet plays a very important role in maintaining Blood sugar levels near to normal. Keep the following into account.
- Do not Fast and Do Not Feast.
- Have meals at regular intervals and avoid skipping any meals as it may lower your blood sugar to dangerous levels.
- Make sure there is consistency in your diet and calories should be taken in prescribed amounts.
- Avoid high calorie foods like fried food, junk food, refined starches like common flours (maida), Bombay rava/suji, and products such as noodles, pizza and burgers.
- Have whole grains like oats, whole wheat porridge ( wheat rava/dalia) - Limit intake of rice specially if it is white polished rice. Try brown rice.
- Prefer whole wheat flour chapatis. - Have fruits and vegetables in your diet with the exception of root vegetables like potato, yam, colocasia (arvi) and sweet potato, jackfruit. Fruits to be avoided are bananas, mango, sapota, grapes, litchi, custard apple.
- Include foods rich in fibre and space your meals properly.
- Have a fixed mealtime and avoid snacking in between meals.- Avoid sweets and sugar containing foods.

Richa Saxena, M.Sc. (Nutrition), RD (Regd. with IDA),Consultant Nutritionist ; Registered Dietitian

Health mantras for senior citizens

From Times of India(31 May 2009)

Mental peace is the main mantra of healthy life that brings out a glow of satisfaction on your face and one can achieve it by following a lifestyle that has been recommended by Ayurveda. One has to learn to keep constant dialogue with your body,Keep balance in your diet, exercise and work according to individual health conditions, age and capacity. Everyone has to be persistent about cleanliness and oral and dental care. One needs to keep all body cavities clean for a healthy life.

One must follow nature's clock. Start a day with a glass of lukewarm water, exercise regularly; half an hour walk is advisable. After the age of forty, one should do oil massage and take hot water bath after that. One must be regular in taking good breakfast and meal timings. One should avoid excess oil and spices. Seniors are advised to add fresh fruits, green vegetables, rajgira, nachni and whole pulses in their diet. For good digestion one must keep three to six hours distance in the meals and don't munch anything in between. According to each season seniors should adjust their extra activities. Human emotions make a big impact on one's mental and physical health. Seniors need to have smooth dialogue with other family members. Positive approach is essential to lead a happy life. As a diagnosis in time saves lots of anxiety and money, seniors should keep regular contact with family doctor and with his/her consultation check blood pressure, sugar and thyroid test.

New Online Ayurvedic Herbology Certificate Course
As you all know, we at 'Ayurveda For You' are the first to publish Ayurvedic books in e-book format.
So far we have published 14 ebooks on various topics in Ayurveda. We are successfuly conducting a short term Interactive Online Correspondence Course - "Basic course in Ayurveda" for last 2 years.
We are glad to announce the launch of a new Interactive Online Correspondence Course - "Ayurvedic Herbology".
This certificate course will be conducted through our website- http://ayurveda-foryou.com in collaboration with 'International Academy of Ayurveda'. International Academy of Ayurveda will issue a certificate after completion of course.
This online "Ayurvedic Herbology" course is intended for:
1. Undergraduate students2. Post-graduates students of Ayurveda3. General Enthusiasts of Ayurveda4. Ayurvedic Practitioners5. Aroma therapists6. Alternative medical Practitioners. This online "Ayurvedic Herbology" course is available in two formats1. Only Ayurvedic Herbology Ebook in 4 Volumes and2. Interactive Online Herbology Course- with certificate from International academy of Ayurveda
For more information about this online course please visit -http://ayurveda-foryou.com/herbology_course.html
For more information about the Herbology ebooks please visit -http://ayurveda-foryou.com/ebook/herbology_ebooks.html

The great Indian weight loss trick

Neelanjana Singh

 

 

Like most civilisations whose roots lie in very hoary and splendid traditions, India has been blessed with a great and noble heritage in many realms of human endeavour. This is particularly true of our ancient systems of healthcare such as the ayurveda and the unani. 

Lately, there has been a surge in the popularity of such alternative systems of health management. Not surprisingly, ayurvedic offshoots of weight and health management have acquired an aura of their own. This is also borne out by the fact that I am constantly besieged by many queries on ayurvedic formulations related to the control of weight gain. 

Given such interest in natural remedies for weight control, I have thought it prudent to comment on some of the ingredients in the more popular remedies. Though many of these ingredients are quite harmless, the general belief that anything ayurvedic or natural is free from side effects needs to be categorically denied. Many of the world’s most toxic poisons are found in nature! 

•Honey-hot water-lemon: The most popularly touted formulation — that can be deemed ayurvedic or natural — for losing weight is the lemon juice-honey-hot water combo drink. From the point of view of science there is some merit to this formulation. The lime as well as the hot water act by suppressing appetite. This is caused by the increase in the levels of the chemical cholecystokinin in our bodies that causes appetite to decrease by creating a sense of fullness. 

•Green tea: Pushing my point about caution further, there is scientific data to support the fact that drinking a couple of cups of green tea could rev up your metabolism leading to control in weight gain. Further research, however, is required before we make a strong recommendation. Moreover, green tea extracts taken for weight loss could cause vomiting, nausea and bloating in addition to loading one with heavy doses of caffeine. In fact, many weight-loss teas contain botanical laxatives (Senna, Triphala) and diuretics. 

•Guggul: This is another popular ingredient in weight loss preparations that has been used traditionally. Guggul is a resin/gum and its active ingredient is a plant sterol that reduces fat in the human body. Scientists have studied guggul and preliminary data suggests that it may be associated with a small loss in weight or a reduction in tissue folds. But the studies have been small and it is not yet clear whether guggul offers any benefits over diet and exercise in the treatment of obesity.

•Guar gum: This gum is supposed to block the absorption of dietary fat andincrease the feeling of fullness. It is considered safe but can cause the usual diarrhoea, gas, flatulence. Guar gum should always be consumed with adequate water to avoid any risk of intestinal obstruction. 

Vitamin C Intake Associated With Lower Risk Of Gout In Men
ScienceDaily (Mar. 16, 2009) — Men with higher vitamin C intake appear less likely to develop gout, a painful type of arthritis, according to a report in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

"Gout is the most common type of inflammatory arthritis in men," the authors write as background information in the article. "Epidemiologic studies suggest that the overall disease burden of gout is substantial and growing. The identification of the risk factors for gout that are modifiable with available measures is an important first step in the prevention and management of this common and excruciatingly painful condition."

Hyon K. Choi, M.D., Dr.P.H., then of University of British Columbia, Vancouver, and now of Boston University School of Medicine, and colleagues examined the relationship between vitamin C intake and gout in 46,994 men between 1986 and 2006. Every four years, the men completed a dietary questionnaire, and their vitamin C intake through food and supplements was computed. Every two years, participants reported whether they had been diagnosed with or developed symptoms of gout.

During 20 years of follow-up, 1,317 men developed gout. Compared with men who had a vitamin C intake of less than 250 milligrams per day, the relative risk of gout was 17 percent lower for those with a daily intake of 500 to 999 milligrams, 34 percent lower for those with an intake of 1,000 to 1,499 milligrams per day and 45 percent lower for those with an intake of 1,500 milligrams per day or higher. For every 500-milligram increase in their vitamin C intake, men's risk for gout appeared to decrease by 17 percent. Compared with men who did not take vitamin C supplements, those who took 1,000 to 1,499 supplemental milligrams per day had a 34 percent lower risk of gout and those who took 1,500 supplemental milligrams per day had a 45 percent lower risk.

Vitamin C appears to reduce levels of uric acid in the blood, the authors note; a buildup of this naturally occurring compound can form crystal deposits in and around joints, leading to the pain, inflammation and swelling associated with gout. Vitamin C may affect reabsorption of uric acid by the kidneys, increase the speed at which the kidneys work or protect against inflammation, all of which may reduce gout risk, the authors note.

"Given the general safety profile associated with vitamin C intake, particularly in the generally consumed ranges as in the present study (e.g., tolerable upper intake level of vitamin C of less than 2,000 milligrams in adults according to the Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine), vitamin C intake may provide a useful option in the prevention of gout," they conclude.
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Amalaki, the main ingredient of a comprehensive herbal tonic CHYAVANPRASH, is the richest source of natural Vit. C

UnTech Yourself: Simplify Your Life!

Technology can definitely make life easier.

E-mail, rapid communication, RSS and the Internet create vast opportunities for new information. But technology isn't perfect. Adopting new technologies can have a sharp learning curve and many programs have unseen bugs and usability problems. Even more worrying is the fact that this boost in information can cause overload, zapping your time in endless e-mails and feeds to read.

Breaking your paradigm of technology as a cure-all to every problem can open you up to other avenues for solving problems. Technology may be innovative and wonderful, but learning when to unplug the power cord can help simplify your life. Here are some ways you can untech yourself to simplify your life and get more done.

Internet Dieting

Internet, IM, e-mail and web-surfing can be very distracting, often without providing a lot of value. These empty calories often disguise themselves as necessary information but are just noise. Start a thirty day Internet diet to reduce the total amount of time you spend connected to the net.

Notepads

Turn off the blackberry and try using a paper organizer. It may not be as flashy, but it is amazing how effective they are for having basically two features: write and read. Keeping a notepad with you means zero learning curve, zero interruptions and only stores information not noise.

Television Blackouts

Television is full of stimulation. When television is good it can be entertaining, humorous, dramatic and a social activity. When it's bad it is flashing lights providing distraction without value. You might want to experiment with cutting down on television, especially when you know in advance that there isn't going to be any worthwhile programming.

Try cutting down your morning news and replace it with reading books or newspapers. The information will usually be more valuable and text is nonlinear so you can skip information that doesn't interest you. Best of all most books don't have commercials.

iPod Mute

I'll admit it, I love my mp3 player. Great for workouts and doing boring tasks it can add a bit of extra flavor to regular activities. But sometimes the constant noise and music can desensitize you to experiencing the world around you and cut you off from interacting with other people.

Try turning off the iPod periodically. Drive to work without any music. Try exercising with quiet. Try walking in silence when you are by yourself. Not only will this allow you to reconnect with what you are engaged in, it makes it easier for you to actually notice the music when it is playing instead of just having noise.

Read Books

Remember when books used to be made of paper? Cut back on your online reading and head to the library or bookstore and get something you can hold in your hands. Although some online reading is definitely better than books, if your entire library would consist of 500 word articles with flashy headlines, you probably aren't getting a lot of depth.

Get Back to Nature

Go out and spend a half hour in nature. If you live in a big city, at least look for a park or a relatively quiet area. Having a bit of solitude in a natural setting can often inspire ideas where everything is calm. Remember not to bring the cellphone or Blackberry!

Getting back to a natural environment can break away the endless distractions of life and give you some time to really think. I've had many of my best ideas on hikes and walks through nature. If you live in a highly technological world, spending a few hours or days can create even more ideas. I don't believe that this is because nature has some mystical power but simply that it is often such a dramatic change in environment that it triggers new ideas.

Cooked from Scratch

Technology also appears in our food, even if it isn't in the form of circuit boards. Having easy premade and tasty food can be great in a hectic lifestyle, but this kind of eating isn't usually healthiest. Try cutting back on processed foods and making more meals from scratch. Most people say they don't have time, but I believe it is really that they don't know how.

Even if you aren't going to be featured on Iron Chef anytime soon, try cooking a new meal from scratch. I've found that you can often modify recipes to be cooked in less time without resorting to tasteless and processed filler. You might want to set out an hour or two a week to experiment with a new recipe.

Technology is a Tool

I'm not going to be joining the Amish anytime soon. I love the many ways that technology can make us more efficient and connect us with other people. But like any tool, you need to see where its limits are.

If you find yourself becoming a technophile try unteching some areas of your life. You might find a little less tech can bring a lot more value.

By Scott Young.