Dr. Gulamnabi

Asthma is a common disease, characterized by the inflammation of the airways. These airways are responsible for the passage of air and therefore their inflammation causes shortness of breath and extreme discomfort. Though different branches of medicines have tried in their own ways to deal with this problem, Ayurveda with its emphasis on natural remedies has emerged as a clear favorite. According to Ayurveda, it is the stomach that is the source of all chronic diseases. The science believes that as impurities accumulate in our system, diseases like asthma come to the fore.

The different ways by which Ayurveda treats asthma are:

1. Maintaining a proper diet: Since stomach is identified as the source of most diseases, any attempt to treat them should begin from the stomach itself. Ayurveda believes that those foods, which are easy to digest, inevitably helps in relieving you from the bouts of asthma. The concept that operates behind this is that easily digestible food provides nutrients, which are further absorbed by the tissues. This helps in rebuilding the strong strength as well as keeps the stomach in a sound condition.

2. Herbal oil massage: A daily massage with herbal oil has always proved to have an extremely soothing and a calming effect on your system. Ideally the massage should be performed before taking a bath as it increases the blood circulation and pacify the nervous system.

3. Exercise: Ayurveda is perhaps the only branch of medicine that gives equal priority to medications as well as exercises. It is believed that stretching and those exercises that facilitate flexibility can markedly reduce bouts of asthma.

The reason why you suffer from bad health every now and then is due to your poor immune system. Whenever there is a change in weather and you are attacked by the flu virus, stop blaming the weather because it is actually your weakened immune system that has let you down. Same goes for the particular food you eat or the way you heal from your wounds rather slowly.

So, if you really want to boost up your immunity system, then you can take a cue from the books of Ayurveda. Ayurveda not only believes in healing the body but makes sure that the root cause is weeded out so that you stay healthy for a longer duration of time.

Let us see how Ayurveda develops your immune system so that you can withstand all kinds of emotional, physical and most importantly, environmental challenges.

1. The first thing Ayurveda says is to stick to healthy and nutritious foods. That doesn’t mean, you can’t cheat once in a week, but make sure that you have a protein rich and less carbohydrate diet. Make sure your food is warm; neither hot nor cold when you consume it.
2. Cold foods and drinks are harmful to your body because they affect the digestive system. Say no to any kind of aerated drinks.
3. Avoid foods, which are oily and especially difficult to digest.
4. Take care of your muscles and skin by massaging daily with sesame or sunflower oil. They help in rebuilding the tissues of your body.
5. While taking a bath, apply some essential oils such as lavender, rosemary, eucalyptus or juniper oil in a tub of warm water. This will make you feel fresh and uplift your mood.
6. While cooking, add some spices to your food, especially turmeric, cumin, coriander or cinnamon. These will increase the food value.

There are some suggestions made by Ayurveda:

1. Make sure you get an adequate of 6-8 hours of sleep. Avoid sleeping less or oversleeping.
2. Exercise regularly; yoga, walking, free hand exercises which will increase blood circulations in your body.

Finally, avoid negative thinking. Make sure you are infused with a positive spirit, no matter what the situation is. Doing this, you will stay physically and mentally spirited.  In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Sesame seeds are considered as the oldest oilseed crops in the world. They are derived from the plant of Sesamum genus. Though minuscule in comparison to other seeds, they are extremely beneficial for your health. They are very useful in the prevention of diabetes, lower blood pressure, and are also known to prevent a wide variety of cancers. In addition, sesame seeds are extremely useful for boosting the respiratory health, building strong bones, improving blood circulation, cleansing the body and in the elimination of depression and chronic stress.

They can be added as a natural ingredient in our day to day cooking and can be used in a wide variety of applications. Sesame seeds are rich in vitamins, minerals, and natural oils. They are also loaded with natural organic compounds such as iron, magnesium, phosphorous, manganese, copper, zinc, protein, and tryptophan.

Let us have a look at some of the health benefits of the sesame seeds.

1. Blood pressure: One of the primary uses of adding sesame seeds to our diet is their ability to control blood pressure. They are loaded with magnesium that aids in the prevention of hypertension, and thus can be very beneficial in keeping the blood pressure conditions under check.
2. Cancer prevention: Sesame seeds are also enriched with natural antioxidants that help in cleansing the body. This criterion benefits us in the fight against cancer. Sesame seeds also do have essential vitamins and minerals that reduce the risk of cancer drastically. They also restrict the circulation of free radicals. Some of the leukemia types that can be prevented when using sesame seeds include breast, lung, pancreatic, colon, and prostate cancers.
3. Bone health: Sesame seeds are loaded with impressive levels of minerals such as zinc, calcium, and phosphorous. These are essential in strengthening and repairing the bones.
4. Digestion: Sesame seeds contain natural fiber and hence form a strong element in metabolism. They are also very beneficial for removing the symptoms of constipation and keeps the condition of diarrhea in check. Fiber scraps out the harmful cholesterol from our body. Indirectly, they are beneficial to your heart and prevents heart ailment such as strokes and cardiovascular diseases.
5. Oral health: Sesame seeds have a strong presence of antibacterial properties within them. Due to this reason, they are best used in the treatment of mouth ulcers and gum problems. Adding sesame seeds to warm water and squishing inside the mouth can act as a natural mouth cleanser.
6. Skin and hair health: Sesame seeds have rich sources of zinc, a vital component that helps in the formation of collagen, an ingredient used to strengthen the muscle tissue, hair, and skin. They are also known to be part of many face packs and have anti-aging properties. They aid in the skin tightening process and act against the wrinkles.

As a part of culinary proceedings, sesame seeds can be had in a variety of ways. They can either be dry roasted and sprinkled as a topping, or they can be added with spices and mixed into the gravy. They also can be mixed as a part of fruit and vegetable juices. Though the seeds are tiny in nature, their beneficial properties are more potent than any other food items known to man.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

It is a chronic autoimmune skin disease, in which the skin cells form a mass of scales. Usually, these patches of skin, which are dry, red and itchy, occur on the skin of the back, scalp, palms, knees, elbows and around the fingernails and toenails. But some people have the patches all over the body. The patches may also crack, flake and bleed. While there is no definite cure, the symptoms can be managed and treated.

Symptoms of Psoriasis

The symptoms of psoriasis may vary from patient to patient. However, if more than two of the following signs are seen, it is likely that psoriasis is the causative condition:

• A sharp and localized pain in the joints accompanied by stiffness
• Soreness in the throat
• Tiny depressions in the nails or large brown patches under the nails
• The diseased patches of skin can crack, peel and bleed
• Swelling and tenderness of the limbs
• Dental plaque
• Muscle pain due to the swollen bands of connective tissue
• A whitish and silvery mass of scales surrounded by red patches of stinging, itchy skin
• The appearance of blisters or rashes on the dry scaly skin and also along the nails
• Bumps on the folded skin like back of the knees, armpits etc.

Causes of Psoriasis

• HIV: Human Immuno-deficiency Virus adversely affects the immune system and increases susceptibility of all kinds of infections and diseases. HIV-positive individuals have been found to have an increased risk of psoriasis than HIV-negative people.
• Medication: Anti-malarial, anti-inflammatory and blood pressure medicines can cause psoriasis as a side effect. The disease is also an effect of withdrawal from topical steroid creams and other steroid-based medication.
• Genetics: More than 32% of the cases of psoriasis have been linked to genes. In case of identical twins, if one twin has the disease,the other has a 70% chance of getting it too. There are several genes associated with the disease- most of these genes are related to the immune system. T cells (lymphocytes which affect cell specific immunity) can also cause psoriasis.
• Other diseases: Diseases like strep throat, chronic infections, skin infections and stress may be responsible for the condition. Other factors like obesity, alcoholism, skin dryness and smoking can also lead to psoriasis. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Ayurveda, which is an age old medicinal practice and has its own influence on the very important and intimate aspect of one's life that is the sex life of a person. Vajikarna, better known as ‘vishwachikitsa’, is one of the specialities in the field of Ayurveda that deals with aphrodisiacs and virility leading to good physique and freedom from impotency. The various herbs of Ayurveda help in curing major sexual problems, such as penile dysfunction, premature ejaculation and sexual exhaustion.

Here are a few reasons why Ayurvedic treatments should be preferred over conventional ones:

1. The base of Ayurvedic treatments is all natural: The base of Ayurvedic treatments consists of herbs, plants, fruits and all vegetation growing around you. The usage of all natural elements for treatment of sexual diseases is more promising as they do not cause any side-effects as opposed to usage of supplements loaded with chemicals which might throw off the hormonal balance of your body.
2. Ayurveda stresses on curing the ‘doshas’: The three ‘doshas’ in the body are ‘kapha’, ‘vata’ and ‘pitta’ and Ayurveda focuses on removing these ‘doshas’ along with curing the diseases. Removing these doshas while curing sex diseases is a major benefit of using Ayurveda because it helps you attain a better orgasm.
3. Use of Ayurvedic herbs: 
   • All the medicinal plants used in Ayurveda are devoid of any side effect and help in reversing the side effects of over masturbation by strengthening the nervous system and increasing the blood flow to the penile area.
   • Ashwagandha: This herb not only helps in getting rid of the side-effects but also prevents them from resurfacing. As an additional benefit, it helps in increasing the flow of libido, thus, reducing sexual exhaustion.
4. Focus on overall well-being: Ayurveda is concerned with the overall physical well-being of the patient across all spheres that is physical, psychological, spiritual and is beneficial to social wellness as well while allopathic treatments rely solely on bio-chemistry and focus on fixing only one sexual problem at a time.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

As the days become warm, you tend to turn the shower towards the cold water and as the days get cooler, bathing water usually gets warmer. A cold water shower can be very refreshing in the summer, similarly, a warm shower in winters can be quite relaxing. But have you ever thought about what actually is good for you? Well, there is no hard and fast rule about which one is better. As a general rule of thumb, according to Ayurveda, hot water should be used for bathing your body and cold water should be used for the head. However, when you clearly have to choose between hot water and cold water, a number of factors have to be considered, such as individual’s age, constitution, habits, diseases, if any, season, etc.

Let’s take a closer look

1. Age: Young children and elderly people will get more benefit from warm to a hot water bath. Teenagers and people up to the age of about 45-50 years can have a cold water bath. For students who need to be alert and be able to focus on their studies, a cold water bath is ideal.
2. Constitution: According to Ayurveda, there are three types of doshas; Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. If you have a pitta body type, you should bathe with cold water. On the other hand, if your body type is Vata or Kapha then, a hot water shower is much better for you.
3. Habits: Your habits can also influence the water temperature. If you like to bathe early in the morning, a cold water bath is advisable. However, if you like to bathe in the evening, try a hot water shower. As the evening is dominated by the Vata dosha, hence it is ideal. Similarly, if you like to exercise before your bath, you must bathe with hot water.
4. Diseases: If you are suffering from diseases caused by an imbalance of the Pitta dosha, you should bathe with cold water, such diseases include indigestion and liver disorders. If you are suffering from an imbalance of the Vata or Kapha dosha bathe with hot water. Diseases caused by the Vata dosha imbalance include arthritis, joint pain and foot pain. Those caused by kapha dosha imbalance include respiratory diseases and allergies.

Some Ayurvedic practitioners also advise alternating between hot and cold baths. What is important is that you should not bathe with water that is either too hot or too cold as bathing with really hot water can disturb the pH level of the skin, while bathing with water that is too cold can make you catch a cold. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!