Dr. Homeira Nishat

People consider Phobia as fear. In all the feelings, fear is playing the most place in our life from childhood to old age. The feeling of fear may disturb the entire life situations. Fear means at one or two situations only. When the situation is gone, then we get normal with the fear. Fear has reasons, but with Phobia there is no reason. Phobia means unknown and unexplainable and unable to convince others. But it suffers much more than normal fear. Phobias are like anthrophobia, thenatophobia, hydrophobia, nyctophobia,clustrophobia, pathophobia etc. Some body cannot recognize themselves as they have psychological disorder. Recently people have awareness on psychological aspects. Recently they come with the help of psychologist. It seems to be simple but sometimes it disturbs total life situations in a critical time moment. When we are not taking one decision in one movement of life. Sometimes, it may effect all the total life situations because of internal frustration and tension sometimes we loss some beautiful movements of our life. After realising some of the moments later in life, some times it cannot come back. So please come out of our internal unknown fears like phobia. There are some methods to come from this complex problem.

1. Psychological counselling

2. Relaxation method

3. Hypnotism

4. Disensitization technique

.5. Family counselling

6. Life style management

7. Personality development

8. Music therapy

.9. Meditation

10. Yoga

Fasting not only aids religious beliefs, but also has many spiritual benefits. It is considered the best way to re-energize one's mind, body and soul. It is one of the best ways to detoxify one's digestive system and immune system. One's stomach and pancreas are always in a state of action and hence a few days' rest can actually retune both the systems. Fasting also provides one with the opportunity to reconnect with one's spiritual body. It is a journey of self-discovery. Activities like praying and meditating helps people to connect more with their spiritual self.

How can you detox your body?
Although fasting is one of the best ways to detox one's body, not everyone has the physical strength to perform it. Detoxing can also be performed by having detoxifying foods.

1. Fruits help in washing out toxins from the body. Green foods like barley, wheatgrass, spinach, alfalfa helps to give a chlorophyll boost to the digestive system. Broccoli sprouts are very high in antioxidants and its ability to stimulate detoxifying enzymes in the digestive system is unparalleled. They are more effective than any fully grown vegetable.
2. Green tea is full of antioxidants and washes away impurities and toxic substances. It also contains catechins, which increase the function of liver. Vegetables like onions, cabbage, carrots, cauliflowers, turmeric and garlic are best eaten juiced or raw which will help in purging away toxins from the liver thus aiding the cleansing process.
3. Omega-3 oils like hemp, olive oil, avocado oil help in detoxing. They lubricate the intestinal walls and thus allow the toxins to be absorbed by the oil and wash them away.
4. Fasting is often aided by meditation, which helps to establish a deeper connection with oneself through faith. While meditating, make sure that you are neat and clean. Clean the environment in which you are fasting. Try to spend a minimum to 10-15 minutes remembering the name of the Supreme and chant his name or mantra. Light a candle to burn your ego and feed animals, birds around you. One should speak in limited amounts during meditation. After you break your fast, you will experience a sense of gratitude towards the food you eat.

Every packet of cigarette comes with the warning 'Smoking is injurious to health'. With every national budget plan, the prices of nicotine based additives are hiked. Yet, you cannot quit smoking because you find it extremely difficult to resist the nicotine urge. Ayurveda says that the root cause of addiction is mental stress due to one of the 3 Doshas that are Vata, Pitta, Kapha. People try to terminate them through temporary, addictive methods rather than a bit more natural, holistic methods. Here's how it can be easier for you to quit smoking by adopting Ayurvedic remedies.

Ayurvedic remedies:

1. Drink adequate amount of water, especially from a copper vessel. This helps to accumulate the wastes and release them.
2. Perform the Neti Kriya (inhaling saline water through one nostril and releasing it through the other and then reversing the procedure).
3. Performing the Bhastrika Pranayama twice every day, both in the morning and at night.
4. Consume 3 tablets or 1  teaspoon of triphala everyday before going to bed, to eliminate the deposited nicotine tar in your system.
5. Consumption of a measured mixture of ashwagandha, bala, shatavari and ginseng every day, or a chyawanprash containing these help in detoxification.

Changes in diet:

1. Avoid consumption of alcohol and other addictive drugs, such as coffee, sugar, etc. because they increase the urge to smoke.
2. Decrease intake of fatty foods because your metabolism rate is lower than at most other times, so you might risk gaining weight during this period.
3. Try a vegetarian diet because it increases the Sattvik quality of your mind. Every fresh food item contains prana or life which rejuvenates both your body and mind.
4. Chew anti-nicotine gums or suck on cinnamon sticks which curb your urge to smoke.
5. Keep eating low-calorie food items like carrots, apples or celery.
6. Incorporating regular exercise in your routine may help you to quit smoking more easily. It controls weight gain, which is a side-effect of quitting, and also offers you a fit and healthy lifestyle.
7. Meditating and doing yoga regularly helps in relaxing your mind. Yogic postures like Sabasan help attain internal peace and divert your mind from craving to smoke.

Besides these techniques, there are various other ways like taking help from a professional ayurvedic counselor, which will help you quit smoking, socializing with friends or spending quality time with your family, will keep your mind diverted from the stress of quitting.

Related Tip: "Effects of Smoking on Sexual Health"

Toxins often get accumulated in the blood every single day from the daily dose of junk foods, stress, and pollution. The human lungs play a pivotal role in the purification of blood as the pure oxygenated blood is carried from the heart to each corner of the body. Therefore, it is very important to eat the foods which can help in detoxification of the blood. Here are some of the natural foods which you should try to consume on a regular basis.

1. Avocado: If you are looking for food that would purify your blood and keep you healthy, then you should eat avocado daily. It helps in the removal of toxins that destroy the human artery. Plus, avocados are overloaded with loads of Vitamin E which shields the skin from the damage brought about by the harmful effects of oxidative stress and free radicals. Avocados are also a considerable source of Omega 3-fatty acids.
2. Broccoli: Broccoli is one of the highest acclaimed foods when it comes to detoxification of blood and removal of harmful toxins from the blood. This green vegetable is also enriched with calcium, Omega 3-fatty acids, Vitamin C and K, phosphorus, magnesium and dietary fiber. If you consume broccoli on a regular basis, it would not only purify your blood but also reduces the risk of cancer, stroke, cardiac arrest, and allergy reaction.
3. Cabbage: Cabbage is an amazing source of Vitamin B6, Vitamin D, dietary fiber, folate, manganese, magnesium, iron, and phosphorus. Thus, cabbage helps in purifying the blood and protecting the bones. If you are looking for a natural food which can reduce the heart diseases by keeping blood pressure under control, then you should have cabbage on a regular basis.
4. Green tea: When it comes to purification of blood, nothing could be as effective as green tea. It can also protect the skin from sun damage by neutralizing the free radicals and lowering the skin inflammation by blocking the ultra-violet rays of the sun. The anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of green tea reduce the signs of aging.
5. Apple: Apple is the best food for cleansing the blood and consuming it daily helps in the improvement of the quality of life. It is a considerable source of all the vitamins and mineral along with high levels of pectin which is a dietary fiber known for removal of heavy metals from the body. The presence of anti-oxidants helps in the purification of blood and destruction of free radicals.

You should include these natural foods in your daily diet to boost the purification of blood, fight diseases and lead a healthy life.