Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder that results in higher level of blood sugar in the body. It is assuming epidemic proportions and India has become the new diabetic capital with more than 50 million diabetic people. The main problem with diabetes is that it does not completely go away and there is a whole myriad of issues that it brings along with it. Heart attack, stroke, eyesight problems, delayed wound healing, nerve damage and impotence. Therefore, diabetes and by that we mainly mean blood sugar level has to be managed so that there is a delay in onset of the associated conditions and/or reduced in severity.

Ayurveda refers to diabetes as Prameha (excessive urination) and Madhumeha (sugary urine) and has identified close to 20 forms of the disease. According to Ayurvedic belief, each disease is caused due to imbalance in kapha, pitta, and vata doshas and diabetes is caused by all these, predominantly by kapha. With any stream of medicine, management of diabetes involves two tracks   one is lifestyle changes and the second is medications.

Lifestyle changes include the following:

    Diet: Reduce the amount of rice, sugar, potato, sweet fruits, maida, deep fried foods, and red meat. Protein-rich foods like lentils, soya, green leafy vegetables and fish should be increased. Diet plan should change to small, frequent meals instead of binge eating.

    Exercise: Include 30 minutes of regular exercise into your daily routine if you have a diabetic predisposition.

    Others: Avoid smoking and alcohol, ensure sufficient sleep, avoid sleeping during day time, improved foot and eye care, periodically check sugar levels and manage stress levels.

Medication

Ayurveda has a whole lot of home remedies which have proven to be very effective against diabetes:

    Jambhul: Eugenia Jambolana whether eaten raw or juice extract has been shown to have beneficial effects in managing sugar levels and cholesterol.

    Gymnema sylvestre: Used to manage diabetes for over 2000 years, it reduces sugar cravings and is being touted as the future for diabetes treatment.

    Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia): It has 3 components that give it strong antidiabetic properties. The charantin reduces blood sugar levels; the polypeptide has insulin-like effects; and lectin that again has hypoglycemic effects.

    Bel (Aegle marmelos): Also known as wood apple, leaves of the plant are shown to have antidiabetic properties. 5 to 10 leaves can be chewed on a daily basis to help control blood sugar levels.

    Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graecum): Consuming 10 g of fenugreek seeds soaked in water increases the amount of insulin produced, thereby increasing sugar breakdown.

    Neem: Chewing about 4 to 5 leaves in the morning on an empty stomach helps to control blood sugar levels. Alternately, neem leaves powder is available which can be dissolved in water and consumed.


Diabetes - 6 Natural Remedies that Will Help You Manage it

Cow urine therapy has been in practice for many health problems in india for centuries. In india, cow is a symbol of spirituality and cow urine is not only used in devotional practices, but also comes packed with a bunch of health benefits.

'kamadhenu' is worshipped for thousands of years as the goddess who fulfils desire. In ayurveda, cow is considered as the mother of all entities as the products obtained from cow are beneficial to all mankind in many ways. The milk, urine, curd, ghee and dung obtained from cow are beneficial in different ways as food supplement and medicine. Cow urine or gomutra destroys the poisonous effects of residues and makes body disease free. The medicinal usage of panchgavya, especially cow urine is practiced in ayurveda which is classified as complementary and alternative medicine.

The two indian epics, shushruta samhita and charaka samhita, have described that the consumption of cow urine produces body warmth. In modern medical science, it has been well established that the thyroid hormones are responsible for producing body warmth. The oral administration of cow urine has thyroid stimulating effect and therapeutic value of urinary iodine present in the cow urine is immense. Cow urine or gomutra contains iodine, which is easily absorbable from the gastrointestinal tract. The mean urinary iodine levels in dairy cows may vary from 79.2 to 94.8 micrograms of iodine per litre of urine depending upon their physiological conditions. Iodine is an essential element to produce thyroid hormones such as triiodothyronine and thyroxine. These are catabolic hormones that generate heat and cause body warmth. It has been proven that the cow urine contains iodine in required level for normal functioning of thyroid gland.

Urinary iodine concentration in cow urine varies depending upon its biological status and it could stimulate the patient's thyroid gland activity on oral administration of iodine. Thyroxine stimulates more oxygen utilization and heat production by many different cells of the body.

During iodine deficiency, the pituitary gland secretes enhanced amounts of thyroid stimulating hormone (tsh), which causes compensatory adjustment. This leads in the production of more extensive secretory epithelium which in turn will result in enlargement of the thyroid gland and loss of colloid material in the thyroid follicles. In this scenario, exogenous supplementation of iodine brings back the normal thyroid status.

The administration of cow urine, which contain good levels of iodine, can keep the thyroid gland activity on a better footing. We now have the support of scientific validation for the experience of warming up of the human body after consumption of cow urine or gomutra.

Cow Urine Therapy for Thyroid

Diabetes is probably one of the worst enemies of human health. Why? That is because unlike many other diseases which make you aware of their presence in your body instantly, diabetes is a silent attacker. So, you may continue to be unaware of the disease for a very long time, before you suddenly realize that something is wrong with your body one day. And then tests reveal that you are afflicted with diabetes.

In order to make sure that this doesn't happen to you, you have to keep an eye on the symptoms of diabetes because prevention, no matter how tedious it is, is always better than the cure. Here is a look at the usual but often ignored signs which indicate that you might be suffering from diabetes.

If you are taking more bathroom breaks than usual, and if the rate of going to the loo is increasing gradually with time, it can well be a sign of diabetes. When you are suffering from diabetes, your body becomes less efficient in breaking down the consumed food into sugars and utilising it. Therefore, a lot of sugar gets saturated in your bloodstream and your body gets rid of it by flushing it out through urination.
If you urinate a lot, it is self-evident that you would also feel very thirsty all the time. In some cases, the patients don't realize their problem and drink chocolate milk or aerated drinks which have sweet flavours. This leads to excess sugar in your body again, and the problem continues. So all in all, if you feel very thirsty all the time, get yourself checked.
You might lose weight, and it may really seem like a great thing in the beginning but it is not. When a person has diabetes, he is likely to lose his weight because of the decreasing water level in his body as well as the inability of the body to break down food into more suitable forms.
If you are tired all the time, and by all the time we mean even after getting up from a long and good night's sleep, you may have diabetes. The reason for this is that fatigue comes to you when your body cannot produce enough energy from the food you consume, and this happens only when you have diabetes.
If your cuts and bruises heal slower than ever, you definitely are a victim of diabetes. This is because the immunity and clotting system of your body don't work well when there is a saturation of sugars in your body.

5 Signs That You're Suffering from Diabetes

10 symptoms that signal hypothyroidism

When your thyroid malfunctions, you may face difficult health issues. Hypothyroidism leads to excessive weight gain and a lot of other medical ailments. It can be identified by a bunch of symptoms which if present, should not be taken lightly.

1) weight gain - if there is sudden and unexpected weight gain, this is the earliest and definite sign of an underactive thyroid gland. This means that there are strong chances of lowered levels of t3 and t4 hormones in the body, leading to slow metabolism in the body. People suffering from hypothyroidism face increased body weight which becomes difficult to lose despite maintaining healthy diet and exercising rigorously.

2) constant fatigue - if you have slept well the night before, yet you are tired and if this is a regular feature, then chances are that your thyroid gland is underactive. Being low in energy, it gets difficult to complete daily chores or exercise.

3) swelling in the neck - another telltale sign would be goiter - an abnormal swelling in the neck. The thyroid gland mainly concentrates iodine from the blood to create both the thyroid hormones. If there is iodine deficiency in the body, this process gets disrupted resulting in hypothyroidism.

4) hair loss - hypothyroidism causes hormonal imbalance which in turn causes hair loss. If there is sudden, unexplainable hair loss, chances of hypothyroidism are high.

5) imbalance in body temperature - if you are suddenly feeling too cold, it is advised to get your thyroid tests done.

6) brittle nails - if your nails have become brittle, get chipped very easily and look weak, this could be an indication of hypothyroidism.

7) mood changes - the weight gained and the excessive fatigue, both trigger massive mood swings which at times, the person has no control over.

8) constipation - the contractions of the digestive tract get weakened due to low levels of thyroid hormones resulting in constipation. Chronic constipation without any apparent reason could be an indicator of hypothyroidism.

9) irregular menses - if your periods are irregular, do not take it lightly. This could be most likely because of hormonal imbalances which are caused by hypothyroidism.

10) slower heart rate - if your heart beats at less than 60 times per minute, it could be because of the interference by thyroid hormones.

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10 Symptoms That Signal Hypothyroidism. Do You Have Any Of These?

Fertility is a potential for reproduction. In other words, fertility is an ability to have babies or to reproduce. When fertility rate in a community, increases more babies are born. To produce an offspring it depends on age, health and other factors of the woman. When we talk about fertility rates it means the number of births that happen during a certain time period in a specific location. On the other end, lack of ability to reproduce is termed as infertility. There are various treatments to deal with fertility issues and one of the ancient and natural as well as a trusted treatment is Ayurveda.

Causes
Female infertility is caused due to structural problems like blocked fallopian tubes, a defect in cervical canal, uterine fibroids or polyps. Hormonal imbalance leading to ovulation problems too can cause infertility. In males. infertility may have anatomical, psychological, hormonal or lifestyle related causes. The cause of infertility in approximately 20% of couples can't be determined using the currently available methods of investigation. From Ayurvedic perspectives, shukra dhatu can get affected by various physical, mental causes and even by serious diseases. Poor quality shukra dhatu can cause infertility in males & females.

Symptoms

Failure to reproduce

Ayurveda For Infertility

Ayurveda is one of the world's oldest holistic healing systems. It is based on the belief that health and wellness depend on a delicate balance between the mind, body and Spirit. The primary focus of Ayurvedic medicine is to promote good health, rather than fight disease. Fertility problems are increasing these days for many young couples. There are many factors which account for this like Lifestyle, delayed marriages, diet, etc. But Ayurveda not only does explain how to increase fertility with herbal supplements, but it also focuses on how to have healthy children.

For a pregnancy to be healthy and successful, a couple needs to take care of the following four essential factors:

Sperm/Ovum (Seeds)
Uterus (Soil)
Nourishment (Water)
Time for Conception (Timing of Sowing)
Reproductive health, in both men and women, depends on the health of the reproductive tissue or shukra dhatu. In women, shukra creates the ovum as part of the monthly cycle, and in men, the semen is formed due to sexual stimulation. The shukra is created as part of a long chain of metabolic transformations. It starts with the digestion of food, then goes on to the transformation of food to nutrient fluid, blood, muscle, fat, bone, bone marrow, and finally, to shukra tissue. Healthy shukra tissue, then, according to Ayurveda, depends on the health of all the other tissues in the body.

Foods to Nourish All Seven Dhatus (Bringhana)

Fresh, organic fruits and vegetables
Dairy proteins, including milk, lassi, and panir (a fresh cheese made of milk)
Whole grains
Mung dhal
Soaked almonds or soaked walnuts
Dried fruits such as dates, figs, and raisins
Sweet, juicy fruits such as mangoes, peaches, plums, and pears
If your digestion is strong, eat urad dhal (available at Indian grocery stores) cooked with equal parts turmeric, cumin, coriander, and fennel.
A banana cooked in ghee, cinnamon and cardamom is a tasty and wholesome dessert for people with strong digestion.
Foods to Enhance the Reproductive Tissue (Vrishya)

Asparagus
Broccoli
Milk
Date-milk shake
Mango milkshake
Rice pudding
Spices such as ajwain powder, cumin (which purifies the uterus in women and the genitourinary tract in men), turmeric (to improve the interaction between hormones and targeted tissues), and black cumin.
In general, it's important to eat a wide variety of foods in order to receive all the essential nutrients. Keep trying new vegetables and fruits, and rotate your menus to make sure you're not eating the same thing day after day.

Infertility - Ayurvedic Remedies are the Solution!

There are two types of abortion, namely medical and surgical. In case of medical abortion, pills are taken to terminate the pregnancy; whereas, surgical abortion is done if the pregnancy has reached an advanced stage when pills are ineffective. While generally there are no health risks or negative effects of abortion on fertility, there are rare cases of complications, which can give rise to severe symptoms post abortion. Following is the information you need to know about abortion and its effects on fertility:

When to seek medical assistance
It is advisable to seek medical help if you have the following symptoms post abortion:
1. Persistent pain in the lower abdomen, which lingers even after taking medication
2. Excessive bleeding
3. A high temperature

Possible effects of surgical abortion on fertility
1. Infection after abortion: infections post abortion like pelvic inflammatory disease (pid), if left untreated for long can spread and harm your reproductive organs, thereby impacting your fertility. It can cause complications like infertility or ectopic pregnancy.

2. Damage to the cervix during abortion: damage to the cervix during an abortion can cause cervical incompetence and consequently increase the risk of miscarriage.

3. Damage to the womb during abortion: there are chances of damage of the womb (uterus) during abortion, resulting in scarring, which can cause fertility issues if not corrected. This is more likely in case you had multiple abortions.

Apart from the above mentioned complications there are a number of other complications, which can happen due to abortion, preterm birth, vaginal bleeding during pregnancy and low birth rate, etc. Further, infertility can also be a possible side effect of abortion pills, which happens due to scarring of the uterus during the procedure of forcible elimination of the fetus. In all such cases it is advisable to schedule regular check up with your gynaecologist.

Can Abortion Affect Fertility?

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