Dr. Nancy Chopra

Polycystic ovarian disease or PCOD is a disease of the ovary that is characterized by the larger size of the ovary, fluid-filled sacs in the ovary, multiple cysts etc. In this condition, the ovary is covered by a white, tough, and thick outer covering. PCOD can have many implications including hormonal imbalance, menstruation cycle related disorders, insulin production and its usage etc. Ayurveda explains PCOD as a Kapha disorder and aims at clearing the obstruction of Vatadosha of the pelvis, normalize the menstrual cycle and balance metabolism.

Ayurvedic approach in treating PCOD
Ayurveda looks at a holistic approach of treatment wherein the mind and the body are treated as one. The first step towards treating PCOS disorder is to reduce body weight along with lifestyle modification. The next step aims at countering the condition of PCOD with Panchakarma - a century-old treatment mechanism of Ayurveda. Some of the Panchakarma methods used in treating PCOD include Vamana, Vasthi, Virechana, Nasya etc. Before applying the Panchakarma therapy, oral administration of medicated oil is necessary.

The flow of Panchakarma therapy for PCOD
Administration of medicated oil: The oral medicated oil has fat burning capabilities. The medication is prepared using herbal decoction and suitable herbs. The oil clears the fat blockers created due to fat throughout the body.

1. Vamana: Suitable herbal medication is prescribed to induce oral vomiting. It ensures that the toxin from inside the body comes out before the medication takes its effect on the source.
2. Virechana: This is one of the cleansing methods that is prescribed in Panchakarma therapy. A patient is given herbal purgatives in the form of medicated oil to clear blockages of the Vata Dosha.
3. Vasthi: This is the form of Panchakarma therapy that is meant for cleaning the alimentary canal. It has a calming effect on the Vata aggravation. This is the mode of medication where medicated herbal oil is injected through the anus. This procedure in Ayurveda is known as Anuvasana Vasthi. This is followed by another round of oil medication that has a mixture of herbal decoction, medicated oil, herbal paste, rock salt etc. This procedure is known as Nirooha Vasthi.
4. Uthara Vasthi: This procedure is very different from normal Vasthi in terms of its administration, ingredients, and quantity. This medication is applied to the uterus through the vagina. This is one of the best therapy when it comes to treating the polycystic ovarian syndrome.
5. Nasya: Once all the above medication is administered, Nasya is applied to both the nostrils. This is the last stage of Panchakarma medication and is extremely important to treat the underlying condition. This is given in a specific dosage for a certain duration. The fact that it directly involves the pituitary gland, makes this medication even more useful.

Inflammation and resultant pain in the joints are usually the basic tenets of Arthritis. This joint disorder can be painful and often, a debilitating one. It can also make the joints stiff. There are many ways of dealing with this problem, but with Ayurveda, one can get to the root cause of the ailment and its presence. This helps in taking a well rounded holistic approach towards treating it with ancient know how that revolves around herbs and other natural substances which have great medicinal value, lifestyle changes, diet, exercise and Yoga, oil massages, and other methods. Arthritis is known as Sandhivata in Ayurvedic jargon.

Read on to find out how Ayurveda can help in dealing with Arthritis.

• Herbs: One can make use of various herbs that contain Linoleic Acid to help in providing lubrication to the joints so as to prevent pain and stiffness. These herbs include Borage seed oil which is extracted from Borage seed, Evening Primrose oil, Blackcurrant seed oil, Capsaicin, Curcumin, Feverfew, Flaxseed oil and a standard Ayurvedic concoction that combines Ashwagandha, Gugulla, ginger, cumin and haldi or turmeric. These substances can help in treating the joints that are suffering from the pain of Arthritis.
• Diet: In Ayurveda, to treat ailments like Arthritis, it is usually recommended that a patient should start by flushing out the body toxins from within. Diet is one of the ways in which this can be done. A detoxification diet to clean the colon would be one of the foremost ways of doing a cleanse. Further, in one's daily diet, there should be a good dose of vegetables, fruits and other juices. Also, one must have plenty of herbs and spices, which can be used to season the food. Curd should generally be avoided and garlic should be used liberally. The various properties that help in an inside out cleanse that will help the system function in a better manner so that the treatment of ailments is also effectively supported.
• Exercise: In Ayurveda, a certain amount of daily exercise, which spans at least 45 minutes to one hour, is a must. A pattern of healthy eating, restful sleep and exercise is what usually helps in treating ailments like Arthritis. For this ailment specifically, light exercise like walking is recommended. Various Yoga asanas that involve sitting, standing, balancing and lying down poses as well as restful poses will also help in treating knee, shoulder and lower back painspecifically. Also, mustard oil massages can help in reducing the pain.

These are the few ways in which Ayurveda can help Arthritis patients live a more normal life with minimal pain.

Gastric acids are chemicals provided by your stomach to aid digestion. But the corrosive effects they induce are counteracted by the secretion of other chemicals. It is when the secretion of these chemicals is impaired that it leads to damaged stomach lining, causing acidity, also known as acid reflux.

Ayurveda promises some easy home treatments for acidity which are quite efficient in ensuring fast recovery for you. You can use any of these listed Ayurvedic treatments if you suffer from acidity.

1. Amla powder (Indian Gooseberry) and honey: Soak one teaspoonful of amla powder in half a cup of water. Add honey and stir and drink empty stomach in the morning. Repeat similarly for the evening. 
2. Cumin seeds: You can reduce cumin seeds to their powder form, then you have to add half a spoon of it to water; presumably, one liter. Then, keep the solution boiling then filter it. You will have to make sure that you drink this solution instead of normal water. Take this water based solution everyday till recovery. This is quite an effective remedy for acidity. 
3. Mulethi (liquorice) and honey: You can reduce liquorice root to powder, then to half a spoon of this powder add little honey to form paste. Lick to consume this paste twice daily after meals. Liquorice neutralizes the acids quickly to give relief.
4. White pumpkin juice: Take white pumpkin peel and slice it and make a pulpy juice out of it. Half a cup twice daily gives fast recovery from gastritis and acidity. Alternatively you may eat sweet made of pumpkin (peetha ki methai) after meals. 
5. Buttermilk: You can take half a glass of buttermilk and add a pinch of each asafetida and turmeric to it. With it, also take care to add a tiny amount of fenugreek and drink it at night, to make the most of its benefits.
6. Jaggery: You can try taking boiled ash gourd with jaggery. This relieves the burning sensation in the stomach to a considerable extent.

Ayurveda is a renowned life science that has been credited with changing lives since ancient times. Not only can it prevent diseases and ailments, but it can also cure them with its combination of herbal medication, everyday routine and yogic poses. 

Nowadays, everybody has a busy life and different lifestyles. An Ayurveda can provide weight mangement treatment as per your needs. In Ayurveda, there are golden drugs that help in losing weight without affecting the metabolism of the body. The Ayurveda expert can also provide you a diet chart along with medicines.

Weight management is a field that also enjoys various Ayurvedic remedies. Some of them are as follows.

• Herbs: Herbs are a way of healing used by Ayurveda, and the use of various herbs can help in hastening the metabolism for healthy weight management.
• Taste: Ayurveda recognizes six distinct tastes that should be incorporated into one's daily diet. These tastes include salty, pungent, sour, sweet, bitter and finally, astringent. Each of these tastes has several properties that balance the various hormones and health factors in one's body. These tastes form the various counterpoints to alleviate all kinds of health problems, which finally help in effective weight management. Also, one must eat all the seasonal fruits and vegetables to keep the body and hormones in good balance.
• Exercise: While a daily routine of exercise is a must in any life science, Ayurveda too propagates the devotion of at least 45 minutes to one hour towards some form of exercise. Walking is said to be the most important and effective forms of exercise, followed by several yoga poses that can help in better weight management. Also, as per Ayurveda, it is important to move after each and every meal, so that a routine of eating and activity is built into the system.
• Sleep: Ayurveda recognizes sleep or rest as one of the most important aspects of a healthy lifestyle. While good eating habits and exercise form one side of it, sleep or rest completes the triangle. One can also practice the Savasana or resting pose for a period of rest. And at least six to seven hours of sleep is a must as per Ayurveda.
• Meditation: This practice helps in focusing on awareness which can instil the desired function like weight management in the body. Being mindful of what your body needs can also help in eating and exercising right.

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:

1. Sperm/Ovum (Seeds)
2. Uterus (Soil)
3. Nourishment (Water)
4. 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.

Treatment:

For female infertility, the Ayurveda experts use a lot of egg stimulation medicines like ghrit, rasayan and many more to help the patient in conceiving.

Foods to Nourish All Seven Dhatus (Bringhana)

1. Fresh, organic fruits and vegetables
2. Dairy proteins, including milk, lassi, and panir (a fresh cheese made of milk)
3. Whole grains
4. Mung dhal
5. Soaked almonds or soaked walnuts
6. Dried fruits such as dates, figs, and raisins
7. Sweet, juicy fruits such as mangoes, peaches, plums, and pears
8. If your digestion is strong, eat urad dhal (available at Indian grocery stores) cooked with equal parts turmeric, cumin, coriander, and fennel.
9. 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)

1. Asparagus
2. Broccoli
3. Milk
4. Date-milk shake
5. Mango milkshake
6. 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.