Dr. Deepak Jaju

A drastic change in the life style habits and this modern world people face many health issues in their daily life. Obesity is one of the major health issues that most people are affected with.

Obesity or being overweight is a condition characterized by excessive storage of fat in the body. When the body’s calorie intake exceeds the amount of calories burned, it leads to the storage of excess calories in the form of body fat. Increased body fat puts a person at risk for many critical conditions such as heart disease, liver damage, diabetes, arthritis and kidney problems.

The most common cause of obesity is lack of physical activity, intake of excessive carbohydrates, fatty and junk food items. It might be even due to pathological or hereditary cause. Ayurveda gives many natural home remedy measures to reduces the body weight and get rid of obesity.

Ayurvedic View-

In Ayurveda, obesity is known as Medarog, which is caused by the aggravation of Kapha. Kapha is an Ayurvedic humor which is dense, heavy, slow, sticky, wet and cold in nature. It governs all structure and lubrication in the mind and body apart from controlling weight and formation of all the seven tissues - nutritive fluids, blood, fat, muscles, bones, marrow and reproductive tissues.

The Ayurvedic line of treatment for obesity begins with the pacification of Kapha Dosha. This can be done by eliminating Kapha-aggravating foods from the diet. Next, the treatment also focuses on cleansing of the Medovahi channels through cleansing herbs so that excess weight can be reduced.

Ginger (Zingiber Officinale), Salacia Reticulata (Kotahla Himbutu),Garcina cambogia (Vrikshamla), Commiphora Mukul Resin (Guggul) and Nigella Sativa are the commonly used Ayurvedic medicines to cure obesity.

Natural Ayurvedic home remedies for obesity –

1. Lemon juice and honey – the best and simple way to reduces weight is drinking one cup of warm water mixed with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and one teaspoon of honey in empty stomach.
2. Triphala powder – mixing two teaspoon of triphala powders a natural herb easily available at homes with 500ml of water and allow it to boil for 5mins. Strain the liquid and drink it regularly to burn the excessive fat stored in the body.
3. Make cabbage as your best friend – take one cup of cabbage daily. Cabbage contains tartaric acid and this helps to convert the sugar and other carbohydrates into fat.
4. Vyaayaama – simple exercises are also much essential to be done alone with other remedial measures to reduce the body weight
5. Avoid white sugar and starch from diet. Prefer brown rice and other cereals in the diet.
6. Controlling the excessive eating habit – excessive eating of junk and fast foods is the most important cause of obesity. This should be avoided and learn to eat healthy and right food at regular interval. Have only three meals per day. Diet controlling does not mean fasting so it is best advised to have small meal at regular interval.
7. Herbs- Herbs like Bibhitaka (Terminalia belericia), amla (Emblica officinalis), Guggul , Haritaki (Terminalia chebula) are effective for reducing the body weight. 

There are many other naturally occurring items that feature prominently in Ayurvedic treatment for obesity. The key aspect to understand here is that Ayurveda stresses on the natural and easy ways in which one can lose weight without having to undergo mental or physical stress and strain.

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

Gone are the days when mostly septuagenarians complained of joint and knee pain. The problem today has become common among all age groups. Knee or joint pain at any stage of life is painful, however the health problem striking early on is scary as one just dreads of living with it in the so many years to come.

Ayurveda is a very old system of medicine, which originated in India. Using herbs found in nature to cure various illnesses, knee pain and joint pain can also be permanently cured with this method indigenous to India. Arthritis and Joint pain are among the most prevalent problems faced by adults, mostly old people. As per ayurveda, 'vata dosha' Is responsible for joint and knee pain.

Here are some common Ayurvedic remedies, which help reduce knee pain:

1. Ashwagandha: Ashwagandha is medically known as Withania Somnifera. In the West, Ashwagandha is popularly known as Winter Cherry. Also, it has a lot of therapeutic properties, which include reducing joint pains.
2. Banyan: The Banyan tree's medical name is Ficus Benghalensis. It has a sap very similar to the form of rubber known as latex is derived from the Banyan tree. The Banyan tree's sap is externally applied over the joints and the pain usually disappears after a few regular applications.
3. Garlic: The medical name for garlic is allium sativum. Five to six cloves eaten everyday has proved to reduce knee pains.
4. Ginger: Ginger is biologically called Zingiber Officinale. These can be easily included in your diet and go a long way in curbing knee pain.

The following are some ayurvedic home remedies that can be utilized to treat joint pain:

1. Hot & Cold Compress: Cold and hot compresses can be utilized to ease your joint pain effectively. Heat compression decreases the pain, increases the blood circulation and relaxes the swollen joints and muscles. On the other hand, cold therapy lessens the inflammation of the affected joint. Place hot and cold towel alternatively on the affected area to achieve immediate relief from persistent pain.
2. Turmeric: Add a pinch of turmeric and a teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink this solution on a regular basis for a week. Turmeric contains anti inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which makes it an excellent remedy for treating joint pains.
3. Healthy diet: A balanced diet that comprises a lot of green leafy vegetables and fresh seasonal fruits is good for your joints. The uncontrolled intake of fatty food, dairy products, and high sodium diet must be avoided in order to avoid arthritis and joint pain.Prevention is better than cure and in order to follow that it is always beneficial to get your complete body check up done from time to time. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an Ayurveda.

Quite like women, men may also suffer from different types of infertility, one of which is erectile dysfunction and eventually leads to oligospermia. It is a condition in which the affected individual loses the ability to take part in sexual activities. Oligospermia is caused due to low sperm count in the males, which doesn’t let the ovum of their female partner to fertilize.

Causes of oligospermia
Normally, excessive stress, smoking and consumption of alcohol are regarded as the major causes of erectile dysfunction and oligospermia. But it can also be triggered by varicocele condition, which is an enlargement of veins in the scrotum. Hormonal imbalance, harmful radiations like radiotherapy and chemotherapy as well as administering certain drugs and medications are some other causes leading to oligospermia.

Symptoms of oligospermia
If a man is not able to maintain his erection while performing sexual activities, then it is considered that he is suffering from erectile dysfunction. However, oligospermia doesn’t have any sign or symptom; the affected person gets to know about it when his partner is not able to conceive.

Diagnosis of oligospermia
The diagnosis of oligospermia is dependent on the low count of semen analysis that has to be performed twice randomly. Recently, WHO has established a reference point for the optimum level of sperm count, which is 15 million sperms for every milliliter of semen. It is crucial to mention here that the concentration of sperms may fluctuate and there can be permanent and temporary forms of oligospermia.

Ayurvedic treatment of oligospermia
Ayurveda is considered as the science of life and is regarded as a holistic as well as comprehensive medical system. This system utilizes the inherent principles of nature for helping a person maintain good health by keeping the body, mind and soul in perfect coalesce with nature.

1. Ayurveda has presented a distinct branch that deals with defective semen and spermatogenesis along with sexual potency. Such medications are called Vajikaranatantra or aphrodisiac medicines. This therapy is recommended for all males between the ages 16 to 70 to maintain healthy semen and overall sexual activity.
2. In Ayurveda, the treatment of oligospermia comprises administering the Vajikaradravyas and rasayanas in optimum amount. These therapies are quite helpful in detoxifying and rejuvenating the body. Additionally, with little modifications in lifestyle and diet, you can not only experience sexual pleasure, but also be able to produce physically and mentally healthy offspring. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an Ayurveda.

It is almost winter now. Winter is called the season of cold, flu and infections. Changes of every season require the change in the diet and lifestyle. Ayurveda prescribes a distinctive lifestyle and recommendations to beat the cold. Using only natural ingredients, it offers an excellent treatment option for cold.

Ayurvedic View

In Ayurveda, common cold is called pratishyaya. In this condition, all the three doshas of your body are responsible. Cold occurring due to vata dosha is indicated by symptoms such as mucus discharge, a runny nose, and dry cough. In case of cold because of pitta dosha, a sore throat, blocked nose, and fever are indicated. People who get cold on account of kapha dosha experience headaches, heaviness in the head, and thick mucus discharge.

Ayurvedic Remedies

There are several Ayurvedic remedies for cold. They include the following:

Herbs:

Several natural herbs are used for treating cold according to Ayurvedic principles.

• Cassia roots are effective for treating cold. The roots should be burned and the emitted smoke must be inhaled. As a result of this treatment, your mucous discharge increases rapidly, and totally stops after some time.

• Bishop’s weed is ideal for opening your clogged nasal passages. You need to tie the seeds of this plant in a cloth and directly inhale it. It helps in clearing congestion and deals with nasal blockages.

• Cinnamon is effective in curing cold. Boil cinnamon with pepper and honey in water. Consuming this mixture helps in reducing a sore throat and prevents your cold from worsening.

• Having antiseptic properties, cumin seeds are also used for treating cold and its symptoms. It helps with curing fever and throat irritations.

Dietary Changes:

You should fast a whole day after experiencing the various symptoms of cold. This fasting will help you with detoxifying your body and eliminating the toxins. You should choose a diet, which consists of steamed and boiled vegetables, vegetable soups and stews. Stay away from food items, which are difficult to digest, like oily, rich, and spicy foods, milk, and other dairy products. Consume hot food for giving relief to your cold symptoms.

The Lifestyle Recommendations:

The cold climate rips the natural moisture and oiliness from the hair and skin. So it is recommended to have a regular oil massage at least twice a week. Just heat some sesame oil and apply it all over body before taking bath. Also, winter may cause body aches. Oil massage relaxes the body and reduces pain.

Don’t take bath in hot water, rather take a bath in warm water.

Do exercises regularly (don’t strain yourself) during cold climate. In fact, winter is the best season to get back in shape. Even if you do some simple exercise for a few minutes, you can sweat out a lot and it keeps your body warm.

Ayurvedic Medicines:

You may opt for Bring Asava. This is a prescribed Ayurvedic medicine for cold, which should be taken regularly for a week.

A nasal drop named Anu Taila is effective in treating cold. This drop should be taken after mixing it with honey. It helps in reducing inflammation in your respiratory tract.

It is important for you to consult an Ayurvedic practitioner before starting Ayurvedic treatment for cold on your own. A licensed doctor will be able to prescribe you the best solutions based on your condition and symptoms.

Muscle pain is common to both men and women irrespective of their age. People usually resort to painkillers in order to receive temporary relief, but taking too much of these can affect your health adversely. Ayurveda provides effective ways to heal muscle pain.

The following few ways to treat muscle pain can be taken into notice:

1. Regular exercise- Regular exercise can help you treat muscle pain. Yoga can prove to be very helpful. You may try lotus pose, cobra pose, boat pose among many others to get relief from muscle pain.

2. Panchakarma- Panchakarma is a therapeutic treatment, which can help you heal your muscle pain. It includes five steps vamana, virechana, nasya, basti, raktamokshana, which will clean your body and mind from toxins and can also offer relief from pain.

3. Abhyanga-This process is suggested in ayurveda to offer relief from muscular pain. It involves applying oil all over your body followed by a warm bath.

4. Healthy diet- Having freshly cooked food and including green vegetables and spices like cumin, ginger, turmeric in your diet can help you to combat your problem of muscle pain.

5. Use of ice cubes- Applying ice cubes over the area of muscle pain can help you get some relief.

6. Foods to avoid- Avoiding food items like curd, sugar, refined cereal, rice, potato and sour food can help you to reduce muscle pain.

7. Ayurvedic Herbs- Ayurveda also offers many herbs, which can help you find relief from your muscle pain.

8. Obesity- Avoid gaining excess weight. Being overweight can increase muscle pain.

By following the aforesaid tips, you can heal your muscle pain naturally without any side effects. Or, you can also consult an Ayurveda practioner.

Dandruff is a condition where flakes of dead skin appear on the scalp, accompanied with itching. There are different types of dandruff you can suffer from. It be can yellow and sticky or white and flaky. It is a very common condition, which is often the result of exposure to styling products, chronic constipation, stress, fatigue or pollution. A chemical treatment can surely cure the condition but it can also harm your hair as well as have its fair share of side effects.

Here are a few ayurvedic treatments which you could try to treat dandruff:

1. Coconut oil and camphor: Mix a small portion of camphor with some coconut. Store it in a container and apply it to your scalp every night. The camphor will help cool your scalp, which will help reduce the dandruff.

2. Coconut and lemon: Lemon is a particular ingredient, which is used for many hair care remedies. Warm up the coconut oil, mix some lemon juice in it and apply it on your scalp. Leave it on for at least half an hour and then wash your hair with shampoo. Perform this remedy at least for two to three weeks.

3. Curd and gram flour: Take a small bowl of curd and mix two to three teaspoons of gram flour. Add half a spoon of lemon juice in the mixture before applying it on your scalp and leave it for half an hour. Curd and gram flour are considered to be the best cleansers to clean the scalp and one of the best remedies for dandruff.

4. Lemon and neem leaves: Take a few neem leaves and make a paste. Add only half of a lemon to the paste and apply the mixture to your scalp. Leave it on for half an hour before washing your hair with shampoo. Follow this for at least two to three weeks.

5. Hot oil massage: A hot oil massage not only gives you relaxation, but also helps a lot with dandruff. Heat up a small amount of oil and massage your scalp with it. The hot oil seeps deeper into the roots of hair.
These remedies not only clear your scalp of the dandruff, but they also make your hair soft, smooth and healthy. So go and try them out.