Dr. Mohammed Iqbal

When there is excessive acid build-up in your body, you experience a burning sensation in your chest. This condition is called acidity.  

You feel a burning sensation in your chest, your mouth tastes sour and your throat may feel sore during bouts of acidity.  An antacid can give you quick relief, but sometimes, you might feel like it isn’t working very well for you. Ayurveda may help you in this case. Ayurveda is safe, and it provides a natural way to heal acidity.

Here are some Ayurvedic remedies for acidity:

1. Bananas: The potassium in bananas is an excellent antidote to acidity. Eating a ripe banana can provide you relief from the discomforting symptoms of acidity.

2. Milk: The calcium in milk bars acid build-up and absorbs the extra acid produced. For best results, drink cold milk to ease your discomfort.

3. Mint leaves: Mint reduces acid production and cools the burning sensation in your stomach. Chop and boil some mint leaves; then drink the cooled solution for relief.

4. Tulsi: Tulsi boosts mucus production in the stomach and has antiulcer properties. To ease your discomfort, chew on 5-6 tulsi leaves.

5. Cardamom: Elaichi, or cardamom, is a multi-purpose remedy. It stimulates digestion, reduces stomach spasms, soothes the stomach lining and prevents excessive acid production. Just crush two pods of elaichi in boiling water and drink it for quick results.

6.  Cloves: Cloves boost saliva production, which helps in digestion and reducing the symptoms of acidity. For relieving acidity, just bite a piece of clove and keep it in your mouth. The oils released from the clove will reduce acidity within no time.

7. Aniseed: Aniseed cools the stomach lining, which reduces the burning sensation. Simply chewing a few aniseeds or saunf seeds, can bring about instant relief.

8. Cumin: Cumin stimulates saliva production, which aids in improving digestion and metabolism. You can eat cumin seeds, or boil them in water and then drink the solution for relief.

9. Ginger: Ginger improves digestion and helps absorb and assimilate essential nutrients better. It also protects your stomach from ulcers by boosting mucus secretion, which reduces the damage to the stomach lining caused by acid.

10. Amla: Also called the Indian gooseberry, amla has high amounts of vitamin Cin it, which helps in healing the agitated lining of the stomach and oesophagus. You can consume one teaspoon of gooseberry powder to prevent acidity. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Little or limited caffeine amount can definitely boost energy levels, but an excessive amount might lead to addiction, which is really quite a serious issue. This addiction cannot be kicked away with medications and rather you have to follow the natural ways. Practicing yoga asanas is one of the most improved solutions that can help you to get rid of acute or severe caffeine addiction and that too in a natural way without inviting any unhealthy side effects.

5 leading asanas that can help avoid caffeine addiction

1. Mayurasana: This asana is mainly well known as the Peacock pose. The pose is very much useful for maintaining digestive and circulatory functions. The hands should be clasped backside and you should bend your head towards your feet. Standing straight is needed and you have to take deep breaths at the time of holding back the concerned posture.
2. Chakrasana: This is nothing, but a wheel pose which helps in system detoxification and toxin release. Your thyroid and pituitary glands will get naturally stimulated as a result of this pose. Extending arms overhead by keeping feet together you can perform this pose. You should bend backwards with your face down towards the floor, and you have to use your palms for support.
3. Sarvangasana: This pose needs to be done by keeping your shoulders in support. Without using yoga mats, this pose cannot be performed comfortably. Parathyroid and thyroid glands are stimulated along with the normalization of different body functions. Relief from constipation and indigestion can be gained from this pose. Keeping your shoulders in support, the legs should be extended upwards at 90-degree angle. The shoulders should take your full body weight at the time of doing this asana.
4. Halasana: This plough pose can help in reducing lethargy, fatigue and stress. Your nervous system can be calmed down, and you will feel completely relaxed. Energy channels of your body can be easily opened up by practicing this asana regularly. In this case, legs should be bended at your hips so that the legs can be flat over the ground. You should keep your hands beside your body.
5. Nadi-sodhan Pranayama: if you have got accumulated stress, then nothing can be a better option other than doing this asana. Both body and mind get completely relaxed as a result of practicing this pose. In this case, breathing patterns or techniques can be corrected along with the balancing of the nadis. You have to get a proper guidance in order to perform it in a correct manner.

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

Kidney stones are formed in the body when mineral deposits in the kidneys tend to crystallize into stones. They may occur in any part of the urinary tract such as bladder, ureters and the urethra. This is a very painful condition, but not a life threatening one. However, in case the pain may become severe; then you may require surgery to treat this condition.

The symptoms of kidney stones are:

1. Passing urine may cause pain
2. You may have severe pain below the ribs
3. Passing of urine which may be colored
4. Vomiting and nausea
5. You may feel the need to urinate frequently
6. You may suffer from frequent chills and fever
7. The urine may be smelly and cloudy in its appearance and color

Ayurveda is a holistic method of treatment as it focusses on rooting out the cause of the disease while improving your overall wellbeing. The various “doshas” in the body need to be balanced in order to treat the disorder. The ayurvedic remedies for kidney stones are:

1. Diet: The first and the foremost remedy for kidney stones is rectifying your diet. You should eat nutritious and balanced meals to keep your body in optimal shape. Make sure you include lots of fruits and vegetables in your diet.
2. Exercise on a regular basis: It is advisable to exercise on a regular basis as it keeps your body healthy. Do cardio exercises to improve your blood circulation. You may include strength training in your workout to increase muscle mass, which will lead to fat loss.
3. Herbs: Consuming a mixture of honey and tulsi is a preventive measure for kidney stones. Drinking strained water after boiling radish seeds is another great remedy that is used to treat kidney stones.
4. Avoid junk food: Restrict consumption of junk foods as it can create an imbalance of the doshas in the body which may lead to various diseases. Replace junk foods with healthier choices such as nuts and seeds which provide essential nutrients to the body. Maintain a healthy meal routine at proper timings.

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

Alopecia areata is stated as a baldness disorder where there is hair loss due to a mistaken attack of the immune system on the hair follicles (the region where hair growth starts). The damage which the hair follicles face is not permanent. However, the reason why the immune system attacks the hair follicles is still unknown. Although this problem is commonly seen in people below the age of 20, it may also be found in adults and children belonging to any age group. Men and women equally fall victim to this disorder.

Causes of Alopecia Areata-

It's yet not perfectly understood what causes alopecia areata. For some reason, follicles stop producing visible hair, resulting in smooth bald patches that can appear overnight. Researchers are trying to determine what triggers the disease, and whether it's from within the body or from environmental factors. There are no diagnostic tests available which can predict the onset and behavior of alopecia areata.

However, there may be some hereditary factors which play a role in hair loss, in about 20% of cases people with alopecia areata have a family member who are also affected. Below area few common factors which are known as a trigger for Alopecia areata.

• Genetic tendencies

• Environmental triggers

• Medicines

• Long illness

• Exposure to chemicals

• Nutritional deficiency

• Thyroid dysfunction

• Extreme Stress

• Vaccines

• Local skin disease

• Pregnancy

Ayurveda Management-

Increased hair fall in ayurveda is termed as khalitya and is classified under shiroroga.

Romakupagata / keshamulagata vitiated pitta (bhrajaka pitta) along with vitiated vata leads to dis-lodgement or withering of the hair from the hair roots. Further to this, vitiated sleshma / kapha along with rakta will cover and causes obstruction to the hair root, which results in no further hair growth from that place.

A few ways of treatment to reduce hair fall and stimulate hair growth:

1. Pitta Pacification: This type of treatment is stated as an effective ayurvedic treatment to enhance the digestive system including pitta pacification dietary chart and pitta decreasing ayurvedic medication. This therapy removes toxins from the biological system through effective herbs.

2. Ayurvedic Oil Application: Jasminum grandifolium induced medicated herbal hair oil is highly effective for treating baldness.

3. Panchakarma Therapy: Panchakarma is defined as five (pancha) remedies (karma) which involve ayurvedic measures to cleanse the body. This therapy is generally seen as a supplement to the whole therapy needed for treating alopecia. Specific suggestions of Panchakarma therapy are shirodhara (head massage with medicated oil) and Ksheera vasthi, which includes medicated enema (injecting liquid or gas into the rectum, to take out the harmful contents like toxins).

4. Nasya: This therapy is characterized by the ayurvedic intake of medication through your nasal cavity which then eliminates the impurities from there. It is a very effective therapy for treating the signs of alopecia.

5. Ayurvedic Diet: Ayurvedic diet is considered an essential treatment method for alopecia. Certain food products must be included or increased in the diet. These include:

   • Food with astringent properties (making skin less oily and reducing bleeding from minor abrasions), sweet and bitter.

   • Lentils, leafy green vegetables and pulses.

   • Herbal tea like liquorice tea and peppermint tea.

   • Seeds and nuts like soaked almond, sesame seed and sunflower seed.

   • Egg white, turkey, chicken, and fish.

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

Obesity not only looks bad, it is the starting point of major life threatening diseases today. People who are obese or who are overweight try out desperately all kinds of weight loss programs and are willing to pay any price to lose that extra weight. All kinds of diets and trainers have mushroomed promising the moon and in course making money at their will. In Ayurveda, this problem and its solution was diagnosed centuries ago. In the past decade, the popularity of Ayurvedic products have seen a resurgence. Ayurveda recommends Bottle Gourd as an excellent source for weight loss and hence, a perfect solution for obesity. Most of us are not aware of the fact that a bottle gourd juice is a healthy daily tonic and can work wonders for our health.

Bottle gourd juice is extremely effective for those who want to lose weight. Bottle gourd is commonly known as ghia, lauki, dudhi and soorakaya, in addition to other names. One just needs to do is peel off the skin of a fresh bottle gourd, chop it into little pieces, put it in a juicer and prepare the juice. One must include this juice regularly in breakfast to reduce weight. Since this juice is full of vitamins, potassium and iron, it is extremely nutritious. This juice is known to curb one’s appetite if one can manage to drink it in the morning on an empty stomach.

Those who detest the juice form, they can eat raw bottle gourd or peeling the skin of a fresh bottle gourd and cutting it into little pieces to eat as part of salad. This is also a healthy option which could lead to weight-loss. Bottle gourd is one of the best foods you can have if you want to lose weight as it contains 96% water, and a 100g serving contains as little as 15 calories. The high fibre content will take care of one’s hunger pangs thus, preventing one from over eating. Its juice can work as a wonderful snack replacement. The bottle gourd as well as its juice is a powerful fat burner as it has rich fibre content, water, vitamins (especially B complex and C), potassium, iron, and sodium. It’s fibre content is an effective appetite suppressant that allows easy control of food consumption.

While preparing the juice of a bottle gourd, one should not strain with a sieve as the fiber is the key to weight loss. One cannot expect to melt all your fat by just drinking bottle gourd and it has to be coupled with a low calorie diet and adequate exercise. One must have the bottle gourd juice as a first thing in the morning as it is a great way to detox one’s body. It is low in calories and fat and rich in antioxidants, which make it a great supplement to weight loss. So what are you waiting for? Just include the bottle gourd juice in your regular breakfast today and lose weight in an effective stress free manner.

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

Pickles are considered divisive foods and different people are always at varying ends of their pickle-enjoyment spectrum. While most people love them, some do not love them at all. But regardless of whether you like them or not, you should include them in your daily diet to receive a wide range of health benefits. Most people are intimidated by the thought of having pickle shots, but they will not just zing up your taste buds, but also offer a host of benefits for your health.

Why should you have pickle shots?

1. Have quite a few nutrients: There are tons of benefits of drinking pickle shots which includes relieving muscle cramps and help you stay hydrated during workout sessions. Pickle shots can inhibit electrically induced muscle cramps and the sodium and potassium content work as the electrolytes that you lose while sweating. The calcium chloride and potassium present in pickle shots is readily absorbed by the body which makes it an absolute necessity for athletes and fitness freaks. Moreover, it is free of fats which makes it an essential replacement of sugar-loaded sports drinks. If you are a regular sufferer of PMS, it will help you in easing salt carvings. But since pickle shots contain vinegar, it is quite acidic, and thus you should avoid taking them on empty stomach.
2. Rich in antioxidants: Pickle shots are rich in antioxidants which can combat cancer-causing free radicals. This is especially true in case of cucumber pickle shots which is rich in Vitamin A and E. The antioxidants not just help in preventing free-radical damage, but the nutrients are better absorbed by the body owing to the acidic nature of the pickle shots.
3. Improves gut health: Moreover, pickle is a form of fermented food which proves to be effective for the digestive system and improves gut health. Vinegar helps in relieving bad breath, and thus, you can have pickle shots to freshen up breath.
4. Controls blood sugar: Last but not the least, pickle shots can help in controlling blood sugar. If you have type 2 diabetes, then pickle shots can regulate blood sugar levels after a meal.

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