Thursday, April 14, 2005

Ayurveda definition

Ayurveda definition
Ayurveda is derived from 2 Sanskrit words namely "Ayus" and "Veda" meaning life and knowledge or science respectively. So the real meaning of the word Ayurveda is "The science of life".

According to Ayurveda life is combination of soul, body, mind and senses. So, in short we could say that Ayurveda is a field of medicine, which not only looks at physical, or body symptoms, but incorporates a comprehensive knowledge about mental, emotional and spiritual health.

The texts of Ayurveda were written between 4000 and 6000 BC. Before that it was passed from teacher to their pupil orally. According to Ayurveda, the five basic elements in nature are, space , air , fire , water , and earth . In our bodies, health is a state when these elements remain completely balanced. Conversely, imbalances lead to disharmony, which ultimately leads to disease.

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

Arthritis pain relief : Home Remedies for Arthritis

The word arthritis literally means joint inflammation, but it is often used to refer to a group of more than 100 rheumatic diseases that can cause pain, stiffness, and swelling in the joints. These diseases may affect not only the joints but also other parts of the body, including important supporting structures such as muscles, bones, tendons, and ligaments, as well as some internal organs.

Home Remedies for Arthritis Diet:

Fruits can be taken in the morning with milk and some nuts and seeds. Lunch may consist of steamed vegetables, bread and a glass of buttermilk. The dinner should usually consist of green vegetables, sprouts (alfalfa, fenugreek, mung or green lentils), bread and salad. Taking a glass of warm milk before bed is good. Cardamom and fennel can be boiled in this milk too.

Non-vegetarian foods, tea, coffee, chocolates, sodas, white flour and sugar products, white rice, chemical additives and strong spices should be excluded from the diet. Foods that increase vata should also be avoided. This includes very cold or chilled foods, dry foods, light and airy foods (cabbage, lettuce and raw vegetables). Cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, cucumber, green beans and mushrooms increase vata. Raw apples, dried fruits and any preserved foods also increase vata.

Home Remedies Arthritis

* Green lentil (mung) soup mixed with crushed garlic cloves is easily digested and can ease inflammation.
* The use of castor oil is very helpful in cleansing ama (toxin) and balancing vata. Take one tablespoon before bed, once or twice a week.
* Equal quantities of powdered fenugreek seeds, turmeric and ginger powder can be mixed together. One teaspoon can be taken in the morning and evening.

Exercise & Regimen for Arthritis:

Meditation and relaxation are other very beneficial activities. Try to concentrate on a certain object, and slowly increase the length of time meditated each day. Regularity of time, place and practice are very important for meditation. A suitable time is the twilight—dawn and dusk. A gentle head massage (with or without oil), some form of fragrant aromatherapy, and soft music also helps relaxation.

Tuesday, April 12, 2005

Ayurveda body type

Ayurveda body type
The human body is made up of a bone structure encased within various tissues, organs and muscles covered with skin. Food, water and air are needed to sustain the physical body. Channels and other body systems provide nutrients to the tissues and bones and also cleanses the body of toxins and wastes. Some of these body systems are the respiratory, circulatory, digestive, excretory, endocrinal and the nervous system.

Our body is an amazing structure. It has 206 bones, which are five times stronger than steel of equivalent weight. There are 639 muscles that can contract to one-third of their size for carrying out movements and activities. The skin is waterproof, bacteria-resistant and self-repairing. It also has around 3 million pores to help regulate body temperature.

Our brain contains around 15 billion nerve cells, and nerve impulses travel at speeds faster than 320 kilometers per hour. The lungs have over 300 million air sacs and a capacity to hold 5 liters of air. A person’s heart beats around 37 million times per year to pump blood continuously around the body. If you laid all the blood vessels end to end, the line would stretch more than 160,000 kilometers.

We tend to take our body for granted, but every day it performs colossal feats of engineering and production.