MALE HEALTH

In the modern era, men go through various competitions at work place which put a man into undue stressed state of mind and makes health very poor. Moreover, diet is not properly balanced these days. It adversely affects the general health as well as the sexual health. Men suffer with many sex problems. But is they follow healthy diet and lifestyle, significant improvement can be seen in general and sexual health as well.

• Eat a healthy diet which includes high protein content, eggs, fish, ghee, butter, soya bean, green vegetables, all kinds of fruits, almonds and hand full of dry fruits. 
• If you have high cholesterol, then avoid cashew nuts.
• Quit smoking. 
• Avoid excess alcohol consumption.
• Limit the amount fat in your diet.
• Herbs like kaunch beej (mucuna pruriens), shatavar (Asparagus racemosus), ashawgandha (withania somnifera), safed musli (chlorophytum borivilianum) are beneficial to improve male sexual health. 
• Do regular physical exercise.
• Avoid drug addiction.
• Reduce weight, if you are obese.
• In this competitive era, get sufficient rest.
•  Take adequate sleep in night specifically between 10 pm to 2 am as it is the best when our body heals itself.
•  Modify your approach towards stress. Try to reduce the tendency of mind for stress.
• Develop positivity in your approach. 
• To avoid stress, follow relaxation techniques like meditation.
• Yogic asanas like Surya namaskaar (Sun salutation), Vajrasana (Diamond pose), yoga mudra, Tolangulasana (scale pose), Halaasana (Plough Pose), The Lotus Pose (Padmasana), Dhanurasana (bow pose), Khandasana (The Knotted Root Pose), Bhujanga asana (Cobra pose) are very beneficial to improve male sexual health as it improves the blood circulation in genitals. 
• Pranayama like deep breathing, anuloma viloma, bhastrika, brahmari (humming bee), kapalbhati (shining skull) are beneficial.  

RENAL STONE

It is mostly seen that there is recurrence of kidney stones. But if we make dietary and lifestyle changes, we can avoid the risk of developing stones further.

• Drink plenty of liquids like plain water, juice, soup, lime water etc. Drink more water if you are perspiring heavily, working outdoors or weather is hot.
• It is advised to have 5-6 glasses of water early morning and go for exercise. This will help to dislodge the stone and it will be flushed out along with the flow of urine. 
• Specifically in case of ureteric stones, consume 2 glasses of water at bed time. It will create a urine pressure in morning. Thus, pushes the calculi out.
• Take kulthi dal in diet.          
• Reduce the intake of food items like black pepper (kali mirch), cheese, cabbage, cauliflower, coca, cola drinks, coffee, grapes, apples, milk, oranges, pine apples, spinach, tea and yogurt.   
• If you have acidity in urine, then avoid meat, poultry products and fish.
• Avoid the medication like antacids having calcium base.
• Avoid sedentary lifestyle. 
• Avoid exposure to extreme temperatures and dehydrating conditions.
• Avoid sedentary lifestyle.
• Increase the use of barley, horse gram (a type of bean), ginger and brown rice or parboiled rice.
• Increase foods which will help to dissolve the kidney stones such as kidney beans, pomegranates, watermelon, celery and rice.
• Do not suppress urges to urinate and defecate.
• Pass urine after each prime meal. This will increase the working efficacy of the kidneys by lessening the chances of the accumulation of toxins.
• Lose extra weight. Being overweight increases your risk of stones.
• Moderate consumption of oxalate rich foods is advisable. Avoid the food with large oxalate content as it is found in dark-green leafy vegetables such as beet greens, spinach, soy nuts, tofu, soy yogurt, soy milk, beets and sweet potatoes. It may help prevent calcium oxalate stones from forming.
• Yogic asanas like bhujangasana (cobra pose), dhanurasana (bow pose), pawan  mukta asana (wind releasing pose), halaasana (Plough Pose), Raised feet pose (uttanpadasana), ustrasana (camel pose) are beneficial. Yoga poses involves significant stretching or compressing of abdominal region including the area on the sides of abdomen. This improves circulation and may even help to physically dislodge some stones in the kidneys.
• Follow reclined mountain pose. During the inhale or exhale move abdomen significantly. These heavy movements of abdomen will cause the dislodgement of the stone from its place.
• Pranayama like Bhastrika and  Kapalbhati (Shining Skull) are helpful to dislodge the small kidney stones.

WHEAT ALLERGY

The key to an allergy free diet is to avoid giving your child the foods or products containing the food to which he/she is allergic. Wheat allergy is an abnormal response of our body to the protein (gluten) found in wheat. So, we should avoid all food items that contain wheat and its products. Thus, it is really very important to read the food labels first before consuming any food stuff.

• Preferably, consume light foods in diet preferably which are easy to digest.
• Prepare the food with non-wheat flours such as amaranth flour (rajgira atta), rice flour , soy flour or millet flour (bajra)
• Use pasta made from rice, kasha (Buckwheat), millet (bajra) or potato. 
• Snacks can be taken as plain baked corn chips, rice cakes and oats pretzels. 
• Go for breakfast cereal such as oatmeal, puffed rice, corn flakes, puffed millet or rice bran without using any wheat product.
• Enjoy plain, fresh or frozen vegetables, fruits, meat and meat alternatives.
• Avoid processed or packaged food as long as possible. The more a food is processed, higher the chance that wheat may be used. 
• Milk, buttermilk, yogurt, cheese and dairy products can be taken 
• If non-vegetarian, Eggs prepared any way without wheat products can be consumed.
• Pomegranate juice is best to replenish the nutrients in blood.
• You can go for fasting occasionally.
• Unripe banana can be used as a vegetable.
• One can consume papaya also.
• Apart from this, we can add certain herbs in daily diet to boost our digestive power and enhance the power of weak intestine.
• Sprinkle trikatu {the powder of sonth (dry ginger), marich (black pepper), pippali (piper longum)}, sendha namak (rock salt), saunchar lavana (black salt) in prepared dishes of vegetables, pulses, yogurt, raita and other food items.
• Fresh green herb coriander (dhaniya) can be used in the form of chutney. It adds taste to tongue.
• Sonth (dry ginger), Pippali (piper longum), bijora nimbu (lemon), palash beej (Butea monosperma) are good herbs for improving digestive power.
• Make the decoction of Chavya (Piper retrofractum), chitrakmool (Plumbago zeylanica), trikatu and dhaniya till it remains ¼. Filter this decoction and take this water whenever you feel thirsty. Moreover, you can also use it for preparing food. 
• Sprinkle trikatu in takra (buttermilk, made by mixing yogurt and water).
• Herbs like Haritaki (Terminalia chebula), guduchi (tinospora cordifolia)), jamun (Syzygium cumini), lavang (Syzygium aromaticum) are beneficial.

WEIGHT LOSS

It is very important to shed extra kilos on your body. It makes you look fat and destroys your overall personality. If we follow simple dietary and lifestyle modifications, we can loose weight and look slimmer.

• Go for healthy food items; keep in mind the calorie needs of the family and the energy expenditure also.
• Too much dieting. People think that skipping meals and limiting the food choices will help you to shed extra kilos. But, this is an unhealthy approach to weight loss and may limit nutritional intake resulting in a nutrient deficiency when used long-term.
• Balanced diet. We should take balanced diet which can give all nutrients required by body.
• Low fat, low carbohydrates and high proteins may help.
• Consume excess fiber. Take plenty of salad and fresh vegetables in diet as it will help to remove excess lipids in blood.
• Take plenty of water as it will help to remove excess toxins from the body. By keeping yourself well hydrated you'll feel hungry less as well as getting a clearer complexion and shinier hair.
• Adding a regular exercise component to your overweight diet plan improves your chances of long-term weight loss success. You only lose weight by burning more calories than you consume on a daily basis.
• There are many foods out there that are proved to help you to lose weight such as chilli, green tea, berries and whole grains can do various things to help you to drop the pounds by avoiding insulin spikes and keeping your metabolic rate going.
• Consume things that have no calories. Only two things do not have calories- fiber and water. We can consume them excessively which will satisfy our appetite.
• Be active. Make personal and family time active. 
• Reduce the time taken for watching T.V or computer games. Get involved in more physical activity.
• Do exercises as your personal fitness allows. 
• Behavioral techniques may be useful in conjunction with diet and exercise programs to improve long-term weight loss. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a classic example which encourages you to change these behaviors and take responsibility for your lifestyle changes.
• Reduce stress as it encourages eating more in many people.
• Surya namaskaar (Sun salutation), Sarvangasana (shoulder stand), Vajraasana (Diamond pose), Shavasana (corpse pose) are good for loosing extra kilos of the body. These asanas enhances metabolism by activating liver.
• Kapalbhati (Shining Skull), Anulom-vilom (Alternate Nostril Breathing), Deep Breathing, Bhastrika are good for loosing weight as they boost metabolic fire.
• One can sprinkle trikatu powder on the food to be consumed. It significantly boosts the metabolism in the body. So, it is very effective in losing weight and lowering cholesterol also.
• Amla (Indian gooseberry), Haritaki (Myrobalan), Bilva (Aegle marmelos), Vibhitaka (Teminalia belerica), guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia) are efficient herbs.

WEIGHT GAIN

Many factors like genetics, metabolism and nutritional intake impact our body weight. Some people tend to gain weight  soon and few gain weight very slowly as they have metabolism that do not allow too much of our energy to be stored in the form of glucose or fat. Skinny people have two options - either gain weight by munching on unhealthy foods like fries, chips and other junk or gain weight by eating healthy meals. According to experts, gradual weight gain is always advisable. If they follow some dietary and lifestyle modifications, they will gain weight slowly.

• To gain weight, eat food with extremely high caloric value. 
• Try to increase your food intake without consuming too much fat and sugar. 
• Never skip breakfast at any cost.
• Eat late breakfast and watch late night TV. Sleep for no more than 6 hours per night.
• You can add one extra chapatti or more rice than you normally take. Eat an extra fruit daily.
• Enjoy dinner late in night. Having healthy snacks at bedtime may help to gain weight. 
• Relax after having meal. 
• Eat frequently. Eat five or more meals a day. 
• Chew the food thoroughly to improve digestion. Avoid excessive intake of coffee or tea immediately after consuming meals as they hinders absorption of minerals like iron.
• Eat foods that are fresh, organic and whole. Avoid foods that are too hot and spicy (such as food spiced with chillies, cayenne and black mustard seeds. 
• Avoid ice cold food items like ice cream, iced drinks, cold and heavy desserts.
• Include the right amount of proteins to your diet. Eggs, fish, pulses, sprouts and dairy products will give you enough protein necessary to build your muscles. 
• Carbohydrates are needed to gain weight but include healthier options like banana, potato, mango, whole grains and rice instead of sugar-rich foods, chocolates and other junk foods.
• Do regular exercise. It will help you gain weight by building up your muscles. Exercise can stimulate your appetite.
• Eat late breakfast and watch late night TV. Sleep for no more than 6 hours per night.
• Shav asana (Corpse pose), Vajra Asana (Diamond pose), Sarvang asana (Shoulder stand), Pavan Mukta Asana (Wind releasing pose), Sirsasana (Head stand) are very good yoga postures to help gain weight.
• Pranayama like Kapalbhati, Deep Breathing, Anuloma Viloma (Alternate Nostril Breathing), Bhastrika are good for gaining weight.

STRESS

Since stress diminishes the immunity (ojas) of the body, healthy diet and lifestyle are required to counter act the depletion of nutrients. Few tips are given below -

• Reduce rajasic and tamasic food from the diet and increase the intake of sattvic food items.
• Minimize the intake of high protein animal foods as this increases the level of dopamine which is associated with higher levels of stress.
• Avoid excess intake of tea or coffee.
• Avoid frozen, preserved or leftover foods as it is tamasic in nature.
• Whole grain cereals like wheat should be consumed as it promotes the production of brain neurotransmitter serotonin.
• Prefer vegetables like carrots, cucumber as they produce cooling effect.
• Consume amla (Indian gooseberry) or giloy as they are very good immunity enhancing herbs.
• Consume cow-milk and cow-ghee as it is very good.
• Consume fruits like coconut, coconut water, pine apple, banana, oranges, pomegranate and anjeer.
• Various medhya (boosting memory) herbs like jyotishmati, shankhpuspi, vacha and mandook parni mentioned in ancient texts should be consumed.
• Aswagandha is very good herb for stress. Its powder can be used daily with milk to boost the body to fight stress.
• Go for full body massage as it really relieves the physical stress.
• Morning walk should be done daily.
• Apply sheetal lepa (cold coating) of sandalwood powder over the head just to cool the temperament. 
• Follow the achaar rasayana (proper code of conduct) as it will prevent the unnecessary worries.
• One can opt for shirodhara as it will definitely calm down the mind.
• Follow yogic asanas (shavasana), pranayama or meditation as it relaxes the mind.

SKIN GLOW

Tanning occurs skin color is darkened. Commonly, it appears as fairly small spots, known as age spots which can be caused by sun exposure over a long period of time. If we consume healthy diet and lifestyle, we can strengthen our skin against the harmful effects of sun or chemicals so it remains glowing forever.

• Consume diet consists of fresh organic fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
• Include foods that have cooling effect on our body such as green vegetables, tender coconut, cucumber, basmati rice and dhaniya (coriander). 
• Ghritkumari  (aloe vera) juice is a cooling bitter tonic for removing excess pitta (fire element) from the body.
• Drink plenty of water. 
• Avoid extra spices, chili peppers, oily and fried foods as it can aggravate pitta. 
• Limit alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine.
• Keep your colon clean. Take 1 teaspoon of Triphla (Powder prepared by mixing harar, bahera and amla in equal proportions) with honey or warm water, before bedtime. It acts as a good laxative.
• Cleanse your skin twice daily - In the morning and before bed also with a gentle cleanser. Do not scrub too hard as it can lead to an over-production of oil. 
• Saunf (fennel), kushmand (white gourd melon), anaar (pomegranate), gajar (carrot), chukander (Beetroot.), aloe vera, cucumber, tomato are good for skin. 
• Neem (Azadirachta indica), bilva (Aegle marmelos), Manjistha (Rubia cordifolia) and Chirata (Swertia chirata) are good for skin.
• Exercise regularly. Do not to exercise during the pitta time of day (10am-2pm), especially in summer. 
• Limit sun exposure. Try moon bathing to cool pitta's intense fire. 
• Avoid hostile environments. Surround yourself with nice people who love you. 
• Avoid anger and criticism.
• Take adequate sleep. 
• Morning walk should be done.
• Develop peace, patience and tolerance to bring more joy into your life as it helps cool your temperament.
• Asanas like pawan muktasana (wind releasing pose), Matsyasana (fish pose), Sirsasana (head stand) enhances circulation to face, remove toxins and imparts flawless glowing skin.
• Pranayama like deep breathing, kapalbhati (shining skull), anuloma-viloma (alternate nostril breath), shitali pranayama and sitkari pranayama are beneficial.
• Do meditation regularly as it calms the mind and remove stress.

MIGRAINE

Migraine is a headache that tends to re-occur and is accompanied by a feeling of nausea. The pain is usually felt on the unilateral side of head. According to Ayurveda, it occurs due to aggravated pitta (fire element). It is most of the time triggered by stress. We should adopt little modifications in diet and lifestyle to balance pitta dosha and avoid stress.

• Every person has its own trigger for migraine. So avoid the food items like chocolates, tea, coffee, cola drinks, red wine vinegar which can induce headache.
• Never skip meals. Always try to eat at regular intervals.
• Do not ignore your breakfast as it is very important meal of the day.
• Avoid too much fasting since it can stimulate your body to release stress hormones.
• Consume balanced meal providing all nutrients. Do not take more carbohydrates at a single meal. 
• Include fresh fruits, salads and leafy vegetables in diet daily.
• Consume around 10-15 glasses of water daily.
• Avoid sharp flavored spices. Prefer to eat bland and light food items.
• Add fresh root ginger to your food.
• Increase the intake of vitamin B6 and niacin in diet as B vitamins help to check stress headaches.
• Fresh garlic cloves when eaten in a salad helps clear headaches.
• Maintain a proper schedule. Do not take too much of stress.
• Avoid sleep disturbances like frequent awakening, poor quality of sleep and too much sleep as it can significantly contribute to migraine.
• Distribute your work evenly during the day just to avoid the peaks and lows of stress.
• Avoid the excessive exposure to sun, strong smells, noisy surroundings, bright light, medications like painkillers, sedatives as it can induce migraine headaches.
• Asanas like sun salutations (surya namaskar), Warrior pose (Veerasana), Shavasana (corpse pose), Vajrasana (Diamond pose), Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half Spinal Twist) are quite beneficial.
• Anulom-vilom (Alternate Nostril Breathing), Deep Breathing, Kapalbhati (Shining Skull), Shitali Pranayama, Sitkari pranayama are good to energise the body and mind.
• Meditation is best to avoid stress.
• Herbs like vacha (acorus calamus), shankhpushpi (Convolvulus pluricaulis), brahmi (Bacopa monnieri), jyotishmati (Celastrus paniculatus) are good for strengthening mind.

PILES

According to Ayurveda, Piles are known as “Arsha “.Piles is dilated blood vessels in the rectal mucosa and around the anus. Life is too busy these days. We are not able to follow healthy diet and lifestyle. Vey often, we suppress the urges to defecate which leads to piles. Since piles is a lifestyle disorder, if we follow proper diet and lifestyle, we can avoid piles.

• Consume meals at regular intervals.
• Increase your water intake. Drink lots of water to help keep stools soft.
• Matha (buttermilk a drink prepared by mixing yogurt and water with little salt) is best to consume. 
• Consume boiled water after cooling or you can add herb kantkari (Solanum Xanthocarpum) to water when boiled.
• Sendhva lavana (rock salt) is better.
• Sathi rice, wheat, yava (barley), amla (Indian gooseberry), lauki (bottle gourd)
• Fruits like papaya, grapes and apple are good.
• Increase the intake of fiber. Add salads like cucumber, carrots, radish in diet as it adds bulk to stool and check constipation.
• Avoid tea, coffee and aerated drinks.
• Avoid processed foods, tinned food or packaged food items as they contain preservatives. 
• Do not consume refined flours (maida).
• Avoid oily, extra spicy and fried food items.
• Moderately consume alcohol. Too much alcohol is aggravates piles. 
• Quit smoking.
• Never suppress the urge to defecate.
• Make a habit to pass bowels at regular time in morning.
• Never try to strain while in toilet. Don’t sit on the toilet for longer duration.
• Do not take extra stress as it definitely affects the bowel habit.
• Reduce the weight if you are obese.
• Herbs like sonth (dry ginger), dhaniya (coriander), Kutaj (Holarrhena Antidysenterica), Rasont (Berberis aristata) are beneficial herbs.
• Consume light (easy to digest) food items. Foods like Moong (green gram), rice, chapatti, jawar (Sorghum), green vegetables, whole grains can be used on large quantity.
• Butter, milk and rice are one of the best diets for the patient of piles as it helps to keep the GIT smooth and the stools soft.
• Take warm baths. 
• Consume desi ghee also as it smoothens the tract.
• If you are constipated, then Haritaki, Triphala(powder that contains harar , bahera and amla in equal quantites) mixture and Isabgol can be taken at night before bedtime. 
• Go for regular exercises as it helps to keep bowel movements regular.
• Yogic asanas like Pawan Mukta Asana (Wind releasing pose), Gomukhasana (Cow face pose), Vajrasana (Diamond pose), Siddhasana, Uttanapadasana (Raised feet pose), Tadasana or Mountain Pose are good.
• Mool bandha is best. It is a posture that helps kindles gastric fire and eliminates constipation.
• Pranayama like nadi shodhan pranayama (Anuloma Viloma), Shitali Pranayama, Ujjayi Pranayama, Bhastrika, Kapalbhati (Shining Skull) are good for piles.

LIVER CARE

According to Ayurveda, the liver is considered a fire or pitta organ, since it is essential to digestion. Liver is the main site of metabolism. Healthy liver leads to good health of the person. We should adopt little modification in our diet and lifestyle to maintain the health of liver.

• Avoid excessive consumption of fat. A healthy diet and exercise helps the liver to perform vital functions smoothly. Excess fat in the diet unnecessarily burden the liver.
• Avoid consuming excess salt in diet as this may cause fluid retention in the body.
• Don’t consume excess proteins as the diseased liver would not be able to digest the proteins well.
• Too much spicy foods and oily foods are best to be avoided.
• Consume excess of carbohydrates and glucose drinks which can provide instant energy to the body and will help in recovery also.
• Avoid drinking alcohol. It is highly toxic to the liver. It is the main cause cirrhosis. Caution on the consumption of alcohol should be made to measure or even be preferable to avoid fully.
• Quit smoking.
• Avoid junk foods, scanned foods or street foods as they are not hygienically processed.
• Do not consume non-vegetarian diet in excess quantities as it is heavy to digest.
• Consume light food like khichdi etc.
• Foods like palak, lauki, mooli, kach papita, kacha kela, anaar, munkka, cow milk and cow ghee. 
• Old rice, yava (Barley), wheat, sugarcane are recommended.
• Lentils like moong, arhar, masoorare good.
• Herbs like punanava (Boerhavia Diffusa), kushmand (White gourd melon), dhaniya(coriander),a  guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), amla (Indian gooseberry), harar (Myrobalan), bahera (Terminalio belerica), mulhethi (Sweet liquorice) are good for liver.
• One can consume trifla decoction, guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia) swarasa, juice of neem leaves or chaal early morning.
• Avoid taking drugs which can be harmful to liver. Some drugs such as cocaine, cause damage liver.
• Avoid the high dose of vitamin A, E and K as they may put an extra burden on the liver.
• Everyone should go for vaccine against hepatitis B. Hepatitis B can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. The vaccine against hepatitis B protects against the disease. Human’s greater risk of hepatitis such as professionals in the health sector and others must not fail to vaccinate.
• Many drugs may be toxic to the liver. So, they should not be taken without the advice of a doctor. 
• Proper rest 
• Proper hygiene should be maintained.
• Use filtered or boiled water
• One can consume nutritional supplements to benefit the liver.
• Be careful what you breathe in and what affixed to your skin. Today we use all sorts of sprays for various reasons. When used to spray insecticides, antimicrobials particularly those against fungi or paint, it is necessary to follow the manufacturer's instructions. 
• Obesity causes fatty liver. The fatty liver (storage fat within the liver cells) is a pathological condition observed initially and alcoholism. 
• The infections of liver usually spread by the contact of the blood or body fluids. One should take extra care while injecting medicines, IV fluids and blood transfusion. Try to avoid used blades and toothbrushes. Prefer using own.
• Asanas like Surya namakaar (Sun salutation), Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand), Vajrasana (Diamond pose), Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half Spinal Twist), Shalabhasana (Locust Pose), Bhujangasana (cobra pose), Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana), Bitilasana (Cow Pose) are good for liver.
• Pranayama like Kapalbhati (Shining Skull), Bhastrika, Bahya pranayama (External breath), Agnisaar kriya, Deep Breathing are good for liver care.

KIDNEY CARE

Kidneys are the main excretory organ of the body. They filter the blood and remove the wastes from the body. We should go for dew diet and lifestyle modifications to improve the functions of kidney.

• Drink a lot of fluids, including water. Preferably go for filtered or boiled water. 
• Start the day by consuming filtered or boiled water with a squeeze of lemon juice as it can aid  in digestion and beneficial for kidneys too. 
• Consume cranberry juice or blueberry juice. 
• Drink plenty of fresh sweet or sour fruit juices (pineapple, orange, apples, lime, grapes, watermelons, papayas, bananas, pomegranates). Carrot, wheat grass, celery juices mixed with water and lemon juice are recommended as well.
• Avoid meat, sugar, sweetened food, dairy products and processed food with added chemicals.
• Do not use salt in excess quantities as it can lead to water retention and harmful for kidneys.
• Avoid polyunsaturated oils, soft drinks, coffee, alcohol, tea (unless herbal tea) and nicotine. Alcohol, coffee and tea dehydrate the body which has an adverse effect on the kidneys.
• Consume foods rich in oxalate like spinach, strawberry, nuts and wheat bran, in moderate quantities as it can pose high risk for stone formation. 
• Vegetables like kidney beans (soaked), garlic, potatoes, asparagus, cucumbers, pumpkin, soy beans, sprouts, legumes and green vegetables.
• Consume the fresh food as it contain low amount of toxins. Avoid the other food with high amount of toxins as it enhances the workload over kidney to remove them.
• Trikatu (sonth, marich and pippali) is a great combination of herbs, which bears good effect on kidney.
• Consuming shilajit possesses good effect on kidney.
• Cow milk, coconut, watermelon, amla (Indian gooseberry), mishri (raw sugar lumps), khajur (dates), guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia) are beneficial for kidneys.
• Yogic poses like surya namaskaar (Sun salutation), Dragon pose, Wheel pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana), Paripurna Navasana (Full boat pose), Shalabh Asana (locust pose) are good for improving the functions of kidney.
• Pranayamas like kapalbhati (Shining Skull), Nadi shodhna pranayama, Bahya pranayama (External breath), Bhastrika, Agnisaar kriya are good for kidney.
• Do not suppress urge to urinate as it can increase the chances of urinary infection.
• Empty the bladder before sleeping at night and immediately after wakening up.
• Maintain personnel hygiene. Keep the genitals clean and dry.
• Females should not use soap to wash genitals as it can disturb the pH of vagina. Moreover, women should take extra care of genitals as the urethra is short and harmful bacteria can easily travel up to the urinary bladder to cause infections.
• Do not medicines on your own, consult your doctor. As many medicines are harmful for kidneys.

HYPOTHYROIDISM

Hypothyroidism is a condition in which your thyroid gland doesn't produce enough of the hormones responsible for controlling metabolism. Medication is given to fulfill the need of missing hormones but dietary and lifestyle modifications may also help to activate the thyroid gland. According to Ayurveda, it occurs due to vitiation of vata (air element) and kapha (water element), diet pacifying vata and kapha is advisable.

• Use iodized salt.
• Consume fewer calories but nutritious food.
• Avoid junk food and incompatible foods.
• Avoid excess oils or ghee in food.
• Vegetables like broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower may impair the function of thyroid gland and should be avoided.
• Increase the intake of anti oxidant food items as it improves the function of thyroid gland. Carrots, oranges and nuts are rich source of anti-oxidants and should be consumed.
• Protein rich foods like eggs, dairy products like cheese, milk are advised for weight maintenance with hypothyroidism.
• Go for nuts, whole grains and whole-wheat bread as they are rich source of naturally occurring B vitamins and zinc, helps to improve functions of thyroid gland. 
• Consume purified water for both cooking and drinking to reduce fluoride consumption as it fluoride impairs the functioning of thyroid gland. 
• Avoid skipping meals. 
• Hypothyroidism causes low metabolism. Frequent servings of food enhance the metabolism so it is recommended. 
• Ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi), chitrak (Plumbago zeylanica), pippali (long pepper), are good herbs for hypothyroidism.
• Do exercises regularly to burn extra fat .This will also increase the resting metabolism rate.
• Perform yogic asanas and pranayama regularly which will boost the inactive thyroid. The twisting, stretching, and compressing caused by the yoga poses for hypothyroidism help in providing the endocrine organs with a massage and also improve their functioning. Surya namaskaar, sirshasana, halasana, sarvanasana, paschimotanasana, dhaurasana, kapalbhati, anulom vilom, brahmri etc are very good for hypothyroidism.
• Morning walk should be done 
• Try to avoid the stress as much as possible. Lead a stress free life.
• Take adequate sleep.

HYPERTHYROIDISM

Thyroid gland helps to maintain healthy metabolism (The process by which foods are transformed into basic elements which can be utilized by the body for energy or growth). Hyperthyroidism is the medical term to describe the signs and symptoms associated with an over production of thyroid hormone. It can accelerate your body's metabolism. It simply means overactive thyroid gland. According to Ayurveda, it is caused by the vitiation of pitta (the fire element) and vata (the air element) in the body.

• Avoid food items which enhance the rate of metabolism like caffeine, tea, refined sugar.
• Restriction on iodine is also advisable.
• Add thyroid suppressing foods such as cauliflower, peaches, soybeans and broccoli.
• Eating small meals frequently is another way to continuously supply the body with nutrition that is being lost due to excessive metabolism.
• Consume foods rich in calcium and antioxidants.
• Include enough calcium every day to prevent osteoporosis as hyperthyroidism may contribute to thinning bones.
• Whole grains like millet and brown rice, nuts and seeds are rich sources of zinc, an important element necessary for the body functions that may be depleted due to hyperthyroidism.
• Consume high potency B- complex supplement daily to replace vitamins used up for enhanced metabolism.
• Perform yogic asanas and pranayama regularly which will normalizes the hyperactive active thyroid. The twisting, stretching, and compressing caused by the yoga poses help in providing the endocrine organs with a massage and also improve their functioning. Surya namaskaar, sirshasana, sarvanasana, paschimotanasana, dhaurasana, kapalbhati,  anulom vilom, brahmri etc are very good for hyperthyroidism.
• If it is associated with graves ophthalmopathy or dermopathy, then you can apply cool compresses to your eyes. Extra moisture provides relief. Wearing sunglasses helps protect your eyes from both sun and wind. Use eye drops to lubricate your eyes which will help to relieve dryness and scratchiness. 
• Harar (Myrobalan), pippali (long pepper), shatavari (asparagus racemosus), amla (Indian gooseberry) are good for hypothyroidism. 
• The herb kanchnaar (bauhinia variegate) can be soaked in water overnight and can be taken in the morning.
• Morning walk should be done 
• Try to avoid the stress as much as possible. Lead a stress free life.
• Take adequate sleep.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

High blood pressure is due to excess pitta (fire element) in the body. One should consume food items which have cooling effect on the body like aloe vera, amla (Indian gooseberry). If we make slight modifications in our lifestyle, we can maintain our blood pressure.

• Drink water in adequate quantities.
• Consuming herbs like ashwagandha (withania somnifera), amla (Indian gooseberry), arjun (Terminalia arjuna), ghrit kumari (aloe vera) are good for heart.
• You can use giloy (Tinospora cordifolia) also as it posses’ good effect on body. Put some giloy fresh sticks in water overnight, and then drink its water next morning.
• A vegetarian diet including- garlic, lemon, parsley, bitter gourd and drumstick is ideal for hypertension.
• Fresh fruits are very useful to combat high blood pressure. Grapes, banana, guava and watermelon are beneficial. 
• Avoid salt in excess quantities. Add rock salt in limited quantities also.
• Non-vegetarian foods like red meat and eggs should be completely avoided due to its high salt content.
• Avoid tea and coffee.
• Avoid the use of hydrogenated oils.
• Avoid excess of bitter gourd, capsicum, almonds and brinjal.
• Regular exercise which can be in the form of walking. 
• Sound sleep, proper sleep patterns and adequate rest are of very important..
• Avoid anger, anxiety, tension and shouting. 
• Avoid alcohol.
• Smoking should be totally avoided.
• Tadagasana (pond pose), Veerasana (warrior pose), Shavasana (corpse pose), Vajrasana (Diamond pose), Trikonasana (triangle pose) are good for heart and maintaining the blood pressure.
• Pranayamas like Ujjayi or (Psychic Breath), Anuloma Viloma (Alternate Nostril Breathing), Shitali Pranayama is beneficial in keeping the mind cool and relaxed. 
• Meditation is best and can do wonders.

HEART CARE

The heart, a pumping organ, is about the size of a clenched fist. Blood is pumped away from the heart through arteries and returns to the heart through veins. It is working whether we are awake or sleeping. It is our life. We should try our level best to keep the heart healthy.   A healthy diet and moderate activity is required for the healthy heart. One can follow slight dietary and lifestyle modifications for maintaining the health of heart.

• Practice good hygiene habits. Staying away from other people when they are sick and regularly washing your hands can not only prevent heart infections but also can help prevent viral or bacterial infections that can put stress on your heart if you already have heart disease.
• Consume low fat dairy product.
• Consume high fiber diet- Taking fiber daily cuts down the LDL (bad cholesterol) in the blood stream.
• If non vegetarian, then consume low fat meat and fish only. You should avoid meat as it is rich in trans fats. 
• Increase the amount of vegetables in the food because they do not have cholesterol with less fat or calories by nature.
• Various herbs like bark of arjuna tree (Terminalia arjuna), pippali churna (Long pepper), haritaki (myrobalan), amla (Indian gooseberry), giloy (Tinospora cordifolia) are good for heart.
• Fruits like banana, mango, pomegranate and radish should be taken.
• Eat nuts in required amount as they are rich source of anti-oxidants. You can avoid cashew nuts since they have cholesterol.
• Avoid potato chips, select a number of almonds or walnuts to have lower cholesterol munch. Avoid cashew nuts as they have high cholesterol.
• Keep your cholesterol in check. Go for regular blood tests.
• Sendhv lavan (rock salt) should be consumed.
• Add garlic and ginger to regular diet
• Lentils like Moong or kulthi are good.   
• Morning walk must be done.  
• Take deep breath in fresh air of early morning.
• Stop smoking. As smokers are nearly twice as likely to have a heart attack as people who have never smoked.
• Limit alcohol.
• Be active throughout the day. Physical activity keeps the heart healthy.
• Reduce stress in your life. One can go for meditation to achieve peace.
• Asanas like Tadagasana (pond pose), Shavasana (corpse pose), Vajrasana (Diamond pose) are good for heart. 
• Pranayamas like anulom-vilom (Alternate Nostril Breathing ), deep breathing, shitali pranayama, ujjayi or (Psychic Breath) are good and should be performed on regular basis.

HAIR LOSS

Hair forms a major part of our personality. Normally we shed 50 to 100 hairs daily. If there is significant loss of hair, it is emotionally painful. As age progresses, hair tend to be gradually thin. If we follow simple dietary and lifestyle changes, we can prevent hair loss, maintain healthy and lustrous hair.

• Consume a high protein and an iron rich diet. 
• Consume plenty of water as it help to flush toxins from the body, which results in healthy skin, hair and nails.
• Regularly consume an adequate amount of fresh fruits, green leafy vegetables and salads in diet. 
• Keep hair clean and dust free by regular washing. 
• Use a natural shampoo to clean the hair. Shikakai, aloe, reetha (soapnut) and amla (Indian gooseberry) are good in conditioning the hair. Shikakai softens hair.
• Avoid combing wet hair.
• Massage with oils at least three times a week. Certain medicated oils like bhringraaj oil, Kunthala kanthi oil and Kanjunnyadi oil are very useful. 
• Make a regular bowel movement daily.
• Do regular physical exercise as it is helpful in balancing the aggravated doshas. Physical activity also encourages better circulation including for your scalp
• Rub your scalp after washing the hair as it increases the blood circulation and activates the sebaceous glands.
• Get relieved from stress (most common cause of hair loss these days) as it causes significant hair loss. 
• Be sure to get enough sleep, the restorer of good health.
• To combat dryness in hairs, apply hair conditioners regularly.
• Herbs like harar (myrobalan), pomegranate, giloy (Tinospora cordifolia), ashwagandha (Winter cherry), amla (Indian gooseberry) are good for hairs.
• Herbs like khadir (acacia catechu) , mulhethi (liquorice) powder are good for washing hairs.
• Regular morning walk
• Dog pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana), Sirsaasana (Headstand pose), Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand), Camel pose (Ushtrasana), Vajrasana (Diamond pose) are good yogic asanas for promoting health of hair. 
• Perform Pranayama daily as it enhances blood circulation in body and benefits the hairs. Anulom-vilom (Alternate Nostril Breathing), Kapalbhati (Shining Skull), Udgeeth pranayama (Om chanting), Bhastrika are very helpful. 

FEMALE HEALTH

In today’s hectic daily life, women have dual life- personal and professional. And it gets difficult to manage many times. There is a lot of stress in mind. Consequently, health of female suffers. But one can follow healthy diet and lifestyles to maintain health.

• Eat a healthy diet which includes high protein content, eggs, fish, ghee, butter, soybean, green vegetables, fruits, almonds and other dry fruits. 
• Avoid drug addiction.
• Get sufficient rest and sleep.
• Reduce stress levels- stress can lower the odds of conception.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Follow relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation etc.
• Don't smoke. Smoking ages your ovaries and depletes eggs prematurely.
• Avoid strenuous physical work.
• Exposure to pollutants can affect your fertility. So, avoid toxic surroundings.
• Gokshur, ashwagandha, bala, bilva, nimb, punarnava, shatavari, vacha, atibala, pippali, harar, amla, chandan, anaar, trifla  are good for female health. 
• Consume milk regularly as it is rich source of calcium.
• Boil ashwagandha in water till it reduces to 1/4 th of its quantity. Then, add milk and again boil for sometime. Consuming this milk significantly boosts the female health. One can add a teaspoon of ghee also.
• Do regular physical exercise.
• Go for yogic asanas like lizard pose, pigeon pose, goddess pose, eagle pose as they are very good for promoting female sexual health.
• Pranayama should be practiced regularly as it fulfils the whole body with energy.
• Meditation can be done on regular mind just to keep the mind at peace.

ENHANCING DIGESTION

Digestion is the most important process as it helps to derive nutrients from the food we eat. If the digestion in the body is going on smoothly, we can enjoy a good health. In our day to day life, if we follow some dietary and lifestyle modifications, we can improve our digestion very well.

• Drink plenty of warm water to flush out the toxins from the body. 
• Consume high fiber diet.
• One can go for warm oil massage daily by applying gentle pressure over the abdominal area in clockwise manner. It improves digestion. 
• Take warm glass of water every morning with some honey and lemon in it. Follow with warm breakfast.
• Set your meal timings according to the biological clock. Take largest meal of the day between 12 noon to 2 p.m.
• Eat slowly. Do not eat in a rush. Take some time out to enjoy your meals.
• Take rest for sometime after finishing your meal.
• Chew the food properly.
• Consume dahi (yogurt) as it provides friendly bacteria to gut.
• Do not eat leftovers and foods which contain preservatives. 
• Avoid alcohol.  
• Do no watch TV, read or work while you’re eating. 
• Engage in light and pleasant conversation while you are eating to support good digestion.
• Last meal of the day should be light and consumed at least 2 hours before bedtime. 
• Drink a warm glass of milk before bedtime. Spice the milk according to your doshas (biological humours): Pittaj (fire element) should spice with nutmeg while cardamom is best for Vataj (air element). Kaphaj (water element) should spice with ginger.
• Avoid aspirin and other NSAIDs as they cause gastritis. If you want to take them, then consume on full stomach.
• In the morning, sleep on your left side as this position facilitates the movement of toxins and waste through our system.
• Try to go to bed by 10 p.m. So, our body can have rest during 10pm to 2 a.m. ( peak time of body’s internal cleansing )
• Sprinkle Trikatu powder (sonth, marich and pippali) on the food as it enhances digestion and lowers excess cholesterol too.
• Consume triphla (amla, harar and bahera) at bedtime as it works as very good laxative and expels toxins out of the body.
• Garlic, old petha (ash gourd), unripened banana, brinjal, neem should be taken. 
• Spices like kali mirch (black pepper), dhaniya (coriander), jeera (cumin), ajwain (carom seeds), methi powder (fenugreek) are beneficial in improving digestive system.
• Amla (Indian gooseberry), orange, lemon are good.
• Honey acts like a buffer in the body and is very useful for digestive system.
• Sip warm water throughout the day as it aids digestion. 
• Vajrasana (diamond pose), Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana), ardhmatseyendra asana (half spinal twist), pawanmuktasana (Wind releasing pose) are very helpful to boost digestive fire. They should be performed on regular basis.
• We should follow pranayamas like Agnisaar pranayama, Kapalbhati (Shining Skull), Surya Bhedan (Right Nostril Breathing), Bhastrika as they are helpful to cleanse all the toxins in the digestive system.

ANTI AGING

Lifestyle changes can not stop aging process, but turn back the biological clock and reverse aging on a cellular level. If we follow diet and lifestyle modifications we can surely delay the aging process and prolong our youth.

• Consume balanced diet.
• Consume fresh fruits and juices. For example - blueberries, raspberries, oranges contain anti-oxidants.
• Beans like soya beans and kidney beans are good source of proteins and helps counter the wear and tear of body tissues.
• Daily intake of amla (Indian gooseberry) and its products are good anti aging solution. Since it contains a lot of vitamin-C.
• Various spices clove, turmeric and ginger should be added to daily diet as they are good anti inflammatory and possess anti-oxidants.
• Consume pomegranate as it possesses anti-oxidants and neutralizes free radicals.
• Consume nuts as they are rich in essential minerals such as potassium, magnesium, iron, and selenium. It is advised that one should eat a handful of almonds, walnuts and cashews daily to delay aging.
• Consume tomatoes as they contain lycopene, an antioxidant compound that helps to maintain youthful skin texture and reduce the risk of cancer (especially prostate, lung, and stomach cancers) and heart disease.
• Consume many weekly servings of fish as they lower risk of Alzheimer's disease and stroke.
• Broccoli is dark green and antioxidant rich vegetable and should be consumed.
• Stay hydrated. Drink lots of water daily.
• Do exercises regularly. 
• Adopt the yogic asanas (poses) like sirshasana, sarvangasana, viparitakarani mudra are quite beneficial for revitalizing the body. 
• Pranayama (breathing exercises) like anulom-vilom, sitkari, sitali, brahmri, bhastrika are helpful energies the body. 
• Have a sound sleep.
• Wear sunscreen as sun exposure can damage your skin.
• Using warm water and gentle products are best for your skin. Avoid using products with harsh chemicals.

CONSTIPATION

Constipation is a condition that can cause the person suffering from it a lot of trauma. A constipation diet full of fiber and plenty of fluids may be all you need to stay regular. If we follow some dietary and lifestyle changes, it can help a lot to solve this problem. Constipation is a very common problem but, if it continues for three weeks or more, it should be treated well.

• Do not suppress the natural urge.
• Regularly evacuate bowels early morning daily.
• Avoid foods that cause irritation like spicy, bitter, dried fish, cold and astringent solids or liquids.
• Avoid over exertion.
• Don’t eat too less.
• Eat light foods in adequate quantities.
• Avoid injury.
• Get adequate sleep.
• Stay active. Follow some light exercises that enhance peristalsis. Regularly walk for 30 minutes daily.
• Never use strong purgative medicines. 
• Fluid intake like soups, warm water and fruit juices should be increased. 
• Warm milk with spoonful of ghee should be taken at night. 
• Fibrous food like leafy vegetables, lauki (bottle gourd), tinda (baby pumpkin) fruits like dry grapes, oranges and sweet lime should be included in our diet. 
• Take adequate quantities of water.
• Consume salads like cucumber, carrots, radish and papaya as it contains more fiber. 
• Avoid having excess of junk foods like burgers, pizzas, chips, bread and other processed or fermented food.
• Don’t rely on processed foods as they don’t have much fiber, 
• Don’t drink too much alcohol as it can dehydrate you and cause constipation.
• Take 1 teaspoon of castor oil in milk bedtime to relieve constipation.
• Triphala (contains harar (Chebulic myrobalan), bahera (Bellirica myrobalan) and Amla (Indian gooseberry) in equal quantities) is very good herbal laxative. Take 1 teaspoon of triphala with warm water or honey at bedtime.
• Don’t consume water immediately after consuming food.
• Perform regular yogic asanas like pawan mukta asana, surya namaskaar, halasana, vajrasana, bhujangasana are very beneficial. 
• Pranayama like bhastrika, bahya pranayama, agnisaar kriya are very good to relieve constipation.

HIGH CHOLESTEROL

High cholesterol in the body increases your risk of getting heart diseases. If you're already taking medications, these diet and lifestyle changes can also improve their cholesterol lowering effect.

• Consume high fiber diet. As fiber cuts down the bad cholesterol in the blood.
• Soluble fiber is also found in foods such as kidney beans, apples, pears, barley and oatmeal. 
• Consume low fat dairy products.
• Increase the amount of vegetables in the food because they do not have cholesterol with less fat or calories by nature.
• Consume a number of almonds or walnuts to have low cholesterol munch. 
• Avoid cashew nuts (kaju) as they have high cholesterol.
• Avoid potato chips. 
• Add garlic and ginger to regular diet.
• Choose whole-grain products like whole-wheat pasta, whole-wheat flour and brown rice.
• Consume fat-free yoghurt as it is rich in protein, calcium and lactobacillus microorganisms which can help to lower blood cholesterol levels.
• Consume fruits daily.
• Use sesame (til), mustard (sarson), olive, sunflower and soybean oil in cooking.
• Do not consume more than 2 cups coffee per day.
• Restrict use of coconut milk or fresh coconut.
• Walk daily for half an hour (min.5 days in a week).
• Quit smoking as it can improve your HDL cholesterol levels in the blood.
• Limit alcohol.
• Loose extra weight.
• Yogic asanas like sarvangasana, vajrasana, shalabhasana are quite beneficial to reduce cholesterol in the body.
• Yogic pranayama like kapalbhati, bhastrika and anulom vilom are good.

BOOSTING MEMORY

A strong memory depends on the health of your brain. Keep in mind that all cells in the body need nutrients for their growth and functions. This means your brain needs food which will provide building blocks required to work right. When we have more neurons and connections within brain, it means we have a stronger memory and our mind can work better. Certain foods and lifestyle habits can definitely help your memory improve and will allow you to think with better.

• Consume healthy fats, called omega-3 fatty acids which are found in flaxseed oil, canola oil, walnuts, wheat germ, eggs.
• Consume antioxidants rich diet like blueberries, broccoli, carrots, garlic, grapes, spinach, soy, tea, tomatoes and whole grains. It protects the brain cells from damage.
• Dairy products are good for health - milk, yogurt etc.  
• Seafoods, soy and eggs are best to boost the alertness. 
• Hydrate Your Brain: Water. You should drink at least four liters of water each day
• Fiber rich diet  -Foods that contain a good dose of fiber should be included in diet .For example -Dried fruits – apricots, dates, prunes, raisins, Vegetables – broccoli, green peas, spinach ,Nuts and seeds – almonds and flaxseed ,Whole fruit – avocadoes, kiwi, oranges, pears and skin-on apples ,Whole wheat grains – barley, brown rice, etc.
• Multivitamins can be added as a supplement.
• Drink green tea. Green tea contains powerful antioxidants which protect against free radicals that can damage brain cells. 
• Lycopene protects against free radical damage to cells which is found in the development of dementia, particularly Alzheimer's. It is found particularly in tomatoes.
• Sweet potatoes, spinach, oranges, carrots, milk, ghee (clarified butter) and almonds are good for boosting brain power.
• Broccoli (rich source of vitamin K) enhances cognitive function and improves brainpower.
• Various herbs like brahmi (bacopa monnieri), Shankh pushpi (Convolvulus pluricaulis), Jatamansi (Nardostachys jatamansi) and Vacha (Acorus calamus) are memory enhancing herbs. 
• Physical exercise increases blood circulation, supply of oxygen to your brain and reduces the risk of disorders that lead to memory loss. 
• Always have good sound sleep. Sleep deprived brain can’t work at full capacity.
• Take out sometime to refresh your brain. Do more lighthearted pastimes—hanging out with friends or enjoying a funny movie. Life that’s full of friends and fun comes with cognitive benefits.
• Man is a social animal. Relationships stimulate our brains - in fact, interaction with other people is a best brain exercise.
• Laughter is the best medicine for body and mind. Laughter engages multiple regions across the whole brain. Moreover, listening to jokes and working out punch lines activates areas of the brain vital to learning and creativity.
• Keep check over the undue stress as it harms the brain cells. One can go for meditation to ease the stress.
• Activities which involve using your hands are good for exercising your brain. Playing a musical instrument, enjoying a game of table tennis, knitting or needlework are activities that exercise the brain by challenging hand-eye coordination and creativity.
• Yogic asanas like sun salutations (surya namaskar), sarvangaasana (shoulder stand), bhujangasana (cobra pose), sirsasana (head stand) are good for boosting memory as it improves blood circulation to brain.
• Pranayamas like deep breathing, anulom-vilom, bhastrika, kapalbhati, brahmri pranayama are good for brain as they enhances the supply of oxygen to brain.

BLOOD PURIFICATION

Blood cleansing diet is defined as an eating plan which enables a person to eliminate all the toxins or impurities which can be present in the bloodstream. It would provide many benefits. It can protect you against free radicals that lead to tumor growth, improve your skin conditions, strengthen heart, boost your energy level, reduce inflammation and fasten healing processes going on in the body. 

• Include fresh fruit juices and excess fluids in the diet.
• Consume water in sufficient quantities throughout the day as this helps to flush out toxins.
• Raw garlic can be taken early morning with water. 
• Fasting is one of the traditional methods of purification because the body starts expelling the noxious materials allowing easy purification of blood in the body.
• We can consume blood purifier teas like ginger tea, peppermint tea and dandelion tea.
• Wheat grass juice is very effective in blood cleansing as it is found to have many nutrients. 
• Karela (Bitter gourd) is very good blood cleanser. It can be taken as a vegetable or juice. 
• Vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli and onion are good.
• Sprinkle black pepper (kali mirch) in your dishes as it helps in digestion by stimulating the secretion of hydrochloric acid.
• Fruits like kiwi, apple, pineapple, orange, blueberries and raspberries are useful for cleansing the blood.
• Foods rich in chlorophyll such as green leafy vegetables, barley, carrots and wheat grass are good as chlorophyll removes impurities such as parasites and wastes from the blood.
• Consume amla (Indian gooseberry), neem, haritaki, bahera and aloe vera as they are natural blood purifiers.
• Go for regular exercises as it improves circulation and makes you sweat to flush out the toxins.
• Quit smoking and alcohol.
• Bark of palash or khadir herb is good for purifying blood.
• Add turmeric to spices as it is best for detoxification. 
• Consume light foods that are easy to digest so as to minimize the formation of toxins.
• Arhar, masoor lentils are good.
• Go for a morning walk daily.
• Take enough sleep as it is the time for body to heal and detoxify impurities.
• Yogic asanas and pranayama like Sitkari pranayama, Shitali Pranayama and Deep Breathing are very beneficial to purify the blood.

ARTHRITIS

The word Arthritis is a Greek word, arthron meaning joint and the latin word itis meaning inflammation. Aging is main reason lying behind arthritis. We can not stop aging process that will lead to wear and tear in joints. But we can follow healthy diet or exercises which will help us to slow down aging.

• Eat a wholesome diet. 
• Consume antioxidant rich diet, as it reduces inflammation happening in your joints. For example - blueberries or other deeply colored berries, fruits that are rich source of vitamin C papayas, lemons, oranges, mangoes, selenium rich foods, whole wheat pasta, carotene rich carrots, wild or fresh, flaxseed, walnuts and dark chocolate.
• Stay hydrated. Prefer to have water cooled after boiling with sunthi (dry ginger) or jeera. 
• Avoid eating dry and cold food items. 
• Prefer to cook your food. Avoid eating preserved and packed food. 
• Add green leafy vegetables, bitter gourd, kulthi dal in your diet. 
• Eat black gram cereals, at least once in a week. 
• Add rock salt in your diet along with the spices. 
• Ajwain, saunf, marich, hing, jeera should be added in spices. 
• Harar, bahera, amla, karchur, giloy, ashwagandha, chopchini and rasna are the herbs good to decrease the inflammation in joints.
• We can sprinkle the powder of trikatu (sonth, marich, pippali) over the food.
• Ginger or sonth (dry ginger) powder are good to have. They can be used as a spice or we can make ginger tea or make a ginger compress to help soothe your arthritis pain away.
• Move every joint (According to your capacity) for at least for 30 minutes daily.
• Keep your weight in control.
• Do not suppress the natural urges of urine and stool, as this increases vata dosha and causes problems with bones as it resides in bones due to porosity. 
• Don’t go for start long walks all of a sudden.
• Light exercises should be performed daily.
• Apply the Ayurvedic vata shamak oil like maha narayan oil daily once before sleep on your joints to protect your joints and do local fomentation (swedana).
• Leaves of Palash tree and castor (arand) have anti inflammatory action and leaves can be tied at the local area while in pain after applying the warm oils.
• Coriander leaves also possesses anti- inflammatory and analgesic properties and can be tied at local area.  

DIABETES

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder and is affected by the diet and lifestyle. Don’t do over-eating but eat to control or reverse diabetes by healthy diet. According to Ayurveda, we should avoid the foods that aggravate the kapha dosha (water element) in the body.

• Include at least only one bitter dish in every meal.
• The bitter gourd is considered as the best remedy for diabetes. Consuming at least one tablespoon of bitter gourd juice daily will reduce blood sugar levels in your blood and urine. 
• Powder of fenugreek (methi ) seeds should  be used daily in regular diet by sprinkling over the food.
• Stay hydrated. Take plenty of water while exercising because dehydration can affect blood sugar levels.
• Green vegetables such as, beans, cucumber, methi, karela (bitter gourd), onion, garlic, jambul fruit (Indian blackberry), grapes, grains like bengal gram, black gram are good for diabetes.
• Jowar (Sorghum) and bajra (millet) can be included in diet. 
• Various spices like haldi (turmeric) and ajwain (carom seeds) are good to boost sugar metabolism.
• Various herbs like haritaki (myrobalan), giloy (Tinospora corifolia), amla (Indian gooseberry), nimb (lemon), bilva  (Aegle marmelos), babool (Acacia nilotica), tejpatra (Cinnamomum tarnala), khadir  (Acacia catechu) are beneficial for diabetes. 
• Avoid foods that have high sugar like rice, potato, banana, fruits containing high percentage of sugar. 
• Avoid sleeping during day time.
• Quit smoking.
• Follow exercise routine daily. More we exercise; the more sugar (glucose) is used to provide energy. 
• Yogic asanas are very good to improve function of pancreas like sun salutations (surya namaskar) , paschimotasana (Forward seated bend), mayurasana (The peacock pose), shalabhasana (The Locust pose), halaasana (Plough Pose), ardha matsyendrasana (Half Spinal Twist), dhanurasana (bow pose), fish Pose (Matsyasana) and pawan  mukta asana (Wind releasing pose).
• Pranayama like surya bhedan (Right Nostril Breathing), bahya pranayama (External breath), agnisaar kriya, kapalbhati (Shining Skull), bhastrika, uddiyana bandha (upward abdominal lock) are good to improve the function of pranayama.
• Many activities such as general housework, gardening or being on your feet for extended periods can lower your blood sugar level.
• All kind of work that includes significant physical activities are good to be done.

ACNE

Acne occurs over the skin due to ama (toxins) produced by improper metabolism of food. These toxins travel in the blood and lead to acne. It usually occurs in adolescent age (16 yrs to 30 yrs). It is the end of kapha stage (childhood stage) and beginning of pitta stage (adulthood).  The imbalance in the biological energies leads to acne. We should follow healthy diet and lifestyle to decrease the incidence of acne in our life. Eliminating substances that enhances pitta (fire element) and ama (toxins) formation are best way to balance the biological energies in body and remove acne.

• Follow a diet that consists of plenty of fresh vegetables, organic fruits and whole grains.
• Consume foods that have cooling effect on our body such as tender coconut, cucumber, cilantro, green vegetables and basmati rice. 
• Aloe vera juice is a cooling bitter tonic for eliminating excess pitta (fire element) from the body. Take a half cup twice daily. 
• Drink plenty of fresh water. 
• Avoid oily food stuffs, hot spices, chili peppers
• Limit the processed or fermented food items. 
• Limit alcohol, tobacco and caffeine.
• Keep your colon clean. Take 1 teaspoon of triphala powder before bedtime. It will act as a good laxative and flush out toxins.
• Cleanse the skin twice daily. Once in the morning and even before bed, with a gentle cleanser. 
• Adopt a cooling practice of yoga or swimming. During warm months, do not exercise during the pitta (fire element) time of day (10am-2pm). 
• Avoid sun exposure. Try moon bathing to cool pitta's intense fire. 
• Avoid stressful environment. Surround yourself with nice people who love you. 
• Encourage patience, peace and tolerance to get joy into your life and help cool your temperament.
• Exercise regularly to enhance blood supply to skin. Ultimately, toxins are removed. 
• Yogic asanas like pawan-mukta asana, sirsasana, Matsya Asana are good for acne. As it helps to increase blood flow to the desired area and cleanse the toxins from the body.
• Pranayama enhances the blood supply in the body. Thus, boosts detoxification processes in the body. Moreover, sitali and sitkari pranayama cool down the pitta element that leads to acne.