Ayurved Doctor

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Naturopathy

Health benefits of waking up early in the morning

Getting up early in the morning has its own perks, at a point of time it may feel like the toughest thing to do, but if go on counting the health benefits it has to offer, it no longer feels that bad. There are many reasons those have made early risers healthy, so next time you hit the snooze button on the alarm clock, try to remember all the benefits you are signing up to lose.

  1. Getting up in the morning relieves you from the whole day of stress

Getting up late in the morning indulge you in a viscous cycle that perpetually led to increased stress levels. Let us have a look at some of the things that can happen if you skip your morning.

  • The moment you woke up late you will be in a hurry to get ready for your college or office.
  • You will skip your breakfast to reimburse for the extra time you spent sleeping.
  • All the activities and tasked you have planned for the day get delayed by a few hours and you have to work extra hours to compensate that.
  • It also affects your eating habits.
  • As you have started your day late you will reach your home late. This will deprive you from spending time with your family. Another effect of late waking is the sleep deprivation.

This viscous cycle keeps on repeating itself inducing both mental and physical stress to the individual. By getting up just a few hours before you will be able to effectively manage your day by getting out of this viscous cycle.

  1. Will get sufficient time to exercise

Many people complain about not getting enough time to exercise, but they forget to find the cause behind it. Waking up late is one of the main causes behind these complains. If you wake up early you will get enough time to exercise or practice Yoga. This will make your day refreshing and you will feel rejuvenated.

  1. Feel more energy by waking up early

Ayurveda recommends getting up about an hour before the sunrise to sync your body cycle with the rise and set of the sun. The time before the sunrise is also known as Brahma Mahurata in Ayurveda, this time is believed to be an auspicious time as significant amount of shift in body levels takes place. This time is characterized by clam and composed surrounding which helps in generating positive vibrations and induces a feeling of relaxation after a good night’s sleep, thus increasing the energy level.

  1. Waking early induces Happiness

While just the energetic feeling induced by the early morning workout has been enough to keep you happy, there are also evidences that suggest early risers are more probable to feel positivity and confidence in their work. A study from the Emotion Journal suggested that keeping the daily routine in synchronization with the sunrise and sunset helps in increasing the happiness.

  1. You will sleep better

It is quite obvious that if you wake up early in the morning and complete your tasks on time you probably will go to bed early. You will feel exhausted with all day’s work and will fall asleep much faster. This will create and sleep schedule for you that will also help in improving quality of your sleep.

  1. Will possess a lower depression risk

According to a study published with the Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, the people who goes late for sleeping were 3 times more susceptible to experience depression than the people who rises early in the morning. This also concludes that people who keeps working late at night are more vulnerable to negative thoughts which in turn elevate the chances of depression. Getting up late also reduces the significant amount of time available to you. Lost time will make you feel that you are no more in the control. People who wake up late are often unconfident because of the unplanned work logs. When you will go to bed you will not feel the satisfaction and hence will eventually lead to depression.

  1. Waking early increases productivity

Researches have shown that the morning time is one of the most productive time of the day. Your brain has already received the required rest and is all ready to work again. All the neurons and connections have been recharged and are all set to function. Mentally morning time allows you to think faster. You are more focused during the morning time.

If you are an avid follower of the phrase ‘Early to bed and early to rise’ then most of your important tasks will get over by first half of the day. You will get enough time for other tasks and will feel the positivity around you.

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Ayurved Naturopathy

Vasti Therapy Treatments in Ayurveda

Vasti is one of the major treatment procedures in the Panchkarmas. The term Vasti is actually derived from the fact that the instrument used for the medical procedure is made of animal urinary bladder that is also known as Vasti. Most of the Doshas are balanced by using vasti procedure. It has prominent effects on reducing the weight of the obese people and helps in gaining weight for skinny person. Apart from these it also helps in improving vision, preventive aging, increasing strength, health and skin luster. Prominently this medical procedure is used for treating vatic disorders.

The vast has been classified mainly into two types; the first one is ‘Niruha vasti’ which is basically decoction of different herbal medicines and another one is ‘annuvasana vasti’ that mainly comprises of oily elements. In most of the cases an Ayurvedic practitioner uses a combination of both of these. A person with the proper vasti will feel lightness in the body, increase in strength, appetite, balanced doshas and pleasantness.

After finishing the vasti treatment person should avoid taking heavy meals. The activities that put lots of stress like excessive walking, standing for a long time, anxiety, anger and incompatible diet plans should be avoided to every possible extent.

Urovasti Panchakarma treatment

Urovasti is a part of panchkarma treatment in Ayurveda that involves induction of herbal medicinal oils and herbal decoctions in the intestine. The procedure is mainly recommended for the person who is suffering from pain around the chest area. The term Urovasti itself comprises of two words first ‘Uro’ that stands for chest and next is ‘vasti’ that stands for retention. It is basically a chest oil bath treatment. In this procedure the medicated oil or ghee is placed on the chest of the patient for a specific period of time. This medical procedure is sometimes also known as ‘Hrid Vasti’ where ‘Hrid’ means heart. According to Ayurveda, heart is one of the three vital points in the human body, hence it needs to be protected.

This treatment is primarily recommended for the person who suffers from respiratory issues and diseases like asthma and bronchitis. It is also effective in mild angina, cardiomyopathy, muscular chest pain and heart diseases.

How it is done?

The Ayurveda physician chooses the type of medicine and oil required for the therapy depending upon the body constitution and dosha imbalance in the patient. The patient is then made to lie down on a bench on her back. The procedure starts with a gentle oil massage on the whole body. The dough made from whole wheat or black gram flour is then rolled into a small ring of 4 to 5 inches in diameter. The flour ring is then pasted on the patient’s chest using little water as glue. The treatment is done by pouring the medicated oil or ghee into this ring by using cotton gauze to squeeze the oil through the medicinal herbs. Once the oil in the ring cools down it is then replaced by warmer oil by squeezing it through the medicinal cotton gauge. The whole process takes about 30 to 45 minutes for completion.

What are the benefits?

The procedure offers several benefits to the patients like it helps in correction of vata dosha, helps in reducing sadness, frustration, stimulates blood circulation, nourishes connective tissues, enhances neuromuscular system and strengthens heart and balances its functions.

Shirovasti Panchakarma treatment

Shirovasti is basically a head treatment therapy and one of the most prominent external oil treatment procedures in the Ayurvedic medical system. The term itself is made of two words; ‘Shiro’ means head and ‘Vasti’ is actually a container. In this procedure the medicated oil is warmed and placed into a hollow cap kept on the head. This hallow cup is kept on the head for some time, as this treatment can take about an hour.

This type of treatment is quite helpful in medical conditions like deafness, paralysis, cataract, cranial nerve disorder, earache, scalp dryness, skin conditions and can even be helpful for mental disorders.

How it is done?

The procedure involves massage of oil based mixture called ‘Rasnadi choornam’ and medicated oil. Most of the oils that are used by the Kerala Ayurveda centers are Bata Tailam, chandanadi tailam, karpasashyadi, Tailam, dhanwantara tailam, Narayana tailam and ksheerabala Tailam. Before the procedure actually starts, head of the patient is massaged with medicine based oil. Cotton strands are inserted into both the ear to stop oil from flow into the ears.

Dough of black gram flour is created and is made into small poultice. A cotton ribbon is then dipped into the mixture and is tied around the head just above the eyebrow of the patient. The main purpose of this cotton strap is to hold the oil leakage and provide a comfort to the patient by stopping it. Then another leather cloth is placed acting like a cap to withhold the lower part. Both upper and lower parts are then sealed with the dough of the black gram flour. It basically appears like a hollow vessel to fit in the poured oil. The oil is then warmed slightly above the body temperature and is poured into the cap. The oil is poured at just about 2 to 3 cm above the roots of the hair. The temperature of the oil is checked frequently to make sure it’s time for the change. If oil began to cool, the oil is taken out of the cap and reheated. The oil is reused by warming it again and again.

The Rasnadi Choornam is then applied to the head of the patient and the patient is asked to take rest for about an hour. After the rest, the patient is allowed to take a bath with warm water.

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Naturopathy

Five Holistic Ways to Stay Calm

While we all are busy in our lives, it is necessary to take regular breaks and replenish our energy to keep mind and body to work on their optimum levels. Ayurveda, which is recognised worldwide as the science of living, has been in existing since the last five centuries, providing us with everyday techniques to be fit and healthy.

Along with teaching human beings to be healthier and stronger by easy practices, Ayurveda educates us with plenty of ways to stay calm and composed. Looking at the current situation of the world, it is moving at a much faster pace than the earlier centuries, where patience and peace of mind are rare assets.

Here are a few easy methods suggested by the ancient text of Ayurveda, that can help you let off some steam, relax and be at ease with yourself and your surroundings. Always remember, a healthy mind resides in a healthy body.

Keeping Good Company

Loneliness results in anxiety and insecurity. Try your best to stay in the company of the people, who love you for who you are. But before anything else, love yourself as a person and know that you are exquisite and unique. Do not forget that no one can be ‘you’ better than yourself. So learn to love and embrace it.

Don’t just spend time with your family, but take appropriate steps to rekindle the relationships. For this to happen, you have to focus your energy, time and attention towards them.

Watch Yourself

Sometimes you might be in situations where you lose control of yourself and feel aggravated, pumped or just angry. This causes an irregular increase in the blood pressure, heart rate along with the muscle tension.

Slow and deep breathing can thoroughly help you to come out of such a situation with ease and provides a relaxing effect. Take a full breath of fresh air so that it reaches down your abdomen, which keep your metabolic rhythm steady and help to keep the pace easy. It is better to avoid breathing too fast, as it results in an unequal distribution of oxygen throughout your body. Medication and breathing exercises are good choices to keep the nerve in a good shape.

Regular Regime

The major signs of a disturbed mind can be determined by the sleeping pattern of a person. If you are relentless, suffer from insomnia and have uneasy sleepless nights, then, you need to follow these methods to have a peace of mind. Wake up each morning at the same time and try to sleep maximum by 10pm at night. This will make your sleeping pattern much more systematic in nature. You can also try to put some sesame oil on your feet and wear a sock before sleeping. It will prove helpful in providing you with a deep and healthy sleep.

Keep yourself accustomed with work along but don’t forget to squeeze in short breaks in the middle of the working hours. It is better to keep a daily routine of yoga and medication.

Eat a Light Diet

Ayurveda is based on the fact that you are what you eat. Thus, to apply that in daily life, eat foods that can help you stay calm and composed. One should try to choose food eatables that release stress relieving free radicals. Lightly cooked leafy green vegetables and fresh fruits such as pumpkin, watermelon, etc. are a great alternative to start with. Whole grains like oatmeal and barley are known to work from within and will end up making you feel light and energetic all through the day.

Grapes, blueberries, red berries, nuts, beans and fish are a bundle of high content antioxidants, along with being packed with different vital vitamins and minerals and should definitely make your diet plan every now and then. This would help to prevent many diseases and will keep your balance in check.

Stay Hydrated

One of the best ways to keep your mind and body to function well is by simply staying hydrated. It is highly advisable to drink 8 glasses of water every day in order to flush out the harmful toxins out of your body and keep the digestive metabolism working with ease. On the other hand, caffeine is a natural dehydrator and addictive in nature. Avoid intake of excess coffee or tea.

Try to replace these drinks with fresh juices, smoothies, herbal tea and coconut water. The given alternatives provide faster, stronger and a much longer lasting relief than the later options. They help to replenish the thirst and stave off the heat by producing a cooling effect.

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Naturopathy

Master Remedy of Nature Cure is Fasting with Strict Restrictions – Part IV

In our series of Master Remedy of Nature Cure is Fasting with Strict Restrictions – Part I, Master Remedy of Nature Cure is Fasting with Strict Restrictions – Part II and Master Remedy of Nature Cure is Fasting with Strict Restrictions – Part III, we have been covering the major benefits of fasting. In this article, we will be covering why it is necessary to change our eating habits to suit nature, which controls all aspects of our life.

I mentioned that I am a vegetarian. I have eaten non-vegetarian food, but found them not only absolutely tasteless but also somewhat harmful. I started researching on this subject of vegetarian food versus non-vegetarian food. I found out a few astonishing items. I am listing them here to explain how nature has created human beings for vegetarian food.

  1. I mentioned that I found non-vegetarian food as tasteless. It is absolutely true. You can eat all fruits and most vegetables raw, even without cooking. Is it possible to eat raw meat or raw fish without cooking them and adding lots of spices to them, unless you are a cannibal? The taste is not in the meat or in the flesh, but in the spices mixed with them during cooking. This is not necessary in case of fruits and vegetables. If you wish to add some taste to your vegetable salad, all you need is to sprinkle a few pinches of pepper powder and a pinch of salt on them. Adding too much salt is also dangerous to health, since most vegetables have salt built-in in them.
  2. Non-vegetarians believe that animals, birds, fish and other living species have been created for their eating. Here is an astonishing fact that even many doctors are not aware of. All animals and other human beings that are carnivorous have a stomach that is two to three feet. They usually eat their meaty food, keep it for some time in their stomach to absorb the energy in the food item and then normally vomit the balance. You will have seen dogs and cats vomit food regularly after some time. Even lions, tigers and other carnivorous animals do this regularly, with only a small residue coming out as stool from them.
  3. On the other hand, all herbivorous animals, including humans, have stomach (the length of the stomach is measured from mouth to anus) is between 10 and 12 feet. In fact, for most beings, the length of the stomach exactly doubles its height. Hence, when we or other herbivorous animals eat, it takes 8-12 hours for the food to be completely digested and reach the end of bowels. Most of us use the toilet only once a day and hence the food remains in our stomach for a minimum of 16 to 18 hours. Any non-vegetarian food is very likely to decay within the body during such a long period and germs, bacteria and viruses multiply and spread throughout the body. The construction of the human body and its stomach, which is similar to other herbivorous animals, clearly show that the human body is designed only for vegetarian food and not for non-vegetarian food.
  4. Another major argument that non-vegetarians put forth is that meat and other non-vegetarian food items provide more strength than vegetarian food. This is another huge myth created by them. For example, let us say that you are being driven by a dog and you are running as fast as you can. After some time, you will find that the dog will tire, it will start breathing hard and its tongue will start hanging out with saliva dripping. It will stop running. This is true of all carnivorous animals, including cats, lions and tigers. On the other hand, a cow or an ox can drag heavy weights for miles with a mild running. A horse can run easily run for 50 or more miles at a stretch. A deer can do the same and that is why deer or antelopes easily escape from chasing leopards, since the deer or antelopes can easily outrun the leopards. Even an elephant can run easily for 20 miles or so continuously if necessary, even with its huge body. You decide for yourself which food provides more strength.

We shall continue this interesting subject of fasting methods, restrictions and benefits in our subsequent article, Master Remedy of Nature Cure is Fasting with Strict Restrictions – Part V.

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Naturopathy

Master Remedy of Nature Cure is Fasting with Strict Restrictions – Part III

Before continuing with the Master Remedy of Nature Cure is Fasting with Strict Restrictions – Part III, as part of our previous articles, Master Remedy of Nature Cure is Fasting with Strict Restrictions – Part I And Master Remedy of Nature Cure is Fasting with Strict Restrictions – Part II, I wish to inform you how allowing nature will facilitate in helping your body cure itself without any external intervention with medications or other medical procedures.

At this juncture, I wish to share my own experience of nature cure with the readers. I was a weak and sick boy until the age of 20. Then, a person from Kerala taught me a few things about nature cure. I started practicing that and it provided positive results on my health. I went on improving my knowledge on various aspects of nature cure. I have been a practitioner of nature cure for the last 40 years. I have never gone to any doctor or taken any medications during those 40 years, but have allowed my own body to cure itself. I rarely suffer from any diseases due to my healthy habits aligned with nature comprehensively. If I get a fever, I will live on liquid food for 2-3 days and the fever will automatically go away. I always make it a habit to eat only when I feel sufficiently hungry and eat only that much quantity which can be digested by and ingested in the body within the next 5-7 hours. I never believe that eating should be regular and on time, but eating should be done only when someone really feels hungry.

I eat only vegetarian food and if I find any food item not smelling the way it should be, I avoid eating it. I take curd rice twice a day, in the noon and in the night, even though certain medical practitioners say that curd should not be taken in the night. My food consists more of vegetables than other items. In fact, a friend of mine once jokingly told me that we are eating the wrong way and we should reverse our plate to eat. Normally, we serve rice or roti in the plate facing us and the vegetable and curry items on the opposite side. He said that if we reverse the plate, we will be eating more vegetables and lesser rice or roti, which is the correct recipe for natural eating.

I have been practicing this since the age of 20 and I am quite healthy at 60 now. I rarely get cold or fever and I have encountered headache probably 3-4 times in the last 40 years. Even for headache, I do not take any medicine, but allow my mind to relax and enjoy the pain. The pain disappears within 10-15 minutes. Enjoying pain is one easy way of eliminating it quickly. When we are prepared to enjoy pleasure, even for long hours, why not learn to bear pain at least for some time? In fact, pain is not even a part of our body, but a mental projection. When we are in deep sleep, we do not even feel mosquito bites, but feel them acutely when we are awake. This is because the mind perceives the pain and not the body. A fainted person will not feel pain, even if you pinch him/her with a needle. A person in coma will not even be aware of anything happening around him/her.

Hence, pleasure and pain are not part of the body but only of the mind. This is what Indian yoga teaches. Separate the mind from the body and starve the body of physical sensations and you can overcome most of the physical strain, pains and afflictions of the body. Slowly, the mind will take over the body, establish its power and subdue the body to cure itself. This is also a type of fasting, a mental fasting over the physical body. We shall cover more details on the subject of fasting and eating the right food in our next article, Master Remedy of Nature Cure is Fasting with Strict Restrictions – Part IV, as part of our series of articles, Master Remedy of Nature Cure is Fasting with Strict Restrictions – Part I and Master Remedy of Nature Cure is Fasting with Strict Restrictions – Part II.

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Naturopathy

Master Remedy of Nature Cure is Fasting with Strict Restrictions – Part II

In continuation of our Master Remedy of Nature Cure is Fasting with Strict Restrictions – Part I, we are presenting more revealing facts about the astonishing effects of fasting as a nature cure method. We have already stated in our introduction to nature cure principles and practices that the most common cause or reason for all bodily disorders, diseases, infections, ailments and other physical and mental afflictions is the accumulation of toxins, waste and poisonous matter in our body, which generally stems from overheating in various body parts. Most of the persons in modern world eat not only too much, but also consume unhealthy food items.

Their sedentary lifestyles of sitting for hours on chairs in offices and occupying the sofas in front of televisions on returning home prevent any type of exercise for the body parts. This results in insufficient and improper exercise for them to utilize the large quantities of food, especially the unhealthy diet that they consume. Munching some type of snack item while we watch television has been a common habit that many of us follow without even thinking about its consequences. We proceed afterwards to an enthusiastic dinner. We usually do not allow enough time for all the food items that we consumed, but go to sleep within an hour or two at the maximum, with many of us directly going to bed after a hearty dinner. The body metabolism slows down when we sleep and hence the time taken for digestion also gets increased.

The surplus of undigested or unutilised food overburdens not only the digestive system and its various organs, but also the assimilative organs, clogging up the entire body system with toxins, impurities or poisonous materials. Digestion of consuming diet and elimination of toxic and waste materials becomes slower and slower. The functional activities of the entire body system get completely deranged. The onset of various diseases is a mere process of the body in trying to get rid of the impurities from the system. There is only one remedy to cure or heal any disease, which is performing the opposite of the cause of the disease, which is reduction of food intake or resorting to partial or complete fasting. We think that we will become weak and die if we fast for long periods. Actually, very few of us are aware that even the weakest human beings are capable of remaining alive even for a minimum of seven to ten days without eating solid food but living on fruit juices, fruits and easily digestible raw uncooked vegetables. On the other hand, the germs, bacteria and viruses in our body cannot survive that long without proper nourishment and they will wither away and die.

Moreover, when you deprive the body for some time without food, all the organs of elimination in the body, such as the liver, spleen, kidneys bowels, lungs and skin get more opportunity and time to expel the overloaded accumulation of toxins and waste materials from the body without any hampering. Fasting is only a quick and effective method of purification and cure. Fasting helps nature in her constant effort to expel all undesirable foreign matter as well as the wastes that produce diseases in the body. Fasting corrects the faults and corruptions of improper eating and wrong lifestyle. It assists in the regeneration of blood and also repair and regeneration of the different muscles, tissues and cells in the body. This is the basic secret of fasting. We shall continue more details on this crucial subject in nature cure further in our next articles in this series, Master Remedy of Nature Cure is Fasting with Strict Restrictions – Part III and Master Remedy of Nature Cure is Fasting with Strict Restrictions – Part IV.

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Naturopathy

Master Remedy of Nature Cure is Fasting with Strict Restrictions – Part I

Even though the word ‘fasting’ is considered to be derived from the old English word, ‘feastan’ which means to observe, fast or be strict. Fasting is one of the oldest, least expensive and most effective methods in nature cure of diseases. There is a very ancient Indian adage, “Langanam Parama Oushadam”, meaning fasting is the best medicine, which has been part of nature cure in Indian medicine from time immemorial. Dr. Arnold Eheret, who originated the principle of muscleless healing system through dieting, described fasting as the only natural, universal and omnipotent remedy in the healing of diseases and he added that it was only the only fundamental natural law in all curing and healing.

Even though Indian medicine system has prescribed fasting as a strong method of curing illnesses, following the teachings of Dhanvantari, deemed as the God of Medicine and Guardian Deity of Hospitals, fasting practice has been followed by nearly all the religions of the world, such as the Hindus, the Buddhists, the Mohammedans and other religions. Most of them have strict periods of fasting. Asclepiades, a philosopher of nature cure school advocated fasting as an effective treating method two thousand years ago. Other nature cure advocates like Hippocrates, Paracelsus and Galen as well as several other great authorities on naturopathy have recommended fasting as one of the most dependable methods of curing illnesses or preventing them from occurring altogether. It is a known fact that the Mohammedans strictly follow the day time fasting during the month of Ramzan and eat only in the night. Saints of all religions during the medieval times have also laid great stress on fasting.

In Hindu religion, fasting during the eleventh day after each day of Amavasya and Pournami, the New Moon and Full Moon days have been prevalent for several millennia. In fact, this fasting is quite rigid. The follower of this fasting ritual should eat only once during the day on the tenth day, eat nothing on the eleventh day and eat at sunrise on the twelfth day. The Indian medicine has even described the kind of food that should be consumed in the morning of the twelfth day, such as Athi Keerai or Agathi Keerai cooked with dal (paruppu) and dried and powdered Nelli or Amla pachadi, along with certain other essential cooling food items (For ingredients of the diet to be prepared for the twelfth day after New Moon and Full Moon, you can refer to http://anudinam.org/2012/06/30/dwadasi-paaranai-thaligai/). The reason for such a food is to provide relief to the digestive organs in a natural manner, by cooling them with natural ingredients and eliminating the acidity that accumulates during the fasting period. Apart from this rigorous fortnightly fasting, it is usual for Hindus to fast on other days also, such as Soma Vara Vrata (Monday Fasting), Guru Vara Vrada (Thursday Fasting) and Sani Vara Vrada (Saturday Fasting), etc. to keep the digestive system as clean as possible. Further details on fasting will be taken up in our next articles, Master Remedy of Nature Cure is Fasting with Strict Restrictions – Part II, Master Remedy of Nature Cure is Fasting with Strict Restrictions – Part III and Master Remedy of Nature Cure is Fasting with Strict Restrictions – Part IV.

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Ayurved Naturopathy

Nature Cure or Naturopathy Methods

Nature cure systems basically target the readjustment of the human body system from various abnormal functions and conditions to normal functions and conditions. Nature cure or naturopathy adopts only those methods of cure that conform to the constructive natural principles. These methods remove the accumulation of toxic materials, waste materials and other poisonous items without injuring all the vital organs of the human body in any manner. These methods also stimulate the organs in the process of purification and elimination of toxic and other waste matter for their best and efficient functioning.

The foremost and first requirement to cleanse the body of toxic and other waste materials is to regulate and control the diet system that a person consumes. This diet system not only stimulates the organs of purification and elimination, but also prevents such accumulation in the future, thus preventing several diseases even before they occur. It is advisable to avoid comprehensively all food items that form toxic acids, especially certain types of proteins, fats and starches for a week to a fortnight in case of any sickness to eliminate the accumulated toxins and also confine the diet system to fresh fruits and vegetables that have the capacity to disinfect the alimentary canal and the entire stomach.naturopathy methods

If a patient is suffering from an overload of morbid matter, as is the case with more acute diseases, complete fasting for a few days will be necessary to eliminate the toxins. However, to sustain body energy, the patient should consume as much fresh fruit juice as possible. If you are feeling sick, the basic rule is not to eat your regular diet, but adapt to a light diet of fruit juices, fresh fruits and easily digestible raw vegetables. You will have to wait until your usual healthy appetite returns and the body become normal. The fundamental principle of nature cure is that loss of appetite is a warning from nature that you should not place any further burden on your digestive organs. You can resume mildly alkaline food items like fresh raw vegetables as well as sprouted cereals or sprouted whole grains after continuing with a fresh fruit diet at least for a week until you have recovered from the illness.

Another major factor in nature cure for diseases through natural methods is to stimulate the body vitality. Water is a highly powerful stimulant and it can be used in several ways in the form of baths or packs at varying temperatures. The body heat can be easily lowered by applying cold water, especially to the lower belly or abdomen, which is the seat of most of our diseases. It is also advisable to apply cold water to the sexual organs to cool them. This can be achieved by sitting in a tub filled with cold water up to the hip. This bath lowers the body heat immediately and also stimulates the sensitive nervous systems in the lower body, which slowly extends to the other nervous systems in the body, cooling them also slowly. Hydrotherapy, as wet packs is another simple and natural method of reducing inflammation and pain and also serves as an easy method for abating fevers, with absolutely no side effects. It is also very important that you should always drink only assured pure water and avoid contaminated water completely.

Other natural methods that are primarily used in curing diseases are sunbathes, air, massage and exercise. Sunbathes and pure, unpolluted air have the capacity to revive the dead skin and to maintain the skin in its normal, healthy condition. Massages tone up not only the muscles and tendons as most people believe, but even the nervous system. Massages also energize and quicken the bodily metabolic system and blood circulation. Exercises promote overall inner health, strengthen muscles and eliminate tensions in the body. Especially, yogic exercises not only achieve all these but also bring about physical and mental harmony.

From the above, it should be obvious that a well-balanced, properly planned diet, pure drinking water, adequate physical exercise and the observation of other laws of nature, such as plenty of sunlight, fresh air, adequate rest, scrupulous cleanliness, custom-designed lifestyle and right mental attitude are capable of ensuring proper health and even prevent most diseases even before they occur. Nature cure can also cure most diseases without any medications are other modern methods of medicine. If you have any further questions on the above matters, please feel free to contact us and we will definitely respond to you immediately. We shall discuss individual methods of nature cure methods in our forthcoming series.

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Naturopathy

Nature Cure or Naturopathy – An Introduction to Principles and Practices – Part I

Nature cure or naturopathy is one among the several alternative medical fields, such as naturopathy, homeopathy, acupuncture, chiropractic, Ayurveda, Siddha, energy therapies, etc. The modern allopathic medicine, its inventors, advocates and practitioners, normally do not accept naturopathy or other alternative medicines, stating that the healing effects of such alternative medicinal practices are not based on evidences collected through the use of accepted scientific methods and principles.

Hence, the practices of medical diagnosis and treatment methods of alternative medicines have been excluded from the educational courses or curriculum of a majority of the established medical schools, colleges and other higher education institutions in the field of conventional medicine. Very few practitioners of conventional medicines accept or recommend the principles and practices of alternative medicines. Still, the alternative medicines consist of a wide range of principles, practices, therapies and products in the field of health care. The most prominent among them is naturopathy, an alternative medicine that has been grossly misunderstood or even rejected as dangerous by people ignorant of its true meaning and value.natuopathy1

The truth is that nature cure or naturopathy is exactly what its name indicates, using nature to cure all types of bodily disorders, ailments and diseases. The history of naturopathy is as old as the origin of humanity. Nature cure is not a mere healing system, it is a also a way of healthy life and a constructive treatment method. The aim of nature cure is to remove the underlying or fundamental cause of any disease by using the various elements available freely in nature. This is achieved through a rational approach that is in perfect tuning with internal vital forces present in the human body or the other natural elements that comprise the human body. Nature cure is not even an alternative medicine, but a complete revolution in human life. It is both a science and an art that has been perfected over several millennia.

The term ‘naturopathy’ may be of recent origin, coined by John Scheel in 1895 and Benedict Lust, considered the father of naturopathy in the United States popularized it even further in the West. However, the philosophical basis of nature cure and the various treatment methods are very ancient. Historical and anthropological evidences clearly suggest that nature cure principles and treatment practices were practiced widely in Greece, Rome, and Egypt in their ancient periods of glory. Hippocrates (460-357 B.C.), accepted as the father of Western medicine, was a strong advocate of nature cure and he has emphatically stated that ‘Nature Cures, not the Physician’.

Historians and anthropologists also unanimously agree that the natural healing system was in a very advanced stage in India in the most ancient times, even before other countries of the world obtained any knowledge of medicine. The scriptures and other sacred books of India, especially the medical treatises, such as Charaka Samhita (a text on Indian medicine), Sushruta Samhita (a text on Indian surgery), Ashtanga Hridaya (a text on Indian medicine and surgery), Ashtanga Samgraha, Kashyapa Samhita (a text on gynecology, obstetrics and child health) and other innumerable ancient text books in Sanskrit and other regional languages are evidences of the level of advancement that India has achieved in the field of medicine even before several millennia. Several references are available in the four Vedas of Hindu philosophy, namely, Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva Veda about natural cure medicinal practices, especially the methods of using the excellent healing agents of nature, such as earth, water, air and sun. In fact, Ayurveda is considered as the fifth Veda in Indian medical practice.

The exact nature of the principles and practices of nature cure or naturopathy will be explained in our subsequent articles, Nature Cure or Naturopathy – An Introduction to Principles and Practices – Part II, Nature Cure or Naturopathy – An Introduction to Principles and Practices – Part III and Nature Cure or Naturopathy – An Introduction to Principles and Practices – Part IV. If you have any questions or doubts on this initial introduction on nature cure, please feel free to contact us. If you wish to know more about nature cure and its methods, kindly go through Part II, Part III and Part IV of this series of introductory articles. We will be taking up the actual diagnosis and treatment methods of nature cure or naturopathy in subsequent articles.

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Nature Cure or Naturopathy – An Introduction to Principles and Practices – Part II

Consequent to our previous article, Nature Cure or Naturopathy – An Introduction to Principles and Practices – Part I, we are presenting the major principles and practices in not only diagnosing and treating all types of diseases, ailments and bodily disorders but also in avoiding all of them even before they occur. It is true that we may be born with certain afflictions due to genetic or other health related reasons. It is easily possible either to eliminate even these prenatal, postnatal or inherited afflictions completely or minimize their effect to such an extent that they do not pose any health problem.

Two basic principles usually guide nature cure or naturopathy, though there are several other principles that are the foundations of nature cure. The first principle is that any affliction, disease, disorder or ailment in the human body is only an abnormal condition that has resulted from the violation of the laws of nature. Each violation of the laws of nature has serious repercussions on the human body system, usually leading to lowered vitality, accumulation of toxic and waste matters and irregularities in blood, lymph and other crucial body functions. For example, when we consume faulty, unnatural or unhealthy diets, the first system that gets affected adversely is the digestive system, which should be obvious even to lay persons.

What many of us do not realize is that such food items lead to accumulation of several toxic as well as waste materials in our body. When this occurs, not only the digestive system, but other crucial organs of the body, such as liver, spleen, kidneys, bowels, skin, lungs and even the heart are forced to overwork to remove these toxins and waste materials or at least neutralize their ill effect on the entire body system. Since it is not possible to get rid of these dangerous materials as fast as they accumulate in our bodies, various types of diseases and afflictions are the natural result.naturopathy2

Another cause for diseases is the mental and/or emotional disturbances that all of us undergo regularly in our lives. All these disturbances lead to serious imbalances in the vital electric fields that control the cell metabolisms in our body. These electrical field imbalances produce toxins in the cell metabolisms. In normal conditions, the electric fields remain undisturbed and germs, bacteria and viruses that live in our cells continue to remain inactive without getting multiplied or producing toxins. When the electric fields get disturbed or when the blood circulating in our bodies gets polluted with toxic wastes, these germs, bacteria and viruses become active, start to multiply and become very harmful to our bodies. This is a second major cause of diseases and other physical afflictions.

Even though the food that we eat and our mental and emotional states are the major reasons for many of the afflictions from which we suffer, the technological advancements and mass industrialization have also been a major reason for several physical disorders and diseases. The high pollution levels due to serious degradation of the environment, the greenhouse gases and other toxic materials in the air that we breathe, the chemically contaminated water that we drink, the additional physical and mental stresses and strains that we encounter in our daily life due to changed modern lifestyles and the lazy and languid way in which we spend our days without any physical exercises or other activities that stimulate the body system are all major contributors to different types of afflictions and diseases.

The second most important, but abominably ignored principle is that the human body is not only a highly complex system, but is also a very powerful system that still remains a mystery even to the most intelligent scientists of the past several centuries until today. Our bodies have the capacity and vitality to cure themselves in a natural manner in most cases of diseases and disorders without the use of any drugs or other medications. This second principle and other principles that guide nature cure or naturopathy will be discussed in our next articles in this series, Nature Cure or Naturopathy – An Introduction to Principles and Practices – Part III and Nature Cure or Naturopathy – An Introduction to Principles and Practices – Part IV.