Different organs can work together to perform a common function, like how the parts of your digestive system break down food. We refer to an integrated unit as an organ system. Groups of organ systems work together to make complete, functional organisms, like us! There are 11 major organ systems in the human body.

Nervous System :

The nervous system allows us to perceive, comprehend, and respond to the world around us. The nervous system also operates the body’s essential physiologic functions, such as breathing and digestion.

Learn more about these body parts in the nervous system:

Brain: The brain is an organ that’s made up of a large mass of nerve tissue that’s protected within the skull. It plays a role in just about every major body system.

Some of its main functions include:

• Processing sensory information
• Regulating blood pressure and breathing
• Releasing hormones

Spinal cord:  The spinal cord begins at the base of the brain and extends into the pelvis. Many of the nerves of the peripheral nervous system, or PNS, branch out from the spinal cord and travel to various parts of the body.

Meninges: Circulating within the meninges is a liquid substance known as the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). This fluid cushions the brain and spinal cord to protect them from shocks that could lead to damage. CSF also acts as a transport system that delivers nutrients to different parts of the central nervous system and also removes waste products.

Dura mater: In the central nervous system, there are three different layers that cover the spinal cord and brain. These are called the meninges, and their three levels consist of the: pia, arachnoid, and dura mater. Bone is situated above these layers, followed by periosteum (a fibrous membrane that covers bone) and skin. The dura mater is the top layer of the meninges, lying beneath the bone tissue.

Integumentary System :

The integumentary system is the set of organs that forms the external covering of the body and protects it from many threats such as infection, desiccation, abrasion, chemical assault, and radiation damage. IN humans the integumentary system includes the skin – a thickened keratinized epithelium made of multiple layers of cells that is largely impervious to water.

It also contains specialized cells that secrete melanin to protect the body from the carcinogenic effects of UV rays and cells that have an immune function. Sweat glands that excrete wastes and regulate body temperature are also part of the integumentary system.

Somatosensory receptors and nociceptors are important components of this organ system that serve as warning sensors, allowing the body to move away from noxious stimuli.

Functions of the Integumentary System :

• Barrier function
• Thermoregulation
• Excretion
• Sensation and Chemical Synthesis

Respiratory System :

Every tissue within the body requires oxygen to function. The respiratory system, which includes air passages, pulmonary vessels, the lungs, and breathing muscles, provides oxygenated blood to the body tissues and removes waste gases.

Learn more about these body parts in the respiratory system:

Nose: is the body’s primary organ of smell and also functions as part of the body’s respiratory system.

Lungs: The cone-shaped lungs are sponge-like organs that fill the chest cavity and make up most of the lower respiratory tract. Their most important job is providing oxygen to capillaries so they can oxygenate the blood.

Pharynx: The nasopharynx is, by definition, the upper part of the throat behind the nose. It is a part of the pharynx, which comprises three separate segments: the nasopharynx, oropharynx, and the hypopharynx.

Bronchi: are the main passageway into the lungs. When someone takes a breath through their nose or mouth, the air travels into the larynx.

Digestive System :

The digestive system enables your body to convert food into usable nutrients through a chemical breakdown process. This occurs through a system of tube-like organs, including the esophagus, stomach, liver, pancreas, and intestines.

Learn more about these body parts in the digestive system:

• Mouth: A molar tooth is located in the posterior (back) section of the mouth. It is found in most mammals that use their posterior teeth to grind food. Twelve molars are usually present in an adult human, in groups of three. These teeth are typically larger than the premolars and have a larger surface area in order to chew and grind food into easily digestible bits.
  • Tongue: is unique in that it is the only muscle that isn’t connected to bone at both ends. It is connected on one end to the hyoid bone, which is also unique as it is the only bone not connected to any other bone in the body. The tongue’s primary physiologic function is a gustatory sensation (tasting) and aiding in mastication (chewing). It also helps with speech and sound formation.
  • Teeth: The typical adult mouth has 32 teeth: eight incisors, four canines, eight premolars, and 12 molars (including four wisdom teeth).The canines, also called cuspid or eye-teeth, are the longest teeth, located in the corners of the mouth.

Pharynx: The nasopharynx is, by definition, the upper part of the throat behind the nose. It is a part of the pharynx, which comprises three separate segments: the nasopharynx, oropharynx, and the hypopharynx.

• Diaphragm: is the primary muscle used in the process of inspiration or inhalation. It is a dome-shaped sheet of muscle that is inserted into the lower ribs. Lying at the base of the thorax (chest), it separates the abdominal cavity from the thoracic cavity. It is a thin, skeletal muscle that can contract voluntarily.

Stomach: is located in the upper-left area of the abdomen below the liver and next to the spleen. The stomach is located in the upper-left area of the abdomen below the liver and next to the spleen. Its main function is to store and break down the foods and liquids that we consume before those contents travel to other organs to be further digested.

Spleen: is the organ that is responsible for both the storage and purification of red blood cells. It is positioned in the left upper abdomen and is the largest organ of the lymphatic system. The spleen serves a critical role in immune function because it purifies the blood and helps the immune system to recognize and attack foreign pathogens and allergens.

Liver: is your body’s largest solid organ. On average, it weighs around 3 pounds in adulthood and is roughly the size of a football. This organ is vital to the body’s metabolic functions and the immune system. Without a functioning liver, a person cannot survive.

The liver’s position is mostly in the right upper portion of the stomach, just below the diaphragm A portion of the liver goes into the left upper abdomen as well.

• Gallbladder: The gallbladder is a pear-shaped, hollow structure located under the liver and on the right side of the abdomen. Its primary function is to store and concentrate bile, a yellow-brown digestive enzyme produced by the liver. The gallbladder is part of the biliary tract.

Pancreas: The pancreas is a glandular organ that produces a number of hormones essential to the body. It forms an integral part of the digestive system. The pancreas is located below and behind the stomach, in the curve of the duodenum, which is a part of the small intestine.

Small intestine: The small intestine is made up of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. Together with the esophagus, large intestine, and the stomach, it forms the gastrointestinal tract. In living humans, the small intestine alone measures about 6 to 7 meters long. After death, this length can increase by up to half. It has a surface area of over 200 meters.

Excretory System :

The excretory system consists of the organs that remove metabolic wastes from the body. In humans, this includes the removal of liquid nitrogenous waste in the form of urine, and solid wastes especially from the breakdown of hemoglobin. The removal of urine is accomplished by the urinary tract, while solid wastes are expelled through egestion from the large intestine.

The excretory system functions as the bulwark and balance to the digestive system. While we consume food and drink to nourish the body and provide energy, the excretory system ensures that homeostasis is maintained, irrespective of changes to the nutritive value of food.

It regulates the fluid balance of the body, maintaining adequate salt and water levels. When there is excess water, it is removed through the production of hypotonic urine. When we consume salty food or lose water through perspiration, the concentration of urine is increased, to preserve the osmolarity of body fluids.

The excretory system, especially the urinary tract, is necessary for preventing the toxic build-up of nitrogenous wastes, such as ammonia or urea.

Excretory System organs :

• Kidneys
• Urinary Bladder
• Liver
• Large Intestine
• Skin

Skeletal System :

The skeletal system gives the body its basic framework, providing structure, protection, and movement. The 206 bones in the body also produce blood cells, store important minerals, and release hormones necessary for bodily functions. Unlike other living organs, bones are firm and strong, but they have their own blood, lymphatic vessels, and nerves.

Muscular System :

The muscular system is comprised of the sum total of muscles throughout the body that move the skeleton, maintain posture through a steady contraction, and generate heat through cell metabolism. Without muscle, humans could not live. The primary job of muscle is to move the bones of the skeleton, but muscles also enable the heart to beat and constitute the walls of other important hollow organs. Humans have three types of muscle. Muscle movement happens when neurological signals produce electrical changes in muscle cells

Circulatory System:

The circulatory system is a body-wide network of blood, blood vessels, and lymph. Powered by the heart, it is the body’s distribution system to organs with oxygen, hormones, and essential nutrients that helps it function properly.

Learn more about these body parts in the circulatory system:

The heart is a mostly hollow, muscular organ composed of cardiac muscles and connective tissue that acts as a pump to distribute blood throughout the body’s tissues. The heart is the epicenter of the circulatory system, which supplies the body with oxygen and other important nutrients needed to sustain life.

Lungs: The cone-shaped lungs are sponge-like organs that fill the chest cavity and make up most of the lower respiratory tract. Their most important job is providing oxygen to capillaries so they can oxygenate the blood.

Brain:  is an organ that’s made up of a large mass of nerve tissue that’s protected within the skull. It plays a role in just about every major body system.

Kidneys: are two bean-shaped organs in the renal system. They help the body pass waste as urine. They also help filter blood before sending it back to the heart.

The kidneys perform many crucial functions, including:

• Maintaining overall fluid balance
• Regulating and filtering minerals from the blood
• Filtering waste materials from food, medications, and toxic substances
• Creating hormones that help produce red blood cells, promote bone health, and regulate blood pressure.

Endocrine System :

The human endocrine system, a group of the ductless glands that regulates body processes by secreting chemical substances called hormones. Hormones act on nearby tissues or are carried in the bloodstream to act on specific target organs and distant tissues. Diseases of the endocrine system can result from the oversecretion or under secretion of hormones or from the inability of target organs or tissues to respond to hormones effectively.

Your endocrine system includes all the glands in your body that make hormones. These chemical messengers play a key role in making sure your body works the way it should.

If your endocrine system isn’t healthy, you might have problems developing during puberty, getting pregnant, or managing stress. You also might gain weight easily, have weak bones, or lack energy because too much sugar stays in your blood instead of moving into your cells where it’s needed for energy.

Key parts of the Endocrine System :

• Hypothalamus
• Pineal
• Thyroid
• Parathyroid
• Thymus
• Adrenals
• Pancreas
• Ovaries
• Testes

Reproductive System – Female :

The female reproductive system encompasses all necessary female organs needed to conceive and bear a child.

Learn more about these body parts in the female reproductive system:

Vagina: In the central nervous system, there are three different layers that cover the spinal cord and brain. These are called the meninges, and their three levels consist of the: pia, arachnoid, and dura mater. Bone is situated above these layers, followed by periosteum (a fibrous membrane that covers bone) and skin. The dura mater is the top layer of the meninges, lying beneath the bone tissue.

Cervix:  The cervix of the uterus, also known as the cervix or uterine cervix, attaches the vagina to the uterus. the length of the cervix can be affected by age and childbirth, along with individual (genetic) variations.

Ovary: The ovary is a ductless reproductive gland in which the female reproductive cells are produced. Females have a pair of ovaries, held by a membrane beside the uterus on each side of the lower abdomen. The ovary is needed in reproduction since it is responsible for producing the female reproductive cells, or ova.

Uterus: The uterus is an organ of the female reproductive system. It’s shaped like an upside-down pear and has thick walls. The uterus’s main function is to house and nourish a fetus until it’s ready for birth. The uterus sits in the middle of the pelvis, behind the bladder and in front of the rectum.

Reproductive System – Male :

The male reproductive system consists of a series of organs used during sexual intercourse and procreation. The primary organs are the gonads, or sex glands, which produce sperm. In men, these are the testes.

Learn more about these body parts in the male reproductive system:

Penis:  The glans penis can be described as the rounded head (or tip) of the penis. Located in the middle of the glans penis is the opening of the urethra, the tube through which semen and urine exit the body. Often referred to as the penis’s ‘head,’ the term glans penis was derived from the Latin word for ‘acorn.’ This nickname was chosen due to the acorn-like shape of the glans of the penis.

Testis: The testes (plural) are the most essential organs of the male reproductive system. They are the glands where sperm and testosterone are produced.

Epididymis:  The epididymis is a long, coiled tube that stores sperm and transports it from the testes.

 Vas deferens:  The ductus deferens, or the vas deferens, is a male anatomical part; there are two of these ducts and their purpose is to carry ejaculatory sperm out of the epididymis.

Lympathic ( Immune ) System :

The lymphatic system is a network of tissues and organs that passes through all our tissues that help rid the body of toxins, waste, and other unwanted materials. The primary function of the lymphatic system is to transport lymph, a fluid containing infection-fighting white blood cells, throughout the body.

The lymphatic system primarily consists of lymphatic vessels, which are similar to the circulatory system’s veins and capillaries. The vessels are connected to lymph nodes, where the lymph is filtered. The tonsils, adenoids, spleen, and thymus are all part of the lymphatic system.

Facts about lymphatic System :

• The lymphatic system plays a key role in the immune system, fluid balance, and absorption of fats and fat-soluble nutrients.
• As lymph vessels drain fluid from body tissues, this enables foreign material to be delivered to the lymph nodes for assessment by immune system cells.
• The lymph nodes swell in response to infection, due to a build-up of lymph fluid, bacteria, or other organisms and immune system cells.
• Lymph nodes can also become infected, in a condition known as lymphadenitis.
• If lymph nodes remain swollen, if they are hard and rubbery, and if there are other symptoms, you should see a doctor.

Allergies: An allergy is a reaction the body has to a particular food or substance.

They are particularly common in children. Some allergies go away as a child gets older, although many are lifelong. Adults can develop allergies to things they weren’t previously allergic to.

Having an allergy can be a nuisance and affect your everyday activities, but most allergic reactions are mild and can be largely kept under control. Severe reactions can occasionally occur, but these are uncommon.

Allergies to pollen (hay fever) occur during certain parts of the year. You can have an allergy to:

• Tree pollen, released during spring
• Grass pollen, released during the end of spring and beginning of summer
• Weed pollen released any time from early spring to late autumn

It’s highly likely that the pollen will also cause other symptoms, such as sneezing and a runny or blocked nose.

Symptoms of Allergic reactions: Allergic reactions usually happen quickly within a few minutes of exposure to an allergen (Substances that cause allergic reactions are called allergens like Grass, Dust, Food, Insect bites, medication, Chemicals, Etc., ).

They can cause:

• Sneezing
• Runny or blocked nose
• Red, itchy, watery eyes
• Wheezing and coughing
• A red, itchy rash
• Worsening of asthma or eczema symptoms

Most allergic reactions are mild, but occasionally a severe reaction called anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock can occur. This is a medical emergency and needs urgent treatment.

Anxiety during childhood: Anxiety is a normal part of childhood. In most cases, anxiety in children is short-lived and goes away after a while. Some examples of normal worries might be:

• Being shy or being worried about being laughed at
• Being upset before and/or after being left at childcare or school
• Worrying about schoolwork, sport or their health

But many children experience anxiety more intensely and more often than other children, stopping them from getting the most out of life.

Signs of Anxiety

• Try to avoid the situation or issue they’re worried about
• Get headaches and stomach aches often, especially when away from home
• Have trouble sleeping or have vivid nightmares
• Worry often
• Need a lot of reassurance
• Want things to be perfect and get upset if they’re not

Anxiety in Teenagers: A bit of anxiety from time to time is normal, especially for teenagers. It can help with motivation around school, sport, or work, and can help keep them out of danger. But if these anxious feelings don’t go away, they can interfere with concentrating at school, socializing with friends, or enjoying life.

Signs of Anxiety disorders :

• Feeling constantly agitated, tense, or restless
• Having physical signs, including sore muscles, a racing heart, sweating, headache or stomach aches
• Being sensitive to criticism or extremely self-conscious
• Always expecting the worst to happen
• Avoiding difficult or new situations
• Being withdrawn
• Having trouble concentrating and starting or finishing schoolwork
• Having trouble sleeping.

Types of anxiety in teenagers :

• Social phobia or social anxiety
• Generalized anxiety disorder
• Specific phobias
• Panic disorder
• Agoraphobia
• Separation anxiety

Arthritis: Arthritis is a common condition that causes pain and inflammation in a joint. The two most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

The symptoms of arthritis you experience will vary depending on the type you have.

Symptoms of Arthritis :

It’s important to have an accurate diagnosis if you have:

• Joint pain, tenderness, and stiffness
• Inflammation in and around the joints
• Restricted movement of the joints
• Warm, red skin over the affected joint
• Weakness and muscle wasting.

Chest Infection: Chest infections are common, especially after a cold or flu during autumn and winter. Although most are mild and get better on their own, some can be serious or even life-threatening.

Symptoms of Chest Infection: The main symptoms of a chest infection can include:

• A persistent cough
• Coughing up yellow or green phlegm (thick mucus), or coughing up blood
• Breathlessness or rapid and shallow breathing
• Wheezing
• A high temperature (fever)
• A rapid heartbeat
• Chest pain or tightness
• Feeling confused and disorientated

You may also experience more general symptoms of an infection, such as a headache, fatigue, sweating, loss of appetite, or joint and muscle pain.

Chickenpox: Chickenpox is a mild and common childhood illness that most children catch at some point. It causes a rash of red, itchy spots that turn into fluid-filled blisters. They then crust over to form scabs, which eventually drop off.

Some children have only a few spots, but other children can have spots that cover their entire body.

Symptoms of Chickenpox: The most commonly recognized chickenpox symptom is a spotty, blistering red rash that can cover the entire body.

The spots normally appear in clusters and tend to be:

• Behind the ears
• On the face
• Over the scalp
• On the chest and belly
• On the arms and legs

Although the rash starts as small, itchy red spots, develop a blister on top and become intensely itchy after about 12-14 hours.

After a day or two, the fluid in the blisters gets cloudy and they begin to dry out and crust over.

After 1 to 2 weeks, the crusting skin will fall off naturally.

New spots can keep appearing in waves for 3 to 5 days after the rash begins. Therefore, different clusters of spots may be at different stages of blistering or drying out.

Cold Sores: Cold sores are small blisters that develop on the lips or around the mouth. They’re caused by the herpes simplex virus and usually clear up without treatment within 7 to 10 days.

An outbreak of cold sores may happen sometime later. Cold sores often start with a tingling, itching, or burning sensation around your mouth. Small fluid-filled sores then appear, usually on the edges of your lower lip.

Symptoms of Cold Sores :

Symptoms of the primary infection are most likely to develop in children younger than five years old. Symptoms include:

• Swollen and irritated gums with small, painful sores in and around the mouth – this is known as herpes simplex gingivostomatitis
• Sore throat and swollen glands
• producing more saliva than normal
• high temperature (fever) of 100.4F or above
• dehydration
• feeling sick (nausea)
• headaches

Common Cold: A cold is a mild viral infection of the nose, throat, sinuses, and upper airways. It’s very common and usually clears up on its own within a week or two.

Symptoms of Common Cold :

• A sore throat
• A blocked or runny nose
• Sneezing
• A cough
• A hoarse Voice
• Generally feeling unwell

More severe symptoms, including a high temperature (fever), headache and aching muscles can also occur, although these tend to be associated more with flu

Conjunctivitis: Conjunctivitis is a common condition that causes redness and inflammation of the thin layer of tissue that covers the front of the eye (the conjunctiva).

Symptoms of Conjunctivitis:  The symptoms of conjunctivitis will depend on what’s causing the condition.

However, the two main symptoms are usually:

• Eye redness – as a result of the inflammation and widening of the tiny blood vessels in the conjunctiva (the thin layer of cells covering the front of the eyes)
• A discharge – the conjunctiva contains thousands of cells that produce mucus and tiny glands that produce tears – inflammation causes the glands to become overactive so that they produce more water and mucus

Only one eye tends to be affected at first, but symptoms usually affect both eyes within a few hours.

Infective conjunctivitis

If you have infective conjunctivitis, you may also have:

• A burning sensation in your eyes
• A feeling of grit in your eyes
• A sticky coating on the eyelashes – usually when you first wake up in the morning
• An enlarged lymph node (gland) in front of the ear

Allergic conjunctivitis

You may have itchy eyes if you have allergic conjunctivitis. The pattern of symptoms for allergic conjunctivitis depends on the substance you’re allergic to.

Constipation: Constipation is a common condition that affects people of all ages. It can mean that you’re not passing stools regularly or you’re unable to completely empty your bowel. Constipation can also cause your stools to be hard and lumpy, as well as unusually large or small.

 Symptoms of Constipation:  If you or your child pass stools less than usual, it could be a sign of constipation. It may also be more difficult to pass stools and you may feel unable to empty your bowel completely. Your stools may appear dry, hard, and lumpy, as well as abnormally large or small.

Other symptoms can include:

• Stomach ache and cramps
• Feeling bloated
• Feeling sick
• Loss of appetite

A child with constipation may also have any of the following symptoms:

• loss of appetite
• a lack of energy
• being irritable, angry or unhappy
• foul-smelling wind and stools
• stomach pain and discomfort
• soiling their clothes
• generally feeling unwell

Cough: A cough is a reflex action to clear your airways of mucus and irritants such as dust or smoke. It’s rarely a sign of anything serious.

A “dry cough” means it’s tickly and doesn’t produce any phlegm (thick mucus). A “chesty cough” means phlegm is produced to help clear your airways. Most coughs clear up within three weeks and don’t require any treatment. For more persistent coughs, it’s a good idea to see your GP so they can investigate the cause.

Symptoms of cough :

Short-term Cough :

Common causes of a short-term cough include:

• an upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) that affects the throat, windpipe or sinuses – examples are a cold, flu, laryngitis, sinusitis or whooping cough
• a lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) that affects your lungs or lower airways – examples are acute bronchitis or pneumonia
• an allergy, such as allergic rhinitis or hay fever
• a flare-up of a long-term condition such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or chronic bronchitis
• inhaled dust or smoke

In rare cases, a short-term cough may be the first sign of a health condition that causes a persistent cough.

Persistent coughs

A persistent cough may be caused by:

• A long-term respiratory tract infection, such as chronic bronchitis
• asthma – this also usually causes other symptoms, such as wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath
• An allergy
• Smoking – a smoker’s cough can also be a symptom of COPD
• Bronchiectasis – where the airways of the lungs become abnormally widened
• Postnasal drip – mucus dripping down the throat from the back of the nose, caused by a condition such as rhinitis or sinusitis
• Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) – where the throat becomes irritated by leaking stomach acid
• A prescribed medicine, such as an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE inhibitor), which is used to treat high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease

Dehydration: This occurs when your body loses more fluid than you take in.

When the normal water content of your body is reduced, it upsets the balance of minerals (salts and sugar) in your body, which affects the way it functions. Water makes up over two-thirds of the healthy human body. It lubricates the joints and eyes, aids digestion, flushes out waste and toxins, and keeps the skin healthy.

Symptoms of dehydration :

• Feeling thirsty and lightheaded
• A dry mouth
• Tiredness
• Having dark-colored, strong-smelling urine
• Passing urine less often than usual

A baby may be dehydrated if they:

• Have a sunken soft spot (fontanelle) on their head
• Have few or no tears when they cry
• Have fewer wet nappies
• Are drowsy

The body is affected even when you lose a small amount of fluid. If dehydration is ongoing (chronic), it can affect your kidney function and increase the risk of kidney stones. It can also lead to muscle damage and constipation.

Dental Abscess: A dental abscess is a collection of pus that can form inside the teeth, in the gums, or in the bone that holds the teeth in place. It’s caused by a bacterial infection.

An abscess at the end of a tooth is called a periapical abscess. An abscess in the gum is called a periodontal abscess.

Symptoms of Dental Abscess :

• An intense, throbbing pain in the affected tooth or gum that may come on suddenly and gets gradually worse
• Pain that spreads to your ear, jaw, and neck on the same side as the affected tooth or gum
• Pain that’s worse when lying down, which may disturb your sleep
• Redness and swelling in your face
• A tender, discolored and/or lose a tooth
• Shiny, red and swollen gums
• Sensitivity to hot or cold food and drink
• Bad breath and/or an unpleasant taste in your mouth

Dental abscesses are often painful but aren’t always. In either case, they should be looked at by a dentist.

Diarrhea: is passing looser or more frequent stools than is normal for you. It affects most people from time to time and is usually nothing to worry about. However, it can be distressing and unpleasant until it passes, which normally takes a few days to a week.

Symptoms of Diarrhea :

There are many different causes of diarrhea, but a bowel infection (gastroenteritis) is a common cause in both adults and children.

Gastroenteritis can be caused by:

• A virus – such as a norovirus or a rotavirus
• Bacteria – such as campylobacter and Escherichia coli (E. coli), which are often picked up from contaminated food
• A parasite – such as a parasite that causes giardiasis, which is spread in contaminated water

Other possible causes of short-term diarrhea include:

• Feelings of anxiety
• Drinking too much alcohol
• A food allergy
• Appendicitis
• Damage to the lining of the intestines as a result of radiotherapy

Dry Mouth: It’s normal to occasionally have a dry mouth if you’re dehydrated or feeling nervous, but a persistently dry mouth can be a sign of an underlying problem.

You should see your dentist or GP if you have an unusually dry mouth (known as xerostomia) so they can try to determine the cause.

Symptoms of Dry Mouth: A dry mouth can occur when the salivary glands in your mouth don’t produce enough saliva.

This is often the result of dehydration, which means you don’t have enough fluid in your body to produce the saliva you need. It’s also common for your mouth to become dry if you’re feeling anxious or nervous.

Earache: is a common problem, particularly in children. It can be worrying, but it’s usually only caused by a minor infection and will often get better in a few days without treatment. Earache can be a sharp, dull, or burning ear pain that comes and goes or is constant. One or both ears may be affected.

Common Causes of Earache :

• Ear Infections
• Glue ear
• Damage to the ear
• Earwax or an object in an ear
• Throat Infections
• A problem with your Jaw
• A dental abscess

Epilepsy:  is a condition that affects the brain and causes repeated seizures (The cells in the brain, known as neurons, conduct electrical signals, and communicate with each other in the brain using chemical messengers. During a seizure, there are abnormal bursts of neurons firing off electrical impulses, which can cause the brain and body to behave strangely).

Symptoms of Epilepsy :

The main symptoms of epilepsy are repeated seizures. There are many different types of seizures, depending on the area of the brain affected.

People with epilepsy can experience any type of seizure, although most people have a consistent pattern of symptoms.

Seizures can occur when you are awake or asleep.

Doctors classify seizures by how much of the brain is affected. There are:

• Partial (or focal) seizures – where only a small part of the brain is affected
• Generalized seizures – where most or all of the brain is affected

Some seizures do not fit into these categories and are known as unclassified seizures.

Fever in Children: A fever is a high temperature. As a general rule, in children a temperature of over 99.5F  (37.5C) is a fever. As a parent it can be extremely worrying if your child has a high temperature. However, it’s very common and often clears up by itself without treatment.

Causes of high fever:  Most fevers are caused by infections or other illnesses. The high body temperature makes it more difficult for the bacteria and viruses that cause infections to survive.

Common conditions that can cause fevers to include:

• Upper respiratory tract infections (RTIs)
• Flu
• Ear infections
• Roseola – a virus that causes a temperature and a rash
• Tonsillitis
• Kidney or urinary tract infections (UTIs)
• Common childhood illnesses, such as chickenpox and whooping cough

Flu : (influenza) is a common infectious viral illness spread by coughs and sneezes. It can be very unpleasant, but you’ll usually begin to feel better within about a week. You can catch flu all year round, but it’s especially common in winter, which is why it’s also known as seasonal flu.

Symptoms of Flu :

• A sudden fever – a temperature of 100.4F ( 38C ) or above
• A dry, chesty cough
• A headache
• Tiredness and weakness
• Chills
• Aching muscles
• Limb or joint pain
• Diarrhea or abdominal (tummy) pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• A sore throat
• A runny or blocked nose
• Sneezing
• Loss of appetite
• Difficulty sleeping

Food poisoning: is an illness caused by eating contaminated food. It’s not usually serious and most people get better within a few days without treatment.

Symptoms:  They may start at any point between a few hours and several weeks later.

• Feeling sick (nausea)
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea, which may contain blood or mucus
• Stomach cramps and abdominal (tummy) pain
• A lack of energy and weakness
• Loss of appetite
• A high temperature (fever)
• Aching muscles
• Chills

In most cases, these symptoms will pass in a few days and you will make a full recovery.

Gallstones: are small stones, usually made of cholesterol, that form in the gallbladder. In most cases they don’t cause any symptoms and don’t need to be treated.

However, if a gallstone becomes trapped in a duct (opening) inside the gallbladder it can trigger a sudden intense abdominal pain that usually lasts between 1 and 5 hours. This type of abdominal pain is known as biliary colic.

Symptoms :

The pain can be felt:

• In the center of your abdomen (tummy)
• Just under the ribs on your right-hand side – it may spread from here to your side or shoulder blade

Other Symptoms

• A high temperature of 100.4F (38C) or above
• More persistent pain
• A rapid heartbeat
• Yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice)
• Itchy skin
• Diarrhea
• Chills or shivering attacks
• Confusion
• A loss of appetite

Gout: is a type of arthritis in which small crystals form inside and around the joints. It causes sudden attacks of severe pain and swelling.

The condition mainly affects men over 30 and women after the menopause. Overall, gout is more common in men than in women. Gout can be extremely painful and debilitating, but treatments are available to help relieve the symptoms and prevent further attacks.

Symptoms of Gout :

• The sudden attack of severe pain in one or more joints, typically your big toe.
• The joint feeling hot and very tender, to the point of being unable to bear anything touching it
• Swelling in and around the affected joint
• Red, shiny skin over the affected joint feeling, itchy and flaky skin as the swelling goes down

Gout can affect almost any joint and can occur in more than one joint at the same time.

The joints towards the ends of the limbs tend to be affected more often, including the:

• Toes – particularly the big toe joint
• Midfoot (where your shoelaces sit)
• Ankles
• Knees
• Fingers
• Wrists
• Elbows

Hemorrhoids (Piles):  are swellings containing enlarged blood vessels that are found inside or around the bottom (the rectum and anus). In many cases, hemorrhoids don’t cause symptoms, and some people don’t even realize they have them.

Symptoms :

• Bleeding after passing a stool (the blood is usually bright red)
• Itchy bottom
• A lump hanging down outside of the anus, which may need to be pushed back in after passing a stool
• A mucus discharge after passing a stool
• Soreness, redness and swelling around your anus

Headache: Millions of people around the globe get headaches regularly, making them one of the most common health complaints. But most aren’t serious and are easily treated. In many cases, you can treat your headaches at home with over-the-counter painkillers and lifestyle changes, such as getting more rest and drinking enough fluids.

Types of headache :

Tension headache – Due to stress, poor posture, skipping meals, and dehydration.

Migraines – usually felt as a severe, throbbing pain at the front or side of the head. Some people also have other symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and increased sensitivity to light or sound.

Cluster headache – excruciatingly painful, causing intense pain around one eye, and often occur with other symptoms, such as a watering or red-eye and a blocked or runny nose.

Medication/painkiller headache – is a side effect of taking a particular medication. Frequent headaches can also be caused by taking too many painkillers.

Hormone headache – in women is often caused by hormones, and many women notice a link with their periods. The combined contraceptive pill, menopause and pregnancy are also potential triggers.

Other causes of headache :

• Drinking too much alcohol
• A head injury or concussion
• A cold or flu
• Temporomandibular disorders – problems affecting the “chewing” muscles and the joints between the lower jaw and the base of the skull
• Sinusitis – Inflammation of the lining of the sinuses
• Carbon monoxide poisoning

Cholesterol: is a fatty substance known as a lipid and is vital for the normal functioning of the body. It’s mainly made by the liver, but can also be found in some foods. High cholesterol itself doesn’t usually cause any symptoms, but it increases your risk of serious health conditions.

What causes high Cholesterol :

• An unhealthy diet – in particular, eating high levels of saturated fat
• Smoking – a chemical found in cigarettes called acrolein stops HDL transporting cholesterol from fatty deposits to the liver, leading to narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis)
• Having diabetes or high blood pressure (hypertension)
• Having a family history of stroke or heart disease

• There’s also an inherited condition called familial hypercholesterolemia, which can cause high cholesterol even in someone who eats healthily.

High Cholesterol can increase the risk of  :

• Narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis)
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Transient ischaemic attack (TIA) – often known as a “mini-stroke”
• Peripheral arterial disease (PAD)

Indigestion: Can be pain or discomfort in your upper abdomen (dyspepsia) or burning pain behind the breastbone (heartburn). Dyspepsia and heartburn may occur together or on their own. Symptoms usually appear soon after eating or drinking.

Symptoms: The main symptom of indigestion is pain or a feeling of discomfort in your upper abdomen (dyspepsia).

• Feeling uncomfortably full or heavy
• Belching or flatulence (passing wind)
• Bringing food or fluid back up from your stomach (reflux)
• Bloating
• Feeling sick (nausea)
• Vomiting

Itching: is an unpleasant sensation that compels a person to scratch the affected area. The medical name for itching is pruritus.

Itching can affect any area of the body. It can either be:

• Generalized – where itching occurs over the whole body
• Localized – where itching only occurs in a particular area

Sometimes, there may be a rash or spot where the itching occurs.

Causes of Itching :

• Dry skin
• Eczema – where the skin is dry, red, flaky and itchy
• Contact dermatitis – inflammation of the skin that occurs when you come into contact with an irritant or allergen (see below)
• Urticaria – also known as hives, welts or nettle rash; urticaria is triggered by an allergen and causes a raised, red itchy rash to develop
• Lichen planus – an itchy rash of unknown cause
• Psoriasis – a skin condition that causes red, flaky, crusty patches of skin covered with silvery scales
• Dandruff –  a common skin condition that causes dry white or grey flakes of dead skin to appear in the scalp or hair
• Folliculitis – a skin condition caused by inflamed hair follicles
• Prurigo – small blisters (fluid-filled swellings) that are very itchy
• Cosmetic ingredients, such as preservatives, fragrances, hair dye, and nail varnish hardeners
• Certain metals, such as nickel or cobalt in jewelry
• Rubber – including latex
• Textiles – particularly the dyes and resins that are contained in them
• Some plants – such as chrysanthemums, sunflowers, daffodils, tulips, and primula
• An allergy to certain foods or types of medication (for example, aspirin and a group of medicines called opioids)
• Prickly heat – an itchy rash that appears in hot, humid weather conditions
• Sunburn – skin damage caused by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays

Kidney stones:  Can develop in one or both kidneys and most often affect people aged 30 to 60.

The medical term for kidney stones is nephrolithiasis, and if they cause severe pain it’s known as renal colic.

Symptoms: Very small kidney stones are unlikely to cause many symptoms. It may even go undetected and pass out painlessly when you urinate.

• Gets stuck in your kidney

• Starts to travel down the ureter (the tube that attaches each kidney to the bladder) – the ureter is narrow and kidney stones can cause pain as they try to pass-through
• Causes an infection
• A persistent ache in the lower back, which is sometimes also felt in the groin – men may have pain in their testicles and scrotum
• Periods of intense pain in the back or side of your abdomen, or occasionally in your groin, which may last for minutes or hours
• Feeling restless and unable to lie still
• Nausea (feeling sick)
• Needing to urinate more often than normal
• Pain when you urinate (dysuria)
• Blood in your urine (haematuria) – this may be caused by the stone scratching the kidney or ureter

Malnutrition: is a serious condition that occurs when a person’s diet doesn’t contain the right amount of nutrients. Malnutrition means “poor nutrition” and can refer to:

• Undernutrition – when you don’t get enough nutrients
• Overnutrition – when you get more nutrients than you need

Medical conditions that can lead to malnutrition include :

• A condition that causes a lack of appetites, such as cancer, liver disease, persistent pain or nausea
• A mental health condition, such as depression or schizophrenia, which may affect your ability to look after yourself
• A health condition that requires frequent hospital admissions
• A health condition that disrupts your body’s ability to digest food or absorb nutrients, such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis
• Dementia – people with dementia may be unable to communicate their needs when it comes to eating
• Dysphagia – a condition that makes swallowing difficult or painful
• Persistent vomiting or diarrhea
• An eating disorder, such as anorexia nervosa

Measles: is a highly infectious viral illness that can be very unpleasant and sometimes lead to serious complications. Anyone can get measles if they haven’t been vaccinated or they haven’t had it before, although it’s most common in young children. The infection usually clears in around 7 to 10 days.

Symptoms :

• A runny or blocked nose
• Sneezing
• Watery eyes
• Swollen eyelids
• Sore, red eyes that may be sensitive to light
• A high temperature (fever), which may reach around 40C (104F)
• Small greyish-white spots in the mouth (see below)
• Aches and pains
• A cough
• Loss of appetite
• Tiredness, irritability and a general lack of energy
• Many people with measles develop small greyish-white spots in their mouth before the rash appears.

Measles Rash :

• Is made up of small red-brown, flat or slightly raised spots that may join together into larger blotchy patches
• Usually first appears on the head or neck, before spreading outwards to the rest of the body
• Is slightly itchy for some people
• It can look similar to other childhood conditions, such as slapped cheek syndrome, roseola, or rubella.

Menopause: Is when a woman stops having periods and is no longer able to get pregnant naturally. Periods usually start to become less frequent over a few months or years before they stop altogether. Sometimes they can stop suddenly.

The menopause is a natural part of aging that usually occurs between 45 and 55 years of age, as a woman’s estrogen levels decline.

Symptoms:  Most women will experience some symptoms around the menopause. The duration and severity of these symptoms vary from woman to woman.

Symptoms usually start a few months or years before your period’s stop, known as perimenopause, and can persist for some time afterward.

• Hot flushes – short, sudden feelings of heat, usually in the face, neck, and chest, which can make your skin red and sweaty
• Night sweats – hot flushes that occur at night
• Difficulty sleeping – this may make you feel tired and irritable during the day
• A reduced sex drive (libido)
• Problems with memory and concentration
• Vaginal dryness and pain, itching or discomfort during sex
• Headaches
• Mood changes, such as low mood or anxiety
• Palpitations – heartbeats that suddenly become more noticeable
•  Joint stiffness, aches, and pains
• Reduced muscle mass
• Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs), such as cystitis
• Increases risk of developing certain other problems, such as weak bones (osteoporosis)

Migraine: A migraine is usually a moderate or severe headache felt as a throbbing pain on one side of the head. Many people also have symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and increased sensitivity to light or sound.

Migraine is a common health condition, affecting around one in every five women and around one in every 15 men. They usually begin in early adulthood.

There are several types of migraine, including:

• Migraine with aura – where there are specific warning signs just before the migraine begins, such as seeing flashing lights
• Migraine without aura – the most common type, where the migraine occurs without the specific warning signs
• Migraine aura without headache, also known as silent migraine – where an aura or other migraine symptoms are experienced, but a headache doesn’t develop

Symptoms :

Symptoms of Aura :

About one in three people with migraines have temporary warning symptoms, known as the aura, before a migraine. These include:

• Visual problems – such as seeing flashing lights, zig-zag patterns or blind spots
• Numbness or a tingling sensation like pins and needles – which usually starts in one hand and moves up your arm before affecting your face, lips, and tongue
• Feeling dizzy or off-balance
• Difficulty speaking
• Loss of consciousness – although this is unusual

Aura symptoms typically develop over the course of about five minutes and last for up to an hour. Some people may experience aura followed by only a mild headache or no headache at all.

Other Symptoms :

• Migraine is usually an intense headache on one side of the head.
• In some cases, the pain can occur on both sides of your head and may affect your face or neck.
• Nausea

• Vomiting
• Increased sensitivity to light and sound – which is why many people with migraine want to rest in a quiet, dark room

Some people also occasionally experience other symptoms, including:

• Sweating
• Poor concentration,
• Feeling very hot or very cold
• Abdominal (tummy) pain
• Diarrhea

Not everyone with a migraine experience these additional symptoms and some people may experience them without having a headache.

The symptoms of a migraine usually last between four hours and three days, although you may feel very tired for up to a week afterward.  

Obesity: The term ‘obese’ describes a person who’s very overweight, with a lot of body fat. Obesity is generally caused by eating too much and moving too little.

Causes of Obesity :

Calories: The energy value of food is measured in units called calories. The average physically active man needs about 2,500 calories a day to maintain a healthy weight, and the average physically active woman needs about 2,000 calories a day. This amount of calories may sound high, but it can be easy to reach if you eat certain types of food like Burger, fries, etc., Another problem is that many people aren’t physically active, so lots of the calories they consume end up being stored in their body as fat.

Poor diet: Obesity doesn’t happen overnight. It develops gradually over time, as a result of poor diet and lifestyle choices, such as:

• Eating large amounts of processed or fast food – that’s high in fat and sugar
• Drinking too much alcohol – alcohol contains a lot of calories, and people who drink heavily are often overweight
• Eating out a lot – you may be tempted to also have a starter or dessert in a restaurant, and the food can be higher in fat and sugar
• Eating larger portions than you need – you may be encouraged to eat too much if your friends or relatives are also eating large portions
• Drinking too many sugary drinks – including soft drinks and fruit juice
• Comfort eating – if you have low self-esteem or feel depressed, you may eat to make yourself feel better

Unhealthy eating habits tend to run in families. You may learn bad eating habits from your parents when you’re young and continue them into adulthood.

Lack of physical activity: is another important factor related to obesity. Many people have jobs that involve sitting at a desk for most of the day. They also rely on their cars, rather than walking or cycling.

For relaxation, many people tend to watch TV, browse the internet or play computer games, and rarely take regular exercise.

If you’re not active enough, you don’t use the energy provided by the food you eat, and the extra energy you consume is stored by the body as fat.

Genetics: Some people claim there’s no point trying to lose weight because “it runs in my family” or “it’s in my genes”.

While there are some rare genetic conditions that can cause obesity, such as Prader-Willi syndrome, there’s no reason why most people can’t lose weight.

It may be true that certain genetic traits inherited from your parents – such as having a large appetite – may make losing weight more difficult, but it certainly doesn’t make it impossible.

Medical reasons: In some cases, underlying medical conditions may contribute to weight gain. These include:

• An underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) – where your thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough hormones
• Cushing’s syndrome – a rare disorder that causes the over-production of steroid hormones

However, if conditions such as these are properly diagnosed and treated, they should pose less of a barrier to weight loss.

Certain medicines for treating different illnesses can contribute to weight gain.

Risks of obesity: It’s very important to take steps to tackle obesity because, it can lead to a number of serious and potentially life-threatening conditions, such as:

• type 2 diabetes
• coronary heart disease
• some types of cancer, such as breast cancer and bowel cancer
• stroke

Obesity can also affect your quality of life and lead to psychological problems, such as depression and low self-esteem.

Parkinson’s disease is a condition in which parts of the brain become progressively damaged over many years.

Symptoms: The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease usually develop gradually and are mild at first.

There are many different symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease. Some of the more common symptoms are described below.

Main Symptom: The three main symptoms of Parkinson’s disease affect physical movement:

• Tremor – shaking, which usually begins in the hand or arm and is more likely to occur when the limb is relaxed and resting
• The slowness of movement (bradykinesia) – where physical movements are much slower than normal, which can make everyday tasks difficult and can result in a distinctive slow, shuffling walk with very small steps
• Muscle stiffness (rigidity) – stiffness and tension in the muscles, which can make it difficult to move around and make facial expressions, and can result in painful muscle cramps (dystonia)

These main symptoms are sometimes referred to by doctors as parkinsonism as there can be causes other than Parkinson’s disease.

Physical symptoms

• Balance problems – these can make someone with the condition more likely to have a fall  and injure themselves
• Loss of sense of smell (anosmia) – sometimes occurs several years before other symptoms develop
• Nerve pain – can cause unpleasant sensations, such as burning, coldness or numbness
• Problems with urination – such as having to get up frequently during the night to urinate or unintentionally passing urine (urinary incontinence)
• Constipation
• An inability to obtain or sustain an erection (erectile dysfunction) in men
• Difficulty becoming sexually aroused and achieving an orgasm (sexual dysfunction) in women
• Dizziness, blurred vision or fainting when moving from a sitting or lying position to a standing one – caused by a sudden drop in blood pressure
• Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis)
• Swallowing difficulties (dysphagia) – this can lead to malnutrition and dehydration
• Excessive production of saliva (drooling)
• Problems sleeping (insomnia) – this can result in excessive sleepiness during the day

Cognitive and psychiatric symptoms

• Depression and anxiety
• Mild cognitive impairment – slight memory problems and problems with activities that require planning and organization
• Dementia – a group of symptoms, including more severe memory problems, personality changes, seeing things that aren’t there (visual hallucinations) and believing things that aren’t true (delusions)

Personality disorders are conditions in which an individual differs significantly from an average person, in terms of how they think, perceive, feel, or relate to others.

Changes in how a person feels and distorted beliefs about other people can lead to odd behavior, which can be distressing and may upset others.

Common features include:

• Being overwhelmed by negative feelings such as distress, anxiety, worthlessness or anger
• Avoiding other people and feeling empty and emotionally disconnected
• Difficulty managing negative feelings without self-harming (for example, abusing drugs and alcohol, or taking overdoses) or, in rare cases, threatening other people
• Odd behavior
• Difficulty maintaining stable and close relationships, especially with partners, children, and professional caretakers
• Sometimes, periods of losing contact with reality
• Often experience other mental health problems, especially depression and substance misuse.

Symptoms typically get worse with stress.

Why personality disorder occurs: Personality disorders typically emerge in adolescence and continue into adulthood.

Personality disorders may be associated with genetic and family factors. Experiences of distress or fear during childhood, such as neglect or abuse, are common.

Types of personality disorder :

Cluster A personality disorder: An example is a paranoid personality disorder, where the person is extremely distrustful and suspicious.

Cluster B personality disorder: An example is a borderline personality disorder, where the person is emotionally unstable, has impulses to self-harm, and has intense and unstable relationships with others.

Cluster C personality disorder: An example is an avoidant personality disorder, where the person appears painfully shy, socially inhibited, feels inadequate and is extremely sensitive to rejection. The person may want to be close to others but lacks the confidence to form a close relationship.

Histrionic personality disorder: is anxious about being ignored. As a result, they feel a compulsion (overwhelming urge) to be noticed, and the center of everyone’s attention.

Narcissistic personality disorder: Swings between seeing themselves as special and fearing they are worthless. They may act as if they have an inflated sense of their own importance and show an intense need for other people to look up to them.

Dependent personality disorder: A person with a dependent personality disorder feels they have no ability to be independent. They may show an excessive need for others to look after them and are “clingy”.

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder:  is anxious about issues that seem out of control or “messy”. They are preoccupied with orderliness and ways to control their environment, and may come across to others as a “control freak”.

Pneumonia: is swelling (inflammation) of the tissue in one or both lungs. It’s usually caused by a bacterial infection. At the end of the breathing tubes in your lungs are clusters of tiny air sacs. If you have pneumonia, these tiny sacs become inflamed and fill up with fluid.

Symptoms: The symptoms of pneumonia can develop suddenly over 24 to 48 hours, or they may come on more slowly over several days.

Common symptoms of pneumonia include:

• A cough – which may be dry, or produce thick yellow, green, brown or blood-stained mucus (phlegm)
• Difficulty in breathing – your breathing may be rapid and shallow, and you may feel breathless, even when resting
• Rapid heartbeat
• Fever
• Feeling generally unwell
• Sweating and shivering
• Loss of appetite
• Chest pain – which gets worse when breathing or coughing

Less common symptoms include:

• Coughing up blood (hemoptysis)
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Nausea or vomiting
• Wheezing
• Joint and muscle pain
• Feeling confused and disorientated, particularly in elderly people

Psychosis: is a mental health problem that causes people to perceive or interpret things differently from those around them. This might involve hallucinations or delusions.

Symptoms :

• Hallucinations – where a person hears, sees and, in some cases, feels, smells or tastes things that aren’t there; a common hallucination is hearing voices
• Delusions – where a person believes things that, when examined rationally, are obviously untrue – for example, thinking your next-door neighbor is planning to kill you

The combination of hallucinations and delusional thinking can often severely disrupt perception, thinking, emotion, and behavior.

Causes of Psychosis: Psychosis isn’t a condition in itself – it’s triggered by other conditions.

It’s sometimes possible to identify the cause of psychosis as a specific mental health condition, such as:

• Schizophrenia – a condition that causes a range of psychological symptoms, including hallucinations and delusions
• Bipolar disorder – a mental health condition that affects mood; a person with bipolar disorder can have episodes of depression (lows) and mania (highs)
• Severe depression – some people with depression also have symptoms of psychosis when they’re very depressed 

Scabies: is a contagious skin condition caused by tiny mites that burrow into the skin.

Symptoms: The itching is often worse at night when your skin is warmer. It may take 4 to 6 weeks before the itching starts because this is how long it takes for the body to react to mite droppings.

The scabies rash consists of tiny red spots. Scratching the rash may cause crusty sores to develop.

Burrow marks can be found anywhere on the body. They’re short (1cm or less), wavy, silver-colored lines on the skin, with a black dot at one end that can be seen with a magnifying glass.

In adults, burrow marks often appear in the following areas:

• The folds of skin between fingers and toes
• The palms of the hands
• The soles and sides of the feet
• The wrists
• The elbows
• Around the nipples (in women)
• Around the genital area (in men)

The rash usually affects the whole body, apart from the head. The following areas can be particularly affected:

• The underarm area
• Around the waist
• The inside of the elbow
• The lower buttocks
• The lower legs
• The soles of the feet
• The knees
• The shoulder blades
• The female genital area
• The groin
• Around the ankles

In infants and young children, burrow marks tend to appear in different places on their body, including on the:

• Face
• Head
• Neck
• Scalp
• Palms of the hands
• Soles of the feet

Schizophrenia: is a long-term mental health condition that causes a range of different psychological symptoms.

Symptoms :

• Positive symptoms – represent a change in behavior or thoughts, such as hallucinations or delusions.
• Thought disorder – People experiencing psychosis often have trouble keeping track of their thoughts and conversations. Some people find it hard to concentrate and will drift from one idea to another.
• Changes in behavior and thoughts – A person’s behavior may become more disorganized and unpredictable, and their appearance or dress may seem unusual to others. People with schizophrenia may behave inappropriately or become extremely agitated and shout or swear for no reason.
• Negative symptoms: represent a withdrawal or lack of function that you would usually expect to see in a healthy person; for example, people with schizophrenia often appear emotionless, flat and apathetic

• • Losing interest and motivation in life and activities, including relationships and sex
  • Lack of concentration, not wanting to leave the house, and changes in sleeping patterns
  • Being less likely to initiate conversations and feeling uncomfortable with people, or feeling there is nothing to say

Sore Throats are very common and usually nothing to worry about. They normally get better within a week. Most are caused by minor illnesses such as colds or flu and can be treated at home.

Causes of Sore Throat :

Common Cause :

• Colds or flu – you may also have a blocked or runny nose, a cough, a high temperature (fever), a headache and general aches
• Laryngitis (inflammation of the voice box) – you may also have a hoarse voice, a dry cough and a constant need to clear your throat
• Tonsillitis (inflammation of the tonsils) – you may also have red or spotty tonsils, discomfort when swallowing and a fever
• Strep throat (a bacterial throat infection) – you may also have swollen glands in your neck, discomfort when swallowing and tonsillitis
• Glandular fever – you may also feel very tired and have a fever and swollen glands in your neck

Less common cause :

• Quinsy (a painful collection of pus at the back of the throat) – the pain may be severe and you may also have difficulty opening your mouth or difficulty swallowing
• Epiglottitis (inflammation of the flap of tissue at the back of the throat) – the pain may be severe and you may have difficulty breathing and difficulty swallowing.

Tonsillitis: is inflammation of the tonsils. It’s usually caused by a viral infection or, less commonly, a bacterial infection. Tonsillitis is a common condition in children, teenagers, and young adults.

Symptoms:

• Sore throat
• Are coated or have white, pus-filled spots on them
• high temperature (fever) over 100.4F ( 38C )

• Coughing
• Headache
• Earache
• Feeling sick
• Feeling tired
• Swollen, painful lymph glands in your neck
• Loss of voice or changes to your voice

 Tooth decay: This can occur when acid is produced from plaque, which builds up on your teeth. If plaque is allowed to build up, it can lead to further problems, such as dental caries (holes in the teeth), gum disease, or dental abscesses, which are collections of pus at the end of the teeth or in the gums.

Symptoms: Tooth decay may not cause any pain.

• Toothache – either continuous pain keeping you awake or occasional sharp pain without an obvious cause
• Tooth sensitivity – you may feel tenderness or pain when eating or drinking something hot, cold or sweet
• Grey, brown or black spots appearing on your teeth
• Bad breath
• An unpleasant taste in your mouth

Visit your dentist regularly, so early tooth decay can be treated as soon as possible and the prevention of decay can begin. Tooth decay is much easier and cheaper to treat in its early stages. Dentists can usually identify tooth decay and further problems with a simple examination or X-ray.

Vertigo:  is a symptom, rather than a condition itself. It’s the sensation that you, or the environment around you, is moving or spinning. This feeling may be barely noticeable, or it may be so severe that you find it difficult to keep your balance and do everyday tasks.

Attacks of vertigo can develop suddenly and last for a few seconds, or they may last much longer. If you have severe vertigo, your symptoms may be constant and last for several days, making normal life very difficult.

Other symptoms are :

• Loss of balance – which can make it difficult to stand or walk
• Feeling sick or being sick
• Dizziness

Causes of vertigo :

• Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) – where certain head movements trigger vertigo
• Migraines – severe headaches
• Labyrinthitis – an inner ear infection
• Vestibular neuronitis – inflammation of the vestibular nerve, which runs into the inner ear and sends messages to the brain that help to control balance

Some respiratory disorders are:

• Acute bronchitis: This develops suddenly and can occur as a complication of an upper respiratory tract infection, such as a common cold, usually caused by a virus.
• Pneumonia: Pneumonia causes the smallest parts of the lungs (bronchioles and alveolar tissue) to become inflamed. Pneumonia can be fatal for elderly people, children, and others with lowered or weakened immune systems.
• Asthma: Asthma attacks are caused by constricted airways. Allergic asthma—a type caused by allergens—often develops in childhood. The number of cases of childhood asthma continues to rise.
• Tuberculosis: Tuberculosis is a contagious bacterial infection of the lungs. It continues to be a problem for people living in developing countries.

Brain related problems :

There are hundreds of conditions that can affect the brain. Most of them fall within one of five main categories:

• Brain injuries, such as concussions
• Cerebrovascular injuries, such as aneurysms or strokes
• Brain tumors, such as acoustic neuromas or schwannomas
• Neurodegenerative disorders, such as dementia, Parkinson’s disease, or Huntington’s disease
• Psychological conditions, such as anxiety, depression, or schizophrenia

Brain related Symptoms :

The brain is one of your most important body parts, so it’s important to know how to recognize signs that there may be a problem.

Brain injury symptoms

Brain injury symptoms depend on the type and severity of the injury. While they sometimes appear immediately after a traumatic event, they can also show up hours or days later.

General brain injury symptoms may include:

• Headache
• Nausea or vomiting
• Feeling confused or disoriented
• Dizziness
• Feeling tired or drowsy
• Speech problems, including slurring
• Sleeping more or less than usual
• Dilation of one or both pupils
• Fluid draining from your nose or ears
• Seizures
• Sensory problems, such as blurry vision or ringing in your ears
• Trouble remembering things or difficulty concentrating
• Mood swings or unusual behavior

Cerebrovascular injury symptoms

Symptoms tend to come on suddenly and include:

• Severe headache
• Loss of vision
• Inability to speak
• Inability to move or feel a part of the body
• Drooping face
• Coma

Brain tumor symptoms

Brain tumor symptoms depend on the size, location, and type of tumor.

General brain tumor symptoms may include:

• Headache
• Nausea or vomiting
• Loss of motor coordination, such as trouble walking
• Feeling sleepy
• Feelings of weakness
• Appetite changes
• Convulsions or seizures
• Issues with your vision, hearing, or speech
• Difficulty concentrating
• Mood swings or behavior changes

Neurodegenerative symptoms

Neurodegenerative diseases cause damage to nervous tissue over time, so their symptoms may get worse as time goes on.

General neurodegenerative symptoms include:

• Memory loss or forgetfulness
• Changes in mood, personality, or behavior
• Issues with motor coordination, such as difficulty walking or staying balanced
• Speech issues, such as slurring or hesitation before speaking

Psychological symptoms

Symptoms of psychological conditions can be very different from person to person, even when they involve the same condition.

Some general symptoms of a psychological condition include:

• Excessive feelings of fear, worry, or guilt
• Feeling sad or dejected
• Confusion
• Difficulty concentrating
• Low energy
• Extreme stress that gets in the way of daily activities
• Extreme mood swings
• Withdrawal from loved ones or activities
• Delusions or hallucinations
• Suicidal ideation

Symptoms related to Kidney problems :

Kidney conditions can cause a range of symptoms. Some common ones include:

• Trouble sleeping
• Fatigue
• Inability to concentrate
• Dry, itchy skin
• Increased or decreased urination
• Blood in urine
• Foamy urine
• Puffiness around the eyes
• Foot or ankle swelling
• Reduced appetite
• Muscle cramps

If you notice any of these symptoms, contact your doctor. Depending on your symptoms, they may do some kidney function tests to make a diagnosis.

Nose related Symptoms: The most common medical condition related to the nose is nasal congestion. This can be caused by colds or flu, allergies, or environmental factors, resulting in inflammation of the nasal passages. The body’s response to congestion is to convulsively expel air through the nose by a sneeze.

Nosebleeds, known medically as epistaxis, is a second common medical issue of the nose. As many as 60 percents of people report nosebleed experiences, with the highest rates found in children under 10 and adults over 50.

Some Lungs related respiratory disorders are:

• Acute bronchitis: This develops suddenly and can occur as a complication of an upper respiratory tract infection, such as a common cold, usually caused by a virus.
• Pneumonia: Pneumonia causes the smallest parts of the lungs (bronchioles and alveolar tissue) to become inflamed. Pneumonia can be fatal for elderly people, children, and others with lowered or weakened immune systems.
• Asthma: Asthma attacks are caused by constricted airways. Allergic asthma—a type caused by allergens—often develops in childhood. The number of cases of childhood asthma continues to rise.
• Tuberculosis: Tuberculosis is a contagious bacterial infection of the lungs. It continues to be a problem for people living in developing countries.

Bronchi related Symptoms: When the bronchi become swollen due to irritants or infection, bronchitis results and makes breathing more difficult. Bronchitis sufferers also tend to have much more mucus and phlegm than someone without inflamed bronchi.

There are a number of problems that can develop with the tongue. These include:

• Nerve damage that inhibits tongue movement and can make speaking and chewing difficult
• Taste abnormalities caused by damage to the taste buds from infection or injuries, such as burns
• Pain in the tongue can be caused by mouth ulcers, anemia, or even mouth cancer.

Stomach :

Because the chemicals in the stomach work due to a subtle balance, many problems can arise with the stomach. Some common conditions related to the stomach include:

• Indigestion
• Heartburn
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Peptic Ulcers
• Crohn’s disease

Symptoms of Liver :

There are more than 100 types of liver diseases. Many conditions begin as flu-like symptoms and progress to more severe signs of liver damage, such as jaundice\ and dark-colored urine.

Other symptoms of liver problems include:

• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Joint pain
• Stomach discomfort or pain
• Nose bleeds
• Abnormal blood vessels on the skin (spider angiomas)
• Itchy skin
• Weakness
• A low sex drive

More serious symptoms include:

• Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
• Confusion and difficulty thinking clearly
• Abdominal swelling (ascites)
• Swelling of the legs (edema)
• Impotence
• Gynecomastia (when males start to develop breast tissue)
• Enlarged liver(hepatomegaly)
• Dark urine
• Pale-colored stools

If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above, see your doctor immediately.

Bones: The most common condition that affects bones is a fracture, which occurs when a bone endures such a great impact that it breaks.

Other common conditions that affect the skeletal system include:

• Osteoporosis: This is a disease in which the bones become fragile and prone to fracture.
• Leukemia: This is a cancer of the white blood cells.
• Osteopenia, osteitis deformans, and osteomalacia: Similar to osteoporosis, these are other types of bone loss.
• Scoliosis, kyphosis, and lordosis: These are abnormalities of the spinal curve.

Gallbladder :

An excess of cholesterol, bilirubin, or bile salts can cause gallstones to form. Gallstones are generally small, hard deposits inside the gallbladder that are formed when stored bile crystallizes. A person with gallstones will rarely feel any symptoms until the gallstones reach a certain size, or if the gallstone obstructs the bile ducts. Surgical removal of the gallbladder (cholecystectomy) is the most common way to treat gallstones.

Pancreas: The pancreas is also critical to the production of insulin and glucagon, which regulate glucose levels in the blood. If the pancreas stops producing insulin, this leads to diabetes and a number of associated health issues.

Other problems that concern the pancreas include pancreatic cancer. This is a particularly hard cancer to spot since the tumor generally is not palpable (it can’t be felt) due to the positioning of the pancreas. People with pancreatic cancer generally only start to display symptoms when the tumor becomes large enough to interfere with its neighboring organs.

Macular  related Symptoms :

Muscle pain is a common issue that can signal numerous problems, even if it’s something as simple as overuse. Some muscular disorders and conditions that affect muscles include:

• Muscle pain
• Sprains and strains
• Bruising
• Cramping
• Myopathy
• Muscular dystrophy
• Parkinson’s disease
• Fibromyalgia
• Multiple sclerosis

Proper nutrition and exercise are important to keeping all muscles healthy, whether they are cardiac, smooth, or skeletal.

Cervix of the Uterus: Cancer sometimes develops in the cervix of the uterus. Dysplasia is a fully treatable pre-cancer condition of the cervix diagnosed via a pap smear. If dysplasia isn’t diagnosed and treated, cervical cancer, which is usually caused by the human papillomavirus, begins to spread. 

Listed are signs and symptoms that could indicate a serious health condition, and you should see a doctor if you experience any symptoms of concern. Sometimes, a symptom in one part of the body may be a sign of a problem in another part of the body. Moreover, unrelated symptoms that might be minor on their own could be warning signs of a more serious medical disease or condition. Listen to your body, note all symptoms, and share them in detail with your doctor.

Signs of a heart attack include pain, pressure, squeezing, or feeling of fullness in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes; pain or discomfort in other areas of the upper body; shortness of breath; cold sweat; nausea; or lightheadedness.

Heart attacks in real life often are not as dramatic as they appear to be in movies. Some early symptoms of a heart attack can happen a month or so before the heart attack.

Before a heart attack, you may experience these symptoms:

1. Unusual fatigue/low energy
2. Trouble sleeping
3. Problems breathing
4. Indigestion
5. Anxiety
6. Back or abdominal pain

During a heart attack, these symptoms may occur:

1. Pain, uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, or feeling of fullness in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back
2. Pain or discomfort in other areas of the upper body, including the arms, back, neck, jaw, or stomach
3. Shortness of breath, with or without chest discomfort

Other symptoms are:

1. Breaking out in a cold sweat
2. Nausea and/or vomiting,
3. Lightheadedness

Women also experience chest pain or discomfort but also are more likely than men to experience

1. Shortness of breath,
2. Nausea/vomiting, and
3. Back or jaw pain.

Signs of a stroke include facial drooping, arm weakness, difficulty with speech, rapidly developing dizziness or balance, sudden numbness or weakness, loss of vision, confusion, or severe headache.

Signs of a stroke happen suddenly and are different from signs of a heart attack.

1. Face drooping
2. Arm weakness
3. Speech difficulty
4. Time to call Doctor

Other signs and symptoms of stroke to watch for include:

1. Sudden or rapidly developing problems with sight
2. Sudden or rapidly developing problems with dizziness, balance, and coordination
3. Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arms, or legs
4. Sudden confusion or trouble understanding
5. Sudden inability to say the right word, incoherent speech, or slurred speech
6. Severe headache with no known cause

Symptoms of reproductive health problems include bleeding or spotting between periods; itching, burning, or irritation genital area; pain or discomfort during sex; heavy or painful menstrual bleeding; severe pelvic/abdominal pain; unusual vaginal discharge; feeling of fullness in the lower abdomen; and frequent urination or urinary urgency.

In women, there are numerous conditions that can affect the reproductive system, such as cancer, uterine fibroids, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, infertility, and Sexually Transmitted Diseases(STDs) and more.

Symptoms of female reproductive and hormonal health problems include:

1. Bleeding or spotting between periods
2. Itching, burning, or irritation (including bumps, blisters, or sores) of the vagina or genital area
3. Pain or discomfort during sex
4. Excessively heavy bleeding or severe pain with periods
5. Severe pelvic/abdominal pain
6. A change in vaginal discharge (amount, color or odor)
7. The feeling of fullness in the lower abdomen
8. Frequent urination or feeling of urgency to urinate
9. Lower back pain
10. Pelvic Pain
11. Known reproductive problems such as infertility, past miscarriages or early labor
12. Excessive hair growth on the face, chest, stomach, thumbs, or toes
13. Baldness or thinning hair
14. Acne, oily skin, or dandruff
15. Patches of thickened dark brown or black skin

If you experience any of the above symptoms, see your doctor determine the cause.

Symptoms of breast problems include nipple discharge, unusual breast tenderness or pain, breast or nipple skin changes, or lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm area.

A woman has a 1 in 8 chance of developing breast cancer in her lifetime. However, though many breast problems are not cancer-related, they do require prompt evaluation.

Signs and symptoms of breast problems include:

1. Nipple discharge (could be milky, yellowish, greenish, or brownish)
2. Unusual breast tenderness or pain
3. Breast or nipple skin changes, such as ridges, dimpling, pitting, swelling, redness, or scaling
4. Lump or thickening in or near the breast or underarm area
5. Inverted nipples

If you experience any of these breast problem symptoms, see a health-care professional for an evaluation.

Symptoms of lung problems include coughing up blood, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, chronic cough, repeated bouts of bronchitis or pneumonia, and wheezing.

Lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, asthma, and other diseases of the lungs can be serious and should be addressed.

Symptoms of serious lung problems include:

1. Coughing up blood
2. Severe wheezing
3. Difficulty breathing

If you have any of the above symptoms, go to an emergency room right away or call Doctor.

Other symptoms of lung problems include:

1. Persistent, a chronic cough that gets worse over time
2. Repeated bouts of bronchitis or pneumonia
3. Chronic mucus production (phlegm)
4. Chronic chest pain, especially discomfort which gets worse when you inhale or cough

Contact a health-care professional to discuss your symptoms.

Symptoms of the stomach or digestive problems include rectal bleeding, blood in the stool or black stools, changes in bowel habits or not being able to control bowels, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, or acid reflux, or vomiting blood.

The digestive system runs all the way from your mouth, through the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and rectum, to the anus. It also includes the liver, pancreas, and gallbladder. Problems with any of these organs can affect your daily life.

Symptoms of the stomach or digestive problems include:

1. Bleeding from the rectum (rectal bleeding)
2. Blood or mucus in the stool (including diarrhea) or black stools
3. Change in bowel habits or not being able to control your bowels
4. Constipation and/or diarrhea
5. Heartburn or acid reflux (a burning feeling in the throat or mouth)
6. Pain or feeling of fullness in the stomach
7. Unusual abdominal swelling, bloating, or general discomfort
8. Chronic vomiting
9. Vomiting blood

For any severe symptoms, go to an emergency room or call the Doctor. For mild or moderate symptoms, call a health-care professional who may recommend you see a gastroenterologist, a specialist in the digestive system who can help diagnose, manage, or treat your condition.

Symptoms of bladder problems include difficult or painful urination, frequent urination, loss of bladder control, blood in urine, waking frequently at night to urinate or wetting the bed at night, or leaking urine.

Signs and Symptoms of Bladder Problems

Bladder problems can be frustrating and embarrassing and are not something you should simply “learn to live with,” as they can be signs of a more serious condition. See a health-care professional if you experience any of the following symptoms of bladder problems:

1. Difficult or painful urination
2. Frequent urination (more than 8 times daily)
3. Loss of bladder control
4. Blood in the urine
5. Feeling the urge to urinate when the bladder is empty
6. Waking frequently at night to urinate or wetting the bed at night
7. Leaking urine when you laugh, cough, sneeze, or exercise

Urologists are doctors that specialize in the function and diseases of the bladder.

Symptoms of skin problems include changes in skin moles, frequent flushing and redness of face and neck, jaundice, skin lesions that don’t go away or heal, new growths or moles on the skin, and thick, red skin with silvery patches.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S., and one type of skin cancer – melanoma – is particularly deadly. It’s important to know what your skin normally looks like, and notice any signs and symptoms of skin problems including:

1. Changes in skin moles, such as changes in shape, color or size
2. Frequent flushing and redness of face and neck
3. Jaundice (skin and whites of eyes turn yellow)
4. Painful, crusty, scaling, or oozing skin lesions that don’t go away or heal
5. Sensitivity to the sun
6. Small lump on the skin that is smooth, shiny, and waxy (red or reddish-brown)
7. New growths or new moles on the skin
8. Thick, red skin with silvery patches

See a dermatologist (a skin specialist) evaluate any skin problems you are experiencing.

Symptoms of muscle or joint problems include persistent muscle pains and body aches that are persistent, for example, numbness or tingling; pain, tenderness, stiffness, swelling, inflammation, or redness in or around joints; and decreased range of motion or loss of function of any joints or muscles.

Signs and Symptoms of Muscle or Joint Disease

Many different diseases and conditions that can affect the muscles and joints. See a doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms:

1. Muscle pains and body aches that are persistent, or that come and go often
2. Numbness, tingling (pins and needles sensation) or discomfort in the hands, feet, or limbs
3. Pain, tenderness, stiffness, swelling, inflammation, or redness in or around joints
4. Decreased range of motion of the joints
5. Loss of function of any muscles or joints
6. Muscle weakness
7. Decreased grip strength
8. Excessive fatigue

Your general practitioner may refer you to a specialist if you are experiencing muscle or joint problems. You may be referred to a rheumatologist (specialist in disorders of the joints and autoimmune disorders), an orthopedic physician (specialist in the bones and muscles), or to a physiatrist (specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation).

Symptoms of emotional problems include anxiety, depression fatigue, feeling tense, flashbacks and nightmares, disinterest in regular activities, suicidal thoughts, hallucinations, or delusions.

Note: These symptoms can have a physical cause and are usually treatable.

1. Anxiety and constant worry
2. Feeling depressed, empty, sad all the time, or worthless
3. Extreme fatigue even when rested
4. Extreme tension that can’t be explained
5. Flashbacks and nightmares about traumatic events
6. No interest in getting out of bed or doing regular activities, including eating or having sex
7. Thoughts about suicide and death
8. Thoughts of killing others
9. Seeing or hearing things that aren’t there (hallucinations)
10. Seeing things differently from what they are (delusions)
11. “Baby blues” that haven’t gone away two weeks after giving birth and seem to get worse over time
12. Thoughts about harming yourself or your baby after giving birth

If you feel suicidal or homicidal, seek medical treatment immediately. If you experience any other mental or emotional problems, you may be referred to a psychiatrist, a doctor who specializes in mental illness, and/or a psychologist, who is a counselor who can help you talk about your problems.

Symptoms of headache problems (not including everyday tension headaches) include headaches that come on suddenly, “the worst headache of your life,” and headache associated with severe dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and inability to walk.

Note: This does not include everyday tension headaches.

We all have headaches from time to time, but if headaches are particularly severe or frequent, you may have migraines or another serious type of headache disorder.

Symptoms of serious headache disorders include:

1. Headache that comes on suddenly
2. “The worst headache of your life”
3. Headache associated with severe dizziness/fainting, vomiting, and inability to walk
4. Headache associated with confusion, seizure, difficulty speaking, or weakness/numbness in the limbs
5. Severe headache associated with neck stiffness and fever

If you have any of the above symptoms, go to an emergency room right away or call Doctor.

Other symptoms of headache problems include:

1. Headaches between the eyes
2. Headaches that last longer than a couple of days
3. Seeing flashing lights or zigzag lines with temporary vision loss before a headache starts
4. Spreading pain in the face that starts in one eye
5. Severe pain on one or both sides of the head with nausea or vision problems
6. Extremely severe headache with pain around the eye with tearing and redness, runny nose, and eyelid droop.
7. Tell your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms of headache disorders. You may be referred to a headache specialist, usually a neurologist.

Symptoms of eating or weight problems include extreme thirst, dehydration, excessive hunger, losing weight without trying, binging, vomiting, starvation, preoccupation with food and weight, distorted body image, compulsive exercise, abuse of laxatives or diet pills, and depression.

Most of us gain or lose some weight from time to time, and this is usually normal. For some people who have eating disorders such as bulimia or anorexia nervosa, a preoccupation with weight becomes a serious medical issue.

Signs and symptoms of eating or weight problems include:

1. Extreme thirst, dehydration, or hunger
2. Losing weight without trying or abnormal weight loss
3. Desire to binge on food excessively
4. Desire to vomit on purpose
5. Desire to starve (not eat at all)
6. A preoccupation with food and weight
7. Distorted body image
8. Excessive fear of gaining weight
9. Refusing to eat or eating tiny portions or eating alone
10. Compulsive exercise
11. Sensitivity to cold
12. Menstruation ceases
13. Abuse of laxatives, diuretics, or diet pills
14. Depression

Eating disorders are very serious and can lead to severe medical complications, and even death. Tell a health-care professional about your issues with food and weight, or get help if you have a loved one who suffers from these issues. In addition to a doctor who specializes in treating eating disorders, you may need to see a dietician, a psychiatrist, and an eating disorder therapist.

Herbal medicines are naturally occurring, plant-derived substances that are used to treat illnesses within local or regional healing practices. These products are complex mixtures of organic chemicals that may come from any raw or processed part of a plant.

Herbal medicine has its roots in every culture around the world. There are many different systems of traditional medicine, and the philosophy and practices of each are influenced by social conditions, environment, and geographic location, but these systems all agree on a holistic approach to life. Well-known systems of herbal medicine like Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic Medicine believe in the central idea that there should be an emphasis on health rather than on disease. By using healing herbs, people can thrive and focus on their overall conditions, rather than on a particular ailment that typically arises from a lack of equilibrium of the mind, body, and environment.

Although botanical medicine has been practiced for thousands of years, it continues to be of use in the modern, Western world. The World Health Organization recently estimated that 80 percent of people worldwide rely on herbal medicines for some part of their primary health care, and the worldwide annual market for these products is approaching $60 billion. People in the Indian & United States have become more interested in herbal medicine because of the rising cost of prescription medication and the returning interest in natural or organic remedies.

Whole herbs contain many ingredients that are used to treat diseases and relieve symptoms. Herbal medicine, also called botanical medicine, uses the plant’s seeds, berries, roots, leaves, bark, or flowers for medicinal purposes. The biological properties of these plants have beneficial effects. Other factors are responsible for their benefits as well, such as the type of environment in which the plant grew, the way in which it was harvested and how it was processed. The plant is either sold raw or as extracts, where it’s macerated with water, alcohol or other solvents to extract some of the chemicals. The resulting products contain dozens of chemicals, including fatty acids, sterols, alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, saponins, and others.

Benefits of Herbal Medicine

1. More Affordable than Conventional Medicine

Modern medical science certainly comes with a high price tag, and pharmaceuticals are no exception. One reason why herbal medicine is becoming more popular recently is that people simply can’t afford to pay for their medication month after month.

A systematic review published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine evaluated whether or not natural health products provide a cost-effective choice in the treatment of disease. Researchers found that natural health products show evidence of cost-effectiveness in relation to postoperative surgery and complications. More research is needed to determine the cost-effectiveness in other areas of modern medicine, but the preliminary data suggests that herbal products are more affordable than pharmaceuticals.

2. Easier to Obtain than Prescription Medications

Herbal products, such as herbal extracts, essential oils, and herbal teas, are available in most health food and even grocery stores, so you don’t have to see a doctor get prescriptions before purchasing them. This certainly makes it easier to obtain herbal products and avoid additional health care costs.

Herbs are classified as dietary supplements, so they can be produced, sold, and marketed without going through the FDA. Although this makes it easier to purchase and use these beneficial products, it’s our job as consumers to choose among the competitors. Make sure to read the ingredients and labels carefully before using any herbal supplement. Purchase from a reputable and trustworthy company that verifies the product is 100 percent pure-grade.

3. Hold Beneficial, Healing Properties

Herbs are used for the treatment of chronic and acute conditions and various ailments, including major health concerns like cardiovascular disease, prostate problems, depression, inflammation, and weakened immune system. Herbs are used around the world to treat conditions and diseases, and many studies prove their efficacy. In fact, of the 177 drugs approved worldwide for the treatment of cancer, more than 70 percent are based on natural products or chemical imitations of natural products.

 1. Raw Garlic

Garlic contains vital nutrients, including flavonoids, oligosaccharides, selenium, allicin, and high levels of sulfur. Consuming cooked or raw garlic, by adding it to food or taking a capsule, can help treat diabetes, fight inflammation, boost the immune system, regulate blood pressure, fight cardiovascular disease, relieve allergies, fight fungal and viral infections, and improve hair loss.

Studies show an inverse correlation between garlic consumption and the progress of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death. Research shows that garlic reduces cholesterol, inhibits platelet clustering, reduces blood pressure, and increases antioxidant status.

2. Ginger

Ginger is the most widely used dietary condiment in the world today. The therapeutic benefits of ginger come from gingerols, the oily resin from the root that acts as a highly potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. Gingerol, among other bioactive agents present in ginger, is able to relieve indigestion and nausea, boost immune and respiratory function, fight bacterial and fungal infections, treat stomach ulcers, reduce pain, improve diabetes, prevent malabsorption, and may even inhibit the growth of cancer cells.

According to a 2013 review of evidence published in the International Journal of Preventive Medicine, the anticancer potential of ginger is well-documented, and its functional ingredients like gingerols, shogaol, and paradols are the valuable ingredients that can prevent various cancers. Researchers also found that ginger has anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties for controlling the aging process.

There are several ways to use ginger. It can be eaten raw, taken in powder or supplement form, consumed in liquid form by making a tea, or used topically in oil form.

3. Turmeric

Turmeric is a plant that has a very long history of medicinal use, dating back nearly 4,000 years. Modern medicine has begun to recognize its importance, as indicated by the over 3,000 publications dealing with turmeric. This powerful plant can be added to any recipe or taken as a supplement. There is a range of turmeric benefits, including its ability to slow and prevent blood clotting, fight depression, reduce inflammation, relieve arthritis pain, manage diabetes, treat gastrointestinal issues, regulate cholesterol, and fight cancer.

Several studies indicate that turmeric has potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties. As an antioxidant, turmeric extracts can scavenge free radicals, increase antioxidant enzymes, and inhibit lipid peroxidation.

4. Ginseng

Ginseng is one of the most popular herbal medicines in the world, and it’s been used in Asia and North American for centuries. Native Americans used the root as a stimulant and headache remedy, as well as a treatment for infertility, fever, and indigestion, for instance.

Ginseng is also used to reduce stress, help with weight loss, treat sexual dysfunction, improve lung function, lower blood sugar levels, boost the immune system, and reduce inflammation. Ginseng is available in dried, powdered, tea, capsule, and tablet forms.

5. Milk Thistle

Milk thistle extracts have been used as traditional herbal medicine remedies for almost 2,000 years. Milk thistle contains high levels of lipophilic extracts from the seeds of the plant, which act as bioflavonoids that increase immunity and slow down oxidative stress. The herb is also used for its anti-inflammatory properties. It can aid digestive function, increase bile production, boost skin health, fight the appearance of aging, lower cholesterol levels, and help detoxify the body.

This herb has protective effects in certain types of cancer, and data shows it can also be used for patients with liver diseases, hepatitis C, HIV, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia. Milk thistle extracts, which are commonly sold in capsules, are also known to be safe and well-tolerated.

6. Feverfew

For centuries, feverfew has been used for fevers, headaches, stomachaches, toothaches, insect bites, infertility, and problems with menstruation and labor during childbirth. Feverfew’s pain-easing effect is said to come from a biochemical called parthenolide’s, which combats the widening of blood vessels that occurs in migraines. The herb is also used to prevent dizziness, relieve allergies, reduce arthritis pain, and prevent blood clots.

Several impressive human studies show the positive effects of using feverfew to prevent and treat migraines. Feverfew is also effective in the prevention of migraine headaches and does not pose any major safety concerns.

Feverfew is available in capsule form, as tablets and liquid extract. Supplements should be standardized to contain at least 0.2 percent parthenolide. The leaves of feverfew can be used to make tea, but they have a bitter taste and maybe irritate the mouth.

7. St. John’s Wort

St. John’s wort has been used as a medicinal herb for its antidepressant and anti-inflammatory properties for over 2,000 years. It produces dozens of biologically active substances, but hypericin and hyperforin have the greatest medical activity. St. John’s wort uses come from its antidepressant activity, the ability to relieve PMS symptoms, improve mood during menopause, fight inflammation, relieve skin irritations, and improve symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Researchers showed that St. John’s wort was superior to placebo in improving the physical and behavioral symptoms of PMS.

8. Ginkgo Biloba

Ginkgo biloba, which is also known as maidenhair, is an ancient plant extract that has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to heal various health ailments for thousands of years. Current research shows that it’s linked to improvements in cognitive function. When researchers from Beijing University of Chinese Medicine reviewed evidence from 14 randomized controlled trials involving brain injury patients, it reported that Ginkgo Biloba extract had positive effects on patients’ neurological impairment and quality of life in nine of the trials.

Other ginkgo Biloba benefits include its ability to improve concentration and memory, reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, fight anxiety and depression, help maintain vision and eye health, relieve ADHD symptoms, improve libido, and fight fibromyalgia.

Ginkgo biloba is available in capsule, tablet, liquid extract, and dried leaf form.

9. Saw Palmetto

Saw palmetto supplements are some of the most commonly consumed supplements by men with prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia. Saw palmetto has been shown to slow the production of the enzyme 5-alpha reductase, which converts the male hormone testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a sex steroid and androgen hormone. While DHT is important because it plays a role in male development, it also contributes to many common health issues in men, such as loss of libido, an enlarged prostate and hair loss.

Saw palmetto appeared to have efficacy similar to that of medications like finasteride, but it was better tolerated and less expensive.

Aside from its ability to relieve conditions triggered by DHT, saw palmetto is also known to fight inflammation, boost immune function, treat respiratory conditions, and promote relaxation.

10. Aloe Vera

In traditional Indian medicine, aloe vera is used for constipation, skin diseases, worm infestation, infections, and as a natural remedy for colic. In Chinese medicine, it’s often recommended in the treatment of fungal diseases, and in the Western world, it has found widespread use in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and food industries. Aloe vera is considered to be the most biologically active of the Aloe species; astonishingly, more than 75 potentially active components have been identified in the plant, including vitamins, minerals, saccharides, amino acids, anthraquinones, enzymes, lignin, saponins, and salicylic acids. It provides 20 of the 22 human-required amino acids and all eight of the essential amino acids.

Studies have proved the antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antifungal properties of aloe vera. The plant has also proved to be non-allergic and very good at building up the immune system. One study found that 30 milliliters of aloe vera juice twice a day decreased the level of discomfort in 33 patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Flatulence also decreased for the participants, but stool consistency, urgency, and frequency remained the same.

Other aloe vera benefits include its ability to soothe rashes and skin irritations; treat burns and cold sores; moisturize the skin, hair, and scalp; provide antioxidants, and reduce inflammation. Aloe vera can be used topically or orally, and it’s available in most health food stores.

1. Common Cold – On average, an adult experience 2 – 3 episodes of cold per year whereas a child may have 6 – 10. Cold is one of the leading causes of the most number of doctor visits. Cold is so common worldwide that the discomfort it causes can make a person miserable. So, there are valid reasons why treating common cold should be on the top of your to-do list.

Remedy -1 :

• Step 1: Grind ½ teaspoon of pepper, 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds, ½ teaspoon of dried ginger, and fresh neem leaves (select tender ones) in a mixer-blender.
• Step 2: Dry the ground mixture in the shade. Once dry, consume them two times a day to get rid of the common cold.

Remedy -2:

• Step 1: Boil 6 – 7 tablespoons of ginger (freshly grated) in 3 cups of water for 10 – 15 minutes. Add a pinch of cinnamon powder if you want.
• Step 2: Strain the liquid and allow it to cool down a bit. Before drinking, add a few drops of honey and lemon juice for flavor. Drink twice a day to get rid of cold.

2. Cough – If a cough seems simple to you, then think again because according to the World Health Organization, whooping cough causes an estimated 2 – 3 million deaths every year. After the incubation phase of 5 – 20 days, the cough infection turns very contagious. It spreads via bacteria-infected saliva droplets. So, each time the patient sneezes or coughs, others around him or she inhales and can get infected. Prolonged bouts of coughing in babies can be deadly — if it exceeds the 3-week duration, it can cause breathing problems, pneumonia, brain damage, seizures, and even death.

Remedy -1 :

• Step 1: Boil 1 cup of fresh basil leaves in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes. Wait until the quantity boils down to 1 cup.
• Step 2: Filter the mixture and add a few drops of honey. Drink it warm.

Remedy – 2 :

• Step 1: Boil some fresh fenugreek leaves with 6 – 8 raisins and ½ teaspoon of cumin seeds with 2 cups of water for 10 minutes.
• Step 2: Wait until the quantity boils down to one cup. Strain and drink when it is warm.

3. Fever – Fever is not a disease. It is the natural way for the body to protect against infections. Fever is not dangerous, but if left untreated, it can lead to something severe. It is often mistaken and associated with hyperthermia (an illness where the body temperatures rise seriously high). But fever is a completely different condition.

Remedy – 1 :

• Step 1: Chop 1 – 2 garlic clove and boil in a cup of water for 10 minutes.
• Step 2: Strain the mixture and sip when it is warm.
• Step 3: Drink the mixture two times a day and you’ll feel better.

Remedy – 2 :

• Step 1: Crush a few peppermint leaves and boil in a cup of water for 10 minutes.
• Step 2: Strain the liquid and add a few drops of honey and a pinch of black pepper powder. Drink the mixture when it is warm. Follow this remedy 2 to 3 times a day for relief from fever.

4. Headache – Headaches are one of the most common diseases of the nervous system. At some point or the other, we all suffer from a headache. Though headaches are classified into many types, the most common headache people tend to suffer is associated with stress. A headache that occasionally occurs due to stress is not dangerous but if it is recurring, it could be a sign of a migraine.

Remedy – 1 :

• Step 1: Take fresh betel leaves and grind them with a few drops of water to make a smooth paste.
• Step 2: Apply the betel leaves the paste on your forehead and temples to relieve a headache.

Remedy – 2 :

• Step 1: Crush some dry cloves and tie them in a handkerchief.
• Step 2: Whenever you have a headache, smell the aroma of the crushed cloves to feel better instantly.

5. Stomach Pain: Stomachache or stomach pain is yet another common health problem that one experiences at least once or multiple times in a year. It prevents the person from enjoying a good meal and the pain can be unbearable at times.

Pain in the stomach is always an indication of an underlying problem like indigestion,  food poisoning, IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), food allergies, stomach flu, injuries, etc. However, the most common reason is due to either indigestion or food poisoning.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Squeeze 2 lemons to extract the juice. Mix it with a glass of water.
• Step 2: Crush a piece of ginger and add it to the water. Add a pinch of black salt.
• Step 3: Stir the mixture well and drink to overcome the stomach pain (it works if it is due to indigestion).

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Take a few tenders or newly growing mango leaves. Wash them properly and dry them.
• Step 2: Once dry, grind the leaves into powder form. Consume 1 teaspoon of this powder with honey.

6. Acidity: Scientifically known as GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease), is a problem that about 60% of the global adult population experiences at least once in a year whereas the remaining 40% suffers from it weekly. It is also shocking to know that besides adults, even children experience it. Occasional acidity is not a serious concern but frequent GERD surely is.

Remedy -1 :

• Step 1: Chop a few pieces of ginger and boil in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes.
• Step 2: Once the quantity boils down to 1 cup, filter it and drink when it is warm.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Boil a teaspoon of chamomile petals (dried) with 2 cups of water for 10 minutes.
• Step 2: Strain the liquid and add a few drops of honey and lemon juice to it. Drink when it is warm.

7. Over Weight ( Obesity ): One of the most common health issues the whole world suffers is obesity or overweight. The problem of obesity has doubled since the 1980s. It is the cause of most major problems like cholesterol, heart attacks, and strokes.

More than 1.5 billion adult populations in the world are obese and the numbers are increasing every minute. Obesity is the world’s fifth leading cause of death and an estimated 2.8+ million adults die every year. Being overweight is no fun. It is a serious problem, which requires serious attention and quick remedy.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Boil some green tea leaves in water or get a green tea bag and dip it in hot water.
• Step 2: Drink a cup of green tea every day to lose weight. A compound named epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) in natural green tea limits the absorption of fat and speeds the body’s capability to utilize fat.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Eating 5 to 7 curry leaves (fresh) every morning is a well-known Ayurvedic remedy to overcome obesity.
• Step 2: Repeat the remedy for a month or two, at least on alternate days for the best results. Curry leaves have a natural alkaloid named mahanimbine, which exhibits lipid-lowering and anti-obesity properties; thus, helping the body lose weight and reducing the overall triglycerides as well as cholesterol levels.

8. Back pain: Back pain or Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common health conditions that affects individual multiple times in his or her lifetime. As a person ages, it becomes recurrent. Back pain should never be taken lightly. Most back pains fade away within a month but if it lasts for three months or more, it is chronic and requires proper medical care.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Boil 10 to 12 fresh basil leaves in a cup of water for 10 minutes.
• Step 2: Once it boils down to half the quantity, allow the mixture to warm.
• Step 3: Strain and add a pinch of salt. Drink twice a day if you have mild back pain.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: A simple exercise like walking can help reduce back pain.
• Step 2: Walk for 30 minutes daily in the mornings, but do it in moderation. If the pain is severe, discuss it with a doctor.

9. Neck Pain: Like Lower Back Pain, even neck pain is one of the common health conditions an individual suffers in his or her lifetime. On a global scale, an estimated 50% of people experience neck pain, whose symptoms can range from mild to severe. According to reports, women between the ages of 18 and 64 get frequent neck pains when compared to men. It occurs due to poor posture, stress, and sitting for long hours. About 85% of the pain emerges from the joints, ligaments, and muscles.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Boil some fresh vitex negundo leaves. Add a few drops of sesame oil to it.
• Step 2: Once slightly warm, take a clean cloth, dip it in the mixture, and apply to the neck pain.
• Step 3: Repeating the remedy three times a week will help gain relief from the pain faster.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Do a slow-motion neck exercise – side to side, ear to ear, and up & down. This will help stretch and free the neck muscles.
• Step 2: Alternatively, massaging the neck will also do the trick.

10. Asthma: Asthma is one of the chronic and most common diseases that occur in the lung airways. It causes wheezing, tightness in the chest, and coughing. An estimated 2,50,000 asthma deaths occur every year. Fortunately, the condition is avoidable if the correct remedies are applied at an early stage.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Take some fresh betel leaves and extract its juice. Soak a few pieces of black pepper into the prepared betel leaves juice for two days.
• Step 2: Dry the mixture and powder it. Tale ½ teaspoon of it and mix it with a few drops of honey. Eat this two times a day (morning and night) after meals.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Boil 4 – 5 dry cloves in a cup of water. Strain the liquid and add a few drops of honey for flavor.
• Step 2: Drink the mixture twice a week for a month for the best results.

11. Pimples: Pimples or acne is yet another most common skin condition that affects more than 65% of the global population. It is more commonly seen in teenagers than in adults. Pimple breakouts in the early stage require treatment. If left untreated, they can turn to a chronic skin problem called acne, which is often characterized by deeper, painful lumps, scars, whiteheads, blackheads, etc. Shockingly, embarrassment leads to anxiety and depression.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Mix 1 tablespoon of green gram powder with lemon juice to form a smooth paste.
• Step 2: Apply on the pimples and leave for 30 minutes. Wash off with cold water.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Take some fresh basil leaves and grind them with a little water to form a paste.
• Step 2: Apply the paste directly on the pimples and leave for 30 minutes. Then, wash off.

12. Toothache: Toothaches are one of the most common dental problems people around the world experience. Though there are various causes of tooth pain, the common reasons include dental trauma, tooth decay, dental abscess, and extraction. Also, unhealthy eating habits, smoking, and drinking are the major causes of the most oral problems. If pain is severe visit the dentist immediately.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Take some fresh peppermint leaves. Wash and dry them.
• Step 2: Once dry, grind them to powder form. Mix it with a little salt. Brush with it when you have pain.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Grind sugar and black pepper in equal proportions.
• Step 2: Apply the mixture on the tooth pain for relief.

13. Diarrhea: Diarrhea kills more than 2150 children in the world every day, which is more than malaria, measles, and AIDS combined. It is the second leading cause of global deaths of kids below the age 5. The main cause of diarrhea is contaminated water and food. It can be life-threatening if not treated on time.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Eat a cup of homemade, unsweetened plain yogurt.
• Step 2: Natural probiotics like yogurt helps in reducing diarrheal symptoms.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Boil some fresh chamomile flowers with 1 teaspoon of chopped peppermint leaves in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes.
• Step 2: Once the quantity boils down to 1 cup, strain the liquid and drink 2 – 3 times a day for relief.

14. Ear Infection: Scientifically known as Otitis media, an infection is the common cause of most earaches. Globally, 80% of kids are treated for at least one infection in the middle ear. Earaches can be very distressing and painful. If accompanied by fever and cold. They require immediate medical attention.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Take 1 tablespoon of pure sesame oil.
• Step 2: Slightly heat the oil with 1 garlic clove (peeled) with a few cumin seeds.
• Step 3: Filter the oil and allow it to cool down a bit. Use a dropper and pour a few drops into the ear.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Slightly heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil with a few fresh basil leaves (pinched).
• Step 2: Filter the oil and use a dropper to pour a few drops of it into the aching ear.

15. Eye Irritation, Infection: Though there are many kinds of problems associated with eyes, the most common eye disease is pink eye or conjunctivitis. However, fungal eye problems can be serious but are very rare. The most frequent way for an individual to grow a fungal eye infection is an eye injury, which is often via a toxic plant thorn or a stick.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: For eye pain, take some saffron strands and mix it with a few drops of milk.
• Step 2: Close your eyes and apply the mixture externally on the painful eye for relief.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: For eye irritation and itching, mix ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder in a glass of water.
• Step 2: Clean the eyes using this water.

16. Nose Bleed: The most common misconception about nosebleeds is that only kids are vulnerable to it. However, research has revealed that nosebleeds are prevalent in senior citizens as well, which are usually a sign of an underlying health condition. But this doesn’t mean kids experience them less. Recurring nosebleeds can be a serious issue; hence, they shouldn’t be left untreated.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Peel an onion and slice them into thick, big spheres.
• Step 2: Hold an onion slice under the nose instantly. Wait for 5 minutes. The bleeding will stop.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Mix 1 teaspoon of pure cayenne pepper powder with 1 cup of warm water.
• Step 2: Drink the mixture to stop the bleeding nose instantly.

17. Pneumonia: Pneumonia is a severe respiratory infection, which affects the lungs and is characterized by painful breathing.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Take ½ a liter of water and add 1 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds to it. Boil it for a while.
• Step 2: Strain the liquid and add 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice. Drink 4 cups of this in a day.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Boil 1 tablespoon of organic sesame seeds in 2 cups of water for 5 minutes.
• Step 2: Once the seeds are soft, add 1 tablespoon of organic flax seeds and boil again.
• Step 3: Strain it. Add a pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon of honey. Drink every morning on an empty stomach.

18. Heart Stroke: Heat stroke is scientifically known as hyperthermia, a serious condition where the body temperature gets extremely high (above 104 degrees). It is life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention. If left untreated, it turns malignant. In such cases, a hyperthermia patient will experience a sudden increase in heart rates, muscle breakdown, bodily changes, excess bleeding, and failure of various organs.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Take some fresh leaves of the plant Portulaca oleracea ( purslane / Khursa / Luni ) and grind them with water.
• Step 2: Filter the juice and take 1 teaspoon of it every morning to overcome hyperthermia.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Wash some fresh Centella Asiatica ( Gotu Kola / Moti Brahmi )  leaves.
• Step 2: Chew the raw leaves every morning on an empty stomach for a few days.

19. High Blood Pressure ( Hypertension ): H.O. reports that an estimated 7.7 million people die every year due to raised blood pressure. Hypertension or high blood pressure has been directly linked with fatal diseases like diabetes, kidney disorders, and heart attacks.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Take some fresh moringa (drumstick) leaves and extract its juice. Dry and then powder it. Alternatively, you can buy moringa powder.
• Step 2: Take two grams of moringa powder and mix it with a few drops of honey. Consume this twice a day to keep the blood pressure under control.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Take a cup of homemade, fresh, plain yogurt.
• Step 2: Soak 2 teaspoons of fenugreek seeds in it. Leave it overnight.
• Step 3: Apply the mixture on your head the next day. Leave for 30 minutes and shampoo.

20. Low Blood Pressure ( Hypotension ): Blood pressure does not stay constant all the time. It changes. It lowers when you are asleep and increases when you get up. It also rises when you are nervous, active, or excited. But your body corrects itself to ensure that there are enough oxygen and blood flow to the kidneys, brain, and other important organs. Though hypotension is classified into different types, the majority of them happen when the body fails to bring back the blood pressure to normal. Perhaps, it is not rapid enough to perform this function.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Whenever you experience low blood pressure, grind 2 pieces of garlic with a glass of milk.
• Step 2: Drink the mixture to bring blood pressure to normal.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Add Sesbania grandiflora ( Agathi )  leaves in your daily diet.
• Step 2: These herbal leaves are known to help overcome hypotension.

21. Type I Diabetes: According to IDF, 415 million people suffer from type I diabetes every year. Type 1 Diabetes is a serious autoimmune disorder where an individual’s pancreas stops generating insulin. Its onset is never related to lifestyle or diet. Sadly, nothing can be done to prevent type 1 diabetes at present.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Take 5 grams of organic sesame seeds. Soak them in 1 cup of water for at least 3 hours. Once the color of the seeds changes to white, grind them and mix it with a glass of buttermilk.
• Step 2: Drink the mixture every day to increase the insulin levels in the blood.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Take 1 – 2 fresh bitter gourds and eliminate the seeds. Prepare a glass of fresh bitter gourd juice.
• Step 2: Drink every morning for at least 2 months for the best results.

22. Type II Diabetes: Type II Diabetes is one of the most common diseases the universe suffers from. Sadly, 50% of diabetes cases go undiagnosed in developing nations. However, type 2 diabetes can be prevented.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Include natural foods like fenugreek, okra, peas, sage, and broccoli in your diet.
• Step 2: The nutrients in these foods have been reported to fix type 2 diabetes.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Mix 1 teaspoon of bay leaves (finely ground), 1 teaspoon of turmeric, and 1 tablespoon of fresh aloe vera gel together.
• Step 2: Add a little water and stir well. Drink the mixture two times a day before lunch & dinner.

23. Raised Cholesterol: Increased cholesterol is deadly yet one of the most common diseases. It is directly associated with heart attacks. Every year, an estimated 2.6 million people die due to cholesterol. Abnormal cholesterol levels are primarily due to unhealthy eating patterns.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Drink a glass of freshly made orange juice every day.
• Step 2: The natural fiber and vitamin C in oranges help clear the blocked blood vessels. It increases good cholesterol while decreasing the bad.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Boil 2 teaspoons of coriander seeds’ powder in 2 cups of water.
• Step 2: Once the quantity evaporates into 1 cup, filter it, and drink when it is warm.

24. Hyperthyroidism: An estimated 200 million people in the world suffer some thyroid problem and is more common in women than men. Though it wasn’t that common in the earlier days, now it certainly is. The thyroid gland weighs only 20 grams but the hormones it produces are significant for regulating the entire body functions.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Boil ½ a teaspoon of the herb called mother-wort in a cup of water for 5 minutes.
• Step 2: Filter it and drink when it is warm. Drink 2 times a day. But if you are already on medications, consult your doctor because the compounds might interact.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Add fresh broccoli (uncooked) in your diet.
• Step 2: Broccoli has compounds like goitrogens and isothiocyanates that restrains the thyroid from generating excess hormone.

25. Hypothyroidism: Hypothyroidism occurs when an individual’s thyroid gland does not produce adequate proportions of two important hormones namely – T4 & T3. Hypothyroidism affects about two persons in 100 and its prevalence increases with age.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Add freshly grated ginger to dishes and soups.
• Step 2: Alternatively, a cup of ginger tea can greatly help. To make ginger tea, slice a few pieces of ginger and add it to a cup of boiling water. Strain it, add a few drops of honey and drink when it is warm.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Add 2 tablespoons of ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar) in a glass of lukewarm water.
• Step 2: Add a few drops of honey and drink the solution regularly.

26. Insect Bites: Insect bites and stings aren’t dangerous. They are treatable at home. Warm weather conditions make a person spend time outdoors; however, it also the time when small insects and bugs are out of their homes. Bites are 70% harmless, but poisonous ones can be dangerous. Wear proper clothing and use insect repellents to protect yourself.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: An ice pack works the best for any insect bite. Wrap a few ice cubes in a clean cloth.
• Step 2: Apply on the bitten part. Cold compress numbs it and lessens the inflammation.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Slice a piece of fresh papaya and apply it on the swollen part.
• Step 2: The enzymes in papaya will neutralize the venom and soothe the itching.

Note: For poisonous bites, meet a doctor immediately. Do not delay.

27. Allergies: Allergies can be classified into many types such as food allergies, drug allergies, insect allergies, and skin allergies. An allergy occurs when an individual’s immune system responds to a foreign matter, known as an allergen, which can be something that you eat, inject, touch, or inhale. This reaction may cause sneezing, coughing, cold, scratchy throat, skin irritation, or itchy eyes. If the case is severe, it might cause hives, rashes, hypotension, breathing problems, asthma, and sometimes death.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: If it is a food allergy, eat a teaspoon of raw, unprocessed honey.
• Step 2: Repeat this multiple times a day to get rid of the allergy soon.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: If it is skin allergy, apply coconut oil or olive oil.
• Step 2: Both these essential oils help in healing the rashes naturally.

28. Sinus : Sinus is an allergy or cold that doesn’t go away. It can be life-threatening if it turns chronic. So, don’t take your cold lightly. If it lasts for weeks, chances are that you have a sinus infection.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Mix 1 tablespoon of honey (slightly warmed) with ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon powder.
• Step 2: Consume this mixture for a few days.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Fry three teaspoons of cumin seeds. Grind them to get the powdered form.
• Step 2: Mix the powdered cumin with a teaspoon of sugar or even less. Eat twice a day.

29. Psoriasis: Psoriasis is an acute skin condition, which requires proper clinical treatment. It can affect any gender of any age group. However, it is more common in the 20s and 50s.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Take some fresh flowers of the plant Tanners cassia ( Tarwar / Awala ).
• Step 2: Grind the petals with green gram powder. Add enough water to make it to a smooth paste. Apply on the itchy region and have a bath after 20 minutes with warm water.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Take some fresh leaves of Quassia Indica ( Lokhanti / Bitterwood ) plant and extract its juice.
• Step 2: Apply it on the itchy part and wash off.

30. Kidney Stone: Kidney stones are extremely painful and debilitating. Recurre2t formation of stones in the kidneys might even lead to reduced quality of life. The overall lifetime occurrence of kidney stones is about 13% in men whereas 7% in women.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Take a few fresh leaves of devil’s thorn ( Ulat-Kanta ) and spinach. Grind them together and extract the juice.
• Step 2: Boil the extracted juice of both the leaves in a glass of milk. Filter and drink for 20 days for the best results.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Take the leaves of these plants: Aerva lanata ( kapuri Jadi / Chaya )  & Cissus quadrangularis ( Hadjora ). Fry them slightly.
• Step 2: Then, add a glass of water and boil for 5 to 7 minutes.
• Step 3: Filter the liquid and drink when it is warm.

31. Dengue fever: The disease is more common in tropical & sub-tropical climates. They are transmitted via mosquitoes of the genus Aedes and can turn deadly. In the initial stages, dengue fever is not dangerous, but if left untreated, it turns fatal. The final stage is death.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Boil immature or growing neem leaves in a cup of water.
• Step 2: Strain it and drink when it is warm.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Take some fresh papaya leaves, Clean them, and discard the veins.
• Step 2: Grind the leaves in a mixer with a glass of water.
• Step 3: Strain it and drink 3 – 4 times a day to overcome dengue.

32. Typhoid: Typhoid is an infection caused by a bacterium called Salmonella Typhi, which usually occurs through contaminated food or water. About 67% of the typhoid cases around the globe are from Southeast Asia.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Get some fresh guava flowers and grind them nicely.
• Step 2: Add a cup of goat’s milk (not boiled) to the ground mixture.
• Step 3: Drink the mixture on an empty stomach thrice a day.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Take 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and add ½ a teaspoon of honey to it.
• Step 2: Add ½ cup of warm water to the mixture and drink it. This will boost the immune system and help fight the typhoid infection.

33. Malaria: An estimated 3.2 billion people (50% of the world population) are at risk of malaria. The Sub-Saharan African regions contribute to the highest number of malaria cases.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Take 2 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, and 15 grams of Swertia Chirata  ( Hajora ) herbal powder.
• Step 2: Boil them in 2 cups of water. Store it and have 1- 2 teaspoons of it two times a day.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Grind 10 – 12 fresh basil leaves with 2 to 4 black peppers.
• Step 2: Eat this one time a day to bring the malaria fever down.

34. Yellow Fever ( Jaundice ): Jaundice is one of the most common liver diseases. Around 60% of all the healthy newborns will have jaundice in the early days of life. However, it will go away within 7 – 10 days. In adults, jaundice can be severe if left untreated.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Take some fresh papaya leaves and discard the veins. Make a paste of it.
• Step 2: Add 1 tablespoon of honey to this paste and eat for 1 – 2 weeks to treat jaundice.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Take some fresh leaves of Aegle marmelos plant (Wood Apple/bael). Extract the juice.
• Step 2: Mix 1 teaspoon of pepper powder to it and drink. Along with this, ensure to drink a glass of sugarcane juice two times a day.

35. Joint Pain: 1 out of 5 individuals above the age of 18 suffer from arthritis every year. Shockingly, adults aren’t the only ones to have this problem but even kids too. An estimated 300,000 kids suffer from arthritis.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Take some fresh leaves of the Indigofera tinctoria ( Nili / Neeli )  plant.
• Step 2: Sauté these leaves in 4 – 5 tablespoons of castor oil. Filter and massage this warm oil on the aching part.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Boil ½ teaspoon of turmeric and ½ teaspoon of ginger (freshly grated) in 2 cups of water.
• Step 2: Strain and a little honey. Drink two times a day.

36. Dark Circles: Dark circles or eye circles is not a disease but a common skin condition. They are not life-threatening. Dark circles are an outcome of excess exposure to UV rays, unhealthy eating patterns, and stress. They will only make a person feel embarrassed. However, with effective remedies, they can be made lighter.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Mix equal proportions of peppermint juice, rose water, and basil leaves juice in a bowl.
• Step 2: Apply the mixture on the dark circles and leave for a while. Wash off with cold water.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Mix a tablespoon of fuller’s earth with a sufficient amount of pineapple juice.
• Step 2: Apply the paste to the dark circles and leave for a while. Wash off with cold water.

37. Stress: Stress is not a disease but of course, the primary cause of most health problems today. It is a serious health concern, which shouldn’t be overlooked. Eventually, prolonged stress leads to sleepless nights, anxiety, stomach problems, depression, headaches, fatigue, lack of interest, etc.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Whenever you are stressed, go to a calm place and sit comfortably for 5 minutes.
• Step 2: Close your eyes. Take deep breaths and count up to 10. Repeat a few times to relax.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Warm coconut or olive oil.
• Step 2: Massage your head, shoulders, feet (bottom part), and neck. Leave it for 30 minutes.
• Step 3: Take a hot shower to reduce stress instantly.

38. Chest Congestion: Chest congestion is one of the common symptoms of respiratory infections. It occurs when the mucosa or mucus membranes are inflamed and irritated. This usually happens when a person inhales some irritants. Though it isn’t a serious problem, chest congestion for a prolonged period can turn chronic and lead to other problems in the respiratory tract.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Grand the rind of a lemon and boil it in a cup of water for 5 minutes.
• Step 2: Strain it and gargle with it.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Boil 2 – 3 black pepper pieces and 1 small piece of ginger (finely chopped) in 1 cup of water.
• Step 2: After 5 to 7 minutes, turn off the stove. Strain it, add a teaspoon of honey, and drink when it is warm.

39. Constipation: About 20% of the global population today suffers from constipation problems. In fact, it is one of the most common digestive problems people complain about. This health condition not only makes a person feel irritated and bloated but also is highly expensive.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Mix 1 tablespoon of olive oil with a teaspoon of lemon juice.
• Step 2: Consume this mixture every morning on an empty stomach.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Mix a tablespoon of flaxseeds in a glass of water. Leave it for 3 – 4 hours.
• Step 2: Drink the water every night before going to bed. Bowel syndrome will get better.

40. Snoring: About 30% of the adult populations (above the age of 30) are snorers. Now, this percentage rises to forty if middle-aged people are considered. About 2/3^rd of couples report that their spouse snore. Surprisingly, even 5.6% of kids in the world are affected by habitual snoring. An average snore has a sound of 38 decibels; however, the loudest snore ever recorded was about 120 decibels, which is equivalent to the sound produced by an emergency siren.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Mix 1 – 2 drops of essential peppermint oil in a glass of water.
• Step 2: Gargle your mouth with this solution before bedtime. Do not swallow.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Add ½ a teaspoon of organic cardamom powder in a glass of water.
• Step 2: Drink the mixture thirty minutes before bedtime. Repeat the remedy for a few days to reduce snoring.

41. Pellagra ( Vitamin B3 deficiency ): Pellagra is another disease that occurs due to the deficiency of vitamin B3 (or niacin). It is accompanied by abnormal skin rashes, body weakness, loss of appetite, and mouth sores. If left untreated, it worsens gradually, producing acute skin inflammation, severe diarrhea, mental disturbances, and finally death.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Include multiple vitamin B3 rich foods in the daily diet.
• Step 2: Example: Potatoes, bananas, kiwis, tomatoes, cabbage, avocados, cabbages, etc.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Boil 1 tablespoon of pumpkin seeds in 2 cups of water for 5 minutes.
• Step 2: Add a few spinach leaves and boil again for another 5 minutes. Strain it and drink the mixture.

42. Skin Burns: The death rates due to burns in high-income countries have decreased over the years, but it primarily happens in the developing countries, mostly in small-scale industries and homes. About 11+ million people in the world are severely burnt in a year. However, they are completely preventable. Minor burns can be treated at home, but severe ones require immediate medical attention.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Peel and grate a fresh, raw potato.
• Step 2: Apply the juice and the grated potato on the burnt skin region.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Cut open a fresh Aloe Vera leaf.
• Step 2: Apply the fresh gel to the burnt region for relief.

43. Hair fall or hair Loss: About 50 – 100 hair loss in a day is normal but if it exceeds, it is a concern. The problem of hair loss is often associated with stress, excessive work, an underlying disease, and surgeries.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Make a smooth paste of rose petals, neem leaves, and curry leaves.
• Step 2: Take henna powder (based on your hair length) and mix the paste with it.
• Step 3: Add some coconut oil and apply the paste thrice a week to get rid of hair fall.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Take a few tablespoons of fenugreek powder & abrus precatorius ( Gunja / Ratti ) powder.
• Step 2: Mix them with pure coconut oil and leave it for a week. Filter it and apply it on the hair regularly.

44. Sore Throat: 90 to 95% of the sore throats occur due to cold weather and viral infections, but this often happens because we spend most of the time indoors or with people who are already ill. Smoking or even being in a foggy atmosphere may cause a sore throat or might make the existing soreness worse.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Take some fresh, immature jujube ( Chota ber ) leaves. Wash them properly.
• Step 2: Boil the leaves with salt. Filter and gargle the mouth with it when it is slightly warm.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Take a few bay leaves and boil with water.
• Step 2: Filter it and use it as a mouthwash to get rid of a sore throat.

45. Swollen Tonsils: About a generation back, the treatment for persistent sore throats, especially in children was to take away their tonsils & adenoids. However, medical science has now advanced that the need for surgeries has diminished significantly. It is common to get tonsillitis, but recurrent ones can be problematic. If left untreated, it can turn chronic and the person may suffer from constant bad breath, inflamed tonsils, sore throats, and tender lymph nodes.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Boil a few fresh peppermint leaves and a piece of ginger (chopped) in 2 cups of water.
• Step 2: Wait until the quantity reduces to 1 cup. Strain it and drink to soothe the inflamed tonsils.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Take a tablespoon of honey with 4 garlic cloves (finely crushed).
• Step 2: Add both the ingredients to a cup of hot water. Leave it until it warms.
• Step 3: Drink the solution 3 to 4 times a day for relief.

46. Stretch Marks: Stretch marks are always associated with weight gain and pregnancy. However, besides these two, stress and hormonal fluctuations are also among the primary causes. In fact, sudden weight loss can also lead to the formation of stretch marks. It is important to treat them early because once they advance, they are extremely hard to treat.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Slightly warm some castor oil. Apply the oil on stretch marks.
• Step 2:  Massage in circular motions for at least 20 minutes every day.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Mix 1 tablespoon of wheat germ oil, 1 teaspoon of pure tea kernel oil, 2 tablespoons of vitamin E oil, 1 tablespoon of beeswax (grated) with ½ cup of pure cocoa butter.
• Step 2: Heat the mixture. Allow it to be warm. Apply on the stretch marks twice or thrice a day. Store the remaining in the refrigerator and use it whenever it is required.

47. Tuberculosis: According to WHO, Tuberculosis is one of the prominent causes of deaths worldwide. About 95% of the TB deaths happen in developing or low-income countries. The leading geographical regions are known to be India, China, Pakistan, Africa, Nigeria, South Africa, and Indonesia.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Take the pulp of two custard apples and boil them in ½ cup water with 20 – 20 raisins.
• Step 2: When the water quantity evaporates a little, filter the mixture and add a pinch of cardamom powder to it. Consume this two times a day to rejuvenate the tissues that are affected by TB.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Boil 3 tablespoons of fresh drumstick leaves with a cup of water for 5 minutes.
• Step 2: Let the mixture warm a little. Add 1 teaspoon of lime juice and a little pepper & salt. Drink the decoction on an empty stomach every morning to ease the symptoms that TB brings.

48. Anthrax: There were times when anthrax used to be a rare disease, but the global statistics of people being affected by this disease seems to be increasing every year. People get anthrax from consuming the meat of infected animals.

Also, one can encounter the problem if he or she is handling the animal parts. Anthrax can also affect a person if he or she visits a place that is already affected. The countries where anthrax disease is common are Southern and Central America, Central & Southwest Asia, Eastern Europe, the Caribbean, and sub-Saharan Africa.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Take 1 teaspoon of the herb named Gingko Biloba – the name of herb (powdered form).
• Step 2: Boil it with 2 to 3 cups of water. Filter it, have a few tablespoons of it, and refrigerate the remaining. It is a potent herb but does not use it if you have are pregnant or suffering from seizures, diabetes, and infertility.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Take 2 – 3 fresh garlic cloves and chew them raw.
• Step 2: Alternatively, you can even have garlic juice. Garlic helps in fighting the anthrax infection at a faster pace.

49. Cholera: The outbreak of cholera continues to affect many countries. Even today, cholera remains a primary public health issue. It affects due to contaminated water and other sanitation resources. Shockingly, 663 million people don’t get access to clean, drinking water. World Health Organization states that about 80% of the cholera cases can be easily treated using ORS (Oral Rehydration Salts). Cholera is a deadly yet common disease, which is accompanied by severe pain in the abdomen, diarrhea, fever, dehydration, weight loss, sleepiness, and vomiting.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: A homemade ORS solution is the right way to treat cholera. Mix 6 teaspoons of sugar and ½ a teaspoon of salt in 1 liter of water (clean).
• Step 2: Drink this mixture multiple times a day for faster recovery.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Take a glass of water. Add 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice, a small piece of ginger (grated), 1 teaspoon of honey, a few fresh basils and mint leaves.
• Step 2: Drink the mixture two times a day for a week to recover from cholera faster.

50. Chickenpox: It is one of the highly contagious and most common diseases in the world. It easily spreads via coughing, touching, and sneezing. Even though it is a common health condition, it can be prevented by taking pre-vaccinations. Also, if an individual gets it, it can be treated. But in its advanced stage, the disease can turn life-threatening, but this is rare. So, the earlier the treatment is, the better it is!

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Grind 10 gm of poppy seeds, a piece of turmeric, and a cup of fresh neem leaves in a mixer. Add a few drops of water to make it smooth.
• Step 2: Apply the paste on the chickenpox marks for faster recovery.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Boil 1 cup of fresh carrots (freshly cut) and ½ cup of coriander leaves (chopped) in 2 cups of water.
• Step 2: Wait until half of the water evaporates. Filter it and drink the soup for a month for strength and rapid recovery.

51. Smallpox: Smallpox is one of the acute diseases in the world. It is caused due to the virus called variola and can easily spread from one person to the other. Once an individual is affected by this virus, the initial symptoms will begin within 12 to 14 days, which include prostration, headache, fever, severe backache, vomiting, and abdominal pain. The worse part comes after this. The patient will have a sudden drop in the body temperature followed by the appearance of rashes on the hands, face, forearms, and trunk. If left untreated, it can turn fatal.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Make a paste of red sandalwood powder.
• Step 2: Apply on the smallpox blisters to relieve itching.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Boil some fresh red raspberry leaves in 2 cups of water.
• Step 2: When the quantity turns to 1 cup, filter it, and drink when it is cool.

52. Polio: Polio is an extremely infectious disease. It is caused by a virus, which attacks the nervous system and paralyzes the entire body within a few hours. It mainly occurs in children below the age of five. Sadly, once polio attacks a human, there is no treatment. It can only be prevented via pre-polio vaccines.

Note: There is no cure for polio. But can be prevented with the following remedies. But use these tips only as an adjunct. The primary way to prevent this deadly disease is polio vaccines.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Spice up the dish enough coriander seeds powder.
• Step 2: You can even drink coriander juice to prevent polio.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Intense ayurvedic massages help in alleviating the pain and paralysis that has occurred.
• Step 2: Meet an ayurvedic professional and have the paralyzed muscles to repair. Though this doesn’t cure the problem, it helps to some extent.

53. Depression : Depression is one the most common mental disorders that affects people across the world. Sadly, it also includes children. World Health Organization states that depression is one of the leading causes of suicides, disabilities, and other major diseases. If the problem is not identified and treated early, it can bring up suicidal thoughts in the patient.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Crush about 12 – 14 almonds and mix it with a tablespoon of organic honey.
• Step 2: Eat a tablespoon of this mixture two times a day morning and night to fight depression.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Eat fresh, grilled, or steamed asparagus thrice a week.
• Step 2: Alternatively, you can even boil powdered asparagus in 2 cups of water. Filter and allow it to be cool. Drink the decoction to fight against depression.

54. Hepatitis C: Hepatitis can be classified into 5 types, among which Hepatitis C is reported to be one of the most common liver diseases. The most common ways the infection starts is via insufficient sterilization of medical equipment, transfusion of untested blood, and unsafe vaccination practices. Hepatitis C affects millions of people in the world every year. An estimated 130 – 150 of the global population suffers from chronic hepatitis C, who eventually develops liver cancer or liver cirrhosis.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Boil a glass of milk.
• Step 2: Mix a teaspoon of turmeric powder. Stir well and drink two times a day.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Chew 1 – 2 fresh garlic cloves a day.
• Step 2: The compound allicin in garlic helps in detoxifying the liver naturally.

55. Osteoporosis: Globally, about 200 million people have osteoporosis out of which an estimated 8.9+ million people suffer from severe fractures every year, resulting in a painful, osteoporotic fracture every three seconds.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Include pineapple in your daily diet. It can be a cup of freshly cut pineapple pieces or a glass of fresh juice.
• Step 2: Pineapple is a rich source of manganese, a nutrient required to keep the bones healthy. Hence, consuming adequate amounts of pineapple truly helps.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Boil 2 teaspoons of coriander seeds in 2 cups of water.
• Step 2: Once the quantity decreases to one cup, filter it, and add a few drops of honey. Drink the decoction once a day.

56. Autism: Autism is one of the most common mental disorders whose prevalence has drastically grown in these decades. Autism can occur to a human of any race, gender, and age. It is 4.5 times more commonly seen in boys than in girls. Sadly, there is no cure for autism, but this doesn’t mean it cannot be improved. Some learning skills, communication activities, and the right foods can be of great help.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Mix coconut oil with a few drops of lavender essential oil in a bowl.
• Step 2: Slightly warm the mixture and massage with it. Autistic kids experience high mood swings. They can get hyper easily. Hence, a massage with lavender oil can help them relax.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Take a glass of warm milk and add a teaspoon of turmeric powder to it.
• Step 2: Drinking turmeric-milk on a regular basis is known to do great help.

57. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder ( OCD ): What was once considered a rare psychological disorder is now reported to be one of the most common problems of the brain. OCD is a mental disorder, which is characterized by compulsions and obsessions. If left unobserved, it causes high distress. OCD outranks mental problems like panic attacks, bipolar disorders, and schizophrenia. The onset of OCD falls between the age of 6 – 15 in men and 20 – 29 in women.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Consuming oats for breakfast helps in bringing calmness to mind and body.
• Step 2: Make sure to have oats with milk, garnished with a few fresh citrus fruits.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: A troubled, nervous system is one of the main reasons for OCD. It is vital to soothe the nerves.
• Step 2: Prepare a bathtub of warm water and add a few drops of lemon and lavender oil to it. Have a bath and relax.

58. Epilepsy: Epilepsy is one of the most common and chronic neurological disorders humans face today. It occurs due to the abnormal activity in the brain’s nerve cells. An estimated 10% of the global population will have at least 1 seizure in their lifetime, but just 1 seizure attack doesn’t indicate epilepsy. The problem is serious if the person gets 2 or more uncalled seizures.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Mix ½ teaspoon of baking soda and 2 tablespoons of freshly extracted lime juice in a glass of warm water.
• Step 2: Drink the mixture before going to bed on alternate days for a few weeks to see a notable difference.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Winter melons are one of the best remedies for epilepsies. Prepare a glass of fresh winter melon juice.
• Step 2: Drink this every morning on an empty stomach.

59. Dizziness: Occasional dizziness is common but recurring can be a sign of a serious problem like vertigo – a serious health condition, which makes a person feel that the entire space around him is spinning. It affects about 40% of the adult population (who are above the age of 40) at least once.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: To recover from dizziness, eat a healthy snack that is enriched with carbohydrates.
• Step 2: Usually, a chocolate bar or a ripe banana is given to the patient.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Extract the juice of 1 lemon and add it to a glass of water.
• Step 2: Mix 1 – 2 teaspoons of sugar. Stir well and drink to overcome the dizziness.

60. Cataract: Cataract is one of the most common eye disorders in the world. It is a condition where the eye lens is clouded and disturbs the person from getting a clear vision. The majority of cataract cases are associated with aging. However, rarely, a kid can be born with this condition. Though cataracts can be treated surgically, this remains a significant concern in low-income countries.

Note: Getting it treated via surgery is the ideal way to eliminate the cataract but there are a few things that can be done at home to prevent the condition or to treat extremely mild eye cataracts.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Prepare a glass of juice made of fresh carrots, spinach, and tomatoes.
• Step 2: These three vegetables are a great source of vitamin A. Hence, drinking it every day can be of great help.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Mix 10 grams of these ingredients each: ginger juice, onion juice, and lemon juice.
• Step 2: Filter it and add a few drops of honey. Store the mixture in the refrigerator. Take a dropper and pour 2 drops of this solution into the affected eye every day. This will cure mild cataracts.

61. Glaucoma: Glaucoma is one of the deadly and common eye disorders. According to WHO, it is the second leading reason for global blindness. It damages the optic nerves and leads to blindness. The affected eye continuously generates a fluid – scientifically known as aqueous. In the advanced stage, the damage is irreparable and permanent. So, it is vital to have your eyes examined in the initial phase.

Note: Prevention is the only way to keep yourself away from glaucoma. The loss of vision comes gradually. That’s why it is often known as the silent thief of sight.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Include different types of fresh green leafy vegetables in your daily diet.
• Step 2: Leafy vegetables are a good source of zeaxanthin and lutein. Both protect the cells from radical damage.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Have dark-colored berries like blueberries and cranberries.
• Step 2: They have bioflavonoids in them, which help in strengthening the eye capillaries.

62. Dry Eyes: Dry eye syndrome is yet another common eye problems people have. The problem occurs when the eye glands fail to produce enough tears for the eye to have a clear vision. It is the disease of the ocular surface, which results in visual impairment and ocular discomfort.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Include sufficient amounts of omega-3 supplements in your daily diet.
• Step 2: Natural omega-3 fatty acids are one of the best ways to relieve the symptoms of dry eyes.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Perform some eye exercises to get rid of the strain. Blink constantly for a minute.
• Step 2: Another remedy is to slice a fresh cucumber and place them on your eyes.

63. Scabies: Scabies is one of the most common skin diseases, which can affect an individual of any age group or race. It spreads quickly, especially in crowded environments like nursing homes and prisons. The prevalence of this skin problem ranges from 0.2% to 71% on a global scale.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Apply a few drops of neem oil on the affected skin region. Massage gently and leave for a while.
• Step 2: Take a bath using warm water. Repeat the remedy every day for a few weeks to prevent the infection from spreading further.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Cut open a fresh aloe vera leaf. Apply the gel on the infected skin region
• Step 2: Leave for 30 minutes and wash off with warm water.

64. Irregular periods: About 70% of women in the world have irregularities in their menstrual cycle. Mostly it happens due to stress or emotional difficulties. However, prolonged irregularities in periods can be a sign of a serious health issue in the reproductive system, which is known as PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome). So, check with a gynecologist.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Jaggery and sesame seeds can do wonders in overcoming the problem of irregular periods. Take 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds and slightly roast them.
• Step 2: Grind the seeds with 1 teaspoon of jaggery. Eat 1 teaspoon of this powder on an empty stomach 2 weeks prior to the periods begin. Repeat this for a few months.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Add multiple vitamin C rich foods in your everyday diet like tomatoes, apples, oranges, berries, etc.
• Step 2: Vitamin C helps in producing estrogen (hormones that handle the menses).

65. Insomnia ( lack of Sleep ): An estimated 30% of the global population has insomnia. Sleep Foundation says that widowed, divorced, and separated individuals are the primary victims. Insomnia is an issue that shouldn’t be taken lightly because it has serious negative effects. According to the researchers, people who do not get adequate sleep are vulnerable to frustration, road accidents, and high rates of lost workdays.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Drink a glass of warm milk before going to bed.
• Step 2: This is a well-known remedy and works because milk has a compound called tryptophan, which helps in inducing better sleep.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: The herb named Valerian ( Tagar / Chhar ) is claimed to be an effective remedy for insomnia. Take a teaspoon of valerian roots (dried). You can buy the powdered form.
• Step 2: Boil the roots in 2 cups of water. Wait until the quantity drops to a cup. Drink before bedtime.

66. Irritable Bowel Syndrome ( IBS ): The correct cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome is still unknown. However, the patient experiences heavy disturbances in the way the nervous system, gut, and brain interacts. The impact can be a mild discomfort to fatal debilitation.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Boil 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds (crushed) in a cup of water for 10 minutes.
• Step 2: Wait until the quantity reduces to 1 cup. Strain the mixture and allow it to cool. Drink 2 times a day. Repeat the remedy for a few days to get rid of IBS.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Boil 2 – 3 teaspoons of chamomile flowers (dried) in 2 cups of water.
• Step 2: Wait until the quantity reduces to 1 cup. Strain the mixture and add a few drops of lemon juice to it. Allow it to be cool. Drink 2 times a day. Repeat the remedy for a few days to get rid of IBS.

67. Bipolar Disorder: Bipolar disorder is one of the common mental disorders, which affects an estimated 60 million in the world. It is characterized by both depressive and maniac episodes, divided by phases of usual mood. The maniac episodes entail irritable or elevated mood, inflated self-esteem, decreased sleep, and over-activity. However, it is treatable and preventable.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Include foods that are rich in magnesium. It helps in balancing the mood and reduces the mania symptoms. Also, it promotes better sleep.
• Step 2: Some good sources are cashews, black beans, soybeans, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, spinach, etc.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Boil 1 teaspoon of licorice roots (dried) in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes.
• Step 2: Once the quantity reduces to 1 cup, strain it, and drink when it is warm.

68. Food Poisoning: 1 out of 10 people tend to fall ill annually from consuming contaminated food. Children under age 5 are at the maximum risk, with about 1,25,000 dying from it each year. The African and southern East Asian countries are reported to have the highest cases of foodborne diseases.

Remedy 1:

• Step1: Prepare a glass of freshly made basil leaves juice. Add one tablespoon of honey to it.
• Step2: Drink this juice several times a day to get rid of food poisoning.    

Remedy 2:

• Step1: Extract the juice of a small piece of ginger and add one teaspoon of honey to it.
• Step2: Consume the mixture two times a day to overcome food poisoning.

69. Dehydration: Every year, insufficient water and improper hygiene contribute to an estimated death of 1.5 million children. It is very important to keep the body hydrated because once it turns chronic, it is life-threatening. Dehydration can even result in loss of memory power, anxiety, and irritability.

Remedy 1:

• Step1: Take 4 cups of water and add 6 teaspoons of sugar and ½ teaspoons of salt to it.
• Step2: Stir it properly and drink this water several times a day.

Remedy 2:

• Step1: Drink a glass of coconut water every morning. Ditch those sports drinks and artificial beverages.
• Step 2: Coconut water is reported to be low in sugar as well as calories. It replenishes chronic dehydration than plain, drinking water.

70. Nausea: Nausea is one of the most unpleasant sensations that occur in the upper abdomen. It is the expulsion of all the gastric contents via the mouth. Everyone in the world experiences it at least once or multiple times in a year, but it is a primary concern if it is recurring or turns chronic. In such cases, it is a sign of an underlying medical condition.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Grate a fresh piece of ginger.
• Step 2: Mix it in a cup of boiling water. Leave it for a while. Strain and drink when it is warm.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Chew some fresh peppermint leaves.
• Step 2: The menthol in peppermint leaves helps in getting rid of nausea.

71. Gingivitis: While the majority of the people think heart diseases and cancers as the deadliest but gum problems like gingivitis are no small contenders. They can cause bone loss, tooth loss, and have been associated with fatal systemic health issues like pancreatic cancers and cardiovascular diseases. It is the inflammation of the gum tissues. There is bleeding, pain, swelling, and redness of the gums. Gum diseases are one of the most prevalent health issues, which can have shocking effects.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Mix ½ teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water.
• Step 2: Use this solution to rinse your mouth 2 to 3 times a day.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon and mix it a glass of water. Use the mixture as a mouthwash after you brush the teeth. Repeat the remedy two times a day to prevent bleeding gums.
• Step 2: Alternatively, you can mix 1 tablespoon of freshly extracted lemon juice with a little salt. Apply the paste on the gums and rinse with warm water after 10 minutes.

72. Wisdom Teeth: The third molars or wisdom teeth are the last set of teeth to develop and emerge in the mouth. They develop between the age of 17 & 25, a phase of life which is usually known as the “Age of Wisdom.”

Extracting them is not necessary if they are painless, functional, disease-free, and cavity-free. Well, this is not common to see because most wisdom teeth cases are problematic because they emerge at abnormal angles, making it very hard to come out from the gum.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Keep a clove near the aching wisdom tooth.
• Step 2: Once the clove starts to release its essential oil, there will be a relief from the pain.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Chewing 1 – 2 guava leaves (tender ones) helps in relieving the pain.
• Step 2: Alternatively, you can boil 4 – 5 tender guava leaves in a cup of water for 5 minutes. Filter it and rinse the mouth with when it is warm. Repeat the process 2 – 3 times a day to get rid of wisdom tooth pain.

73. Dysuria ( Painful Urination ): Dysuria refers to burning pain while urinating. It is one of the primary signs of an underlying internal problem like vaginitis or UTI. It is associated with the inflammation of the genitourinary tract.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Wash a handful of fresh chocolate weed leaves.
• Step 2: Boil the leaves with 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds and 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder. Filter the liquid and drink once a day.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Take cumin seeds and barley in equal proportions.
• Step 2: Mix them in freshly prepared spinach leaves juice. Bring them to boil. Add a little water if required. Strain and drink when it is warm.

74. Parasites ( Intestinal Worms ): Don’t take parasites lightly because they can cause serious diseases in humans. Some parasitic problems can be treated but some cannot. Though it is most common in the tropical & sub-tropical regions, it is also seen in developed countries.

Note: The best way to get rid of intestinal worms or parasites is to cleanse the body with natural foods.
Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Boil the bark (about 2 inches) of a pomegranate tree in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes.
• Step 2: Wait until the water evaporates to 1 cup. Strain it and drink 3 times a day when it is warm.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Boil 2 tablespoons of flaxseeds in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes.
• Step 2: Wait until the water evaporates to 1 cup. Strain it and drink 3 times a day when it is warm.

75. Bad Breath: If you think that bad breath is no big deal, then think over because about 60% of the bad breath victims are more prone to be stressed. About 57% of them have reported having feelings of dejection and depression only because their mouth stinks.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Take 1 to 2 tender, immature bay leaves.
• Step 2: Clean them properly and chew 2 to 3 times a day.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Boil some fresh lemon leaves in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes.
• Step 2: Strain the solution and use it as a mouthwash multiple times a day.

76. Hemorrhoids ( Piles ): They are not deadly, but they make a person’s daily life miserable and incredibly challenging. It is one of the worst diseases to live with. A person suffering from hemorrhoids or piles experiences extreme pain and uneasiness in the rectal part.

They are most commonly seen in people between the ages 40 and 65 but, even young adults can experience them. A common myth associated with piles is that – hot spicy foods are the cause; however, the fact is that constipation is the primary reason.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Take a glass of warm goat milk.
• Step 2: Mix a little sugar and 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds (finely ground). Drink every day before going to bed.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Mix a teaspoon of black mustard in a cup of homemade, plain yogurt.
• Step 2: Consume this mixture once a day for a few weeks for the desired results. Make sure to chew the mustard seeds properly.

77. Peptic Ulcer ( Stomach Ulcer ): Peptic ulcers are reported to be one of the most common stomach infections. In spite of decades of research, it remains to be serious trouble in humans. Peptic ulcers are often said to lead to more chronic complications like cancers and even death sometimes.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: An effective remedy to treat stomach or peptic ulcers is to eat 2 to 3 ripe bananas per day.
• Step 2: Alternatively, you can have 2 glass of banana milkshakes a day.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Boil a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds in 2 cups of water.
• Step 2: Strain the mixture and add a few drops of honey. Drink regularly. Also, add fenugreek leaves to your daily diet.

78. Tinnitus ( ringing ears ): Tinnitus once used to be a rare ear problem; however, the global statistics reveal a different story now. People are at risk of hearing loss, among which tinnitus is a primary cause. Tinnitus is an ear condition where the patient experiences continuous ringing in the ears, which is caused by loud noises, ear infections, emotional stress, or head injury.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Take the extract of Ginkgo biloba and divide it into 3 doses.
• Step 2: Consume for at least 2 months for positive results. Avoid the remedy if you have seizures or you are already on some medications.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Take a teaspoon of mustard oil and warm it slightly.
• Step 2: Use a dropper and pour a few drops of it into the affected ear. Repeat the process for a few days.

79. Chikungunya: Chikungunya is one of the serious viral diseases that is transmitted via infected mosquitoes. Once it affects the person, it causes intense joint pain and fever. Besides these, it causes fatigue, nausea, headache, and rashes. Shockingly, there is no cure, but treatments can be done to relieve the symptoms.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Add enough amounts of ginger and turmeric to your regular diet.
• Step 2: Both these ingredients have natural anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties to fight the infection.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Drink a glass of freshly made carrot juice.
• Step 2: It helps in minimizing the joint pain.

80. Brain Tumor: Brain tumor is the 2^nd leading cause of cancer-associated deaths in individuals under age 20. The average survival rate of all brain tumors (malignant) is 34.2%. The exact cause of most brain tumors is still a mystery. However, symptoms include seizures, recurrent headaches, eye weakness, personality changes, vomiting, nausea, etc. So, the symptoms that sound simple, in reality, are not. They could be a sign of a fatal disease.

Note: Disease like brain tumors requires clinical treatments. However, you can prevent it.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: To prevent brain tumors, intake of natural foods that is rich in folic acid like green leafy vegetables, berries, oranges, spinach, beans, etc.
• Step 2: Folic acid prevents cancer cells from spreading.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Drink a cup of green tea every day.
• Step 2: Green tea has powerful cancer-fighting properties. It inhibits the development of tumor cells, improves the blood circulation in the body, and ensures that the nerves, as well as arteries, are healthy.

81. Alzheimer’s: 1 in 4 people will have the problem of Alzheimer’s or associated dementia. It is one of the most common diseases in Western Europe and one of the leading causes of disabilities. It is characterized by confusion and memory loss.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Take a teaspoon of cinnamon powder.
• Step 2: Use these three times in your everyday cooking. Alternatively, you can prepare a cup of cinnamon & ginger tea.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Besides herbs and natural foods, mental exercises are reported to be highly effective in treating the problem.
• Step 2: Crosswords, writing, reading, word puzzles, and other mental exercises help in relaxing the brain as well as making it sharper.

82. Parkinson’s Disease ( Neurological Movement Disorder ): The prevalence of Parkinson’s disease increases as a person ages. When compared to women, men are 1 ½ time more prone to it. Once this deadly disease attacks, it cannot be cured, but continuous medical treatments can help to some extent.

Note: Parkinson’s disease cannot be cured, but remedies can be applied to ease the symptoms.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: “Gait training” works effectively in treating Parkinson’s symptoms. This training involves new ways to walk, turn, and stand.
• Step 2: Say, for example, take bigger steps while walking and ensure to keep the head straight. Do not use shoes that have rubber soles because they might stick to the floor and can increase the chances of tripping.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Drink a cup of freshly prepared green tea every day.
• Step 2: From aiding weight loss to dealing with deadly diseases like cancers, green tea has also shown positive signs in treating Parkinson’s disease.

83. Prostate Cancer: According to this research, prostate cancer is the 4^th deadliest and common cancer. The prevalence of prostate cancer varies based on the region. It is the highest in New Zealand, Northern America Western Europe, Northern Europe, and Australia.

Note: A person who has prostate cancer requires timely clinical treatments. However, the disease can be prevented as well as helped to some extent with the intake of the right foods.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Eat tomatoes. It can either fresh or in the form of juice or cooked.
• Step 2: Tomatoes have a compound called lycopene, which is a powerful antioxidant that assists in preventing and spreading of the cancer cells.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Eat a fresh pomegranate a day.
• Step 2: Research has demonstrated that the nutrients in pomegranate help in inhibiting the spread of cancerous cells.

84. Lung Cancer: Smoking and use of tobacco are one of the primary causes for an estimated 70% of deaths from lung cancer in the world while the rest is due to HPV & HBV. About 58% of lung cancer cases are reported to be common in developing countries.

Note: A serious condition like lung cancer requires medical intervention. However, remedies can be applied as an adjunct.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: If you are a smoker, quit this habit right away because that will worsen the condition even more.
• Step 2: Include natural foods that are enriched with vitamin D because it is one of the vital nutrients for lung cancer patients.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Have a cup of freshly cut noni (cheese fruit) every day.
• Step 2: Alternatively, you can even consume its extract. The fruit is reported to help in fighting against the cancer cells effectively.

85. Colon Cancer: Colorectal or colon cancer is the world’s 3^rd most common cancer. After two decades, colon cancer cases are anticipated to increase by 70%. Fortunately, colon cancer is 100% preventable.

Note: Colon cancer requires timely medical treatments. However, remedies can be applied to prevent it.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: To keep the colon healthy, it is important to consume the right foods.
• Step 2: Flaxseeds are something that is good for the colon. It is enriched with fiber, proteins, minerals, vitamins, linolenic acid, and other vital phytonutrients to prevent the cancer cells from forming.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: According to the National Cancer Institute, garlic is one of the best natural foods to prevent cancer.
• Step 2: Either eat 1 – 2 garlic cloves raw every day or use them in cooking.

86. Breast Cancer: Breast cancer is the leading and most common cancer in women. In the worst stages, the breasts are removed or the disease causes death. The prevalence varies worldwide. However, the highest rates are contributed to Western Europe and Eastern Africa.

Note: A woman with breast cancer requires a periodic medical diagnosis. However, breast cancer can be prevented with the intake of right, natural foods.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Include broccoli in your regular diet.
• Step 2: Broccoli has a compound called linamarase gene, which breaks down into cyanides and successfully kills the tumor cells.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Drink a glass of wheatgrass juice regularly.
• Step 2: Wheatgrass is highly healthy and beneficial for inhibiting the cancer cells.

87. HIV / AIDS: As per the 2015 reports, an estimated 36.7 million of the global population was surviving with HIV. The African regions are revealed to have the highest AIDS rates, wherein 1 in 25 adults are infected with HIV. The disease has no cure. So, prevention is the safe side.

Note: A person who is HIV positive requires immediate medical intervention. Taking it lightly can be dangerous.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Since HIV is caused when the person encounters the infected semen, blood, or vaginal fluids, prevention is the best remedy for HIV. Another common yet dangerous way of getting HIV is by sharing the same drug needle that an HIV-positive patient has used.
• Step 2: Have protected sex.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: According to natural society, black seeds (Nigella sativa) are reported to be helpful for treating HIV.
• Step 2: Black seeds have multiple benefits and has been a wonderful healing remedy for ages.

88. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ( COPD ): COPD is one of the deadliest lung diseases, which interferes with breathing. The primary cause is none other than tobacco. It has no cure, but regular treatments can slow down the disease’s progress.

Note: A life-threatening problem like COPD requires proper medical supervision. However, you can prevent it.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: Since 90% of the COPD cases are due to smoking, quitting it is the right remedy to slow down its progress.
• Step 2: Besides quitting smoking, bring some healthy lifestyle changes like exercising and consuming natural foods.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Reduce stress levels by drinking a cup of green tea.
• Step 2: The antioxidants in green tea helps in eliminating the inflammation and oxidative stress.

89. Heart Attack: According to WHO, cardiovascular diseases are not only common but also the leading cause of most deaths worldwide. One-third of the deaths from heart attacks and strokes happen in middle and low-income countries. The risk factors include obesity, diabetes, hypertension, increased cholesterol, alcohol, and unhealthy eating patterns. Fortunately, it is 100% preventable.

Remedy 1:

• Step 1: To prevent heart attacks, eat a fresh garlic clove every day.
• Step 2: Garlic helps in controlling raised cholesterol and hypertension. But do not take it if you are already taking medications. So, it is crucial to talk with your doctor about it.

Remedy 2:

• Step 1: Alfalfa is one of the best herbs to treat cardiovascular diseases.
• Step 2: Drink a glass of juice made from alfalfa leaves. However, discuss with your doctor for the correct dosage.

Fruits

• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Gooseberries (Amla)
• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Papaya
• Raw mango
• Peach
• Apricot
• Cherries
• Muskmelon
• Watermelon
• Apple
• Water apple

Vegetables

• Bittergourd
• Greens — cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, cucumber, asparagus, green beans, alfa, eggplant, iceberg, and mint leaves.
• Sprouted moong, beans, and lentils.

How do they help?

1. Fresh vegetables and fruits are high in vitamins and minerals. They have an expansive effect on our bodies, which draw heat from our central organs and, thereby, cool the body.

2. Fresh veggies and fruits also contain a lot of water which adds to the cooling effect on the body.

3. Eating these cooling foods also assists the body’s ability to release heat.

This way, the hot weather doesn’t make the body overheated or exhausted.

Most of us lead lives where we’ve been inconspicuously tucked into a food routine and are desperately trying to claw our way out of it. Amidst a number of lifestyle problems to deal with, we tend to forget or ignore granny’s simple remedy of eating fresh, seasonal produce.

1. Water is the best option to quench thirst.

It is a key ingredient in keeping the body cool. With high humidity levels, sweat will not evaporate quickly. This prevents the body from releasing heat in an efficient manner. This is why it is necessary to hydrate and drink water, even when you are not thirsty. Increase water intake regardless of your activity levels.

2. Avoid caffeine or carbonated beverages, alcoholic beverages, and those high in sugar.

All these drinks contain preservatives, colors, and sugars. They are acidic in nature and act as diuretics. They cause loss of fluids through urine.

Many soft drinks contain diluted phosphoric acid, which damages the inner lining of the digestive tract and, therefore, affects its functions.

Excessive intake of soft drinks increases phosphorous levels in the blood. This separates calcium from the bones and moves it into the blood.

This calcium displacement from the bones makes them porous and brittle. It also causes plaque on the teeth, kidney stones, arthritis, and bone spur.

Soft drinks also reduce mineral levels in the body to such an extent that enzymes are unable to function well, resulting in indigestion.

3. Do not drink very chilled liquids.

They do not really help cool you down in summers, though they make you cool for some time. Drinking really cold liquids when feeling hot may lead to a slight constriction of the blood vessels in the skin and decrease heat loss, which is not advisable when trying to cool down.

4. Limit all strenuous activity.

5. Eat light, nutritious and non-fatty meals.

6. Reduce intakes of heaty vegetables and fruits, like spinach, radish, hot peppers, onions, garlic, beetroot, pineapple, grapefruit and ripe mangoes (if you cannot resist mangoes, soak them overnight in water).

7. Minimize the intake of dried fruits. Increase the intake of fresh fruit.

8. Use sabza (tulsi seeds) in your drinks — this has a very cooling effect on the body.

9. Include lots of fruits and vegetables in the form of salads and fresh juices, preferably without sugar, in your diet.

10. Drink lemon juice, coconut water, and thin buttermilk, to replenish the fluids that are lost in sweat.

11. Avoid sugary foods, especially honey and molasses, and stick to natural sugars available from fruits and veggies.

12. Minimize the intake of hot, spicy foods, and extremely salty foods. The body retains salt in the organic form found in fruits and veggies; the inorganic salt, meanwhile, is digested and needs to be thrown out of the body. And this is why you need to drink water!

13. Cut the intake of fried foods, like vadas, samosas, chips, bhajias, farsans, etc. Fat has a thermal effect.

14. Maintain good hygiene levels.

Since the sultry heat of summer increases with each degree rise in the mercury, by rooting ourselves to nature’s provision of healthful food choices we can experience the bloom of our health and vitality.

What should be the diet regimen to be followed in summers?

The summer diet should be different from the winter diet. The summer takes away all moisture from our body, therefore care should be taken to include those foods in our diets that contain lots of water.

Summer foods should be essentially light to digest as our body produces enough heat during summers to digest the food. Legumes, wheat, barley are some summer foods to be included in daily diet.

The best summer diet solution would be to include a large variety of fruits mainly citrus fruits & vegetables & salads in diet. Onions & lemon are a boon during the summer season.

Can you name some foods that have a cooling effect on the body?

Summer foods are essentially rich in water content. You may include citrus fruits like lime, orange, sweet lime, pineapple, watermelon, musk melon, etc.
Among vegetables include the cool cucumber, tomato, onion, lettuce, cabbage, etc.

You require to include rice, legumes, wheat & avoid meat & poultry. You can rather opt for seafood which are suppose to be cooler.

What food items should be avoided?

Some foods have a warming effect on the body whereas some have a cooling effect therefore one must see the water content of foods before consuming.

All heavy, fried & fatty foods are to be avoided as they are difficult to digest.
Avoid meat, poultry, nuts & seeds. Also avoid foods like garlic, clove, mustard & coffee.

To prevent dehydration what should be the ideal drink and in what quantity should it be taken?

It is important to keep yourself well hydrated during summers. Take plenty of fluids like fresh citrus fruit juices, lemon water, coconut water, khus sherbet, Aam Panna, Thandai, ice tea, smoothie, buttermilk & vegetable juices like cucumber & carrot juices.

Is it true that caffeinated and sugary drinks are harmful during summers?

The sugary & caffeinated drinks are harmful during summers as they worsen the effects of dehydration. So it is advisable to stay away from them.

What is the ideal temperature at which liquids should be consumed? 
Ice is used in large quantities during summer. While giving a temporary cooling to the body, it weakens the teeth at their roots, at the same time; disturbing digestion.
Ice water should be replaced with comparatively cold water. Water can be made tasty by adding such fragrant substances like ‘khas’, ‘sandal’, ‘camphor’ or ‘rose’.

In summer, Ice creams and cold drinks should be consumed minimum as they result in throat problems that could make the body vulnerable to some other diseases.

Is it true that strenuous exercise should be avoided in summers?

Summer is the time when we spend much more time outdoors which by itself can be considered a moderate exercise routine. But don’t count on it, and do some physical activities which can turn into a healthy habit. When you exercise more, you need extra protein. A healthy source of protein with a cooling effect on the body is beans, grains such as rice, barley, millet, tofu, soy milk, fish & plenty of fluids to maintain electrolyte balance.

What should be the ideal diet for those suffering from heatstroke?

Drink plenty of water, stay away from the sun, and avoid taxing activity during hot weather conditions.

If you start experiencing the warning signs, shift to a cool, sheltered area and gulp something cool. Water containing electrolyte, juices, and glucose should be given to the patient to maintain electrolyte balance.

Besides this, give the patient plenty of fruits & vegetables. Good protein intake like legumes, beans, tofu, low-fat milk & milk products is also important. It is also known that Peppermint oil mixed with water is another great remedy for heat stroke.

Simple diet chart to be followed during the summer season

An ideal summer diet would be as follows:

• Two glasses of water, followed by a cup of tea & 2 lite biscuits on rising.
• Wheat flakes with unsweetened soy milk and fruit for breakfast.
• Fresh lime juice or tender coconut water as a mid-morning drink.
• Brown rice with rasam, vegetable curry, curd and sprouts, and greens salad for lunch.

Here we bring to you healthy summer foods along with many vegetables to eat in summer, fruits as well as drinks that will help you fight the heat and enjoy your vacation days better!

1. Corn

Nothing says summer like fresh sweet corn. And did you know that two antioxidants—lutein and zeaxanthin—in corn may act like natural sunglasses, helping to form macular pigment that filters out some of the sun’s damaging rays? It’s true. The same antioxidants may also help lower your risk of developing age-related macular degeneration—the leading cause of blindness in people over the age of 60 (though much of the damage occurs decades earlier).

 2. Iced Coffee

An iced pick-me-up is a great way to start your summer mornings. Better yet: drinking a single cup of coffee daily may lower your risk of developing skin cancer. In one study of more than 93,000 women, those who drank one cup of caffeinated coffee a day reduced their risk of developing nonmelanoma skin cancer by about 10 percent. And the more they drank—up to about 6 cups or so per day—the lower their risk.

 3. Tart Cherries

They deliver a host of health benefits. You may have heard that drinking tart cherry juice can help you get a better night’s sleep and quell post-workout pain. But did you know that compounds in tart cherries may also help you slim down and get leaner? The anthocyanins in tart cherries activate a molecule that helps rev up fat burning and decrease fat storage.

4 Tomatoes

There’s no question that sunscreen should be your first line of defense against the blazing summer sun. But eating tomatoes could give you a little extra protection: consuming more lycopene—the carotenoid that makes tomatoes red—may protect your skin from sunburn. In one study, participants who were exposed to UV light had almost 50 percent less skin reddening after they ate 2 1/2 tablespoons of tomato paste (or drank about 1 2/3 cups of carrot juice daily), in addition to their regular diet, for 10 to 12 weeks

5. Watermelon

Staying hydrated keeps your memory sharp and your mood stable. It also helps keep your body cool (by sweating) during hot summer months. It is low in calories and yet still contains great amounts of nutrients and cancer-fighting antioxidants like Vitamin C and lycopene. You can eat it, too: in addition to delivering skin-protecting lycopene, watermelon is 92 percent water (hence the name). Another boon? Research shows that eating foods that are full of water helps keep you satisfied on fewer calories. (Interestingly enough, drinking water alongside foods doesn’t have the same effect.)

6. Raspberries

Raspberries are a great source of fiber—some of it soluble in the form of pectin, which helps lower cholesterol. One cup of raspberries has 8 grams of fiber—and a study in the Journal of Nutrition suggests that eating more fiber may help prevent weight gain or even promote weight loss. Over the course of a two-year study, researchers found that when study participants boosted their fiber by 8 grams for every 1,000 calories, they lost about 4 1/2 pounds. Try it for yourself. If you’re consuming 2,000 calories per day, aim to increase your fiber by 16 grams

7. Iced Tea

Sure, a tall glass of iced tea on a hot day is refreshing, but did you know it might also do your body good? Studies show if you drink tea regularly, you may lower your risk of Alzheimer’s and diabetes, plus have healthier teeth and gums and stronger bones. How? Tea is rich in a class of antioxidants called flavonoids. Regardless of the variety—black, green, oolong, white or herbal—maximize the power of tea’s flavonoids by drinking it freshly brewed. If you want to keep a batch of cold tea in your refrigerator, “add a little lemon juice,” because citric acid and vitamin C in that squeeze of lemon—or lime, or orange—help preserve the flavonoids.

8. Blueberries

Fresh blueberries straight from the berry patch are a special treat! Turns out the antioxidants in them may help ward off muscle fatigue by mopping up the additional free radicals that muscles produce during exercise, according to recent research.

9  Mulberries

These sweet, juicy summer berries are tasty both fresh and dried in trail mix or in a salad. At just 43 calories per 3.5 oz serving, they contain 61 percent of the RDA for vitamin C, and they’re also chock full of potassium, fiber, and resveratrol, a phytonutrient shown to protect the heart.

10 Coriander

Coriander has numerous health benefits and is packed with nutrients such as fiber, iron, thiamine, zinc, folate, phosphorous, folate, vitamin K, and more, It has a great aroma and flavor that screams summer! Coriander may increase the production of digestive acids, which can help stimulate the gut to move waste out. A healthy digestive tract is key for weight loss.

11 Pineapple

This sweet tropical fruit is the perfect ingredient for summer smoothies and juices. It contains the proteolytic enzyme bromelain, which aids in the digestion of protein and blood clot formation. As an anti-inflammatory super food, pineapple can help reduce swelling and in turn, you’ll have a flatter belly.

12 Mishirkhand

This is a great source of fiber. This plant is great for weight loss due to its high fiber to sugar ratio (a whopping 32g of fiber per medium jimaca—that’s almost an entire day’s worth). They are also a good source of potassium, an essential mineral in maintaining water balance in our body.

13 Bitter Melon – Karela

This bitter and slightly sweet melon and helps improve digestion and lower blood sugar. Too much sugar in the bloodstream sends a signal to the pancreas to release the fat-storing hormone insulin. By keeping your blood sugar under control, you will reduce the likelihood of storing calories as fat. Can’t stomach the bitterness? Try soaking it in chilled saltwater for a few hours prior to eating (raw or cooked).

14 Mango

Mangoes are a great way to satisfy a sweet tooth and to help to ward off other cravings. Mangoes are high in fiber, magnesium, antioxidants, and iron (making them a great snack for women who may have iron deficiency or anemia). And because mangoes aid in digestion, you want to focus on eating the fruit versus just drinking the juice.

15 Figs

This fiber- and potassium-rich fruit makes the perfect summer snack. At around 170 calories for 8 oz, you can eat them alone, in salads, in cereals, or wrapped in prosciutto (just don’t grab a Fig Newton—you’ll get more nutrition and less fat from the actual fruit).

16 Peaches

Packed with important nutrients including vitamins A and C, potassium, and iron, one medium peach (only 38 calories) provides nearly 2 grams of fiber. A peach provides gentle laxative and diuretic properties; and thanks to its beta – carotene, it also helps your skin stay fresh and bright.

17 Sweet peppers – Shimla Mirch

Peppers are a great weight-loss food since all varieties contain capsaicin, a natural metabolism booster. Add them into salsa or eat them fresh, roasted, or stuffed to reap their better-body benefits.

18 Plums

Full of nutrients and phytochemicals, plums are light in calories but heavy on flavor. And they also make a great dessert! Indulge without ruining your diet with plum cake

19 Peas

Peas have higher protein and iron levels than most vegetables, so they can be a good source of nutrients—and an alternative to non-animal foods which tend to be higher in saturated fat.

20 Green Beans

This summer veggie staple is a great low calorie and fat-free source of fiber and iron, Not a fan of green beans? Hide them in hearty and healthy bean salad (a great lighter alternative to potato salad for picnics).

21 Turnip

Did you know turnips could help you shed belly fat? Their high vitamin C and phytochemical levels help detoxify your body—and too many toxins in the body can lead to fat accumulation around your waist. At only 34 calories and 8 grams of carbohydrates per cup (vs. a potato’s 113 calories and 26 grams of carbohydrates), try making mashed turnips instead of mashed potatoes for a nutrient-dense, low-calorie alternative.

22 Grapes

Rich in vitamin C and phytochemicals with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, grapes may also protect against Type 2 diabetes. Grapes also have a high water content, making them a refreshing summer snack that helps you feel full and satisfied (1 cup of fresh grapes contain only 100 calories).

23 Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a great source of dietary fiber, which helps to reduce blood sugar and insulin spikes, ultimately reducing belly fat.  Substituting a sweet potato for potato salad, potato chips, or mashed potatoes at BBQs to save hundreds of calories.

24  Salsa

Salsa is low in calories and tastes great on all kinds of healthy foods. It has antioxidants, such as lycopene, which aid in cellular health. Use salsa in place of other high-calorie dips such as hummus, onion dips, and cheese dips and you’re guaranteed to cut calories.

25 Blackberries

A cup of blackberries has only 62 calories and is packed with fiber and phytochemicals, including powerful flavonoids and anthocyanins, which help to speed stool and toxins through your digestive system. Their high water and fiber content, plus sweet taste, make them the perfect refreshing summer weight-loss food.

26 Lima Beans – Sem

Lima beans are great vegetarian sources of protein (one cup offers 15 grams or the same as 2 ounces of meat). The fat-free beans are also packed with soluble fiber and iron to provide long-term energy and satisfaction.

27 Walnuts

Full of fiber and heart-healthy fats (including omega-3’s, which have shown to have metabolic-boosting benefits), walnuts are great to crunch on instead of “bad” fat-filled and salted potato chips. Just watch your portion size since nuts are high in calories. (We recommend tossing a handful into a salad to add crunch and flavor).

28 Gazpacho

Made of mostly vegetables and spices (a soup made with chopped tomatoes and onions and cucumbers and peppers and herbs; served cold ), gazpacho is full of water, fiber, and antioxidants, making it a low-calorie, filling option that can replace more caloric and fattening foods in your diet. Plus, eating a low-calorie soup (like Gazpacho) before a meal could help you consume 20 percent fewer calories at mealtimes.

29 Bananas

Bananas contain a small amount of fiber and resistant starch, which have received recent attention for their potential role in boosting weight loss. Snacking on bananas is easy, convenient, and low cal. They’re also a great source of potassium, which can be lost in sweat during tough workouts or on hot summer days. Plus they make for nice drinks, with carrot and orange juice.

30 Cabbage

In addition to being nutritious, low-cal, and full of fiber, cabbage is also a top source of sulfur, a mineral our bodies use to produce the natural hair-and-nail strengthener keratin. To stay slim and enjoy more beautiful hair and nails, whip up some vinegar-based coleslaw. Just stay away from creamy coleslaw; it can contain a whopping 19 grams of fat per cup!

31 Arugula – Rocket leaves

At a tiny 20 calories for every 3 cups, arugula provides an excellent source of folate, vitamins A and C, and more than 100 percent of your daily vitamin K needs. Not only is it great weight-loss food, but arugula can also help reduce your risk of bone fractures this summer: A recent study found that people who consumed approximately 250 micrograms per day of vitamin K had a 35-percent lower risk of hip fractures compared to those who consumed just 50 micrograms per day.

32 Celery

Although available year-round, celery is best in the summer. This super low-calorie food is also an excellent source of vitamins K and C, and a good source of many other essential nutrients such as dietary fiber, folate, potassium, and thiamine. Crunching on celery is one of the oldest diet tricks because it may help decrease overall calorie consumption and aid in healthy digestion.

33 Lemons and Limes

Both lemons and limes are excellent sources of Vitamin C, but it’s their flavor that aids in weight loss the most. We’ve all been told to drink lots of water, but sometimes water’s lackluster taste causes us to turn to other beverages. Add lemon or lime juice to boost your water’s flavor and can help you drink more—staying hydrated may help suppress appetite.

34 Wheat

Wheat often gets a bad rap when it comes to weight loss, but it can offer vital nutrients that are helpful for dieters. The whole grains found in wheat (such as bulgur) are great sources of energy, as they are high in B vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

35 Oats

A great energy source and naturally high in soluble fiber (the goopy, gelatinous fiber that promotes good digestion), oats are a great weight-loss food since so many diets cause constipation. Eat them as a nourishing hot breakfast cereal or dry as granola.

36 Oregano

This flavorful, easy to use herb is rich in vitamin K, antioxidants, minerals, and omega-3 oils. Plus, the natural aromatherapy of oregano makes you a happy eater—key for long-term success.

37 Yogurt

Yogurt contains natural probiotics, which can help reduce tummy bloating, gas, and constipation (often problematic while dieting). Just choose Greek varieties, which are higher in protein, lower in added sugar, and creamy.

38 Coconut Water

Coconut water is inexpensive and carries a powerhouse of nutritional benefits. Coconut water has electrolytes that make it one of the best hydrating agents. Besides being an excellent cooling drink, it helps in reducing blood pressure level, provides anti-aging properties, acts as a natural diuretic besides being a refreshing summer drink. you can re-energize your body with coconut water.

What’s so special about eating foods that are in season? They’ve got twice as much flavor, that extra crunch, and are extremely high on vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients.

Summer bearings include a lot of green vegetables, melons, peaches, corn, mangoes, and other fresh and fragrant herbs. Local markets are at their best during summer when fruits are abundant, and vegetables are as fresh as can be.

Consuming foods that are not in season may come with a risk of chemicals and preservatives that are applied to fruits and veggies to keep them fresh.

Salad leaves

Amaranth leaves, rocket leaves, basil, and other summer herbs should be tossed in a salad bowl and topped off with a yogurt dressing to make a great summer salad. They create a powerhouse of nutrition and are a great way to lose weight. Bung in fruits, nuts, white meat, peppers, mint or coriander leaves to make a light and lovely meal.

What to drink to beat the heat

Watermelon is approximately 90 percent water, so it’s undoubtedly the best way to keep yourself hydrated. It helps with digestion and keeps the stomach cool. Eating watermelon can help protect skin from oxidative stress that contributes to the aging process, clear up acne, and brighten a dull complexion also have a glass of ice-cold watermelon juice daily.

Aam Panna – Two glasses of aam pana can help with digestion, constipation, and chronic stomach problems like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Make it at home to ensure the use of recommended quantities of sugar and salt.

Mint water with lemon: One glass of strained mint water with two drops of lemon works wonders. It acts as a liver cleanser, boosts your metabolism, and helps those with a low appetite.

Barley Water: Have two glasses a day and in case you find it bland, add a drop of lemon or honey for taste. Since barley water is rich in fiber, it prevents constipation and also helps in controlling your appetite.

Cucumber: Cucumber is probably the best vegetable to eat in summer. It works great for the skin by helping in skin problems like dark circles, sunburns, etc. It has silicon and sulfur that promotes hair growth, it also has a high water content that cleans bodies by removing toxins. Also, cucumbers are great for heart health due to its immune-boosting and anti-inflammatory effects.

Dark Leafy vegetables: Try on dark leafy vegetables, especially the raw spinach and kale salads. They are known to provide protection against the heat of the sun. These leafy greens are also known to reduce inflammation and detoxify the body. You can also add some spinach leaves to your smoothies to keep the healthy factor intact. You can also add these leafy veggies to your favorite sandwiches or wraps.

Oranges: The sweet citrus fruit is rich in potassium, a nutrient that’s crucial in the summer. You lose potassium through sweat, which puts you at risk for muscle cramps. So eating oranges replenishes your supply and keeps muscle cramps away. Oranges are also about 80% water, so popping a few juicy slices will keep you hydrated during your sweatiest summer days.

Zucchini: Part of the summer squash family, zucchini contains a fiber called pectin, which is linked to increasing heart health and lowering cholesterol. 

The concept of Ayurveda focuses on the understanding that our food has a direct effect on our overall health. The seasons are characterized by Vata dosha, pitta dosha, and Kapha dosha in the body. Summer is hot, bright and sharp, and is known to be the season of pitta dosha. Therefore, Ayurveda suggests that everyone, especially individuals whose prakruti is primarily pitta dosha, is to keep cool and not allow it to be aggravated. The right foods eaten according to the season can help promote sattva (purity) detox and rejuvenate the body that further leads to an overall boost in immunity, physical and mental strength, and digestion.

Follow the pitta pacifying diet. Good fruits for summer include apples, pears, melons, plums, and prunes. Watermelon and lime juice are also good in summer. Try steamed asparagus, broccoli, brussels sprout, and cucumber raita. Khichdi made of basmati rice and moong dal, with a little ghee and grated coconut makes a delicious light meal. You should avoid sour fruits, citrus fruits, sour cream, cheese, dark meats, et al that produce heat in the body.

Summer has two parts – mild summer till mid-April and peak summer from mid-April till the end of June. Dryness and heat increase in summer, hence making the digestive system weak. We should take food that can be digested easily. Foods that can reduce the heat in the body are superfoods in summers. Include sattu, roasted pulses, pomegranate, watermelon, fenugreek leaves, amla, and buttermilk to ensure a healthy body.

Dosha balancing during summer: Vata is slowly building up during summer and Kapha Dosha, which shoots up in spring, starts to lower down naturally during summer. In summer the sun rays become powerful and appear to be destructive, Kapha decreases day by day and Vata increases consequently. Foods of sweet taste, coolant foods, liquid diet, oils fried food, and drinks are desirable in summer.

one should consume water-rich fruits and foods for staying hydrated and energized during the summer. Include moong dal, chana, green leafy vegetables, and coconut, which is a natural electrolyte, papaya, and alkaline vegetables like radish, snake gourd, pumpkin, and banana stem.

Eat at the right time – An important part of balancing Pitta and keeping coll is to eat your meal in the middle of the day when your digestive fire is strongest. Skipping a meal is also a sure-fire way to upset Pitta – notice how cranky you feel when you miss lunch.

Here are some of the summer foods that Ayurveda suggests to include in your daily diet:

1. Sattu

Sattu is typically made of Bengal gram and is said to have an instant cooling effect on the body. It is high in insoluble fiber that makes it good for your intestines, and is low on glycaemic index making it good for diabetics. A perfect cooling agent and a power-packed energizer, you must add sattu in your diet.

2. Amla (Indian gooseberry)

Amla, or Indian gooseberry, makes for a popular and healthy fruit and is known for numerous nutritional benefits. This sour-bitter fruit works as an excellent coolant during hot days. Did you know amla juice contains about 20 times more vitamin-C than any other juice? So, this summer binge on amle ka murabba or amla juice to ensure a healthy you.

3. Ghee

According to Ayurveda, ghee is loaded with healthy fats that help our body to keep going. Moreover, our body gets dry in summer, therefore, consumption of a half spoon of ghee every day may help balance the internal moisture. Ghee is known to be a ‘sweet food’ as it is strengthening, aids digestion, and tempers the over-activity of all the three bodily doshas.

4. Ginger

The zingy root has anti-inflammatory properties to help ease overheated and irritated skin. In fact, drinking ginger juice may help soothe stomach discomfort. Load up on ginger tea or juice; you can also add it in your curries on a daily basis to stay healthy.

5. Alkaline Vegetables

During the process of digestion, our stomach tends to secrete gastric acids that help in breaking down foods. Sometimes due to unhealthy lifestyle and food habits, the acidic level of the body increases, leading to acidity and acid refluxes. In order to reduce the chances of increased acid levels, you must binge on alkaline foods like green leafy vegetables, root vegetables like sweet potato, beetroots, carrots, nuts, onion, and garlic, et al.

6. Coconut

Coconut water makes for one of the best electrolytes in summers. This refreshing elixir not only helps to rejuvenate your body system but also keep you wary from dehydration in extreme heat. Thanks to the presence of essential minerals like zinc, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and sodium. Drinking coconut water or adding coconut in your curries and vegetables will keep you rejuvenated.

7. Water-rich Fruits

Summers also welcome water-rich fruits like watermelon, berries, grapefruits, pineapple, peaches, mango, et al. These fruits will keep you from getting dehydrated and ensure you are refreshed. You can blend these fruits into delicious juices or eat them as is.

8. Herbs Like Ashwagandha, Brahmi And Tulsi

These three cooling herbs help in cooling your body. Ashwagandha is known to reduce inflammation in the body further treating conditions like asthma and arthritis. Brahmi can soothe the body’s nerves and reduce stress in the body. Tulsi, or holy basil, acts as a detoxifying and cleansing agent. It is also known to cool your body system in extreme heat. You can drink herbal teas to see effective results.

Interchangeably used with the word anxiety, stress relates mutually to our social and psychological environment. Major situations like divorce, marriage, retirement, accidents, death in the family, prenatal conditions, a job loss, and other emotional upheavals as well as minor hassles like waiting in line for hours, getting stuck in a traffic jam, misplacing or losing something, disputes, even daily household chores, and competitive examinations, in fact, any unsettling human experience can sometimes become stressful and play havoc with a person’s health.

In the workplace and even at home, stress can test a person’s problem-solving abilities. The demands of everyday living are numerous and if a warning bell is sounding somewhere within you, it’s time you pay heed to it.

Stress alarm – Identify your Stress triggers

What are the warning signals? Are you moving towards a stress burnout? If you have been experiencing the symptoms listed below, over extended periods of time, it’s time you acted – now!

• Self-understanding (e.g. self-identification as a Type A or as a Type B personality)
• Self-management (e.g. becoming better-organized)
• Conflict resolution
• Adopting a more positive attitude
• Self-talk
• Breathing exercises
• Meditation
• Exercise
• Altering your diet
• Taking more regular and effective rest

Two powerful body systems cope with stress. The nervous system controls the rapid body changes, while the endocrine system regulates the longer-term patterns of the stress response by releasing hormones into the blood. The adrenal activates the sympathetic nervous system, reducing the normalizing effects of body function. This increases the metabolic rate, heart rate, circulation, and blood pressure. In addition, the effectiveness of the digestive system is diminished and disturbances in sleep patterns become common.

So how do you guard against stress?

Herbs:

• Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)
• Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri)
• Jatamansi (Nardostachys jatamansi)

Ayurvedic Supplements:

Stress guard

Ashwagandharista

Brahmi Bati(S.M.Yu)

Meditation

Yoga:

• Plough (Hala Asana)
• Corpse (Shava Asana)

Ayurvedic Massage

• Go for Sirovasti or Shirodhara

Other stress management techniques

Stress management is a process for controlling an individual’s level of stress. Stress management may include practicing daily meditation, identifying relaxing activities (which may be different for every individual), or a combination of multiple techniques. Stress management is important because chronic stress can wreak havoc on your body’s immune system and contribute to health problems such as tension headaches, migraine headaches, insomnia, weight gain, depression, anxiety, digestive problems, and even heart disease. Both acute and chronic stress impact memory and concentration, making effective stress management crucial for optimal day-to-day functioning.

Stress management is having the ability to recognize situations that may cause stress, in order to use strategies to prevent stress from occurring. Stress management also means setting up your life in a way that the opportunity for stress is unlikely to occur. The best approach to stress management is different from person to person, depending on the stressors that impact the individual and how each individual responds to various coping techniques. Thankfully, there are many known strategies that are widely used and very effective when it comes to managing stress.

Some effective stress management tips and techniques are:-

Time management: Time constraints can trigger stress in people’s lives. Schedules often become overloaded, causing people to feel overwhelmed. In order to alleviate this kind of stress, making a list of priorities can help your schedule become more manageable and possible to complete.

Self-awareness: Knowing your personal limits is crucial because being pushed outside of your personal limitations, can cause unneeded stress. What some people consider a busy schedule, others do not. Some people are equipped to handle multiple tasks while others need a simpler schedule. Therefore, you need to be aware of your boundaries, according to your personality and value system. Eliminate things in your life that do not line up with what you personally can handle so that you experience stress less often.

Healthy diet: Maintaining good nutrition can help both your mind and body function well and give you the ability to cope with every day demands better.  When your body receives its necessary nutrients and proper fuel, stress is less likely to accompany everyday tasks.

Exercise: Committing to a consistent exercise routine allows your body to release tension and even relax its muscles, benefiting your physical well-being. Taking steps to support good health gives you the ability to focus on life’s responsibilities without added pressure or stress.

Good support system: Having the ability to talk through challenging situations with trusted friends, can help you avoid stress. A supportive network of friends can provide listening ears and encouraging words, allowing you the ability to work through otherwise difficult situations with more stability and less stress.

Healthy sleep habits:  Generally people have trouble sleeping due to stress (e.g., lying awake at night worrying about stressful circumstances). Adequate sleep is important for allowing your body time to repair and rejuvenate, which helps with mental alertness, memory, and concentration, and also boosts immune strength. Going to bed at the same time each night, eliminating distractions such as television and mobile devices, and aiming for seven to eight hours of sleep each night are best practices for healthy sleep.

1. Do something to help others. In times of stress, we tend to turn our focus inward and dwell on the challenges that are creating negative stress. But the opposite is also true: “As you might expect, getting support from others can cool down the stress response.  But giving support and helping others is also remarkably effective. Researchers have found that providing support to others—even in small ways, such as opening the door for someone—can reduce stress and increase a sense of well-being.”
2. Delegate tasks such as house cleaning, or hire a personal assistant.”If a clean house makes everything in your world better, why wouldn’t you take care of yourself and your family by hiring a housekeeper?”
3. Spend time with a pet. If you don’t have a pet, consider adopting one. “Pets are loving and adorable creatures that can counter the negative effects of stress. Dogs especially can be caring and spontaneous in their affection for you. Cuddle them or take them for a walk and you’ll experience a feel-good factor that can take away the blues.”
4. Ask yourself what you’d say to a close friend who was in a stressful situation similar to yours.“‘Self-compassion is one of the most important sources of emotional resilience we have,’ It means, simply, treating yourself with the same kindness you’d treat a friend who was going through a hard time. ‘Most people critique themselves and tear themselves down when they’re stressed. They go straight into fix-it mode and don’t give themselves any comfort, care, or support,’ Imagining a friend coming to you with the problem you’re dealing with, and saying to yourself what you’d say. ‘When you treat yourself with self-compassion, your levels of stress hormones like cortisol decrease and your levels of feel-good hormones like oxytocin increase, instantly making you feel calmer and more capable of dealing.”
5. Try color therapy to create an environment that supports calmness and relaxation.“Have you ever heard of Colorology? Well it’s the theory that color and light can be used to balance energy wherever a person’s body is lacking, whether it’s mental, emotional, physical, or spiritual. If you are feeling overly stressed, you can use color as a stress management tool. Different colors have different effects on the brain, so envisioning certain shades or even carrying a little patch of a certain color with you throughout the day can make you feel better and more in control. For example, Pink, yellow, blue, and green is considered to be particularly calming!”
6. Create a toolbox of stress-management techniques. “One stress-shrinking strategy won’t work for all your problems. For instance, while deep breathing is helpful when you’re stuck in traffic or hanging at home, it might not rescue you during a business meeting. “Because stress is complex, ‘What we need is a toolbox that’s full of techniques that we can fit and choose for the stressor in the present moment.”

7. Rely on your supportive relationships.“Draw strength from friends and family members. You may have some friends who help you to make decisions, to feel loved, and to feel hopeful. Call them. Talk to them. Tell them how you feel. You may have some friends or family members who make you angrier or sadder. It might be good not to talk to them when you feel stress. Anger makes stress worse.”
8. Create something.“Paint, Craft, Read, enjoy photos, writing, and artwork. Creating something unique and beautiful can relax your mind and your body.”
9. Fill your environment with soothing aromatherapy scents.“Studies suggest aromatherapy can be a good way to relieve stress. Certain aromas (like lavender) have been consistently shown to reduce stress levels.”
10. Fix something unrelated to the stressor.“If you’re having problems in one area of your life, it can be therapeutic to fix something in an unrelated area. It can be anything, from a leaking faucet to other minor home repairs, or even a relationship with someone that’s been a bit rocky lately. It’s a way of proving to yourself that you can solve problems and mend things, and when you return to your original problem you’ll find that you have new clarity and confidence and can come up with a more creative solution.”
11. Learn to recognize when stressors are truly problems worth addressing. This is especially important for those with a tendency to avoid anger. “‘Women, in particular, are told over and over again to be nice no matter what. Get angry and you could lose your reputation, marriage, friends, or job’. If you grew up in a volatile or abusive home, you may not believe anger can be controlled or expressed calmly.”

“The damage: The primary function of anger is to signal that something is amiss and encourage resolution. By ignoring that warning sign, you may end up engaging in self-destructive behaviors (overeating, excessive shopping).

“How to Turn It Around

• Challenge your core beliefs. Ask yourself, ‘Is it really fine for my employees to leave early whenever they want? For my partner to go golfing every weekend?’ If you’re honest, the resounding answer to these questions is probably ‘You know what? It’s not fine.’ Recognizing that something is wrong is the first step to setting it right.
• Step outside yourself. Imagine that a friend is the one being abused, overworked, or neglected. What would be the appropriate way for him/her to respond? Make a list of actions he/she might take, then ask yourself why it is OK  him/her, but not you, to react that way.
• Embrace healthy confrontation. Did someone tick you off? Tell the person―in a positive, constructive way. Yes, he or she might be surprised, possibly even (gasp!) angered, by your words. And you know what? He or she will get over it. ‘Avoidance often does more damage to families and friendships than any expression of anger.
• Visualize calm and peaceful situations or settings.“It sounds New Age-y, but at least one study, has found that it’s highly effective in reducing stress. The suggestion is to follow a routine: Close your eyes, take three long, slow breaths, and spend a few seconds picturing a relaxing scene, such as walking in a meadow, kneeling by a brook, or lying on the beach. Focus on the details—the sights, the sounds, the smells.”

1. Change your emotional response.“Managing stress doesn’t mean eliminating stressors from your life. It means developing positive strategies for dealing with stress to avoid negative consequences. Think about stress as your reaction to an event, rather than the event itself. This makes it easier to identify healthy ways to manage stress. Even though you can’t control some of the stressors in your life, you can control your response to them.”

2. Practice daily relaxation.“Relaxation is more than sitting in your favorite chair watching TV. To relieve stress, relaxation should calm the tension in your mind and body. Some good forms of relaxation are yoga, tai chi (a series of slow, graceful movements), and meditation. Like most skills, relaxation takes practice. Join a class to learn and practice relaxation skills. Deep breathing is a form of relaxation you can learn and practice at home using the following steps. It’s a good skill to practice as you start or end your day. With daily practice, you will soon be able to use this skill whenever you feel stress.”

1. Sit in a comfortable position with your feet on the floor and your hands in your lap or lie down. Close your eyes.
2. Picture yourself in a peaceful place. Perhaps you’re lying on the beach, walking in the mountains, or floating in the clouds. Hold this scene in your mind.
3. Inhale and exhale. Focus on breathing slowly and deeply.
4. Continue to breathe slowly for 10 minutes or more.
5. Try to take at least five to 10 minutes every day for deep breathing or another form of relaxation.”

3. Learn to recognize the things you cannot change.“Accepting that you can’t change certain things allows you to let go and not get upset. For instance, you cannot change the fact that you have to drive during rush hour. But you can look for ways to relax during your commutes, such as listening to music or book.”

4. Write down your feelings.“Often we don’t just censor what we say, we censor what we think. Sometimes we won’t even admit to ourselves that we’re feeling overwhelmed, lost, or stressed. As a result, we keep things ‘bottled up’ and they stay on our mind, elevating our heart rate and blood pressure in the process.”

“Talking to someone can help to externalize this stress and lighten the burden. And failing this, writing down your problems in some kind of journal can be just as effective.”

Think this is just a nice idea? Actually, it’s backed up by quite a lot of evidence. In one study it was found that people who had lost their jobs were actually more likely to find employment sooner if they wrote down their feelings

(1). The reason presumably is that they became more positive and thus performed better in subsequent interviews and opened themselves up for more opportunities.

“In other studies, it was found that writing about stressful events could help individuals to see the positive ‘silver linings’ of those situations.”

(2). Another concluded that ‘FEW’ (focused expressed writing) could act as a useful substitute to therapy for those unwilling or unable to receive it.

(3). Expressive writing has even been found to help reduce the symptoms of asthma.

(4) Seeing a professional therapist is likely to still be more effective than expressive writing alone as therapists can provide feedback and insight and teach useful coping strategies and techniques. That said though, writing is a highly effective alternative and could be especially effective when used in combination with psychotherapeutic intervention. Cognitive-behavioral therapists in fact do recommend journaling for the treatment of many conditions.

5. Practice mindfulness.“For many years Buddhists and other contemplative traditions have known that paying attention to the present moment is deeply relaxing as anxieties about the future and worries about the past disappear.”

“Mindfulness breaks are great stress reduction tools and can be taken as one would take cigarette breaks at work for three minutes at a time. Also bring the principles to daily work activities: doing one thing completely at a time. This will also make you more efficient as you will not waste time swapping between activities. Avoid interruptions wherever possible by only checking your e-mail twice a day, for example.”

6. Find something to laugh about. Laughter is a great stress- buster. “‘Laughter re-enchants daily living,’. Research shows that we experience about 30 of these ‘heart hassles’ every day, stressing the heart both figuratively and physiologically. On both counts, humor is healing.”

7. Learn (and practice) the three essential steps for relaxation.“Relaxation skills are basic to stress management. It’s how our bodies and mind are able to release tension and slow down. You can easily learn to relax, to slow down, even appreciate and embrace stillness.”

“There are three basic elements or results of any effective stress management approach:

• A here and now awareness – being in the present moment.
• Slowing down of the mind and body
• Suspension of judgment about one’s experience and one’s self.

8. Try meditation, a form of guided thought.“Meditation is a form of guided thought. It can take many forms. You can do it with exercise that uses the same motions over and over, like walking or swimming. You can meditate by practicing relaxation training, by stretching or by breathing deeply.”

“Relaxation training is simple. Start with one muscle. Hold it tight for a few seconds then relax the muscle. Do this with each of your muscles, beginning with the toes and feet and working your way up through the rest of your body, one muscle group at a time.”

9. Tap into the power of music.“Are you a music lover? Or a nature lover? Experiment with the following:

• The right music can lower your blood pressure and help you relax. Keep the music that works for you on your phone, computer, iPod, or play it in the car when traffic has you stressed.
• No music at hand? Trying singing or humming a favorite tune.
• Tune in to a soundtrack of nature, such as crashing waves, wind rustling the trees, birds singing. If the real thing is on your doorstep, even better.
• Buy a small fountain, so you can enjoy the soothing sound of running water in your home or office. When stress hits, close your eyes and take a few minutes to focus on the calming trickle.
• Keep the recorded voice of a loved one on your mobile phone. Just the sound of someone special’s voice can help ease tension.”

10. Don’t make mountains out of molehills, and spend 80% of your time focused on the solution.“One of the best ways to make your day and life easier, lighter, and less stressful is to not build mountains out of molehills. To not create extra drama, overthink, or create a problem out of something that doesn’t matter much. Or just out of air.”

“So how can you handle this bad habit?”

“Well, when a big problem is starting to build in your mind first say something like: Hold on now…”

“This will help you to pause and become more receptive to change your line of thinking. Then ask yourself:

Will this matter 5 years from now? Or even 5 weeks from now?

Those two steps will help to build a lot fewer mountains in your life.

Spend 80% of your time focusing on a solution.

And only 20% of your time on dwelling on your non-molehill issue or problem. Instead of taking a common path and doing it the other way around. You’ll live a much more action-filled life and feel less pessimistic and powerless if you do.”  

11. Read books that nourish the soul.“Books containing positive affirmations, daily meditations, or uplifting stories will help you to feel better and restore your belief that life can be good.”

12. Use problem-solving techniques. First identify and clearly define the problem, then brainstorm solutions.“Now that you have a well-defined problem, it’s time to think about solutions. Think of all the ways in which you might solve your problem. The sky’s the limit. Now isn’t the time to judge whether one solution is better than another. Not sure where to begin?” Try these tips:

• Recall past problems that you were able to solve. Could a similar solution work for this problem, too?
• Ask friends, family, and people you trust for advice.

“If you’re still having trouble, perhaps your problem is too complicated. In that case, try to divide and conquer. Break the problem into smaller parts you can more easily tackle.”

“Remember, consider everything that pops into your head — even ideas that initially seem silly. Your stress-reduction plan may include a little zaniness. Maybe taking an Aerobics dancing class after work a few days a week will help you to unwind better than would quiet meditation.”

1. Take instant vacations.“Sometimes the best way to de-stress is to take your mind away to a more relaxing place.”

• Visualize. Have a favorite place where you can imagine yourself relaxing. The place should be beautiful and calm. When you’re stressed, sit down, lean back, take deep breaths, close your eyes, and imagine yourself in your calm-place.
• Take time out for yourself. Everyone deserves time for themselves —a bath or something that allows time to think and de-stress. Try a warm bath with your ears just underwater. Listen to yourself take deep, slow breaths. Take your pulse and count as your heart rate goes down.
• Enjoy hobbies or creative art as an instant vacation.
• Look at the beauty around you and get pleasure from the small things you may have stopped noticing.
• Take mini-vacations. Sometimes we forget that the park around the corner is a great place to hang out. A walk outside can be a mini-vacation if you choose to forget your worries.
• Reading a good book is an escape from reality. You have to imagine the sights, sounds, and smells—you are somewhere else for a while.

2. Turn problems into opportunities with a positive shift in thinking.“The optimistic person, however, knows how to manage stress in difficult situations and soon moves beyond this disappointment. He responds quickly to the adverse event and interprets it as being temporary, specific, and external to himself. The optimist responds with a positive attitude, knows how to and counter the negative feelings by immediately re-framing the event so that it appears positive in some way.”

• “Since your conscious mind can hold only one thought at a time, either positive or negative, if you deliberately choose a positive thought to dwell upon, you keep your mind optimistic and your emotions positive. Since your thoughts and feelings determine your actions, you will tend to be a more constructive person, and you will start moving forward and more rapidly toward the goals that you have chosen.”
• “It all comes down to the way you talk to yourself on a regular basis. In our courses of problem solving and decisions making, we encourage people to respond to problems by changing their language from negative to positive. Instead of using the word problem, we encourage people to use the word situation.  You see, a problem is something that you deal with. The event is the same. It’s the way you interpret the event to yourself that makes it sound and appear completely different.”
• “Even better than the situation is the word challenge. Whenever you have a difficulty, immediately re-frame it, choose to view it as a challenge, and start moving forward.  Rather than saying, ‘I have a problem,’ say, ‘I have an interesting challenge facing me.’ The word challenge is inherently positive. It is something that you rise to that makes you stronger and better. It is the same situation, only the word that you are using to describe it is different.”
• “The best of all possible words to maintain a positive attitude and manage stress is the word opportunity. When you are faced with a difficulty of any kind, instead of saying, ‘I have a problem,’ you can say, ‘I am faced with an unexpected opportunity.’  And if you concentrate your powers on finding out what that opportunity is—even if it is only a valuable lesson—you will certainly find it. As the parable says, ‘Seek and ye shall find, for all who seek to find it.’”

3. Avoid drugs and alcohol.“They may seem to be a temporary fix to feel better, but in the long run they can create more problems and add to your stress—instead of taking it away.”

4. Take a break from acute stressors.“It may seem difficult to get away from a big work project, a crying baby, or a growing credit card bill. But when you give yourself permission to step away from it, you let yourself have time to do something else, which can help you have a new perspective or practice techniques to feel less overwhelmed. It’s important to not avoid your stress (those bills have to be paid sometime), but even just 20-minutes to take care of yourself is helpful.”

5. Implement time management strategies.“Your workload can cause stress, if you don’t manage your time well. This can be a key source of stress for very many people.”

• “Take time management quiz to identify where you can improve, and make sure that you use time management tools such as To-Do Lists, Action Programs, and Eisenhower’s Urgent/Important Principle to manage your priorities.”
• “Then use Job Analysis to think about what’s most important in your role, so that you can prioritize your work more effectively. This helps you reduce stress because you get the greatest return from your efforts, and you minimize the time you spend on low-value activities.”
• “Also, avoid multitasking, only check email at certain times, and don’t use electronic devices for a while before going to bed, so that you use this time to ‘switch off’ fully.”

6. Calendars and schedules are helpful for ensuring that you don’t over-commit yourself, which is a common stress-inducing scenario.“Good time-management skills are critical for effective stress control. In particular, learning to prioritize tasks and avoid over-commitment are critical measures to make sure that you’re not overscheduled. Always using a calendar or planner and checking it faithfully before committing to anything is one way to develop time-management skills. You can also learn to identify time-wasting tasks by keeping a diary for a few days and noticing where you may be losing time.”

“For example, productivity experts recommend setting aside a specific time (or multiple times) each day to check and respond to email and messages rather than being a continual slave to incoming information. Banishing procrastination is another time-management skill that can be learned or perfected.”

7. Engage in low-pressure, enjoyable activities.“Get crafty (art, scrapbooking, writing /journaling), listen to music, get physical (walk, run, dance, do yoga), get outside, or just give yourself a few minutes off from what you are doing to do simply nothing. Don’t be afraid to take a break when you are studying or writing a paper. Schedule it in! A 20-minute power nap can re-energize you for hours and a brisk walk around the block can help to clear your head and put your thoughts in order.”

8. Regular exercise can be an effective way to both prevent and manage stress.“For the biggest benefits of exercise, try to include at least 2½ hours of moderate-intensity physical activity (e.g. brisk walking) each week, 1¼ hours of vigorous-intensity activity (such as jogging or swimming laps), or a combination of the two.”

• 5 X 30: Jog, walk, bike, or dance three to five times a week for 30 minutes.
• Set small daily goals and aim for daily consistency rather than perfect workouts. It’s better to walk every day for 15-20 minutes than to wait until the weekend for a three-hour fitness marathon. Lots of scientific data suggest that frequency is the most important.
• Find forms of exercise that are fun or enjoyable. Extroverted people often like classes and group activities. People who are more introverted often prefer solo pursuits.
• Distract yourself with an iPod or other portable media player to download audiobooks, podcasts, or music. Many people find it’s more fun to exercise while listening to something they enjoy.
• Recruit an “exercise buddy.” It’s often easier to stick to your exercise routine when you have to stay committed to a friend, partner, or colleague.
• Be patient when you start a new exercise program. Most sedentary people require about four to eight weeks to feel coordinated and sufficiently in shape so that exercise feels easier.

9. Spend time in nature.“Going outdoors helps to relieve your stress naturally, with research showing levels of the stress hormone cortisol lower in those who live in areas with the greenest space, as are their self-reported feelings of stress. Even five minutes in nature can help reduce stress and boost your mood.”

10. Find positive behavior coping strategies.“There are both positive and negative coping strategies that people use. Some people may drink or smoke because of stress but these are obviously negative coping strategies. Some positive coping strategies are writing goals to tackle the problem, writing ‘to do’ lists, exercising, or doing the things that increase eustress (good stress). Writing goals and lists help to organize thoughts and actions so that you know how to fix the problem or possibly remove the stressor if possible. Exercise increases endorphins in our body or gives us the ‘runner’s high’ while also releasing the tension in our body and feelings of anxiety, depression, anger, and frustration.”

11. Eat a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.“‘Stress eating’, in the form of over-indulgence or trips to the vending machine or drive-through, may seem like a great idea when you’re feeling anxious. But the fact is that you’ll feel better in the long run if you reach for an apple instead of a bag of chips when you have the urge to munch.”

12. Learn progressive muscle relaxation techniques.“Progressive Muscle Relaxation is meant to help you resolve any tension in your muscles and body. The idea is that you first tense and then relax all the muscles throughout your body to reach the ultimate state of relaxation. ”

1. Identify the sources of stress in your life and take steps to avoid them. “We sometimes create our own stress because of habits and traits that can have harmful effects that can be reduced using cognitive restructuring techniques such as behavioral modification, assertiveness training, time management, and stress inoculation. Others turn to smoke, alcohol, or drugs to relieve their stress but these short-term solutions eventually cause even more stress. Long-term use of prescription medications can result in dependency or adverse side effects and some supplements can have similar problems or interact with other drugs.”

2.. Use planning and lists to create a sense of mastery over your important daily tasks to avoid stress.“Make a list of the important things you need to handle each day. Try to follow the list so you feel organized and on top of things. Put together a coping plan step by step so you have a sense of mastery.”

3. Keep a stress diary.“Note down the date, time, and place of each stressful episode, and note what you were doing, who you were with, and how you felt both physically and emotionally.  Give each stressful episode a stress rating (on, say, a 1-10 scale) and use the diary to understand what triggers your stress and how effective you are in stressful situations.  This will enable you to avoid stressful situations and develop better coping mechanisms.”

4. Set realistic expectations.“Being busy is sometimes inevitable, but regularly taking on more than you can manage can cause unwanted and unwelcome stress. Tell yourself that it’s okay to say no to activities at your child’s school or to extra projects at work — you are not obligated to accept every request made of you. Additionally, don’t take on more financial responsibilities — such as a new car or a bigger house — if you think they’ll be a stretch. Being realistic about your finances is an important strategy for managing stress.”

5. Prioritize and set limits.“It might feel nice to rattle off all the non-profits you volunteer with, and you may feel good about filling your calendar with bake sales and charity events. But at the end of the day, you may be stretching yourself too thin.”

“Set priorities around the groups you’re most passionate about, and only dedicate your time to those. Learn to say no when you absolutely cannot take on anything else, and don’t look back. You’ll be healthier and happier for it.”

6. Reflect on your day at the end of each day using intention and reflection. “When you can, take time to reflect at the beginning and end of each day. In the morning, you may want to think about how you want your day to be. Your intentions can be something you want to accomplish or ‘do,’ and they can also be about how you feel, or how you want to ‘be’.”

7. Plan and prepare for situations and events that you know will be stressful.“Prepare ahead of time for stressful events like a job interview or a hard conversation with a loved one.”

• Picture the event in your mind.
• Stay positive.
• Imagine what the room will look like and what you will say.
• Have a back-up plan.

8. Learn to recognize stressors and signs that you’re experiencing stress. “When you feel stress setting in, observe your body, and learn where it hits, what happens first. The earlier you can recognize stress signals, the easier it is to change your behavior and stop the progress of the stress.”

• “When you are stressed, choose fight or flight. Hiding your anger is more stressful than expressing it but choose your fights. Make sure it’s worth it.”

9. Don’t ignore the warning signs that stress is taking over your life or beginning to pose health risks.“If you are feeling stressed out, or if you relate to any of the symptoms above, don’t ignore it. Many live in denial and cease to do anything about the state of stress they are in. People may not even realize how stressed they really are. Don’t keep putting off those warning signs. Check-in with yourself and do something about it. Learn stress management skills and get to the bottom of your stress before it gets worse.”

10. Create effective stress rituals that work for you.“Make sure you take stress breaks. Get up from your desk and walk around, or get outside for some fresh air. Do some deep breathing, shoulder shrugs, or just close your eyes for one minute. Taking a mental or physical break is an important strategy for dealing with day-to-day stress.”

11. Stay well-hydrated by drinking plenty of water.“We all know and understand that a vast percentage of our body is made up of water. It, therefore, makes sense that water would provide you with the support you need to handle stress more effectively. In fact, making sure that you stay hydrated throughout your day is essential as it will boost your levels of energy and enable you to work through circumstances with more vigor and persistence. ”

Tips to De-stress

1. Identify triggers
2. Remember …..this too shall pass
3. Walk outside, breathe deeply, return to nature
4. Talk to yourself if you were a good friend
5. Write / Laugh
6. Visualize
7. Stop procrastinating
8. Accept people for who they are
9. Be grateful
10. Avoid multitasking
11. Step away from the situation/screen
12. Identify what you really want
13. Get help – you don’t have to do it all alone
14. Write in a journal
15. Create cushions in your calendar
16. Re-evaluate your priorities
17. Do your research
18. Learn something new
19. Perform, Teach or give a speech
20. Play a board game
21. Volunteer
22. Say No
23. Engage in your Interests
24. Treat yourself
25. Try Aromatherapy
26. Take a Nap
27. Meditate  / Yoga
28. Be grateful
29. Eat a snack ( Mindfully!! ) / Mood-boosting foods
30. Put on some music/sing
31. Cuddle with pet
32. Learn something new
33. Find a relaxation mentor
34. Squeeze a stress ball
35. Hang up, then turn off your phone
36. Progressive muscle relaxation
37. Sleep to combat stress
38. Stop should-ing yourself
39. Socialize with friends/colleagues
40. Make a change
41. Exercise daily
42. Stay in the moment ( Present )
43. Change your perception
44. Forgive yourself
45. Remember you are Human

How to Relax and De-stress :

If you find yourself plagued with anxiety, finding it hard to sleep means you are in a major stress zone. You need to work on reflecting on your stress and relaxing your mind and body before you do any more damage. If you want to know how to lead a more relaxing life, just follow these steps.

Stress reduction help –

A. Reflect on your stress 

1. Write down your thoughts

2. Make a game plan

3. Vow to eliminate as many sources of stress as you can

4. Share your feelings

5. Know when to get help

B. Relax your mind

1. Meditate

2. Watch a movie

3. Spend time with friends

4. Go for a long drive

5. Read

6. Calm your mind before bed

C. Relax your body 

1. Give yourself a massage

2. Avoid too much caffeine

3. Exercise

4. Take a bubble bath

5. Eat well

6. Sleep well    

Some opt for vacationing out of city or country, some for vacation jobs in their field for more knowledge, some for pocket money while some just want to kill time till new academic year starts. One of the good suggestions is to do some kind of social work towards a society which will not only give insights towards the life of people but it will also teach you various lessons which will help during your journey of life.

A couple of days into that much-anticipated break, we stop enjoying being at a loose end and start getting bored. Here are a few things to keep the boredom at bay.

1. Day trip to a beach
2. Throw a house party
3. Get ready for paddling into the pool, SPA
4. Go to festivals
5. Go on a holiday – Visit nature ( Fulfill travel desire )
6. Get Energetic – Join Swimming, Gym, Hiking n Trekking, Zumba
7. Join a hobby class – ( On-line, Distance learning )
8. Learn a new Skill – Public Speaking, Self-defense …
9. Get a Job to learn and meet people, Internship
10. Prepare for Competitive Exams
11. Catching up with unseen movies and series
12. Take a good break from the studies
13. Reading and Writing for pleasure, Improve your writing Skills
14. Visiting unexplored places
15. Join NGO
16. Counseling
17. Do Social Work
18. Volunteering in rural India

So don’t feel overwhelmed. Instead, develop a realistic plan. (To do this, use the planning worksheet). As you follow your plan, then you’ll have a meaningful, productive, and fun-filled holiday!

Another and best way of spending vacation for a cause is to go to rural villages after getting basic training from medical Colleges, NGO’s and serving people educating them about health and their health-related rights to change the health situation in tribal and rural India characterized by extreme poverty, with no access to the most basic health care.

But for undergraduate, graduate, and medical students of all streams, this summer should be full of collecting information, analyzing data, and collaborating on exciting research projects as part of the Summer Student Research Program in their city or rural areas. Health education is a must at a rural level for which vacation volunteers can do by getting basic training about medication and schemes launched by the government.

Nowadays in most of the cities because of the on-line app you get most of the health-related facilities like ordering medicines, call a doctor, call an ambulance, Yoga instructor, Physiotherapist, Nurse, getting the second opinion about surgery and so on related to health sitting at home. Likewise information related to any diseases is available on the click of a mouse.

The health of people in tribal and rural India is in a precarious situation. The traditional systems of medicine are in decline due to different economic and cultural reasons. But modern medicine as it is being practiced is not meeting the health needs of the rural population, especially those from the economically and socially backward sections. This is largely because of the high cost and inaccessibility of services. The high cost of this kind of health care, as well as the loss of wages during the period of illness pushes these people into a grim cycle of debt, bondage, and deepening poverty.

Unfortunately in rural India conditions are worst since almost 60% or more don’t have medical facilities within  20 kilometers so they have to travel even under emergencies since there is no other option but to travel, at times even transport is not available. Many NGO’s are working in rural India as Self Health Organization ( SHO ), Primary Health Care, Community Health Care,  who are voluntarily helping villagers in terms of imparting knowledge about health-related issues, educating women about problems related to their health, nutrition-related issues amongst kids, various kinds of diseases with elderly people Etc.

Due to a lack of medication and ignorance about health-related issues rural India has a high infant mortality rate, Neonatal mortality rate, maternal mortality rate, and child mortality rate. Government of India, Health Department has launched many schemes/benefits for the rural population to take care of all health-related issues but because of lack of awareness, knowledge and because of middlemen for their own interests are not reaching the population at large.

During vacation those who want to do some kind of social activity ( volunteering as an intern or an assistant in medical centers ) can take some basic training about healthcare, rights of the rural population, awareness about government schemes and their benefits and stay in areas selected during vacation. Create awareness, impart knowledge, and give basic training during your stay so that rural people in villages are benefited.

As you can see from the above chart that Healthcare penetration in rural areas is significantly lower than in urban areas. A lot of manpower is required to serve rural areas so during vacation if you desire to give your services then there are many NGOs ( list provided in the last section ) who can train you and then you can go in the field to give primary / basic education about healthcare or you can be a trainer as well.

The need of the hour is thus a two-pronged approach – first to bring quality healthcare services to doorsteps of the needy and second to promote healthcare awareness and contemporary healthcare-seeking behavior among the underprivileged.

You can volunteer for objectives like:-

To address the inequality in rural health care with an equal focus on preventive measures and health education.

Functions at  Anganwadi where children are educated about health, referral services, Non-formal education of children, Supplementary nutrition, Family Planning, Immunization, Etc.,

To evolve low-cost technology for providing appropriate, rational, and inexpensive healthcare facilities.

To provide accessible, affordable, acceptable, quality-oriented, sustainable, and credible services.

Design technologies after understanding the people’s health as well as local conditions ( climate ), requirements, limitations, illiteracy levels, accessibility, etc.

Introduce adaptable and diagnostic technologies to health workers, clinical, community level, and public health services.

Develop products for the grassroots users and community health workers as well as for the general public.

Those who want to do research can prepare a questionnaire for a few villages, collect survey forms, collate data, and suggest conclusions drawn for improvement of services in required areas with figures.

Specialized jobs for Female Assistants are:-

• Supervise and guide the health workers in the delivery of health care services to the community
• Carry out supervisory home visiting
• Guide the health workers ( female ) in the distribution of contraceptives to the couples
• Respond to urgent calls from health workers and render necessary help
• Educating adolescent girls and nursing mothers
• Provide kits to  mothers for 3 months after delivery
• Community health promotion and education
• Participate in strengthening the Integrated Child Development Services ( ICDS ) Programme
• Improving maternal health through engaging family and community

Nine major health-related activities are carried out by NGOs ( mentioned in NGOs details )  so you can select anyone as per your liking and work with them during your vacation.

Functions of NGOs in Health System

The primary focus of NGOs in the health sector are:

1. Establishing healthcare institutions
2. Fulfilling health and social needs of groups like women, elderly and vulnerable local communities
3. Dealing with specific health issues such as alcoholism
4. Promoting health rights
5. Performing preventive health programs
6. Managing health finance and administration.
   Some NGOs operate internationally and are concerned with global health issues. Some NGOs in
   India also plays an important role in providing health care at times of emergencies and natural
   disasters.

Details of NGOs health activities :

1. Medical education
2. Hospital services
3. Rehabilitative clinic
4. Outpatient clinic
5. Ancillary services like lab/image tests
6. Nonclinical medical support like health system management/financing
7. Health insurances for the targeted population
8. Outreach activities for preventive and public health care
9. Engagement in medical research.

Jan Swasthya Sahyog : Location – Bilaspur, Chattisgarh

Overview: Ganiyari outpatient clinic with 70 beds and with operation theatres, catering to 2,000 villages of Bilaspur and other neighboring districts. A Village Health Programme, which provides preventive and curative services with the help of 110 village health workers (VHWs) in 54 tribal and forest-related villages of Bilaspur district. Other activities include rural creches, research, Technical training, and resource activities.

Nature of volunteering opportunities 

If you wanted a career with them, you should know that Jan Swasthya Sahyog ( JSS )  offers a three-year Diplomate National Board in Family Medicine course, which is recognized by the National Board of Examinations (NBE). Medical residents are trained in general and emergency aspects of medicine, surgery, pediatrics, and obstetrics & gynecology.

They are also taught about the intersection of illness and poverty, and they regularly engage in community health projects that seek to address some of the underlying issues of ill health. This has helped in community involvement and empowering the young.

Contact: janswasthya@gmail.com

Root Institute : Location: Bodhgaya, Bihar

Overview: Root Institute is a socially inclined Buddhist meditation & study center in Bodhgaya, Bihar. Besides meditation & philosophy courses, the institute runs health programs on-site and in remote rural villages of Bihar, with an emphasis on health promotion, enabling people to care for their own health, health education, and integrated health and development at the village level.

Nature of volunteering opportunities
–       Spiritual volunteers to assist with daily meditations, run short workshops, and offer general help with the spiritual program.
–       Health program volunteers to assist with program coordination and nursing.
–       Physiotherapy / Occupational therapy volunteers.

Contact: Volunteer application

Mothers Hope : Location: Dimapur, Nagaland

Overview: Mother’s Hope is a residential home for pregnant mothers and babies. Mother’s Hope provides care to pregnant girls undergoing crisis pregnancies, victims of sexual abuse, and infants needing a permanent home. They offer free counseling, a residential home for women to stay during pregnancy and receive new skill training, free health-care and psychological support to girls undergoing crisis pregnancies, and a residential home for newborn babies till they are adopted into loving families.

Nature of volunteering opportunities
–       Awareness & advocacy volunteers.
–       Volunteers for counseling & baby care home.

Contact: mothershope@rediffmail.com

Sadhana Village : Location: Pune, Maharashtra

Overview: residential & educational care of disabled children, self-help groups, empowerment of rural women

Nature of volunteering opportunity:
–       teaching
–       assistance in care
–       working with SHGs

Contact: adm@sadhana-village.org sadhanavill@gmail.com

Children Walking Tall : Location: Mapusa, Goa, India.

Overview:
–       provides food
–       medical assistance and educational support to local children

A minimum period of commitment: Minimum 2 Weeks

Nature of volunteering opportunity:
–       preparing activities
–       giving out food
–       teaching
–       cleaning
–       sorting
–       taking care of small medical needs for the children.

Contact: childrenwalkingtall@hotmail.com

List of NGOs having different activities / Interest

• Always apply sun cream: It is important to use a sun cream lotion of at least SPF 30 in order to protect your skin from harmful UV rays. For sensitive skin, a mineral-based sunscreen is best. Don’t sit in the sun during peak hours between 11 am and 4 pm in order to minimize UV radiation. If you are planning to be out in the sun for a long period of time, reapply sun cream every two to three hours.
• Drink plenty of water: During the hot summer months, heat and sweat can leave your body dehydrated. A lack of water is harmful to your body and can also make you crave food when you’re not actually hungry. It is incredibly important to keep yourself hydrated by drinking at least eight to nine glasses of water a day. Bored with water? Add some low calorific flavoring to water such as a piece of fruit, or opt for healthy alternatives like green tea or coconut water.
• Beware of ‘healthy’ smoothies: Fruit smoothies are a great way to get your five-a-day and keep refreshed throughout the summer but watch out for smoothies made with frozen yogurts or ice cream as they can be extremely calorific. A healthy smoothie should be made with fruit, juice, low-fat yogurt, and ice. Use any fruit you might have or have kept in the freezer, and throw it all in a blender to make a perfect summer drink.
• Exfoliate: Summer means an increase of dead skin cells so it is important to exfoliate your skin to keep it smooth and silky. You don’t need to buy any expensive products to achieve that summer glow; simply use a loafer for a light scrub or make your own exfoliation lotion using a handful of oatmeal, milk, and yogurt.
• Keep up the exercise regime: Before you hide those running shoes in the wardrobe, remember summer exercise doesn’t have to stop because of the rising temperatures. Instead of working out outside, change your exercise plan, and take it indoors. Join a gym, take up a step class, or get a group of friends around for an afternoon of exercise DVDs. 
• Get wet: Summer is the perfect time of year to get wet! Boring runs in the cold wintery weather can be swapped for a summer swim at your local pool or gym. Start by swimming for 10 minutes and increase the time over the following weeks by doing front crawl, breaststroke or backstroke to mix up your cardio workout. A 30-minute session of this full-body workout will burn almost 400 calories! If swimming laps isn’t your thing, join a water aerobics class or create your own aerobic workout with jumping jacks, marching and jogging in water.
• Olive oil: Olive oil is a healthy fat that contains essential fatty acids that help skin resist UV damage. These fatty acids are also part of the cell membranes that keep in all that moisture your body loses through heat and sweat during the summer. In order to protect your skin and keep it supple, consume about 1 tablespoon of olive oil daily or add it to a healthy salad or fish dish in order to get all those essential fatty acids.
• Protect your glossy locks: Our hair suffers a lot during the summer. Constant heat, sun damage, and chlorine takes a toll on our hair and can leave it feeling limp and dull after the holidays. If you’re planning on swimming a lot during the summer, it is advisable to use anti-chlorine shampoo and conditioner to help neutralize the chlorine from your hair. If possible, minimize the use of hairdryers, straighteners, and other heating products.
• Eat healthy by the pool: When the sun is beating down, the idea of seeking out the nearest ice cream stand is seriously tempting. Stay strong by being prepared, and pack a cooler full of healthy snacks and juices. Fill your ice-box with ice, bottled water, sandwiches, vegetable sticks with hummus, yogurts, and endless amounts of fruit.
• Take up a new hobby: Summer is the perfect time to take up a new activity. Gardening is a great way to enjoy the outdoors and will actually help you burn some calories! Planting a herb garden is a fantastic way of getting your hands dirty, having quick access to some healthy flavors for your summer meals, and, if you have kids, get them involved in playing outside. If gardening isn’t your thing, get some inspiration from Wimbledon and try your hand at some Badminton, tennis, or golf. Pilates is the perfect alternative for some alone time in the garden. Roll out a towel and have some fun trying out planks and some breathing techniques in the sun.

Take a Cool Shower: Hot showers after sun exposure further dry the skin. A cool shower after excess sweating helps keep the skin unblocked, and decreases acne breakouts.

Hydrate your skin: Skin is the largest organ and needs to be kept hydrated all the time. 8 to 12 glasses of water helps to soothe the skin and keeps it supple.

Protect your skin from the sun: Use a good sunscreen with correct SPF properly and repeat as frequently as required. My health feed titled ‘Know your Sunscreens’ gives a detailed insight into the sunscreens.

Timed Travel: Sun rays are the harshest in the noon. Try to avoid direct sun exposure between 11 am and 4 pm as much as possible.

Sip in your Antioxidants: Antioxidants are the key for summer, and there are tons of ways to work them into your routine.

Resveratrol, a naturally occurring phenol found in the skin of red grapes can decrease redness from acute sunburns. It has an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect, helps strengthen your skin’s outer layer. Watermelons are loaded with antioxidants and are rich in water content.

Love your legs: The trick to great summer legs is to alter the way light reflects off the skin’s surface. Exfoliate first, scrub and apply a good moisturizer. Always use a sunscreen.

Wear a wide brim: A plain cap won’t protect your face from the sun coming at an angle. Opt for a hat with a brim for full protection.

Feed your face: The best tool for an even summer skin tone is probably already in your fridge. Cut a large strawberry in half, swipe it across your face in small circles, leave it on for about two minutes, then rinse off. This will also brighten the sun and age spots over time.

Pamper your hands and feet: The thin skin on your hands and feet wrinkles and pigments easily, so be sure to use sunblock daily.  Exfoliate frequently and apply moisturizer at night.

The following Homemade Scrub for hand and feet will help to keep them soft and supple.

• Mix well one tablespoon of coconut oil, 1/4th cup of sea salt, and 1/4th cup of fine sugar (brown or white).
• Add the juice of a lime and mix again in a blender for about 30 seconds.
• Store in an airtight container and use within a week.

Light is nice: Summer means heat, lots of sweating, dryness, skin problems like tan, sunburns, pimples, heat rashes, blemishes, and much more. With the blazing sun of the summer months, you need to know how to look after the skin properly and look fresh and vibrant.

Just using a good sunscreen is not enough for your skin in summer. You need to take proper care of your skin and hair too.

A lot of sunscreens are heavy and oily. These can contribute to breakouts and shine during the summer months. You can switch over to a water-based or gel-based sunscreen. Also wherever and whenever possible use a cap or cover your face with a kerchief or dupatta.

Bounce back from sunburn: The traditional Indian chaas, lassi is amazingly soothing to your sun-scorched skin.

Spritz your Scalp: Long locks offer some shade from the sun, but the sensitive skin along your hairline and parting still get bombarded with harmful UVA and UVB rays. Use a sunscreen spray along the scalp line. It’s harder for creams to be absorbed there, and you can still get a sunburn.

Supercharge your Skin: Cantaloupe (our kharabooja) is the melon of choice for beautiful summer skin. The sweet delicious fruit is rich in antioxidants and delivers a unique hydration to the skin, resulting in a radiant complexion.  It can actually boost your SPF by several factors

Keep Blemishes at Bay: During the warmest months, blemishes, acne can occur in embarrassing locations.

Select your sunscreen wisely. Sleep with a clear face. It is highly necessary to put off all your makeup at night because it can seriously damage your skin. You can use a cleanser to remove all the makeup perfectly.

Save your skin: Sunny days make your skin pigment uneven, consequently, the skin that gets extra exposure to the sun becomes dark and patchy. Once patches set in, it’s very hard to remove them. So apply some soothing creams over your skin daily or apply cold compresses whenever you come back home. Do not miss out on your sunscreen.

The lactic acid in curd is calming and soothing for the skin.

Leave it on for 30 minutes as a mask before taking a cool shower and pat dry.

Freeze aloe vera gel in ice trays. You can use the compresses if you get sunburnt.

Beat the itch: Bug bites can itch and look unsightly for weeks after they become inflamed.  If you happen to get a sting, apply cold compresses, apply chilled aloe vera gel twice daily until itching resolves. Avoid scratching.

Apply kojic acid containing creams twice a day to fade off any residual marks.

Nail care: Many of us opt for gels or long-lasting chemical nail varnishes to keep chlorine and saltwater from chipping away at polish. Unfortunately, these chemical-laden lacquers also leave your nails with a yellow stain.

Soak your nails for ten minutes in a mixture of four parts water and one part hydrogen peroxide. Use a buffer and lightly massage almond or jojoba oil into your nails and nail bed to get them back to their healthy, natural hue.

Hair Care: In the hot summer days, we need to wash hair almost daily, because they become tacky sooner. Use a mild or natural shampoo that does not contains chemicals. Also, avoid using heavy conditioners because it could make hair look sticky in summer.

1. Switch off Those Lights

Too many electric bulbs and lights in the room tend to heat up the temperature. So switch off as many lights as you can and use only the ones you require. Certain factors like concrete buildings, top floors, pollution, etc can make the situation worse by trapping heat. Keep the curtains drawn if the harsh rays seep into the house.

2. Eat Regularly, But Eat Light

Summertime tends to reduce one’s appetite because of excessive heat. But it is important for you to eat regularly because your body requires the nutrients to fight the heat and keep you healthy. Having said so, the best thing to do is to follow a light diet including summer veggies like squash, lauki, cucumber, ivy gourd, etc. Avoid heat-generating foods like meat, eggs and other proteins, and even salt intake. 

3. Stay Indoors

Keep a check on the weather forecast. This is important because you can then track the hottest days and plan accordingly. If you love walking, try to do so only in the early hours or after sundown.

4. Wear Loose Clothes

Needless to say, to stay cool you need to wear loose clothes so that there is good air circulation. Ditch your synthetic dresses and trousers and stick to cotton. Even while heading out, keep yourself covered from the harsh rays.

5. Don’t Exert Yourself

Physical activity is essential for good health, but during summers, make sure that you don’t overexert yourself. You need your energy levels to keep you active. Resort to indoor gyms rather than engaging in outdoor activities. And remember to stay hydrated.

Enjoy your warm-weather favorites while keeping your nutrition in check with the tips below.

1. Drink green tea instead of sweet tea. Green tea has a natural component that helps speed up your metabolism. Skip the box tea and opt for the brew-it-yourself with boiling water and a tea-bag-type tea.

2. Serve seafood. Summer is the ideal time to get the freshest catch from your local grocer. Grill salmon, tuna, lobster, steamer clams, and calamari for a low-calorie, protein-packed lunch or dinner.

3. Don’t skip breakfast. When you wake up in the morning, your body is running on fumes. Eating a breakfast with protein, carbs, and healthy fat kicks your metabolism into high gear and provides energy for the day.

4. Enjoy summer fruits and veggies. It’s easy to sink into a vegetable rut, eating the same boring veggies week after week, but with summer comes fresh choices. Including a mix of in-season colorful veggies in your meals gives your body a nutrient kick.
5. Snack at work. Bring snacks to work and graze throughout the day. When you eat more often—five to six times per day—you’re far less likely to overeat and more likely to stay energized.

6. Grab a sports drink. For workouts lasting longer than 45 minutes, drinking a sports drink every 15 to 20 minutes can help you maintain energy, increase endurance, and stay hydrated.

7. Hydrate often. The summer heat makes you more susceptible to dehydration. Start off your day by drinking two glasses of water and keep drinking at each meal, as well as before and after your workout, to stay hydrated. Carry a water bottle with you as a reminder to stay hydrated.

9. Cook meals together. Involve your friends and family in your healthy lifestyle this summer. A simple way to start: Plan meals, shop, and cook with your spouse and kids.

10. Downsize your dinnerware. We’re not talking about buying new plates, just using the smaller ones in your set for meals like lunch and dinner.

11. Recover with a post-workout shake. After exercising, blend your favorite summer fruits and a scoop of whey protein into a shake to kick start the muscle-building process, help your body recover from training, and boost your energy levels.

12. Pre-plan your meals. You plan your weekend getaways and activities for summer. Why not your meals? Make it easy by preparing all of your food on Sunday so that you have enough meals for the week. The best part: You’ll save money.

13. Eat healthy at the beach ( when you go out ). Ice cream stands and high-calorie barbecues are bound to put a damper on your diet, so stay clear of these temptations by being prepared. Pack a cooler with ice, bottled water, sandwiches on whole-grain bread, pita chips, hummus, yogurt and lots of fruit. You’ll feel healthier and happier at the end of the day.

14. Give your house a summer cleaning. You need an environment that reflects your healthy way of living and your summer fitness goals. To start, remove unhealthy foods from your home (so you’re not tempted). While you’re at it, stock your office with fruit, nuts, and other healthy snacks.

15. Build a better burger. Create a healthier burger with whole wheat buns, lean meats, and delicious toppings like pineapple, wasabi, guacamole, and feta cheese.

1. Moisturize – The problem with summers is the extreme heat that dehydrates your body and makes your skin dry. Dry skin is prone to damage and dullness, and you need to butter it up to make up for the moisture loss. The moisturizer acts as a barrier for pollutants, bacteria, and sunburn. Moisturizing is absolutely essential. Simply moisturize, there are no two ways about it.
2. Exfoliate – For any treatment or cream to work on your skin, it needs to be clean. For that, you need to exfoliate at regular intervals to slough away the accumulated dead skin cells that are clogging your pores and forming a layer on your skin. Also, do not exfoliate every day because that can cause over scrubbing of the skin and lead to redness, rashes, and breakouts. Exfoliate your skin 2-3 times a week using a circulatory motion. Preferably in the evenings, and not right before you go for a swim or out in the sun.

   3. Drink Up –  Yes, drink up and loosen up. We mean water, lots of it. The problem with summer is, it makes you sweat a lot, making your cells lose water quickly. To maintain moisture levels in your body and not feel weak or faint due to dehydration, you need to keep a check on your drinking (water) game and get it right.

   4. Use Sunscreen –  Protect your skin with sunscreen before it gets damaged by the sun, because, let me remind you, prevention is better than cure. Sun rays are a cause for many skin issues, such as dry skin, brown spots, and fine lines. Choose a sunscreen with SPF 30 (at least) and apply it generously on your skin. Reapply it every few hours.

   5. Choose non-Comedogenic Products – Anything that blocks your skin pores is a big no-no. Because clogging of pores leads to skin irritations, infections, and the most dreaded one – acne breakouts! Your daily use of skincare products has to be non-comedogenic because pore blocking products can cause dead skin cells and bacteria to pile up on your skin.

   6. Stack-up on Aloe Vera – Aloe vera comes to the rescue for a lot of skin problems. During summers, especially, it turns into a soothing balm, cooling off your skin after a long day in the sun. Aloe vera is anti-inflammatory and moisturizing. It calms the skin and nourishes it intensely. It also contains antioxidants that protect your skin from damage.

    7. Follow a Healthy Diet – A healthy diet – an excellent mix of fruits, vegetables, nuts, cereals, and pulses. A fine balance of all the nutrients that your body requires. During summers, increase the intake of raw or boiled food. Include as many fruits and veggies in your meals as possible – go for salads, smoothies, and juices. 

   8. Shift to Clarifying Shampoo – Summers cause a build-up of sweat on the scalp, leading to irritation. Sweat attracts pollution and dust, which builds up in your hair. You need to clean it off regularly with a deep cleaning shampoo.

9. Deep Condition – The high humidity and heat during summers damage your hair texture and build. It causes dryness and a lot of frizz. Deep condition your hair ( with warm coconut oil ) to add life back to it and provide it with the moisture it needs.

10. Use Light Shades – Summers are the time to shift to lighter shades of makeup – be it lipsticks, eye shadows, nail polish, etc. It is all about going au naturale during the summer season.

11. Primer All the way – Primer will hold your foundation well and keep it together as summers are the time when your foundation can easily melt and get blotchy.

12. Choose waterproof Makeup – It’s common sense to choose waterproof eye makeup in summers because you do not want your kohl or mascara running down your face. Choose a nourishing mascara or kohl that moisturizes the tiny hairs as well.

13. Apply Bronzer right – Highlight the natural hues of your skin. Apply it lightly on your forehead,  cheekbones, or near your mouth. Make sure you apply less because that is more than enough.

14. Focus on lip care – The skin of your lips is very sensitive. The hot sun during summers dries the delicate lip tissue and leads to thinning, scales, and spots. Get a luscious lip balm with SPF and slather it generously on your lips to protect them from the sun.

Summer along with the longer days, beautiful blossoms, and evening breeze do have its own set of drawbacks, as we cannot avoid that we need to be extra cautious about our health and make sure the heat doesn’t bog us down. The measures listed here are for prevention

1. Water is the best option to quench thirst.

It is a key ingredient in keeping the body cool. With high humidity levels, sweat will not evaporate quickly. This prevents the body from releasing heat in an efficient manner. This is why it is necessary to hydrate and drink water, even when you are not thirsty. Increase water intake regardless of your activity levels.

2. Avoid caffeinated or carbonated beverages, alcoholic beverages, and those high in sugar.

All these drinks contain preservatives, colors, and sugars. They are acidic in nature and act as diuretics. They cause loss of fluids through urine.

Many soft drinks contain diluted phosphoric acid, which damages the inner lining of the digestive tract and, therefore, affects its functions.

Excessive intake of soft drinks increases phosphorous levels in the blood. This separates calcium from the bones and moves it into the blood.

This calcium displacement from the bones makes them porous and brittle. It also causes plaque on the teeth, kidney stones, arthritis, and bone spur.

Soft drinks also reduce mineral levels in the body to such an extent that enzymes are unable to function well, resulting in indigestion.

3. Do not drink very chilled liquids.

They do not really help cool you down in summers, though they make you cool for some time. Drinking really cold liquids when feeling hot may lead to a slight constriction of the blood vessels in the skin and decrease heat loss, which is not advisable when trying to cool down.

4. Limit all strenuous activity.

5. Eat light, nutritious and non-fatty meals.

6. Reduce intakes of heaty vegetables and fruits, like spinach, radish, hot peppers, onions, garlic, beetroot, pineapple, grapefruit and ripe mangoes (if you cannot resist mangoes, soak them overnight in water).

7. Minimize the intake of dried fruits. Increase the intake of fresh fruit.

8. Use sabza(tulsi seeds) in your drinks — this has a very cooling effect on the body.

9. Include lots of fruits and vegetables in the form of salads and fresh juices, preferably without sugar, in your diet.

10. Drink lemon juice, coconut water, and thin buttermilk, to replenish the fluids that are lost in sweat.

11. Avoid sugary foods, especially honey and molasses, and stick to natural sugars available from fruits and veggies.

12. Minimize the intake of hot, spicy foods, and extremely salty foods. The body retains salt in the organic form found in fruits and veggies; the inorganic salt, meanwhile, is digested and needs to be thrown out of the body. And this is why you need to drink water!

13. Cut the intake of fried foods, like vadas, samosas, chips, bhajias, farsans, etc. Fat has a thermal effect.

14. Maintain good hygiene levels.

Since the sultry heat of summer increases with each degree rise in the mercury, by rooting ourselves to nature’s provision of healthful food choices we can experience the bloom of our health and vitality.

Acne, Pimples :

• Mix equal amounts of lemon juice and rose water, apply to face with a cotton ball and allow to sit for 30 minutes before rinsing. 15-20 days of this application helps cure pimples and also helps to remove blemishes and scars.
• Apply fresh lemon juice on the affected area overnight. Wash off with warm water the next morning.
• For acne that hasn’t seemed to respond to anything, steep 2-3 tsp. dried basil leaves in 1 cup boiling water for 10-20 minutes, cool, and apply to the affected area with a cotton ball.
• Have 1 teaspoon of powdered Indian gooseberry fruit (amla) in the morning and evening with water.

Anemia :

• Take half a cup of apple juice and a half a cup of beetroot juice. Mix apple juice with beetroot juice. Add honey to this and stir well to mix. Have this juice twice a day.
• Take 1 teaspoon of turmeric juice mixed with honey daily.

Anxiety Disorder :

• Take grated fresh coconut 10g, a paste of 2-3 almonds (soaked for 6 to 7 hours and peeled), powdered fennel seeds 5g, black pepper powder 2g, and powdered rock candy or raw sugar 20g. Mix all the ingredients and drink with saffron milk. To prepare saffron milk, soak 5 to 6 threads of saffron in one teaspoon of milk for 5 to 6 hours. Chew well and eat.
• Have 1 teaspoonful of licorice root powder with water empty stomach in the morning. This is mentioned as a medhya Rasayana in Ayurveda i.e. a mind rejuvenator.
• Add some fresh rose petals in a cup of boiling water. Keep it aside till it is lukewarm. Add ½ teaspoonful of sugar to it and have this twice a day. This is a good drink to uplift mood.

Arthritis :

• A daily serving of fresh fish or fish oil capsules helps to give relief from arthritis and other joint pains.
• 3-4 walnuts eaten daily, on an empty stomach, will help.
• Sip citrus drinks or eat C-rich fruits and vegetables such as strawberries or melon, broccoli, or sweet peppers.
• You need to wrap the ginger in place with a gauze or ace bandage. Leave in place for 10-15 minutes.

Asthama :

• Prepare a mixture of powdered dried ginger root, black pepper, and long pepper in equal amounts and store in an airtight container. Have ½ teaspoonful of this powder mixed with ½ teaspoonful of honey twice a day with lukewarm water.
• Take 11 guava leaves, 11 black pepper, 1 cup milk, and one cup water. Put all of them in a pot and boil it well, when it reduced to one cup, drink in an empty stomach. Take this daily for at least six months or a year.
• Boil cumin seeds in water and inhale the steam. It helps dilate the bronchial passage.
• Take 5 gm of ginger, black pepper, cardamom, clove, cinnamon, turmeric, and 30 gm of sugar. Grind the mix to a powder. Take half to one teaspoonful and mix it nicely with honey. Take it twice a day.

Backache :

• Warm mustard oil or sesame oil (one teaspoonful). Add 3-4 cloves of crushed garlic and 1 teaspoonful of ajwain and roast until it becomes red without burning them. Massage this oil on the affected joints. After that do fomentation with hot salt potli (bag).
• Have 2-3 teaspoons of psyllium husk with a glassful of hot milk at bedtime.
• Rubbing on the back with oil prepared from garlic will give immediate backache relief.
• Proper massage with eucalyptus oil is also an effective home remedy for back pain.

Bad Breath :

• Gargle with a small cup of acidic lemon juice to kill odor-causing bacteria. Then eat a bit of plain unsweetened yogurt, which contains beneficial lactobacillus bacteria.
• A sprig of parsley on your plate does more than garnish your meal—munching on some parsley after you eat can also help freshen your breath.

Bladder Stones :

• Boil 2 figs in 1 cup of water. Drink daily for a month.
• Drink mixture of Lemon juice and olive oil to dissolve kidney stones.
• Mix two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with six to eight ounces of water and drink the mixture frequently throughout the day.
• Consume 5 g per 1 ounce of extracted onion juice on an empty stomach. The bladder stones will dissolve quicker if taken on a daily basis.
• Consuming the kernels from watermelon on a daily basis will help break down the stones so they can pass through the urine.

Bleeding External :

• Apply ice cube or sandalwood paste.
• Apply turmeric on a wound. It’s completely safe.
• Moisten the alum block place it on the cut or scrape and hold it for a little while. Don’t press the block.
• A spoonful of sugar on a cut or scrape should do the trick. Because of its crystalline nature.

Bleeding Internal :

• Drink a glass of warm milk with a 1/2 teaspoon of saffron & turmeric powder.
• Take some Aloe Vera leaves and extract the juice. Drink a quarter of a cup of Aloe Vera juice 2-3 times a day before having meals.
• Drink about two to three spoons of apple cider vinegar after every meal to prevent internal bleeding.

Body Odor :

• Spot your underarms with a white vinegar dipped cotton balls to veil body odor.
• Lemon juice is great for treating body odor. The acidic property of lemon juice helps lower the skin’s pH level, which in turn makes it difficult for odor-producing bacteria to survive.
• Tea tree oil has antibacterial as well as antiseptic properties to kill bacteria present on the skin and eliminate body odor and it also controls sweating.
• Apply turnip juice/paste to underarm and groin area.

Boils :

• Betel leaves are a valuable remedy for boils. A leaf is gently warmed till it becomes soft. Apply this on the affected area with a layer of castor oil.
• Turmeric powder can help heal a boil and get rid quickly.
• The Epsom Salt can actually help to dry out the pus, causing the boil to drain.
• Apply Neem oil directly to the boil three to four times a day.

Burns :

• Mix 1 tsp of turmeric with 1 tsp of aloe vera gel and apply it to the burnt area.
• Soak paper towels in diluted vinegar to create a soothing compress or use cotton swabs to gently dab the burn with vinegar.
• Soak the burn in milk for 15 minutes for quick relief. Full-fat, whole-milk yogurt can also help cool and hydrate your parched skin.
• Apply honey so that it will cool the burn, relieve pain, and help the skin to heal.

Cold & Flu :

• If its whooping coughs, garlic is one of the best remedies. Syrup made from 2 to 3 garlic cloves should be consumed twice or thrice a day.
• If there is congestion in the throat along with cough, Bay Berry should be considered as an effective option of ayurvedic treatment for cough. The bark of the Bay Berry tree should be consumed in powdered form. It is known as an effective remedy for chronic bronchial infections as well.
• Apply a paste of crushed leaves of Betel and water on the chest of the patient for effective relief from cough.
• Sometimes, cough is a result of inflammation and infection in the pharynx. In such cases, cloves can be one of the most suitable ayurvedic remedies.
• Tie a tablespoon of crushed carom seeds (ajwain) in a piece of cloth. Inhaling it will give relief to a blocked nose.

Constipation ( Adults ) :

• Organic oatmeal mixed with water and lemon can help with constipation.
• Drinking ginger tea will help start a bowel movement.
• Drinking orange and Kiwi juice on an empty stomach in the morning will provide enough fiber to stimulate digestion and help alleviate constipation.

Constipation ( Children ) :

• Soak 6-8 raisins in hot water. When cool, crush well and strain. When given routinely even to little infants, it helps to regulate bowel movement.
• Take one tablespoon of castor oil at bedtime until you get relief.
• Apply lukewarm sesame oil on the navel during taking bath and put towel (which is dipped in warm water) on the lower abdomen.

Corn : 

• Apply a small piece of papaya on the affected area and leave it overnight. If you find it difficult to apply the piece of papaya, you can dab fresh papaya juice on the corn.
• Apply castor oil on the corn thrice a day. Repeat this every day till corn disappears.
• Mix the baking soda with water (and lime juice) to form a paste. Apply this paste on the corn or callus. Leave it on overnight. Do this every night for a week.
• Make a thick paste of turmeric powder and honey. Apply it on the corn and let the paste air dry. Rinse once it has dried.

Cracked Heels :

• First, clean and dry your feet, and then massage the oil into your heels as a natural moisturizer. After you massage the oils input on a pair of thick cotton socks so that the oils continue to go to work. It is best to do this right before bed so that the oils work as you sleep.
• Create a paste with one banana, half a coconut’s worth of coconut flesh, and half of an avocado. Once the pasta is ready, apply it to your feet and let it sit for 15 minutes before washing it off with warm water. Once your feet are clean, pat them dry and apply a thick moisturizer.
• Take one cup of organic honey and two cups of milk ( warm ) and put them into a basin to soak your feet. Make sure to mix these well before putting your feet in.
• Cut a fresh lemon in half and use each half to massage the heels, squeezing the lemon halves as you massage. Massage each heel for about five minutes, rinse your feet with water, and then apply a thick moisturizer.

Dandruff :

• Pour distilled white vinegar onto the hair, as close to the scalp as you can manage; massage into the scalp; and allow to dry for several minutes before washing as usual. Repeat daily until dandruff disappears, usually within a few days.
• Massage a few tablespoons of lemon juice onto your scalp and rinse. Lemon’s acidity balances your scalp’s pH, which helps keep dandruff away.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and mix it with equal amounts of lemon juice. Massage your scalp gently with the mixture. Leave it on for 20 minutes before rinsing if off with shampoo.
• Apply some curd to your hair and scalp. Let it sit tight for about an hour. Rinse it off with a shampoo that’s mild.

Dark Circles Around Eyes :

• Make a paste out of 1 tsp. tomato juice, 1/2 tsp. lemon juice, a pinch of turmeric powder, and 1 tsp. of flour. Apply around eyes. Leave on for 10 minutes before rinsing.
• Apply some almond oil over your dark circles and massage it gently into the skin. Leave the oil on overnight. Wash it off with cold water the next morning. Repeat this every day until your dark circles are gone.
• Cut a fresh cucumber into thick slices and chill it for about 30 minutes. Place the slices on the dark circles for about 10 minutes. Wash the area thoroughly with water. Repeat this process twice a day for one week to see results.
• Mix one teaspoon of tomato juice with one and a half teaspoon of lemon juice. Gently apply this mixture on your dark circles and allow it to sit for 10 minutes. Rinse it off well with cool water. Follow this remedy twice a day for 2 – 3 weeks to see results.

Depression :

• 3/4 cup of cooked spinach a day is enough to give dramatic relief from depression if you are deficient in B vitamins.
• The diet of the person suffering from depression should completely exclude tea, coffee, alcohol, colas, and all colored food. Try to take more vegetables and fresh fruits and fruit juices.
• Exercise also plays an important role in the treatment of depression. It not only keeps the body physically and mentally fit but also provides recreation and mental relaxation. The patient must do meditation for depression.
• Eat an apple with honey and milk, or drink apple juice to rejuvenate your mind. Potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B, and phosphorous in apples prevent nerve cells from damage. Vitamin C enhances the immune system and reduces depression by lowering the level of cortisol, a stress hormone.

Diarrhea :

• Eat boiled sweet potatoes seasoned with salt and pepper before bedtime to cure chronic diarrhea.
• Take one teaspoon of Isabgol (psyllium husk) with one cup of yogurt.
• Mix 1 teaspoon each of cinnamon, ginger, and cumin powder with honey to make a paste. Take 1 teaspoon three times a day.
• Drop the chopped Orange peels into the hot boiling water and allow it cool. Once cooled, drink this tea with a dash of lemon and honey.

Dry Skin :

• Combine 1 cup oatmeal, 1 cup warm water, 1 Tbls. vanilla extract, and 1/2 cup baking soda in a blender or food processor until you have a smooth paste. Pour this paste under the running water while drawing the bath. Very soothing to dry, itchy skin.
• Coconut oil is as safe and effective as petroleum jelly for treating dry skin. It significantly improves skin hydration and increases the number of lipids (fats) on the surface of the skin.
• Honey is an ideal at-home treatment to relieve dry skin. It is completely natural and can be applied directly to the skin.
• Apply aloe vera gel and cover the affected area with a sock or glove. People may prefer to do this before they go to bed and leave the gel on all night.

Ear Pain :

• Heat two teaspoons of mustard oil, to which half a teaspoon of carom seeds and one or two flakes of crushed garlic is added. Boil till they turn red. Filter it, and when it cools, use two drops in the aching ear.
• Use neem leaves juice as ear drops.

Eczema :

• Prepare a decoction by boiling 20-30 margosa (neem) leaves in about 4-5 cups of water for 20 minutes. Let it cool and use this water to wash the affected area
• Mix 1 teaspoon licorice root powder with a small amount of sesame oil. Warm this in a pan and then apply to the affected part. Wrap a bandage over it and leave for 3-4 hours. Repeat twice a day.

Energizer :

• Simmer 1 cup honey and 3 cup water together slowly. Allow 1 cup of the water to evaporate. Strain off the top surface, and put the remaining liquid into a stoneware crock or dark bottle. Put a towel over it so it can breathe, yet be free of dirt. Place in a cool place. You can add cinnamon, clove, or the juice of 2 lemons if you like.
• Blend the beetroot and transfer it to a glass. Add lime juice and pink Himalayan salt to it. Stir well and drink.
• Blend the pomegranate and passion fruit pulp in a blender. Pour into a glass. Add honey and mix well.
• Add 1 cup hot water to the cup containing the 1 half spoon instant coffee. Stir well and sip.

Eye Problems :

• Simmer 1 cup water and 1 tsp. honey for 5 minutes. Dip a cloth in the liquid and apply it to the closed eye.
• Eye exercises make your eye muscles more flexible and bring energy and blood flow to the eyes to maintain optimal vision. Regular eye exercises combat eye strain and also improve focus as well as concentration.
• Soak 5 to 10 almonds in water overnight. The next morning, peel the skin and grind the almonds. Consume this paste with a glass of warm milk. Do this daily for at least a few months.
• Walking barefoot on grass in the morning dew for about 30 minutes is also considered an acupuncture method to help improve eyesight as it activates the nerve fibers connected to your feet. There are reflexology pressure points for the eyes on the second and third toes. Plus, the green color of the grass is soothing for the eyes.

Exhaustion ( Heat ) : 

• Consume a glass of coconut water or grape juice. Or Churn out a juice of three dates with eight ounces of water and drink.
• Squeeze the half of a freshly sliced lemon/lime into a full glass of water. If it’s winter, make it warm water-if it’s summer, enjoy it chilled! Drink the whole thing, and repeat twice daily (with a mid-day boost if needed.).
• Enjoy at least 1 cup of spinach daily, raw, or cooked.

Facial Cleanser :

• Gently massage a squirt of coconut oil onto your face (about the size of a quarter) for about 30 seconds. Then apply a warm towel onto your face to open up your pores. Wait about 15-30 seconds, then remove the oil by patting with a washcloth.
• Mix 1 part apple cider vinegar with 2 parts water, and shake well. Apply to a clean face with a cotton ball or pad. Once your skin dries, put on your usual daily moisturizer.
• Combine 2 teaspoons honey and 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice. Warm it between your fingers, then smooth a thin layer onto your face and neck. Leave the mixture on until it’s dry, then rinse with warm water.
• Apply fresh-squeezed lemon juice to your entire face and neck. Leave it on for 10 minutes and then wash it off with lukewarm water. After this, rub cucumber slices on your skin to soften and moisturize it. Do this daily or every other day.
• Make a paste by mixing equal amounts of turmeric powder and gram flour with a little water or milk. Apply it evenly on your skin and leave it on until it dries. Wash it off with lukewarm water, scrubbing your skin gently in a circular motion. Follow this remedy once a week to lighten your skin tone and remove scars.

Fatigue :

• Take a glass of grapefruit and lemon juice in equal parts to dispel fatigue and general tiredness after a day’s work.
• Prioritize things that need to be done first. Also, you should learn when to say yes and when to say no. Do not over-commit anything. Also, pace yourself when you go through your prioritized list. The trick is to be manageable and deal with tasks in manageable chunks.
• Take one small cup of long pepper, half a cup of black pepper and dried ginger each, one-fourth cup of cumin seeds, ajwain, cloves, cardamom, Triphala and cinnamon leaves. Roast these separately, powder them and add the required amount of honey to make a paste. Consume half a teaspoon of it for 40 days to beat fatigue.
• People suffering from fatigue should eat foods that are nutritious in nature and supply energy to the body. Hence, include foods such as wheat, oats, corn, rye, and barley seeds in your meal plan to reap their benefits.

Fever  :

• Mix 1 teaspoon licorice root powder with a small amount of sesame oil. Warm this in a pan and then apply it to the affected part. Wrap a bandage over it and leave for 3-4 hours. Repeat twice a day.
• Give yourself a sponge bath. Sponging high-heat areas like your armpits and groin with cool water can help reduce your temperature as the water evaporates.
• Crush 1 garlic clove and add it to 1 cup of hot water. Let it rest for 10 minutes, and then strain. Drink this twice a day for best results.
• you can also mix together 1 1/2 teaspoon of ginger juice, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of honey. Have this concoction two to three times a day for the best results.

Gas :

• Consume a cup of water with a pinch of baking soda & lemon juice.
• Add 2 teaspoons of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar to a glass of warm water. Allow the water to cool to room temperature, then drink it. Do it twice daily. If apple cider vinegar is not available, you can try regular vinegar.
• Squeeze out the juice from ½ lemon into a glass of warm water. Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to it. Drink this immediately for instant relief from gas and gas pains.
• Add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon powder to a cup of warm milk. Stir it well, then drink it. You can also add some honey.

Gout :

• Swallow 2-3 fresh, peeled garlic buds with water on an empty stomach in the morning.
• Create a paste by combining the ginger root with water and applying it to the affected area and leaving it on for about 30 minutes.
• Mix half a teaspoon into a glass of water and drink it up to four times a day for two weeks. If you are above 60 years old only drink this solution three times a day.
• Soak in a bath with half a cup of charcoal powder or create a paste with charcoal powder and water and apply to the affected area.

Hair Loss :

• Apply freshly squeezed raw onion or garlic juice directly to the scalp. Rinse thoroughly with lemon juice after 20 minutes to remove the smell.
• Extract aloe vera gel from the leaf, and dissolve it in a bowl of water. Apply to your hair, and massage your scalp. Rinse with warm water after 10 minutes.
• Mix carrot juice and coconut milk, and apply to your hair. This will help the hair stay healthy and strong.

Hang-Over :

• Eat honey on crackers. The fructose in the honey will help to flush out the alcohol in your system.
• Before going to bed take a B-50 complex supplement, which will ensure that the metabolism of alcohol continues apace.
• Rehydrate by drinking plenty of water or Coconut water.
• Drink a tangy drink, such as tomato juice by adding one lemon juice to stop the urge for alcohol.
• Drink banana milkshake sweetened with honey.

Headache :

• Eat 10-12 almonds, the equivalent of two aspirins, for a migraine headache. Almonds are far less likely to upset the stomach.
• Apply a paste of ground clay or sandalwood powder mixed with rose water for relief in burning sensation with a headache.
• Grind 10-12 grains of black pepper and 10-12 grains of rice with water to make it a paste. Apply this paste on the affected area of the head for 15-20 minutes.
• Dilute a paste of ginger powder (half teaspoon) with water & apply to the Forehead. A burning sensation may persist. But it’s not harmful.
  Temporal headaches:
  It’s related to Kapha. Hence apply the ginger paste to the forehead and Sinuses.
  Occipital headaches:
  It is because of the aggravated Pitta in the stomach. Make tea with cumin & coriander seeds in a cup of hot water & consume it. Also, apply a sandalwood paste to the temples
  Sinus headaches:
  Indicate toxins in the colon. Take one teaspoon of flaxseed at bedtime With a glass of warm milk. At the same time, apply ginger paste behind the ears.

Healthy Kidney :

• Keep your blood pressure below 130/90 and maintain healthy levels of cholesterol.
• It’s important to have your cholesterol levels checked regularly.
• Lead a healthy lifestyle and maintain a healthy weight.
• Eat a balanced healthy diet low in saturated fats.
• Become a nonsmoker.
• If you have diabetes make sure you actively treat your blood glucose.

Healthy Life Style to prevent hair loss :

• Eat Right diet rich with Nutrients. Adding Citrus, Fruits, and Vegetables which are rich in vitamin C maintains a healthy flow of blood in the scalp.
• You should ensure to keep clean and well moisturized by massaging your scalp with organic and herbal oils especially before washing hair.  Schedule regular oil sessions.
• Undisturbed sleep for 8 hours is a restorative, reparative, and rejuvenation process that your body goes through.
• Undergoing rigorous chemical hair treatments and styling your hair using heat methods can make them dull and dry. You should avoid blow-drying your hair on a daily basis and allow them to air dry.
• Constantly pulling the hair back from the face may result in receding hairline. Also securing them tightly with the rubber bands can furthermore exacerbate the problem.

Heart Diseases :

• The functions of the heart and mind are interlinked so a disturbance in one affects the other.
• Patients having heart disease are advised to refrain from anxiety, worry, excessive sexual intercourse, and wrathful disposition.
• All efforts should be made for the patient to have good sleep at night.
• Even the rest during the day is essential.
• He should never be permitted to remain aware at night for long.
• The patient’s bowels should move regularly. If there is constipation, he is advised to take a glass of water early morning and go for a walk every day.
• Stimulants like tea, coffee, and alcoholic drinks are very harmful to such patients.

Hiccups :

• To get rid of hiccups, just give your tongue a good pull or breathe into a paper bag.
• Take a teaspoon of sugar and, using your tongue, massage it around the roof of your mouth for several seconds, as the sugar begins to melt.
• Gulp down a tablespoon of honey.
• Hold the sugar in your mouth for about thirty seconds while it dissolves, then chew, and swallow slowly.

High Blood Pressure :

• Massage point next to ear lobe with the fingertips for about one minute on each side, continually. Push hard but not that hard so that you feel pain.
• Do almost imperceptible movements of the hand from below lobe to bottom of the neck barely touching the tips of the fingers. Do it 10 times on one side and then repeat the procedure on the other side 10 times as well.  Don’t press nor massage between tow points.
• Drink 1-3 glasses of carrot juice a day. Make sure to buy organic and do not add any sugar.
• Juice made out of beets or radishes is the best form of the vegetables, in lowering blood pressure. Drink a glass of blended beets or radishes juice, daily. Also, add fresh beets and radishes to any dish!

High Cholesterol :

• Mix one teaspoon of Indian gooseberry powder (amla) in a glass of warm water. Drink it daily in the morning on an empty stomach.
• Add two teaspoons of coriander seed powder to one cup of water. Boil the mixture and then strain it. Drink this once or twice a day. You can add milk, sugar, and cardamom to it and use it as an alternative for your regular tea.
• Boil a few leaves of mint with water. Add some honey and pepper powder. Drink lukewarm 2-3 times a day.

Hyper-acidity :

• Take powder of roasted cumin and coriander seeds (25 gm each) and mix with 50 gm of sugar. Take half spoon of it 3 times a day to get rid of hyper-acidity.
• Make a powdered mixture of equal parts of rock candy (or unrefined sugar), fennel, and green cardamom. Whenever you feel heartburn, mix 1 teaspoon of the mixture in a glass of cold milk and drink.
• Chewing on five to six tulsi leaves when you suffer from acidity is a great way to beat the discomfort you feel.
• Bite a clove once so that the juice is released and then keep it in the mouth. The slowly released juice will immediately lower acid reflux and give you some relief.

Hypertension :

• Make a juice of 3-4 garlic cloves, 10-12 basil leaves, and one-fourth cup of wheatgrass. Have once a day.
• Mix 1 teaspoon of onion juice with an equal amount of honey. Take once a day for 1 week. Upon noticing improvement, continue for several more days.
• Mix 1 gm of garlic paste with a glass of buttermilk. Drink this buttermilk twice a day.

Indigestion :

• Make a juice of 3-4 garlic cloves, 10-12 basil leaves, and one-fourth cup of wheatgrass. Have once a day.
• Mix 1 teaspoon of onion juice with an equal amount of honey. Take once a day for 1 week. Upon noticing improvement, continue for several more days.
• Mix 1 gm of garlic paste with a glass of buttermilk. Drink this buttermilk twice a day.

Insomnia :

• Have a glass of whole milk (without the cream removed) with green cardamom powder before going to bed.
• Sleepytime Tea, blended with a mixture of calming chamomile, spearmint, and lemongrass—the combination is ultra-soothing and sweet with a little honey.
• Massage your feet with lukewarm mustard oil 2-3 times a day and before going to bed.
• Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of cumin on a sliced banana. Eat at night regularly.

Jaundice :

• Go for the boiled & spiceless diet. With vegetables- radish leaves, tomato, lemon. And dry fruits- dried dates with almonds & Cardamoms.
• Have plenty of sugarcane juice, orange juice, bitter Luffa, and barley water. This enhances urination which helps eliminate excess bile pigments in the blood.
• Take Complete rest.
• Avoid heat, sex, and Psychic factors like anger and anxiety.

Joint pain :

• Take one tablespoon of castor oil before going to bed, once or twice a week. It helps in cleansing ama (toxin) build up and balancing Vata.
• Mix equal quantities of powdered fenugreek seeds, turmeric, and ginger powder. Take one teaspoon daily in the morning and evening.
• Two types of omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil are EPA and DHA, both of which can reduce inflammation and joint pain. Take fish oil pills daily for pain management.

Kidney Stone :

• Soak 2 teaspoons of radish seeds in a glass of water, boil, and reduce it to half. Strain and drink 1/2 cup of it twice a day to assist in dissolving kidney stones.
• Boil 10-12 basil leaves in 1 cup of water for 15 minutes. Mix 1 teaspoon of honey in it and take twice a day.
• Cook kidney beans in water (avoid meat broth, salt, etc) until they are tender enough to eat. Strain the liquid, let it cool, then strain it again. You can drink the resulting bean broth to help dissolve and flush out stones.

Lack Of Sleep :

• Gently massage the soles of the feet with sesame oil. Rub the oil into the scalp.
• Introduces 5 to 10 drops of oil into each ear.
• Drink a cup of piping hot cow milk with rock candy or honey.

Leucoderma :

• Make a paste of Bakuchi (Psoralea Corylifolia) and coconut oil and apply over the white patches and expose them to early sun rays (morning sunlight) for 15 minutes.
• Mix turmeric powder well with mustard oil and apply externally on the patches.
• Firstly take red clay and add ginger juice in it. Make sure to see that the amounts of both ingredients should be remaining the same. Apply the mixture in that area which is affected.
• Take neem leaves. Make a paste by adding buttermilk. Apply this paste on affected areas at night and wash it off in the morning.

Low Blood Pressure :

• The treatment for low blood pressure should aim at rejuvenation of the whole system. To begin with, the patient should adopt a well-balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Should add milk, meat, or fish and egg in the diet. Also add grains and vegetables with plenty of salad.
• Wash about fifteen plucked basil leaves and then crush them against a sieve to extract the juice. Add a tablespoon of honey to the juice of the basil leaf and mix it well. Consume this mixture at least twice a day to keep your low blood pressure at a normal level.
• Eat foods like carrots and peas, as well as fruits like bananas and cereals which are rich in sucrose and fiber to control blood pressure.
• Grind 5 to 6 almonds and mix it well with half a glass of lukewarm skimmed milk or low-fat milk. Sip a glassful of this almond delight when you experience dizziness or weakness due to lowered blood pressure.

Memory Loss : 

• When the power of learning and remembering is impaired to correct it, a  drug called Brahmi is popularly used. It is of two types one variety is called matsyakshi and the other variety is called mandukparni. Both these herbs are equally useful in improving memory.
• Almonds are an excellent Ayurvedic remedy to help improve memory and brainpower.
• Take one to three teaspoons of Anwala churna three times a day for at least a few weeks.
• Acupuncture – There are 4 points on the crown of your head that you can activate to help your memory. They are called Si Shen Cong and they invigorate the mind.

Menstrual Pain :

• Boil a teaspoon of saffron in half a cup of water, and reduce it to become one tablespoon. Divide this decoction into three portions and take it with equal quantities of water, thrice a day for a couple of days.
• Mix the juice of two to three lemons in cold water and have it daily for relief.
• Make herbal tea using dried ginger and black pepper. Add a little sugar for taste, but avoid milk.
• Taking Hot water bag or regular plastic bottle with hot water and apply it to your lower abdomen.

Migraine :

• If there is a burning sensation with you migraine headache, apply a paste of ground clay or sandalwood powder mixed with rose water. In case of migraine headache due to inflamed sinuses, inhale steam with vinegar added to the water.
• Mix ¼ teaspoon of clove powder with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon oil. Apply this paste on the affected area for 20-30 minutes.
• Drink chamomile tea to combat severe headaches and migraines.

Morning Sickness ;

• Mix 1 tsp. each fresh juice of mint and lime, and 1 Tbls. honey. Take 3 times a day.
• Cut or grate some ginger root and pour hot water over it, then drink as a tea or chew on crystallized ginger.
• Avoid eating foods that are high in fat and salt and drink plenty of liquids.
• Bland foods, such as gelatin, frozen desserts, broth, ginger ale, and saltine crackers, also soothe the stomach.

Mosquito Bites :

• Apply lime juice diluted with water on bites with a cotton ball.
• Take a little aloe vera gel and apply a thin layer of it on the mosquito bites. Allow it to dry and reapply as required.
• Apply a little toothpaste on the affected area.
• Soak a green tea bag in some cold water for 10-15 minutes. Remove from water and place it on the affected area for 10 minutes. Rinse off with water.
• Take a little honey on your fingertips and apply it to the mosquito bites.

Motion Sickness :

• Whether by plane, train, boat, or car, motion sickness can occur while traveling and is no fun. Take a whiff or two of peppermint oil before leaving on your journey to calm an upset stomach.
• Take a slice of lemon (or any citrus fruit) along with you in a paper towel and keep sniffing it from time to time.
• Sip apple juice before and during the journey and your motion sickness will be gone.

Mouth Ulcers :

• Dip Haldi / Haridra (Turmeric, Curcuma longa) in water and filter it. Gargle with this water in treating canker sores.
• Warm 50 gm Desi Ghee (clarified butter) and mix 5-gram Kapoor (camphor) in it. On cooling apply this mixture on mouth ulcers sores.
• Apply glycerin on mouth ulcers to get rid of mouth ulcers sores.
• Lick the Green cardamom powder with natural honey to treat mouth ulcers.
• Daily eat one banana with milk in tongue ulcers to treat oral ulcers.
• If you are suffered from mouth ulcers and tongue ulcers then mix banana in curd and eat to treat oral ulcers.

Mucus in Cough :

• Pour 1 cup boiling water over 1/2 tsp. each of ginger, ground cloves, and cinnamon. Filter. Sweeten with 1 tsp. honey and drink.
• Heat one cup of water until it steams, then add a spoonful of salt and stir until it dissolves. Once the water has cooled to lukewarm, use it to gargle.
• Sprinkle a few drops of Eucalyptus on a tissue and inhale it.
• Garlic is one of the best things you can add to your diet. For maximum effect, just eat a clove raw.

Muscle Cramps Joint and Bone Pain;

• Apply clove oil on the affected body parts.
• Massage the area of muscle cramps and spasm with sesame oil.
• Slightly warm some clove oil. Rub it on the affected area. Using firm strokes, massage the area for five minutes.
• Mix one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of warm water. Drink this tonic once daily to prevent muscle cramps.

Muscle Strain( Upper part of the body ) :

• Apply warm ginger paste with turmeric to the affected area twice a day.
• Try to avoid it. As it disturbs the nervous system, especially the intelligence.
• Soak a towel in hot water. Squeeze out the excess water. Put the warm, moist towel over the affected area for 10 minutes at a time. Repeat the process several times a day for two to three days.
• Add two cups of Epsom salt to warm bathwater. Soak the affected part of your body in the water for half an hour. Dry the area with a towel and wrap it with an elastic bandage. Do this once daily.

Nasal Congestion :

• Boil eucalyptus leaves in a bowl. Inhale the steam by holding your head over the bowl and taking in deep breaths. It will give you quick relief and promote sinus drainage.
• Try the healing mix of bay leaf, sage, and cinnamon. Place the herbs in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes. Their magnificent smell is so strong that it will easily help unclog your stuffy nose.
• Honey and apple cider vinegar. Mix a glass of water, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of honey. Let stand for 3 minutes before drinking.
• Steaming water. Place some water in a bowl, and boil it until it begins to evaporate. Hold your head over the bowl, cover with a towel, and inhale the steam.

Nausea :

• Boil 1/2 cup of rice in 1 cup of water for about 10-20 minutes. After it is boiled, drain the water into a cup and sip at the rice water until symptoms are gone.
• Mix 1 to 3 tablespoons of salt, 1/4 cup ginger powder and 2/3 cup of baking soda in a bucket of warm water. Soak your feet in this warm water. This is an effective way to relax your muscles and get rid of muscle cramps.
• Massage the area of muscle cramps and spasm with sesame oil.
• In abdominal cramps caused by gas or indigestion mix ¼ teaspoon Guduchi, ½ teaspoon Shatavari, and a pinch of shankha bhasma. Take this 1 or 2 times a day after meals.

Obesity :

• Mix lime juice with honey and water; drink a glass of this every morning.
• Mix 3 tsp. lime juice, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, 1 tsp. honey, and 1 cup water; Drink 1 glass a day for 3 months.
• Mix 1 tsp. lime juice with 1 cup of water and drink each morning.
• Eat a tomato before breakfast.
• Take a tablespoon of honey daily with warm water. It is an excellent home remedy for obesity

Oily Skin :

• Mix 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal, 1 egg white, 1 Tbls. lemon juice, and 1/2 cup mashed apple into a smooth paste. Apply to face and leave on 15 minutes. Rinse.
• Spread a thin layer of honey, preferably raw, onto your face; let it dry for about 10 minutes, and rinse thoroughly with tepid water.
• Finely-grind raw almonds to make 3 teaspoons. Add 2 tablespoons of raw honey. Apply to your face gently, in circular motions. Rinse with warm water, and pat dry.
• Combine 1 teaspoon sugar with the pulp of 1 tomato. Apply to the skin in a circular motion. Leave the mask on for 5 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with tepid water and pat dry.

Overweight :

• Effective at getting rid of fat, drink up to 3 cups of green tea daily. Regular tea can also be used with a lesser effect.
• Mix three teaspoons of lemon juice, one teaspoon of honey, and one-half teaspoon of black pepper powder in one glass of water. (If you use freshly ground black pepper, then just add a quarter teaspoon.) Drink it in the morning on an empty stomach. Do this daily for at least three months.
• Take two fresh Aloe vera leaves, peel them, and scoop out the pulp. Put it in a blender along with one cup of citrus juice, like grapefruit juice, or simply water. Blend it for two to three minutes. Drink this daily for at least a month.
• Mix two teaspoons of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar in a glass of water. Drink it daily in the morning and preferably before meals.

Pain Reliever :

• Mix 3 Tbls. of honey in boiled water and drink. Honey has natural pain-relieving powers.
• Drink a hot cupful of ginger tea to get quick relief from body pain.
• Heat milk on low heat and add a teaspoonful of turmeric in it. Drink this turmeric milk to heal the pain.
• Take 10 cloves of garlic and chop them. Heat them in 4 tablespoonfuls of mustard oil. Once the oil cools down, strain it and massage it onto the affected area. For fast relief, use this remedy 3-4 times in a day.

Piles :

• Make an ointment by mixing an equal amount of powdered long pepper and turmeric with milk (preferably cow’s milk). Apply this on the piles external
• Apply an ice pack or a partially melted piece of ice wrapped in a cloth directly on the affected area for about 10 minutes. Do this several times a day until hemorrhoid goes away.
• Mix one-half teaspoon each of lemon juice, ginger juice, mint juice, and honey together. Take this once a day.
• Dip a cotton ball in pure almond oil and apply it on the affected area. Do this several times a day.

Psoriasis :

• Cover the affected part with a fresh thin banana leaf.
• exposure to sunlight enhances the production of Vitamin D effective for treating Psoriasis.
• Apply petroleum jelly to the affected area each day within a few minutes after a bath.
• Take 15-20 sesame seeds and soak in a glass of water. Keep it overnight and drink on an empty stomach early in the morning.

Sciatica :

• Apply a paste made of crushed garlic cloves and water to the affected part, or rub a cut clove directly onto the area.
• Eat 1-3 buds of fresh cloves daily.
• Add the milk (2 cups), water (1 cup), and crushed garlic cloves (10) to a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes and then strain the milk. Allow it to cool a bit. Add a little honey.
• Mix ginger oil (4-5 drops) with coconut oil (1 tbls ) of your choice. Apply this mixture to the affected area.

Skin Disorder :

• Have 1 teaspoonful of licorice root powder with water empty stomach in the morning. This is mentioned as a medhya Rasayana in Ayurveda i.e. a mind rejuvenator.
• Add some fresh rose petals in a cup of boiling water. Keep it aside till it is lukewarm. Add ½ teaspoonful of sugar to it and have this twice a day. This is a good drink to uplift mood.
• Rub a cut clove or clove paste directly onto the affected area several times a day.
• Eat 1-3 garlic cloves or take garlic oil capsules daily.
• Apply a paste of cinnamon and lime juice daily to the affected area.

Smoking Habit :

• Lick a little salt with the tip of your tongue whenever you feel the urge to smoke. This is said to break the habit within 1 month.
• Heat one tablespoon of oats in two cups and leave it to set overnight. Right before consuming, heat the oat mix again and drink after every meal.
• Honey contains beneficial vitamins, enzymes, and proteins, which help in giving up the habit of smoking with ease. Try using organic honey for less artificial flavors and better results

Snoring :

• Add a drop of peppermint oil to a cup of cold water and gargle the mixture in your mouth to shrink the lining of the nose and throat.
• Take about 1 tablespoonful of honey in a glass of warm water and drink it before going to bed.
• Brahmi herb is mixed and boiled along with the pure ghee made from cow milk. You can apply two drops of this ghee inside your nostrils for relief. Repeat the procedure every night before going to bed.
• Take 2 or three sips of olive oil before going to bed. You can also combine half teaspoonful of honey and olive oil and consume it daily before going to bed.

Sore Throat :

• Mix 1 tsp. lime juice and 1 Tbls. honey. Swallow tiny amounts slowly 2-3 times a day.
• Dissolve ¼ to ½ teaspoon of salt in eight ounces of warm water, gargle every hour or two.
• Drink 1 cup of warm water mixed with 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and an optional tablespoon of honey.
• Combining lemon with warm water and a bit of honey or saltwater may be the best way to maximize its benefits.

Stomach Ache :

• A simple cure for a stomachache is to dissolve 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon in 1 cup warm water, cover and let sit for 15 minutes, then drink it like tea. This remedy can also ease diarrhea and flatulence.
• Drink warm water mixed with ½ tsp of ginger powder and ½ tsp of turmeric.
• Boil 1 tsp of chopped ginger in 1 cup of water, add a pinch of salt and drink.
• Mix 2 teaspoons lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon of rock salt powder in ½ cup of water. Have this mixture 3 times a day.

Stomach Acidity :

• Drink coconut water 3-4 times a day.
• Have a plateful of watermelon and/or cucumber every hour.

Sunburn :

• Mix 2 tsp. tomato juice and 1/4 cup buttermilk. Apply to the affected area. Rinse 1/2 an hour.
• Slice open one of the leaves of Aloe Vera and apply the gel directly onto the sunburned area. You can repeat this aloe vera remedy 5 or 6 times per day for a week.
• Mix a small amount of baking soda or oatmeal into a large pot filled with cool water, and then soak a washcloth into it. You can then apply the cloth directly onto the sunburned area, and re-soak the cloth in the mixture every few minutes.

Swelling :

• Drink barley water or coriander tea.
• For external. Swelling: Apply two parts of turmeric powder with one part salt to the affected area.
• Remove the pineapple ( 1/4 ) skin and cut it into small pieces. Blend this in a mixer with water (1 cup) and consume the juice immediately.
• Warm the mustard oil. Massage this gently onto the affected area.

Swollen Joints :

• Go for fasting once a week. You can go for absolute fasting or rely on a liquid diet to digest ama (toxin). Fasting should be followed by hot fomentation or by taking a bath with lukewarm water or a steam bath.
• After fasting and fomentation, mix powdered long pepper, black pepper and dried ginger in equal quantities and take 1 teaspoon of this powdered mix with lukewarm water twice a day. This will help you restore your digestive fire.
• For dry fomentation of the affected joints, take a cloth and fold it into four, fill it with hot and sand make a potli (bag) out of it. Use this bundle for the fomentation of different joints. This is very helpful in reducing pain and swelling.

Tooth Ache and Mouth Pain :

• To ease toothache or other mouth pain, make a tea by boiling 1 Tbls. fresh peppermint in 1 cup water and adding a little salt. Peppermint is an antiseptic and contains menthol, which relieves pain when applied to skin surfaces.
• Apply 3 drops of clove oil to the affected teeth.
• Use a commercial ice pack or put some ice in a plastic bag, wrap it in a towel and apply it to the swollen area.
• Take a cucumber and cut into small slices. Completely rinse the cucumber and place the slices in the refrigerator. Take one slice of a cucumber and put it in your mouth directly on the infected tooth. The coolness from the cucumber will soothe the ache and take away the pain.

Ulcers :

• Take 1 teaspoon of Indian gooseberry (amla) powder with ½ teaspoon of powdered rock candy (or unrefined sugar) twice a day on an empty stomach.
• Take 2 tablespoonfuls (20 ml) raw milk mixed in half a cup of water 2-3 times a day.
• Mix 1 teaspoon of roasted barley flour into 1 glass of water. Add 1 teaspoon of powdered rock candy (or unrefined sugar). Have this 3-4 times a day.
• For stomach ulcer treatment, both ripe and unripe bananas are very effective.
• Take one tablespoon of coconut oil in the morning and another at night for one week.

Underweight :

• Diet plays an important role in building up health for gaining weight.
• Underweight persons should eat frequent small meals, as they tend to feel full quickly.
• The number of calories it contains measures the weight building quality of food.
• To gain weight, the diet should include more calories than are used in daily activities so as to allow the excess to be stored as body fat. The allowance of 500 calories in excess of daily average needs is estimated to provide for a weight gain of half a kilogram weekly.
• All refined foods such as products containing white flour and sugar should be avoided as they destroy health.

Urinary Tract Infection :

• Put 3 tablespoons of powdered coriander seeds and 1 tablespoon of powdered rock candy (or unrefined sugar) in a vessel (preferably an earthen pot) containing 3 cups of water. Keep it overnight. Mix well and drink 1 cup of the liquid 3 times a day. This is a very good remedy for pacifying pitta in the urinary tract.
• Crush 5 to 6 cloves of fresh garlic. Soak them in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes. Drink the water throughout the day.
• Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to a glass of water. Stir the soda until it dissolves completely. Drink the entire solution, preferably on an empty stomach.
• Add 2 tablespoons of freshly crushed ginger to boiling water. Let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.  Strain it and drink 2 to 3 cups a day. Add honey for a better taste.

Vomiting & Nausea :

• Sucking a piece of ice controls vomiting.
• Eat 1/2 tsp. ground cumin seeds.
• Put 3 tablespoons of powdered coriander seeds and 1 tablespoon of powdered rock candy (or unrefined sugar) in a vessel (preferably an earthen pot) containing 3 cups of water. Keep it overnight. Mix well and drink 1 cup of the liquid 3 times a day. This is a very good remedy for pacifying pitta in the urinary tract.

Warts :

• Try taping a slice of garlic to the wart. Be sure to first protect the surrounding skin with petroleum jelly.
• Dab a cotton swab into the tea tree oil and gently apply it to the wart. Repeat this once a day for 10 days.
• Finely grate a small carrot and combine with a teaspoon of olive oil. Apply the mixture to warts once a day.

Wrinkles & Skin Freshener :

• Apply coconut oil on the portions of skin and face where wrinkles set in and gently massage every night at bedtime.
• B-Complex vitamins are great for maintaining healthy skin.
• Drink a glass of Pomegranate juice every day to make your skin look younger.
• Wash your face with cool or lukewarm water and use a mild soap.

Yellow Teeth : 

• Mix salt with the finely powdered rind of lime. Use this as tooth powder frequently.
• Rinsing your mouth with water right after you drink soda, coffee, tea, or any flavored and colored drink is one of the best teeth whitening remedies.
• Take out juice from 2 lemons. Mix 1 teaspoon of common salt and stir it until it is dissolved completely. Soak a cotton Q tip and apply this solution. Gently rub it over your yellow teeth to whiten it. Practice this home remedy twice daily until it removes yellow stuff and tartar.
• Take 2 teaspoons of baking soda. Make a paste by adding 1/2 tablespoon of water. Scrub it fast for 3 to 5 minutes. Alternatively, Replace water with lemon juice for making a paste. You can also use white vinegar to increase the bleaching effect.

Sleep or Nidra as it is known in Ayurveda is given due importance. Nidra is considered as a “trayo upastamba” meaning it is one of the three supporting pillars of life. Proper diet, sleep (Nidra) and a regulated sex pattern are the three pillars known to maintain health. Proper sleep is said to nourish the body, increase life span, improve memory power, enhance fertility and bestow strength and happiness.

Improper sleep is said to bring emaciation, debility, impotence, poor mental functioning, and unhappiness. The complete absence of sleep can lead to death.

Tips to Improve Sleep :

1. Early to bed early to rise should be part of your daily routine.
2. Day time sleeping should be avoided.
3. A hot shower before going to bed can improve the quality of sleep.
4. A light dinner taken 2 to 3 hours before bed time, followed by some walking can result in better sleep.
5. Indulge in lovemaking and other things that are comforting to the mind.
6. Avoid watching television, playing video games, and using laptops or mobile devices before going to bed.
7. Do physical exercises regularly in the morning. Avoid these exercises in the evening though.
8. Drink a glass of warm milk. This is an age-old remedy for insomnia.
9. Include fruits and vegetables in your daily diet. They promote over all well being and a balance in the doshas.
10. Yoga asanas, pranayama, and meditation can be very helpful.

Choose Something You Care About
Resolutions often fail because they aren’t the right ones for you. When thinking about what you’d like to change for New Year, consider whether it’s something you personally care about or whether it’s a goal based on outside pressures.

Have a Focus
Vague goals can also fail. Be clear in what you want to achieve, rather than just saying you want to lose weight, also it’s better to pinpoint exactly how much weight you want to lose, like five Kilograms in three months, as an example.

Be Conservative
Goals that are way too ambitious are destined to fail.  It’s best to start small. So instead of trying to become vegan, aim to reduce your meat consumption for several meals a week. Or if you want to work out, try to go three times a week instead of daily.

Visualize Your Achievements
Visualizing your goals can actually help you obtain them and recommends starting a journal depicting how your life will improve. “Cut pictures out of magazines of what you want and post them to a wall (or if appropriate, the refrigerator), Get very clear on what you think you will feel like once you see results,”

Make it Fun
“Our language and self-talk is everything and determines if our resolution will fade or will become something we’re still doing in June,” When people resolve to change their diet or exercise, they may already start dreading it. “However, shifting the brain to doing something fun that is in line with the goal gets you more committed,”. Use your resolve to eat healthier as a way to experiment with new recipes, for example. 

1. Only pick three goals

You should have a one really important goal that you’re going to achieve no matter what. You can set two other goals to work toward as well. Just remember to decide which goal is your “main” one.

Why am I being so restrictive? Because if you try to do more than three things at once, you’ll get lost. You’ll lose track of what’s most important. You’ll start to neglect one of your goals, and then you’ll feel guilty about it. Soon you’ll start to lose confidence in yourself.

So stick with one main resolution and two secondary ones.

2. Write your resolutions down and post them somewhere

Think of a single word to represent each of your resolutions. Write the word in big letters and post it somewhere in your home.

For example, if you want to lose weight, you can make a sign with the word “thin”. Hang it on your refrigerator, so that every time you get food you’ll be reminded of your resolution.

Don’t just write your resolutions down quietly, though. Announce them to your family and friends. Put them on your Facebook page. Make copies of your resolution to hang in your office. The more reminders, the better.

3. Turn each resolution into a habit

Now that you’ve chosen a goal, find something that you can do every day to work toward it. Working on your resolutions every single day is very, very effective.

For example, that’s how I started Phrase Mix: I made a rule for myself that I had to write a lesson every day before I went to sleep. I’ve missed a few days in the last two years, but mostly I’ve stuck with it.

If you do something every day, it becomes a habit. Soon you won’t even think about it; you’ll just do it naturally, like brushing your teeth.

4. Work on one habit per month

To achieve an important goal, you’ll probably need to pick up several good habits. For example, to get in shape you’ll need to exercise, cut down on your drinking, eat more vegetables, and so on.

If you try to pick up a lot of good habits at once, you’re probably going to fail. It’s just too hard to focus.

Instead, I suggest focusing on one good resolution per month. After you’ve gotten used to the first one, you can then add the next one, and so on.

5. Use a calendar

A few years ago, I heard about the Jerry Seinfeld calendar technique.

The way it works is simple: get a calendar to put on the wall. Every day that you keep up your good habits, mark the day with an “X” on the calendar. Then try not to miss any days.

Seeing all of the hard work marked on the calendar will motivate you to continue working hard every day.

To help get you started, put a blank calendar that you can print out and use.  

Start small 

Make resolutions that you think you can keep. If, for example, your aim is to exercise more frequently, schedule three or four days a week at the gym instead of seven. If you would like to eat healthier, try replacing dessert with something else you enjoy, like fruit or yogurt, instead of seeing your diet as a form of punishment.

Change one behavior at a time 

Unhealthy behaviors develop over the course of time. Thus, replacing unhealthy behaviors with healthy ones requires time. Don’t get overwhelmed and think that you have to reassess everything in your life. Instead, work toward changing one thing at a time.

Talk about it 

Share your experiences with family and friends. Consider joining a support group to reach your goals, such as a workout class at your gym or a group of coworkers quitting smoking. Having someone to share your struggles and successes with makes your journey to a healthier lifestyle that much easier and less intimidating.

Don’t beat yourself up 

Perfection is unattainable. Remember that minor missteps when reaching your goals are completely normal and OK. Don’t give up completely because you ate a brownie and broke your diet, or skipped the gym for a week because you were busy. Everyone has ups and downs; resolve to recover from your mistakes and get back on track.

Ask for support 

Accepting help from those who care about you and will listen strengthens your resilience and ability to manage stress caused by your resolution. If you feel overwhelmed or unable to meet your goals on your own, consider seeking professional help. Psychologists are uniquely trained to understand the connection between the mind and body. They can offer strategies as to how to adjust your goals so that they are attainable, as well as help you change unhealthy behaviors and address emotional issues. 

1. Brainstorm about changes and improvements you’d like to make. These can be about anything, not just the big ones like quitting smoking and losing weight that many people associate with New Year’s resolutions. Jot down some notes while doing the following:

• Consider how you can improve your health. Ask yourself, Can I drink more water? Quit smoking? Stop eating fast food or fried food? Become vegetarian? Exercise more?
• Consider your relationships with others. Are there ways that you can be a better spouse, parent, other family members, or friend?
• Consider your work life. Ask yourself, Can I be more successful and happier at work? Be more organized? Stop procrastinating?
• Consider ways to make a difference. Are there ways you could make a difference in the world through activism, awareness-raising, or promoting a cause?

2. Choose 3 attainable goals – Look over your notes and determine what items on it are most important to you. Don’t take too long choosing; often it’s the things that leap out at you straight away that have the most meaning for you personally.

3. Create “Systems” – Systems are the ways that you carry out a larger goal. You need to break down large goals into smaller actions that can and are easier to carry out. If you leave your larger goals too vague, you may get confused and change your mind frequently on the ways to accomplish them. This is the purpose of creating systems.

• For example: if your goal is to lose 5 Kgs in the following year, you can resolve to cut out fast food, soft drinks, sugary snacks, and drinks, drink more water, and walk three days a week until March, and then gradually add in two days at the gym.

4. Look at your list and reflect, using the SMART mnemonic. Make sure your goals are:

• S – Specific (or Significant). This means your goals include systems for achieving them. You have specific actions that can be carried out that work toward your larger goal.
• M – Measurable. This means that the changes you see once the goal is reached are noticeable. You will feel different (better), because you are healthier because your family or social life has improved, etc.
• A – Attainable. This means that the goal is realistic and can be reached. There are benefits to aiming high, but you don’t want to aim so high that you become disappointed and discouraged from making any changes at all if you can’t reach the goal you set.

For instance, if you’ve never run a day in your life, don’t make running a marathon your goal quite yet. Perhaps start with shorter races like a 3K or 5K, and work up from there.

• R – Relevant (or Rewarding). This means that there is a real need for your goal. You have been unsatisfied with a certain area of your life for some time, and you have a strong motivation to want to change it.
• T – Trackable. This is similar to measurable but means that you can assess your progress throughout the process. Have you made a schedule and are you following it? Are you losing weight gradually (if that’s your goal)? Are you getting along better with your loved ones? Etc

5. Talk to others about your goals. Discuss your goals and why you made them with your family and friends. This step is very important!

• Ask for others’ support on these goals throughout the year. If possible, team up and visit the gym or shop at the health food store together. Ask them to speak up if you slip and order a Diet Coke instead of water, or forget another goal on your list.
• People who tell others about their goals are more likely to accomplish them, whether it’s because they have the extra support they need, or because they’re afraid of being embarrassed if they don’t accomplish them, it’s hard to say.

6. Print out copies of your resolutions. Save a copy on each computer or electronic device you own, such as your cell phone and laptop.

• Email a copy to your work address and save it to your work computer.
• Make a smaller copy and keep it in your wallet.
• Post a copy on the outside of your refrigerator! Use bright paper so it catches your eye and doesn’t let it get hidden behind coupons and artwork.

1. Reward yourself. Determine ahead of time what rewards will be at small milestones of accomplishment. Have frequent small rewards and a “grand prize” for completion.

• If your goal is losing weight, you might buy new clothes to replace old ones that don’t fit anymore at each milestone, and then plan a nice vacation for when you’ve reached your goal.

2. Remind yourself of your successes. It can be hard to maintain your motivation and dedication to making a change in your life when you can’t see immediate results for your efforts.

• At each low point, have faith that persisting and being consistent in reaching your goal will pay off in the long run. If you’re trying to lose weight and are struggling to keep up with your workouts, just think about how each minute your exercise burns fat and gets you closer to your goal.

3. Face your fear of change. Fearing change often stops us from achieving a goal. Making a goal sounds good at the time, but then the fear of change surfaces. To avoid this happening to you, realize that your excuses are a way of covering up a fear of change.

• Look beyond “I can’t” and start substituting this with “I can” and “I am”.
• Identify your excuses for not going through with parts of your goal. By listing excuses, you can see them for what they are and move beyond the fear of change.
• Sidestep blaming other people or circumstances for not achieving your goals. If you take responsibility for achieving your goal, these external factors cannot sap your power to do what you’ve said you’d do.

4. Recognize your self-defeating behaviors. Write down the things you do out of habit that distract you from what really matters. Then, list things that you consider to be more positive and fulfilling behaviors and choices you want to make instead.

• This includes adjusting the habits mentioned in a previous step, even if they were things you once enjoyed. For instance, if you are trying to lose weight and you eat out with family or friends as bonding time, either choose restaurants that offer healthy meals or decide to do something else fun together instead of eating out.

5. Begin again if you slip up. Everyone encounters occasional outside stress and events that take us out of focus on our goals. Use Monday as your day to regroup and start over if you slip and have a bad week completing your goals for any reason.

• Form a group of “Monday Campaigns”  organize various healthy things to do on Mondays, such as “Meatless Mondays,” “De-Stress Mondays,” and “Move-It Mondays.” Don’t be too hard on yourself if you slip and remind yourself of the progress you have made. Just start over on Monday

6. Lean on your support team. Whoever you’ve chosen to help you, be it family, friends, a life coach, therapist, or someone else, lean on them to support you through times of weakness, when you need a booster to get back on track.

• Don’t expect to do this completely alone; look for other people’s advice, ideas, and feedback to help you keep going.

7. Keep a journal. Document at least one thing every single day during the year for which you feel grateful and one sentence for the progress you have made.

• When writing, consider: What memorable moments can you draw from each day? In what ways did you grow today or find that your awareness shifted? Keeping note of this will help you to stay grounded and motivated with your goals.

8. Clear the Clutter, Clear your mind – Being ready for action and changing your life requires clear thinking. There’s psychological evidence that streamlining your office and personal spaces improve productivity. And it makes you feel better!

You don’t have to buy the whole feng-shui thing, but allocate a couple of two-three hour blocks in your forward planner to begin decluttering your home/office.

9. Don’t delay Start today – Taking a small step today is better than thinking: I can’t achieve everything I planned today so I’ll do it tomorrow. Accomplishing one tiny task in the grand scheme of your goal boosts your confidence to continue. You won’t feel you’ve totally wasted the day.

10. Set boundaries on toxic people – Another reason people dump vows to change is the toxicity around them. You’re trying to eat well, but your partner prepares big plates of comfort food. Sometimes it’s innocent sabotage of your efforts. Other times people are “toxic”, wanting you to stay as you are. Turn down that plate of junk food, etc, with a simple line: that doesn’t fit in with my changes.

A. You are treating a marathon like a sprint: If you have a lot of bad habits today, the last thing you need to do is remodel your entire life overnight. Want to lose weight? Stop it with crash diets and excessive exercise plans. Instead of following a super restrictive plan that bans anything fun, add one positive habit per week. For example, you could start with something easy like drinking more water during your first week.

B. You put the carrot before the horse: “Supplementing” a crappy diet is stupid, so don’t even think about it. Focus on the actions that produce an overwhelming amount of results. If it’s not important, don’t worry about it.

C. You don’t believe in yourself: A failure to act can cripple you before you leave the starting line. If you’ve tried (and failed) to set a New Year’s resolution (or several) in the past, I know it might be hard to believe in yourself. Doubt is a nagging voice in your head that will resist personal growth with every ounce of its being. The only way to defeat doubt is to believe in yourself. Who cares if you’ve failed a time or two? This year, you can try again (but better this time).

D.  Too much thinking, not enough doing: The best self-help book in the world can’t save you if you fail to take action. Yes, seek inspiration and knowledge, but only as much as you can realistically apply to your life. If you can put just one thing you learn from every book or article you read into practice, you’ll be on the fast track to success.

E. You are in too much of a hurry: If it was quick-and-easy, everybody would do it, so it’s in your best interest to exercise your patience muscles.

F.  You don’t enjoy the process: The best of us couldn’t bring ourselves to do something we hate consistently, so make getting in shape fun, however you’ve gotta do it. That could be participating in a sport you love, exercising with a good friend or two, joining a group exercise class so you can meet new people, or giving yourself one “free day” per week where you forget about your training plan and exercise in any way you please. The goal isn’t to add stress to your life, but rather to remove it.

G. You are trying too hard: Unless you want to experience some nasty cravings, don’t deprive your body of pleasure. The more you tell yourself you can’t have food, the more you’re going to want it. As long as you’re making positive choices 80-90% of the time, don’t sweat the occasional indulgence.

H. You don’t track your progress: Keeping a written record of your training progress will help you sustain an “I CAN do this” attitude. All you need is a notebook and a pen. For every workout, record what exercises you do.  Do better next time. Improving your best performance on a regular basis offers positive feedback that will encourage you to keep going.

I. You know you are What but not your Why: The biggest reason why most New Year’s resolutions fail: you know what you want but you not why you want it.  Forget about any preconceived notions and be true to yourself.

• The more specific you can make your goal,
• The more vivid it will be in your imagination,
• The more encouraged you’ll be,
• The more likely it is you will succeed (because yes, you CAN do this!).

J. Going it alone: Whether it’s quitting smoking, improving your tennis game, or going to the gym more often, don’t go it alone. “If you are someone who has a higher success rate when you have outside support, then get a buddy,  This creates accountability, which is essential for success.” Remember, your buddy should be a positive force in your life, not a negative one.

K. Extremely lofty resolutions: Most of us create resolutions that are too ‘big’ and therefore we can’t meet them. Examine your resolutions. Are they what you really want or did you commit to them because you thought you were supposed to?”. Take it day by day.

L. Giving up too easily: Whether you get discouraged or simply lose interest, giving up too easily is a big resolution breaker. Many people make their resolutions with a genuine belief that they can accomplish them, but come February the excitement wears off and other priorities begin to take precedence. To cure this issue, try to set benchmarks throughout the year.

M. Unrealistic resolution: You need to set a goal that is actually achievable in the time frame you set for yourself. So pick the one you have confidence in and stick with it. It is far better to succeed at a smaller, more manageable resolution than to fail at a larger, loftier one.

N. No Plan: The best resolutions are those that actually include a plan of action. You need to create a plan that will help you achieve your goals. Break your end goal down into smaller, weekly goals so you feel like you’re working towards something immediate.

O. Wrong perspective: While you may have the best intentions with your resolution, you could be putting unnecessary pressure on yourself. Put it in perspective and focus on what you will accomplish.

P. Not believing in yourself: Sometimes all you need to keep going is a pat on the back—from yourself. Congratulate yourself on your progress and reward yourself for making the effort toward your goal.

Q. You didn’t have the right mindset: Wanting something and working towards getting it are two fundamentally different things. It can be difficult to focus on fulfilling your resolution when you are not in a good place in your life.  If you are not mentally prepared for all the hard work, distractions, obstacles, and setbacks that might be ahead of you, you will most likely fail.

R. You are living distracted: Distractions cause you to miss many opportunities in life. They make you feel busy and tired all the time and frustrated at the lack of progress despite your best efforts.

S. You succumbed to negativity from others: Nothing can influence a person more effectively than another person. That can be good, or bad, news for resolution keepers. It would be better to succeed on a secret mission than fail because your circle of confidantes didn’t think you could do it.

T. You’re not ready to make a change: Are you really ready to make that resolution to drop weight, quit smoking, or quit a bad habit?  People are looking to reinvent themselves but they’re not usually ready to change serious bad habits.

U. You set ‘Should’ goals, not ‘Want’ goals: One of the common mistakes people make when setting new year’s resolution is listening to external pressures, rather than to internal motivations ( I want to have more energy, feel better, choose healthier foods for my body ). The result is that “they don’t set the weight-loss goals that really motivate them to succeed”.

V. You added but never subtracted: Often when you want to do better, you add things to your daily schedule. And when you do that, you sabotage your goals. Let’s be honest, adding to your life is easier than subtracting until you hit the wall of overwhelm. Not only do you get completely overwhelmed, but you also diminish the value of everything you’re trying to do.

Subtraction is often more powerful than an addition when it comes to accomplishment.

W. You kept flimsy new year resolution: The main mistakes people do with their New Year resolutions, is that they get over-excited and start making a to-do list for a year. The problem comes when they put things they feel they want to try, only half-heartedly, into the same list.

To keep that ‘be healthy’ New Year’s resolution going, the trick is to set every day, achievable goals. Sticking to that resolution well into 2018 will be a lot easier with these simple smart swaps.

*SWAP* White bread
#For# A lower-GI option such as multigrain, rye, soy & linseed or sourdough

*SWAP* White rice
#For# Quinoa, for complete protein and low-GI or brown rice for higher fiber and more vitamins

*SWAP* Regular flour
#For# Wholemeal flour. Two-and-a-half times the fiber — go from nearly 5g fiber to 12g fiber per cup

*SWAP* Regular beef, chicken or vegetable stock
*For:* Salt-reduced variety and save 350mg or more sodium per cup

*SWAP* Regular soy sauce
#For# Salt-reduced soy sauce and save up to 400mg or more sodium per tablespoon

*SWAP* Premade simmer or stir-fry sauces
#For# Add lots of herbs and spices and save on extra energy, fat, and sodium

*SWAP* Bulking meals out with extra meat, pasta or rice
#For# Legumes (chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans) — with every cup of dried lentils you will add 45g protein and 17g fiber

Breakfast swaps

*SWAP* Grabbing a muffin and coffee on the way to work
#For# Try grabbing a pre-made bircher muesli and yogurt from the fridge as you run out the door — you can make it up the night before or buy them in the supermarket

*SWAP* Feeling hungry after only having fruit for breakfast because you’re trying to be ‘good’
#For# Add some extra fiber and protein by adding a handful of LSA and a good dollop of yogurt to some cut-up fruit

*SWAP* Toast with Marmite
#For# Add an egg to increase the protein and fill you for longer

*SWAP* Toast with butter and jam
#For# Toast with 1 tablespoon ricotta cheese and tomato for 1 serve of vegetables and add 2g protein

*SWAP* Toasted muesli
#For# Natural-style muesli to reduce the amount of fat and sugar (and energy) in your bowl

*SWAP* Spaghetti on toast
#For# Baked beans on toast — nearly 5g extra fiber per 150g serve

*SWAP* Weekend ‘big breakfast’ with fried eggs, sausages and bacon
#For# Stuff wholemeal pita bread with 1 mashed boiled egg, tomato, lean ham, and low-fat cheese for a lower-fat option

Lunch swaps

*SWAP* Buying takeaway lunch because you don’t have anything in the fridge to take to work
#For# Keep some cans of tuna and a sachet of pre-cooked rice in your desk and grab some baby spinach on the way to work

*SWAP* Feeling weighed down after eating a huge sandwich
#For# Try using a wholegrain crispbread instead of bread for a lighter option that will still keep you full

*SWAP* Eating biscuits from the jar in the office because you’ve got no time to get lunch
#For# Throw a few frozen meals in the office freezer so you are always prepared

*SWAP* Skipping lunch completely because you haven’t got time to eat
#For# Sip on a meal replacement shake or long-life flavored milk to keep you going until afternoon

*SWAP* Eating takeaways so you don’t have to clean up
#For# Fill up your lunch box with finger food — vegetable sticks, trail mixes, fruit, muesli bar, and rice cakes with peanut butter

Dinner swaps

*SWAP* Traditional salad dressing
#For# Drizzle a mix of mustard, lemon juice, and chopped herbs or opt for a bottled fat-free dressing

*SWAP* Overloading on carbohydrate and protein
#For# Fill half your plate with vegetables first — you get lots of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, and minimal energy

*SWAP* Serving large pieces of steak or fish for the family
#For# 100-150g meat or fish. You will save money, too

*SWAP* Eating more from the saucepan as you tidy the kitchen
#For# Pack extra food away before you eat so you can’t go back for seconds

*SWAP* Having large plates of food on the table
#For# Serve in the kitchen on individual plates to resist the temptation to add an extra spoonful to your plate

*SWAP* Filling up on the bread before your meal
#For# Serve 1 bread portion for each person with their meal, not Beforehand. Offer vegetable sticks and hummus instead for an appetizer

*SWAP* Estimating serves of rice and pasta
#For# Use measuring cups to portion out your carbohydrates — aim for 3/4 to 1 cup (cooked)

*SWAP* Meals with only one color
#For# Brighten your plate up and widen your intake of nutrients with colored vegetables and fruit

Drink swaps

*SWAP* Avoiding drinking water because you don’t like it
#For# Add some fresh lemon or lime juice or a few sprigs of mint to flavor it

*SWAP* Always choosing juice, cordial or soft drink
#For# Choose water first

*SWAP* A can of soft drink
#For# Choose diet soft-drink instead

*SWAP* Drinking a glass of wine every night with dinner
#For# Have two alcohol-free days a week

*SWAP* Choosing a full-fat coffee
#For# Make it a regular-sized trim flat white to save 65Kcal and 7g fat

*SWAP* Ordering a chocolate thick shake
#For# Opt for low-fat chocolate milk and save a ton of kcals, fat, and sugar

*SWAP* Drinking ready-mixed RTDs
#For# Swap for a nip of vodka in a diet lemon-lime and bitters and save around 9g sugar and 43kCal

Eating swaps

*SWAP*Bolting down your food because you’re starving
#For# Slow down and take 20-30 minutes to give your body time to register fullness

*SWAP* Eating in front of the TV
#For# Eat at the table — you will eat more mindfully

*SWAP* Eating in front of your computer or as you’re driving in the car to pick up the kids
#For# Make time to eat so you eat mindfully and feel more satisfied

*SWAP* Eating because it’s that time of the day
#For# Before you eat, ask yourself, “Am I actually hungry?”

*SWAP* Starving yourself during the day then pigging out at night
#For# Try to eat regular meals and snacks so you’re hungry by the time dinner comes around but not ready to eat your own fingers

*SWAP* Eating from large plates
#For# Buy smaller crockery — you’ll feel more satisfied with less

*SWAP* Checking the fridge every time you want a break from your work
#For# Go for a brief walk outside instead or stand up and stretch for a few minutes

Snack swaps

*SWAP* Deciding not to snack because you’re ‘being good’ then getting home and devouring the entire fridge because you’re so hungry
#For# Have a small snack at about 4 pm – make it substantial enough to keep you going a couple of hours. Try crackers and peanut butter or a small cup of yogurt

*SWAP* Reaching for the biscuit jar at 3 pm when you need a break
#For#Ask yourself if you’re actually hungry — a quick walk around the office might be a better option to get the brain functioning again

*SWAP* Brie and crackers before dinner
#For# Light cheese on wholegrain crispbread

*SWAP* Munching on chips while you’re watching the rugby
#For# Chop up some veggies and munch on them with some hummus or low-fat cottage cheese

*SWAP* Ice cream or custard for dessert
#For# Reduced-fat yogurt

*SWAP* Eating half a block of ‘better for you’ chocolate (such as sugar-free or high % cocoa)
#For# Choose your favorite and have a little bit but savor it!

*SWAP* 1 cup fruit yogurt
*For: * 1 cup light fruit yogurt can save you around 67kcal and 2 teaspoons sugar

Fridge swaps

*SWAP* Full-fat dairy: milk, yogurt, cheese, sour cream, ice cream, custard
#For# Reduced-fat dairy: milk, yogurt, and cheese. Save energy and saturated fat without even noticing

*SWAP* Butter on your toast
#For# Reduced-fat spread – reduce saturated fat intake by 2g or more per teaspoon

*SWAP* Meat with a marbling of fat
#For# Choose lean meat or meat with visible fat that can be cut off to reduce saturated fat

*SWAP* Using margarine or spread on sandwiches
#For# Use hummus for an extra hit of protein or a little avocado for some heart-healthy fats and great flavor

*SWAP* Making a salad at each meal
#For# Have a salad bar on one shelf — have one large container of ‘base’ salad including lettuce, corn and carrot, and store in containers of items such as sliced beetroot, tomato slices, low-fat cheese and onion
to mix things up

*SWAP* Storing treats front and center
#For# Hide tempting foods behind healthier options, tuck them in the back of the fridge or hide them in containers so they’re out of sight

*SWAP* Throwing away unused veggies at the end of the week
#For# Swap some fresh veggies for frozen. They’re always fresh and available and mean less wastage

Exercise swaps

*SWAP* Meeting a friend for coffee
#For# Meet a friend for a walk around the park

*SWAP* Driving to work every day
#For# Walk or ride to work

*SWAP* Taking the lift
#For# Take the stairs

*SWAP* Doing the same exercise routine, day in, day out
#For# Do the interval training

*SWAP* Only doing cardio for ‘fat burning’
#For# Include weights, Yoga

*SWAP* Feeling like you’re alone
#For# Join a club or sign up for a new sport and meet a new bunch of people

*SWAP* Exercising only for weight-loss
#For# Pick a more positive outcome to train for such as an event like a fun run

*SWAP* Using the ‘too expensive’ excuse
#For# Watch out for cheap outdoor boot camp or gym trials on coupon websites

Attitude swaps

*SWAP* Thinking of all the things you aren’t allowed
#For# Think about all the yummy things you can do that are better for your body

*SWAP* Picking a large weight-loss goal, like ‘lose 20 kilos’
#For# Break it down into smaller chunks (5kg, for example), and reward yourself with something special when you reach each benchmark

*SWAP* Being unrealistic with the speed you should be losing weight
#For# Give yourself enough time (aim for about 500g-1kg per week)

*SWAP* Thinking you’ve failed if you’ve had one slip up
#For# Get back on the wagon — life is life and it happens and you Have just got to keep going!

*SWAP* Getting upset when you haven’t lost any weight on the scales
#For# Think about other things that you’ve achieved — you may be walking up the stairs more easily or your clothes may feel like they fit you better

*SWAP* Creeping back to old habits when your ‘deadline’ is up
#For#Set another date for a reason to continue to eat healthily, for example, a special occasion; once this date has past, set another

When someone starts out drinking, he or she feels relaxed, confident, happy, sociable… The pleasurable effects of alcohol are undeniable. It makes it easy to forget about the negative effects: slowed reflexes, reduced coordination, warped thinking, poor judgment, impaired memory, impaired motor functions, and plenty more impairments.

Over time, the body becomes damaged from drinking… more damaged than you probably know. In fact, alcohol can cause several types of cancer. Aside from bodily harm, alcohol use has been linked to depression, anxiety, societal withdrawal, violent behavior, an increase in unprotected sex, and increased risk of motor vehicle accidents, suicide, injury, domestic violence, and even drowning.

Let’s discover the truth about what alcohol does to the human body.

1. From the first Sip – When alcohol is consumed, around 33% of it gets absorbed immediately into the blood, through the stomach lining. The remaining alcohol is absorbed more slowly into the blood, through the small intestine. Once in the bloodstream, alcohol diffuses into almost every biological tissue in the body, because cell membranes are highly permeable. Right from the first sip, alcohol affects the body. Starting with the brain, what follows is an explanation of the effects alcohol has on various parts of the body.
2. Brain – The amount of damage alcohol causes to the brain is incomprehensible. Those little moments you don’t remember from the crazy night before – that’s temporary amnesia. Keep it up and you can develop Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS), a memory-impairing, vision-and-speech-affecting, seizure-causing disorder. You won’t be able to form new memories. You’ll mumble involuntarily. Your eyes will twitch constantly.
3. Liver – Your liver is where alcohol gets metabolized if and when you drink more than one drink per hour, on average. The liver turns alcohol into something called acetaldehyde, which is toxic and can cause cancer. Excessive drinking, especially with alcoholic hepatitis, can also lead to cirrhosis. Cirrhosis of the liver happens when liver cells become so damaged that they cannot regenerate. Once cirrhosis has occurred, if a person does not stop drinking, they will experience liver failure which is extremely fatal. Liver cancer is a common outcome of drinking with cirrhosis.
4. Stomach – Alcohol does two bad things to your stomach. One is that it makes the stomach produce more acid than usual, which can cause gastritis, and two is that alcohol creates irritation and inflammation in the stomach lining, which can lead to ulcers and bleeding of the stomach. If and when the stomach lining becomes torn, it can lead to anemia.
5. Breast – Alcohol consumption raises the risk of breast cancer. Research suggests that even so much as one drink a day may increase of person’s risk for breast cancer. Estrogen levels are raised when alcohol is consumed, and an increased estrogen level is a risk factor for developing breast cancer.
6. Pancreas – Excessive alcohol use is a common cause of pancreatitis or inflammation of the pancreas, and it is a major risk factor for pancreatic cancer. Heavy drinking also impairs the pancreas’ ability to produce insulin, which can lead to diabetes.
7. Heart – When alcohol is consumed, it raises blood pressure and blood lipids. This increases the risk of heart attack, hypertension, raised cholesterol, and stroke. Heavy drinking can be very hard on the heart. It causes cardiomyopathy, which is the stretching and drooping of the heart muscle. It causes myocarditis, which is inflammation of the heart muscle, and it also causes arrhythmia, which is an irregular heartbeat.
8. Bones – Excessive drinking can accelerate the rate of bone deterioration and increase the risk of bone fracture and osteoporosis. Calcium is necessary from strong, dense bones and when alcohol is consumed it acts as a diuretic and flushes calcium from the bones making them weaker and more susceptible to fracture.
9. Central Nervous System – Alcohol affects the central nervous system, causing many short-term effects like slurred speech, blurred vision, weakened muscles, decreased reaction time, and impaired memory. When alcohol is consumed excessively, it can cause cell damage in the central nervous system, creating a condition known as neuropathy. Neuropathy causes alternating feelings of weakness, burning, pain, and numbness in the feet and hands.
10. Colon – Alcohol is not friendly to the body. While your mind may find its effects fun, your body does not. Hangovers are still not completely understood by science, which cannot be good. Blackouts are extremely common and are actually bouts of amnesia. Alcohol poisoning is rampant, and more than ten types of cancer can be caused by excessive drinking.

Celebrations and social situations that involve alcohol are well known to trigger nicotine cravings, making these potentially risky times for people trying to quit.

Tips and Tricks for Alcohol Smoking Triggers

While alcohol-related situations can be difficult to manage, put together some tricks to help you minimize the risks to your quit smoking attempt.

• Stop or decrease your alcohol intake. If possible, this is the best approach – even for a little while. At an event, you could switch to non-alcoholic drinks, or try alternating alcoholic with non-alcoholic ones.
  Imagine if you were trying to stay away from something else, like chocolate – you’d probably avoid having it in the house in the beginning, rather than keeping it in full view where you’re likely to be tempted by it. It’s the same principle with alcohol – so avoidance is best to start with.
• Get your smoker friends to help. If you know one or more of your smoking friends will be at an upcoming social event, ask them to agree not to give you a cigarette – even if a craving results in you asking for one! The trick is to arrange this before the event.
• Get your non-smoker friends to help. Prior to an event, If one of your non-smoking friends is attending too, ask them to keep an eye out for you to ensure you don’t give in to any cravings – you could even ask them to take a cigarette away from you if you succumb to temptation.
• Create a smoke-free zone at home. If you live with a smoker, make sure cigarettes aren’t easily accessible to you in the home (you might need to make an agreement with them).
• Use Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT). NRT products can help reduce your cravings. But remember that drinking while using an oral NRT product will reduce the absorption rate and therefore the effectiveness – a good excuse to skip drinks!
• During the first few weeks of your quit journey, you may want to stay away from bars and social events that involve alcohol and smoking. Turn to your circle of supporters to help plan fun activities that don’t necessarily involve alcohol and smoking, such as a movie, a board game night, or a game of frisbee in the park.
• Try out some non-alcoholic beverages, such as juice or cold drinks. If you’re watching your calories, unsweetened iced tea and seltzer with a slice of lemon are good alternatives.
• If you’re at a party and others nearby are smoking, be prepared to excuse yourself to go to the bathroom, take a walk outside or find a private corner and reach out to a supporter on the Quitter’s Circle app.
• Have sugarless gum, toothpicks, hard candy or a lollipop available to cope with cravings.
• If you know you have an alcohol-related social event coming up, invite one of your supporters to join you and help you stick to your quit plan.

It’s important to be aware that these methods aren’t foolproof or realistic for everyone. However, they might give you some ideas for what might work for you when you’re trying to avoid smoking triggers.

Part I – Committing to Quit

1. Write down how alcohol and tobacco affect you. Having a written record of the negative effects of alcohol and tobacco will serve as a constant reminder of why you have chosen to quit. Keep it in a place you can reference it easily.

• Reflect on any decreased physical or mental health as a result of tobacco and alcohol. Have you gained weight or decreased fitness as a result of using? Do you become angry without alcohol, or anxious without tobacco?
• Many people choose to quit addictions because they feel sick and tired of feeling sick and tired, and engaging the addiction is more draining than the positive effects of the substance.
• Consider how tobacco and alcohol interfere with your relationships and social life.
• Think of financial costs alcohol and tobacco cost you.

2. Find your triggers. Use a notebook to record the times throughout the day you smoke or drink alcohol. Record what feelings or situations preceded using alcohol and tobacco. Avoid situations that may trigger you in the future.

• A trigger could be getting into an argument with your family or something not going well at work.
• Because alcohol and nicotine are highly correlated substances, one can trigger the other. For example, if you begin drinking, you may want to have a cigarette.

3. Set goals. Be clear on whether you want to stop altogether or slowly taper your use. While some     may want to quit for social or health reasons, others may want to quit due to medical reasons or because they have an addiction. Reflect on your reasons and then choose your goals. If you are an  alcoholic, it is best to cut alcohol out altogether and not taper it down.

• People who smoke have a much harder time quitting alcohol and also tend to relapse more than people who do not smoke.
• Set goals that include concurrently quitting both nicotine and alcohol together.
• Write down a date for each goal to solidify the commitment.

Part II – Preparing for change –  

1. Get rid of all addictive substances in the house. Throw away all the cigarettes and pour alcoholic drinks down the sink. Ask the other members of your household to support you in keeping your home free of alcohol and tobacco products, so that you can avoid temptation on a daily basis.
2. Trash anything that reminds you of smoking or drinking. Don’t hold onto your favorite lighter, your flask, or your shot glasses. A big lifestyle change like this is best maintained if you avoid seeing constant reminders of your old habits.
3. Avoid places where people smoke or drink. Being near places where smoking and drinking are encouraged can be dangerous when you are trying to quit. Avoid bars and other places where alcohol and tobacco are likely to be used. Sit in the nonsmoking sections of restaurants and choose non-smoking hotel rooms

4. Take a break from people who regularly drink/smoke. Surrounding yourself with people that engage in behaviors you are trying to avoid can be tempting. Explain to them that you are removing the substances from your life and will no longer engage in activities that revolve around drinking or smoking. Create distance from people who will not support you in your desire to be free from alcohol and tobacco.

5. Avoid high-risk situations. High-risk situations can include feeling lonely, tired, angry, and hungry. These situations can leave you feeling vulnerable and more prone to use alcohol or tobacco. Be aware of when you feel you may be approaching any of these situations and learn to prevent them from starting.

• Make sure you get enough sleep, eat throughout the day, and don’t isolate yourself socially to avoid these high-risk situations. If you feel anger coming on, remind yourself to relax and let it pass without depending on alcohol and cigarettes.  

Part III –  Coping with Cravings :  

1. Replace using alcohol and tobacco with more positive options. Remember that using alcohol and tobacco provides positive reinforcement because they help you cope with stress and tension. Try to pinpoint what positive aspects you experience as a result of using alcohol and tobacco, and brainstorm different outlets to obtain the same release. Coping can include relaxation and deep breathing, talking to a friend, or taking a walk.

2. Join an exercise program. Exercise often helps reduce withdrawal symptoms, and it gives you something to do when you get a craving. Exercise also helps reduce daily stress. Consider going for a bike ride, doing yoga, walking the dog, or jumping rope.

3. Enjoy a new hobby. Adding a new hobby can help you focus your energy positively and add a sense of meaning to your life.  Try something new that looks fun and interesting. New hobbies can include surfing, knitting, writing, or learning to play the guitar.

4. Distract yourself. If you get a craving or experience minor withdrawal, use distraction until the urge passes. Distract your mind and your body. If you get a craving, chew on gum, talk a walk, open a window, or begin a new activity.

5. Find ways to relax. Relaxation is key to recovery. Mounting tension can lead to relapse. If you don’t feel like you have time to relax, think about the time you spend engaging with alcohol and tobacco, and replace it with relaxation. Activities such as taking a walk, reading, and meditation can be effective ways to relax.

6. Allow yourself some other treats. Everyone needs some vices in life – just make them healthier ones overall. Indulge in a little ice-cream every now and then, or buy some fizzy drinks with lots of carbonation. While staying healthy is important, give yourself a little leeway so that you don’t feel denied all the indulgences that you used to enjoy.

7. Stay focused. The better you cope with cravings the lesser your chance of relapsing. People who quit smoking and drinking at the same time tend to experience less severe withdrawal and face lower relapse risk.

Part IV – Coping with Withdrawal :  

1. Observe withdrawal symptoms. When ceasing alcohol or tobacco, the body may experience withdrawal without continued use. Withdrawal symptoms from tobacco and alcohol can include anxiety, depression, fatigue, headache, nausea, shaking, stomach cramps, and elevated heart rate.

2. Monitor withdrawal. While tobacco withdrawal can be unpleasant on both body and emotions, alcohol withdrawal can be dangerous. The severity of alcohol withdrawal symptoms varies by how much you drink, for how long, and your condition of health. Some symptoms can start within hours after drinking, peak within days, and improve within the week.

• Alcohol withdrawal can lead to symptoms that cause severe mental and neurological problems. This may include body tremors, agitation, restlessness, fear, hallucinations, and seizures. Seek medical attention if you experience these symptoms.
• If you are a long-term and heavy drinker, consider a medically supervised detox.

3. Seek medication intervention. While no prescription medication exists to concurrently treat alcohol and nicotine together, interventions exist to treat alcohol dependence and nicotine addiction.

• Prescription medication can be used to treat alcohol dependence, including the use of naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram. These medications can help with withdrawal symptoms and relapse.
• Choose a method for nicotine withdrawal. While some people quit “cold turkey”, others choose to taper off nicotine exposure in order to reduce withdrawal symptoms. Many options are available for nicotine replacement such as gum, a patch, nasal sprays and prescription medications (such as bupropion) while your body adjusts to lower levels of nicotine.

Part V – Engaging in treatment : 

1. Find a therapist. It’s hard to beat addiction on your own, and a therapist can be a consistent source of accountability and support. Working with a therapist can include discussing emotional triggers, finding coping strategies, preventing relapse, and digging deeper to understand the emotional causes of addiction

• Staying consistent with therapy is important, especially for addressing relapse prevention.
• Addiction can coexist or contribute to psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder. Together with therapy, prescription medications may treat concurrent psychiatric disorders that contribute to addiction.

2. Obtain a medical evaluation.A medical evaluation can help pinpoint how cigarettes and alcohol have affected your body. Work with a medical professional to help improve your bodily health. They can also offer prescription medication to lower nicotine dependence.

• Both alcohol and nicotine can seriously harm your body. Be honest with your medical doctor and request tests to assess the health of your liver, heart, kidneys, and lungs.

3. Seek inpatient treatment.If you fear you cannot quit on your own, consider a recovery facility. An intensive treatment facility can help you address the physical and emotional challenges of addiction and quitting in a supervised and supportive setting. A program can help you decide how to detox and will monitor your physical and emotional state as you come down from alcohol and nicotine. Treatment programs include intense medical and psychological supervision.

• Treatment often includes intense individual and group therapy that targets mental health conditions. Medication may be prescribed to treat and monitor psychiatric disorders while in treatment.

Part VI – Seeking Support : 

1. Enlist the help of supportive friends and relatives.You’re more likely to stop drinking and smoking if you seek support from those around you. Ask them to support you by not drinking and smoking around you.

2. Find accountability.If you have other friends who are looking to quit drinking and smoking too, make a pact for healthier choices. Check-in with each other daily and hold each other accountable for your choices.

3. Find local support groups.Reach out to smoke-free groups, such as smoke-free Alcoholics Anonymous and other support groups, like Nicotine Anonymous. Talking about your efforts in a supportive environment with people who share similar experiences can make all the difference in your attempts to quit.

4. Live in a sober living community. If you are concerned about living with people who may trigger your alcohol or nicotine use, consider finding a sober house that bans alcohol and nicotine. All individuals living in a sober house agree to live sober and create an accountable community for each other.

1. You will feel the benefits straight away –

• Psychologically, removing those crutches may be hard to start with, but you won’t have to wait long to start feeling the health benefits of zero-tobacco and no (or much less) alcohol.
• After just eight hours of having your last cigarette, your nicotine and carbon monoxide levels in your blood will reduce by more than half. You’ll breathe more easily, and have more oxygen circulating in your system, which will leave you feeling more healthy and energetic too.
• And alcohol is a depressant, even if it gives you an artificial ‘high’ while you’re having a drink. So when you do cut down or go tee-total, you’ll get a sense of being on a more even keel. It’s also quite common to see that you’re sleeping better, or that you have lost a bit of weight too.  

2. You can start enjoying your food more –

• After two days of giving up smoke and alcohol, your body will be completely free of nicotine – and you’re unlikely to have that ‘hangover’ feeling, too.
• What’s more, while you may not notice it while you’re a smoker, the chemicals and toxins in nicotine products have a habit of dulling your sense of taste and smell. Stop smoking and you can start enjoying your food again!

3. Your Lung capacity will improve –

• If you manage to go without a cigarette for a couple of months, you’re bound to notice some more significant differences to your body. For a start, your lung capacity will improve – allowing you to take deeper breaths and making it easier to participate in exercise and strenuous activity.
• And after you get past any withdrawal symptoms, you’ll usually find it’s easier to deal with symptoms of stress. Subtle cravings can put you on edge for a couple of days, but when you focus on something positive – your improved health – those anxiety levels should disappear.

 4. You will cut your chances of life-threatening conditions –

• You’ll already know that smoking and drinking increases your chances of developing serious illnesses and conditions. Cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, pneumonia, and impotence – to name but six.
• But what you may not know is how quickly you can reduce your chances of developing these conditions – simply by giving up.
• If you completely give up smoking then your risk of heart disease is 50% lower just one year after quitting.
• And if you give up drinking, the risk of developing cancer reduces quickly.

 5. You will look better too! –

• Smokers tend to look much older than they are because of the effects toxins have on their complexion. So if you quit, your skin will thank you – as it will be able to absorb nutrients and oxygen much more effectively. Nicotine stains your fingers and teeth too, so your physical appearance should also benefit quite a lot when you pack in.
• As for alcohol, you probably already know that drinking can give you a ‘beer belly’. But you might not have realized quite how fattening it can be.
• If you’re a woman, two large glasses of wine equate to nearly a quarter of your recommended daily calorie intake (not to mention half of your recommended weekly limit for regular alcohol consumption).
• And if you’re a man, having just a couple of pints amounts to the same as swallowing a full tub of single cream. If you drink five pints of lager a week, that adds up to 44,200 calories over a year – the same as eating 221 doughnuts.

      6. Stopping Smoking improves fertility – Non-smokers women find it easier to get pregnant. Quitting smoking improves the lining of the womb and can make men’s sperm more potent. Becoming a non-smoker increases the possibility of conceiving through IVF and reduces the likelihood of having a miscarriage. Most importantly, it improves the chances of giving birth to a healthy baby.

7. A smoke-free home protects your loved ones – By stopping smoking, you’ll be protecting the health of your non-smoking friends and family, too. Breathing in secondhand smoke increases the risk of lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke. In children, it doubles the risk of getting chest illnesses, including pneumonia, ear infections, wheezing, and asthma. They also have three times the risk of getting lung cancer in later life compared with children who live with non-smokers.

8. Stop smoking lets you breathe more easily –

• People breathe more easily and cough less when they give up smoking because their lung capacity improves by up to 10% within nine months.
• In your 20s and 30s, the effect of smoking on your lung capacity may not be noticeable until you go for a run, but lung capacity naturally diminishes with age.
• In later years, having maximum lung capacity can mean the difference between having an active, healthy old age and wheezing when you go for a walk or climb the stairs.

9. Stop smoking give you more energy –

• Within 2 to 12 weeks of stopping smoking, your blood circulation improves. This makes all physical activity, including walking and running, much easier.
• You will also give a boost to your immune system, making it easier to fight off colds and flu. The increase in oxygen in the body can also reduce tiredness and the likelihood of headaches.

Myth #1 – Drinking is a good way to relax and have fun at parties: Alcohol can make you say things you shouldn’t say and do things you wouldn’t normally do. Examples: get into fights, have unprotected sex, or risk your own or other lives with reckless, dangerous behavior.

Myth #2 –  Drinking makes me “cool”: Movies, TV, and music do not show the “uncool” part of drinking—puking, passing out, gaining weight, stumbling around, possible addiction, and damage to your own and others’ lives.

Myth #3 – Alcohol is less harmful than other drugs: Alcohol makes you more likely to get many deadly diseases and use other drugs. Many serious injuries, suicides, drowning, and murders involve alcohol. Drinking too much alcohol too quickly can cause alcohol poisoning, which can kill you.

Myth #4 –  A can of Beer will not have as much effect as a mixed drink or a shot of liquor: A can of beer, a glass of wine, a mixed drink, and a shot of liquor all have about the same amount of alcohol and will have about the same effect.Myth # A can of Beer will not have as much effect as a mixed drink or a shot of liquor : A can of beer, a glass of wine, a mixed drink, and a shot of liquor all have about the same amount of alcohol and will have about the same effect.

Myth #5  – Alcohol is not as dangerous as other drugs: Alcohol can be deadly. Drinking a quart of vodka in one sitting can kill you. Even one drink can affect your judgment and cause you to lose control. Auto crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers.

Myth #6 – Drinking makes your problem disappear: You may feel you have escaped your problems by drinking, but when you get sober, the problems are still there.

Myth #7 – Drinking makes uncomfortable feeling go away ( anger, shyness, frustration and loneliness ) : Alcohol may cover up uncomfortable feelings for a while, but they come back when you are sober again. Drinking isn’t always a reprieve from uncomfortable feelings. The fact is that alcohol just as often has the opposite effect and intensifies feelings with sometimes catastrophic results: sadness (poor choices, crying jags, suicide) or anger (domestic violence, rage).

Myth #8 – Ignore the fact that alcohol  is a harmful and addictive chemical substance : The alcohol industry wants alcohol to be present wherever and whenever possible. So its essentially about making sure people (consumers) focus on the portrayed and constructed gains from using alcohol (the + Side) instead of thinking about the losses that come from alcohol consumption (the – side). Chemically alcohol is a hard drug for the human body causing physical and mental dependence.

Myth #9  – Smoking is a choice: The first time, yes. After a few cigarettes, not so much. Nicotine addiction happens quickly. Breaking that addiction can be very hard.

Myth #10  –  Trying smoking once is no big deal: Just one breath of tobacco smoke can damage your body.

Myth # 11 –  Filters make cigarettes safer: Filters do not protect you. They make smoke particles smaller. That makes nicotine easier to absorb, which increases addiction.

Myth #12  –  After so much time it’s too late to quit, the damage is done: Your health improves as soon as you quit—no matter your age. The longer you smoke, the more harm happens to your body.

Myth # 13  –  Second-hand smoke may bother people, but it isn’t dangerous : People who breathe second-hand smoke inhale the same harmful chemicals that smokers do. Second-hand smoke causes cancer and other diseases—even in people who never smoked.

Myth # 14  – Smoking calms you down : Many people believe this, but they really feel better only because they are addicted to nicotine. As with other addictive drugs, you begin to feel jittery if the level of nicotine in your body drops. If you are not addicted, cigarettes actually make you feel nervous.

Myth #15   – Smoking helps you think clearly :  It may seem like you are thinking more clearly, but smoking has no effect on the reasoning process. Nicotine is the substance in tobacco that is highly addictive. It is both a stimulant and a sedative to the central nervous system. The initial nicotine “kick,” which stimulates the central nervous system and causes a sudden release of glucose, is followed by depression and fatigue, leading the smoker to seek more nicotine.

Myth #16 – Smoking is cool and sexy : Smoking stains your teeth, causes facial wrinkles, depletes energy, burns holes in clothes, causes bad breath, and a general bad aroma. Men who smoke and have high blood pressure are more likely to become impotent than non-smokers.

Myth #17 – I ‘ve smoked for years, won’t help to stop now:  Smoking can cut about 14 years off of the life span of both men and women. If you quit smoking at age 35 you will live about five to ten years longer and decrease the risk of developing cancer and heart disease.

Myth #18 – Smoking only a few cigarettes a day is okay : Smoking is never a safe thing to do. Every cigarette contains 1 to 2 milligrams of nicotine and it reaches your brain in 8 to 10 seconds. There are many other damaging chemicals taken in with each inhale of a cigarette. Cigarette smoke contains 4,000 chemicals and poisons, 50 of which cause cancer. Each time you inhale you take in nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, cyanide, arsenic, formaldehyde, ammonia and benzene, just to name a few.

1. Coffee containing caffeine – can cause insomnia, nervousness, and restlessness, stomach upset, nausea and vomiting, increased heart and breathing rate, and other side effects. Consuming large amounts of coffee might also cause headaches, anxiety, agitation, ringing in the ears, and irregular heartbeats.
2. Increased Heart Rate – Both tea and coffee can increase heart rate and blood pressure. As heart rate increases, the flow of blood to the heart increases and the flow of blood to the brain decreases. This means that you might feel foggy and tired as you come down from a caffeine “high,” which can happen minutes to hours after drinking
3. Anxiety – Caffeine increases the production of adrenaline and cortisol, the stress hormones. This can result in heightened senses but will also put you on edge, elevate your stress levels and might cause anxiety.
4. Elevated Blood Sugar – Caffeine can affect blood glucose. When you drink caffeine, your blood sugar spikes. As you come down from the “caffeine high,” your blood sugar plummets. These sudden changes in blood sugar can be dangerous for people with diabetes.
5. Increased Risk of Osteoporosis – Caffeine can increase the loss of calcium. When you consume lots of caffeine, your body has trouble absorbing the calcium you get from your diet. Instead, much of it is immediately lost in the urine. This can lead to weak bones and osteoporosis later on in life.
6.  Effects of Tea and Coffee on Pregnant Women – Extensive and authentic research works have revealed that the pregnant women should quit or, at least, minimize the use of coffee and tea, because they may also leave adverse effects on the health of their child. It has also been revealed that the use of tea among children causes a deficiency of blood and iron. Tea also disturbs the functioning of the liver and stomach.
7. Frequent Urination and Urgency – Increased urination is a common side effect of high caffeine intake due to the compound’s stimulatory effects on the bladder. You may have noticed that you need to urinate frequently when you drink more coffee or tea than usual. 

To sum up, the side effects of caffeine in tea and coffee are alarming for human health. Particularly, it is very hard to get rid of the addiction to this substance, as the abrupt discontinuation of its intake causes several inconveniences in the body. However, if you have resolved to bear the hardships with patience, just after a few days, your health will be normalized.

Tea – In India, even slogans like Roz chai piyo, Bahut din jiyo were invented by the vested interests to mislead common people to believe that tea gives strength and vitality. There are many people who are habituated to drink tea as 4-5 cups a day. Those guys are very badly hunted and their metabolism gets slower day by day.

1. Anti-thiamine action and thiamine inactivation. This means that tea blocks the action of Vitamin B1.
2. It contains fluorine at substantial levels and also fluor-aluminum complexes.
3. Inhibits absorption of iron, especially from cereals. High levels of Vitamin C minimize this action.
4. It has a diuretic action, which, as a consequence, upsets Na/K balance in favor of sodium.
5. There is some evidence of carcinogenic effects from tea tannins.
6. Tea tannins affect the heart and can cause heart-muscle lesions in rats.
7. Some statistical evidence links tea-drinking in expectant mothers with congenital abnormalities in their babies
8. Disruption of Sleep and Insomnia
9. Slows down the digestion process
10. Responsible for various kidney disorders
11. Unhealthy and dark skin texture
12. Malnutrition body
13. Tea also causes Premenstrual syndrome as people who usually drink 1- 4 cups of tea every day as likely to have Premenstrual syndrome than the non-tea drinkers.
14. Caffeine present in it can make a person addicted to tea.
15. Milk tea has more cholesterol and sugar than other varieties of tea like green tea or black tea.
16. Studies shows than it can lead to the prostate cab

Coffee – Coffee is injurious to health. It is a more stimulating beverage than tea, as it contains a greater amount of the active alkaloid principle, caffeine. Research studies have shown that coffee drinking has potential health hazards. Some people even experience a post-stimulation letdown that can make them as tired and lethargic as they were alert and energetic immediately after drinking.

1. Affects stomach secretions, including HCI – stomach acid.
2. Affects acid/base equilibrium in the body.
3. Upsets electrolyte balance, especially Na and K and upsets water balance – a definite diuretic.
4. Like tea, it has anti-thiamine action.
5. Increases atherosclerosis.
6. Affects behavior.
7. Gives rise to methyl nitrosourea that may be a cause of bladder tumors.
8. Adversely affects blood fatty acids and blood sugar control.
9. Some work suggests a link with teratomas, ie tumors of the unborn fetus.
10. Has been linked with duodenal ulcers.
11. It has a mutagenic action. ie causes abnormal germ cells – viz sperm and ova.
12. Inhibits iron absorption.
13. Produces nitrosamines, which are known, cancer-causing agents.
14. Statistically, high coffee consumption is correlated to the incidence of carcinoma of the pancreas.
15. De-mineralises the tissues.
16. Anxiety symptoms
17. Depleted calcium and iron levels among women
18. It increases blood sugar levels, making it harder for those with type 2 diabetes to manage their insulin.
19. Coffee is highly acidic and is irritating to the gastrointestinal tract.
20. Coffee can bring dyspepsia.
21. Coffee can stimulate the gall bladder to bring about gall bladder attacks.
22. Coffee can be Toxic.
23. Don’t drink more than one cup a day if you are pregnant.

1. Admit you’re addicted – This is obviously the most important step with any addiction.  If you don’t admit it and don’t recognize that you have an addiction then in your head you are not addicted.  It’s only when other people start to say things like ‘You drink a lot of coffee don’t you?’ or when your work colleagues start calling you ‘Mr coffee'( I wonder if that’s how ‘Mr. T’ got his name.) that you start thinking that you might be addicted.  When you recognize the addiction it’s time to start taking action.
2. Recognize the pattern of your addiction – Most coffee addicts have a routine.  For example the first thing they do is have a cup of coffee when they get up in the morning, then again after they have had a shower and put their clothes on and then again before they leave for work.  That’s three cups of coffee within the space of an hour or so and the pattern continues at work and when they get back home from work and before they go to bed.
3. Breaking the pattern – As I said before your aim is to control the habit rather than have the habit control you, so we are not going for giving up coffee we are looking to cut down and be in control. You can break the pattern by swapping coffee with water.  For example if you have 3 cups of coffee before leaving for work, replace your second cup of coffee with a glass of water.  This has two benefits; you are breaking the pattern of your coffee habit and you are re-hydrating your body (too much coffee can dehydrate you, this is why a lot of heavy coffee drinkers get headaches). 
4. Resisting the craving – When we have a habit of any kind we get cravings to indulge in our habit.  When you have a craving to have a cup of coffee during the day, resist it and do something else for 20 minutes.  Cravings usually disappear when we have our minds focused on something else, so if you can manage to resist a craving for coffee and busy yourself with something else for 20 minutes your craving will go away.  It might return again and you may have to busy yourself a few times throughout the day but your cravings will weaken as you mentally get stronger and are able to control the cravings. 
5. Tell those around you your intentions As with all habits that you are trying to break it’s good to let other people know about your intention to cut down.  This way other people can encourage you when you are feeling particularly weak.As I said at the beginning my aim was to help you with controlling your coffee addiction not to eradicate it. 
6. Try coffee-like alternatives. Caffeine-free herbal tea is a smart bet. Switch things up with tasty flavors, like cinnamon, black cherry berry, pomegranate, or peach blossom. Another option: Dandelion root coffee, which contains no caffeine and is made of dried, chopped, and roasted dandelion roots. These beverages all have the richness of coffee, without the caffeine.
7. Go for an espresso shot. These contain only about half the amount of caffeine as a cup of regular coffee. It will help you satisfy your craving, without overdoing it. And rather than grabbing a mocha Frappuccino at the coffee shop, indulge with a sugar-free hot chocolate, which has less caffeine.
8. Make healthy swaps. Heading for the soda machine every afternoon for a caffeine boost? Grab a berry-flavored seltzer or caffeine-free option like Sprite instead.
9. Drink lots of water. When you wake up in the morning, drink 8 ounces of water instead of coffee or a soda. It’s thought to counteract your desire for other, less healthy beverages.
10. Know your ingredients. Study the ingredients on foods and drinks and watch out for caffeine. Caffeine is added to many sodas and energy drinks.
11. Decrease caffeine consumption gradually. Plan your caffeine withdrawal in stages. “Caffeine is addictive. If you throw out one-third of your morning coffee today, wait three days and then throw out another bit so you are drinking half, you are off to a great start,” says Susan Roberts, Ph.D., professor of nutrition at Tufts University. This reduction will help lessen caffeine withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, irritability, jitteriness, and nausea.
12. Water down drinks that contain caffeine. They will still have the taste you enjoy, but contain a lower amount of caffeine and carry less risk of caffeine withdrawal symptoms.
13. Try something new. Consider changing from coffee in the morning to tea. “Herbal teas are fine, but green tea is really healthy,” says Roberts.
14. Try decaf. Switch to decaf coffee, decaffeinated soda, or even better, water or fruit juices.
15. Don’t add to a caffeine habit. Ask yourself if you really need that extra cup in the late morning. If the answer is no, then skip it.
16. Try a tea shortcut. Brew tea for a shorter amount of time to reduce the amount of caffeine in it.
17. Instead of a large cup of coffee, next time order a small. “Starbucks medium and large both contain two shots of espresso, while a small has only one,” says Dr. Brodner. “Another caution: Even those sugary milkshake drinks [like frappucinos] contain caffeine.” Ask to have yours made with decaf.
18. Mix it up. Alternate one cup of coffee with one cup of herbal tea, or one can of soda with one can of caffeine-free soda or water. Check your pain reliever. Many over-the-counter medications, especially headache remedies and menstrual pain relievers, contain caffeine. If yours does, change to a different kind.

• Coffee boosts your physical performance – Have a cup of black coffee about an hour before workout and your performance can improve by 11-12%. Caffeine increases adrenaline levels in your blood. Adrenaline is your body’s “fight or flight” hormone which helps you to prepare for physical exertion.
• Coffee may help you lose weight – Coffee contains magnesium and potassium, which helps the human body use insulin, regulating blood sugar levels, and reducing your craving for sugary treats and snacks.
• Coffee helps you burn fat – Caffeine helps fat cells break down body fat and use it as fuel for training.
• Coffee helps you focus and stay alert – Moderate caffeine intake helps you focus, and improves your mental alertness.
• Coffee lowers the risk of death – Studies have shown that coffee drinker’s overall risk of premature death is 25% lower than those who don’t drink coffee.
• Coffee reduces the risk of cancers – One study has shown that coffee may decrease the risk of developing prostate cancer in men by 20 %, and endometrial cancer in women by 25 %. People in the test group drank four cups of coffee a day. Caffeine may also prevent developing of basal cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer
• Coffee reduces the risk of stroke – Reasonable consumption of coffee (2–4 cups a day) is associated with lower risk of stroke.
• Coffee reduces the risk of Parkinson’s disease – Studies have shown that regular coffee drinking decreases the risk of Parkinson’s disease by 25 %. There’s evidence that coffee causes activity in the part of the brain affected by Parkinson’s.
• Coffee protects your body – Coffee contains a lot of antioxidants, that work as little warriors fighting and protecting against free radicals within your body.
• Coffee may lower the risk of Type II diabetes – Caffeine decreases your insulin sensitivity and impairs glucose tolerance, therefore reduces your risk of type 2 diabetes.
• Coffee brightens your mood, helps fight depression, and lowers the risk of suicide – Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and boosts the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline, which elevate your mood. Two cups of coffee a day prevents the risk of suicide by 50 %.

How to ease the symptoms of withdrawal of coffee – 

Here are some easy tips to help you quit your habit.

• Most experts advise quitting caffeine gradually. Cut down from 3 cups a day, to 2 and then one
• Substitute your coffee for green tea, which still contains caffeine, but much less than coffee
• Cut out sodas, which are a source of caffeine, but are also filled with sugar
• Beat the slump caused by ridding your diet of caffeine by eating healthy meals, which will provide you with a steady stream of energy throughout the day. Aim for a balance of good fats, complex carbs, and protein
• Drink enough water to stay hydrated and avoid the headaches and constipation that are symptoms of withdrawal
• Lemon water is a good replacement for a morning cup of coffee.

Health Benefits after the withdrawal of Coffee – 

The pain of cutting down on coffee may be worth it once you start to experience the benefits.

• You ‘ll sleep better.
• You may become less anxious.
• You can say Goodbye to Headaches.
• Your Heartburn will stop.
• You ‘ll have pearly white teeth again.

How to ease the symptoms of withdrawal of Tea – 

Step 1: Reduce intake, day-by-day.

Step 2: Substitute your tea with other healthy and sugar-free drinks like green or black tea.

Step 3: Cut down on your daily sugar intake too. And rely upon eating fresh-cut fruits instead of processed ones or juices.

Step 4: Drink plenty of water. You are not supposed to dehydrate yourself. So in place of tea, you can drink warm water or mineral water, in your own, sip-by-sip style.

Step 5: Daily, in the morning, you need to drink lemon water. This will make you energetic and detoxification.

Health Benefits after the withdrawal of Tea – 

• Weight Loss.
• No Headaches.
• Hormonal balance.
• No more heartburn.
• Better sleep and lack of Anxiety.
• Shiny white teeth.

1. Lentil, Sweet potato and Pancetta Soup
2. Indian Spiced Cauliflower Soup
3. Turmeric, lentil and Lemon Soup
4. Vegetable and Dumpling short soup
5. Chilled Tomato Soup
6. Asian Chicken Soup
7. Broccoli and Lemon Soup with Quinoa
8. Bean soup with Kale and garlic Bread
9. Carrot and ginger soup with Corn bread
10. Roasted garlic and tomato Soup
11. Spicy Sweet Potato Soup with Chili Coriander Cream
12. Carrot and Orange Soup
13. Vegetable and barley Soup
14. Hot and Sour Noodle Soup
15. Autumn Tomato and vegetable Soup
16. Broccoli, Spinach and Potato Soup
17. Asian Style Chicken Soup
18. Mexican Bean and capsicum Soup
19. Hot and Sour Chicken Soup
20. Chunky Tomato, Celery and bean soup
21. Beetroot and Carrot Soup
22. Vegetarian Harira
23. Lentil and Tomato Soup
24. Bean and Vegetable Soup
25. Chicken and Mushroom Soup
26. Hot and Sour Prawn Soup

Bean 

This food is low in Saturated Fat and Sodium, and very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Vitamin B6, Pantothenic Acid, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Potassium, and a very good source of Protein, Vitamin C, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folate, Copper and Manganese. There are 129 Calories in 1 cup of mixed bean soup, 1.48 g Fat, 21.63 g Carbs and 8.43 g proteins.

Broccoli

Broccoli  is a very good source of dietary fiber, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin E, manganese, phosphorus, choline, vitamin B1, vitamin A (in the form of carotenoids), potassium and copper. Broccoli is also a good source of vitamin B1, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, protein, zinc, calcium, iron, niacin and selenium. Broccoli is  known for beneficial health effects, and is sometimes referred to as the “super veggies.”

Lentils

Lentils are an excellent source of molybdenum and folate. They are a very good source of dietary fiber, copper, phosphorus and manganese. Additionally they are a good source of iron, protein, vitamin B1, pantothenic acid, zinc, potassium and vitamin B6. Lentils are high in fiber, and complex carbohydrates, while low in fat and calories. Their high protein content makes lentils a perfect option for those looking to boost their protein intake. They are naturally gluten-free, making them a delicious staple in a gluten-free kitchen.

Sweet Potato – Calorie King

They’re uber healthy! Packed with vitamin A, skin protecting beta carotene, and a potassium punch (more than bananas, believe it or not!), they supply 35% Daily Value for vitamin C. There are 218 Calories in 1 cup of sweet potato soup, 6.46 g fats, 35.5 g Carbs and 5.62 g Proteins. They are high in Vitamin B6, high in Vitamin C, D and Potassium as well as Magnesium. Sweet Potatoes contain Iron and support a healthy immune system.

Carrots

Carrots are a staple ingredient in most vegetable soups. The orange veggies are rich in beta-carotene, a nutrient converted into vitamin A by the liver. This vitamin is essential for eye health, and eating carrots regularly can prevent dry eyes, cataracts, blindness and mascular degeneration. The lutein in carrots is also good for the eyes. The high levels of antioxidants in carrots can reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. A recent study determined that eating carrots and other orange and yellow foods protects the heart more than eating white, green, purple or red foods. Researchers found that carrots provide the greatest protection from heart disease thanks to their antioxidant and phytonutrient levels. One cup of carrots contains just 50 calories but yields 420 milligrams of vitamin A.

Tomatoes

A key ingredient in vegetable soup, tomatoes are loaded with antioxidants like manganese and vitamin C and are also a great source of many phytonutrients. These compounds protect cells from damage and are linked to cancer prevention. Making tomatoes a part of your regular diet lowers the risk of breast, prostate and pancreatic cancer. Tomatoes are also a good source of lycopene, a nutrient that lowers cholesterol and fat levels in the blood. The lycopene in tomatoes also reduces the risk of heart disease because it has anti-platelet properties that stop platelets from clumping and hardening the arteries. One cup of tomatoes has just 30 calories but contains 40 milligrams of vitamin C and 30 milligrams of vitamin A.

Celery

Celery, another common ingredient in vegetable soup, has many health benefits. The vegetable’s nutrients and vitamins can reduce blood pressure and cholesterol, contribute to healthy joints, prevent cancer, boost the immune system, provide relief for migraines and regulate fluid balance in the body. One cup of celery has just 20 calories but contains 8 milligrams of vitamin A and 4 milligrams of vitamin C.

Onions

Onions are overall health boosters and make vegetable soup a super food. Eating onions improves oral health, prevents tooth decay, reduces the risk of developing colon cancer, boosts the immune system, improves cardiovascular health, helps control glucose levels and can provide relief for sinusitis and earaches. The vegetables are also a good source of antioxidants, potassium, calcium and magnesium, nutrients that are essential to good overall health. A 1/2-cup serving of onions contains 10 percent of the daily recommended value of vitamin C.

Additional Benefits

A vegetable soup made with 1 cup each of tomatoes, celery and carrots and 1/2 cup of onions yields 53 percent of the daily recommended amount of vitamin A and 60 percent of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C. Include 1 cup of chicken stock to add an additional 6 grams of protein and 1 cup of chopped potatoes to add a large dose of vitamin K.

1. It can help you slim down – In one study, a group of volunteers reduced their total lunch calories by an average of 20 percent when they began the meal with low-calorie vegetable soup before eating pasta.
2. It can help you sneak in extra nutrients –A whole grains such as barley, brown rice and quinoa will give your soup a boost of fiber. In place of salt, try adding aromatic seasonings including curry, garlic, ginger, sage and thyme.
3. It feeds your soul – According to a study, students who viewed chicken soup as comfort food felt a greater sense of belonging after having eaten it than did those who didn’t eat soup,
4. It’s not just for winter – Don’t overlook chilled soup. Gazpacho, for example, is full of tomatoes, garlic, onions, cucumbers and peppers, and it’s healthful and tasty.
5. Vegetables are rich in nutrients and vitamins, so eating vegetable soups is considered to be a healthy diet.
6. Vegetable soups are useful in losing weight and maintaining proper health.
7. Vegetable soups make you feel full whole day because it stretches the stomach.
8. Vegetable soups are given to the person who is sick because these are light and very easy to digest.
9. These soups are full in iron, fiber and minerals.

Other Major Benefits are : –

• Promotes good sleep
• Smooth skin
• Helps in repairing and growing bones
• Helps digestion
• Increases mineral consumption
• Helps in liver detox
• Reduces inflammation
• Good for weight loss
• Maintains healthy nervous system
• Relief from anxiety and stress
• Vegetable Soup is an excellent nutritious meal choice; soup is actually proven to assist weight reduction.
• Vegetable Soup Fights with damage cells.
• Some people don’t eat every vegetable so soup is the best way to have all proteins and minerals of vegetables.
• Weight Loss Naturally.

 Soup is delicious – Soup can be a comfort food as it is delicious. It is easy to make. With only a few ingredients, one can make a bowl of hearty soup for a cold evening.

 Soup is good for the health – Perhaps the easiest way to add vegetables to your daily meals is to make and eat soup. You can make several bowls of soup filled with fruits and veggies each day and you’ll be filled. Eating vegetables is part of a healthy diet so veggie soups are highly recommended.

 Soup can help you lose weight – Soups are slimming. Of course, that is if you strictly follow a weight-loss plan and exercise more. A bowl of soup packs minimal calorie but is very nutritious.

 Soup makes you feel full – Soup fills you up because it stretches the stomach. You easily feel full so it’s ideal to eat soup at the beginning of every meal.

 Soup is affordable to make – Making soup won’t require a lot of money. Go the grocery or market; buy some vegetables and fruits, broth or water, and you can easily make a batch enough to feed the entire family. For a small cost, you can make a lot of people feel full and healthy.

 Soup can make you feel better – Ever wondered why chicken soup is always given to the sick? It is because soup is great for people who are sick. It is easily digested and is filled with health benefits.

“soup”er powers of your favorite hot meal –

1. It warms you up – A bowl of thick soup is certainly heartwarming. If you struggle to stay comfortable in cool weather, though, the trick to warm fingers and toes might lie in a bowl of soup. According to nutritionists, hot soup can increase your core body temperature to warm you from the inside out.

2. Cook it, and forget it – Unlike many entrées, a hearty soup is one of the few main courses that will allow you to toss its ingredients into an oven and walk away until dinnertime.

3. Satisfaction guaranteed – The high water content of soup means it can satisfy your appetite in a healthy and hydrating way. According to a study, people who are well hydrated with soups are more satisfied with their meals and less likely to consume unnecessary calories when they eat.

4. Soup improves veggie tolerance for youngsters – A study  found that toddlers who were given veggie- and herb-packed soups for seven weeks showed an improved tolerance for vegetables of all kinds when compared with toddlers who didn’t eat soup.

5. It reduces aches and pains – Chicken soup can’t exactly make an illness go away, but there’s a reason it’s known as a natural home remedy during cold and flu season.  Chicken soup works as an anti-inflammatory, and it can clear up mucus too. The result, of course, is the alleviation of nasty symptoms.

6. Vitamins and minerals don’t disappear – Unlike other methods for cooking, soups retain the vitamins and minerals of cooked vegetables because you don’t dispose of the water when you’re done. That vitamin-packed water just becomes part of the savory and delicious broth.

7. It’s hard to mess up – Do you struggle to pull off a palatable meal each evening? Soups are notoriously difficult meals to mess up. If you’re not pleased with your first attempt, just add more of something, and it’ll turn out fine.

8. Easily low fat and high fiber –  Unless you go for a cream-based soup, most soups are full of beans, lean meats and vegetables. All these ingredients are known for their low-fat and high-fiber composition, which makes soup a wonderfully healthy meal option.

9. Soup is a veggie vehicle – Since ratios and measurements aren’t a strict science for soup recipes, you can play around with adding vegetables to the meal. Purée squash and root vegetables into your soup for a creamier and heartier version without added fat or unnecessary calories.

10. Its aroma fills your home – Is there anything better than the aroma of savory herbs and veggies filling your home in ? Nope.

11. Simple to freeze and reheat –  As if you’re not yet convinced, soups transition well from the stove to the freezer and then to the microwave. Make a giant pot of soup one evening, and you can turn it into a tasty lunch for days to come.

They can be best summed up as vegetable soups. The twist with negative calorie diet soups is that they can act as meal replacements for people looking to lose weight fast. In other words, it is a meal plan. This diet presents a list of specific “negative calorie” vegetables that can be used to make the diet soup. It also includes fresh fruit that can be eaten as snacks throughout the day.

Although this diet has been modified by many, the general instructions are simple. For 7 days or more, you replace your usual meals with vegetable soup. You are not allowed to add meats and fish, but can season it with spices and herbs to improve taste.

Beware of the fact that this diet is based on vegetables that theoretically do well in helping individuals lose weight very fast.

According to most academics, dieticians and nutritionists, this diet pattern is quite wrong for anyone looking to lose weight in a healthy and lasting way because of the following reasons:

The first major flaw of the soup diet is its very essence. The cornerstone of proper nutrition is it having a variety of foods that provide a variety of beneficial nutrients that our body needs.

Another big deficiency is that of complex carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are important for maintaining blood glucose levels and to allow the proper functioning of various body organs.

The total absence of protein in at least 4 days out of 7 days of the diet induces the body to eliminate liquids and also ends up reducing your muscle mass which is undoubtedly a negative factor for weight loss.

Vitamin deficiency leads to serious bone problems. Vitamins are usually lost through cooking the soup.

All these deficiencies lead to the appearance of repeated and debilitating ailments such as headaches, recurrent urination and frequent bowel mobility, pain in the bones, joints and back.

Of all the weight loss diets, the soup diet is without a doubt one of the most unbalanced and to be avoided among the weight loss diets. However if someone will be able to have a strong will to use the soup diet for 15 days in a row in order to lose weight, then the person is definitely going to lose the extra weight they desired most but are going to face some nutritional deficiencies in the long run.