Alternative Therapies and Health News

Home Remedies for Sexual Impotence:

1. Treatment using Garlic

Garlic is believed to act as a tonic for loss of sexual power due to any particular cause, sexual weakness, impotency resulting from sexual overindulgence and nervous exhaustion. Two to Three cloves of raw garlic if chewed daily can make a world of difference.

2. Sexual Impotence treatment using Onion

Onion comes second to garlic; especially white variety of onion serves the best for treating impotency. It increases libido and strengthens the reproductory organs, therefore helping men to get over sexual impotency.

3. Sexual Impotence treatment using Carrot

Carrots are considered very valuable to cure impotency. For better results, about 150 gm of carrots, chopped finely, should be taken with a half-boiled egg, dipped in a tablespoon of honey, once daily for a month or two. This combination increases sexual stamina.

4. Sexual Impotence treatment using Lady’s Fingers

Lady’s Finger serves as another tonic to cure impotence. According to Ayurveda, persons who take five to ten grams of the root powder of this vegetable with a glass of milk and two teaspoons of ground mishri (rock sugar/rock candy) daily, will never lose sexual vigor.

5. Sexual Impotence treatment using Asparagus

Dried roots of Asparagus are highly recommended for impotence by Unani medicine. Fifteen grams of these roots boiled in one cup of milk should be taken twice daily.

6. Sexual Impotence treatment using Drumstick

A soup made with about fifteen grams of drumstick flowers boiled in 250 ml milk is very useful as a sexual tonic. It is also useful in functional barrenness in both men and women. The powder of the dry bark of drumstick tree (Horseradish tree) is also a valuable cure for impotence, premature ejaculation, and thinness of semen. Thirty grams of this powder, mixed with a tablespoon of honey, should be taken three times daily for a month.

7. Sexual Impotence treatment using Ginger

Half a teaspoon of ginger juice should be taken with a half-boiled egg and honey, once daily at night, for a month.

8. Sexual Impotence treatment using Dried Dates

Dried dates are a highly-strengthening food. Pounded and mixed with almonds, pistachio nuts, and quince seeds in equal quantities, about 100 gm should be taken daily as an effective medicine for increasing sexual power.

9. Sexual Impotence treatment using Raisins

Black raisins are useful for restoration of sexual vigor. They should be boiled with milk after being washed thoroughly in lukewarm water. This will make them puffed and sweet. Intake of this milk three times a day will surely be fruitful for impotency problems.

10. Fresh Fruit diet followed by a well-balanced diet

Adopt an exclusive fresh fruit diet for seven days. Take fresh juicy fruits three times a day with a gap of five hours. After the exclusive seven day treatment go for a well-balanced diet consisting of seeds, nuts, grains, vegetables , fruits, whey, sour milk- particularly goat’s mailk, millet , garlic , honey, cold-pressed vegetable oils, and brewer’s yeast.

11. Things to avoid

Avoid Alcohol, Smoking, Tea, Coffee, and processed, canned, refined and denatured foods, especially white sugar and white flour, and products made from them.

12. Body Massage

A vigorous body massage proves highly beneficial in the treatment of impotence, as it helps to revive muscular vigor and mental peace.

13. Cold hip bath

The nerves of the genital organs are controlled by the pelvic region. Hence a cold hip bath for ten minutes in the morning or evening is very effective .

14. Fresh air, outdoor exercises and Yogasanas

Every effort should be made to build up the general health level to the highest degree. Therefore go for fresh air and outdoor exercises. Ardently follow Yoga. Dhanurasana, sarvangasana, and halasana in Yogasanas are highly beneficial

Sexual Impotence, if not cared for, might make your life very imbalanced- both mentally and physically. Every step should be taken to follow a healthy lifestyle to avoid such situations. If necessary, medical or psychiatric assistance should be sought to cure impotence.

Primary instincts of life not just include hunger and sleep but also sex. There is no denial about it and there is absolutely nothing in not being upfront about it. While sex gives utmost satisfaction, inability to have a healthy sex life might lead not only to be an indicator of some physical disorder but also to a disturbed mental state.

Sexual activity demands a relaxed state of mind and complete concentration. But when tension takes over often this activity is dampened beyond repair. Sexual dysfunction is a crucial problem found commonly in case of men more than in women and it might take the form of impotence. If taken care at the initial stages sexual impotence can be dealt with healthy lifestyle.

Definition of Sexual Impotence:

“Impotence is the inability to maintain an erection of the penis for satisfactory sexual intercourse regardless of the status of ejaculation.”

Causes of Sexual Impotence:

• Diabetes
• Depression
• Alcoholism
• Tiredness
• Therapeutic use of Oestrogens
• Paralysis of parasympathetic nerves by drugs

Experts say, “Other causes of impotence include a devitalized condition of the system in general. The main problem of secondary impotence is the apprehension created by an earlier failure, which generates a good deal of anxiety for the next time. Impotence takes three forms. There is primary impotence when the man’s erectile dysfunction is there from the very beginning of sexual activity and he simply cannot have an erection. Secondary impotence is the commonest and this implies that the man can normally attain an erection but fails on one or more occasions in between normal activity. The third form is associated with advancing age.”

Being caught in the rat race, the number of people suffering from anxiety disorders is increasing at a high rate. Too much stress and anxiety can adversely affect the mind and physique of an individual leading to serious disorders. Antidepressants and benzodiazepines are the conventional ways of treating anxiety. But because of its side effects, most health care professionals recommend the use of dietary supplements and other alternative remedies.

• Take frequent breaks in between working hours.
• Avoid drinking too many cups of coffee.
• Herbs like kava and valerian are helpful in alleviating stress. Kava has shown to cure anxiety associated with menopause and due to various medical conditions.
• L-theanine which is an amino acid found in green tea, is a non-sedating relaxant that stimulates the brain’s production of alpha waves. People who produce more alpha brain waves have less anxiety.
• It is recommended for anxiety disorder patients to drink fresh tea made from chamomile leaves several times in a day.
• Passion flower which is most often used for insomnia is also helpful in reducing the effects of stress and anxiety.
• Pulsatilla is a homeopathic remedy for hypersensitive people.
• 300mg extract of St John’s Wort is a commonly used medicine for depression and anxiety.
• Valerian helps in the treatment of insomnia, anxiety and stress related gastrointestinal problems. Take the herb half an hour before going to bed.
• Breathing exercises are an excellent way to combat anxiety.
• Reishi Mushroom is an excellent herb for insomnia, anxiety or nervousness.
• Aroma therapy is very effective in relieving anxiety. Orange blossom, rose and lavender have their calming effects. Lavender is most useful for relaxation.

Discover which of these methods are best suited for you and live your life free from tensions and pressures.

A migraine headache is more than a regular headache. A migraine headache brings an unbearable pain along with nausea. It can also cause vomiting and blurred vision. A migraine headache can make your normal, daily activities difficult. Here are some important diet tips for migraine relief.

Fast on orange juice and water

You have to undertake a thorough cleansing of the system and follow vitality-building measures. To begin with, you should fast on orange juice and water for 2 or 3 days. If you don’t prefer or cannot take the orange juice, you can take juices of vegetables like carrots, cucumber and celery.

Food to avoid
Foods to be avoided are sugar, white flour products, confectionery, pastries, rich cakes, sweets, greasy foods, refined cereals, tinned or preserved foods, condiments, pickles and sauces.

All-fruit diet

After the short juice fast, take an all-fruit diet for about five days, taking three meals a day of fresh juicy fruits.

Take well-balanced diet

Thereafter you should follow a well-balanced diet of seeds, nuts, vegetables, grains and fruits. Supplement this diet with milk, buttermilk, yoghurt, vegetable oils and honey. Further short periods of the all-fruit diet may be necessary at intervals of a month or two, according to the requirement of the case.

Frequent small meals and copious drinking of water

You should eat frequent small meals rather than taking a few large ones. Avoid the habit of overeating. Copious drinking of water is advised.

Apart from following the above diet tips, consider these treatments.

Take warm-water enema to cleanse bowels

Take a warm water enema daily during the initial 2 or 3 days of the juice fast to cleanse the bowels.

Hot bath and cold compress to head

You can try easy and best techniques for migraine relief like a hot fool bath, cold compress (4.5\JC to 15.6\JC) applied to the head, fomentation over the stomach and spine, and towels wrung out of very hot water and applied frequently to the neck.

Exercise and walk

You should also take plenty of exercise and walk in fresh air.

Hydrotherapy

Combination of hydrotherapy and Aroma Therapy is effective for migraine relief. Soak your hands in hot water at the first sign of a migraine to regulate blood circulation and avert migraine. You can make this hand bath treatment more effective by adding an essential oil like marjoram or lavender. Add 10 drops of either essential oil or a combination of the two to a basin of hot water. Relax, breathe deeply, and soak your hands in the water for 15 minutes.

A cancer diet should contain the following vitamins.

Vitamin A

Role: acts as anti-oxidant and necessary for healing.
Natural sources: green and yellow fruits and vegetables, organic animal liver, carrots.

Vitamin B Complex

Role: important for nerves and production of energy.
Natural sources: chicken, eggs, whole grains, brewer’s yeast, leafy green vegetables, fish.

Vitamin B17

Role: Interacts with large amounts of beta-glucosidase in cancer cells and produces hydrogen cyanide and benzaldehyde. These two poisons attack cancer cells.
Natural sources: flaxseed oil, brown rice, brewer’s yeast, lentils, macadamia nuts, pecans, raspberries, strawberries, walnuts, watercress and yams.

Vitamin C

Role: Antioxidant needed to assist over 300 metabolic functions of the body.
Natural sources: citrus fruits, most yellow or red fruits and vegetables, leafy green vegetables.
Important note: Do not take Vitamin C supplements along with aspirin. This combination is irritant to your stomach lining. Also, avoid chewable tablets.

Vitamin E

Role: Antioxidant, useful in circulation and tissue repair.
Natural sources: Coldpressed vegetable oils, legumes, nuts, leafy green vegetables, seeds and wholegrains, eggs, kelp, brown rice, oatmeal and sweet potatoes.
Important note: Take iron supplements at a different time from Vitamin E because some forms of iron destroy Vitamin E.

As you age, weakening of bones and degradation of tissues follow. Especially, after age fifty, everyone suffers from some form of joint ache. For some, this age line may extend to sixty.

We all know that it is calcium deficiency that weakens your bones. But, recent research attributes magnesium deficiency as another important factor for degradation of bones and tissues.

After a certain age, this problem becomes visible. But the roots of this problem germinate in your body since childhood if your body lacks proper nourishment.

Here are some important facts about magnesium and your bones.

• The researchers regard magnesium as a superfood and a must-have nutrient. The men need to take it in a slightly higher amount than the women. It is obvious because the bone density in men is higher than that of women. Men in their sixties should take 420 mg of magnesium per day, whereas women of the same age group need 320 mg.
• Magnesium a key nutrient to keep the skeletal structure of your body strong i.e. keeping your bones fit.
• Magnesium plays a bigger role maintaining your immune system and shaping your muscles. Even magnesium is necessary for proper functioning of the heart and nervous system.
• Take magnesium in a natural way, instead of medicinal pills. Add more green leafy vegetables like nuts, beans, legumes and peas in your daily diet. Especially the wheat contains a larger quantity of magnesium.
• Take vegetables and fruits in their pure and fresh form. Also, drink milk or any type of dairy product.

Lethargy is a term used to describe a state of drowsiness or fatigue. A lethargic person is very inactive and tends to feel lazy most of the time. Usually, He is not very enthusiastic about working out different activities.

Laziness Symptoms:

• Changes in bowel movement and appetite patterns
• Lack of concentration
• Body ache
• Fatigue
• Difficulty in sleeping
• Difficulty in performing daily tasks

Causes Of Lethargy:

• Depression
• High blood pressure
• Low blood pressure
• Nutritional deficiency
• Constipation
• Thyroid gland disorders
• Measles
• Diabetes
• Head injury

The home remedies for Lethargy are very effective. Here are some of them.

• Drink tea that is made of basil leaves on a regular basis.
• Take 1 glass juice of lemon and mix it with an equal quantity of grapefruit juice. Drink this mixed juice everyday.
• For two weeks, consume only some fresh sprouts.
• Eat fresh fruits and green leafy vegetables, as a part of everyday diet. And don’t consume processed foods.
• Drink plenty of water daily.

If you are prone to kidney stones, some dietary changes can help you. Kidney stones form due to crystallization of minerals and other substances in urine. A number of factors like urinary tract infections, inherited disorders and kidney disease favor the formation of stones.

Here are some dietary tips and guidelines to reduce the risk of kidney stones.

1. Unless you are susceptible to foods, they cannot cause the formation of kidney stones. Normally middle-aged men are at the risk of kidney stones. But they can occur in adults of all ages. Treatment varies according to the age when it occurs.
2. Small stones don’t require any medication. But larger stones that cause severe pain and other problems can be treated using a variety of techniques. None of these typically involve surgery.
3. Drink of water, at least 2 or 3 quarts per day. This helps flush a kidney stone from the ureter into your bladder. Also, some diet changes can help prevent future stones and also treat the already existing ones.
4. The interesting fact is – most of kidney stones are composed of calcium and oxalate, which is found in some fruits, grains, vegetables and legumes.
   However, you need not restrict intake of calcium-rich foods, though calcium supplements you take between your meals increases the risk of stones.
5. We advise you to reduce salt and sodium-rich foods such as salty soups, fast foods, condiments and processed foods. Also, cut back on animal proteins, especially cheese, meat, eggs and poultry. These foods make you lose calcium in your urine.
6. One prone to form calcium oxalate stones has to oxalate-rich foods like chocolate, rhubarb, nuts, spinach, dark leafy greens, peanut butter, strawberries, soy foods, wheat germ and sesame seeds.
7. Most of these oxalate-rich foods are highly nutritious. So, consult your health care provider to get an individualized advice to know which foods to eat and which foods to avoid.
8. More water, less animal protein and less sodium – this is the advice to prevent kidney stones and reduce the risk of several chronic diseases and conditions.

Also, follow these general health guidelines.

• Eat a diet rich in whole, unprocessed foods.
• Reduce intake of protein-heavy and fatty animal products.
• Watch the sodium and added sugar.
• Do regular exercise.

It’s common knowledge that – your hands carry germs. We hear this from our mothers everyday - wash your hands! Here we give you some important hand washing facts most of you may not know.

1. With hand washing you can avoid getting colds, flu, staph infection or intestinal illness and also avoid spreading those illnesses to others.
2. Soap and clean running water are necessary for adequate hand washing. Warm water is preferable. Lather up and scrub for 20 seconds.
3. Do you know how soap works? The soap mixes with the skin oil, and it loosens grease and dirt that carry germs.
4. Plain soaps are better than antibacterial soaps.
5. Soap and water do better to clean your hands. But if they are not available, you can use an alcohol-based gel.
6. Wash your hands often. Normally one touches his/her eyes, nose and mouth at least 200 times a day. This makes germs get into your body.
7. Important times to wash your hands - before preparing or eating food, after diapering a child, after going to the bathroom, before and after caring for any patient, after blowing your nose or coughing, and after handling an animal.

Health experts suggest the one simple guideline for a better healthcare - track your family’s medical history. They suggest that it helps in early problem detection, proper diagnosis and better treatment. A well organized family and personal health care planning gives you confidence and makes your health care less daunting.

Here we give you some simple guidelines for healthcare planning.

1. Track your family’s health history. Keep a running log of all health-related incidents for each member of your family. It helps you provide your doctors with a complete and accurate family medical history, if he needs it.
2. Check out your family tree. Prepare a list of common health problems and medical conditions among relatives in your family. This helps your doctor to recommend preventative treatment or tests for early detection.
3. Record symptoms and health-related activities in your dairy. This timeline of symptoms helps your doctor identify trends that may impact diagnosis. For example, if you are facing flu-like symptoms at the same time every year, it may be an allergy and not a cold. Migraines around a menstrual cycle may mean hormonal fluctuations.
4. Note down symptoms as they occur. Don’t wait until you meet your doctor and you may forget pains or abnormal feelings you experienced since your last visit. If you express unrelated symptoms, it may prompt your doctor to try different tests or treatments. For example, frequent urination may indicate a bladder infection while excessive urination may be a sign of diabetes or another serious condition.
5. When you consult your doctor, write down questions and doctor’s responses. This personal Q&A sheet works as a handy reference later and can assist your family members or caregivers who may have similar concerns.
6. Keep all health-related documents including symptom journals, test results, family medical history, immunization charts, prescriptions, blood donations done, question/answer sheets, etc. in one binder. This acts as a real timesaver and helps in having all the information at your fingertips.

Pregnant women who suffer from influenza (flu), pneumonia or a sexually transmitted disease are at an increased risk of having a child who will develop leukemia.

A study found that a maternal history of influenza or pneumonia, that occurs between 3 months before conception through the end of breastfeeding period raises the risk of leukemia in the child by as much as 89 percent.

And a history of sexually transmitted disease, such as herpes or chlamydia, has an even stronger effect on the risk of leukemia, increasing the odds by more than sixfold.

These studies emphasize the importance of maintaining good health to ensure smooth pregnancy and a healthy baby.

Also read: Home Remedies For Morning Sickness During Pregnancy .

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) often causes discomfort to most women. PMS is caused by hormonal changes that occur around the time of menstruation. Women suffering from PMS often experience painful cramps, stress, acne breakouts and fluid retention. Women are also likely to face headache, mood swings, tiredness, irritability, back or lower abdominal pain and feeling of bloating.

It is that time of the month and you are are feeling irritable and awful. Here’s what you can do to get relief:

1. Drink plenty of water. Water helps to cleanse your system and get rid of toxins.

2. Avoid food that is too cold, like curd, iced water, ice creams, and cucumbers.

3. Avoid eating 3 heavy meals. Instead, consume smaller and more frequent meals throughout the day, say 5 to 6 times a day. Women with PMS need to stabilize their blood sugar levels.

4. Reduce your intake of salt and sugar.

5. You may think that a cup of coffee can boost your mood instantly, but caffeine infact, depletes essential Vitamin B from the body, which in turn can cause hormonal imbalance. Coffee increases depression, irritability and anxiety.

6. Get enough sleep during the night. Listen to some soft music, read a good book, or take a warm bath to relax you before hit the bed.

7. A good diet and exercise helps a lot. Eat a balanced diet, containing enough fruits and vegetables. Eat a diet that contains plenty of complex carbohydrates like wholemeal bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, etc. Also include enough potassium in your diet by including broccoli, fish, beans etc.

8. Exercise regularly. You can do aerobics or jogging. Exercise helps to get relief from PMS symptoms, but it should be done regularly, not just when you suffer from PMS.

9. Eat plenty of beans, nuts and seeds.

10. Avoid red meat and fatty foods, as it increases estrogen levels in your blood and can aggravate the symptoms of PMS.

11. Take magnesium supplemets daily to get relief from PMS symptoms. Calcium supplements may also help. Intake of vitamin B6 also helps in blood circulation and water retention.

12. Take a hot bath to relax the muscles and relieve your cramps.

13. Avoid stress at home and work.