Garlic and its health benefits

In this post, I will write about garlic and its health benefits.

Introduction

Garlic is odoriferous bulb belonging to the lily family of onions, leeks and chives. Garlic bulb is divided into sections called cloves. Each clove has a covering of thin layer which protects them from losing moisture and rotting. It can stay at room temperature for a long time. Its scientific name is Allium Satum.

History

Throughout history, it is used for medicinal and culinary purposes. It is one of the oldest plants grown in the world. It has been grown for more than 4000 years. It is native to central Asia. China, India, Spain, USA and South Korea are among the top commercial producers.

Chemical composition

Garlic is packed with vitamins and minerals necessary to maintain good health. Some of this includes manganese, calcium, zinc, potassium, protein etc. It is an excellent source of manganese 15%, Vitamin B6 11%, Vitamin C 9.3%, Vitamin B and B2. Garlic has germanium, an anti-cancer agent, more than any other herb. It is also a good source of selenium. The selenium is an important part of body’s antioxidant system. Apart from all these nutrients, it has active compounds called Allicin and diallyl sulphide. Sulphur is a key element of our health and it is the cause of its pungent odor.

Health benefits

Immune system

Garlic’s most potent health benefit is its ability to enhance the body’s immune system. Its most active compound Allicin is a powerful antibiotic. Allicin inhibits the ability of germs to grow and reproduce. It’s effective against toxic bacteria, viruses and fungus.

Skin disease

It can heal some stubborn skin diseases such as ringworm infection and eczema, not healing by other means. For that crush garlic. Keep it for 10-15 minutes. Apply on affected skin. Let it dry. It will burn but it will cure the skin problem.

Ear infection

It may help to cure ear infection. For that, crush garlic. Put a little cooking oil and heat it at low heat until the garlic paste gets dried. Let it cool and use it as ear drop.

Blood pressure

Allicin is a powerful antioxidant and transmits cellular signals that relax and dilates blood vessels and increase blood flow. Due to this action, it may help to equalize blood pressure whether low or high.

Cardiovascular system

Various studies on garlic to study its medicinal uses confirm that it can reduce cholesterol. Being an antioxidant, it helps scavenge harmful free radicals. It lowers triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol while increasing HDL (good) cholesterol in blood serum, thus prevents arteriosclerosis. It is blood thinner and reduces blood clotting. In this way, it would reduce risk of heart attack and stroke. Vitamin B6 present in garlic prevents heart disease by lowering homocysteine levels in blood. The homocysteine is a by-product of protein breakdown which causes inflammation and damages to blood vessels.

Cancer

When garlic is crushed and kept for 10-15 minutes, it triggers enzyme reactions that produce a variety of compounds called allyl polysulphides. Various studies done to study the health benefits of garlic found that when garlic is eaten, human red blood cells emit hydrogen sulphide. Human red blood cells can take sulphur containing molecules called polysulphides and use them to produce hydrogen sulphides. So it appears that garlic has power to boost production of natural supply of hydrogen sulphide in the body which may help to protect the body against various types of cancers including breast, prostate, and colon cancer.

Arthritis

It seems to reduce inflammation and pain in the body making it beneficial for people with arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Other uses

• It is a good remedy for common cold and flu.
  
• It also regulates blood sugar in diabetes.
  
• Allyl sulphide present in garlic may help improve iron metabolism.

Due to its numerous benefits, sometimes it is called wonder drug.

How to use

The best and most effective way to use garlic as medicine or herb is by crushing it.

• Take 2-3 cloves of garlic.
  
• Remove the covering.
  
• Cut into small pieces and crush it into paste in a stainless steel bowl.
  
• Leave it for 10-15 minutes.
  
• Add some water and drink it.
  
• Take it half an hour after meal.
  
• Continue to drink more water for some time.

 Side effects

The main social reason people don’t like to use it is because of its bad smell. It makes breathe and sweat smell like garlic. Eating fennel seeds or drinking lemon juice helps to reduce its smell.

Excessive use or large dose may produce problems such as irritation or damage to digestive tract.

If you are on blood thinning medication such as warfarin or aspirin you should consult a doctor before using it.

How to open or balance swadhistan chakra.

In this post, I will write about different ways to activate or balance swadhistan chakra.

By meditation

-          Sit cross-legged on floor or on chair with spine erect and breathing normally.
-          Take your awareness at the place of swadhistan chakra in the body.
-           Imagine solid ball of energy in bright orange colour and in clear state rotating clockwise.
-          Chant mentally sound ‘vam’ as if you are knocking for it to open.
-          Continue for few minutes.

By Yogic exercises.

Ashvinimudra (contraction of anus)

Sit crossed legged on floor with spine erect or straight.

• Squeeze and contract anus. Hold for a few seconds and relax.
  
• Repeat for a few times while breathing normally

By refining exercise

In the set of refining exercises, exercise no. 3 also helps to open swadhistan chakra together with muladhar chakra when done regularly. When energy of rootedness gets refined and rises up, it gets transformed to energy of creativity. When it reaches swadhistan chakra, it opens up swadhistan chakra.

By yogic asanas.

A good yoga posture that helps to open swadhistan chakra is bhujangasana (the cobra pose)

Lie down on your abdomen; stretch your legs out with toes pointed. Bring your hands near your shoulders and palms faced down and elbows on your sides. Place your forehead on the floor.

Lift your head as if you are watching a wall in front of you. Then allow your upper body to lift up gently without putting pressure on your hands. Now lift up your chest and upper body by pressing the palms down. Lift up more without causing any pain on the back. Your navel may be off the floor, but pelvis remaining on the floor. Expand your chest and take a few breathes.

 Hold it for few seconds. When you feel complete release pressure off your palms and allow yourself to come down on the floor. Put your arms under your head like a pillow and rest your head on one side and relax.

Other benefits of bhujangasanas are:

• It strengthens and tones back muscles.
  
• It may help to relocate slipped discs.
  
• It relieves back pains and helps to keep spine flexible and healthy.
  
• Stretches chest and lungs.
  
• Firms buttocks.

Swadhishtan (sacral) chakra

Introduction

In this post, I will write about swadhistan chakra. Swadhistan chakra is the second chakra in series of the seven chakras of human subtle energy system. Swadhistan is a Sanskrit word. ‘Swa’ means self or own, ‘adhistan’ means abode or place of residence. So it’s called ‘self abode or own place of residence.

Location

Swadhistan chakra is located at the root of the reproductive organ, two fingers width above muladhar chakra. It is located along the spine within sushumna nadi. At the second junction of ida, pingala and sushumna nadis.

Structure

Six yoga nadis emanate from this chakra. So it looks like a six-petalled lotus flower.  It has a bright orange colour in its clear state. It is rotating clockwise. It is connected with the physical element of water, more subtle and more powerful than the element of earth. At this chakra, energy is vibrating at a higher frequency and has more power than energy at root chakra. Its seed mantra or sound to activate it is ‘vam’.

Working

It is associated with reproductive and urinary system. Body organs controlled by this chakra are kidney, bladder, genitals, lower abdomen, and lumbar region of spine. Endocrine glands associated with it are testes and ovaries, producing hormones, testosterone or estrogen, important for sexual behavior or reproduction.

The union of male sperm and female egg produces fertilization, the little most body part called zygote. Zygote is the first master cell. Later it divides into two cells. In astral body, they form muladhar chakra and swadhistan chakra. The spermatozoa and eggs are locations where latent genetic information is stored.

The swadhistan chakra contains unconscious desires, especially sexual desires and unconscious memories of this life and previous lives. It is a place of residence of all human mental impressions or sanskaras. For this reason, it is extremely difficult to raise kundalini energy, the energy of consciousness, above this chakra. Many yogis or practitioners have to face sexual temptations associated with this chakra.

It is associated with creativity and sexuality. The energy of creativity is generated here. It supplies us with energy of creativity of thinking. The energy of creativity fuels our thinking process by breaking down fat particles into brain cells. It connects us with the inner source of inspiration and pure knowledge.

The person with a well-balanced swadhistan chakra has a lot of joy in their life. They are creative, energetic and dynamic in all their activities. They understand needs of others. They continuously learn new techniques through their experiences. Any technique they learn, they transform and improve it,  and put into practise to improve quality of life of oneself and others. As this chakra is associated with water, a person with balanced chakra has inventive and flexible nature. Like water, he or she can adjust under obstacles of life and adapt to any situations.

As this chakra fuels our thinking process, excessive thinking exhaust this centre. Exhaustion of this centre affects functioning of some organs like liver, kidney, pancreas, lower abdomen which are associated with it.

Some of the physical symptoms of malfunctioning of this chakra are bladder and kidney problems, menstrual trouble, impotency etc. The emotional symptoms are nervousness, desire to hide, depression, emotional overflow etc.

Unbalanced swadhistan chakra can be balanced or healed by certain yogic practices such as shakti chaalan mudra (contraction and relaxation of anus and perineum), ashvini mudra (contraction of anus), yogic asanas and pranayamas.

Turmeric and its Medicinal Uses

In this post, I will write about turmeric and its medicinal uses.

Introduction

Turmeric is a perennial plant of ginger family. Its botanical name is Curcuma longa. It grows underground like other tubers. India and Pakistan are significant producers of turmeric. It is a major part of Indian ayurvedic system of herbal medicine. It has long been used as an anti-inflammatory agent in Indian and Chinese system of natural healing.

Chemical composition

It is orange or yellowish in color. It has a mild peppery and bitter taste and mild fragrance. It is a good source of some minerals like manganese 17% and iron 10%. Apart from this it also has Vitamin B6 4.1% and potassium 3% and fibre. But the most potent element in turmeric is yellow or orange pigment called curcumin.

Medicinal benefits

Numerous studies done on turmeric have shown that curcumin is a primary anti-inflammatory agent in it. Its anti-inflammatory effect is comparable with potent drugs with no side effects or toxicity. It is also a very powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants are compounds that protect body cells from damage caused by activated oxygen molecules known as free radicals.

Rheumatoid arthritis

In many diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, free radicals are responsible for painful joints and eventual damage to the joints. People having painful joints find relief from pain by using turmeric regularly. As a home remedy, turmeric is used in fine powder form. Small dose of turmeric powder and black pepper taken with water regularly will relieve arthritis pain.

Cancers

Turmeric is useful in prevention and treatment of certain types of cancers. Frequent use of turmeric inhibits growth of new blood vessels in tumors.  It boosts effect of chemotherapy drugs and reduces its side effects. Although studies of effect of curcumin in cancer prevention and treatment in humans is in early stage, but it has been found to reduce developments of several forms of cancer in laboratory animals.

Cardiovascular system

The turmeric is useful in maintaining and treatment of cardiovascular system. It lowers LDL [bad) cholesterol while raising HDL [good) cholesterol levels in blood serum. It protects cardiovascular systems and prevents arteriosclerosis and oxidation of cholesterol in the body. When cholesterol oxidizes, it builds up on the walls of arteries. Turmeric may also prevent platelet build up along damaged walls of blood vessels.

Diabetes

Turmeric being antioxidant helps to reduce insulin resistance in diabetes. Turmeric with other spices like cinnamon and fenugreek seeds may help to moderate blood sugar levels in diabetes. In diabetes take ½ - 1 teaspoon turmeric 3 times a day with water.

Other uses

• Due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of turmeric, regular and daily consumption of it can prevent onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
  
• Turmeric is an effective home remedy for asthma. Add one teaspoon of turmeric in warm milk and drink it. This mixture will relieve symptoms of asthma.
  
• It is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial useful in cuts and burns. A pinch of it put on cuts will stop bleeding and speeds up wound healing. For burns, mix 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder with 1 teaspoon aloe vera gel and apply it on burnt area.
  
• It heals sore throats, mouth ulcers and inflamed tonsils. It is useful in common cold and coughs. For that, mix turmeric with honey or put in a pinch of turmeric powder in mouth before going to bed.
  
• It may help in treatment of psoriasis and other inflammatory skin conditions.
  
• It is a liver detoxifier.
  
• It relieves pain and inflammation caused by muscle sprains and swellings. Make paste by mixing turmeric powder with common salt and water and apply it on swollen muscles or joints.
  
• If you feel bloated due to indigestion, take a small dose of turmeric with black pepper with water. It will help to relieve the problem.
  
• Mix 1 teaspoon turmeric, two cloves and 2 leaves of guava and boil in a glass of water. Let it cool down then gargle to provide instant relief from toothache.
  
• It is mixed with yellow gram flour and water to make paste, used as a cosmetic to provide a glow to skin.

Modern science is beginning to recognize amazing healing properties of turmeric in treatment of diseases. Combined with black pepper, turmeric becomes much more potent.

Due to its numerous health benefits and its colour, it is called the golden spice of life.

Side effects

 Despite its various health benefits, it is known to result in liver distress, constipation or stomach related problems if consumed in high doses for prolonged period of time. It should not be used when  you are on blood thinning medicines, such as aspirin or warfarin, or suffering from gall stones and bile obstruction.

How to Open or Balance Muladhar Chakra

In this post, I will write about different methods of opening muladhar chakra.

By meditation

Sit on floor cross-legged or in lotus pose or on chair with spine straight and erect. Breathe rhythmically. Imagine and visualize solid ball of energy in a clear and bright red color, rotating anticlockwise. Chant ‘lam’ sound mentally as you are knocking to open it. Continue for a few minutes.

By yogic exercise

The contraction of perineum by gold nugget exercise activates muladhar chakra and kundalini. Kegel exercises, although not yogic exercises, help to open and balance muladhar chakra.

By refining exercises

In the set of refining exercises, refining exercise no.3 helps to open muladhar chakra when done regularly. After some time, it slowly clears debris of negative emotions which causes blockages in energy circulation in our astral body. It acts as a vacuum cleaner of sushumna nadi. At muladhar chakra there is energy of rootedness which keeps us rooted with mother earth. When that energy of rootedness gets refined and sushumna gets cleaned, muladhar chakra opens and energy rises up and gets transformed to energy of creativity.

By yoga asanas

The following yoga asanas also help to open muladhar chakra.

1.    Setubandhasan (Bridge pose)
2.    Salabhasan (Locust pose)

Yoga asanas should be done on empty stomach.

1.Setubandhasan

 

Lie down on your back with arms on your side and palms facing downwards. Bend your knees bringing soles of your feet close to the buttocks.

Lift your hips, pubic bone and spine upward by pressing down on the soles of feet, weight shifted to shoulders and chest expanded. Bring the arms under you while holding hands together. Breathe normally. Hold it for a few seconds.

When you want to release your posture, first release your hands and allow the spine to roll down slowly. Then relax

This posture also helps to strengthen the muscles of the abdomen and thighs. It alleviates back pain and helps to keep the spine flexible.

2.Salabhasan

 

This posture helps to open muladhar chakra by contracting perineum muscles.

Lie down on your abdomen. Bend arms from the elbow. Put palms of your hand facing down at the waist. Lift both legs up from the back keeping them stretched and straight. Lift your head and chest. Breathe normally. Hold for a few seconds.

When you want to release the posture, bring the hands and leg down and relax. This posture is also good for lower back problems. It helps in reducing lower back pain and sciatica. It also helps to improve the function of the digestive system.

Muladhar (Root) Chakra

In this post, I will write about muladhar chakra, the first of seven chakras of energy system of astral body.

Introduction

Muladhar is a Sanskrit word. ‘Mul’ means ‘root’ and ‘adhara’ means ‘support’. All other chakras are above this and it provides support for our physical existence, so it is called muladhar chakra.

Location

It is situated at the base of spine in the vicinity of the coccygeal plexus. It lies between anus and the reproductive organs, two fingers above anus and two fingers below the reproductive organs. It is at the junction where ida, pingala and sushumna nadis meet. Its superficial activation point is situated on the perineum close to the anus. The great potential spiritual energy, kundalini, is sleeping here waiting to be awakened.

Structure

Four important nadis are emanating here, which appears as the four petals of the lotus flower. Its colour is bright red. It is associated with the element earth, the heaviest of all the five physical elements. It is rotating anti-clockwise. Seed mantra or sound to activate it is ‘lam’. The endocrine gland related to it, is prostate gland and adrenal gland. The body functions associated with it is elimination and sex drive. Body parts related with it are anus, reproductive organs, legs, knees etc.

Working

The muladhar chakra has to work at optimum for energy to start moving upward. When energy moves upwards, you become more and more silent and the mind becomes steady. Silence, calmness and coolness are by products of energy moving upwards. Tension, anger and irritation are signs of energy moving downwards. At this first chakra, there is energy of sex, the lowest form of energy. We live life at minimum.  When that energy is little purified, it becomes energy of love. When energy of love is purified, it becomes spiritual energy. Efficient working of muladhar chakra gives us vitality, vigour, growth, health etc.

 The physical symptoms of malfunctioning of muladhar chakra are obesity, legs and knees problem, prostate cancer, back aches, painful or frequent urination etc. The emotional symptoms are uncertainty about money and future, holding on to old ideas, anger of the past, blaming others, deep grief etc.

The dysfunctional muladhar chakra can be healed by certain yoga practices such as mulabandha, meditation and yoga asanas.

Wheat Grass and its Medicinal Uses

In this post, I will write about wheat grass and its medicinal uses.

Introduction

Wheat grass is a young grass of common wheat plant. For medicinal purposes, it can be grown in home gardens. It may be chewed or can be used as a juice.

Chemical composition

Wheat grass has many nutritional and disease healing properties. It has many minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium etc. It has Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, laetrile - Vitamin B17 etc. Laetrile is important in the treatment of cancer. Beyond that is has carbohydrates, proteins, fats and amino acids. But the most important element is chlorophyll.  The chlorophyll is also available in green vegetables and other grasses; but wheat grass is a better source of chlorophyll. Also chlorophyll available in wheat grass is of better quality and easily digested by the body.

We know that human blood has haemoglobin. In haemoglobin there is one element called haemin. The chemical structure of haemin is very close to that of chlorophyll. In both of them, the number of atoms and its arrangement of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen atoms are almost the same. There is a small difference in the chemical structure of chlorophyll and haemin; at the centre of the chlorophyll atom is magnesium while at the centre of haemin atom there is iron. The magnesium is necessary to produce about 30 enzymes in the body. Also both blood and chlorophyll are alkaline in nature and have almost the same pH value of 7.4. So wheat grass juice is easily absorbed and digested by the body.  Due to this fact, Dr. Wigmore called wheat grass as ‘green blood’. Some famous nutritionist calls the wheat grass as nectar on earth.

How to grow wheat grass.

Wheat grass is easy to grow at home. Take seven shallow pots of one feet square and about three inch deep.
Take some good quality soil and mix it with manure or compost.  Put the mixture into all the pots, Take 100gms of wheat grain and soak it into water for 10-12 hours. Put this soaked grains on to a wet cloth and tie it tightly for 10-12 hours. By this time, they will start sprouting.  Then put and spread them into one of the above pots, touching each other. Cover them with a thin layer of soil. Water it slightly. Prepare one pot daily for seven days. Water them carefully and regularly. On the eighth day, when they have reached a height of about 4-5 inch, cut them with scissors or knife as low as possible. Wash them with clean water. Now they are ready to be used. Continue to repeat the above process as long as you need it.

How to use wheat grass

Wheat grass can be used in two ways:

1.By chewing

By chewing slowly, some digestive juices in the saliva gets mixed with it so it becomes easily digestible. Chew slowly and swallow its juice, then throw out the residual fibre. Chewing makes teeth clean, strong and healthy.

2.By drinking as juice

To make the juice, put freshly cut wheat grass into an electric mixer. Put some water and run the electric mixer for some time. Then sieve the juice and drink it. Wheat grass juice should be used fresh. After some time, it starts losing its nutrients. You can start drinking with 20-25ml of it daily and increase the dose slowly to 200-250ml.

Benefits of wheat grass

• It is a very good home remedy for anaemia.
• It can be used for asthma and bronchitis.
• It is a good cure for digestive system problems such as constipation, acidity, ulcerative colitis, diabetes.
• Wheat grass can be used as gargle for mouth ulcers, teeth and gum problems.
• It stimulates metabolism and enzyme system.
• It reduces high B.P. by cleaning and dilating blood vessels.
It is a powerful detoxifier for liver.
• Pilot study done on wheat grass therapy on ulcerative colitis showed that it significantly reduced rectal bleeding and overall disease activity.
• The hair pigmentation is influenced by the quality of blood and functioning of kidneys. It your hairs are gone gray at young age, your blood quality and functioning of kidneys needs to be improved. Wheat grass accomplices this.