daily health tips

Skin blemishes, blackheads, and pimples can be treated with water and natural cleansers. As regards local treatment, hot fomentation should be applied to open up the pores and squeeze the waste matter. Then rinse with cold water. Sun and air baths by exposing the whole body to sun and air are highly beneficial. The healing packs made of grated cucumber, oatmeal cooked in milk, and cooked, creamed carrots used externally, have been found to be effective. The orange peel is valuable in the treatment of acne. The peel, pounded well with water on a piece of stone, should be applied to the affected areas. The lemon has also proved beneficial in removing pimples and acne . It should be applied regularly. A teaspoonful of coriander juice, mixed with a pinch of turmeric powder, is another effective home remedy for pimples and blackheads. The mixture should be applied to the face after thoroughly washing it, every night before retiring. The juice of raw potatoes has also proved very valuable in clearing skin blemishes. This cleansing results from high content of potassium sulphur, phosphorous and chlorine in the potato. These elements are, however, of value only when the potato is raw as in this state they are composed of live organic atoms.

Water has been used as a valuable therapeutic agent since time immemorial. In all major ancient civilizations, bathing was considered an important measure for the maintenance of health and prevention of disease. It was also valued for its remedial properties. The ancient Vedic literature in contains numerous references to the efficacy of water in the treatment of disease. Water exerts beneficial effects on the human system. It equalises circulation, boosts muscular tone and aids digestion and nutrition. It also tones up the activity of sweat glands and in the process eliminates the damaged cells and toxic matter from the system. The common water temperature chart is: cold 10ºC to 18ºC, neutral 32ºC to 36ºC, and hot 40ºC to 45ºC. Above 45ºC, water loses its therapeutic value and is destructive.

Today, a simple hint for diabetics: Bathing in cold water greatly increases the circulation and enhances the capacity of the muscles to utilise sugar. But surprisingly, bathing in warm water followed by mild exercise such as walking as increases the circulation and enhances the capacities of the muscles to utilise sugar. How do you choose? If there is skin deterioration in the case of diabetes, bathe in cold water. If the skin is intact, bathe in hot water. Add sea salt or Epsom salts to the hot water bath but not the cold.

The patient should be given a lukewarm enema for a few days to cleanse the bowels. Neutral immersion baths, hot foot baths, ultrasonic diathermy and exposure of the affected parts to infra-red rays, a knee pack applied for an hour every night, stream baths and a massage once a week are beneficial in the treatment of arthritis. All general cold water treatments, such as cold baths and cold sprays, should be avoided. Also helpful is the warm bath. Ensure easy ingress and egress from the bathing tub to maintain the benefits of bathing. Limit the time in the bath to 30 minutes a day.

When bathing is impractical, consider the full wet sheet pack. This is a procedure in which the whole body is wrapped in a wet sheet, which in turn is rapped in a dry blanket for regulating evaporation. The blanket should be spread on the bed with its edges hanging over the edge of the bed. The upper end should be about eight inches from the head of the bed. Then spread a linen sheet wrung out in cold water over the blanket so that its end is slightly below the upper end of the blanket. The patient should lie on the bed sheet with his shoulders about three inches below the upper edge. The wet sheet should be weekly wrapped round the body of the patient, drawn in, tightly tucked between the legs and also between the body and the arms. The sheet should be folded over the shoulders and across the neck. Now the blanket should be drawn tightly around the body and tucked in along the side in a similar manner, pulling it tightly. The ends should be doubled up at the feet. A Turkish towel should be placed below the chin to protect the face and neck from coming into contact with the blanket and to exclude outside air more effectively. The head should be covered with a wet cloth so that the scalp remains cold. The feet should be kept warm during the entire treatment. If the patient's feet are cold, place hot water bottles near them to hasten reaction. The pack is administered for half an hour to one hour till the patient begins to perspire profusely. He may be given cold or hot water to drink. This pack is useful in cases of fever especially in typhoid and continued fevers, and benefits those suffering from insomnia, epilepsy and infantile convulsions. It is useful in relieving chronic cold and bronchitis and helps in the treatment of rheumatism and obesity.

Treatment through water is extremely beneficial in curing the painful swelling of the testicles known as hydrocele. Cold hip baths twice daily in the morning and the evening, for 10 minutes each time, are specially valuable. For a cold hip bath, an ordinary tub may be used. It should be filled with cold water. The patient should sit in the tub, keeping the legs outside. A hot Epsom-salts bath is also very useful in the treatment of hydrocele and should be taken once or twice weekly, if possible.

Persons with high blood cholesterol level should drink at least eight to 10 glasses of water every day as regular drinking of water stimulates the excretory activity of the skin and kidneys. This in turn facilitates elimination of excessive cholesterol from the system. Regular drinking of coriander (dhania) water also helps lower blood cholesterol as it is a good diuretic and stimulates the kidneys. It is prepared by boiling dry seeds of coriander and straining the decoction after cooling.

A simple but effective remedy for itching is water. In cases of acute itch, wrap the affected area with a thick soft cloth. The cloth should be moistened with cool but not cold (55 to 65º F) water every 15 minutes for two hours at a time. The bandage should be left intact, keeping the cloth cold. For the first few moments, there may be intensification of itching or pain but this will quickly subside. Use the cold compress twice daily for a week or so to see results. For the first few moments, there may be intensification of itching or pain but this will quickly subside. Use the cold compress twice daily for a week or so to see results.

The patient with piles should drink at least six to eight glasses of water a day. He should avoid straining to pass a stool. Cold-water treatment helps the veins to shrink and tones up their walls. The treatment is done by sitting in a tub filled with cold water for two minutes with knees drawn up to your chin. The water level should cover the hips. This should be done twice a day. Other water treatments beneficial in curing piles include cold perennial douche and cold compress applied to the rectal area for an hour before bedtime.

Smelly foods are good for you. Their odour is often due to the presence of sulphur. Without the mineral sulphur, there could be no proteins. All living matter contains some sulphur; this element is therefore essential for life. The greater part of the sulphur in the human body is present in the two sulphur-containing amino acids, methionine and cysteine, or in the double form of the latter cystine. The main purpose of sulphur is to dissolve waste materials. It helps to eject some of the waste and poisons from the system. It helps keep the skin clear of blemishes and makes hair glossy. It is also valuable in rheumatic conditions. The main sulphur-containing foods are radishes, carrots, cabbage, cheese, dried beans, fish and eggs. There is no recommended dietary allowance. But a diet sufficient in protein will generally be adequate in sulphur. Deficiency of sulphur may cause eczema and imperfect development of hair and nails. Sulphur creams and ointments have been remarkably successful in treating a variety of skin problems.