daily health tips

Intense emotions often cause headaches. Many people who outwardly appear to have a pleasant disposition may actually be simmering about a job, or may bear resentment towards a person or something. This hidden hostility may manifest itself as headache. It is important, therefore, that negative feelings should not be bottled up, but should find some safe means of expressions. How can you know your headache is due to stress? The answer is simple. Tight neck muscles are a sign of stress. Pain across the forehead is a sign of stress. What can you do to treat stress headaches. To relieve tension, add tension. Tighten the muscles at the back of the neck as you count 10, and then release. If you repeat this exercise several times, your headache will be relieved.

Many wrong beliefs are prevalent about the causes of leucoderma. It is not caused by eating fish and drinking milk at the same time, as is generally believed because even vegetarians suffer from this disorder. Other food combinations such as pumpkin and milk, onion and milk as possible causes of leucoderma also have no basis. Leucoderma is not caused by any germs; nor is it due bad blood. It is neither infectious nor contagious. It cannot be transmitted from one person to another by physical contact. The main causes of leucoderma are excessive mental worry, chronic or acute gastric disorder, impaired hepatic function such as jaundice, worms or other parasites in the alimentary canal, ailments like typhoid which affect the gastrointestinal tract, defective perspiration mechanism and burn injuries. Often the hormone secreting glands are involved in this disorder. Heredity is also a causative factor and about 30 per cent of patients have a family history of the disorder.

The main symptoms of neuritis are tingling, burning, and stabbing pains in the affected nerves. In severe cases, there may be numbness and loss of sensation and paralysis of the nearby muscles. Thus a temporary paralysis of the face may result from changes in the facial nerves on the affected side. During the acute stage of this condition, the patient may not be able to close the eyes due to loss of normal tone and strength by the muscles on the affected side of the face. The chief cause of neuritis is chronic acidosis, that is, excessive acid condition of the blood and other body fluids. All the body fluids should be alkaline in their reaction, but when the acid waste matter is continuously formed in the tissues over a long period due to a faulty diet, it results in acidosis. Wrong habits of living, over work, etc., lower the tone of nervous system and contribute towards neuritis. This disease can also result from a variety of nutritional deficiencies and metabolic disturbances such as faulty calcium metabolism, deficiencies of vitamins B1 (thiamine), B6 (pyridoxine), and B12.

The essential fatty acids which reduce serum cholesterol levels and minimise the risk of arteriosclerosis can be obtained from sunflower seed oil, corn oil or safflower oil. Several studies have indicated that garlic can reduce the cholesterol level in persons whose body normally cannot regulate the cholesterol fractions. Other important cholesterol lowering foods are alfalfa and yoghurt. Lecithin helps prevent fatty deposits in arteries. Best food sources are unrefined, raw, crude vegetable oils, seeds and grains. Fruits and vegetables in general are highly beneficial in the treatment of heart disease. Seasonal fruits are quite effective heart tonics. Apples especially contain heart stimulating properties and the patients suffering from the weakness of heart should make liberal use of apples and apple jams. Fresh grapes, pineapples, oranges, custard apples, pomegranates and coconut water also tone up the heart. Grapes are effective in heart pain and palpitation of the heart and the disease can be rapidly controlled if the patient adopts an exclusive grapes diet for few days. Grape juice, especially will be valuable when one is actually suffering from a heart attack. Indian gooseberry or amla is considered an effective home remedy for heart disease. It tones up the functions of all the organs of the body and builds up health by destroying the heterogeneous elements and renewing lost energy.

Persons with a tendency to lose hair should thus take a well balanced and correct diet, made up of foods which in combination should supply all the essential nutrients. It has been found that a diet which contains liberal quantities of
(i) seeds, nuts and grains,
(ii) vegetables and
(iii) fruits
would provide adequate amounts of all the essential nutrients.
Each food group should roughly form the bulk of one of the three principal meals. These foods should, however, be supplemented with certain special foods such as milk, vegetable oils, honey, wheat germ, yeast and liver.

Low blood sugar is one of the causes of irritability and headache. Sugar is not a cure for low blood sugar, though it may raise the blood sugar temporarily and make one feel better for a while. Low blood sugar is the result of an abused pancreas which over stimulates the production of insulin in the body. It can be controlled by eating smaller meals at short intervals rather than the standard three large meals daily. The intake of carbohydrates should be cut down to the minimum. Coffee should be eliminated as it over stimulates the pancreas.

Overcome depression with activity. The depressive mood can be overcome by activity. Those who are depressive will forget their misery by doing something. They should turn away from themselves and consider others. At home they can take to decorating, repairing or constructing something new. The pleasure of achievement overcomes the distress of depression.

It not only keeps the body physically and mentally fit but also provides recreation and mental relaxation. It is nature' best tranquilliser. According to Dr. Robert Brown, a clinical associate professor at the University of Virginia School of Medicine," Exercise produces chemical and psychological changes that improves your mental health. It changes the levels of hormones in blood and may elevate your beta-endorphins(mood-affecting brain chemicals). Exercise may also improve the function of the autonomic nervous system."

Numerous medicated shampoos are available in the market for the treatment of dandruff. Most of these, however, in the process of curing the disorder, cause irreparable damage to the hair roots because of the synthetic ingredients contained in them. The treatment of dandruff has to be constitutional, if a permanent cure is desired. The foremost consideration in the treatment of this disorder is to keep the hair and scalp clean so as to minimise the accumulation of dead cells. The hair should be brushed daily to improve the circulation and remove any flakiness. The most effective way to brush the hair is to bend forward from the waist with the head down towards the ground, and brush from the nape of the neck towards the top of the head. Short or shoulder-length hair can be brushed right from the roots to the ends in one stroke. In the case of long hair, two strokes would be best to avoid stretching the hair.

Acid works danger, but base works health. Here are the miracles of the alkalising diet. The human body is composed of various organs and parts, which are made up of tissues and cells. These tissues and cells are composed of 16 chemical elements. The balance or equilibrium of these chemical elements in the body is an essential factor in the maintenance of health and healing of disease. The acid-alkaline balance plays a vital role in this balanced body chemistry. All foods, after digestion and absorption leave either an acid or alkaline ash in the body depending on their mineral composition. The normal body chemistry is approximately 20 per cent acid and 80 per cent alkaline. This is the acid-alkaline balance. In normal health, the reaction of the blood is alkaline and that is essential for our physical and mental well-being. The preponderance of alkalis in the blood is due to the fact that the products of the vital combustions taking place in the body are mostly acid in character. Carbohydrates and fats form about nine-tenths of the normal fuel of the body. IN normal health, this great mass of material is converted into carbon dioxide gas and water. Half of the remaining one-tenth fuel is also converted into the same gas and water. This huge amount of acid is transported by the blood to the various points of discharge, mainly the lungs. By virtue of alkalinity, the blood is able to transport the acid from the tissues to the discharge points. Thus, our daily diet should consist of four-fifth of alkaline-forming foods such as juicy fruits, tubers, legumes, ripe fruits, leafy and root vegetables and one fifty of acid-forming foods containing concentrated proteins and starches such as meat, fish, bread and cereals. Eating sensibly in this manner will ensure the necessary alkalinity of the food which will keep the body in perfect health.