To treat dry hair
2 tsp long pepper (Piper longum), 2 tsp Fenugreek seeds and some poppy seeds, soak them in a cow's milk and grind them together and apply it on the hair. Keep for 20 min and rinse off to make your hair soft and silky.

To get rid of dark cirlces under the eyes
Combine peanut oil 1 tsp and some lime juice and apply it regularly under the eye to eradicate dark circles under the eyes.

Stomach cramps relief
Cook rice using boiling method and use the strained liquid and combine it  along with few drops of ghee and have a tumbler full for relief.

Eat Green to Spring into Health

By Dr. Maoshing N

The green pigment in plants, chlorophyll, is structurally similar to the hemoglobin in the human body—the iron-containing element in blood. It increases red blood cell production and improves oxygenation, detoxification, and circulation. Be sure to eat several servings of fresh green vegetables every day during your detox. Try this super-cleansing broth and juice as a quick way to up your veggie intake.

Detox Broth: Add as many of these ingredients as you can into a large pot of filtered water: collards, Swiss chard, kale, mustard greens, cabbage, dandelion, Brussels sprouts, daikon radish, watercress, seaweed, shitake mushrooms, cilantro, garlic, leeks, fresh fennel, anise, fresh ginger, and turmeric. Boil until all ingredients are soft. You can make in a large batch and refrigerate for up to three days.

Detox Juice: Juice the following together: Aloe vera juice (which can be found in most health food stores), apples, asparagus, beets (including greens), cabbage, carrot and carrot greens, celery, cucumbers, and parsley. You can also purchase vegetable juice from the store, but be sure that it has no added salt or chemicals.

Home remedies with Thulasi leaves

It is also called as 'Holy Basil' and its Latin name is 'occimum sanctum'.  The holy basil is native to India. It reached Western Europe only in the 16th century. It has been now widely grown all over the globe. Thulasi or the holy basil is sacred plant not only in India.  Its medicinal properties make is holy through out the world.  The leaves, stems, seeds and the roots have medicinal and purifying effects in the human body. In India 'Thulasi' is grown in almost every house. The herbs are known from as early as the Vedic period.

The herb is bitter and pungent.  There are many varieties of basil found all over the world.  White  or (Vana thulasi) Ocimum gratissimum & Black basil or (Rama or Krishna Thulasi) Ocimum tenuiflorum were commonly found varieties. The black Thulasi is the best and has the most medicinal value.  'Thulasi' acts as an appetizer, helps in digestion, it is beneficial to heart, suppresses excessive bile, cough and flatulence and purifies the blood too.  All parts of the plants including the seeds, leaves, shoots, flowers, stems and even the roots have medicinal value and are helpful in eradicating diseases.
The leaves are nerve tonic and can sharpen memory. They promote the removal of catarrhal matter and phlegm from the bronchial tubes. The leaves strengthen the stomach and helps in digestion.  The leaves helps in bringing back the lost glow and shining in the face.

-(The above article is advice from the famous Unani Dr.Hakeem Hashmi)

Basil juice 4 drops along with a few drops of mother's breast milk can relieve infants of diarrhea, cough and vomiting. 

To help reduce diabetes,  have a few Thulasi leaves taken in empty stomach can do the trick. This along with diet and exercise can help the blood sugar to be in check.

To relieve flu like symptoms, make tea with fresh Thulasi leaves and  have it from time to time.

To prevent infections and diseases, always drink water boiled well with cleaned curry leaves, thulasi leaves and cumin seeds. First boil the water well and then add these ingredients and keep it closed.  Drink when its warm.  Even other wise, drinking warm water(boiled and cooled to warm) with Cumin seeds prevents any indigestion and helps in weight loss.

To reduce tooth ache, Take a couple of leaves of thulasi crush it really well and mix it along with a tiny pinch of salt and tiny pinch of black pepper powder and placing it on the aching teeth is know to reduce pain.

Remedies using Curry leaves

Scientific name 'Murraya koenegii'. The leaves are slightly bitter and very aromatic.  Their mineral and vitamin contents are calcium, phosphorus, iron, niacin (Vitamin B3) and vitamin C.

To prevent 'Premature Greying': Take liberal intake of curry leaves. These leaves have the property to nourish the hair roots. New hair roots that grow are healthier with normal pigment.

Hair Tonic: Boil a handful of Curry leaves and Marudhani or Mehendhi leaves(seen in the article below) in coconut oil till they are reduced to a blackened residue.  The oil forms an excellent hair tonic to stimulate hair
growth and in retaining the natural pigmentation.

For Digestion: Curry leaves possess the qualities of a herbal tonic which helps in digestion and helps to regularize the system.

To treat Digestive Disorders: Fresh juice of curry leaves, with lime juice and sugar, is an effective medicine to treat morning sickness, nausea and vomiting.

To prevent acid reflux:  Curry leaves, ground to a fine paste and mixed with buttermilk can help.  To treat upset stomach the same mixture can also be taken on an empty stomach.

Help with Diabetes: Eating 10 fresh fully grown curry leaves every morning for three months prevents diabetes due to heredity factors. It also cures diabetes due to obesity, as the leaves have weight reducing properties.

To treat burns and bruises: Curry leaves can be effectively used to treat burns, bruises and skin eruptions. They should be applied as a poultice over the affected areas.

To prevent Eye Disorders: Fresh juice of curry leaves suffused in the eyes, makes them look bright. It also prevents the early development of cataract.

Remedies using Marudhani or Henna leaves:

Scientific name is 'Lawsonia Inermis'.

Marudhani is also known as Henna or Mehendhi.  It  helps in the treatment of baldness. Mustard oil boiled with henna leaves, promotes healthy growth of hair. Two hundred and fifty grams of mustard oil is boiled in a tin basin. Sixty grams of the leaves are gradually added to the oil and heated. The oil is then filtered through a cloth and stored in a bottle. Regular massage with this oil produces abundant hair.

The seeds of the henna plant are beneficial in the treatment of dysentery. They are powdered, mixed with ghee and made into small balls of the size of a betel nut. It is also very helpful in this condition, when taken with water.

The bark of the plant is useful in the treatment of liver disorders like jaundice and enlargement of the liver. Either its powder is used in 1.25 to 5 decigram doses or its decoction in 30 to 60 grams doses in the treatment of these disorders.

The flower of the plant cures headaches caused by the heat of the sun. The headache is relieved by a plaster made of henna flower in vinegar and applied over the forehead.

A decoction of the henna leaves can be used as gargle in case of sore throat.

Henna leaves are effective in the treatment of prickly heat. The leaves ground with water are applied over the affected area.

Pessaries or vaginal suppositories made of the leaves and seeds can be used in the treatment of excessive menstruation, vaginal discharges and leucorrhea or excessive white discharge.

A paste of the leaves is applied on the soles relieves in this condition.

Henna leaves are useful in the treatment of skin problems like boils and burns. They are locally applied on the affected area. Bruised leaves can be applied beneficially in rheumatic joints, inflammatory swellings, bruises and leprosy.

Properties and remedies using Cilantro/Coriander

Also known as, Coriandrum sativum, coriander leaf, Chinese Parsley, Coriandri Fructus, Koriander, Kustumburi.

Cilantro is the leaf of the herb most the world knows as coriander. Its use can be traces back over 5000 years. Hippocrates used it as an aromatic stimulant. The Egyptians used it as a tea for both urinary tract infections and for headaches. The Romans took it to Britain, and the British took it to North America. Spanish conquistadors introduced it to Peru and Mexico, where it spread north to the Americas. Cilantro has been used to settle upset stomach in Latin American herbal healing traditions, much as other traditions use coriander, fennel, or dill. Combining cilantro with onion or Garlic increases its ability to keep food fresh. It is also thought to be an aphrodisiac.

Cilantro is more than just tasty, it's also antimicrobial. The essential oils in cilantro are especially effective against Listeria bacteria, and also slow the growth of E. coli and Salmonella. Cilantro contains flavonoids and phenols which it is claimed will aid digestion and reduce upset stomach symptoms resulting from other food related allergies.

We are all familiar with the aroma of the cilantro (dhania), also called coriander. Sanskrit texts have mentioned the herb and it has been familiar as an important culinary and medicinal plant since early times. In the Bible, coriander is compared with manna. The Chinese associated it with immortality.

The Cilantro plant is an annual herb with fine foliage. The leaves are finely divided into very narrow, lacy segments while the lower leaves are round and lobed. Flowers are small pink, pale blue, or white, borne in compound umbels. Small, round, ribbed seeds, which follow the flowers, have a sweet, spicy aroma with a peppery overtone and a mildly burning taste with just a hint of orange peel. The aroma and taste of the mature dried seeds are quite different to that of the leaves.

All over the world cilantro is used to garnish various dishes. South Indian foods, especially the chutneys and rasam (soup), are insipid without coriander. Coriander seeds are known to have antibacterial properties and have been used in traditional medicine to relieve anxiety and insomnia. The seed or Coriander as they call it can be made as a powder after roasting which also helps to clear the body of lead, mercury, and aluminum. Coriander powder is also used as a flavoring agent in a number of pharmaceutical preparations, especially the digestive medicines.

India is a major coriander powder producing country, where Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu, and Madhya Pradesh are main production areas. Globally Canada, Morocco, Pakistan, Bulgaria, and Romania are the major Coriander producing countries.

Recent research studies on animals have confirmed healing effects like control of blood sugar, cholesterol and free radical production. When coriander was supplemented to the diet of diabetic mice, it helped stimulate their secretion of insulin and lowered their blood sugar. When given to rats, coriander reduced the amount of damaged fats in their cell membranes.

And when given to rats fed a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet, coriander lowered levels of total and LDL that is the “bad” cholesterol, while actually increasing levels of HDL the “good” cholesterol.

A poultice of Coriander seed can be applied externally to relieve painful joints and rheumatism.

Medicinal utility as said by Suchetha Sarathy the chief Ayurveda physician at a hospital in Mysore, India.

Coolant: Juice of coriander mixed with mishri (sugar candy) is a super coolant for people in tropical countries in hot days.

Throat pain: Few seeds of coriander and few seeds of black pepper chewed frequently will alleviate throat pain.

Eye infection:  For relief from the agony of conjunctivitis, the cooled decoction of coriander powder can be used as an eye wash.

Digestive: Soak one teaspoon of dhania seeds and one teaspoon of desiccated and powdered amla seeds overnight, add honey and consume at early morning or empty stomach in the event of headache and stomach ache. This will also increase appetite.

Body odor: To limit body odor, add 3 grams of dhania (coriander) powder and 5 grams of Amla or Gooseberry powder to a glass of water and drink two to three times a day.

Acidity: For two parts of dhania powder add one part of mishri and store in an air-tight container in a dry place. A spoon of this powder taken two times daily will relieve you of constipation and acidity.

Menstrual problems: Crush cilantro leaves and extract juice. Mix 10 to 15 ml of juice with a little kapur (camphor). Take two to three times a day to stop excess bleeding during the menstrual cycle.

Joint pain: Mix powders of methi seeds (fenugreek) and ajwan (Carom seeds) with coriander seed powder in equal quantity. This will ease the pain in osteoarthritis.

Cough: 50 grams of ground coriander seed mixed with 100 grams of honey is an excellent cough suppressant.

High-blood pressure:  Soak one tablespoon of coarsely ground coriander seeds in a cup of filtered water overnight. Filter out the seeds the next morning. To this add a spoonful of mishri (sugar candy) powder and drink it early in the morning.

Morning sickness: To a glass of rice-washed water, add a spoon full coriander seed powder mixed with equal candy sugar powder. This has to be taken early in the morning.

Urinary infection: Soak coarse coriander powder in boiled and cooled water overnight. Filter before drinking in the morning.

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Chinese medicine says coriander is warm, pungent, that it induces perspiration, helps with digestion and positively affects the lungs and spleen. Coriander is also widely used to cure halitosis and bad breath in general. A tea made with coriander will eliminate cold stomach ache and help with excessive gastric acid problems.

Cilantro offers the bitter and astringent ayurvedic tastes, and is considered cooling and cleansing in ayurveda. It is tridoshic, but particularly beneficial for balancing Pitta and Kapha. It enhances digestion without aggravating Pitta dosha, and helps strengthen liver function. According to modern nutrition, cilantro contains vitamin C and smaller amounts of vitamin E, calcium, iron and niacin. The detoxification properties of cilantro, long recognized in ayurveda, received additional substantiation a few years ago, when it was discovered that cilantro helps in the chelation of heavy metals such as mercury and lead.

Couple of interesting applications: People with cracked lips or heavy thirst should not eat coriander. Regular consumption of coriander will reduce the smell of urine due to internal heat.

12 Ways to enhance Digestion:

1. Each morning, have a glass of warm water to which a tablespoon of lemon juice has been added. You can drink it straight, or with a touch of raw honey or turbinado sugar. Lemon juice is a purifier of the digestive tract.

2. Have a glass of digestive lassi which is served at room temperature during lunch. Lassi is drink made with buttermilk.  It can be flavored with spices like Cardamom, Nutmeg, etc. You can also add rose water or add mango pulp etc..Lassi helps enhance the digestive flora without clogging the microcirculatory channels of the body. Lassi should not be taken after sundown.

3. A slice of fresh ginger with a little lemon juice is recommended by ayurvedic healers as a way to stoke the digestive fires and appetite before a main meal. If you can't eat the ginger root, try squeezing out fresh ginger juice and combine the juice with lemon juice and a little warm water. Drink about 30-60 minutes before a main meal.

4. Do not skip breakfast. Stewed fruit and cooked cereal make an easy-to-digest breakfast that will keep your digestive fire stoked through the day.

5. Cook with digestion-stimulating spices. Ayurvedic spices such as dried ginger, turmeric, cumin, coriander and ajwain (carom seeds) not only enhance digestion, they also help flush toxins out of the body and help improve absorption and assimilation of nutrients. Foods that are harder to digest, such as lentils, should always be cooked with digestion-enhancing spices to help prevent discomfort and flatulence.

6. Replace caffeinated and carbonated beverages with herb-spiced teas. A cup of fragrant fennel tea after lunch helps aid digestion. If you enjoy the taste of fennel, you can chew on a few seeds after lunch or dinner. It acts a mouth freshener too.

7. Minimize snacking between meals, as your digestive system needs a rest-and-recharge time to function efficiently at mealtimes and after. If you do feel hungry during the day in-between meals, eat fresh fruits, its easy on the digestive system. Fruit is not recommended after sundown.

8. Soaking grains, lentils, nuts and seeds for 30-60 minutes in warm water helps make them easier to digest. Cook them with a pinch of Turmeric and HIng (Asafoetida)

9. Eat heavier foods, such a Cheese, paneer or any food with animals products at lunch. Your digestive fires peak around the middle of the day, and are less bright in the evening at dinnertime.

10. Avoid iced beverages, because they have the effect of dousing the digestive fires. Sip a little warm water or room temperature water with meals. Drinking warm water through the day, especially warm water spiked with digestion-enhancing spices like cumin seeds or powder helps digestion as well as purification.

11. Contrary to common knowledge raw food is not good. Cut down on raw foods because they are more difficult to digest. Steaming covered, or sautéing briskly can help make foods easier to digest without too much loss of nutritive value.

12. Buy fresh vegetables and fruits, prepare and eat food fresh too. According to ayurvedic healers, foods that have been sitting around and processed foods are taxing on the digestion and more likely to create ama. You can grow your own vegetables however small your back yard is. If not, your next best choice should be your local Farmer's market.