NEERADI MUTHU

Botanical name : Hydnocarpus laurifolia (Dennst.) Sleumer
Synonmous name : Hydnocarpus wightiana Blume
Family name : Flacourtiaceae
Genus : A genus including trees and shrubs, which are native of tropical parts of Asia. The species are having alternate, entire or serrated leaves, Dioecious flowers and Globose berries with seeds embedded in the pulp. Some species belonging to this genus are useful as source of timber while some species are useful for the oil extraction from the seeds, which is medicinally important.

Species : This is a medium sized, evergreen tree having rough, brown bark, spreading branches, elliptic or oblong-lanceolate, leaves, white flowers and globose berries containing many seeds in embedded in the fruit pulp. The species comes into flowering during summer season. The oil extracted from the seed called ‘Hydnocarpus Oil’ is medicinal against several diseases and the species also can be planted along roadsides as a good avenue plant.

Depression

 Depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of loss, anger, sadness, or frustration interfere with everyday life .

                  Causes of Depression : Depression seems to be related to a chemical imbalance in the brain that makes it hard for the cells to communicate with one another. It also seems to be genetic (to run in families). It is caused by Sleep disturbances, Amount of exposure to light, Heredity, Nutritional deficiencies or Serious medical conditions, such as heart attack or cancer.

Depression Symptoms : Sadness, Feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness, Difficulty in Concentrating, Difficulty in making decisions, Crying easily or Crying for no reason, Aches and pains (such as recurrent headaches), Sexual problems (for example, decreased sex drive), A change in appetite causing weight loss or gain, Thoughts of death or suicide.

Depression Prevention : Using mind/body techniques, such as biofeedback, and meditation are effective ways to prevent or reduce symptoms associated with depression, Adequate sleep, regular exercise, and a balanced healthy diet may help prevent depression and diminish symptoms of this mood disorder.

Diet and Lifestyle : Avoid coffee, sugar, alcohol, dairy products: Depression has been associated with a high intake of caffeine. If you drink four or more cups of caffeine in a given day, try substituting decaffeinated coffee and soft drinks. Avoid any processed food, artificial colors, stimulant food, canned foods, smoking, dairy products, meats, eggs, and fish. Limit your total daily fat intake to 30 percent of your total calories. Try not to consume more than 300 milligrams of cholesterol a day, Vitamin B1 is necessary for the brain to metabolize carbohydrates. A deficiency of B1 can result in fatigue, irritability, memory lapses, insomnia, loss of appetite, and stomach upset. Don't believe all of your negative thinking. Avoid drugs and alcohol. Both make depression worse. Avoid making big life decisions when you're depressed.                                                                   ”siddhars way of yoga and meditation certainy help to reduce depression’’.

- Dr. S. Senthil Karunakaran

Treatment : Vata, Pitta and Kapha type Kiriyai

                  Mental disorders, including schizophrenia treatments are similar that neurosis type and  Pancha karma treatment is recommended as a stronger method.

                  Vata kiriyai: Nourishing and Sedating herbs are recommended. especially Amukkara and its various preparations. Sarpagandha (Rauwolfia serpentine), is an important  herb for mental disorders. Other good herbs include Valerian, Guggul, Sadaamanjil and Calamus. Other therapies recommended are oil and ghee therapies, including oil   enemas. To regulate Abanan, Oil and ghee therapy is advised and In addition laxatives are added to remove Abanan blockage.

Pitta kiriyai:  Purgation is recommended, even strong purgatives are often helpful. The more violent type, the more purgation is required. Good herbs for this include Senna and Aloe. Gotu kola is generally the best herb others are Karisalai, Sandalwood and Lemon. Shatavari is good for promoting a sense of love and compassion and is better for weaker types of Pitha Kiriyai. Oil bath (Vilvadhi and Sandanathi Thylam) and fomentation therapies are recommended followed by purgatives and emetics. Medicated enemas with Indhuppu  and Tharanam with Sadamanjil and Agathi are also advised.

Kapha kiriyai:  Spicy brain-stimulating herbs are recommended . The treatment is mainly with expectorant, to clear phlegm from blocking the channels and obstructing mental functioning. Important herbs are Calamus, Thulasi, Adhimathuram, Aadathodai, and Guggul. Other formulas include Trikadugu with ghee or Calams ghee. Peranda Parpam is advised for all types of Kiriyai.

     

Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri)

                  Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) has been in use since ancient times as a potent nerve tonic for rejuvenating mental health and promoting intellect and memory.  Preclinical Neuropharmacological studies demonstrate that both the standardized extract and bacosides improve short-term and intermediate memories thus improving the long-term memory. The bacosides also significantly enhance protein synthesis in those regions of the brain, which are implicated in the memory formation, a possible explanation for its memory improving effect. Double blind cross over clinical studies have been carried out in children, elderly persons and normal healthy volunteers. Studies carried out in normal healthy volunteers, elderly subjects with age associated memory impairment and children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have shown that the drug was safe, well tolerated and efficacious. Study on children with ADHD has shown that the preparation significantly improves sentence repetition, logical memory and paired associate learning.

Five ways To Sort Out the Stresses

Five ways To Sort Out the Stresses & Improve Mental Health :

1.A balanceddiet, exercise and rest can help you to reduce stress and enjoy life.Challenge yourself with a jigsaw puzzle, solve riddles or read a good book. Even better, involve others with these activities.

2.Make plans with family members, loved ones and or a tour group to visit a place you’ve always wanted to go.

3.Join a club, start a new hobby or learn a new skill such as gardening, bird watching or dancing.

4.Invite family &  friends to join you once a week for dinner &  take turns preparing meals.

5.World Mental Health Day Quotes.“Mental illness is no myth, as some have claimed. It is a disturbance in our sense of possession of a stable inner self that survives its personae.” “MARUPATHU ULANOI  MARUNTHENA SALUM’’- THIRUMOOLAR

MENTAL HEALTH WEEK: OCTOBER 9-15

                  Mental Health Week in 2011 will run from the 9 October – 15 October.The theme for Mental Health Week 2011 is – “Keeping the Balance: Investing in Your Mind and Body”                     05 Facts About Mental Health

1. Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide.

2. 33% of countries have no mental health budget.

3. 80% of the global burden of disease due to mental disorders is found in low- and middle-income countries.

4. On average about 8,00,000 people commit suicide every year, 86% of them in low- and middle-income countries. More than half of the people who kill themselves are aged between 15 and 44. 

5. War and other major disaster have a large impact on the mental health and psychosocial well being.

NATIONAL NUTRITION WEEK : SEPTEMBER 1-7

 

NATIONAL NUTRITION WEEK  

              National Nutrition week is celebrated from September 1-7 every year . Nutrition is the focal point of health and well-being. In other words, it allows you to be strong, provides you with the energy to do the things you want to do, and makes you look and feel your best.

              The theme for National Nutrition Week 2011 is "Eat Right with Color." By eating a rainbow of colors, including fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains, healthy nutrition is achievable.

Guidelines for Healthy Eating for Children:

1. Encourage children to eat a variety food .

2. Feed children five small meals a day.

3. Make starchy foods the basis of a child’s main meals.

4. Children need plenty of vegetables and fruit every day.

5. Children need to drink milk every day.

6. Children can eat chicken, fish, meat, eggs, beans, ground nut, peanut, butter every day.

7. If children have sweet treats or drinks, offer small amounts with meals.

8. Offer children clean, safe water regularly.

9. Take children to the clinic every three months.

10. Encourage children to play and be active.

MILK AND ORANGE

MILK AND ORANGE

 

   Without a shadow of doubt,   Milk is the best (and readily available) source of calcium required for proper bone growth. According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), low fat or fat-free milk is the best choice as it has high calcium content without the added fat and this facilitates easy absorption of calcium by the body. And it's not just calcium. Milk is also rich in nutrients like potassium, magnesium, riboflavin, phosphorus and Vitamins D, A and B12, all of which are important for healthy bones.      

   Oranges are packed with essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals and calcium. They are a must-have for healthy bone growth. They can be especially used by individuals who have intolerance to lactose and cannot obtain their daily calcium requirements from dairy products. So next time you help yourself with a serving of fruits, make sure you have enough oranges in that.

 

 

KNOW ABOUT HERB

KNOW ABOUT HERB

Lycium barbarum. Linn

Botanica Name : Lycium barbarum. Linn

Tamil Name       : Sottai Kala, Naavithar Mooli,

English Name     : Wool Berry,

Flower                : White Colour,

Fruit                   : Dark Red,

Medicinal Uses  : The berry enriches the blood, Useful in Bleeding Piles, Scabies,

                               Ascities.  Leafe juice improves eye sight.

Phytochemicals : Beta-sitsterol, 5 cartinides, 5 unsaturated fatty acids,

8 polysaccharides, 6 essential vitamins,18 amino acids, numerous phenolic pigments

Associated with antioxidant properties.

Relationship between Food and Three Gunam

Relationship between Food and Three Gunam

 

              Every foods have an predominance of Sathuva, Rajo and Tamo gunam in the mind.

Sathuva guna foods:

              Foods which have sattuvam influence on the mind are light in terms of their digestibility and easily nourish the mind and the body. They include fresh foods, milk, ghee, fresh fruits, most vegetables, grains, whole wheat, whole rice, mung dal, and almonds. These foods produce calmness, clarity and creativity in the mind and health and vitality in the body.

Tamo guna foods:

Tamo foods promote heaviness in the body and include red meat , alcohol, mushrooms, deep-fried, and fermented foods, aged foods, like cheese, and leftovers. These foods cause mental dullness, confusion and disorientation as well as physical lethargy and sluggishness. They also give a violent slant to the aggressive quality of rajo gunam.

Rajo Guna foods :

Food which amplify rajo in the mind increase the heat and activity level in the body. They include onions,   garlic, hot pepper, tomatoes, chilies, corn, spices, eggs, fish and poultry. These foods make the mind restless, more aggressive and emotional.

       - Dr.S.Senthil Karunakaran,

ROLE OF TASTE IN NUTRITION

ROLE OF TASTE IN NUTRITION

 

              Complete nutrition requires that all six tastes be available in our daily diet, indicating that all five bhutas are present in the necessary proportions in our food. Because neer and mann bhutas are found in the greatest proportion in the body, the sweet taste associated with them is required in greater amounts for its strengthening and nourishing qualities.

              To understand how food affects us, we must recognize that all five elements are present in the foods we eat and in the body’s organs and tissues. Governed by the doshas, digestion transforms food into substances suitable to the unique elemental composition of the various tissues and organs of the body. Like increases like. Food that is high in one bhuta increases the dosha which represents that bhuta in the body. For example, if we eat food dominated by mann and neer, it increases kapha and decreases akayam and vayu , or vatha dosha. Food high in thee increases pitta and decreases kapham.

The six basic tastes arise out of the various combination and permutations of the five elements. As a result, certain tastes increases the influence of one dosha and decrease the effects of the other two. Since the elemental make-up of food can aggravate or excite a dosha, food are categorized according to the tastes which pacify or decrease a dosha’s aggravation.

When we know the effect of tastes on the doshas, we can select foods which keep the  doshas balanced and create optimum digestion. All three doshas must be nourished and this is accomplished by taking in all six tastes in the appropriate proportions on a daily basis. A diet habitually unbalanced in taste creates doshic disorders and ama. For instance, if we eat only sweet, sour and salty foods, vathm gets nourished but pitham and kapham do not. This throws off the natural equilibrium that exists among the three of them. such a diet can correct imbalances by pacifying the excessive doshas and strengthening the weak ones.

                  

Five Healthy Foods to Eat at your Workstation

   Five Healthy Foods to Eat at your Workstation

                  We've all heard it times and again that sitting all day long at the desk isn't really good for the health. Sadly, there aren't any feasible alternatives to this mode of working. While you can't just leave your job, you can surely do something which is beneficial for your health. Eating the right kind of fruits can help you overcome the negative effects of sitting like a robot all day.

                  Here are five power foods you can enjoy while sitting at your desk. They can work wonders for your heart, blood pressure, and can even improve your memory and concentration.

WALNUTS  -

            Some new researches have pointed out that walnuts have more (and better quality) antioxidants than almonds, peanuts, pistachios and many other nuts. All nuts have been found to improve lipids and can reduce the risk of heart diseases. Walnuts have also been found to enhance cognitive and motor function in animals with Alzheimer's. Experts recommend seven walnuts a day.

CUP OF GREEN TEA -

             Polyphenols, one of the major ingredients of green tea, is known to help repair the damaged DNA and stimulate the immune system. Besides, research shows that green tea also helps in reducing the risk of cancers, including skin cancer and prostate cancer.

POPCORN -

            If there ever was a list of healthy snacks, this is definitely going to be on the list. In fact, many say that popcorn is the healthiest snack available. It is 100 percent whole grain and is big on fiber and antioxidants. If you can air-pop your popcorn and add a minimal quantity of salt, you'd have the best popcorn, say experts. If your office has a microwave, just make sure you bring a pack of low sodium popcorn to work.

DARK CHOCOLATE -

            This, too, contains those powerful antioxidants called Polyphenols which combat the risk factors (like oxidation of LDL cholesterol) for heart diseases and also inhibit clotting. Studies have also indicated that consuming a small bar of dark chocolate daily can reduce blood pressure in people with mild hypertension. Caffeine, another active ingredient of dark chocolate, can give you that much-required kick and a boost in concentration    levels.

FRUITS -

             Not only they help you conquer that “false hunger”, they are also brimming with nutrients which are needed to keep you going all day. You can choose between apples, bananas, mangoes, oranges, papayas etc. but make sure you carry some fruits to the office on a daily basis