BLACKHEADS

• Mix 1 teaspoon lime juice with 1 teaspoon cinnamon (dalchini) powder and apply on the affected area frequently.
• Mix 1 teaspoon each turmeric (haldi) powder and juice of fresh coriander (dhania) leaves and apply on the affected areas before going to sleep.

BRUISES & BURNS

BRUISES

• Slice a raw onion and place it over the wound for 2 hours.
• DO NOT APPLY THIS TO BROKEN OR CRACKED SKIN

BURNS BY CHEMICALS

• Wash the burnt area with tap water (running/flowing water) till the fire subsides. Do this for at least 30 min. for proper dissolution of chemicals.

BURNS BY ELECTICITY

• Avoid contamination of the wound. Wrap the patient in clean and washed cloth sheet. Apply ice cubes or cloth dipped in icy water and keep changing them to avoid contamination and thereafter infection.

BURNS BY FIRE

• To put out th fire, roll the victim on the ground and wrap him in rugs, blanket or coat
• Immediately apply glycerine on the burnt area. Burn a handful of mango leaves to ashes and apply it on the affected parts.

BURNS BY FLAME

• Keep the burnt part under tap water for 10 min. and apply glycerine.
• Keep an ice cube over the affected area.
• Bandage the area with betel leaves (paan ka patta)

BURNS BY HOT WATER

• Boil some neem bark (chhaal) in water and apply this froth n the affected areas till 7 days.

BODY BURNS

• Mash a ripe banana and apply on the burns. Bandage with batel leaves (paan ka patta).
• For minor burns apply ice pack fo 10 min.
• Mix 4 teaspoon of each lime juice, coconut oil, and betel juice and apply on th affected parts.
• Apply curry leaves (kury patta / meethi neem) as poultices over the burns. Spread a thin layer of honey over it and cover with a dressing. Replace it after every 2-3 hrs.

BREATHING PROBLEM & BRONCHITIS (In children)

BREATHING PROBLEM

• Mix 1 teaspoon of camphor (kapoor) in ½ cup of slight warm coconut oil and apply on the chest.
• Boil 2 tb. spoon fennel seeds (saunf) in 1 cup of water till it is reduced to half. Filter. Take this 1 tb. spoon every morning and evening for 1 week.
• Boil 3 tb. spoon powdered nutmeg (jaiphal) in 1 cup sesame oil (til ka tel). Cool, filter and apply on the affected area.

BRONCHITIS (In children)

• Mix 1 teaspoon oil of garlic (lasan) and 3 teaspoon honey and give a small amount of this 3 times a day to the child.

BOILS

• Slightly roast an onion on naked flame. Mash it and mix it with 1 teaspoon each turmeric powder and ghee. Apply and tie bandage.
• Mash garlic cloves and apply on boils.
• Grind neem leaves and apply on boils
• Apply paste of ginger (adrak) powder and turmeric (haldi) (1:1) on the boils.
• Grind some black cumin (shahi jeera) with water and apply on the boils.
• Heat black pepper powder in ½ teaspoon ghee and use it as an ointment.
• Take fenugreek leaves (methi patte) paste, heat it and when lukewarm, apply on the boils.
• Soak bread in warm milk and sandwich the mixture between folds of a clean cotton cloth. Apply this poultice to the boils and hold in place with a cotton bandage. This draws the dirt to the surface of the skin and simultaeneously bursts the boil.

BAD BREATH

• Chew a piece of cinnamon (dalchini) put in betel leaf (paan ka patta).
• Boil some cinnamon in a cup of water. Store it in a clean bottle and use it as a mouthwash.
• Chew some parsley leaves for fresh breath.
• Chew some cardamom (ilaichi) seeds to sweeten your breath.
• Gargle with a decoction of parsley and clove buds frequently.

BALDNESS

• Boil 1 cup mustard oil (sarson ka tel) with 4 tablespoon henna (mehndi) leaves. Filter and Bottle. Massage on bald patches regularly.
• Grind the remains of tobacco smoked in a hookah or pipe and add to boiling mustard oil. Cool and store. Massage on bald patches regularly.
• Rub 1 teaspoon of oil in which raw mangoes are preserved for at least 1 year (but without any masala or spices e.g. salt, pepper, etc.) on the scalp frequently.
• Grind 1 tb. spoon liquorice root pieces (mulati) in 1 cup milk with ¼ teaspoon saffron (kesar). Apply this paste on bald patches at night regularly.
• Grind fenugreek seeds (methi dana), with water and apply on the head. Leave for at least 40 min. before washing. Do it every morning for a month.

BACKACHE

• Rub some ginger paste on the affected area and let it dry.
• Apply eucalyptus-oil on the affected area.
• Take paste of 10 Tulsi leaves with honey and then drink 1 glass of water.

ARTHIRITIS

• Eat 1 fresh fish daily in meal but without any spices (masala).

ANIMAL BITE

• Take ½ teaspoon of powdered ground black cumin seeds (shahi jeera) with warm water, twice a day till the wound heels.
• Mix equal quantity of castor oil and kerosene oil(or petrol) and massage the affected area with it. AVOID ITS CONTACT WITH BLOOD OR INTERNAL TISSUES.

ANKLE (Swelling & pain)

• Mix equal quantities of castor oil and lime juice. Massage the affected area with it.
• Drink 1 cup of warm water mixed with 1 tb. spoon of lime-juice and honey.

APPETITE LOSS (Anorexia)

• Mix equal quantities of carom (ajwain), fennel seeds (saunf), dried ginger powder (sonth), salt, and black cumin seeds (shahi jeera) and powder it. Add a teaspoon of this powder and a teaspoon of hot Desi Ghee to cooked rice and eat frequently.
• Mix 2 teaspoon of each amla juice, lime juice, and honey with 1 cup of water and drink it every morning on an empty stomach. If fresh amla is not available then soak 1tb. spoon of dried amla in 1 cup water overnight, strain it in the morning and add 1/8 teaspoon black pepper powder(kali mirch) and 2 teaspoon lime juice to it. This mixture can substitute the fresh amla juice.
• Take ½ teaspoon of black pepper powder and mix it with 1 tb. spoon sugar, eat it empty sugar
• Finely chop a 1”(1 inch) piece of ginger (adrak). Add 1 ½ cup of water. Boil, simmer it for 2-3 min.Add milk and sugar to taste and take it frequently like tea.
• Drink peppermint tea to recover appetite.
• Mix the juice of 2 lemons with 1 teaspoon chopped mint (pudina) leaves, ½ teaspoon roasted cumin seed powder (bhuna jeera), black salt (kala namak), and a pinch of sugar. Add a glass of water, stir well and drink.
• DO NOT PRACTISE THE ABOVE REMEDIES AFTER RISING FROM A LONG ILLESS.

ASTHMA

• Mix 1 teaspoon honey with ½ teaspoon cinnamon (dalchini) powder and have it before going to sleep at night.
• Boil carom seeds (ajwain) in water and inhale the steam.
• Boil 8-10 flakes of garlic(lasan) in ½ cup of milk. Have it at night, it gives excellent results in early stages of asthma.
• Boil 10-15 drumstick leaves(sahijan) in 1 cup water, simmer for 2-3 min.,cool and strain. Add salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste. Take this mixture everyday, once or twice.
• Boil 6 cloves(lavang) in 3 tb. spoons of water. Take 1 teaspoon of this decoction with a little honey thrice a day.
• Mix ¼ teaspoon asafetida (hing), 2 teaspoon honey (shahad), ½ teaspoon juice of betel leaf (paan ka patta), ½ teaspoon white onion juice. have it 2-3 times a day.
• Mix equal amounts of ginger(adrak) juice, honey & pomegranate (annar) juice. Take 1 tb. spoon, 1-2 times a day.
• Take 3-4 dry figs, wash them with warm water. Soak overnight in a cup of water. Eat them first thing in the morning and also drink the water. Do this for 2 month.
• Mix 1 tb. spoon of fresh ginger (adrak) juice, 1 teaspoon black pepper (kali mirch) and 1 tb. spoon of lukewarm water and have it 2-3 times a day.
• Mix 10-15 drops of fresh garlic (lasan) juice with 1 glass of warm water and have it 2-3 times a day.
• Boil linseed in water and take 30 ml. of this decoction 2-3 times a day.

ANAEMIA

• Avoid drinking tea, coffee or alcoholic drinks immediately after/with meals as the tannin present in these hinders in the absorption of iron and other minerals from the food.
• Take freshly prepared apple juice 1 hour before the meal or before sleeping in the night. REMEMBER the stomach should be empty (do not take a meal at-least 1 hour before taking the juice) while taking the juice and also do not eat/drink anything for about ½ - 1 hour after.
• Children and Teenagers can take the juice of beetroot or both beetroot and apple mixed. REMEMBER to take the precautions discussed above.
• Mix 1 tb. spoon of amla juice with a ripe mashed banana and eat it 2-3 times a day.
• Have a ripe banana with 1 tb. spoon honey,1-2 times a day.
• Soak 8-10 almonds (badam) with a teaspoon of rice overnight. Remove the outer skin of almonds and grind the mixture into a fine paste. Boil it with 1 ½ cups of milk and a pinch of turmeric (haldi) powder. Sweeten and drink once a day for a week.
• Soak 10-12 currants (munnakas) in water overnight. Remove seeds and eat them. Repeat this for 2-3 weeks.
• Have juice of 250gm of spinach everyday for 2-3 weeks.
• Have plenty of food rich in iron e.g. honey, almonds, bananas, apricots (khurmani), raisins (kishmish), fenugreek (methi) leaves/seeds, lettuce (salad leaves), onion, spinach (palak), grapes, tomatoes, carrots, gooseberry (amla), beetroots (chukander), apples, pomegranates (anaar), etc.

ACIDITY

• Suck a small piece of jaggery (gur) every hour till acidity subsides. Jaggery eliminates acidity, improves digestion and helps in expulsion of worms in small children.
• Suck a clove (lavang) after the meals. It not only gives instant relief but also helps in reducing the onslaught of diseases arising out of acidity. Clove helps in building appetite, removes phlegm and also increases the number of white blood cells
• Drink coconut water 3-4 times a day.
• Have a plateful of watermelon (tarbooz) and/or cucumber (kheera) every hour.
• Mix 2 teaspoon of Harad juice and mix with equal amount of Amla juice and have it everyday after meal.
• Have 6-10 dried figs with a glass of lukewarm water at bedtime.
• Grind 3-4 corns of black pepper, 7-8 fresh marigold petals, and 1 tb. spoon of crystalline sugar (mishri) into a fine paste and have this.

ACNE & PIMPLES

• Mix the juice of 1 lemon with an equal quantity of rose water and apply it on the face for ½ hour. Then wash the face with fresh water. Repeat this procedure for 15 days.
• Massage the face with lemon skin and then wash the face with lukewarm water.
• Grind the leaves of Tulsi and apply the paste on the face. DO NOT use this method on pricked or peeled pimples.
• Mash a small amount of raw papaya and apply in on the face. After 15 minutes wash the face with lukewarm water. Eating of raw papaya will also give remarkable effects.
• Mix 1 teaspoon of lime juice with 1 teaspoon of mint (pudina) juice and apply on the affected area overnight.
• Mix 1 teaspoon of turmeric (haldi) powder to 1 teaspoon of mint juice and apply and wash at bedtime.
• Grind a cucumber and mix it with multani mitti and apply it as a mask overnight and wash the face with lukewarm water in the morning.
• DO NOT PRICK AND PEEL THE PIMPLES AS IT COULD LEAVE PERMANENT MARKS ON THE FACE. DRNK PLENTY OF WATER (2 - 3 LITRES A DAY).

Kesar - Saffron

Also called as, Crocus sativus

For fair complexion: Blend a few strands of saffron in a cup of raw milk and let it soak overnight. Apply on to your skin the next morning and leave it for at least an hour.

Pepper - Medicinal Properties and Benefits

I got something to share upon a very good medicinal herb.

Pepper - Medicinal Properties and Benefits

Pepper
Pepper, also known as the “king of spices” is one of the oldest and most important of all spices. The pepper plant is a stout, smooth evergreen creeper, much swollen at its nodes.

Black pepper is the whole dried fruit, while white is the fruit subjected to treatment in water with the mesocarp removed. Both varieties are ground and used in a powdered form. Black pepper is stimulant, pungent, aromatic, digestive and nervine tonic. Its pungency is due to the resin chavicin, which is most abundant in the mesocarp.

Black pepper consist of moisture 13.2 percent, protein 11.5 percent, fat 6.8 percent, minerals 4.4 percent, fiber 14.9 percent and carbohydrates 49.2 percent per 100 grams. Its mineral and vitamin contents are calcium, iron, phosphorus, carotene, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin.

Botanical Name: Piper nigrum
Indian Name: Kali mirch

Health Benefits of Pepper

Below are some of the medicinal properties of Pepper:

- Pepper is an appetizer and a good home remedy for digestive disorders. It has a stimulating effect on the digestive organs and produces an increased flow of saliva and gastric juices. Powdered black pepper, thoroughly mixed with malted jaggery, may be taken in the treatment of such conditions. Alternatively, a quarter teaspoon of pepper powder mixed in the buttermilk can be taken during indigestion or heaviness in the stomach. For better results, an equal part of cumin powder may also be added to the buttermilk.

- Pepper powder and common salt mixture is an excellent dentifrice. Its daily use prevents dental caries, foul breath, bleeding from the gums, painful gums, toothaches and cures the increased sensitiveness of the teeth. A pinch of pepper powder mixed with clove oil can be put in the caries to alleviate toothache.

- Pepper is useful in the treatment of cold and fever. Six pepper seeds finely ground and mixed in a glass of warm water along with 6 pieces of batasha – a variety of sugar candy can be taken for a few nights for good results. In case of acute coryza or cold in the head, 20 grams pepper powder boiled in milk with a pinch of turmeric powder can be used once daily for three days.

- As an external application, pepper dilates the superficial vessels and acts as a counter irritant. A tablespoon of pepper powder fried in sesame oil until it is charred can be applied beneficially as an analgesic liniment for mylagia and rheumatic pains.

- A pinch of finely ground pepper mixed with honey taken twice a day is beneficial in amnesia or dullness of intellect.

- Pepper is a valuable remedy for cough caused due to throat irritation. Three peppers sucked with a pinch of caraway seeds and a crystal of common salt provides relief.

- Eating 6 peppers with 4 almonds once daily with milk is a nerve tonic and act as an aphrodisiac especially in an impotent person.

- Pepper is effective in pyorrhea or pus in the gums. Finely powdered pepper and salt mixture when massaged over the gums relieves inflammation.

- It is most widely used as a condiment, its flavor and pungency blending well with most savory dishes. It is extensively used in pickles, ketchups, sausages and for seasoning dishes.

Hair care - Herbal Remedies for Hair Loss

Following are some of the effective herbal remedies for hair loss:

- Coconut oil also helps in getting long and healthy hair. Take coconut oil depending upon the hair size and mix 2-3 raw amla in it and massage your hair with this mixture.

- Massage your hair with coconut milk or warm mustard oil containing henna. This will improves blood circulation and helps in hair growth.

- Apply spinach juice on the scalp. It prevents hair loss.

- You can also apply neem paste on your scalp and hair. This will fight against any kind of germs and lice in hairs.

- Massage your hair and scalp simply with your hand after your daily bath. This will improves blood circulation and prevents hair loss.

- Prepare a mixture by adding one tablespoon amla powder and lemon juice each. Add little water to it to make a thick paste. Use this mixture as a hair cleanser for 2-3 weeks. This will stop hair loss and makes your hair healthy and beautiful.

- Grind one tablespoon black pepper and lemon seeds each and prepare a paste using them. Apply this mixture on head and scalp. Keep it for 10-15 minutes and then rinse of using clean cold water. This will prevent hair loss and help in hair growth.

Hair care - Home Remedies for Hair Care

Following are some of the effective home remedies for hair care:

- For falling hair squeeze the juice of a lemon in a bowl and add a part of the root of a banyan tree into it. Use this solution to wash the hair. When the bath is over, apply coconut oil on the scalp. Repeat this therapy for a few days. It is very effective in preventing hair loss.

- If you want to get rid of dandruff, mix some camphor in coconut oil. Apply this oil daily on the scalp. The application should be done nicely, with the fingertips working at the hair roots in the scalp. Dandruff will be easily removed in about fifteen days.

- Prepare a mixture of lemon juice and coconut oil. Apply this mixture on the hair and massage it deep into the scalp. Do this regularly for a few days. It will solve the problem of dandruff.

- For oily hairs apply lemon juice on your hair and keep it for 10-15 minutes and rinse off.

- You can also wash your hair using triphala powder, a natural and herbal hair care for oily hair.

- Olive oil is very useful for dry hair. Massage your hair using olive oil, as it nourishes hair and helps in its growth.

- Another easy home remedy for dry hair is honey and edible oil. Take edible oil and honey in a ratio of 1:1, mix it well and apply on hair, keep it for 15-20 minutes and rinse off with cold water.

- You can also try this simple and effective home remedy for dry hair. Apply a paste of egg yolk and water and keep it for 10-15 minutes and then rinse off the hair with cold water. This is very useful hair care for dry hair.

- Regularly hair massage with hair oil like coconut oil, castor oil and olive oil are also useful home remedy for dry hair.

- You can also apply a mixture of egg yolks, vinegar and any hair oil on scalp and keep it for 10-15 minutes then wash your hair with cold water. This is an effective hair care for dry hair.

Hair Care

Do's and Don't for Hair Care

Following are some of the simple tips for hair care

- Do not apply chemical-based bleach, hair curler, hair dryers, chemical based hair gels, and hair colors. These things dry your hair and look lifeless and hard.

- Clean your hairs regularly. Set a good routine for hair care.

- Drink plenty of water as water is good for health and hair.

- Regular trimming of hair will prevent split ends.

- Do not apply chemical based shampoo excessively as it takes away the natural shine.

- Include green vegetables, fruits, sprouts, honey, cereals, nuts, grains, milk products, and no cholesterol rich food in your diet.

- Take a well balanced diet for healthy skin and hair. Eat fish, soybeans and raw vegetable salads.