Archives for September 2021

Sciatica

Sep 17, 2021 by Avi Kumar Leave a Comment

What is Sciatica?

Sciatica is a medical condition that occurs when a herniated disc, bone spike on the backbone, or lessening of the spine squeezes a section of the nerve. This triggers inflammation, discomfort, and frequently some lack of sensation in the impacted leg.

What are the Symptoms of Sciatica?

There are some typical symptoms of Sciatica:

You may feel a pain that travels from your butt, down the backside of your thigh, and then into the toe.
Sciatica typically involves both the lower left and right sides of the body.
You may experience severe pain while performing general stuff like driving, walking, running, household chores, etc. You may also feel the pain while sneezing or coughing.

What are the Causes of Sciatica?

Several causes may trigger this Sciatica. However, there are some obvious causes of this condition.
Any injury to your spinal cord may trigger this condition.
Also, doing irregular exercise may cause Sciatica.
In most cases, overweight people tend to get Sciatica more than those who are healthy or thin.
Sometimes, sleeping on a soft mattress can trigger Sciatica.
For the ladies, wearing high heels for a long time may be the reason.
Other than that, there are some health conditions, such as herniated disk, degenerative disk disease, lumbar spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, etc. can cause this Sciatica.

When to see a Doctor?

In case you have mild Sciatica, you can expect it to heal over time. You may need to see a doctor if the self-care measures are not helping you to alleviate your discomfort.
Also, if your pain is lasting longer than a week, and worsening, you should consult your doctor immediately.
In some severe cases, you may experience a sudden pain in your back or leg and you may also feel numbness and muscle weaknesses. You can have trouble controlling your bladder or bowel. These are the moment of a medical emergency without any further delay

Lifestyle Prevention of Sciatica

Preventing sciatica is possible just by following some preventive measures. Let us understand how you can avoid getting Sciatica.
The most important is to follow an exercise regime which will strengthen your back. This way you can avoid any back injury..
Maintaining a good posture while sitting and standing is important.
You should always avoid bowing over to pick up any heavy items. As a substitute, squat down to pick the objects up with the legs.
Diet is always important. Being overweight increases the chances of sciatica problems.

Common Ayurvedic Remedies for Sciatica

There are some great Ayurvedic remedies that will help you to minimize the symptoms of Sciatica.

Nutmeg Oil: Use 2 to 5 drops of Nutmeg oil with sesame oil or coconut oil and massage softly on the impacted area two times daily for the joint pain to heal.
Garlic Milk: Garlic milk is very effective to relieve any kind of pain. To make the milk,take 10 cloves of garlic and peel it. Then put the garlic cloves in a pot and boil it with two cups of milk and one cup of water for about 5 to 6 minutes and then strain the milk and drink it. Add honey for sweetness.
Guggulu: Guggulu paste is one of the most effective cures for back pain. Applying guggulu paste relieves back pain and also strengthens the muscles.

Curative Ayurvedic Herbs:

Preventative Ayurvedic Herbs:

Not Known

Pickled Ginger

Sep 17, 2021 by Avi Kumar Leave a Comment

Lemon lifts and balances Vata and Ginger gives warmth. It soothes digestion, eases nausea, hydrates tissues, and encourages proper circulation. These ginger bites go really well with rice and can be used as a side dish or can be had after heavy meals.

Good for Vata.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 Minutes
Serves: 1/2 person

Ingredients

¼ cup of thinly sliced fresh ginger
2 T freshly squeezed Lemon juice
1 t lemon zest
1 t sugar

Method

Mix ginger, ginger juice, lemon juice, lemon zest, and sugar together.
Store it in an airtight jar and place it in the refrigerator.

Serving suggestions

Should be served at refrigerated temperature.

Notes

Adding 1 teaspoon of this Ginger into any dish or just having it with meal will fuel your digestive fire.

Check out the Ayurvedic benefits of ingredients used in this recipe

Ginger

Spinach Paneer

Sep 17, 2021 by Chinmayi Kulkarni Leave a Comment

Spinach paneer is a North Indian curry made with Indian cottage cheese mixed in rich and creamy spinach sauce. It has a mild and comforting taste and is sure to be an all-time favorite for everyone.

Good for Vata, Pitta Dosha.
For Kapha, replace the paneer with tofu or omit it altogether.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 Minutes
Serves: 2 person

Ingredients

2 cups of whole milk
1 ½ t lemon juice
1 T Ghee
½ t cumin powder
1 t coriander powder
¼ t cardamom powder
½ t onion powder
¼ t garlic powder
¼ t turmeric powder
½ t amchoor powder
A pinch of Nutmeg powder
4 cups of freshly chopped Spinach
¼ cup fresh cream
Salt to taste (preferably Himalayan Salt)

Method

Boil milk in a medium pot and add half a lemon juice to separate the milk solids.
Remove from heat and let it sit for 5 minutes until it is fully separated.
Line a strainer with a cheesecloth and pour the milk through it.
Squeeze to remove all the liquid, press the solids to flatten, and let it sit for some time under pressure.
In a saucepan, melt ghee, stir in the spices and saute for a minute.
Add spinach and let it cook for 3-5 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Once the Spinach is mushy, blend it in to a fine paste and add it back to the pot.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and add fresh cream. Cover and let it simmer for 2-4 minutes.
Add cubed or crumbled paneer and cook for 1 more minute.
Turn off the flame, add remaining lemon juice and serve.

Serving suggestions

Serve hot with Chapatis or Rice

Check out the Ayurvedic benefits of ingredients used in this recipe

Rose Lassi

Sep 16, 2021 by Avi Kumar Leave a Comment

Lassi is a yogurt-based drink very popular in the northern regions of India. It not only keeps you hydrated but also fuels the digestive fire. This recipe uses rosewater for a rose-flavored yogurt drink. This recipe is very beneficial in quenching thirst and providing coolness on hot summer days.

Good for vata dosha.
Pitta if digestion is weak.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 25 Minutes
Serves: 2 persons

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk yogurt
½ cup of rose water
1 t honey
1 pinch of cardamom powder
Few drops of vanilla essence
½ cup water
Salt as per taste (preferably Himalayan salt)

Method

Blend together all ingredients with water until fully blended.
Add pink salt if needed and serve.

Notes

Dairy yogurt can be replaced with coconut yogurt.
Jaggery or coconut sugar can be used instead of honey.

Check out the Ayurvedic benefits of ingredients used in this recipe

Cardamom

Bottle Gourd/Calabash (Doodhi) Halwa

Sep 16, 2021 by Chinmayi Kulkarni Leave a Comment

Halwa is a great way to get vital plant nutrients and can be made from any sweet starchy fruit or root such as Carrots, beets, pumpkin, potatoes, etc. Just cook these vegetables with any milk of your choice to make a thick pudding.

Good for Vata.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Serves: 4 persons

Ingredients

1 cup of shredded bottle gourd (calabash)
1 T Ghee
½ t cinnamon powder
¼ t clove powder
¼ t cardamom powder
1 T raisins
1 T chopped cashews
1 cup whole milk
2 T sugar or Maple syrup
½ cup water

Method

In a saucepan, melt ghee over medium flame.
Add the spices and saute for a minute.
Stir in the cashews and roast them for 3 minutes.
Add grated bottle gourd, raisins, milk, and water and bring it to a boil.
Lower the flame, cover, and let it cook for 1 hour or until the liquid is absorbed.
Add sugar/maple syrup and mix well. Serve warm.

Note

For pitta, use beets instead of bottle gourd and replace cashews with sliced almonds.

Check out the Ayurvedic benefits of ingredients used in this recipe

Cardamom I Cinnamon i Clove I Raisin

Rectal Itching (pruritus ani)

Sep 16, 2021 by Chinmayi Kulkarni Leave a Comment

What is Rectal Itching?

Rectal itching is a common condition that occurs when you have a strong urge to scratch around your anus. This is also called pruritus ani and may have several causes, such as hemorrhoids, skin problems, not maintaining hygiene, etc.

What are the Symptoms of Rectal Itching?

Rectal itching may be linked with inflammation, burnup, and pain. The itchiness and annoyance may be short-term or more enduring, dependent on the reason.

What are the Causes of Rectal Itching?

The causes of rectal itching may be widespread, however, there are some common factors that may trigger rectal itching, such as Fecal incontinency and persistent diarrhea, elevated blood sugar, thyroid, some sexually transferred diseases, Pinworms & yeast contaminations, Skin disorders for example, psoriasis or contact dermatitis, anal tumour, hemorrhoids, etc.

When to see a Doctor?

This is a very common condition and often can be treated by home remedies or it may stop by itself after a few minutes. However, there are some instances when you may need to seek medical help. For example, if your rectal itching is acute and constant, you have rectal bleeding or stool seepage. If your anal area appears infected. You can’t figure out anything triggering the irritation and discomfort for the persistent itching.

Lifestyle Prevention of Rectal Itching

Preventing rectal itching is possible by following some measures. However, identifying the causes of rectal itching is important. Because rectal itching may be caused by various reasons and the measures also depend on the cause of the condition.
In case your rectal itching is caused by hemorrhoids, you should follow the measures that can prevent hemorrhoids. Such as taking a bath with baking soda, try to soak hemorrhoids in hot water with half a cup of baking soda, applying neem oil, etc.
Diet is very important in preventing this condition. You should always try to avoid spicy foods, fermented foods, and those foods which contain yeast.
Staying away from alcohol is very important to prevent any condition.

Common Ayurvedic Remedies for Rectal Itching

There are some Ayurvedic remedies to treat the causes of rectal itching. Some of the herbs are really effective on hemorrhoids, Anal fissures, worms, etc.

For Worms: This herbal formula can eradicate worms entirely. Take 5 parts of Vidanga, 2 parts of Shardunika, half part of Trikatu and mix them well to make it a mixture. Use a quarter tsp of this mixture on your infected area two times daily
Triphala: Triphala is also a very effective herb in order to treat a number of conditions. So taking half a tsp of triphala in one cup of hot water daily at night will help you.
For Hemorrhoids: You can take 2 teaspoons of Isabgol in a glass of water or buttermilk and consume it before going to bed.

Curative Ayurvedic Herbs:

Triphala | Neem | Trikatu | Shardunika | Vidanga

Preventative Ayurvedic Herbs:

Not Known