Simple and effective home remedies

Here   are   some   doctor-approved home remedies that cure back pain, headaches, insomnia, and much more, Home remedies are a staple of natural medicine. They are cheap and fast, often work just as well as a drugstore fix, and may be as near as your spice cabinet, refrigerator, or laundry room.

Sore throat

Mix together a clove bud, which is anti­septic and fights infection, with 1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger (or 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger) and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon — the latter two because of their anti-inflammato­ry properties. Infuse the tea in 2 cups boiling water, and for every cup, stir in 1 teaspoons soothing and sweet raw honey. Sip throughout the day until your throat settles down.

Dandruff

Douse it with a cup of antioxidant-packed green tea. which will naturally exfoliate dry flakes without dehydrating skin. Steep two bags of green tea in 1 cup hot water for 20 minutes to overnight. Once it has cooled, massage the strong tea into your scalp.

Pimples

Treat them with tea tree oil and witch hazel, both of which have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. As soon as you feel a pimple forming, dot either tonic on the area twice a day for 2 or 3 days. Never use rubbing alcohol because that only dries out and irritates skin without having any effect on the bacteria that cause acne.

 Sunburn

Take a lukewarm bath with 1 cup added ground oatmeal (grind it with a mortar and pestle; instant oatmeal works fine), 1 cup whole milk, 2 tablespoons honey, and 2 ta­blespoons aloe vera gel. Oatmeal is anti-in­flammatory, honey is antiseptic, milk's proteins and fats soothe skin, and aloe numbs pain. Afterward, moisturise with a cream containing hydrating shea butter and aloe.

Diarrhoea

Drink a cup of chamomile tea. The herb has an antispasmodic effect that stops con­tractions in the lower intestine.

Flatulence

Sip one cup hot water steeped with 1 tea­spoon caraway seeds, which stifle the en­zymatic action that causes gas.

Warts

Clean the area. Then cut a piece of duct tape to a size slightly bigger than the wait. Apply the duct tape to the site and rub into place. Every three days, remove the tape and file down dead skin with a pumice stone or nail file. Repeat until the wart disappears. Chemicals in the tape suffocate and kill the wart.

SUPPLEMENTS: THE ESSENTIALS

These are the natural fixes experts trust. Follow label directions and use them to :

GET ENERGIZED

1 ) Ginseng

 (Chinese herb with palmately compound leaves and small greenish flowers and forked aromatic roots believed to have medicinal powers)

All varieties of ginseng stimulate the re­lease of an adrenal hormone called ACTH, which increases alertness and physical per­formance. Look for products that contain 4 -5 per cent ginsenosides, the root's active ingredient. Caveat: Do not use ginseng if you're taking antibiotics or the blood thinner warfarin.

2) Guarana

The seeds of guarana, a Brazilian shrub , boost memory, mood, and alertness. Caveat: Be­cause guarana contains caffeine, do not use if you have high blood pressure or a heart condition.

BEAT PAIN AND   inflammation         

Omega-3 Fatty Acids   

Found in fish oils and   flaxseed, omega-3s effectively tamp down inflam

mation and pain. Caveat:       Because   omega-3s  thin        the biood, do not use if  

you are already taking a daily dose of aspirin or warfarin. Capsaicin compound found in  hot peppers . Capsaicin soothes sore muscles by

first  stimulating, and then decreasing pain signals.

  

IMPROVE DIGESTION AND REGULARITY

1.Psyllium Husks (Plantain of Mediterranean regions whose seeds swell and become gelatinous when moist and are used as a mild laxative - fleawort, Spanish psyllium, Plantago psyllium)

Taken with at least 8 ounces of water or juice as a fibre powder, psyllium aids in the absorption of food and prevents constipation by absorbing liquid in the intestines, making a softer stool that's easier to pass. Caveat: Use as part of a daily wellness regimen; do not use if you have stomach pain, nausea, or vomiting.

2.Ginger

The active ingredients in ginger root can calm queasiness and relieve indigestion and excessive gas.

BOOST IMMUNITY PROBIOTICS

A Swedish study found that employees given "healthy" bacteria supplements every day missed less work because of illness than those given none.

Andrographis (Kirayat in Hindi , Nilavembu, Sirunangai, Siriyanangai in Tamil)

Our natural-health advisor, James Duke, vouches for this Asian plant's ability to pre­vent colds or curtail their symptoms.

New York Times News Service

Courtesy : The Hindu

IMPACT OF THANE CYCLONE

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Cuddalore                                                                                      Date line 08/01/2012

Thane was announced  well in time. But nobody thought it would be of such a magnitude creating  havoc in the life of so many people. Unlike the tsunami of 2006 loss of life was negligible. The damage to infrastructure –power , water supply and communication systems, crops, poultry was immense.

The power supply was cut on the night of 29th Dec as a precautionary measure.It failed when the cyclone struck in the early hours of 30thJan 2012.It was  restored only today 8th Jan by 6 pm in Cuddalore. The power supply to rural areas and to agricultural pump sets is yet to be restored. The cyclone did a heavy damage to Cuddalore district and Pondicherry. Thousands of trees every where have fallen. Electric posts have fallen in large numbers about 5000. Besides, about 300 transformers have been dislodged. Crops in lakhs of acres have been damaged due to the cyclone  Cashew, casuarinas, sugarcane, coconut paddy all lost over night. I also incurred loss due to falling of teak wood trees  (21) and coconut 50. coconut trees are 5 years old and expected to bear next year. The moringa and lime trees in my kitchen garden and neem tree in front of our house were all damaged. The 5 feet dish antenna I had in the 2nd floor terrace was lifted  (அலேக்கா) over the 3 feet parapet wall and it fell on the compound wall breaking the custard apple tree (சீத்தாப் பழம்) and damaging the service wiring from the street post.

 In major parts of Cuddalore power is yet to be restored. We were literally in dark as cell phones could not be charged and many cell towers did not function after the cyclone. Only BSNL cells worked fairly well despite their main tower in the town falling on the fateful day. The towers were powered by generator. Power was given to the one of the main roads after 6 days. Now every day they are setting right one after other. Even today in my street only 2 houses are powered and the rest are in dark as they are served by  another transformer. People suffered as there was no water supply from 30th till about yesterday. Some thing was done by water tanker lorries here and there on some days which could not meet all the needs of all the people. We had to here in generator to run the motor to lift water. Generators were in demand and we had to pay more and use influence to get one. Since I had a bigger tank and as it was filled on 29th we could manage for the first 5 days and then got the generator. 

Milk was sold for as high as Rs 100 a litre on 30th.It was in short supply in the first 4 or 5 days. Now it is more or less normal. The condition the rural areas is still worse. No water supply and no power supply. Agricultural pump sets can not be run for another one month at least .Kerosene was not available and it was also sold for up to Rs 100 per litre. Then it was not available as all had to use it for lighting. All essential things like candles, rava, maida etc were charged exorbitantly on 30th and 31st. Then it was out of stock as roads were blocked by fallen trees.
In short it was a night mare.

I took some photographs of fallen/broken trees on 30th Dec. But due water drop falling on the camera it has been short circuited and I can hope to see and share the photos only after taking to the Sony service centre.

The Government has announced relief and it has not reached every body as there is no scientific method to ensure that it reached all the affected people. The pity is what is happening in the district is known to all others and not the residents in the district as there is no power in most of the areas till now. Cable TV has failed as many dishes have been damaged. 

The worst was what happened to my Sony digital camera. It was damaged when I attempted to take a photograph of the fallen dish antenna using flash. The technician says it can not be repaired as the circuit board has been damaged

It is a mad mad world and it is a sad sad story. I will stop here as I am afraid you may start crying!