Category Archives: Health and Health Care
Need for Veg Diet
Experts tell you why going veg is a good idea, even if it’s just once a week
Detoxifies: A veggie diet contains dietary fibre (bottle gourd, pumpkins, spinach, cabbages), which flushes toxins out of the body. A diet containing only eggs, fish and mutton is a poor source of fibre.
Stronger bones: Gorging on meat can lead to protein overload. This can tax our kidneys, interfere with the absorption of calcium and prompt the body to extract existing calcium from the bones. Such calcium excretion is rare amongst vegetarians.
Carb deficiencies: A non-vegetarian diet is a poor source of carbohydrates. Carb-deficiency can lead to ketosis – a condition where the body starts breaking down fat (instead of carbs) as a source of energy.
Easy digestion: Complex carbohydrates in vegetarian foods are digested gradually providing a steady source of glucose. Conversely, meats rich in fat and proteins are difficult to digest.
Healthy skin: Eating beetroot, tomato, pumpkin and bitter gourd can clear off blemishes. And guava, apples, pears and peaches, eaten along with their peel, promise a glowing complexion.
Weight management: Avoiding meat is the simplest way to reduce fat intake. Instead, eating whole grains, legumes, vegetables, nuts, and fruits, lowers cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and obesity.
Easy on the teeth: Our molars are more suitable for grinding grains and vegetables than tearing flesh. Digestion begins with the saliva, which can only digest complex carbohydrates present in plant foods.
Phyto nutrients: Diabetes, cancer, kidney disease, stroke and bone loss are partially preventable with a good intake of phytonurtients. As these are present only in vegetarian diet, the non-vegetarians are at a loss.
Sulfur (MSM) – A Basic Essential Nutrient Needed Now, More than Ever Before
Natural Health and Longevity Resource Center
Methyl Sulfonyl Methane is a relatively new dietary supplement form of sulfur that is found in our living tissues. MSM supports healthy connective tissues like tendons, ligaments, and muscle. Thus, it is important in conditions such as arthritis, muscle pains, bursitis, etc. MSM should be considered an integral part of any health care practice because of its physiological action, indirect importance, and current / future uses.
To understand MSM, some background information is necessary. MSM is a “naturally-occurring nutrient found in normal human diets” (1). It gets into the diet through the sulfur cycle. Ocean plankton release sulfur compounds which rise into the ozone where ultra-violet light makes MSM and DMSO. DMSO, dimethyl sulfoxide, is a precursor to MSM. MSM and DMSO return to the surface of the earth in rain (1). Plants concentrate MSM and return it to the earth and the sea. Evaporation into the air results in their return to the earth (1).
MSM has a unique action on body tissues. It decreases the pressure inside the cell. In removing fluids and toxins, sulfur affects the cell membrane. MSM is an organic form of sulfur, whereas sulfites in foodstuffs are inorganic. Sue Williams states “sulfur is present in all cells” and is in the form of “organic compounds throughout the body’ (2). However, sulfur can be found in the body in sulfate forms. It forms sulfate compounds with sodium, potassium, magnesium, and selenium. MSM has a significance, because sulfur compounds are found everywhere throughout the body and in nature.
Sulfur has an indirect importance, because sulfur compounds play a role in many body organs and systems. Sulfur is in the hair, skin, and nails. Many amino acids, the building blocks of protein, have sulfur as a component. Taurine is a sulfur-containing amino acid formed from methionine (2). Taurine stabilizes cell membranes (2). Methionine contains sulfur, detoxifies cells, and is involved in pain relief (2). Carnitine comes from methionine and transports long chain fatty acids preventing accumulations of lipoproteins (2). Many B-complex vitamins interact with or contain sulfur. Sulfur is needed for insulin production.
One current use of MSM is for joint problems, as sulfur is found in and near osseous structures. Sulfur supports healthy muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Arthritic conditions have responded to oral MSM. Some researchers note results from MSM when used for post-exercise muscle pain (1). MSM normalizes pressure inside cells and removes toxins. Oregon Health Sciences University has conducted arthritis studies with mice. The mice which received MSM had “no degeneration of articular cartilage” (1). The other non-MSM mice had cartilaginous degeneration. The university has used MSM on over 12,000 patents. Researchers make no claim about MSM as a supplement, but osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, muscle soreness and muscle pain respond to oral MSM.
Homeopathy – Allopathy
There are both widely general & selectively particular perceptions – that Homeopathy is a fake and allopathy is a fact! Allopathy really works – but Homeopathy produces only a simple placebo effect! Homeopathy is slow and allopathy is fast! Allopathy is certain – Homeopathy is speculation!
Well, the actual truth is very different from these perceived realities – that is partly due to ignorance and mostly due to calculated and motivated campaign by the opponents of Homeopathy. However, in the filed of “surgery” and organ’s structural restoration, Allopathy has revolutionized health care – while Homeopathy’s role is mostly limited to post operative care for quickest healing and rapid convalescence. Here is a simple compare & contrast between the 2-systems …viz… Homeopathy & Allopathy.
- Allopathy is governed by the law of dissimilars – while Homeopathy is governed by law of similars.
- Thus, Allopathy retains, suppresses and controls the diseases – while Homeopathy liberates & removes the disease from the system.
- Allopathy uses grossly synthetic and manufactured chemicals OR derivatives from healthy or diseased animals (vaccines) – while Homeopathy mostly uses subtle natural substances from mineral, marine & vegetable origins – and occasionally from animal origin after due attenuation (potentization).
- Allopathy uses “drugs” – while Homeopathy uses “medicines”.
- Allopathy may have dangerous “side-effects” – Homeopathy has none.
- Allopathy deals with the Hardware (physical body) – while Homeopathy deals only with the Vital Force (The Software – the inherited genetic code) that runs all the involuntary functions of the body and maintains it on autopilot.
- Allopathic drugs take time – from minutes to hours – to go through the oral channel to reach the blood stream for its effect to be felt – while Homeopathic medicines are absorbed instantly in the mouth itself, through the nerves of the tongue.
- Homeopathy can work instant life saving miracles in acute emergencies – while Allopathy has limitations due to rigid inherent procedures.
- Children suffer & hate Allopathy – children enjoy & love Homeopathy.
- Allopathy is costly & unaffordable to many – Homeopathy is very cheap.
- Allopathic drugs expire – Homeopathic medicines have no expiry.
- Administration very simple and mostly oral in Homeopathy – can be very complicated (intra muscular, intravenous injections etc) in Allopathy.
- Allopathy is spare-parts therapy – Homeopathy is holistic.
- Treatment & convalescence are separate in Allopathy – convalescence occurs together with cure in Homeopathy.
- Allopathy controls and wins battles – Homeopathy cures and wins wars.
MSR Ayyangar ….. Homeopathic Counselor.
Body’s Little Quirks
Whether uncomfortable, embarrassing or just plain weird, there are some pretty funky things that our bodies do. Curious about the causes of such reactions as hiccups, goose bumps and eye twitches, we spoke with Eric Plasker, DC, author of The 100 Year Lifestyle, to get the real scoop. Read on to discover the common reasons for 14 peculiar bodily functions.
Yawns
If your body is low on oxygen, your mouth opens wide and tries to suck more in. Yawning is a way to regulate the amount of carbon dioxide and oxygen in your blood. Unfortunately, yawns are nearly impossible to stifle.
Eye Twitches
Serious eye twitches can be a symptom of neurological disorders, but often there is a more mundane explanation. Common causes for eye twitches include stress, lack of sleep extended staring or eye strain. Before you get frantic, try reducing your stress level, cutting back on caffeine and catching up on sleep.
Itches
According to Dr. Plasker, our skin most often gets itchy because of dryness associated with the environment or over-washing. Water and soap can strip skin of its natural oils, thus sapping moisture. Face or body lotion should be able to keep these types of itches under control; also look for body washes and soaps labeled ‘moisturizing’. If you still have itchy patches, you may be experiencing an allergic reaction to a chemical, plant, food, animal or drug. See an allergist if the itching is persistent.
Hiccups
If you’ve frequently got a case of the hiccups, try slowing down when you eat and drink, suggests Dr. Plasker. Doing either too quickly causes your stomach to swell; this irritates your diaphragm, which contracts and causes hiccups. You may also get hiccups in emotional situations or if your body experiences a sudden temperature change. In both of these cases, the hiccups are a result of a glitch in your nerve pathways, which is why a sudden scare – which might shake up and reset your nerves – can sometimes end an episode.
MSR Ayyangar's Blog 