Ayurveda seems to have taken a back-seat in the hustle bustle of modern life, with material comforts becoming the norm while we ignore the various gifts that nature has to offer to us on an everyday basis.

Instead of being in harmony with nature, we have adopted artificial practices that disturb the equilibrium of mind and body. We can’t sleep, concentrate or relax. The imbalance in our lives manifests in addiction, disease and – eventually – an early death.

Living naturally in sync with the ayurvedic principles can do away with the requirement for expensive medical treatment or needless suffering from debilitating diseases. Here are 10 very simple tips to prepare you for the journey to good health.

Connect with nature: You need to spend more time outdoors, preferably in parks and gardens, and not be confined to the four walls of your house. The fresh air and green environs prepare one’s body and mind for everyday life and work by naturally recharging our cells.

Take a moment to breathe: The air we breathe gives us prana energy, and this energy goes down when we take short breaths. “Breathing exercises or pranayama, which are part of an ayurvedic lifestyle regimen, revitalise your body. Pranayama drives the energy of the air (prana) throughout your body, restoring it and preserving its vitality,” says Dr Partap Chauhan, director, Jiva Ayurveda, Delhi.

Get stronger with yoga: Simple yoga postures (hatha yoga) included in the ayurvedic lifestyle regimen make your body strong, supple and healthy. Your body becomes more agile and flexible, so you can do your best in all situations at work and in life.

Wake up before the sun: Most diseases today are lifestyle-related, which can be easily avoided by steering clear of the frequent lifestyle mistakes we make. “The simplest way to lead a healthy life is to follow the ayurvedic dincharya. This routine involves waking up two hours before sunrise, eating at the right time, sleeping on time, performing light exercises and practising yoga daily,” explains Dr Keshav, a senior ayurveda physician based out of Delhi.

Clean your sense organs: According to ayurveda, the gyaanendriya (sense organs) should be kept clean. But what is the correct way of doing this? “Every morning, wash your eyes well. Once in a while, you can use rose water or triphala-soaked water to wash your eyes. As the coating that forms on the tongue is a sign of ama, make sure you scrape it daily. Brush your teeth, gargle with lukewarm water and put a few drops of oil in each nostril every morning. This will clear your senses and prepare you for the day ahead,” explains Dr Keshav.

Eat healthy: Ayurveda says you may never need medicines if you eat healthy. The secret to eating healthy is to eat in accordance with your body type and have a sattvic diet. How should one do this? “It is easy. Choose seasonal fruits and vegetables for your diet; eat freshly prepared, easy to digest foods. Fast food slows you down, so you should avoid it,” says Dr Partap.

Be sattvic: To attain sattva (purity and positivity), avoiding non-vegetarian food items, onion and garlic is just not enough. “The things you read, the music you choose to listen to, the images and videos you watch – everything influences your gunas. If you watch and listen to sattvic information, your sattva guna will increase. Similarly, if you are surrounded by tamasic (darkness and negativity) things all day, your tamasic guna will increase. How you behave with people around you should also be sattvic,” says Dr Keshav.

Keep your digestion strong: According to Dr Partap, nutritious food gets converted to rasa which – in turn – becomes dhatus and then ojas (the purest essence of the dhatus form) thereby strengthening the immune system. However, in order to form ojas you need good metabolism and a strong digestive system.

Debunking the ‘myth’ that strenuous exercise increases infection risk by suppressing the immune system, a new study says that competing in endurance sports like marathon running may actually be beneficial for upping immunity. “It is increasingly clear that changes happening to your immune system after a strenuous bout of exercise do not leave your body immune-suppressed,” said study co-author John Campbell from University of Bath in Britain.

“In fact, evidence now suggests that your immune system is boosted after exercise for example we know that exercise can improve your immune response to a flu jab,” Campbell added. Research from the 1980s, which focused on events such as the Los Angeles Marathon, asked competitors if they had symptoms of infections in the days and weeks after their race.

Many did, leading to a widespread belief that endurance sports increase infection risk by suppressing our immune system. In a detailed analysis of research articles that have been published since the 1980s, this new review study, published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology, has reinterpreted the findings. The researchers explained that for competitors taking part in endurance sports, exercise causes immune cells to change in two ways. Initially, during exercise, the number of some immune cells in the bloodstream can increase dramatically by up to 10 times, especially “natural killer cells” which deal with infections.

After exercise, some cells in the bloodstream decrease substantially — sometimes falling to levels lower than before exercise started, and this can last for several hours. Many scientists previously interpreted this fall in immune cells after exercise to be immune-suppression. However strong evidence suggests that this does not mean that cells have been ‘lost’ or ‘destroyed’, but rather that they move to other sites in the body that are more likely to become infected, such as the lungs, according to the study.

The researchers, therefore, suggested that low numbers of immune cells in the bloodstream in the hours after exercise, far from being a sign of immune-suppression, are in fact a signal that these cells, primed by exercise, are working in other parts of the body. “The findings from our analysis emphasise that people should not be put off exercise for fear that it will dampen their immune system. Clearly, the benefits of exercise, including endurance sports, outweigh any negative effects which people may perceive,” study co-author James Turner from University of Bath said.

India is bestowed with exotic fruits; one of them being custard apple, also known as sitaphal or sharifa in Hindi. Custard apple has a unique taste, essential nutrients and various impressive health benefits. It is a tropical fruit native to Central America and scientifically known as Annona reticulata. Closely related to bullock's heart, or ramphal, this fruit is vaguely heart shaped and is generally green in colour. Custard apple is soft and contains a few black inedible seeds. It is believed that the name 'custard' is given considering the consistency of the fruit. It is a blend of sweet and tangy flavour, almost similar to a citrus fruit.Custard apple is said to possess nutrients that include vitamin-C and vitamin-B6 along with minerals like calcium, magnesium and iron. The fruit contains no fats or cholesterol, but may have some calories to add up. In addition, custard apple has various polyphenolic compounds with antioxidant properties that boost the nutritive value of the exotic fruit.

Here are some of the health benefits of custard apple that will convince you to add this fruit in your daily diet.

1. May Help Improve Vision

Custard apple is said to be an excellent source of riboflavin and vitamin-C that helps combat age-related macular degeneration and other eye-related problems.

2. Also Helps Build Immunity

Thanks to the presence of natural antioxidant vitamin-C that makes custard apple an excellent source of boosting the immune system. This vitamin is known for its anti-inflammatory properties. It is said that just a serving this creamy fruit in your daily diet can build better resistant against infections.

3. May Help Reduce Joint Pain

The high amount of magnesium regulates and equalises water balance in the body, and removes acids from the joint, further reducing the risk of developing arthritis. Regular consumption of custard apple may help to fight muscle weakness too.

4. May Help Treat Digestive Issues

The sweet-sour fruit is effective for treating digestive issues by flushing out toxins from the intestine, further aiding in proper functioning of the bowel. In fact, it is said to treat diarrhoea by consuming it in its unripen form, which is dried and crushed.

5. Boosts Haemoglobin Count

The sufficient levels of iron content present in custard apple are beneficial for curing anaemia by increasing blood count. So, load up on custard apple more often.

6. A Skin Friendly Fruit

This fruit acts as a skin rejuvenator; thanks to the essential nutrients it contains. Regular consumption of custard apple is said to thicken and stimulate the collagen that reduces fine lines and wrinkles. It is also known to improve hydration in-and-around the cells, helping the skin glow naturally.

7. Keeps Your Hair Woes At Bay

The vitamin-C content and antioxidant present in custard apple help to regulate sebum production in the scalp, thereby, reducing flaky skin and dandruff. It also inhibits scalp inflammation, preventing hair fall.

Do not miss eating this exotic fruit and bring it to your rescue by adding it in your daily diet.

पुरुष आणि महिलांचं शारिरीक आरोग्य वेगळं असतं. शरीर तंदुरूस्त असल्यावर पुरूषांमध्ये आत्मविश्वास येतो आणि आपण अधिक उर्जावान असल्याचे त्यांना जाणवते. महिलादेखील तंदुरूस्त आणि बॉडी बिल्डर पुरूषांना पसंत करतात. चांगली शरिरयष्टी कमावण्यासाठी पुरूषांना व्यायामासोबत चांगल खाद्य खाणंही महत्त्वाचं आहे.

बदाम, स्प्राउट, मिल्क आदिंच्या सेवनाने शरीर अशा पॉवर फूडचा समावेश करणं गरजेचं आहे.

रेड मीट

बीफ किंवा रेड मीट शरीराला मजबूत बनवते. रेड मीटमध्ये प्रोटीन, जिंक आणि विटामिन बी सर्वाधिक असतं. हे शरिराला उच्च कॅलरी आणि ताकद देते.


मच्छी

मच्छीमध्ये ओमेगा ३ सर्वाधिक असतं ज्यामुळे शरीराला उर्जा मिळते आणि मांसपेशिय तयार होण्यास मदत होते. बॉडीमध्ये जास्त फॅट असल्यास बाकीचं खाणं कमी करुन केवळ मच्छी खाल्ल्यास पर्याप्त उर्जा मिळते.

ब्रोकोली

शारिरीक तंदुरूस्ती हवी असल्यास ब्रोकोलीचं सेवनं आवश्यक आहे. ब्रोकोलीमध्ये विटामिन सी भरपूर प्रमाणात असते जे मांसपेशी मजबूत करते. यामुळे पोटासंबधी कोणत्या समस्या जाणवत नाहीत. यामुळे मेटाबोल्जिम सुधारते आणि वजन कमी होते.

सोयाबीन

शरीर फक्त नॉन-शाकाहारी खाल्ल्याने सुदृढ बनते असे नाही. शाकाहारीमध्ये तुम्ही सोयाबीन, मटार, कडधान्यामध्ये भरपूर प्रथिने आणि फायबर असतात. यामुळे शरीरास बळकटी होते. याचे नियमित सेवन केल्याने शरिर क्षमता वाढण्यास मदत होते.

लापशी

लापशी खाल्यानंतर शरीराला संपूर्ण दिवस ऊर्जा मिळते. या सेवनमुळे शरीरात कोलेस्टेरॉल वाढत नाही आणि अॅनाबॉलिक प्रक्रिया वाढू लागते तसेच शरीरात ग्लुकोजची मात्रा नियंत्रित होते.

अंड्याचा सफेद भाग

अंड्यामध्ये आठ प्रकारचे अमीने एसीड असते जे शरीराच्या निर्माणासाठी आवश्यक असते आणि मांसपोशी निर्माण करते. याशिवाय अंड्यामध्ये विटामिन, एसिड आणि अन्य पोषक तत्वदेखील असतात.

पनीर

पनीर खाल्ल्याने तोंडाची चव बदलते असे काहींना वाटते पण याच्या सेवनाने मांसपेशी निर्माण होण्यास मदत होते. याच्या सेवनाने बराच वेळ भूक लागत नाही.

पावसाळ्यात लहानांसोबत मोठ्यांचीही इम्यूनिटी कमी होते. पावसाळा अनेक आजारांना निमंत्रण देते. वारंवार होणारी सर्दी, खोकला आणि ताप यामुळे अनेकजण हैराण असतात. पण तुमची रोगप्रतिकारकशक्ती चांगली असल्यास तुम्हाला या समस्यांवर मात करणे सोपे होते. म्हणून रोगप्रतिकारकशक्ती वाढवण्यासाठी आहारात या पदार्थांचा समावेश करा. पाहुया रोगप्रतिकारकशक्ती वाढवण्यासाठी कोणते पदार्थ फायदेशीर ठरतात....

आवळा
सकाळी नाश्यात एक आवळा खा. व्हिटॉमिन सी युक्त आवळ्यामुळे तंदुरूस्त राहण्यास मदत होते.

कोरफड ज्युस
यात अॅंटी ऑक्सिडेंट असल्याने रोगप्रतिकारकशक्ती वाढून आजारांशी सामना करण्यास मदत होते. ३० मिली कोरफड ज्यूस १०० मिली पाण्यात मिसळून प्या.

अक्रोड
अक्रोडमुळे मानसिक स्वास्थ्य उत्तम राहते. त्याचबरोबर इम्युनिटी वाढते. म्हणून पावसाळ्यात हेल्दी आणि फिट राहण्यासाठी अक्रोड अवश्य खा.

अळशी
अळशीत ओमेगा ३ फॅटी अॅसिड आणि अॅंटी ऑक्सीडेंट भरपूर प्रमाणात असते. त्यामुळे पावसाळ्यात उद्भवणाऱ्या समस्यांवर मात करण्यासाठी शरीर तयार होते. अळशी वाटून त्याची पावडर बनवा व दही किंवा सलाडवर घालून त्याचे सेवन करा.

ग्रीन टी
ग्रीन टी मध्ये अॅंटी ऑक्सीडेंट भरपूर प्रमाणात असतात. म्हणून पावसाळ्यात निरोगी राहण्यासाठी दिवसातून दोन वेळा ग्रीन टी घ्या.