Category: two

This blog has been contributed by the guest blogger: by Pradeep Chamaria

It was our first day at Nimba Nature Care Village and we were here for the First Bloggers Meet organised by Ayurveda Sutra.

I have talked about Nimba in my earlier post. Please have a look here

We were here at Nimba for a two day meet; an attempt by Ayurved Sutra and Nimba to bring us closer to Nature and help us learn ways to treat our own bodies with more care.

Here I m going to talk about the Therapies I experienced as part of the Dincharya while at Nimba.

At the Therapy center I met Dr.Joy for consultation and after thoroughly examining me; he prescribed the Therapies that I was to undergo. I was prescribed Raaga Therapy, Reflexology, Detox Therapy, Mud Pack therapy, complete body massage, Janu Vasti (Knee treatment) , and a hydro treatment for my spinal problems.

Everyone in the team was similarly given consultations and prescribed separate treatments depending on his/her body needs. The therapy session was divided into two parts and we had a wellness lunch break in between.

To begin with I was guided to the Audio Room for the Raaga Therapy. Here I relaxed on an arm chair and a pre-defined soft, soothing musical piece was played which thoroughly had me relaxed in minutes and I almost dozed off by the end of the session. This was a wonderful experience, whatever stress I had let in my body of the last nights flight and early morning getting up had vanished.

To continue on, I moved into the Reflexology chamber now and my feet now got a therapy which they loved so immensely and made my entire body feel light.

On to the major therapies now and I moved upstairs in the center and was welcomed by the staff there. Immediately I was made to lie down on a relaxing bed and a mud pack was placed on my head; immediately two expert hands started treating my chest and abdomen area with alternate cold and hot towels. This 15-minute therapy with mudpack left me totally re-energized.

And this was it for the time being and I moved to the restaurant to enjoy some healthy food. Quickly returning to the Therapy center for the next procedure, I once again went through the mud-pack therapy to get me back into the stream. And my expert therapist in the meanwhile prepared the material for Janu Vasti treatment for my knee.

My therapist then massaged my right knee for a while to make it relax and red and then applied a herbal paste to make a circle on my knee. He then filled up the circular area with medicated luke warm oil, which was retained on the knee region for a about 20 minutes. The temp of the oil was maintained throughout the entire procedure.

After removing the oil and the herbal paste, my knee was then given infra red heating for about 5 minutes to further relax the knee area. It really was a rejuvenating treatment for my knee and I felt relaxed.

Similar infra red heat was also given to my lower back area – particularly the T3 and T4 area to get the area a little relaxed before the full body massage that I was going to get next.

Two expert hands now started applying warm medicated oil to my entire body along with rhythmic strokes for the next 30 minutes and then I went in to experience a new treatment for my back.

I was made to lie on a ceramic tub which has a pipe fitted with holes. As I tugged myself into the slot, warm water jets started relaxing my spinal cord. The water was too hot and it was getting uncomfortable – so I got the heating level low and my backbone then enjoyed this wonderful feeling for the next 15 minutes.

The entire afternoon session of pampering has made me feel so relaxed that I now just wanted to go and have a quick nap. But then my body was full of oil and smelling because of the medicated oils. So I was now taken to the steam room and following the traditional steam methods. Though it was quite a hot and humid weather at Nimba, the steam felt comfortable on my body. After about 5 minutes as I sweated a lot and couldn’t bear the steam heat any longer, I was directed to the shower room where I completely removed the oil from my hairs and body.

At Nimba they were not using any herbal mixture like powdered mix of Moong dal to remove the oil from my body. I reported and suggested the management about this and was given assurance that they soon will start using such herbal mixtures instead of the soap.

Well, it was a fantabulous experience. My body felt like as if it still was young. Once out in the Nimba campus, I once again faced the scorching sun. But after this amazing treatment, even sun was not that troublesome to my rejuvenated body and soul.

About Janu Vasti

It is a very simple and effective treatment for people who have knee pain and stiffness caused due to osteoarthritis, old age, knee injury etc. Specially prepared warm herbal oil is poured over the affected knee joint and retained inside a circular compartment made with an herbal paste.

The treatment relieves pain and stiffness and eases movements at the knee joint. It also strengthens the joint, muscles and soft tissues around, improves circulation and enables you to resume back your work and activities.

After the oil and the circular compartment is removed, normally a hot fomentation through hot water bottles or some other heating form is recommended. This gives an astonishing relief.

Normally this treatment is advised for 5 to 7 days as per the requirements of the patient for a complete relief. It is one of the best and most popular remedy available for acute or chronic knee pain. It works wonders and is a magical treatment for relief from the pain and stiffness associated with knee pain.

The term Janu Vasti has 2 terms, Janu meaning Knee joint and Vasti means to hold (compartment which holds). Janu Vasti means a treatment in which medicated oils are poured and pooled for a fixed duration of time in a compartment or a cabin constructed around the knee joint / joints.

In simple words, we can say that Janu Vasti is pain relieving oil-pooling treatment conducted for knee pain caused due to many causes.

Janu Vasti is highly beneficial for:

• Osteoarthritis of knee joint,
• Iliotibial band syndrome,
• Osgood-Schlatter Disease,
• Patello-femoral pain syndrome (Chondromalacia patellae),
• Loose bodies in the knee joint,
• Runner’s knee,
• Knee injuries like ACL (Anterior cruciate ligament), MCL, and LCL,
• Torn Meniscus,
• Knee Bursitis,
• Patellar tendonitis,
• Untreated Old (chronic) knee injury,
• Sprained ligaments,
• Cartilage tears.

Swine flu (swine influenza) is a respiratory disease caused by viruses (influenza viruses) that infect the respiratory tract of pigs, resulting in nasal secretions, a barking cough, decreased appetite, and listless behavior. Swine flu produces most of the same symptoms in pigs as human flu produces in people. Swine flu can last about one to two weeks in pigs that survive. Swine influenza virus was first isolated from pigs in 1930 in the U.S. and has been recognized by pork producers and veterinarians to cause infections in pigs worldwide. In a number of instances, people have developed the swine flu infection when they are closely associated with pigs (for example, farmers, pork processors), and likewise, pig populations have occasionally been infected with the human flu infection. In most instances, the cross-species infections (swine virus to man; human flu virus to pigs) have remained in local areas and have not caused national or worldwide infections in either pigs or humans. Unfortunately, this cross-species situation with influenza viruses has had the potential to change. Investigators decided the 2009 so-called “swine flu” strain, first seen in Mexico, should be termed novel H1N1 flu since it was mainly found infecting people and exhibits two main surface antigens, H1 (hemagglutinin type 1) and N1 (neuraminidase type1). The eight RNA strands from novel H1N1 flu have one strand derived from human flu strains, two from avian (bird) strains, and five from swine strains.

Swine Flu Symptoms

People who have swine flu can be contagious one day before they have any symptoms, and as many as 7 days after they get sick. Kids can be contagious for as long as 10 days.

Most symptoms are the same as seasonal flu. They can include:

• Cough
• Fever
• Sore throat
• stuffy or runny nose
• Body aches
• Headache
• Chills
• Fatigue

Like seasonal flu, swine flu can lead to more serious complications, including pneumonia and respiratory failure. And it can make conditions like diabetes or asthma worse. If you have symptoms like shortness of breath, severe vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, or confusion, call your doctor right away.

Prevention of Swine Flu

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends flu vaccination for all people older than 6 months of age. An H1N1 virus is one component of the seasonal flu shot for 2013-2014. The flu shot also protects against two or three other influenza viruses that are expected to be the most common during the 2013-2014 flu season.
The vaccine will be available as an injection or a nasal spray. The nasal spray is approved for use in healthy people 2 through 49 years of age who are not pregnant.

These measures also help prevent swine flu (H1N1 flu) and limit its spread:

• Stay home if you’re sick.
  If you do have swine flu (H1N1 flu), you can give it to others starting about 24 hours before you develop symptoms and ending about seven days later.
• Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently.
  Use soap and water, or if they’re unavailable, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Flu viruses can survive for two hours or longer on surfaces, such as doorknobs and countertops.
• Contain your coughs and sneezes.
  Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough. To avoid contaminating your hands, cough or sneeze into a tissue or the inner crook of your elbow.
• Avoid contact.
  Stay away from crowds if possible. And if you’re at high risk of complications from the flu — for example, you’re younger than 5 or you’re 65 or older, you’re pregnant, or you have a chronic medical condition such as asthma — consider avoiding swine barns at seasonal fairs and elsewhere.
• Reduce exposure within your household.
  If a member of your household has swine flu, designate only one household member to be responsible for the ill person’s personal care.

Tests for Swine Flu

It’s hard to tell whether you have swine flu or seasonal flu, because most symptoms are the same. People with swine flu may be more likely to feel nauseous and throw up than people who have seasonal flu. But a lab test is the only way to know for sure. Even a rapid flu test you can get in your doctor’s office won’t tell you for sure.

Naturopathy treatment for weight loss is an interesting topic. The global figure is changing. Being overweight is primarily an issue of health. Excess weight in terms of complementary medicine is seen as an excess condition of toxicity that needs to be eliminated. Did you know that central obesity is as much linked to cardiovascular disease as cigarette smoking?

However there is no ad campaign telling us that fast food will lead to gangrene, although it can. Obesity is associated with complications in pregnancy, heart disease, late onset diabetes and certain cancers, in particular those related to oestrogen and the gastrointestinal tract.

People often have an excuse as to why they are overweight. Age, menopause, slow metabolism, child bearing, convenience and big bones, are some excuses people use. From a naturopathic perspective, there are legitimate reasons why people may gain weight that can be identified and addressed.

Why only Diets Don’t Work

• We feel deprived.
• Diets perpetuate an unhealthy obsession with food
• Diets often provide inadequate nutrition
• Diets treat the symptom and not the causes
• Diets upset the bodies’ metabolism, slowing down our Basal Metabolic Rate BMR.
• Diets don’t address cravings
• Diets don’t work alone, often needed in combination with counselling and ongoing support networks.

• You must sweat you must go hungry
• Have reasonable expectations i.e. 1kg /week.
• Include a realistic intake of energy
• Ensure diet is nutritionally adequate.
• Reduce meal portions or have five small meals per day.
• Eat complex carbohydrates, nuts and seeds, legumes and grains and fat to give satiety.
• Eat food high in fibre to slow digestion and increase satiety.
• Relax, take a deep breath, and eat slowly.
• Select food low in saturated fats i.e. red meat, milk and cheese
• Limit sugar, supermarket foods low in fat are high in sugar
• Drink 6-8 glasses of room temperature water a day.
• Exercise, exercise, exercise to increase your BMR. Buy that wet weather gear.
• Follow the rules of healthy eating for life and not a diet for weeks/months.

• Excess calories consumption and deficient exercise
• Blood sugar imbalance AKA Insulin Resistance
• Functional hypothyroid AKA Low Basal Metabolic Rate
• Deficiency of good fats EFAs leading to decreased Thermogenesis
• Low stomach acid AKA Hypochlorydria
• Sluggish liver AKA fatty liver

• Balance blood sugar and improve insulin sensitivity
• Boost the BMR
• Stimulate thermogenesis
• Increase stomach acid
• Improve liver function

Naturopathy considers obesity to be less about diet and more about correcting underlying imbalance through lifestyle change that requires a plan of care that supports long-term sustainable health optimization.The Naturopathic Treatment of Obesity-Weight Loss works on six Principles of Naturopathy.

• Let nature heal
• Identify and treat causes
• First, do no harm
• Educate patients
• Treat the whole person
• Prevent illness

Naturopathic practice is oriented to facilitate patient self-healing and use the clinical encounter as an opportunity to inspire and guide patients to develop a healthier lifestyle. Treatment of obesity is a frequent focus of Naturopathy practice. While single therapeutic agents undergone testing in research trials, to date there has been no whole-system study that supports the effectiveness of naturopathic medicine for obesity. Yet, the naturopathic philosophy of the healing, including the focus on treating the whole person and preventative care suggest that it is ideally suited for the treatment and prevention of obesity.

Boost Your Immunity with These Natural and Nutritious Foods

Food for Boosting Immune System plays a vital role in every human’s life. In the current scenario, we find lots of Food for Boosting Immune System products available in the market. Here are a few, which will keep you and your body fit, without any processed Food for Boosting Immune System.

Wheat Germ –
Wheat germ or wheatgerm is a concentrated source of several essential nutrients including Vitamin E, folate (folic acid), phosphorus, thiamin, zinc, and magnesium. It is a good source of fiber.

Garlic –
Garlic contains several nutrients in rich amounts (> 20% DV), including vitamins B6 and C, and the dietary mineral, manganese (right table).

Broccoli –
Broccoli is full of Nutrition like Vitamin C and Dietary Fiber. The Diindolylmethane found in broccoli is a potent modulator of the innate immune response system with anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-cancer activity. Broccoli also contains the compound glucoraphanin, which can be processed into an anti-cancer compound sulforaphane, though the anti-cancer benefits of broccoli are greatly reduced if the vegetable is boiled.

Oysters –
Oysters are one of the Excellent resources of Zinc, Iron, Calcium, and Selenium including Vitamin A and Vitamin B12.

Elderberry –
studies demonstrate that elderberry may have a measurable effect in treating the flu, alleviating allergies, and boosting overall respiratory health.

Watermelon –
Watermelons are mostly water — about 92 percent — but this refreshing fruit is soaked with nutrients. Each juicy bite has significant levels of vitamins A, B6, and C, lots of lycopene, antioxidants, and amino acids. There’s even a modest amount of potassium. Plus, this quintessential summer snack is fat-free, very low in sodium, and has only 40 calories per cup.

Support your immunity the natural way—through wholesome, nutrient-rich foods. Want to embrace holistic wellness for a stronger, healthier you? Visit Nimba Nature Cure and begin your journey to immunity the natural way today!