Thursday 22 May 2014

Rheumatoid Arthrtis some common dietary supplements


For people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, you know that the joint pain and body aches that characterize the disease can make daily life difficult. Advanced medications, such as disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, are making the illness more manageable than ever before, but an often overlooked component in your rheumatoid arthritis treatment plan could be your diet. In fact, a growing volume of research is showing that certain foods can play a role in easing pain and soreness. Here's the latest information on eating to beat RA.
Flaxseed
Flaxseeds are rich in a plant-based form of omega-3s and might yield results for inflammation and joint pain that are similar to those from eating fatty fish or krill oil. "Flaxseed and flaxseed oil are rich in alpha-linoleic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid that may be helpful for inflammatory diseases like arthritis," says Fabrizio Mancini, DC, a chiropractor and author of The Power of Self-Healing. To help your body get the most nutrients from flaxseeds for rheumatoid arthritis, use them ground rather than whole. "Sprinkle a few tablespoons on your cereal in the morning or include them in a smoothie," he suggests. "You can also use them in baked goods."

 

Turmeric

What gives curry powder its characteristic golden yellow color? It's turmeric root, used in a variety of Indian and Asian dishes. "One of the most healing plants in the world is the herb turmeric," says Dr. Mancini. "It contains an active compound called curcumin, which appears to have healing powers for a wide range of conditions, like arthritis. Taking curcumin may improve joint stiffness, swelling, and pain."

 

Pomegranate

These trendy fruits have actually been cultivated since ancient times, but there's been a recent flurry of interest in their health benefits. Though pomegranate has not been adequately tested in humans as a treatement for RA. a recent study found that mice who received an extract of pomegranate in supplement form had less inflammation and less deterioration of their joints than mice that did not take the supplement. "Pomegranate juice has been touted for some time as an alternative treatment for arthritis," says Mancini. "While it is certainly no cure, there appears to be a real benefit in reducing inflammation, and that may translate into less pain for some arthritis patients."

 

Krill Oil

Studies have long shown the anti-inflammatory activity of omega-3 fatty acids, like those found in cold-water fish such as salmon, as well as their possible role as a rheumatoid arthritis treatment. Krill oil, which comes from a tiny crustacean similar to shrimp, is a relatively new supplement that is similar to fish oil, but with a higher concentration of omega-3s. A recent study of 90 people, some with rheumatoid arthritis, found that taking 300 milligrams of krill oil daily reduced pain and stiffness and improved function.

 

Cherry Juice

Anecdotally, cherry juice has been used as a treatment for gout related pain for decades. Though sample sizes are small, studies are also revealing that this juice might help with other types of joint pain and inflammation as well, including that caused by rheumatoid arthritis. “Tart cherries have higher levels of anthocyanin, a phytonutrient and antioxidant, than sweet cherries and other fruits, making them power berries to reduce inflammation and pain, improve recovery time after strenuous activity, and possibly even aid in sleep,” Mancini says.

 

Ginger

This spicy root can be ground up or shredded to make a tea or mixed into dishes for an interesting flavor — and certainly one of the tastiest rheumatoid arthritis treatments. As per Ayurvedic concepts ginger just has an anti-inflammatory action which might be beneficial to some people with joint pain related to rheumatoid arthritis. As per the Ayurvedic concepts dried ginger water intake regularly tends to relieve the symptoms of RA and other joint related pains

Green Tea

The benefits of green tea, which, unlike black tea, is made from unfermented leaves, have been touted for centuries, and studies have looked at its positive effects on health conditions, from dental cavities to cancer. Drinking it may also help ease rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. Of all the teas, the green variety has the highest concentration of powerful antioxidants called polyphenols, which give it inflammation-fighting strength, says Dr. Wei.


Compiled from

Healthy Living

Pray to shed miseries

If you want to shed your miseries, learn to sit silently and pray solemnly. Praying is a proven method to attain peace and wish-fulfillment. It is being used as a meditative tool the world over, for many thousand years, in nearly every religious tradition. "What things so ever ever ye desire, when you pray, believe that ye recieve them, and ye shall have them", says holy bible (Mark 11:24).

Prayer is a stimulant to creative ideas that help in finding solutions to our problems. Insight, direction amd illumination are divinely given to people who habitually resort to prayer. They feel better, do better, sleep better and become better. Prayer helps in harmonious functioning of their body and soul.

Chanting of mantras, hymns, ritualistic veneration in temples, mosques, churches and synagogues or repeating the name of god or goddess reverentially through the beads of a rosary are all forms of prayer

Though the premise, reasons, language, formulae and contents of prayers differ differ widely from religion to religion yet the aim in all of them is the same to entreat God to redress the devotee's grievances or seek forgiveness for sins already committed.

A prayer may be in prose or in verse, a silent mental request or a group entreat.

Do not assume, even for a minute that only stereotyped Sanskrit, Latin or Arabic phrases are fit for prayers to be responded by the almighty. You may select to pray in your own language. God understands all the languages.

The Science of Sun Worship

In ancient Vedic literatures, Sun is called the soul of our world. We cannot imagine even a single day without his presence. In a society replete with customes and beliefs, is this just faith-based or was there a more scientific meaning behind Worshipping the Sun

Sun worship commenced with the rising of the sun when the ancestors would offer water in a 'Lota' (A round copper utensil with wide edge). The pouring of water would create a flowing film, creating the seven colours of the spectrum through refraction by which the sun would be gazed at indirectly.


People who follow the Vedic way of life believe this is helpful to eyes, vitalises the body & purifies the mind.


The body is made up of the five elements: Earth (Prithvi), Water (Jal), Fire (Teja), Air (Vaayu), Space/Ether (Aakash). It is believed proper balance of these five elements helps keep the body healthy, the sun being one of them. The solar rays consists of seven colours of the visible spectrum which are equally vital to the seven chakras of the body.


Rigveda states the sun is an energy source for all living beings. The Gayatri Mantra is chanted to Surya deva to remove ignorance & strengthen the mind. The sun is symbol of self god. As the self god illuminates the mind, the intellect & the body, sun illuminates the world.


Vedas also state that water offered to the sunin the evening converts the drops of water to the stones taht cause death to the demons. For humans, demons are like typhoid, TB, Pneumonia etc. When a devotee takes water in his hands while standing in front of or facing the sun & drops water on the ground, the sun's rays fall from the head to the feet of the devotee in a uniform flow. This water is heated by sun's rays and its colour permeates every part of the body.


Modern science now have validated the importance of solar rays on the human body. Many people living in the cold cliatic countries suffer from SAD (Seasonal affective Disorder) during winter. Some even going for solar therapies to alleviate moodiness & depression. Solar therapy mainly from an alternative source, is also used to treat palliation of disease, usually from dermatological disorders. It also imporves the blood circulation, balances metabolism & restores the function of many body systems. Exposure to the sun also promotes the development of the pineal gland hormone-Melatonin, the amount of which is influenced by the ageing process 

Svedana- Sudation

Svedana in Vedic Age

There has been attempts dealing with various methods to avert pain ever since mankind was civilised. Fomentation and Sudation are ancient methods to ward off pain or at least lessen the suffering due to pain.Application of heat by various methods at a diseased site or th
Sudation according to Ayurveda is subdivided to four:

  •  Taapa (Application of dry heat)
  • Upanaaha (Poultice, Stupe)
  • Uushma (Steam fomentation)
  • Drava (Heat transmitted through liquids)
Sudation or fomentation induces a thermal challenge in the body, the event is a thermal discomfort, a thermal eustress. This heat precipitates a decrease in cardiac output which sends messages to medullary cerebro vascular control centre which in turn effect muscle and skin vasoconstriction.  This increases the internal circulation by which the cardiac output is optimised. Thermal comfort rests primarily upon the following six factors- Air velocity, Air humidity, Mean radiant heat, Metabolism, Insulation and Air temperature. These thermal comfort factors are individually or severally manipulated by svedana to effect thermal eustress.

The primary requirement of Svedana (Sudation) is to alleviate pain and stiffness. However, in practice, both Snehana by external means and Svedana are employed together in conjunction with light to firm massage in procedures like Abhyanga, Elakizhi etc. Sneha-Sweda is employed in tandem  with massage in diverse conditions.

Swedana can also be considered as a means of removing toxins from the body, the entire wastes to be eliminated may be divided to two: Water-Soluble and Fat-Soluble, by resorting to sudation water soluble wastes of the body (especially in Amavastha) are dissolved in water (Extra cellular body fluids), propelled by the heat and brought to the nearest port of elimination. In the process of elimination of water soluble wastes, the role of unction is much less appreciated. On the contrary, unction may be detromental as it may prevent dissolution of water-soluble wastes. In the case of fat-soluble wastes on the other hand, Sneha dissolves the wastes in fat medium, these are again propelled by sweda to the nearest port of elimination. Dissolution of wastes and toxins in fat is slower, hence it is not a once-for-all programme and has to be repeated daily till the desired effects are achieved. This is another reason for the therapeutic strategy of 7-14 and 21 days in the Abhyanga and Poultice massage practices.

Accurate scientific data regarding the analgesic effect of massage when done along with Sneha and Sveda are still lacking. Nevertheless, ongoing studies with regards to the pain pathways, neurotransmitters like Substance-P, and Glutamate, Analgesia pathway, Gate control theory (Projected by Patrick Wall Gate et al., 1965) and its subsequent implications in the release of endogenous pain relievers etc, are to be revisited in the backdrop of massage with Sneha-Sveda. The efficiency of human skin as the most sensitive 'Touch Screen' working by 'Touch-flow softwares' is a million times more sophisticated than the present day 'Resistive' and 'Capacitive' touch screens or 'Displax Skin' screens involving the most advanced nano-wire technology on polymer films.


Compiled from Ashtanga Hrudaya 
(Comments Dr. TSK)