Hair care

Here are some tips for your hair care. Just head to the kitchen to get your tresses sorted out naturally.

Dandruff - mix a few drops of rosemary with two tablespoons of olive oil and rub well into the scalp before bed. Shampoo and rinse out thoroughly in the morning.

Limp Hair - Mix two eggs in a blender with 50ml mineral water and 15ml of cider vinegar or lemon juice. Blend for 30 seconds at low speed. Massage well into the scalp and rinse with lukewarm water.

Fragrant tresses - For lovely herbal-scented locks, crush a few dried bay leaves with a rolling pin and mix with a handful of dried chamomile flowers and a handful of rosemary. Place in a large jug and fill with 1 litre of boiling water. Strain after 2-3 minutes and mix in 5 ml of liquid soap or gentle shampoo. Apply to the hair, massage well and rinse thoroughly.

Ginseng goodness!

Chinese ginseng is the most potent and pricey. It grows wild int eh remote mountains of Manchuria and is believed to prolong life through regular consumption. The Korean variety is considered 'heaty'. It is said to be effective in enhancing blood circulation and physical energy. American ginseng, as it name indicates, is indigenous to tech United States. Said to be 'cooling'. It is prescribed for weakness of heart, indigestion, dry throat, fatigue, menopausal depression and acne.

A 1985 research review by Japanese Pharmacologist said that ginseng promotes homeostasis by maintaining steady blood pressure, blood sugar and energy levels. It's effectiveness is attributed to saponins, a class of chemicals found in many herbs, which have therapeutic properties. Research in China and Japan suggests that saponins protect the heart and liver. They have antioxidant effects, which may account for the longevity claim of ginseng.

Kanazawa Medical University in Japan reported that saponins were able to return human liver cancer cells to normal in a test-tube. Beside saponins which are found in the outer layer of the root, ginseng also contains amino acids, chlorine, carbohydrates, ascorbic acid and vihydrates, ascorbic acid and vitamin B complex. The quality of ginseng is usually determined by the cotnent of the saponins. The more the better. As the saponin content increase with age, only plants six years and older have roots with therapeutic value.

General, wild ginseng is considered superior to the cultivated variety. Chinese medicine shops sell them in several grades. The larger the root, the older it is, the more potent and of course, the more costly. Buy from reputable medicine shops to ensure authenticity. Ask the herbalist how to prepare the root to get the most of its goodness.

Popular Fixes

There are several other alternative medicines that have therapeutic value and hence are hugely popular. Some of them are:

Aromatherapy - This form of therapy involves tech use of essential oils during a massage. They can also be used in the bath, inhaled, dabbed on pulse points, used as compresses and occasionally but only under proper direction, ingested.

Reflexology - Or zone therapy as it is commonly called, is a form specialized foot massage which concentrates on specific areas on the soles of the feet. These areas or zones are though to be connected to the major organ systems of tech body. Stimulating and kneading these points is believed to enable therapists to detect an treat several conditions and ailments afflicting the body as a whole.

Hydrotherapy - Spa treatment or "taking the waters" is probably one of the oldest and the most natural forms of therapy. Form showering and sea-bathing to sitting in a warm bath or dipping at a warm natal spring, water stimulates blood flow, relaxes muscles, eases pain and invigorates tech system. Hydrotherapy is the use of water for special treatments sand with modern technology, the techniques may include steam baths, jacuzzi, aerated pools, fine shower sprays or sit baths.

There can be no disputing the fact that alternative medicines are definitely here to stay. Some of these alternative methods of treatment have their origins much earlier than that of allopathic medicine and have withstood the test of time. What remains to be seen is the extent to which alternative medicine is accepted as available alternative around the world and how fast the shift will take.

Ayurvedic Medicine

Ayurveda is an intricate system of healing that originated in India more than 6,000 years ago. There is historical evidence of Ayurveda in the ancient books of wisdom known as tech Vedas. It has become increasingly popular in the West as awareness grows and its benefits have become known.

The term Ayurveda is derived from two Sanskrit words. Ayur, meaning "life" and Veda meaning "knowledge" or "study of". Ayurveda is thus more than just a medical system, it is the science of life. The basis of Ayurvedic medicine is to achieve an equilibrium with one's true self by using the inherent principles of nature. The three basic forces (tridoshas) are:

• Vata (like the wind), this force controls movement and the nervous system.
• Pitta (like the sun), is the source of energy and controls bio-chemical and digestive proceses.
• Kapha (like the moon), controls cell growth and tissue development.

Ayurveda believes that we are all made up of unique proportions of vata, pitta and kapha. The ratios of the doshas vary in each individual and because of this. Ayurveda sees each person as a special mixture that accounts for our diversity. When any of the doshas accumulate, Ayurveda will suggest specific lifestyle and nutritional guidelines to assist the individual in reducing the dosha that has become excessive. There may also be some herbal supplements prescribed to hasten the healing process.

Ayurvedic physicians believe disease can arise because of physical causes (infections and tissue degeneration, etc), mental causes (depression, prolonged anger, etc) accidental causes (blows, cuts,stings, etc) and natural causes (old age, wrong dietary approach, etc). These physicians examine the history of the patient, paying special attention to diet, the tongue , breathing and sleeping pattern and emotional and mental state of mind.

Naturopathy

Consciously or unconsciously, this form of therapy has been practised in some form or other since time immemorial. Bathing a sprain or fasting when unwell is a form of naturopathy. It has had its famous proponents throughout the ages, including the ancient Greek physician hippocrates whose principal axiom was "First do no harm".

Naturopathy as a system of healing was first develop in the 19th century by a German therapist, Vincent Preissnitz. n the 1890s, American Benedict Lust was successfully treated by these methods under the care of an Austrian priest called Sebastian Kneipp and subsequently established a school of taining in teh US for it.

Naturopathy or "nature cure" is both a way of life and a concept of healing by employing various natural means of treating human infirmities and diseases. Though eclectic in scope, the philosophy guiding the practice of naturophaty is clearly defined as helping the body heal itself in the least invasive, most fundamentally curative manner possible.

A naturopathic cure follows this kind of programme:

• Elimination of "evil habits" or the "weed of life" such as overeating , alcoholic drinks, drugs, the use of tea, coffee and cocoa that contain poisons, meat eating, improper hours of living, waste of vital forces. lowered vitality, worry, etc.
• Corrective habits such as correct breathing, correct exercise, right mental attitude, etc, are inculcated.
• New principles of living are instilled through proper fasting, selection of food, hydropathy, light and air baths, mud baths, osteopathy, electropathy, helicopathy, etc.

Naturopaths believe that illnesses arise as a result of an unhealthy lifestyle and poor posture. Restoring the body to a natural state by natural means allows the body to recover.