Preventing a Heart-attack

It is common knowledge that stress is the biggest risk factor for a heart attack. Unfortunately, many do not realise, and do not admit that they are stressed. But a body check can reveal otherwise. The most common symptoms of stress are clenched hands, tight jaw, furrowed brows and lifted shoulders.

Stress does not make only the outer body tense but the inner parts too. Blood vessels constrict and tighten, which in turn can become hard and rigid with time. The stiffened arterial walls become amenable to tears, and the body tries to cover a tear with plaque. More tears appear and more plaque is formed, and one day, a piece of the plaque gets dislodged, and travelling to the heart blocks the passage. The blood supply to this vital organ is cut off, and a heart attack occurs.

The surest way to save the cardio-vascular system from damage, is to release the stress thoroughly on a regular basis so that the blood vessels remain pliable with  smooth arterial walls. Contrary to popular belief, recreational activities do not de-stress the system effectively. One needs a special technique to achieve that, and Meditation followed by yoganidra is the best means.It has been seen that, lactic acid, a stress hormone is eliminated from the body three times faster during meditation than during deep sleep.

It is important to practice a form of meditation suiting one's age, inclination, and body condition. Mantra repetition is an easy form that suits everybody. Take any mantra you like and repeat it audibly or mentally for 20-25 minutes. You need not concentrate on the mantra, but try to be aware of it throughout the practice.  You may repeat the process 2-3 times during the day. The beauty of mantra meditation is that, it does not require any particular posture. It can be done even while walking, but that is not advisable as it can distract the mind. To save time, you can practice it  while commuting, provided you are not driving yourself.



My book 'YOGA FOR A HEALTHY HEART' contains more on heart health & how to normalise high blood-pressure in a week

A Glowing Acne-free Skin

 Imagine a white balloon filled with muddy water- can  it look pure? Not possible. Same goes with our skin too. If the  fluid inside  the body cells is not clean, the skin is bound to appear dirty and dull. Therefore, to acquire a clear skin, the first thing you need to do is to remove all the filth from the system; and  to achieve that, there is nothing better than Shankha Prakshyalana ( a yogic cleansing technique). This practice involves drinking a large amount of water, do specific asanas, and empty the bowel. Not only the intestine is cleared, the water circulates all over the body and flushes out the stored toxins. Within a  few hours, the system becomes sparkling clean. Those who cannot do Shankha Prakshyalan, can follow some other effective detoxification methods, such as  fasting, sauna, massage, and intake of plenty lot of fluid- not exceeding 12 glasses to be on the safer side.

The skin cells also need certain nutrients such as Vitamin A to be whole and healthy. As stress depletes this vitamin alarmingly fast i.e. 5000 units in 10 minutes, we have to provide it to them regularly by taking food rich in Vitamin A,such as almond, carrot, papaya, leafy vegetables, and milk. At the same time, one should keep stress at bay by practicing some form of meditation, and take more of this vitamin during a stressful period.

Sulphur too is necessary for skin health. This mineral is called the beauty mineral. So, include food containing this nutrient in your daily diet. They are onion, mushroom etc

And lastly, for that healthy pink glow, bring the maximum amount of blood to flood the skin tissues by relaxing the blood capillaries thoroughly through any yogic relaxation methods, especially Yoganidra,( yogic sleep).

If there is acne due to the toxic skin, it should also be treated  externally. For that, apply a paste of gram flour, turmeric, and sandalwood powder . Gram flour absorbs the oil of the pores along with the trapped dirt, while turmeric kills the offending bacteria, and sandal wood soothes and relaxes the skin leading to better healing. Wash it off after 20 minutes.

How to prevent cancer for sure

If you want to remain risk free from cancer,  maintain  a PH of  7. 4 to 7.5. ( The acid alkaline quotient in the body  is measured as PH. Below 7 is considered acidic and above that number is alkaline. ) Acidic blood  is  the ideal breeding  ground for  cancer. In 1931,  Dr Otto Warburg got a Nobel prize for proving that  the  blood of every cancer patient was extremely acidic.  It has been seen that at a PH 7.45 cancer cells are  controlled and at 8.5 they perish.  But it is not possible or advisable to keep the PH too high.

So, test your blood  and  if  you find it wanting, go on a war path  to change  the condition  by

a)      Removing the extra acid through  some detox methods;

b)      Avoiding   all acid creating  food, such as  excessive protein, fried & spicy food, cheese, white floor, white sugar, cornstarch, cashew nuts, peanuts, sesame seeds, coco, coffee, soft drinks, butter, sour fruit, mustard, pepper powder, and soda etc ;

c)      Taking  alkaline  food ;

d)      Relaxing deep, as stress is a major acid producing  factor.

Strong Bones

Researchers now say that taking calcium and vitamin D supplements daily ups the risk of kidney stone. That is the  conventional health practice- every  prescription comes with a negative health ruining effect . Therefore, it is advisable to stick to  effective traditional practices that have stood the test of time .

Earlier, most Indians used to have strong bones. It is because,  they always consumed a lot of calcium from natural sources. In winter, people in the north, eat lots of sweetened sesame, which is full of calcium, while in the south, it is  curry leaves the whole year round.  Dark green leafy vegetables, that are  rich in  this mineral is a common favorite everywhere in the country. Betel too- is a common item,   that is rich in easily assimilable calcium so is ‘chuna’- the lime used in it. Chuna made from seashell is much better. For non-vegetarians, there is nothing like crab- the richest source of calcium; and small fish, which are  eaten along with its bones extensively in the coastal areas of India. And these  are nothing but pure calcium. Apart from eating right, Indians spent  a lot of time in the sun creating vitamin D in their body.

So,  to maintain a healthy skeletal system  naturally, take the above mentioned food and   add broccoli, milk and almonds for still  better result. Simultaneously, absorb sunlight and exercise well.