If you’re familiar with the terms “pitta” and “vata”, then chances are you’ve been acquainted with one of the most ancient medical practices of Asia.
Ayurveda (pronounced eye-your-VAY-da) has just began to break through mainstream Western medical consciousness as more and more people have began to look for drug-free and natural remedies to cure their ailments and spirits.

Ayurveda is the natural system of medicine that has been traditionally practiced in India for more than 5,000 years. It is a Sanskrit word that literally translated means “the science of life” and “science of longevity”. Ayurveda is the health care system that was slowly and steadily developed by traditional seers and natural scientists through centuries of meditation, observation, discussion and experiments. These Ayurvedic teachings were then orally passed on from teacher to student until the sixth century BC, where detailed Sanskrit texts were finally written. It is said that even the ancient Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Chinese and Tibetan medicine systems are said to be derived from Ayurveda. Because of its rich history and philosophy, this multifarious medical system is still the treatment method of choice even for most of modern India and Southeast Asia.

Ayurveda is a holistic approach that emphasizes prevention of disease rather than its treatment. It has systems that aim for the rejuvenation of our body and the extension of life span. The Ayruvedic tradition believes that five elements — space, air, fire, water and earth — make up the world we live in. Each element is found in the human body and called the “dosha”. The forces and principles that are found in all of nature are also seen in our human systems. In Ayurveda, our minds (or consciousness) and our bodies are not separate - they are united as one, called the “mind-body”. Ayurvedic philosophy and practices reconnect us to ourselves and reminds us that we are one with nature and with the entire cosmos. Mental and physical health are one and the same, so in Ayurveda, symptoms and diseases in the mind (like thoughts and feelings) are just as vital as symptoms and diseases of the body (like pain and physical difficulties). These produce imbalance and illness, so both mind and body are treated simultaneously by restoring their natural balance. In short, to be healed, your whole physical lifestyle must be in sync with what you feel inside.

The Ayurvedic objective is to live a long balanced life that achieves our fullest potentials and expresses our true inner nature by adhering to certain daily practices that prevent disease. However, Ayurvedic treatments do not simply dwell on herbal medications. The system emphasizes the inclusion of meditation, yoga, massage and proper diet. It believes in integrating the mind, body and spirit to maintain good health and long life.

In India, Ayurvedic practitioners undergo state-recognized and institutionalized training, much like Western doctors. Only recently has there been a slow acceptance of Ayurveda in the West with the positive research outcomes of meditative techniques and yoga in Western medical literature. Today, more prominent and published studies have documented the success of the Ayurvedic approach in healing cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, bad cholesterol levels, certain cancers, infectious diseases and most stress-induced illnesses.

Mumps, pleurisy, and croup are common ailments that surprisingly people spend a lot of “health dollars” at their doctors office seeking a cure. In this post we will reveal some little known facts about natural herbal cures for mumps, pleurisy, and croup. Please note in extreme cases of infection or ailments do not hesitate to contact a doctor or other medical professionals as soon as possible.

Mumps.-This disease chiefly affects children, and is sometimes contagious. It is generally known by an external movable swelling on both sides of the neck, sometimes only on one side, which may be considered a tumour or swelling of the parotid glands.

Treatment.-Keep the head and face warm, avoid taking cold, and apply fomentations of equal parts of Marsh Mallow and Camomile.

Putrid Sore Throat  or Cynanche Maligna.  Known by the inflammations being of a dark or purple colour, and by sloughing or mortification; it sometimes is a termination of the cynanche tonsillaris, and generally accompanies a low scarlatina. It usually makes its attack with cold shiverings, anxiety, nausea, and vomiting, succeeded by heat restlessness, thirst, debility, oppression at the chest, flushed face, red eyes, hurried respiration, and hoarseness.

Treatment-If the patient can swallow, give an infusion of two tablespoonfuls of Capsicum and a teaspoonful of Salt in ½ pint of boiling water, adding thereto the same quantity of warm vinegar; then strain. Dose: Two table-spoonfuls every half-hour. If a gargle be necessary first inhale the vapour in the vapour bath; then take infusion of Capsicum, 4 ounces; Tincture of Myrrh, ½ ounce; Vinegar, 1 ounce. Mix these for a gargle, still continuing the Capsicum mixture. If fever attends, and the skin be dry, give some diaphoretic, as (26), but be careful not to purge too much. Should diarrhoea arise in the progress, administer the astringent decoction (5). The food may be tapioca, arrowroot, rice, sago, and panado.

Cures For Croup.-Croup is an inflammation of the mucous membrane covering the windpipe. From sudden cold acting on this part, a coagulated lymph forms, which causes that peculiar wheezing, sonorous inspiration, with great difficulty of breathing. Children are most liable to this disease.

Symptoms.-Drowsiness, fretfulness, eyes very heavy, pulse rapid, face flushed, and a crowing cough.

Treatment.-First charge the body with a strong tea of Sage, Balm, and Pennyroyal, and the infusion of Capsicum; then in one or two hours give 2 teaspoonfuls of Lobelia vinegar mixture , till vomiting is produced freely. Keep up perspiration and the digestive organs in active exercise, and allow the patient to have fresh air in the room. The vapour bath will be serviceable in producing perspiration.

Pleurisy or pleuritis.-Causes: Exposure to cold, and all causes which usually precede other inflammations and fever, attacking chiefly those of a vigorous and plethoric habit; it frequently attacks the strongest constitutions.

Symptoms.-Inflammation of the membrane, lining or covering of the lungs, coming on with chilliness and shivering, succeeded by heat and thirst; restlessness; a violent acute pain on one side, near the ribs, extending towards the shoulder-blades, back, and breast, and worse when the affected side is lain on; difficult breathing; redness of the cheeks; nausea with hard short cough, the matter spit up being yellowish or bloody.

Treatment.-Remove the inflammation by giving ½ teaspoonful of Capsicum in ½ teacupful of sweetened water, with hot bricks and vinegar cloths to the feet; then apply hot flannels to the pains, and reduce the pulse, which is a good sign. Then administer the purgative . If the foregoing does not succeed, give an emetic, with Capsicum, Yarrow, and Raspberry Leaves. Be careful in the vomiting but keep up the fomentation; promote expectoration as soon as Nature dictates, and give an expectorant. When the disease is removed assist the tone and stomach. By this treatment the worst cases are cured in eight days.

Often we overlook the some of mother natures simplest useful attributes of common fruit. In this post we’ll talk about ten little known uses for a common variety lemon. I think you will be amazed at just how useful our little yellow friend really is.

From cooking to cleaning to fighting off a cold, lemons really can do a lot for a small fruit. Read on for things that you can do with lemons, then head out it to your local grocery store or farmers market to stock up!

1. Highlight (bleach) your hair - An all natural way to add highlighting to your hair and very economical too. Take the freshly squeezed juice from one lemon and mix it with a teaspoon of salt. Dip a comb into the mixture and apply it sparsely through your hair. Go out into the sunlight for about 30 minutes to an hour and you will have natural highlights in your hair. Word of warning DO NOT do this too often as it can dry out your hair really quickly. Every couple of weeks should be okay.

2. Clean and exfoliate your feet - pulp from a lemon makes an excellent exfoliator when mixed with brown sugar. Mix the pulp from a couple of lemons with a tablespoon of brown sugar and then rub briskly onto your feet.

3. Combat bad breath - gargling  with lemon juice is an excellent way to get rid of bad breath. Mix the juice 1/2 and 1/2 with water for a not so unpleasant experience. Remember they are still sour you know!

4. Help deter or fight off a cold - lemons are loaded with Vitamin C so naturally they aide immensely in helping ward off colds or alleviating one once you acquired a cold. Use your favorite lemon aide recipe and keep some on hand at all times, especially in the cooler months when colds are most likely to spread.

5. Relieve the pain of a sore throat - one of the most common uses for lemon juice is to mix it with some honey and hot water to drink and coat your throat when you have a sore throat.

6. Ease the pain of a bee sting - mix the juice of a lemon with equal parts of water and bathe the bee sting area with it. The pain will almost immediately disappear. Really handy in the warm summer months if you have children.

7. Freshen up your dishwasher - ever notice sometimes an odor coming from your dishwasher after a drying cycle? Add 1/2 a lemon to the next load of dishes and this smell will be no more. It also helps cut grease too on pots and pans. Be sure and secure the lemon in the upper part of the dishwasher before starting. Its no fun digging a shredded lemon out of the trap to unclog a dishwasher!

8. Clean your windows and mirrors - the acidity of lemon juice makes an excellent glass cleaning agent. Mix the juice  1 to 3 with water and be amazed at how effective it is in cleaning windows and mirrors. A lot cheaper than commercial window cleaner products too!

9. Remove lime scale from sinks and bath tub areas - apply the undiluted juice of a lemon to lime scale build up and allow to soak for 30 minures. Rinse off with water and clean as normal. Used regularly this will even prevent lime scale build up as well.

10. Last, but certainly not least, grow a lemon tree - all birds and insects love the leaves and flower buds of a lemon tree. Bees are especially fond of them. If you have any kind of vegetable or flower garden growing it has been proven a lemon tree will attract more bees and birds that aid in the pollenation of flowers and vegetables. They also look beautiful most of the year round. Lemon tree  leaves hold their color longer than most trees.

So there you have it ten things you may or may not have know you can do with a lemon. Kind of neat how mother nature provided us with such a useful and edible fruit isn’t it?