Health

“Clearing Blockages, Cleaning Channels”


By Dr. Bhaswati Bhattacharya While Ayurveda provides excellent recommendations for preventive health and health maintenance, its interventions for diseases are astoundingly useful. These prescriptions are often suppressed and downplayed by the mainstream because they do not understand the basic principles of Ayurveda. Foundational principles of this ancient medical system are based on observations in nature. Things...

Things you didn’t know about Food Desert in US


By Ingrid Cruz Imagine living in a world without fresh food—a world where the only meals are from convenience stores filled with pre-packaged, processed foods, fast food restaurants down the street and farmers' markets are rare to find. This is the reality for millions of Americans living in a "food desert." The USDA defines a low-access...

How to Reuse KN95 or N95 Mask Safely


By Lisa Milbrand Covid-19 restrictions are going away slowly but you would still need a good quality mask to remain safe. High-quality facemasks like KF94, N95, and KN95 feature several layers of filtration for virus protection but they are not quite as reusable as cloth masks. However, they can be safely reused for a while...

Get a Healthy Gut with Fermented Foods


By Kavita Devgan Fermented foods are indeed the way forward. Yet, somehow we have forgotten about them, and eat them only sparingly these days. Traditional Indian diets have always placed a lot of emphasis on them and included them regularly in the diet. Remember that omnipresent bowl of curd and a small dollop of a...

Ashtanga Namaskara: Eight Limbed Pose stretches and strengthens body chakra


Yoga is an exploration of one's essence to discover one's highest potential. One of the important tools of yoga is Mantra yoga. A mantra is a scientific formula given in a sound or series of sounds that can produce a specific physical energetic, emotional, mental or spiritual effect. Gayatri Mantra is the highest Mantra for...

Open, Sesame!


by Bhaswati Bhattacharya Our local cultures are deeply connected with the sesame plant, even if we are not conscious of it. Those watching TV in the USA in the 1970s remember Sesame Street, but rarely consider why the street was named this way. The word sesame was inspired by the adventure of the ancient Babylonian...

Zinc: An Essential Mineral for Health


An important nutrient for growth, Zinc is crucial for immune function and helps in treating diarrhea and healing wounds. Antioxidant properties found in zinc help in fighting chronic disease and its deficiency can increase the risk of disease and illness. Zinc enables the body to make proteins and DNA, prevents cell damage in the retina,...

Vitamin D May Boost Breast Cancer Outcomes


Breast cancer patients having adequate levels of vitamin- D have better long-term outcomes, a new study said. The new finding can offer women a simple new way to fight breast cancer. “Combined with the results of prior research, the new findings suggest "an ongoing benefit for patients who maintain sufficient levels [of vitamin D] through...

Can You Be Addicted to Fitness Tracker?


By Kendra Cherry Smartwatches and fitness trackers have become popular due to their utility in tracking health indicators but some experts worry that these devices may lead to addiction. Using a fitness tracker a bit too much may lead to signs of being addicted to the fitness tracker. Fitness trackers not just provide detailed information on...