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Stress Tearing You Apart at the Seams? Pull Yourself Together with Professional Help

Ashish Kothari — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 02:00:04 PST

Stress can take a terrible toll on your personal health and well-being. This invasive pressure can be caused by a number of different factors including work, family commitments and finances.

These days there are many services available to help you deal with stress including occupational health.

Why Beat Stress?

In small doses stress can be a good thing. This can help the body and mind gear up for specific challenges and motivate you to perform at your very best. However our bodies were never meant to live in a constantly stressed-out state. If you are constantly running in high stress mode then the toll will soon start to tell on your mind and body.

The price of constant stress on health and well-being can be high. Too many people these days feel like they have to take on more and more in their lives. This could be in terms of family commitments or more responsibilities at work. In the UK people are now working longer hours and travelling farther away for their jobs. This is creating a generation of highly stressed people that are under constant pressure for a large proportion of their day.

At first you may think you will be able to take on extra pressure in your life. In some cases this can be a challenge that you eagerly rise to. This can get the adrenaline pumping and provide you with a great way to burn off some energy. However when the stress keeps piling on your body will soon start to feel the negative effects. Working and travelling for longer hours soon starts to eat into your free time. This means you will have less and less time for yourself to relax and unwind. Many of us can end up living in a state of near-constant stress.

Signs of Stress

The physical signs of too much stress can include difficulties sleeping, feelings of dizziness and nausea and chronic headaches. Many people also find it difficult to eat properly when under stress and will either lose weight or put weight on.

Stress can have an effect on the mind as well as the body. People under a lot of stress can often overreact to situations. This can make you get very upset over small things or cause you to lose your temper more quickly. Stress can also affect your ability to make decisions and solve problems. This can mean that you make silly mistakes or make decisions that could be out of character for you.

Eventually many people under a lot of stress feel so unwell they have to see a doctor. Many don’t realise that it is the stress itself making them ill. If you are under stress and feel your health is suffering then make an appointment with a same day doctor online now.

Taking Positive Steps

Your doctor will be able to examine you and run some tests. This will help to rule out any other problems that could be affecting your health. If they do diagnose work-related stress then they may recommend that you take a few weeks off. This will help to remove you from the source of your stress and give your body a chance to recover.

Don’t forget though that as soon as you return to the high pressure work environment the stress could start affecting your health again. This is why it is important that you take positive steps to reduce this stress:

Talk to your employers as soon as possible if you are suffering from work-related stress.
There may be some simple changes that they could put in place to reduce this stress for you.
For example they may be able to reduce your work load or hours to give you a break.
If the job itself is the problem then they may even be able to offer you a different position in the organisation.
If nothing can be done to reduce the stress at work then you might want to consider a different career path. This can be an extreme move but you never know just what new and improved opportunities are out there until you start looking around.

Get Help for Stress

If you are suffering from stress overload then get help now. Doctors and occupational services can help you to understand stress and how to reduce its negative effects in your life. Working to reduce stress is an important way to improve your general health and well-being.

Author: Carlo Pandian is a freelance writer and loves sharing health tips with TryAyurveda community of readers. He reviews health products/services from Blossoms Healthcare’s well-being check ups to the latest iPad fitness apps. When he’s not online, he likes studying about natural remedies and new gardening techniques.

Easy Home Remedies for Dandruff and Head Lice

Ashish Kothari — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 11:48:47 PDT

Nothing is more bothersome and embarrassing than having an itchy head, whether it is caused from a condition such as dandruff or from an infestation of lice.

Thankfully, a home remedy for dandruff or a natural head lice treatment may help relieve an itchy scalp, and many are quite easy to use. The following ideas have been used treat these conditions without harming the hair:

Anti Dandruff Treatments

A flaky scalp is not only annoying, but also it can be unsightly. The most important factor in any home remedy used for this condition is that it stops the dandruff without ruining the hair. The following remedies should do just that:

Use cider vinegar in the final rinse water after shampooing.
Boil white beets in water and apply the cooled liquid to the head before bedtime. Using old linens is a good idea when using this treatment.
Apply snake gourd juice to the scalp until flakes finally reside.
Mix green gram powder with four ounces of curd; wash head with this mixture two times a week.
Soak fenugreek seeds in water for eight hours and then mash into a paste; leave this on the hair for thirty minutes at least twice a week and wash away with a natural shampoo.

For Getting Rid of Head Lice

Just hearing the word “lice” can cause a psychological reaction so severe that many people begin to scratch. These tiny mites can multiply rapidly, irritate the scalp, and cause people to scratch hard enough to bring sores.

Once an infestation has begun, killing head lice can be quite a chore. The following home remedies may work better than many over-the counter products:

Mix vinegar with the shampoo when washing the hair.
Pour a germ killing mouthwash on the head and wait a few minutes before rinsing.
To remove nits, massage mayonnaise into the scalp and then run a comb through it.
Use coconut oil as a final conditioning treatment.

Most importantly, after using any of these head lice treatments, change all bedding and vacuum upholstery thoroughly.

[Also check our list of home remedies for common diseases and beauty care]

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Simple Home Remedies for Muscle Sprain

Ashish Kothari — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 17:36:32 PST

Muscle strain, a pulled muscle, or a sprained ankle can all be painful enough to prevent normal activity for quite a while.

Whether caused by an accident, over work, or some type of medical issue, these maladies result in muscle pain that can often be treated by natural home remedies.

Once other causes of the pain have been eliminated and a broken bone has been ruled out, home remedies can keep swelling and pain under control. Try some of the following home remedies for good results:

Use sesame oil to char a fourth cup of pepper; rub on a muscle strain to relieve pain.
Soak an ankle sprain in warm water with Epsom salts to increase blood circulation and reduce inflammation.
Immediately wrap the damaged muscle in ice to prevent swelling; follow this with alternating heat treatments.
Use an ace bandage to give support and control swelling, but be sure to wrap it loose enough to prevent circulation problems.
Take ibuprophen or other over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drug throughout the day to reduce puffiness.
Elevate a sprained ankle until the swelling subsides.
Steep eight cloves of fresh garlic in boiling mustard oil until the cloves blacken; cool, and rub on the pulled muscle twice a day.
Sip ginger tea when experiencing muscle pain to alleviate discomfort.
Apply a paste made from mustard oil and turmeric to the damaged area and cover with a warm cloth sack filled with salt.
Boil sprigs of fresh dill in sesame oil and let it cool. Apply this ointment to the sore muscles.
Allow hot water in the shower to hit directly on the injured muscle to massage and relax it.

With plenty of rest and enough time, the body will begin repairing itself after experiencing a strained muscle or a sprained ankle, but muscle pain can be excruciating in the meantime. These home remedies should make recovery just a bit easier.

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What is Your Primary Dosha – Body Type?

Ashish Kothari — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 17:32:34 PDT

In Aryuvedic medicine, treatments are based on an individual’s dosha. A dosha refers to the combined personality and body type of a person.

For example, people whose primary dosha is vata tend to be thinner, taller, and prone to getting cold easily; personality-wise they tend to be creative, changeable, and extroverted.

With only three main doshas, almost no one has the characteristics of only one dosha; most people have one dominant dosha with multiple characteristics of one or both of the other two doshas.

The dominant dosha is referred to as the “primary dosha” in Aryuveda.

The Three Doshas

The three doshas, in no particular order, are:

Vata

As already mentioned, people whose primary dosha is vata tend to be physically slim, psychologically creative, changeable, and extroverted.

Physical problems for vata people include constipation, dry or rough skin, brittle hair, and insomnia; psychological problems for vata people include excessive worrying, an inability to “slow down”, and a short attention span.

Pitta

People whose primary dosha is pitta tend to be of medium build, fair-skinned, and prefer cooler environments. Psychological characteristics of pittas include ambition, intensity, self-confidence, and a sense of purpose.

Pittas are more likely to suffer from acne, heartburn, constant thirst, and problems associated with inflammation. Psychologically, pittas suffer from a short temper, impatience, and obsessiveness, leading pittas to overworking.

Kapha

Kapha people tend to be large-framed or heavy, with a strong constitution, thick hair, with a tendency to have oily hair or skin. Personality traits include a certain calm, easy-going manner; kaphas are slow to anger and also slow to change.

Physically, kaphas suffer from easily gaining weight, respiratory problems associated with excessive mucous, and oversleeping. Psychologically, kaphas can suffer from a lack of motivation, an unwillingness to change, and a tendency to cling to comfortable situations or relationships.

Discovering Your Primary Dosha

You may already see yourself in one of the three primary doshas listed above.

However, if you’re still not sure what your primary dosha is, you can ask an Aryuvedic practitioner to help you determine your dominant dosha.

Alternatively, any good book on Aryuveda will include a few simple questions to help you determine your dosha.

By taking one of these dosha quizzes, you will probably discover that you are a combination of two main doshas – one dominant dosha, and one secondary dosha. For example, you might be Pitta-Vata, or a person whose primary dosha is pitta, with many characteristics of vata.

Understanding your primary dosha is a great way to look at your physical and psychological health from a new perspective.

More about doshas…

Hand and Foot Care with Natural Home Remedies

Ashish Kothari — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 06:50:24 PDT

Because the hands and feet are almost always exposed to different temperatures and textures and are in constant use, they are subject to more abuse than most other areas of the body.

However, taking good care of these appendages does not have to be difficult or expensive if home remedies are used.

The following treatments are great for hand and foot care and are made from ingredients found in most kitchens and bathrooms:

Hand Care

Wipe hands with witch hazel and soak them in a strong tea solution for fifteen minutes to reduce sweating.
To soothe dry chapped hands, pour a half cup of olive oil into a quart of warm water; soak hand for fifteen minutes and pat dry without rinsing.
Mix two tablespoons of any vegetable oil with two of salt to scrub away calluses and dead skin from the hands.
To strengthen fingernails, soak hands in a mixture made from eight ounces of water, a tablespoon of aloe vera juice, two ounces of lemon juice, and four ounces of olive oil for ten to fifteen minutes once a week.

Foot Care

Dust the feet with baking soda or corn starch before putting on socks or hosiery to prevent sweating.
To control foot odor, periodically place feet in a solution of warm water mixed with some salt and white vinegar.
Smooth away the rough skin on heels by grinding a lemon, adding salt to the pulp, and scrubbing the feet.
Mix a tablespoon of lemon juice with a dollop of petroleum jelly to rub into cracked heels.
Rub in a mashed banana to soothe feet that are sore and tired.

If foot and hand care are eating away at family funds, why not try one of these home remedies?