a quest for longevity...

2011-04-25T17:25:00.001+05:30

THE BEAUTY OF AYURVEDA

2011-04-21T15:58:00.001+05:30

FROM VEDAS TO SPACE AGE ~

Word's 1st known Cosmetic
‘Ubtan’ in itself means local application, which is a body application used for the beautification of the body, dating back to the remotest antiquity and is the legacy of the rich Indian Heritage. The ritual of ‘Ubtan’, also known as ‘Battne di Rasam’ in Punjabi, and ‘Kappumanjal’ in Tamil is one of the vital components of the concept of ‘Solah-Shringaar’ (Sixteen ways of beautification of body). The principal acting constituents of ancient ‘Ubtan’ used in rituals are Turmeric, Bengal Gram & Sandalwood. Turmeric, commonly called Haldi in India, is also known as Haridra(that which corrects the complexion of skin), Kaanchani (Golden gracious), Nisha (beautifying like moonlit night), Varvarnini (complexion enhancer), Gauri (Fairing), Yoshitpriya (soft for skin applications), Hatt-vilasini (The decorative pride of bazaar) in Sanskrit and by virtue of its complexion enhancing, healing, antiseptic & skin caring properties, it forms an extremely useful component of Ubtan. Sandalwood commonly called as Chandan in India, is also known asGandhasaar (de-odorant) in Sanskrit and because of its Daahprashaman (soothing) and Varnya (complexion improving) properties, it helps in providing coolant & deodorizing effect to the skin. Bengal Gram, commonly called as Chana in India is Ruksha-gunam (dry properties) possessingLekhan (scrubbing) action because of its rich fibrous content, and due to which upon local applications, it is instrumental in deep cleansing of the pores of skin.

As a ritual, Ubtan is the traditional components’ powder along with Saffron which is blended with Mustard Oil to make a thin dough. This dough-paste is applied to the whole body for 25 to 30 minutes thereafter scrubbed before taking the customary bath. It helps to improve and tighten sagging skin and keeps the skin glowing for a long time. Ubtan has received credence as a ritual in Hindu as well as Punjabi Muslim Marriages as this is the first ceremony that marks the beginning of bridal makeup and customary dressing up of brides and bridegrooms both. Ubtan, used to provide an enchanting look to the skin, is applied by the brides & bridegrooms while reciting ‘Ved Mantras’ or traditional folk songs, as an important ritual of marriages in India. This paste is prepared in various ways to make the skin fair and to nourish it from within. On the occasion of social and religious festivals, preparation of ‘Ubtan’ itself is a fairly enjoyable task for ladies in India.

It is believed that during Vedic era, it was being prescribed by the Vedic Physicians for the protection, nourishment & beautification of the skin. The apparent results obtained with the application of ‘Ubtan’ gave it a wide-spread publicity by which perhaps it became a fashionable routine for men & women, those days, to apply it for the beautification of skin and later on established its credence as a ritual for brides & bridegrooms before marriage.

To look beautiful has been an obsession with men and women alike throughout the ages but it differs from one land to another and also according to the time and mode of living. The desire of looking enchantingly beautiful laid the foundation of world’s first known natural cosmetic – ‘Ubtan’, initially started as a ritual in India. In earlier days, it was also customary to make special cosmetics for ladies of high rank and social classes, based on Ubtan by adding several other aromatic herbs, yoghurt, milk cream, honey and essence of flowers. Various other ingredients are also added like petals of rose and jasmine, Khus-Khus, drop of lemon juice and other herbs to get uniquely beautifying applications as face and body packs. Such applications are blended from optimum concentrations of powdered extracts obtained from Sandalwood, Turmeric, Walnut, Mustard, Red Sandalwood, Neem Bark, Orange Peels, Bengal Gram, Yashad Bhasam (Calcined ash obtained from Natural Zinc Ore), Fuller’s earth and various other clays. Clays have absorbed the sun rays and remnants of plants & minerals of the earth over thousands of years, by virtue of which have gained immense healing & rejuvenating properties. Similar to their own ageless properties, Clays provide an anti-aging & rejuvenating effect to the skin and which in itself is a complete treatment for all skin problems. The clay has an astringent and stimulating effect and removes impurities from the skin while cleansing and has a marked effect on skin epidermis. Clay is a rich source of calcium, potassium, sodium and it energises the connecting tissue and with its desequamating action, removes the dead cells.

‘Ubtan’ is a powerful exfoliating treatment also that stimulates the underlying tissues of the skin. Upon scientific researches of its ingredients, it has been found that the ‘Ubtan’ not only enhances beauty, but also possesses definite medicinal values by virtue of its antifungal, antibacterial, antiperspirant, deodorant & skin-toning properties, thereby ruling out the possibilities of skin infections. It serves the multipurpose role of cleanser, astringent, stimulant, and skin-tonic, all at the same time. By its revitalising, refreshing & refining actions, ‘Ubtan’helps in the glowing of complexion and making it appear luscious. It also gives protection from various skin problems including acne, pimples, blemishes, white patches, freckles, blackheads, etc. Its regular usage prevents the occurrence of premature wrinkles, removes scars, & helps to lighten the open pores. The natural ingredients of ‘Ubtan’ build up flabby and drooping tissues, improve blood circulation & skin texture, provide anti-aging, anti-wrinkle, anti-rash, anti-blemishing, anti-bacterial, anti-tanning effects to the skin and nourish it.

The scientific virtue of various herbs & minerals used in Ubtan based applications, also prove the rationale of ancient beliefs. As a beauty aid, Curcumin - the alkaloidal content of the main ingredient of Ubtan, Turmeric prevents and cures pigmentation, maintains the PH balance and makes the skin glow. Santalol in Sandalwood helps in inhibiting the growth of micro-organisms and preventing skin infections. The woody fibre & Vitamin C in Bengal gram open the blocked pores, maintain the secretions from glands and bleach the sun freckles. Due to its Sandalwood contents, ‘Ubtan’ acts as an astringent and helps to tighten the pores. The crocetin contents of Saffron add to the lustre of the skin and make it glow. The rough nature of Bengal gram powder cleanses it by removing the dead infected parts of the skin. Ubtan is also used to promote healing of the cracked & inflamed skin besides protecting it from varied skin problems including scabies, skin eruptions, itching, erysipelas, prickly heat, copious perspiration, unwanted blemishes, eruptions & premature wrinkles etc. In a nutshell, besides its beauty enhancing action, Ubtan possesses very effective deodorant, desiccant, antiseptic, astringent, deep-cleansing and naturally bleaching properties, without interfering with skin’s natural melanin pigment. Usually a free flowing, homogenous paste of the Ubtan powder made with Rose water and applied all over body & face, for about half an hour, or till drying, before bath or shower. Milk or curd (for dry skin) and fresh lemon juice (for oily skin) may also be added in the paste for specific skin types. Upon regular usage, the face & body glitters with extra lustre, fragrance and a new enchanting experience

The glowing glory and the amazing pharmaco-kinetics of ‘Ubtan’? Were our ancestors really aware of them? It seems they really were. Hats off to them!

2011-03-24T03:11:00.001+05:30

A rose by any other name...

Historically, it didn't take long for folks to realize that there were certain conditions unique to pregnancy. What got their attention was death, which seemed to be an accepted hazard of trying to reproduce. There were two main mortal conditions associated with childbirth-related death. One was hemorrhage. The other was something that was called toxemia, described as far back as four thousand years ago.

Toxemia, so called because it was supposed that toxins of some sort, bad "humors," caused this condition, was associated with seizures, swelling, and death anywere from the beginning of the third trimester to a month or so beyond delivery. As science gloated over discoveries like blood types and blood pressure differences, the voodoo term "toxemia" was renamed "pre-eclampsia", "eclapmsia" a condition of seizures that were the result of the worst type of swelling one could have--brain swelling. But "pre-"eclampsia was a bit of a downer term, because implied within it was the observation, "You haven't had your seizure...yet!"

Next, the label was corrected to "Pregnancny-Induced Hypertension" ("PIH"), to associate it with the uniqueness of pregnancy. But this term singled out only one aspect, the elevated blood pressure. This was a faulty term, because it was possible to have PIH and its sinister big sister, HELLP syndrome, without even having an elevation in blood pressure. Today, the term du jour is Gestational Hypertension...still not perfect, but we all know what we're talking about here: a multifactorial condition, involving some sort of immune response to pregnancy. After all, there's foreign material (the father's genetic component) trying to graft to the mother, with varying intensities of rejection. These "varying intensities" probably are responsible for the numerous ways it presents in different pregnant women, which has been the difficulty in nailing down one "Grand Unification Theory" of its cause. In fact, there's an empty plaque at Chicago's famous Lying-in Hospital waiting for the engraved name of the person who discoveres the cause. This plaque may remain empty forever, as the "cause" may run the gamut of immunology, host-graft science, embryology, perinatology, chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, and a host of other biological and physical sciences.* There may be thousands of researchers that would have be included on a very, very large plaque.

Epid - Low levels of omega-3s associated with preeclampsia

Williams MA, Zingheim RW, King IB, Zebelman AM; Omega-3 fatty acids in maternal erythrocytes and risk of preeclampsia; Epidemiology 1995;6(3):232-237.

Preeclampsia is a systemic disease characterized by diffuse endothelial dysfunction, increased peripheral vascular resistance, coagulation abnormalities, antioxidant deficiency, persistent elevations of maternal leukocyte-derived cytokines, and hyperlipidemia.

Fish oil, rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, is known to reduce fasting and postprandial triglycerides and to decrease platelet and leukocyte reactivity; it may also decrease blood pressure.

Additionally, omega-3 fatty acids may beneficially influence vessel wall characteristics and blood rheology.

In light of the potential beneficial effects of dietary omega-3 fatty acids, we conducted a cross-sectional case-control study to examine the hypothesized exposure-effect relation between maternal dietary intake of marine omega-3 fatty acids and risk of preeclampsia.

We measured polyunsaturated fatty acids in erythrocytes obtained from 22 preeclamptic women and 40 normotensive women; we measured polyunsaturated fatty acids as the percentage of total fatty acids from gas chromatography.

We employed logistic regression procedures to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

After adjusting for confounders, women with the lowest levels of omega-3 fatty acids were 7.6 times more likely to have had their pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia as compared with those women with the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids (95% CI = 1.4-40.6).

A 15% increase in the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids was associated with a 46% reduction in risk of preeclampsia (OR = 0.54; 95% CI = 0.41-0.72).

Low erythrocyte levels of omega-3 fatty acids and high levels of some omega-6 fatty acids, particularly arachidonic acid, appear to be associated with an increased risk of preeclampsia

Stretching Exercises May Reduce Risk Of Pre-Eclampsia During Pregnancy

ScienceDaily (June 3, 2008) — Stretching exercises may be more effective at reducing the risk of preeclampsia than walking is for pregnant women who have already experienced the condition and who do not follow a workout routine, according to researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing.

See Also:

Health & Medicine

Reference

Preeclampsia, or pregnancy-induced hypertension, is a condition that affects up to 8 percent of pregnancies every year and is among the leading causes of maternal and fetal illness and death worldwide.

The finding is contrary to existing studies and literature that suggest that rigorous exercise is the most effective way to reduce the risk of preeclampsia, said SeonAe Yeo, Ph.D., an associate professor with a specialty in women's health at the UNC School of Nursing and the study's lead researcher.

Yeo will present the findings May 29 at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine in Indianapolis, Ind. The results will be published in the spring issue of the journal Hypertension in Pregnancy.

Preeclampsia is characterized by a marked increase in blood pressure during pregnancy and may be accompanied by swelling and kidney problems. It is diagnosed when blood pressure readings taken twice in six hours read 140/90 or higher.

"These results seemingly contradict the conventional wisdom that walking is the best protection pregnant women have against developing preeclampsia," Yeo said. "But for women who were not physically active before becoming pregnant and who have experienced preeclampsia with a previous pregnancy, that might not be the case."

From November 2001 to July 2006, 79 women with a previous preeclampsia diagnosis and a sedentary lifestyle participated in this National Institute of Nursing Research-funded study. Women were randomly assigned to either the walking group (41 women) or the stretching group (38 women) during the 18th week of pregnancy.

The walking group was asked to exercise for 40 minutes five times a week at moderate intensity, following the program recommended by the Surgeon General and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Stretchers were also asked to perform slow, non-aerobic muscle movements with a 40-minute video fives times a week. Frequency and duration of exercise decreased in both groups as the pregnancy progressed.

At the end of pregnancy, almost 15 percent of women in the walking group had developed preeclampsia. Less than 5 percent of the stretching group developed the condition. While the incidence of preeclampsia in the walking group was similar to that reported in high-risk pregnancies, the frequency among the stretching group was similar to rates seen among the general population.

"Clearly, walking does not have a harmful effect during pregnancy," Yeo said. "But for women who are at high risk for preeclampsia, our results may suggest that stretching exercises may have a protective effect against the condition."

Stretching could provide protection against preeclampsia because stretchers produced more transferrin than walkers did, Yeo said. Transferrin is a plasma protein that transports iron through the blood and protects against oxidative stress on the body.

Yeo said these results could help prenatal care providers recommend different exercise plans based on an individual pregnant woman's needs and abilities. Following an active exercise plan is good, she said, but only if a pregnant woman is truly able to do it. For some who already have a risk of preeclampsia, stretching might be a better option.

Co-authors of the study include Sandra Davidge, Ph.D., University of Alberta; David L. Ronis, Ph.D., University of Michigan School of Nursing and Veterans Administration Hospital in Ann Arbor, Mich.; Cathy L. Antonakos, Ph.D., University of Michigan School of Nursing; Robert Hayashi, M.D., University of Michigan School of Medicine; and Sharon O'Leary, M.D., St. Joseph Mercy Health Systems, Ypsilanti, Mich.

Email or share this story:

|More

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Top of Form

Need to cite this story in your essay,

een set up with the purpose of providing a

high level of education in the fields of International

spa and beauty therapies, Ayurveda and Yoga, for the

spa industry both within the country and overseas.

ASI aims to lead spa education in SouthBottom of Form

vata- pitta- kapha

2011-03-10T23:23:00.001+05:30

Today we will discuss about Physiology of Ayurveda.
All matter is thought to he composed of five basic elements
( panchamahabhutas ) which exhibit the properties of
earth (prithvi), water (jala), fire (tejas), wind (vayu) and space (akasha).
These elements do not exist in isolated forms, but always in a combination,
in which one or more elements dominate. According to Ayurveda,
the human body is composed of derivatives of these five basic elements,
in the form of doshas, tissues (dhatus) and waste products (malas).

Tridosha
The most fundamental and characteristic principle of Ayurveda is called "tridosha"
or the Three Humours. Doshas are the physiological factors of the body.
They are to be seen as all pervasive, subtle entities, and are categorized into
vata, pitta and kapha.

Vata regulates movement and is represented by the nervous system.
Pitta is the principle of biotransformation and is the cause of all metabolic processes in the body.
Kapha is the principle of cohesion and functions through the body fluids.

Together, these three doshas determine the physiologic constitution
of an individual.Health is described as a balance of all three doshas(bodily Humours).

Dhatu
The tissues are classified into seven categories:
Rasa(plasma), Rakta (blood cells),Mansa ( muscular tissue),
Meda (adipose tissue), Asthi (bony tissue), Majja (bone marrow)
and the Shukra (reproductive tissue).

Mala
Three main waste products are Mutra (urine), Purish (faeces) and Sweda (sweat)

a brief Introduction to Ayurveda

2011-03-09T21:36:00.000+05:30

:Introduction to Ayurveda
========================================

Ayurveda is a science of life so to know more about it,
we must know what is life? Life according to Ayurveda is a
Combination of senses, mind, body and soul. So it is clear
from this definition of life that Ayurveda is not only limited to
body or physical symptoms but also gives a comprehensive
knowledge about spiritual, mental and social health.

The modern society, education, culture and the television everything
speaks about materialism. If this was everything why is it so that most
us are unhappy. There is unrest, anxiety, mental tension, fighting and
terror every where despite best efforts being made to stop them.
This is because some part of our body is not being nourished properly.

Ayurveda (Sanskrit for "knowledge of life" or "knowledge of longevity") is a
comprehensive system of traditional health care that emphasizes the
relationship among body, mind, and spirit. And is considered to be
the traditional system of medicine of India.

Ayurveda is a science in the sense that it is a complete system.
It is a qualitative, holistic science of health and longevity,
a philosophy and system of healing the whole person, body and mind.
Historians have not pinpointed the exact time Ayurveda came into being.
Most agree that Ayurvedic classical texts were written in India
between 3,500 and 5,000 years ago. At this time, philosophy and
medicine were not separated. Therefore, philosophical views have
strongly influenced the Ayurvedic way of thinking.

There are several aspects to Ayurveda that are quite unique:

Ayurveda provides reference points for managing treatment decisions
specific to each case. Ayurvedic theory is profoundly useful in
analyzing individual patient constitution and understanding variations
in disease manifestation.

The Ayurvedic framework can be used to structure working models
of the unique state of each patient, and to project a vision or goal for
a whole state of health, again unique to each case.
Ayurveda provides specific Do's and Don'ts to each individual on
lifestyle, diet, exercise and yoga, herb therapy, and even spiritual
practices to restore and maintain balance in body and mind.
Ayurveda sees a strong connection between the mind and the body,
a huge amount of information is available regarding this relationship.

This understanding that we are all unique individuals enables Ayurveda
to address not only specific health concerns but also provides explanation
as to why one person responds differently than another.