Ayurvedic Tea Recipes for Various Health Benefits

Ayurveda has always given highest importance to right food according to one's body constitution. As such, one should always eat food according to the dosha of his her body- vata, pitta or kapha. Ayurveda has also advocated certain diets that are beneficial to achieve overall health. It gives many recipes for specific problems such as Ayurvedic Detoxifying Recipes or Ayurvedic Recipes for weight loss etc. There are also many drinks that help maintaining health. One of such drinks is the tea, which when prepared with different herbs and spices give different benefits for health. Some of such ayurvedic tea recipes are described here.

Ayurvedic Tea for Digestion: Take 1 tsp each of cumin, coriander seeds, and fennel seeds. Also take 3 cups of water and honey. Boil water and after removing from flame, soak the ingredients, except honey, in it for about 5 minutes. Strain and add honey to make it sweet.

Soothing Tulsi Tea: Take 50 gm Tulsi, 7.5 gm Dalchini, 5 gmBrahmi, 15 gm Banafsha, 25 gm Saunf, 15 gm Iliachi dana, 25 gm each of Lalchandan and Kali Mirch. Ground them and boil the mixture in water.

Banafsha Tea for Cough and Cold: Take 60 gm Banafsha, 15 gm Kulanjan, and 20 gm Mulathi. Ground them and boil the mixture in water. Add one drop each of peppermint and eucalyptus oil.

Jushanda Tea for Relief in Asthma: Take 30 gm Mulathi, 15 gm Somavali, 25 gm Vasaka, and 2 gm Naushadar. Ground them and boil the mixture in water.

Herbal Diuretic Tea: Take 26 gm Hauber, 24 gm Gokshru, 25 gm Varun, and 25 gm Punernava. Ground them and boil the mixture in water. It is a diuretic agent which increases the volume of urine excreted and prevents the formation of stone and also dissolves the kidney stone.

Anti-oxidant Keshar and Green Tea: Take 5 gm Jaiphal, 4 gm Javitri, 50 gm Dalchini, 1 gm Keshar, and 40 gm Ashwagandha. Ground them and boil the mixture in water. For anti-oxidant green tea recipe, add 10 gm green tea leaves, and 1 gm each of Dalchini and Iliachi with sugar (as per taste) in water. Boil to get the tea.

Herbal Laxative Tea: Take 90 gm Senna, and 10 gm Dhania. Ground them and boil the mixture in water. It helps in relieving constipation.

Vata Dosha Tea Recipe: Take 1/4 teaspoon each of freshly grated ginger, ground cardamom, cinnamon, ajwan seeds and 1 cup water. Mix all the ingredients. Boil the water and add the herb mixture to it. Steep for 5 minutes. Strain and then serve. It balances the vata dosha.

Pitta Dosha Tea Recipe: Take 1/4 teaspoon each of cumin seeds, coriander, fennel, fresh cilantro, rose petals, and 1 cup water. Mix all the ingredients. Boil the water and add the herb mixture to it. Steep for 5 minutes. Strain and then serve. It balances the pitta dosha.

Kapha Dosha Tea Recipe: Take 1/4 teaspoon each of dry ginger, dill seed, fenugreek seed, 1 clove , and 1 cup water. Mix all the ingredients. Boil the water and add the herb mixture to it. Steep for 5 minutes. Strain and then serve. It balances the kapha dosha.

If, after reading so many types of herbal tea, you plan to grow these herbs for yourself then read and review about 22 plans for herbal tea gardens.

Ayurvedic Remedies for Prostate Problems

Prostate, the small organ below the urinary bladder in males has significant role to play in both- sexual activity and urination. It surrounds the urethra, the tube through which urine passes out of the body and produces seminal fluid discharged from penis during sexual stimulation. Prostate problems include the very common prostatitis- the inflammation of the prostate gland. Ayurveda recognizes two specific prostate problems-

• Mootrakruchra - painful urination, and
• Mootraghaata - suppression of urination.

They are, in fact, symptoms of prostate problems. Apart from these two main symptoms, other symptoms include problematic urine flow, dribbling, increased urination, hematuria (blood in urine), urinary tract infection and urinary retention.

Herbal Remedies for Prostate Gland Problems

Ayurveda suggests many herbs for the treatment of prostate gland problems:

Punarnava or Hog Weed (Boerhaavia diffusa) – It is useful in all urinary problems caused due to prostate ailments.

Prickly Lettuce (Lactuca scariola) -The bitter tonic of its leaves is very effective in treatment of enlarged prostate gland.

Shalaba mishri or Salep Orchid (Orchis mascula) - Useful where prostate problems are due to vata vitiation.

Gokshura or Small Caltrop (Tribulus terrestris) - This Indian herb, tribulus terrestris, http://www.ayurveda-herbal-remedy.com/indian-herbs/tribulus-terrestris.html is useful in treatment of urinary complications caused due to prostate problems. Its fruit is boiled in two cups of water till it is reduced to half the amount and drunk after mixing sugar in it.

Home Remedies for Prostate Gland Problems

Some remedies for prostate problems are available as common ingridients at home:

• If having enlarged prostate, eat a mixture of juniper berries and parslane.
• Eat more tomatoes to avoid prostate infections.
• If experiencing prostate problems, have alternate cold and hot hip baths for about ten minutes daily.

Remaining sexually active is advisable but over indulgence is prohibited by ayurveda. Regular exercise, even walks or mild exercises are a must. Never suppress the urge to urinate. Don't sit on a hard stool for longer periods. If doing desk job, get a soft ergonomic chair to sit on. Quit smoking and alcohol, especially if you are overweight. Taking these precautions will certainly keep the prostate problems at bay.

Herbal Drinking Water- Soon to be a Reality!

If you are someone who keeps track of new herbal products then you might not have forgotten the successful launch of Laboob Sager- the herbal Viagra, by Tamil Nadu Medicinal Plant Farms and Herbal Medicines Corporation Ltd. (TAMPCOL). Now this state-owned corporation of Tamil Nadu government is set to launch its all new herbal product- Herbal Drinking Water. The corporation claims it to be first of its kind in the country.

Herbal water is already manufactured and marketed in the US by infusing organic culinary herbs in pure water. This herbal water doesn't contain artificial sweeteners, preservatives, or additives of any other kind. They are made refreshing, aromatic drink by granting flavours such as those of lavender, mint, cinnamon, lemongrass, vanilla, ginger, cloves, cardamom etc.

Herbal drinking water, developed by TAMPCOL contains herbal extracts along with useful bio-active properties that play a major role in maintaining good health as evidenced by Siddha and original scriptures of Ayurveda as well as modern scientific theories.

This herbal water will be sold in 1,000 ml and 500 ml pet bottles and competitively priced in the growing mineral water market. According to G A Rajkumar, the Chairman and Managing Director, TAMPCOL, herbal water is set to be launched in the next two months after getting the ISI certificate and other related licenses.

What remains to be seen is that whether the corporation will follow suit of other nation and make its herbal drinking water flavored or not? Flavored or not, the healthy herbal water is surely a thing to wait for!

Child Health Care: Worm Infestation

If you are one of the concerned parents of a child suffering from worm infestation and you don't want to administer all sorts of strong medicines to them, you can well relieve yourself. Ayurveda has some easy remedies that will help your child getting rid of worms. Before knowing these simple ayurvedic treatments, its good to know what types of worms can harm your child's health and in what condition these worms occur so that you may avoid their repeated occurrence.

Common Types of Worms

If you examine your child's stool and see long white or pinkish tiny thread like shapes, your doubt was right- your child has got worm infestation. The common types of worms include:

• Round worms (Ascaris): They are round, thin, white/pink worm about 10-20 inches long.
• Pinworms (Thread worms): They are white, small and thin, just like fine threads.
• Hookworms (Ankylostomes): They are tiny dark-pink in color, not visible in stools.
• Tape worms (Taniea saginata/solium): They are flat and extremely long about 2-3 meters.

There are many other types of worms that not only infest the children but also adults.

Causes for Worm Infestation

The main cause of worm infestation is malnutrition and bad hygiene

• Any human being get infection through fecal-oral route. If defecation is done in open fields, the eggs of worms from stools of infected humans and animals find the soil and grow there. Children playing in such contaminated soil can easily be infested by worms.
• Children who eat without washing their hands, transfer the harmful eggs, sticked to their nails, into their stomach where they become fully developed worms. These worms sticks to the lining of the intestines and suck blood leading to anemia and other symptoms of worm infestation. They can grow to the extent of obstructing intestines causing acute pain and landing the patient in an emergency seeking condition. Tiny thread worms come out of the anus in the night to lay eggs around, causing itching.
• Some worms called cysticercoids reach the stomach by eating contaminated pork or beef. They are even more dangerous as they can mix into the blood and reach brain, heart, liver etc and prove fatal.
• Unwashed hands and using others' towels, handkerchief etc. spread worm infestation.
• Eating unwashed raw vegetables and drinking contaminated water are yet other causes of worm infestation.

Once you know the reasons, you can prevent the disease but what if worms have already infested your child? Know how to cure worm conditions through simple Ayurvedic remedies by reading worm infestation