Hairfall
No one likes losing hair. Keep your crowning glory looking healthy and shiny.
* Eat a small bowl of sprouts (moong dal/kala chana) daily. Also, include fresh fruits, raw salads, leafy vegetables, whole grains and curd in your diet.
* If your scalp is oily, or if you have dandruff, drink plenty of water. Add the juice of a lemon to a glass of water and drink it first thing in the morning.
* Restrict your consumption of junk food items like burgers, fried chips, cold, spicy and sugary foods, caffeine, carbonated drinks, excessive raw food, tofu and tomatoes as these are responsible for hair thinning.
* Eat protein-rich foods like soybean, low-fat cheese, eggs, beans and yoghurt to aid hair growth.
Herbs to reduce hairfall
* Massaging aloe vera gel into the scalp restores its pH balance, and this helps hair grow.
* Amla, reetha, mahabhringraj oil, triphala, bael, neem and sandalwood aid hair growth.
* Chamomile is a good herb for oily hair. It also corrects the scalp’s water balance, so that it does not become dry. n Chamomile also helps to strengthen and revitalise hair.
* Brahmi is a wonderful treatment for hair loss as its antioxidant properties allow proper nourishment to reach hair roots and promote hair growth. It also fights dandruff, hair discolouration and split ends.Water retention
Many of us face the recurrent problem of water retention. Whether we retain fluid due to hormonal changes or after eating too much salty food, we should not try severe measures like medication to fix this problem as a few simple measures are all that you need.
* Green tea is a safe and natural diuretic. Try herbal diuretics such as jasmine, lemon or chamomile tea. Drink one cup two to four times a day. Alternatively, drink a cup of ginger lemon tea twice daily.
* Eat low-salt soups, such as broth-based vegetarian soups, which are filling, hydrating and help to release toxins and trapped water. Because canned soups contain high amounts of sodium, opt for homemade clear soups made without thickening agents.
* Avoid foods like cheese, canned foods, pickles and ketchups that contain substantial amounts of salt.
* Add more fresh vegetables and fruits to your diet, especially those high in water content, such as celery, cucumbers and watermelon. Foods like apples, asparagus and barley are also natural diuretics.
Many of us face the recurrent problem of water retention. Whether we retain fluid due to hormonal changes or after eating too much salty food, we should not try severe measures like medication to fix this problem as a few simple measures are all that you need.
* Green tea is a safe and natural diuretic. Try herbal diuretics such as jasmine, lemon or chamomile tea. Drink one cup two to four times a day. Alternatively, drink a cup of ginger lemon tea twice daily.
* Eat low-salt soups, such as broth-based vegetarian soups, which are filling, hydrating and help to release toxins and trapped water. Because canned soups contain high amounts of sodium, opt for homemade clear soups made without thickening agents.
* Avoid foods like cheese, canned foods, pickles and ketchups that contain substantial amounts of salt.
* Add more fresh vegetables and fruits to your diet, especially those high in water content, such as celery, cucumbers and watermelon. Foods like apples, asparagus and barley are also natural diuretics.
* Calcium intake may help women who experience water retention associated with their menstrual cycle. Vitamin B6 may also alleviate water retention in menopausal women.
* Limit your use of alcohol and tobacco. They promote fluid retention by increasing dehydration.
* Water is a natural diuretic, so drinking eight glasses of water daily can help prevent water retention. The water should be consumed evenly throughout the day to help the kidneys efficiently remove the water.
Herbs to reduce water retention
Choose two to four cups of dandelion infusion per day over other diuretics for pre-menstrual bloating. Add four cups of boiling water to 2 tbsp dandelion leaves. Let the leaves soak for five to seven minutes and then strain. Drink one cup of the infusion in the morning and allow the rest to cool before pouring into a glass bottle.
* Parsley: The leaves of this herb can be used in the form of a tea or in the form of capsules to effectively treat water retention.
* Other herbs: Jasmine tea, 3 tsp punarnavarisht with 3 tsp of water after meals, 1 tab each of punarnavadi guggul after meals, or 3 tsp dashmoolarisht with equal amount of water after meals.
From HT Brunch, August 12
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