Category: Anti-Aging

April 23, 2019

Top 7 herbal teas for a healthier life

Overview

Tea has always been an important component of many rich cultures in the world whether it’s Chinese, Japanese, British or Indian culture. Its evergreen prominence in every social setting is one of its qualities.

While most of us start our day with a hot steaming tea, there is hardly any social occasion where the tea does not have a place. Like any mouth-watering food, tea entices people to come together and share their stories. It is to be mentioned that Indian subcontinent is known for consuming more tea as compared to any other cultures in the world.  It has been people’s companion of their rainy, tiring or any joyous days from ages.

herbal tea for a healthier life

With the never-ending demand of tea, individuals who are accustomed to having seven to eight cups of tea a day and even more often deal with its negative effects.

Though it has been proven that tea serves as a rich anti-oxidant and also improves mood, it comes with several ill-effects. For instance, non-herbal tea contains caffeine. Even though its content is not as rich as coffee, it can still leave one feeling nauseated, impact the heart rates and can also cause insomnia.

Further, a sweetened cup of tea contains at least 50 calories. The addition of every cup only increases our calorie intake in a day without providing any nutritious value to the body. Likewise, the tea also contains iron binding effect which makes it difficult for the body to access iron content from the fruits, vegetables if one is consuming tea along with the iron-rich foods.

Nevertheless, there are many healthy alternatives available in the market that one can opt for. One can still enjoy their daily hot brewing tea without renouncing their health concerns. The good news is that with the growing health consciousness, the market has witnessed an upsurge in herbal teas.

Top 7 herbal teas for a healthier life

Let’s look at popular herbal teas that contain several health benefits and can help us to live a healthier life:

1. Arjun Tea

  • Arjun tea contains several ingredients that are beneficial for the body especially the heart. The herbs used in the composition have been used by mankind for its remedial properties since ages.
  • Daily intake of Arjun Tea helps one in maintaining cholesterol levels, bringing improvement in the pumping of the heart along with being a rich source of anti-oxidants.
  • Its many cardiovascular components like Arjuna, Punarnava, Dalchini, Pipal Tvak, Chhoti Elaichi makes it a boon for the heart.
  • The tea strengthens the heart muscles, dilation of blood vessels and also improves blood circulation in the body.

 2. Hibiscus Tea:

  • Hibiscus tea comes with many health and beauty benefits. In a hot summer afternoon, a chilled cup of hibiscus tea can help one to beat the heat and have a cooling sensation.
  • Other than being a good alternative to caffeinated drinks and a rich source of anti-oxidant, hibiscus comes an aid for several health problems.
  • Regular intake of Hibiscus tea can help an individual to avert problems like indigestion, obesity, menstrual cramps, low blood sugar, and depression along with lowering blood pressure.
  • However, one should avoid taking hibiscus tea in case of pregnancy or if an individual is already suffering from low blood pressure.

Benefits of Hibiscus Tea

 3. Sage Tea:

  • Sage also known as Salvia officinalis is widely used in the preparation of different delicacies throughout the world.
  • In addition to its culinary properties, sage tea is consumed in different parts of the world as a daily healthy dose of tea.
  • At the time when a large section of the population is suffering from anxiety, daily consumption of Sage Tea in moderation can help one in preventing or reducing anxiety levels and controlling diabetes.
  • Along with helping with anxiety problems, Sage Tea also helps in boosting the immunity, improving appetite, weight management, dealing with painful menstrual periods.

Benefits of Saga Tea

 4. Detox Tea:

  • Detox Tea is a blend of rich anti-oxidant agents that have proven to be very beneficial in detoxifying the body. Humans consume toxins on a daily basis through packed foods, fertilizers and pesticides that are being used on growing vegetables and junks food items.
  • Other than flushing out the toxins from the body, it also works as an anti-ageing agent.
  • In addition to this, detox tea is valuable in treating anemia, indigestion along with bleeding disorders. Furthermore, it has proven to be helpful in increasing sperm count.

5. Peppermint Tea:

  • Peppermint is a common home remedy and is also a flavoring agent. Other than its refreshing aroma, peppermint comes with several health benefits.
  • The daily intake of Peppermint Tea can help one in weight loss along with improving sleep schedule.
  • A cup of peppermint tea can help one  to release stress, fatigue after a long exhausting day.
  • The anti-bacterial properties of the peppermint tea also help an individual in boosting his immune system.
  • It is commonly known that the peppermint is in the majority of the mouth fresheners available in the market today.
  • Therefore, peppermint can also help one in dealing the problem of bad breath.

Health Benefits of Peppermint Tea

6. Turmeric Tea:

  • Turmeric is commonly used as a spice in India and is popular for its healing properties. Its anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory properties work wonders when it comes to regulating the immune system.
  • In addition to this, it can also help in relieving the inflammation and swelling problems with the person suffering from the problem of arthritis.
  • It further helps in maintaining the cholesterol thereby reducing the chances of stroke or any other heart disease.
  • Since turmeric has blood thinning properties, one should also consult the doctors in case there are scheduled to go through any surgery.

7. Echinacea Tea:

  • Echinacea herbs are known for their healing properties not only useful for boosting the immune system but also aids in reducing various symptoms of cold and flu.
  • The antioxidant properties of Echinacea Tea have been proven to be beneficial in regulating blood sugar level, repairing cells, improving digestion, migraine.
  • Having said that one needs to be careful while purchasing Echinacea Tea.
  • Like any other products, there have been many cases where substandard Echinacea Teas are available in the market therefore one needs to be careful and should even consult with the doctor before making a purchase.

For more information on herbal teas and other herbal remedies, visit www.planetayurveda.com

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March 9, 2019

7 Reasons Why You Should Start Eating Karela (Bitter Gourd)

How to Reverse Diabetes NaturallyOverview

Bitter Gourd (Karela) is also known as Balsam Pear or Bitter Melon. It is also called Momordica charantia and is a climbing shrub that grows in tropical climate. It belongs to the same plant family as cucumbers, pumpkin and squash. It is despised for its bitter taste but is considered one of the best foods to be consumed because of its various health benefits. Bitter Gourd is not a vegetable but a fruit as the part of the plant that is used for consumption and for medicinal purpose.

Bitter Gourd is packed with nutrients ranging from iron, magnesium, calcium, beta carotene, vitamin c and potassium. It is an excellent source of dietary fiber. It is a good source of Omega 6 fatty acid, linoleic acid, and Oleic acid.  Bitter gourd is very beneficial in managing disorders like diabetes and asthma.

The leaves and Bitter Gourd itself can be consumed for health benefits. It can be either cooked as a dish, baked, boiled, fried or consumed as raw juice.  It can be either made into a smoothie along with apples and spinach or be cooked as soup. It is also available in form of baked chips, pickles and chutneys. There are numerous reasons why one should start eating Bitter Gourd.

Some of the most important reasons are listed below:

Weight Management:

  • Bitter gourd is a natural agent for treating obesity. The fruit is low in calories, fats and carbohydrates. 100 grams of Bitter Gourd contains just 20 calories. It has the ability to keep one fuller for a longer period of time. The pods of Bitter gourd contain 80% water. Bitter melon contains antioxidants that improve metabolism and flush out toxins from the body.  Regular consumption of Bitter Gourd helps in relieving constipation and indigestion. Thus, it is very useful in losing weight.

Blood Purifier:

  • The anti-oxidant and anti-microbial properties of bitter gourd help it to clear toxins from the body, purify it and improve blood circulation throughout the body. Bitter Gourd juice should be consumed in the morning on an empty stomach to detox the body. It helps with controlling blood clotting too, thus helping the wounds to heal faster.
  • Bitter Gourd is used to treat acne, rashes, psoriasis, toxemia, blood boils and itching in any part of the body. It is rich in folate and is very useful for menstruating women and pregnant women to prevent anemia and maintain blood iron levels. Bitter Gourd is known to reduce neural tube defects in developing baby if consumed at the time of pregnancy.

Treats Respiratory disorders:

  • Bitter Gourd is a simple home remedy to relief cough, cold, improve breathing and clear up the sputum. The pods of Bitter Gourd is used to treat asthma.

Health Benefits of Bitter gourd

Manages Diabetes:

  • Bitter gourd contains polypeptide-p (p insulin), alkaloids and charatin which help in reducing blood sugar levels naturally for Type 2 diabetic patients. Consuming bitter gourd, helps in regulating metabolism, thus prevents unpredictable spikes and drops in insulin levels.
  • Bitter gourd increases the absorption of glucose by the liver, fats and muscle tissue thus helps in reducing blood sugar levels and reduces demand on pancreas for insulin.
  • Bitter gourd acts as a hypoglycemic agent. Consuming bitter gourd juice increases the uptake of glucose and improves the glycemic control. Bitter Gourd activates the kinases protein that helps in absorption of sugar, thus aids in bringing diabetes under control.
  • Plant based insulin in bitter gourd also helps patients with type 1 diabetes. A glass of bitter gourd juice, daily (50 ml) is the most successful home remedy for diabetes.

Cleanses the liver:

  • A glass of bitter gourd juice daily acts as liver tonic and heal all kinds of liver problems. The juice cleanses the bowel and prevents liver failure by strengthening the anti-oxidant activity of the liver enzymes. It is very helpful in improving liver and kidney functions. It repairs liver and increases its capacity to clean blood.

Improves Eye sight:

  • Bitter Gourd is a good source of Lutein and Zeaxanthin and Vitamin A. It helps in preventing cataract development and progression.
  • Vitamin A also plays an important role in cell communication and aids in new cell growth and development.
  • Consuming Bitter gourd (raw, cooked or in juice form) helps in maintaining better vision by supporting retinal function and nourishing the corneas and conjunctival membranes.
  • Bitter Gourd is also a great home remedy to treat dark circles. It helps in preventing all vision related problems and strengthens the eye sight over time.

Boosts Skin and Hair Health:

  • The regular consumption of Bitter Gourd protects the skin from blemishes and acne. The vitamin C content in Bitter gourd makes it a power anti-oxidant that fights harmful free radicals and prevents wrinkles. This fruit contains anti-ageing properties as it keeps the tissues strong by facilitating collagen production thus it slows down the aging process naturally. It also protects the skin from Ultra Violet rays damage. Consuming Bitter Gourd helps to get rid of deep skin infections.

How to Use

  • Applying Bitter gourd juice to the scalp decreases hair loss and graying of the hair. It treats dandruff, scalp itchiness, split ends and rough hair. The juice may be applied directly to the scalp or mixed with some curd. Biotin, Zinc and Vitamin A and C help in imparting shine and luster to the hair.

Other Benefits of Bitter Gourd

  • Bitter Gourd has proved to be beneficial for HIV/AIDS patients as they contain phytochemicals which improve immunity and reduce the overall infection and inflammation in the patient. It also helps in lowering cholesterol levels, thus reducing risk of heart problems.
  • Bitter Gourd is a rich source of Vitamin C that protects our cells from free radicals involved in cancer development. It boosts immunity and helps in iron absorption in the body. It also improves stamina and energy levels of the individual and aids sound sleep.
  • To make Bitter Gourd less bitter one can sauté it in olive oil or sprinkle some salt over the cut bitter gourd pieces and let it sit for few minutes. Soaking Bitter Gourd in Tamarind juice also helps in taking away the bitterness.
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