#Week3 #OpenNTalk- Asafoetida "The Magical Spice"- 8 Amazing Health Benefits

It is week 3 of #OpenNTalk Blogging league, and I am so excited to share the amazing power of natural substance with this series.

And in today’s post, I will share again something that is completely natural and purely magical. it is true that,

It is always fascinating to me learn about the health benefits and amazing healing properties of routine kitchen ingredients and spices. Spices are used not only for thousands of years as food flavouring agent to enhance the sensory quality of food, they possess excellent therapeutic and medicinal properties as well. 

 Asafoetida is one of them.  Asafoetida or Ferula asafoetida is a herbaceous plant that belongs to Umbelliferae family. It is an oleo-gum-resin obtained from the rhizome and root of the plant. As the name suggested, it has a typical fetid smell and a nauseating taste. It is also called the "devil's dung". This spice is used as a digestive aid, in food as a condiment and in pickles.

 According to National Institute of Health, Asafoetida has excellent antidiabetic, antiviral, antifungal and antioxidant properties and has been used traditionally for the treatment of different diseases such as a whooping cough, ulcer, epilepsy, bronchitis, asthma and stomach-ache. Because of these numerous therapeutic and curative power, this spice is also referred as the "food of the gods".

History and distribution

Asafoetida is native to central Asia, Eastern Iran to Afghanistan and today it is grown chiefly in Iran and Afghanistan, from where it is exported to the rest of the world. Though it is not native to India, it has been used in Indian cookery and medicine system for ages.

What are the traditional medicinal uses of Asafoetida? What are its health benefits?  And how can we select a good quality asafoetida and store it? And how can we make some easy nutritious recipes with asafoetida?  Read on to know more.

Traditional medicinal uses of Asafoetida

The different parts of asafoetida plant have been used as a traditional medicine worldwide since ancient time. Such as in:

·         Afghanistan – the hot water extract of the dried gum taken orally for treating hysteria, whooping cough and ulcers.

·         China- the decoction of the plant is used as anti-helminthic medicine.

·         Egypt- hot water extract of the dried root used orally as an anti-spasmodic, analgesic and diuretic medicine.

·         USA- the fluid extract of resin has been used as a powerful brain and nerve stimulant.

·         Saudi Arabia- dried gum is used for treating respiratory infections.

·         India- it has been reputed as a drug, which expels wind from the stomach and counteracts any spasmodic disorders.

Asafoetida has lots of health benefits. Listed below are some of the popular health benefits of Asafoetida.

Health benefits of Asafoetida

Asafoetida for gastrointestinal tract

It is an effective remedy for several diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. It is an essential ingredient for most of the digestive powders. In case of flatulence and distention of the stomach, asafoetida is dissolved in hot water and pad of cloth steeped in it may be used for fomenting the abdomen.

According to scientific studies, Asafoetida has been found to be an excellent homeopathic remedy for treating IBS (Irritable bowel syndrome) and works wonderfully to relieve the symptoms of Irritable bowel syndrome. In 14-week double-blind trial study, about 100 people with IBS syndrome received Asafoetida D3 or Placebo. The results showed that participants taking the homeopathic remedy asafoetida improved to a greater extent than those taking a placebo.

Another scientific study shows that asafoetida prominently enhanced the pancreatic Lipase activity and also stimulated the pancreatic amylase. This way it supports the digestion and digestive enzymatic activity.

Asafoetida helps in prevention of cancer

Asafoetida has anti-cancerous properties and plays a good role in the prevention of cancer. According to a report published in Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine, Asafoetida has potent anti-tumour and ant metastasis effects on breast cancer and it could be a potential source of the natural antitumor product.

In this study, the researcher observed that asafoetida was effective in decreasing the tumour weight and tumour volume in treated mice. Apart from anti-tumour effect asafoetida decreased lung, liver and kidney metastasis and also increased the areas of necrosis in the tumour tissue respectively.

Asafoetida has the antihypertensive effect

Asafoetida has significant hypotensive properties and helps in reduction of mean arterial blood pressure. Research using animal subjects has shown that Ferula asafoetida gum extract significantly reduced the mean arterial blood pressure. The research concluded that gum extract seems to contain relaxant compounds that have a positive effect on blood pressure and cardiovascular health.

Asafoetida for treating women's aliments

Asafoetida is very useful in the treatment of several problems concerning women such as sterility, the unwanted abortion, premature labour, leucorrhoea, and painful, difficult menstruation. Owing to great anti-flatulent and digestive properties, it has been used in the post-delivery period with beneficial results.

Asafoetida for asthma and respiratory symptoms

Scientific studies were shown that asafoetida has a relaxant effect on tracheal muscles, because of its constituent's umbelliprenin. This relaxant effect helps in bronchodilation and helps in relieving the symptoms of asthma. Also, the volatile oil in the asafoetida gum is eliminated through the lungs, making this an excellent remedy for asthma.

Asafoetida is a potent anti-bacterial agent

Asafoetida has great anti-bacterial properties. According to a report from applied biology and biotechnology, the scientist has used two types of Asafoetida (red and white) to screen the anti-microbial activity against 5 different bacterial strains and result concluded that both extract of F. Asafoetida shown the strong antibacterial activity against all the bacterial strains. And that's why asafoetida can be used as a great anti-bacterial agent against various bacterial infections; mainly it works great in infections related to digestive system.

Asafoetida has neuroprotective properties

Traditional usage and some recent findings suggested that asafoetida can exert the neuroprotective and nerve stimulating effect on nervous system. It has been used in Ayurveda for treating epilepsy, anxiety and mood disorders for ages. According to a scientific study conducted for evaluating the neuroprotective effect of asafoetida indicate that gum resin of asafoetida in lower doses has the neuroprotective effect on nervous system and increase the survival rate of them, however, in higher concentration, it is toxic for neurons.

Asafoetida has analgesic action

Pain is a seriously unpleasant sensation that diminishes the quality of life. It has been observed that commonly used analgesic often causes undesirable side effects and today the search for new and natural analgesic compounds has been a priority of pharmaceutical industry.

Asafoetida is one of the great natural substances that have analgesic action. In a comparative study with two other drugs (Morphine sulphate and sodium diclofenac), asafoetida has shown a good analgesic effect with a dose of 50mg/kg and the maximum effect was observed after 60 min of drug administration. It has been believed that analgesic and anti-inflammatory action of asafoetida may be due the presence of phenolic compound such as ferulic acid. However, its active component and their mechanism of action need to be elucidated by further studies

Nutritional value of Asafoetida

Asafoetida comprises of resin (40-65%), gum (20-25%), and volatile oil (4 to 20%). The resin portion is known to contain asaresinotannols A and B, ferulic acid, umbelliferone, and four unidentified compounds. The volatile portion contains pinene, cadinene, and vanillin.

Asafoetida is a good source of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. It consist of carbohydrate 67.8% per 100 grams, moisture 16.0%, protein 4.0%, fat 1.1%, minerals 7.0% and fiber 4.1%. Its mineral and vitamin content includes substantial calcium besides phosphorus, Iron, carotene, riboflavin and niacin.

Of course, Asafoetida is a spice that adds distinct flavour and taste to various routine dishes and used widely in vegetarian cuisine to harmonize the sweet, sour, salty and spicy component in food. Apart from that, asafoetida is commonly combined with lentils or other legumes to reduce gas post meal and keep flatulence in check.

Though asafoetida is not a spice to use in everything, but it compliments most commonly used Indian vegetables like cauliflower, peas, potato and often used as a tempering for curries and lentils. Here I am sharing three super easy and nutritious recipes with Asafoetida. I remember my mom serving these dishes quite often as we were growing up and how delicious it was.

How to choose and store Asafoetida

Asafoetida is easily available at any Indian or Middle Eastern grocery store. It is not expensive and can be readily purchased online. Sometimes, asafoetida is adulterated with soapstone or other earthy material which can adversely affect one's health.

We can distinguish the adulterated asafoetida from pure one by performing these simple tests.

Test 1

Purpose- to know the impurity of stone or other earthy material.

Method- adds some water to asafoetida sample and shakes it vigorously. Earthy material or soapstone will settle down at the bottom.

Test 2

Purpose- to know the purity of asafoetida

Method- Take 1 gram of asafoetida in a test tube and add 1 teaspoon water. Mixed thoroughly by shaking, a milky white solution with no sediments indicates the pure asafoetida. But in case of adulteration with a chemical, the mixture turns to be coloured.

Also, as another test you can burn the asafoetida sample on a spoon if the sample burns like a camphor, it indicates the sample is pure (pure asafoetida burns like aromatic camphor)

Storage

Asafoetida is commonly available in powder or granulated form and it should be stored in an airtight container away from light, heat and air. Otherwise, its sulphurous odour will affect other food and spice.

Asafoetida side effects

·         Usually, asafoetida considered safe for most people when consumed in the amounts typically found in foods.  However, it may cause certain side effects in susceptible individuals such as swelling of lips, nausea, headache, diarrhoea, convulsions, blood disorders and other side effects.

• ·         It might cause a miscarriage; avoid using it if you are pregnant.
• ·         Avoid using it if you are breastfeeding. It might cause bleeding disorders in the nursing infant.  Always ask your doctor before using it.
• ·         It might increase the risk of bleeding; avoid using it if you have any bleeding disorders.
• ·         If you are suffering from any pre-existing disease conditions like diabetes, hypertension or any Gastrointestinal issues or infection, and taking prescribed medication for the same, always consult your doctor before consuming it.
• ·         Asafoetida might increase the risk of bleeding during and after surgery. Stop taking it at least 2 weeks prior scheduled surgery.

Conclusion

 Tough Asafoetida is an amazing spice that offers numerous culinary and health benefits. Like any other home or herbal remedy, it may cause some side effects is some people. If you are suffering from any pre-existing disease condition or had a known history of any side effects from spices, it is always recommended to take a professional medical advice before adding this powerful and beneficial substance to your diet.

Did you have observed any other health benefits of this spice? Please share with us!

Sources:

§   Ferula ASafoetida-Traditional uses and pharmacological activity- NCBI

§     Biological activities and medicinal properties of Asafoetida- A review NCBi 

§    ASafoetida- Uses, side effects, interactions and warning WebMd

§   ASafoetida- The ancient Roman spice that reduces Asthma, blood pressure, farting Draxe.com   Irritable bowel syndrome CVS.com

§    Antispasmodic and hypotensive effects of Ferula asafoetida gum extract NCBI 

§  Antibacterial activity of Ferula asafoetida- A comparison of red and white type

§    Antinociceptive effect of Ferula asafoetida- NCBI

§    Double edged effect of gum resin of ferula asafoetida on life span of neurons

§     Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine  quick test for adulterants in food

This post is published for #OpenNTalk Blogger’s league hosted by Gleefullblogger andwigglingpen.com  in association with summerbarn, Vedantika Herbal  and Nyassa

, Explore Kids world

I am a Team Member of Team 5 “Roaring tigress”, our hashtag is #RoarwillRock,

 my team leader is Surbhi from http://prettymummasays.com/  and other members of the team are

•  Mayura fromhttps://diaryofaninsanewriter.com/
• Gurjeet from http://prismaroundgurjeet.com/
• Ridhhi from http://www.ritzyglitzy.in/   

 And,  next to me, Riddhi from http://www.ritzyglitzy.in/ join this league, and sharing her post, so do not forget to stay tuned!

#Father's day Contest- "My Father My Whole World"

Happy Father's day to all. though I personally believe that a single day celebration is not enough to express our gratitude, love and care to our dear ones. and still, it feels really great and amazing that we had set a day, to celebrate the spirit of "fatherhood". father is the backbone of any family. they are the support system and without them, nobody can imagine a happy and peaceful life.

I love my father. but as it is a common occurrence in Indian families, where we did not express our emotions verbally or openly to our fathers. in fact, sometimes, even we did not realize the true breadth and depth of his presence. until something like this happened...

I also had a heart-rending experience around 5 years ago, when I had realised the true breadth and depth of his presence in my life. It was the time when I was expecting my second baby.  And this year “waiting for the arrival of new baby” was the most exciting thing for us. Good friends, family and most importantly “My parents” were the most integral part of my life. Everything was smooth and awesome. It was 2 days after the “Christmas” celebration; I was alone in my house (my husband was out of town). It was 11 p.m.  And suddenly a call arrived with an annoying consistency; a shrill ring has waked me up from blissful slumber. It was my mom’s call.  She said,

“Sweetie  ...papa had some health issues…and the doctor had recommended some tests. But do not worry, everything is fine”. She was sounding very low.

But as I had a highly emotional equation with my mom, I have realised one thing instantly that “Everything is not fine” and decided to go for my native place as early as possible. I had packed my bags haphazardly and took the earliest possible bus with my little 3-year-old doll. It was the most wrenching journey of my life that I have ever done. Physically as well as mentally. I had felt an unaccountable sense of fear and anxiety. A strong feeling of apprehension, restlessness and a persistent thought that “something bad is going to happen” were overwhelming my mental and physical status. Anyhow, I had reached my native place and got a temporary sense of relief after hugging my papa.

After that, we had wasted no time getting to the hospital. Within few hours of arrival and after completing certain test doctor had provided us with a complete diagnosis with some scary words,

“It is a straightforward case of myocardial infarction (Heart attack). As your father is diabetic that’s why he had not got any typical acute symptoms (pain in chest, unconsciousness) except some mild digestive symptoms. He had explained angioplasty and bypass surgery as a treatment option with all possible pros and cons.”

Doctor’s verdict shatters our sense of well-being and security within few minutes. We were trying to rationalise what happened? Why happened? It was a feeling that left us emotionally damaged. It took a while to get over the pain and feel safe again. For moving ahead and making a correct choice regarding further treatment, I had called my little brother. Within few hours, he was also with us.

We all had intense and really big scary emotion (fear, anxiety, frustration), but we all were trying to retreating ourselves to avoid a dialogue that might end up making feel us worse. We were concealing our emotional fragility from each other with the fear that exposing it would make us look weak and helpless. We were trying to hide our fear and emotional pain from each other constantly. And while doing that, we had barely said two words to each other.

We moved from one clinic to another for confirming the diagnosis and selecting the best treatment. And after two days, we had selected “Angioplasty” as a preferred treatment option. Next day, we were in the hospital.

Doctors were busy in the pre-operative preparations. Very soon, papa was dressed in the hospital gown. He was looking very comfortable with a peaceful smile on the face (that he always had). He had not wanted his pain and struggle to make him like the victim. And we all were trying again to control our emotions (fear, anxiety) forcefully. Doctors took him into operation room within few minutes. As soon as he left the room, our heart gets broken so badly. This time we wouldn’t be able to control our emotions any more. We (mom, Bhai and I) cried simultaneously with a deep pain inside the heart. We all had thousands of memories of being together as a family. His love, support, care….cannot explain in words get rememorized in few seconds. We were earnestly doing a prayer for his well-being. We just want a divine protection and provision for a successful surgery. We had only a single emotion that we need him…we would be last without him.

Whenever our dear one has an illness that could be life-threatening and when we lived in the uncertainty of not knowing whether he would survive or not…is the most unfortunate situation to deal with. It felt unreal and we just want that it is only a nightmare.

It took almost 7 days from making a diagnosis then surgery and lastly the post-operative measures. But those 7 days were the most difficult, most complicated days of my life. I never want to feel the intense agony, the emotional pain of “those 7 days” again in my life. And wish nobody has those circumstances when they had a fear of losing to their dear one even for a moment.

We were waiting impatiently outside the operation theatre for doctors. We just want to listen to that “surgery is successful, everything is fine”. And God was kind to us, within few hours, the doctor came and said, “Do not worry, everything is fine”. Your father gets discharged within 2 days.

With the grace of God, Papa got a faster recovery. He was feeling well physically as well as mentally…and so that we also. Now,

The long 5 years had passed. And we again had a loving peaceful family life. After that incidence, I had realised the true depth of relationship in life. After that incidence, I want to enjoy each and every tiny moment of togetherness with family. Everything is fine…. But still, I could not forget “those 7 scary days of holiday”. It was those days when I had realised that “My father is my whole world”

“Life is so short. We all love our family, but sometimes minor family conflicts; misunderstandings spoil the true joy of our relationships. We used to behave mostly ego-centric with a persistent feeling only of oneself, without regard for the feelings or desires of others. We think that “I am always right”, and while flowing with these ego-centric emotions we forget to enjoy the most beautiful gift of God (our family, our relationships) so,

“Love your family, spend time, be kind, serve one-another, make no room for regrets. Because tomorrow is not promised and today is very short”.

What are your thoughts? Do you have any experience like this? Please share with us.

This post is an entry for  father’s day contest, hosted byKreativemommy.com Kreativemommy.com

3 D Printing pen (first Trial)

#Week2 #OpenNtalk- "6 Natural Remedies to Control Seasonal Allergic Symptoms"

As the prime allergy season approaches, many people will suffer from seasonal allergies. And the severity of allergic symptoms, make the normal routine difficult and cumbersome for individuals, who suffer from allergies.

Before sharing the natural ways to control the allergic symptoms (as a physician), I want to share an honest opinion about allergies based on my personal experience. And I am sharing this not as a doctor but as a normal person.

I had a family history of allergy in my family. My mom is asthmatic and I too have nasal and skin allergies during my teenage days. We had tried various pathies to control the severity of allergic symptoms, ranging from traditional to Ayurveda, homeopathic and natural home remedies. And with this long history of family treatment, I could say one thing confidently and sadly too, that

• ·         Indeed, allergies are one of the most difficult to cure element.
• ·         It is easier to control the allergic symptoms rather than curing it from the root.
• ·     As allergies run in the family, there are high chances to get allergic symptoms if you had the family history of it.
• ·      Also, allergic attacks are often unpredictable and recurrent. And sometimes, allergies may be life-threatening if we do not control the sudden onset of severe symptoms with proper first-aid

Though all these facts seem disappointing but it is not the end of the hope.

Brighter side, there are few things that could give us a sign of relief, when you or your family members suffer from allergic symptoms.

• ·     First allergic symptoms are completely manageable and with proper precaution and medication, you can perform your routine activities easily.
• ·         Second and most important thing, based on my personal experience,

“Your life style habits including diet and regular exercise are one of the most predominating factors that help in controlling the severity of allergies and prevent the further attack of allergic symptoms. If we eat right (avoid that food that is allergic to you) and do regular exercise (pranayama is one of the best things that helps in controlling allergic symptoms) always work great to protect your body from allergic attacks.

It is a common occurrence that when our body immunity get lowers and resistance power decreased, our body becomes more prone to get the onset of allergic symptoms. So, it is mandatory to pay enough attention to your diet and exercise routine, if you or your family member is suffering from allergic symptoms.

Here I am sharing some natural ways that can help a lot to control the severity of symptoms of seasonal allergies. All these natural remedies work on “trial and hit” basis (you have to be patient, wait and watch, what works for you?)

 These are:

Local honey

Though there is lack of enough scientific evidence, it is believed that honey might help people to relieve pollen allergies because it contains the small amount of pollen and might help people build up or tolerance to it. Apart from that honey is an excellent anti-inflammatory and antihistamine agent and these properties also help in relieving the severity of symptoms.

What does science say?

In September 2013, a randomized placebo-controlled trial had been done on the effectiveness of honey to control the symptoms of rhinitis over the course of 8 weeks on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The results concluded that honey congestion at a high dose improves the overall and individual symptoms of allergic rhinitis and could serve as a complementary therapy for treating allergic rhinitis.

How to use it?

Consume a teaspoon of raw (preferably organic) honey 3-4 times a day to relieve the allergy symptoms. Keep remember always use it as a "complementary natural product", and never rely only on this to control allergy symptoms.

Precaution

Beware of using honey as a natural allergy reliever. It may cause the severe allergic reaction in some people, especially if you had a reaction to honey in the past, avoid using it.

As honey is high in fructose, it can cause hyperglycaemia (rise in blood glucose level) and may exacerbate the pre-existing insulin resistance. It may promote weight gain. So if you suffer from diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol, avoids using it.

Apple Cedar vinegar

 It is a great product that loaded with vitamins, minerals, and an amino acid. It has an excellent anti-histaminic effect. It helps break up mucus, improve immunity and supports lymphatic drainage. Organic raw apple cedar is best for our body. It promotes alkalinity and PH balance of the body, which is the one reason why it works great as an allergy reliever.

What does science say?

Apple cider vinegar also contains amazing mother of vinegar which occurs naturally as stand like enzymes of connected protein. These enzymes help in fighting off the infection and bring back the balance to your body. According to Melissa Gallagher (a famous naturopath) "apple cider vinegar is just as effective in treating allergic reaction as over the counter medication like Zyrtec. It helps in treating the cause of your aliments thus it eliminates your symptoms entirely.

How to use it

      Either takes raw apple cedar vinegar 1 tsp 3-4 times a day     Or mix 1 Tbsp. ACV with 1 Tbsp. lemon juice and ½ tbsp. organic honey and drink 3-4 times a day.

Precaution
You have to be patient while using it. It may take time to working on and showing the results.

Use of probiotic

Probiotics are live microbes that can improve a number of good bacteria in the intestine. While studies in using probiotics are still in the early stage, but it is believed that probiotics may have an important role in the prevention and treatment of allergic rhinitis.

What does science say?

Scientific studies show mixed results regarding the use of probiotics in treating allergic symptoms.  Probiotics may be beneficial in the treatment and prevention of allergic rhinitis but therapeutic effects remain to be further investigated.
Precaution

In healthy people, probiotics usually have the only minor side effect. However, in people with the underlying health problem, it may cause serious complications occasionally. It is best to take proper medical advice before using it.

Alternative therapies

Use of Neti-Pot it is an ancient Ayurveda tradition that used to treat the symptoms of allergic rhinitis. Basically, Neti-pot is a device (like a teapot) used for rinsing the sinuses. The device is filled with a sterile saline solution to flush out the toxins of allergies and irritation.

What does science say?

According to a scientific research done at the University of California (San Diego) showed that nasal irrigation provides a significant improvement in a wide range of allergy symptoms. In this study, more than 200 patients, who used the procedure, experienced a significant improvement in 23 of the 30 nasal symptoms. There was a marked improvement in general health status of patients had been noted?

Precaution

Usually, the procedure is considered safe but sometimes people can get an infection if they didn't use the device properly. Also, be cautious about the source of water. According to FDA, tap water that is not filtered may contain bacteria and protozoa. These organisms may stay alive in the nasal passage and can cause potentially serious side effects.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese procedure in which trained practitioner stimulate specific point on the body by inserting thin needles into the skin. Initially, it was used only in Asian countries to get rid of chronic pain and other ailments, but nowadays this procedure is gaining an immense popularity in western countries as well.

What does science say?

 According to NIH, a 2015 review concluded that there is high quality randomized controlled trials demonstrate the efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis. Also, in a review of published trials, researcher concluded that there is some evidence to support the claim that acupuncture is the beneficial and cost-effective treatment for seasonal allergies, however more scientific studies needed to confirm this evaluation.

Precaution

Though it is a safe procedure and there are fewer chances of complication. In some cases, there are few complications from the use of acupuncture have been reported, that’s why it is recommended to take required precaution and do it under properly trained therapist.

Herbal treatment

Herbs are powerful natural substance that can help to fight against allergies naturally. For getting best results, it is must to use them appropriately and at suggested doses. Here are some of the common herbs that can help in reducing the symptoms of allergic rhinitis.

• ·         Stinging nettle- used as an antihistamine and anti-inflammatory and helps in reducing the symptoms of allergic rhinitis.
• ·         Blue burr- it is one of the most powerful herbs that has been used traditionally to treat asthma and bronchitis. It also helps in reducing the secretion of mucus and relieves the symptoms of allergy.
• ·         Astragalus- it contains 40% polysaccharides and helps in treating the symptoms of allergic rhinitis.
• ·         Triospora cordifolia- it also has a good anti-histaminic effect.

What does science say?
According to University of Maryland Medical center, using herbs is a time honoured approach to strengthening the body and treating disease. A 2007 evaluation of 6 studies of the herb butterbur done at 720 participants indicated that butter burr may help in relieving the symptoms of allergic rhinitis.

Precaution
Be cautious before using herbs for treating allergic rhinitis. It may interfere with certain medications and may cause the allergic reaction and unwanted side effects in the sensitive individual. So it is must to take professional medical advice, before starting any herbal treatment.

Lifestyle changes

Apart from all this, it is must to do adopt some lifestyle changes to control the allergy symptoms naturally. These are

• ·         Stay hydrated; drink at least 8-10 glass of water per day. It will help to keep your mucous membrane hydrated and reduce t
• ·         Know your allergy triggers. Triggers can vary by region of the country and from person to person. During fall, ragweed and other weed pollens, molds are two main culprits that are responsible for fall allergies. Though it is not always possible, try to eliminate or minimize your exposure to allergens can improve allergy symptoms.
• ·         Pets can bring pollen; pollen and other allergens can get caught in their fur and contribute to the allergy symptoms, so wash them properly.
• ·         Eat healthy and balanced diet. Beware of the foods that trigger your allergy symptoms.   And try to eat food that boosts the immune system.
• ·         Limit exposure on high pollen count days .use protective measures such as wearing a mask if cannot limit your outdoor exposure.
• ·         Take a quick rinse in the shower before bedtime especially after being outdoors all day will help keep pollen out of your bed.
• ·         Keep the pollen out of your home by doing simple measures such as replacing carpet areas with hard surface flooring.  Mop or vacuumed your carpet, furniture frequently to keep clear allergens from your home. De-clutter your house to get rid of dust and allergens. Wash clothes and bedding properly to reduce the incidental exposure to allergens.
• ·         Keep windows and doors closed especially during the days when pollen counts are high.  these are some natural ways that can help a lot to deal with troublesome allergy symptoms.  Did you have tried any other measures to control your allergy symptoms? Please share with us.

Sources:

·          USA National Institute of health (ingestion of honey improves symptom of AR) 

·            Dr.Axe.com

·           NCBI (treatment of allergic rhinitis with probiotics- An alternative approach)

·           NIH- Seasonal allergies and complementary health approach

·          Seasonal allergies at glance

·           University of Maryland Medical center

·            Nasal irrigation for chronic sinus symptoms in patients with allergic rhinitis

This post is published for #OpenNTalk Blogger’s league hosted by Gleefullblogger andwigglingpen.com  in association with summerbarn, Vedantika Herbal  and Nyassa

, Explore Kids world

I am a Team Member of Team 5 “Roaring tigress”, our hashtag is #RoarwillRock,

 my team leader is Surbhi from http://prettymummasays.com/  and other members of the team are

•  Mayura fromhttps://diaryofaninsanewriter.com/
• Gurjeet from http://prismaroundgurjeet.com/
• Ridhhi from http://www.ritzyglitzy.in/   

 And,  next to me, Riddhi from http://www.ritzyglitzy.in/ join this league, and sharing her post, so do not forget to stay tuned!

#Slinturn3 #Blogbirthdaycelebration- "Me Time" for Mommies- 6 Creative and Easy ways for Moms to Finding Daily "Me Time"

“Parenting is the easiest thing in the world to have an opinion about, but the hardest thing in the world to do”- Matt Walsh

Being a mommy life is not easy. We always overloaded with multitude responsibilities and duties. Hectic work schedule, school meetings, social gatherings, personal and professional commitment….a .and list goes on. And as a result, a kind of frenetic tension is a usual occurrence in every household. Stress is an inevitable part of parenting.

Even though a positive stress is good for better work performance and motivates us to deal with challenges and accomplishment of tasks, but for, moms it is never-ending. We always had tons of parental worries. We spend a large percentage of our time in caring for our kids and family.

“Being a mother is learning about strengths you did not know you had, and dealing with fears you did not existed”- Linda Wooten

Parenting had lots of expectations. It is believed that a real parent is someone who always puts their child above their own needs and desires. And while doing all these we often forget to take care of own selves and as a result, suffer from stress and anxiety.

Sometimes it becomes absolutely essential to "To take more time for yourself" or "Do the things that you actually want to love to do". giving yourself permission to get slow down and relax for few moments a day, will definitely help is reducing day to day stress and give you a fresh energy in completing all tasks and responsibilities.

I completely believed in the power of "Me Time" and I never miss a chance to carve out some quality time for myself every day. it always feels great and rejuvenated after accomplishing the things that you actually want to do.

And when I had seen the above picture as a picture prompt for Blog birthday celebration, hosted by Zainab from Slimexpectation.com and co-hosted by Geethica from Thoughtsbygeethica.com. I just loved it.

I had thought this is a great picture to share some creative ideas for carving "Me Time" for Mommies. 

Here I am sharing 5 creative ways to carving more "Me Time" for mommies. hoping you will like it.

Be creative and focus on your hobby

One of the easiest way to carve out some "Me time", is the being creative and spends some quality time alone for your hobby. Whether it is drawing, painting, writing, crafting  and dancing or reading 

….do whatever you want to do always feel refreshing and rejuvenating.

When we engaged in any form of creative activities, we had a state of complete mental involvement and this thing works like a meditation. It has a great potential to reduce stress and can alleviate the burden of various psychosomatic disorders. So mom, bring back those creative juices in your life once again and enjoy the harmony of life with peace and happiness.

Penning down your emotions

Sometimes we felt abandoned and isolated because of failures in life. Sometimes we felt a pressurised daily routine because of tons of responsibilities. Penning down your random thoughts is the easiest way to express your heart’s elation. And the good part is that when we write down what is bothering us, it makes us feel relaxed and we often get a solution of existing problem. It is similar to have a kind of heart to heart conversation with our dear one. So whenever you feel tense or frustrated try to pen down your thoughts, definitely, this is another option to have some quality "Me time" for yourself.

Talk to your family and friends

Nowadays, we live in a high tech world. A virtual world, where we know a person who is mile away from us (through internet) but we did not have any neighbourhood connection. Communication gap is the main cause of stress among family members. It is the root cause of several mental and psychological issues like Depression, sleeplessness, anxiety disorders. Constructive communication with family and friends is a great stress reliever.  discuss your problem with your friends and family, try to clear all misunderstandings, make an open heart conversation with your family and friend is the most successful strategy to combat your stress and anxiety.

Go for a nature walk

Nature is the creation of god. Scientific studies suggested that nature has a sort of healing properties, it relieves tension, anxiety and reduces blood pressure, eases the muscle tension. Taking in the sights and sounds of nature improve mood and relieve the anxiety. As a mom, we have to deal with repeatedly tasks and we often need a break. A short break as a nature walk even in your backyard had a significant psychological benefits. Nature is a positive distraction, which make us calm and happier. 

Eat healthy and exercise regularly

During every day hectic life, we often get more focused on our jobs and responsibilities and involuntarily ignored our health. And this ignorance causes a wreaking havoc on our physical and mental fitness. It may cause nutritional deficiencies, muscle pain, weakness of the immune system, even a state of chronic stress that is very harmful and make our body to vulnerable to other systemic infections.  pre-plan your daily routine and schedule some time for proper healthy eating and exercise is the best way to spend some "Me time" too. it has so many mental and physical advantages for overall health and well-being.

Scientific studies suggested that exercise produces endorphins (good neurochemical) that help in building stamina and mood lifting. Even 5 minutes of aerobic exercise provides excellent health benefits. And nutritious healthy diet helps in strengthening our immune system and makes our body strong enough to deal with stress.

Moms, these were my ideas for de-stressing and taking out some "Me Time" for mommies. What are yours? Which strategies you liked most? Please share with us.

This post is a part of Blog birthday celebrations contest hosted by Zainab from https://slimexpectations.com/and geethica from https://thoughtsbygeethica.com/

#Slimturn3

#Week1 #OpenNtalk- "Seasonal allergies- Causes and Symptoms"

Finally, the wait is over and it is the time to get started with #OpenNtalk, blog league series, hosted by Wigglingpen.com and gleefulblogger. This is a challenge for the teams of bloggers, who are divided into 8 teams. There are around 40 bloggers from different states, cities and genre who are competing for winning this league.

I am so excited to be a part of this blogging league. And I am hoping to put my best foot forward to winning this awesome blogging league.

I am a part of Team 5, and my team caption is Surbhi from http://prettymummasays.com/  and other members of the team are

 Mayura fromhttps://diaryofaninsanewriter.com/

Gurjeet from http://prismaroundgurjeet.com/

Ridhhi from http://www.ritzyglitzy.in/   

Our team hashtag is #Roarwillrock, and yes! We all are ready to roar and ready to rock this series.

And thanks a lot to Surbhi for introducing me.

Of course, this series is about to write better and perform great as a team, and we all want to do that with our best efforts.

Another side, I want to utilize this chance to share something useful and informative too, with my readers and co-bloggers friends.

Being a holistic physician (homeopathy is my speciality) and I always believe that natural substance has amazing healing power and we can use these substances to facilitate natural cure.  Using natural substance for curing different aliments has so many advantages for overall health. They cure disease gently and free from side effects too.

As a health, lifestyle blogger, I always love to share the amazing healing power of natural substances and alternative methods of healing.

For this blogging league, I am keeping “Natural cure is Magical” as a theme, will try to share some useful information about curing different disease aliments with the help of Natural Substances.

For the first post, I am writing about seasonal allergies.

Allergies are one of the most common distressing aliment for so many people and it affects a larger number of the population each year. And sadly, there is no permanent cure for treating allergies.

 What is a seasonal allergy? What are the causes? What are the predominant symptoms?  What is the limitation of conventional treatment to treat the seasonal allergies? And how can we treat allergic symptoms with the help of natural substance?  Read on to know more.

What is a seasonal allergy?

Seasonal allergies like other allergies develop when the body's immune system becomes sensitized and overreacts to something in the environment that typically causes no problems in most people. People with seasonal allergies (also called hay fever or allergic rhinitis) react to pollen from plants. Grass, pollen, and mold are the most common triggers of seasonal allergies.  

Causes of seasonal allergies

According to American Academy of Allergy and Immunology, our immune system controls how our body defends itself. If you have an allergy to a specific substance, the immune system identifies that substance as an allergen, then our immune system overreacted by producing antibodies called immunoglobulin E. these antibodies travel to cells that release chemical and causing an allergic reaction.

Factors that cause seasonal allergies

There are mainly two factors that play a major in the development of seasonal allergies. These are:

• ·         Genetic factors
• ·         Environmental factor

 Genetic factor means genetic background in terms of a family history of the atopic disease has been the strongest factor for the development of allergic symptoms.

Environmental factors such as increased air pollution changed lifestyle and a decrease in bacterial/viral infection are frequently quoted as adjuvant factors for allergic sensitization and possible cause of increased prevalence.

Who is at risk for developing seasonal allergies?

According to centre for disease control and prevention, anyone may have or develop an allergy- from a baby born with an allergy to cow milk to a senior citizen who develops hives after taking any new medication. It is true that allergies cannot generally be prevented but the allergic reaction can be.

Underlying causes of seasonal allergies

There are certain underlying medical conditions such as asthma, unmanaged stress, deviated nasal septum, nasal polyps, recent trauma or illness, pregnancy and even food allergies can increase your risk for developing the seasonal allergy. These conditions affect your immune system functioning and make you more prone to developing the symptoms of seasonal allergies.

Seasonal allergy symptoms

Though seasonal allergy symptoms range from mild to severe. And also depend on the affected system of the body. It could be prominent respiratory or skin symptoms. The most common symptoms include:

Nasal symptoms such as

·         Nasal congestion

·         Sneezing

·         Running nose

·         Stuffy nose

·         Postnasal drainage

·         Loss of smell

Eyes symptoms such as

·         Puffy eyes

·         Itchiness, redness in eyes or watery eyes

·         Respiratory symptoms

·         Difficult breathing or wheezing

·         Coughing

·         Scratchy throat

Ear symptoms such as

·         Pain in ear

·         Ear infection or tickling in the ears

·         Skin symptoms such as hives or eczema

General symptoms such as

·         Fatigue'

·         Body ache

·         Headache

·         Loss of appetite

·         Irritability

·         Mood swing

Limitation of conventional treatment

Though there are verities of symptomatic treatment options are available to control the symptoms of seasonal allergies ranging from antihistamines to decongestant and steroid. These medicines relief the allergy symptoms by blocking or reducing histamine productions, but these drugs had their own limitations. They often cause unwanted side effects, such as drowsiness, dizziness, dry mouth, restlessness, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision and confusion. Also, these medicines did not cure the allergies; they just relieve the symptom temporary and did not work on the root cause of disease. While it is crucial to use conventional medicines during emergency situations, but other than that there are some natural ways are available to control the severity of annoying allergic symptoms. What are these natural ways? How can we use these remedies at home? Read on the second part of article "6 Natural ways to treat seasonal allergies" to know more about this.

Sources:

·          Asthma and allergy foundation of America

·           American college of allergy, asthma and immunology 

·           Center for disease control and prevention

·          WebMD

This post is published for #OpenNTalk Blogger’s league hosted by Gleefullblogger andwigglingpen.com  in association with summerbarn, Vedantika Herbal  and Nyassa

, Explore Kids world

I am a Team Member of Team 5 “Roaring tigress”, our hashtag is #RoarwillRock, and next to me, Riddhi from http://www.ritzyglitzy.in/ join this league, and sharing her post, so do not forget to stay tuned!

#Blogtrain- "How to Plan a Creative and Stress free Summer Vacation for Kids!"

Finally after a long wait summer is here.  And we as a family are really excited to welcome the summer with great energy, good mood and enthusiasm. Of course, summer is a perfect time to have fun and enjoy outdoor activities.  Another side, it is also a good time to follow your hobby and discover new passion too.

As a responsible and caring parent, we all want that our kids had a great summer vacation and most of us usually plan ahead to have a good vacation too.

I am also one of them. And of course, I want my kids had a creative, enjoyable experience during summer vacation.

But, before sharing my ideas for a creative summer vacation, I want to share something more important with you.

It is my eternal feeling and I am sure most of you will resonate with me.

“I believe nowadays kids are having really different (and difficult too) childhood period.  Kids are facing lots of pressure from parents and society from such an early age".

If I share my childhood experience, I would say

I grew up as a suburban kid in 1980s 90s in a small town in India. And I can say one thing proudly that I had enjoyed a really great childhood with free-range parenting from my parents. I had good learning, education, ethical and moral values with less stress and so much fun during my childhood days.

I had never seen my parents as stressed as I had while raising my girls.

Now the time has changed and so many other things too. Technology becomes the unavoidable aspect of childhood. Kids always had the tremendous amount of academic and extracurricular pressure from parents and surrounding society.

They never get enough time and space to explore the things in their own ways.

In fact, they often did not get enough time for free play or just enjoy the nature and outdoor.

We are raising the kids in a culture where it is assumed that we could and should protect our kids from all the things.

Even summer vacations too negatively affected by all these preconceived notions. And during this time too, kids are not free from social and parental pressure.

As a conscious and competitive parent (who always wants to run ahead in parental rat race) we always plan a heavy schedule for so many activities for kids and put a constant pressure on them to learn and perform.

With this scenario, sometimes it felt that Morden world has lost the essence of pure childhood.

So during this summer vacation, I am trying to make a promise to myself (and hoping you all would agree with me), that

• ·         I will try to avoid being a part of parental rate race and I will not compare my girls with other kids.
• ·         I will try to make sure that my girls had enough fun during summer vacation and enjoy this great time with good mood and positivity. I will try to give them proper time and enough space to explore the things in their own way.
• ·         Rather than putting a long to-do list of task, I will try to explore the individual genius of my girls. It could be anything (painting, singing, and writing). I will put my all efforts on focusing what they love and what they want to learn.

So, with this resolution, I am sharing some useful tips that will definitely help you to plan a creative summer vacation for kids.

Talk to your child and take a mutual consent before planning anything

Yes! The first and most important thing, it is very essential to talk with your kids before planning anything. Ask them about what are their expectations for summer vacation? And what they actually want, learn or explore during these days. With this positive communication, you will get a lot of help to plan ahead according to their choice and preference.

Make a summer bucket list

I always love the idea of making “Bucket list” and my girls loved it too. Be creative and innovative, and add best possible activities (both indoor and outdoor), in your summer bucket list. This thing will help is keeping the excitement alive and rememorized you, that you had lots of funny and creative things to do in this summer vacation.

This summer my girls want to make a scrapbook, want to go for a hiking and want to enjoy so many awesome movies. And I am so excited to help them for completing their summer bucket list.

Use an activity planner

Planner work always great when we had lots of stuff to do. And for summer, it is always great to list down your desired activities in a planner. Keep remember one thing, planners should be flexible and avoid putting too much pressure on your kids, to complete the task or activity.

Also, keeping a theme for a particular week is a good idea to stay organized during summer vacation. This thing helps you to learn the thing properly and with complete satisfaction.

Mixed and match creative and fun activity

This is another important aspect, to plan the things. It is very important to mix and match creative and fun activities. Kids should have fun while learning.  And this is a unique way to entertain kids.

Rather than focus on end result, enjoy the whole experience and learning

Sometimes when we get started with any creative activity or any project, we tend to get more conscious about the end results. With kids, it is more important that they have an enjoyable learning experience and fun. So, try to make each activity is an awesome memorable experience for the family.

Enjoy nature and explore outdoor

Last but not the least; spend some quality family time with your kids, in Mother Nature. Explore the outdoor world is one of the best things that should be done during summer vacation.

So, these are some of my ideas to plan a creative and stress-free summer vacation for kids. What your thoughts? How are you planning for summer vacation? Share with us.

This post is a part of “Summer Blog train”, organized by Neha Sharma from Growing with Nemit.

I want to say thanks to Alpana fromMothergurukul.com  for introducing me in her blog post.

 Now, the train will move to Shipra from vibhuandme.com. please visit her blog too to read more exciting summer stories.