Ancient records reveal that onions have been used as far back as 4000 B.C. as a cure-all for many illnesses. In WW II, the vapours of onion paste was used to reduce the pain and accelerated the healing of soldiers' wounds. The onion is a member of the lily family, a close relation of garlic. It is often called the "king of vegetables" because of its pungent taste. There are many varieties of the onion white, yellow, red and green globes. They also differ in size, color and taste. The smaller onions come in many varieties such as the green onion. The smaller the onions, the more pungent they are. They are the ones that make your eyes water when you cut them, when the organic sulphur is released. There is considerable variation in composition between different varieties and they also vary with the stage of maturity and the length of storage.  

The kiwifruit, often shortened to kiwi in many parts of the world, is the edible berry of a cultivar group of the woody vine Actinidia deliciosa and hybrids between this and other species in the genus Actinidia. This name "kiwifruit" comes from the kiwi — a brown flightless bird and New Zealand's national symbol, and also a colloquial name for the New Zealand people. Jack Turner came up with the name "Kiwifruit" around 1962 as part of Turners & Growers marketing response to this feedback and the name became a global brand. This fruit had a long history before it was commercialised as kiwifruit and therefore had many other older names.   

Insomnia is defined as the inability to have proper sleep. Symptomatically, it may present as the inability to initiate sleep, or the break in the sleep rhythm in the midnight and not able to restore sleep. Clinically, it may present as an only symptom or it can be caused by a separate issue such as depression or side effects from medication. Insomnia may be considered an acute due to short-term if it presents with a history of a month it can be chronic. Commonly referred to as sleeplessness, or lack of sleep, insomnia can lead to severe fatigue, anxiety, depression and lack of concentration. Insomnia is serious, although unlike other diseases it does not kill. But only a sleep deprived person knows how lonely and how terrible this state can be. The insomnia is now going to become as an epidemic in developed countries like America, European countries, South- East Asia and east Asia expressly.

According to WHO, Overweight and Obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. A crude population measure of obesity is the BMI which is defined as a person’s weight(in kilograms) divided by square of his/her height in meters. A person with a BMI of 30 or more is generally considered obese. A person with a BMI equal to or more than 25 is considered overweight. Almost one sixth of world’s population is putting on weight. It is a sad reality but people are more and more getting prone to this epidemic. So here are some  important facts that every individual should know to overcome this  pidemic. Obesogens Recent studies have shown that obesogens, chemicals hidden in our foods that contribute obesity. Obesogens  are also known as endocrine disruptors, essentially hijack the regulatory system that controls your weight and promotes obesity by increasing fat cells, decreasing metabolism and altering the brain’s ability to manage feelings of hunger. Solution: Obesogens are present in fish and meat if they contain hormones and antibiotics. So avoid taking these food products. Frozen and fresh foods are better to consume as they are free from obesogens. To avoid obesogens in food do not warm water bottles or plastic dishes in  microwaves because that increases the likelihood that these chemicals leak from plastic.  

Stress which is known as silent killer is a major problem now-a-days. During the day we build into our system a number of tensions. These arise out of conflicts in a work or family situations. Our a period of time, these tensions accumulate and become intolerable. We come across many people who are constantly annoyed, irritated and their temper frequently. This type of behavior is a result of the intolerable nature of the tensions inventory accumulated over the years. In fact we should always remain calm and mentally at peace. In the words of the Gita. “Prepare for war with peace in they soul. Be in peace in pleasure and pain, in gain and in loss, in victory or in the loss of a battle. In this peace there is no sin” So, we need to understand the basis of the relax-in meditation technique. In our mind, each thought originates from a source. In fact, although our mind may be flooded with thoughts at a particular moment, in actual practice one though has followed another. In between these thoughts is a void. The objective of the technique is to reach the void or the source of all thoughts if we can hold on to this void, we would automatically repress all thoughts and ideas flooding into our mind. We reach a state of great silence.  

The word "menopause" literally means the "end of monthly cycles". Menopause is the time in a woman’s life when her reproductive phase ends. Her body starts producing lesser amounts of estrogen and progesterone hormones. The symptoms of menopause experienced by some women are often similar to the symptoms of increased ‘Vata’ dosha .It upsets the normal equilibrium of the body physically as well as mentally. The duration of the flow may be considerably shorter or longer than normal, and the flow itself may be significantly heavier or lighter, including sometimes long episodes of spotting. Some women may have two weeks cycle. Further, it is common to skip periods for months at a time, and these skipped periods may be followed by a heavier period. The number of skipped periods in a row often increases as the time of last period approaches. When a woman of menopausal age has had no periods or spotting for 12 months she is considered to be one year into post-menopause.  

Eyes provide us sight without which life would lose most of its meaning and this loss can never be compensated. It has been very well said  in Ayurveda texts that “those who wish to live long life, they must take precautions  for protection of their eyes because for a blind, day and night are one and the same. Today, a new and much emerging problem related to the eyes which needs much emphasis is computer vision syndrome(CVS).CVS is a condition which is caused by focusing the eyes on a computer screen for a protracted uninterrupted period of time. This condition is further aggravated by improper lighting or glare or air moving past the eyes. When we concentrate on the computer moniter, our eyes tends to blink less resulting in drying up of tears causing dryness of eyes. If due to any allergy or infection tears are  less secreted or break up early, then the condition of CVS may become worse.  

Human body needs a kind of physical training to show its efficient results. These results are gained by practicing the so called “Shatkarma” which are able to bring good results if practiced for ever. Body cleansing is gained through the practice of Shatkarmas or the six purificatory techniques. They are very important from the point of view of physical and mental health and these simple techniques are also highly valuable in healing internal disorders. Shatkarmas: The word 'Shatkarma' is originated by the combination of two words 'Shat' and 'Karma'. Shat means six, karma means action or kriyas. Hence Shatkarma consists of six processes of purification such as panchakarma of Ayurveda. The aspirant should practice the Shatkarmas namely Dhouti, Basti, Neti, Nauli, Trataka and Kapalabhati. 1. DHOUTI (Washing up of the Digestive Tract): Dhouti is a kind of penance consisting of washing strip of white cloth, swallowing it and then drawing it out of the mouth. Dhouti means to wash out. As the name itself suggests, this process is suggested for washing stomach and intestines. Dhouti kriya should be well carried out in the early morning and empty stomach after evacuation of the bowels.

What is Kundalini? Kundalini, the cosmic energy, is symbolized as a female serpent coiled (Kundala means coil of rope) at the base of the spinal column Mooladhara Chakra. It has three and half coils like serpent. The coils represent the tri gunas-Satwa, Rajas and Tamas and half coil represents the evolutes of Prakriti This center of power is a gross form of Chitta or consciousness, which remains unexhausted and is static support of the all body activities including the five- fold Prana vital force.It is a fiery occult Power, which underlies all organic and inorganic matter. It is the cosmic power in individual body and the spiritual potential power. Prana, Ahankara, Buddhi, Indriyas, Manas, Pancha-Bhutas and Nadis are the products of the Kundalini. Kundalini maintains the individual soul through the subtle Prana.  

 “A strong heart is a result of healthy lifestyle choices. Be active and stress-free” Today's fast-paced life and workplace pressures elevates stress levels, taking a toll on one's heart. We must realise that the healing power of the body decreases when under stress, leading to many complications like hypertension and poor immunity. Today, even youngsters are prone to heart ailments. So, it's very important to stay healthy and manage your stress levels by understanding the risk factors — (high cholesterol levels, stressful lifestyle, smoking, and lack of exercise) 1.    Avoid smoking: Smoking reduces life expectancy by 15-25 years. If you are a smoker, you are twice more likely to have a heart attack than a non-smoker. 2.    Cut down on salt: Too much salt can cause high blood pressure, which increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease. 3.    Watch your diet: Try to have a balanced diet. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables, starch foods such as whole grain bread and rice.

The turmeric also known as 'Haldi' in hindi, has a great medicinal value. This fact justifies the reason for calling it-'A doctor at your Home.' In ayurvedic texts, so many medicinal properties of 'Haldi' have been described, like. Turmeric-a doctor at home: • Anti-oxidant • Anti-Inflamatory • Anti-helminthic • Aromatic • Tonic • Blood purifier • Stimulant • Fertility enhancer • Digestive • Anti-dermatosis • Anti-diabetic

Person see better when the eyes, mind and body are relaxed. One can convince himself of this basic truth of palming. Palming is a relaxation technique. It is a way by which eyes relax naturally with little efforts. It is a easiest formula to gain energy. As palming is one way of relaxing the eyes, of getting you out of the stress. Mental stress can be cause for losing good eyesight in some cases. How to do palming: Rub hands for a few seconds to warm and energize them. Then close your eyes and cover them with your hands. Each palm covers one eye without touching it. The fingers cross on your forehead, and your elbows rest on a table or on your knees.

WANT a business reason to turn off the computer, leave the office and hit the gym? How about news that regular exercise could make you a better leader? A study from the Center for Creative Leadership found that executives who exercise are significantly more effective leaders than those who don't. Sweating can make you a better leader Using data from CEOs and other top executives collected over a span of 10 years, two groups were compared: those who were regular exercisers and those who were non-exercisers or sporadic exercisers. We cross-referenced the exercise status with "360-degree" assessment tools in which the individual executive is rated by colleagues on various leadership attributes. We found that the exercisers rated significantly higher than their non-exercising peers on overall leadership effectiveness. They also scored higher on specific traits including: inspiring commitment, credibility, leading others, leading by example, energy, resilience and calmness.  

Yoga Asana or exercises are ways of moving or holding the body in different positions. Yoga has several exercises or postures that work wonders on a woman’s health and in pregnancy conditions. These postures gently stretch and explore all parts of body. During pregnancy, Yoga asana are a gentle way to keep active and supple. The remarkable effects of these postures in pregnancy show the power of Yoga for ensuring a smooth pregnancy, natural child birth and restoration of body shape after childbirth. Yoga helps the pregnant women during prenatal period, delivery and postnatal period- Prenatal period 1.    Yoga helps to reduce nausea, morning sickness and mood swings in combination with Pranayamas (Yogic breathing). 2.    It raises the level of energy while also helping in slowing the metabolism to restore calm and focus. 3.    It helps in relieving edema (fluid retention) and cramping which can be quite common in the last months. 4.    Yoga helps in influencing the position of the baby and turning it in advance if needed, strengthening and massaging the abdomen        which helps stimulate bowel action and appetite. 5.    Focus on relieving tension around the cervix and birth canal. 6.    Focus on opening the pelvis to make labour easier and quicker.

Sleep is a periodic state of rest accompanied by varying degrees of unconsciousness and relative inactivity. The value of sleep is obvious, yet the explanation of why it is so effective in providing a daily renewal of a feeling of health and wellbeing is lacking. The sleep wake cycle varies with growing age. Sleep Vs Age 1.    Newborn – 20 hours/day 2.    Child–08 to 14 hours/day 3.    Adult – 07 to 08 hours/day Nearly one third of our life is spent in sleep. Every day we voluntarily go to bed and transit into an easily reversible state of relative unresponsiveness and tranquility. This state occurs almost regularly and repetitively each day. Any condition that interferes with sleep is known as Sleep disorders. These include environmental noise, excess cold or heat or movement as on a train, bus or ship.