An Immune India

Indiblogger has again come up with a blogging contest this time it is titled -----An Immune India ---and is in collaboration with Dabur Chyawanprash -.

First of all I must thank Indiblogger for conducting these contests because they not only provide us bloggers with opportunities to write, but more importantly when people in hundreds  write for the same topic  we  come to know about  many factors  which were hitherto unknown to us .enlightening us about that product .

So I must thank Indiblogger and the many sponsors for holding such contests ---in today's case its DABUR that I am thanking

Thankyou Dabur ,Thankyou Indiblogger...

The topic this time is IMMUNE INDIA and deals with the benefits of increased immunity in children against certain ""diseases which weaken a child and hence make a whole nation weak""Our body has to face attacks by different kinds of virus , dust ,weather changes etc daily and these cause many diseases which can be and are being fought by the ingredients of Chyawanprash an ancient ayurved health tonic . Dabur Chyawanprash has an edge over other brands because ---

• Dabur is the first branded Chyawanprash in the country
• It is the highest selling Chyawanprash with more than 60% market share
• It is scientifically proven to provide 3 times more immunity that helps fight virus, flu and infections
• Dabur Chyawanprash has been consistently voted as the power brand of the country and is a trusted remedy for cough and cold for a majority of Indian household.
• It has been endorsed by celebrities like Sreeram lagoo, Amitabh Bachchan, Vivek oberoi, Virender Sehwag and now MS Dhoni
• Has a sugar free variant for calorie conscious people
• It is also available in 2 new exciting flavours Orange and Mango
• It contains natural Ayurvedic ingredients, which are being consumed safely for ages.

I have grown up watching people, specially the old, use chyawan prash as a tonic  .My grandfather used to have chyawanprash with milk every morning, in fact till late in life I used to think that it is actually a tonic for senior citizens only and used to think that I will definitely include it in my diet once I reach that age :) in fact those were the days when people (the generation of my parents ) in their desire to  become modern and more westernized had started going in for tonics etc and had stopped believing in ayurved ---which practice thankfully has started to change now and the age old tried and tested methods of healthy living are again gaining recognition and authenticity. Thankfully indeed  

I have always loved the smell and taste of Chyawanprash and my daughters too used to love their spoonfuls in the morning before leaving for school ---but that time the mixed fruit ,mango and orange flavours were not available so initially I had to bribe them with sweets if they took their chyawanprash  but after a few months chyawanprash became the bribe for getting a lot of things done .and I had to tell them that 2 tsp spoonfulls per day was  the  recommended   dose .

Chyawanprash as we all know has anti-oxidant properties which strengthens our  body's immune system thereby protecting us from day to day infections. It comprises of Amla ( that wonder fruit ) together with some other  herbs which  strengthen the body's natural defence mechanism by increasing the NK cells ( Natural Killer Cells). In an in-vitro study conducted on Dabur Chyawanprash, it was found to have increased the NK sells levels up to 3 folds .

Now of course a very  good news is that we get sugar free chyawanprash which can  be taken by diabetics too and I am happy that I will not have to forego my daily dose of Chyawanprash as and when I get diabetes which I hope I do because after all  it is a lifestyle disease and happens to the rich and affluent and I surely wouldn't want to be left behind in that race would I ?


By the way while still at the topic of "" The  Immune and Immunity""" I have  news to share ---studies have shown that we Indians are fast developing Immunity against diseases like rape .bride burning ,scams ,corrupt politicians and corruption of all kinds in all fields .

You don't believe this ? then here are some facts 

1.we see rape being committed on the roadside and walk away turning our faces or drive away increasing our speed ( its another matter that we come out with  placards shouting slogans and holding candle marches after  the rapists have successfully accomplished their job.)

2. The moment a bride is burnt we start contemplating getting our daughters married to the new widower --another groom in the market and we form a queue in front of his house with the biodata of our unmarried daughters and  the dowry amount  increased .

3.Scams ---the less said the better 

4. corruption --well that is the way of life. You don't want to be looked down upon by your neighbours in the race of affluence .

5. corruption of all kinds in all fields ---what do you think are all these sex scandals and anti national activities ---corruption is not only financial to be corrupt means to be doing something wrong. 

And aren't we immune to all these ??

May be the fact that for a certain period in the  history of our society we had begun to disown our heritage and our ancient methods  of living ( as cited by me in a paragraph above which says that I used to believe that chyawanprash was only for the aged) and may be this gave rise to unhealthy attitudes in life .


Well, then lets hope that the consumption of Chyawanprash by our children will give them a healthy body which will host a healthy mind and help them to differentiate between the good and the bad and our country will become not only healthy physically but morally and mentally too ---a nation which will boast of a people with a healthy outlook towards life and who will bring laurels to the motherland and to themselves .

Jai Hind ----Vande Matram


this is my entry for the "An Immune India" contest on indiblogger and the link is www.daburchyawanprash.com

traditional knowledge ---natural growth

Dabur Lal Tail

"Adam just see what is happening to the baby ?he just wont stop crying ---what do we do? don't just keep snoring  do something..."

"Stop making all that noise  ---and do something he is the result of your labour don't harass me..."

"my labour ?? and what do you ,mean ? as if you didn't have anything to do with it !!!!"

"no you were the one who tempted me to eat the apple its all your fault..."

"and were you a  baby to give in to my temptations you could have refused!but yes you are right ;he is my labour you MCP......" and Eve started sobbing 

"ok ok don't start that all over again  let me see what I can do...."   and Adam got up with a yawn

.



 His hands touched the honeycomb he had been devouring the previous  night and he dipped his fingers in the honey that had trickled out --he then put the finger into the baby's mouth --"if some thing tastes good to my tongue it may taste good to him too" and yes the baby stopped howling in fact he started licking his lips and demanding more ---now this was a miracle and EVE  hugged Adam.  They now started  giving a dash of honey to the baby whenever he cried -----after a few days Eve noticed that  the baby had stopped coughing and his bowel movement too had improved he looked healthier too .
       
     



This was a dream sequence which had appeared on the panorama of my sleep when I thought of writing for this contest on indiblogger about TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE---NATURAL GROWTH  in collaboration with Dabur Lal Tail

I went straight to the computer  as soon as I woke up -and here are a few excerpts from GOOGLE SEARCH about HONEY


""""The health effects of honey have long been noted. The nutritional and medicinal qualities of honey have been documented in Vedic,Greek, Roman, Christian, Islamic and other texts. Physicians of ancient times, such as Aristotle (384–322 BC), Aristoxenus (320 BC)Hippocrates, Porphyry, Cornelius Celsus (early first century AD) and Dioscorides (c. 50 AD), and Arab physicians have referred to the healing qualities of honey.

 Over four thousand years ago, honey was used as a traditional ayurvedic medicine, where it was thought to be effective at treating material imbalances in the body.

In pre-Ancient Egyptian times, honey was used topically to treat wounds.¹.

Egyptian medicinal compounds more than five millennia ago used honey.

The ancient Greeks believed that consuming honey could help make you live longer.

Even the Prophet Mohammed glorified the healing powers of honey.

The Quran also praises honey's healing ability:

Current Eye Research (Vol. 36, No.9) documented that honey has anti-inflammatory properties that can be explored in several corneal inflammatory and infectious conditions. Researchers at the International Bee Research Association also reported that honey is a better natural eye cure for dry eyes than artificial tears. Though the solution used contained only 20% honey, it was found that honey could treat eye infection even when diluted. American Apitherapy Society showed a significant improvement in a corneal ulcer condition with topical honey when antibiotics, antiviral agents and corticosteroids had no effect----

Though scientific arguments have been made for use of honey in modern times, its use is still considered part of alternative medicine.^[1][2]Honey contains powerful antioxidants with antiseptic and antibacterial properties .""""


In the very recent past we were suddenly made aware that honey was not to be consumed and specially by infants  because --

""""The spores of the botulism bacteria are found in dust and soil that may make their way into honey. Infants do not have a developed immune system to defend against infection, says Jatinder Bhatia, MD, a Georgia neonatologist who heads the American Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on Nutrition..Bhatia has never seen a case of infant botulism.""""


But then  neither do infants have a developed immune system against so many other diseases ranging from simple cold to typhoid to etc etc there  are many air borne or water borne diseases  But have we stopped breathing or have we stopped drinking water  ?? NO  BECAUSE we know that  WE CAN NOT DO WITHOUT EITHER OF THESE TWO  so we try and work out other ways ---similarly Honey is not all that dangerous for infants as it has recently been made out to be in fact here is an excerpt from google again


"""" E. Haffejee and A. Moosa reported in the BMJ on a clinical study in which they used honey in oral rehydration solution in children and infants with gastroenteritis. Their aim was twofold:

• Determine whether honey might affect the duration of acute diarrhea
• Evaluate honey as a glucose substitute in oral rehydration

They found that honey shortens the duration of bacterial diarrhea in infants and young children.⁴ They added that honey does not prolong non-bacterial diarrhea duration, and "may safely be used as a substitute for glucose in oral rehydration solution containing electrolytes."""""

Please don't think  I am writing an article on Honey I did all this research just to prove that traditional knowledge is very useful and at times better than modern medicines ( because it has no side effects ) for the natural growth of children .

LETS not forget a very important TRUTH that man came first and then  came discoveries and inventions and science and research .That which was good for our ancestors cannot be bad for us --there may be some irregularities  but we cannot straight away write off  old tried and tested methods of rearing children In fact honey helped me clean by daughters tongues when they were babies I would apply a little honey on a  piece  of cloth wrapped round my fingers and insert into the baby's mouth nicely cleaning her tongue while she would be enjoying the sweet taste :otherwise a dirty tongue could give rise to so many diseases .and we all know how difficult it is to clean a baby's tongue.

Similarly we give a warm mustard oil massage or a bit of Jaifal (nutmeg) in milk and the baby is cured of the severest of colds without any side effects .A spoonful of water in which Ajwain has been boiled is also a good cure for colds and stomach aches .

We have all seen that home remedies are better substitutes for children as compared to some allopathic medicines simply because they don't  have  any side effects this is because they comprise of those things which are natural  and not chemicals  -eg-ginger which is absolutely harmless is a good cure for cold , coughs and even stomach disorders whereas a simple cough syrup can cause drowsiness in children and in adults too which can be very dangerous .

 In fact we are discovering the importance of old traditional methods and advocating their use too ---clove oil is a component in so many remedies for tooth trouble  the old and simple gargle with warm water and salt is the panacea for all throat infections irrespective of the fact that the patient is taking antibiotics or not 

we find toothpaste companies asking  people ---kya apke toothpaste me namak hai ? nimbu hai ?

now aren't nimbu and namak traditional methods of cleaning teeth  I remember as children we used to clean our teeth with salt and mustard oil , my mom used to rub her teeth with left over lemon peels from her plate after every  meal this to make her teeth shine --and boy did they ? yes they sparkled always .

I need not keep visiting Google to corroborate or prove my points  --we all know that Diabetes and  Cardiac problems are all lifestyle diseases and can be cured by making changes in your food habits and some exercise ---and aren't these traditional methods we used to eat missi roti (roti made of flour which had horse gram added to it ) modern day cardiologists advocate this kind of flour because it has a lot of fibre 

Doctors are prescribing  garlic  to reduce cholesterol  
.
Yoga again comprises of asanas which are a traditional form of exercise and doctors from across the seas are prescribing YOGA for cardiovascular ailments .

We all know that strong medicines affect the liver ----drug induced liver diseases are those that are caused by physician -prescribed medications , over the counter medications , vitamins , hormones etc Thankfully this knowledge has put an end to the trendy practise of popping vitamin pills into your mouth for breakfast A very trendy scenes in all affluent MODERN families used to be the wife asking the hubby and kids " tumne apni vitamins le li ?" before they left home for work or school :)


Coming to simpler things a hair dye has the capacity to whiten even that hair which can be black for another 2 or 3 years whereas henna and amla mixture if applied regularly can make your hair retain its luster and blackness for years and years and it gives a natural shaded look if its regularity is not broken even after your hair has started greying .And the kidney and eyes too remain safe 

Baby soaps are harsher for baby's  skins as compared to besan and haldi combined with milk , "ubtan"--ubtan even rids the baby of unwanted body hair gradually



Oh yes and don't we remember that the Americans wanted to patent the turmeric and the Neem


Google to my rescue again 

By October, 1996 when the prestigious New Scientist magazine wrote under the title, "Pirates in the garden of India", India's sanguine magnanimity was to end. A crisis was brewing. India had to do something.

Abduction of turmeric:

The war began thus: In May, 1995 the US Patent Office granted to the University of Mississippi Medical Center a patent [#5,401,504] for "Use of Turmeric in Wound Healing."

Well, well, well. Some discovery, that. Indians grow up with a constant awareness of turmeric. It permeates their life. It is an easy and generous plant [curcurma longa] that grows throughout the sub-continent. The tuber when dried keeps practically forever. Its decoction is a stubborn dye. It is a condiment that adds character to Indian food and helps digestion. Turmeric powder heals open wounds. Drunk with warm milk, it stems coughs, cures colds and comforts throats.

. Indian physicians had always packed their kits with turmeric. Now West's formal research was confirming many of its virtues. It is now believed to be able to treat dysentery, arthritis, ulcers and even some cancers. It is also found to protect the liver. 

Turmeric's grace is stunning cancer researchers. COX-2 inhibitor drugs have been known to block an enzyme called cyclooxygenase-2 which aggravates arthritis. Dr. Mitch Gaynor at the Strang Cancer Prevention Center, New York uses these drugs in cancer treatment to impede this undesirable enzyme. Turmeric goes one step further: Dr. Chintalapally V. Rao of American Health Foundation, Valhalla, NY believes that while COX-2 inhibitor drugs battle the enzyme, the curcurmin element in turmeric prevents even the formation of the enzyme

The patent was promptly challenged by Dr. R A Mashelkar, an Indian scientist who has done much to awaken India to Intellectual Property Rights issues. After four months of submissions it was established that the use of turmeric as a healing agent was well-known in India. For some centuries, one is tempted to add. The patent was annulled. But there were more battles ahead.

In 1996, Vandana Shiva -- an icon for Third World Knowledge Rights -- began to challenge the patent granted to the firm of W.R.Grace & Co by the European Patent Office, Munich for 'fungicidal uses of neem oil'. Now, it so happens that neem is as much a divine object in India as turmeric is. With far less education than modern scientists the Indian farmer over the ages had integrated neem into his work. It is a part of India's religious life, to sublimate anything of value to divine levels in order to engender an esteem and sensitivity for it. Shiva and Ajay Phadke [who had researched neem for Rhone Poulenc in India] flagged ancient Indian texts for their eminences in Munich to convince them that there was no 'novelty' factor in neem's magical properties that Grace had unveiled-- Indians had known them for long.

 This patent too was vacated.

I am using these excerpts from google just to prove  the authenticity of my views 

What do all these battles prove --that modern and the scientifically aware westerners too have discovered the benefits of  our own desi knowledge .Whereas we are busy immitating and apeing them and providing  them with a dumping yard .

I would request all aware Indians to preach and practise our own traditional methods as far as possible 

I don't say that modern medicine is bad it is also very important but not for every small ailments because all that glitters is not always gold .

Let not history repeat itself let not nimbu and namak come to us as salt and lemon like Yoga and Sitar came to us via the USA .

This post is written for the contest ---traditional knowledge natural growth on indiblogger in collaboration with Dabur Lal Tail

p.s---all pictures and material typed in red have been taken from the net 

children of lesser mortals ---a poem on childrens day

children of lesser mortals

Its childhoodthe happy age.
Its childhood a carefree page
in the book of life
which has volumes
to say
of ups and downs
which will  stray your way
unwanted and un asked for.

Is childhoodthe happy age?
Is childhood the carefree page?
in the book of life
with agonies so rife
that  it discriminates
each one from other
as they walk their way
each hour and everyday..

A child is born and another too,
 the  time is same
and the hour too.
but fate is not
the same for them
its blessings for one
and for the other
mayhem.

One sleeps in the shadow
of  the canopy of the rich
 The other in the shade
 Of palm trees  lives
For one the plate is
always  scrutanized
the other looks at the crumbs
with  hunger in the eyes.

They say the master
wills it all .
HE is the revered God of  all
OUR  FATHER who in heaven stays
what makes him
then to  differentiate
between his children very own ??
why does HE want sadness sown
In the fields of them
who his world adorn .??