Uses of Basil/Tulsi

Tulasi’s extracts are used in ayurvedic remedies for common colds, headaches, stomach disorders, inflammation, heart disease, various forms of poisoning, and malaria. The dried leaves of Tulasi have been mixed with stored grains to repel insects. Traditionally, tulasi is taken in many forms: as an herbal tea, dried powder, fresh leaf, or mixed with ghee. Essential oil extracted from Tulsi is mostly used for medicinal purposes and in herbal cosmetics.Widly used in skin preparations for its anti-bacterial activity.

Basil is widely used in Ayurveda. Basil is rich of phytochemicals. It has anti-bacterial, antiviral and immune enhancing properties.

Application of the juice of the basil leaves mixing with a little amount of honey over the eyes twice daily to treat fresh cases of cataract.

Basil improves the efficiency of kidney. Take the mixture of equal amounts of the juice of basil leaves and honey regularly for 6 months for eliminating the stones in kidney.

Basil is a good medicine for diabetes. The antioxidants in basil reduce the glucose level in blood. So take a tea spoon of juice of basil leaves daily to keep the diabetes under control.

Basil leaves improve memory power. The smell of these leaves is pleasant to us.

Basil oil cures earache, while gargling with the decoction made with these leaves reduces throat pain.

Taking the mixture of equal parts of the powder of basil roots and ghee can make you romantic.

Tea made with the tender leaves of basil prevents Malaria and Dengue. Take the decoction of these leaves with cardamom powder for reducing high body temperature.

Basil can reduce heart diseases as it reduces the cholesterol content in the arteries.

Mix a tea spoon of honey and ginger juice in a cup of decoction made with basil leaves and take for getting relief from cold, influenza, asthma and bronchitis.

The decoction made with the mixture of leaves, roots and flowers of basil acts as anti venom for a snake bite.

The Eugenol in these leaves is a good pain killer. Rub the leaves on the wounds for healing and for relief from pain.

Place few leaves of basil under the pillow or under the bed sheets to solve the problem of insomnia.

Massage with basil oil on the affected limbs to reduce the severity of paralysis.

Make a fine powder of basil flower buds. Mix a spoon of powder to a spoon of honey and consume it for relief from migraine.

The mixture of equal amounts of yogurt and basil juice with a pinch of cardamom powder is considered to be a cure for venereal diseases.

Leaves can be used to treat insect stings and bites.

Wash the hair with the decoction of basil to condition the hair.

Adding some basil flowers and leaves in bathing water makes the body fresh.

Recently basil is used in cooking too. It can be used with tomato sauce, pesto or vinegar.

It can also be sprinkled over salads and sliced tomatoes.

So use basil and enjoy the benefits of it.

http://hinduism.about.com/od/ayurveda/a/tulsibenefits.htm

http://www.lifemojo.com/lifestyle/health-benefits-of-basil-tulsi-2232715

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basil

Courtesy: Various Sources over internet

Foods For Vitamins And Minerals

Vitamins: Fat Soluble

The fat soluble vitamins A,D, E and K are best absorbed when taken with food containing a little fat or oil. Vitamins are absorbed through the small intestines. They are stored in the body's fatty tissues and do not need to be consumed on a daily basis. Excess levels of vitamins can be toxic or harmful to the body.

Vitamins: Water Soluble

Water soluble vitamins C, the B Vitamins: thiamin (B1), B12, B6, riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), folic acid, pantothenic acid (B5) and biotin are dissolved in water. As a result of being water soluable, they are not stored in the body.

Unlike protein, carbohydrates and fats, vitamins do not yield usable energy when broken down.  They assist the enzymes that release energy from carbohydrates, proteins and fats, but they do not provide energy themselves.  (thus, beware of claims for "energy vitamins" or for diets that replace  foods with vitamin supplements)

Vitamins and minerals are widely available from the natural foods we eat.  So, before you reach for the vitamin jar, try eating your vitamins from natural foods.   Here are some of the best sources for each:

•Vitamins

•Minerals

Vitamins

Vitamin Name

Vitamin Function

Food sources

B1 (thiamin)

Supports energy metabolism and nerve function

spinach, green peas, tomato juice, watermelon, sunflower seeds, lean ham, lean pork chops, soy milk

B2 (riboflavin)

Supports energy metabolism, normal vision and skin health

spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, eggs, milk, liver, oysters, clams

B3 (niacin)

Supports energy metabolism, skin health, nervous system and digestive system

spinach, potatoes, tomato juice, lean ground beef, chicken breast, tuna (canned in water), liver, shrimp

Biotin

Energy metabolism, fat synthesis, amino acid metabolism, glycogen synthesis

widespread in foods

Pantothenic Acid

Supports energy metabolism

widespread in foods

B6 (pyridoxine)

Amino acid and fatty acid metabolism, red blood cell production

bananas, watermelon, tomato juice, broccoli, spinach, acorn squash, potatoes, white rice, chicken breast

Folate

Supports DNA synthesis and new cell formation

tomato juice, green beans, broccoli, spinach, asparagus, okra, black-eyed peas, lentils, navy, pinto and garbanzo beans

B12

Used in new cell synthesis, helps break down fatty acids and amino acids, supports nerve cell maintenance

meats, poultry, fish, shellfish, milk, eggs

C (ascorbic acid)

Collagen synthesis, amino acid metabolism, helps iron absorption, immunity, antioxidant

spinach, broccoli, red bell peppers, snow peas, tomato juice, kiwi, mango, orange, grapefruit juice, strawberries

A (retinol)

Supports vision, skin, bone and tooth growth, immunity and reproduction

mango, broccoli, butternut squash, carrots, tomato juice, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, beef liver

D

Promotes bone mineralization

self-synthesis via sunlight, fortified milk, egg yolk, liver, fatty fish

E

Antioxidant, regulation of oxidation reactions, supports cell membrane stabilization

polyunsaturated plant oils (soybean, corn and canola oils), wheat germ, sunflower seeds, tofu, avocado, sweet potatoes, shrimp, cod

K

Synthesis of blood-clotting proteins, regulates blood calcium

Brussels sprouts, leafy green vegetables, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, liver

Mineral

Mineral Name

Mineral Function

Food sources

Sodium

Maintains fluid and electrolyte balance, supports muscle contraction and nerve impulse transmissions

salt, soy sauce, bread, milk, meats

Chloride

Maintains fluid and electrolyte balance, aids in digestion

salt, soy sauce, milk, eggs, meats

Potassium

Maintains fluid and electrolyte balance, cell integrity, muscle contractions and nerve impulse transmission

potatoes, acorn squash, artichoke, spinach, broccoli, carrots, green beans, tomato juice, avocado, grapefruit juice, watermelon, banana, strawberries, cod, milk

Calcium

Formation of bones and teeth, supports blood clotting

milk, yogurt, cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, tofu, sardines, green beans, spinach, broccoli

Phosphorus

Formation of cells, bones and teeth, maintains acid-base balance

all animal foods (meats, fish, poultry, eggs, milk)

Magnesium

Supports bone mineralization, protein building, muscular contraction, nerve impulse transmission, immunity

spinach, broccoli, artichokes, green beans, tomato juice, navy beans, pinto beans, black-eyed peas,  sunflower seeds, tofu, cashews, halibut

Iron

Part of the protein hemoglobin (carries oxygen throughout body's cells)

artichoke, parsley, spinach, broccoli, green beans, tomato juice, tofu, clams, shrimp, beef liver

Zinc

A part of many enzymes, involved in production of genetic material and proteins, transports vitamin A, taste perception, wound healing, sperm production and the normal development of the fetus

spinach, broccoli, green peas, green beans, tomato juice,lentils, oysters, shrimp, crab, turkey (dark meat), lean ham, lean ground beef, lean sirloin steak, plain yogurt, Swiss cheese, tofu, ricotta cheese

Selenium

Antioxidant.  Works with vitamin E to protect body from oxidation

seafood, meats and grains

Iodine

Component of thyroid hormones that help regulate growth, development and metabolic rate

salt, seafood, bread, milk, cheese

Copper

Necessary for the absorption and utilization of iron, supports formation of hemoglobin and several enzymes

meats, water

Manganese

Facilitates many cell processes

widespread in foods

Fluoride

Involved in the formation of bones and teeth, helps to make teeth resistant to decay

fluoridated drinking water, tea, seafood

Chromium

Associated with insulin and is required for the release of energy from glucose

vegetable oils, liver, brewer's yeast, whole grains, cheese, nuts

Molybdenum

Facilitates many cell processes

legumes, organ meats

http://www.modernwife.com/healthy.html

http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/food/vitamin.html

http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/food/vitamin.

Basic Beauty Tips

Cleansing

For maintaining a fresh and pure skin, cleansing activity is essential. After coming back home, engage in cleansing process. It is must for the skin and you have to do it on regular basis. Choose a good quality cleanser and with mild massage pamper the facial skin. This process wipes off dirt and extra oil from the skin and gives you a fresh soothing skin.

Moisturizing

After cleansing always remember to use moisturizer on the face. Even you have to apply moisturizer on your body. Body lotions with moisturizer are available. For facial skin, choose moisturizer that suits your skin type. Waterbased formula works well on oily skin.

Scrub

Exfoliation brings freshness to the skin. But overdose is not good. To protect the skin from getting rough do mild scrub only once or twice a week. The dead skin cells will be eliminated by this technique.

Sunscreen

It is an important product for the skin. Sunscreen prevents the skin getting damaged from the heat of the sun. Choose SPF 15 or SPF 20 or SPF 30 for saving the skin.

Water and sleep

Drink sufficient water and take enough of sleep. These two are vital for a healthy skin.

Hat and sunglass

To protect the skin from the harmful effect of the sun, wear hat and sunglass. When you are going outside, prefer to use these two items

Shampooing and conditioning

Regular shampooing the hair is one of the prior thing you should practice. It removes pollutants from the hair. After shampooing apply conditioner on your hair. It will make the hair soft and smooth.

Beauty Tips for Skin

A healthy glowing skin gives an extra charm to your body. It hardly matters that whether you have a darker or lighter skin tone rather how much it is problem free and healthy. Going to the reputed parlors on a regular basis is one way to keep your skin problem free. Many career persons can’t carve out time for their busy schedule to go to the beauty salons. Nothing to be worried, they can try some effective home remedies for their skin. Some useful home based packs are as follows:

•           Papaya proves to be very effective in making a skin healthy and glowing. Grind a piece of ripped papaya and make a paste of it. Now apply this papaya paste to your skin. Keep the paste for twenty to thirty minutes. Wash it with cold water. Applying this paste on a regular basis is necessary if you want a problem free skin.

•           Cucumber can also be used reducing tan and pigmentation. You can use cucumber juice with a pinch of turmeric to get a better result.

•           Make a fine blend of pineapple and carrot paste and apply to the face. Leave it for ten to fifteen minutes and after that wash it with lukewarm water. It helps you reducing dark patches from your face.

•           While you are using cosmetic makeups on the face, consider your skin type. Every skin type people require separate kind of beauty products. Therefore, don't allow your body to get affected by any wrong choice.

•           Water is known as life. It brings life in your body. Drink 8 to 9 glasses of water everyday. Its very much beneficial for a glowing skin.

•           For enjoying a clear and fresh skin cleansing is vital. Indulge in regular cleansing process to remove excess oil and dirt. Whenever you are exposed to dirty and pollutants, try to clear the face with the help of a good quality cleanser. Its good to choose a branded product in this regard.

•           With cleansing, scrubbing is also essential. But you have to practice it only twice a week. This is because when you scrub the skin, it takes out the dead skin cells. Frequent practice may bring trouble for your skin. Also while exfoliating the skin, don't do harsh massage. A very gentle massage is required to complete the process.

•           Applying sunscreen is so necessary. Choose a sunscreen with at least SPF 15. You should keep it in your handbag because it is very important to use sunscreen again and again in a day.

•           Avoid smoking and drinking. Its not healthy for your skin.

•           Don't forget to do regular physical exercises. It makes the skin supple and smooth improving the blood circulation of the body.

Beauty Tips for Hair

To have a healthy hair you have to do certain things on a regular basis. Shampooing your hair at least three days in a week is necessary. Also massaging your hair and scalp with any herbal oil on a regular basis is essential. After washing your hair you have to put a good conditioner on your hair. You can apply a henna pack mixed with bitten egg and yogurt to give extra shine in your hair. If you already have a healthy and shining hair you can go for various styles. Bouffant, bun, French braid are very much in nowadays. You can also go for various haircuts like layered cuts, mushroom cut and hyme cut.

•           For enjoying a healthy hair, healthy diet is so important. You should give your body sufficient quantity of iron, protein, calcium. Fresh vegetables and fruits are vital for a healthy hair. In addition, make sure that your body is getting good quantity of vitamin B and vitamin C. It improves the growth of your hair.

•           Its natural that your hair would get sweat and dirt. Wash the hair regularly with a good shampoo. After shampooing, apply conditioner too. Use the fingertips rather than the nails, when you are shampooing the hair.

•           Choose a comb which has wide tooth. First you have to manage the hair with such comb. When the hair tangles would be separated, select a normal comb. With gentle approach, follow downward direction. Dry it with a towel before you are combing the hair.

•           Massaging the hair and scalp with hot oil is an amazing process. It will soothe your hair and offers complete relief.

•           Involve yourself in a hair trimming process. It will protect the hair from split ends and damages.

•           Sleep is another important part of your beauty. Take sufficient rest and allow yourself for 7 to 8 hours of sleep regularly.

Beauty Tips for Eyes

•           When you are applying makeup on the eyes, make sure that its is going well with your dress. With formal dresses and with casual dresses different eye makeup should be done.

•           The makeups should be rich in sunscreen formula. You must notice it while buying the product.

•           While using eye shadow, consider your eye shape. The shades and color must match your eyes.

•           Use best cleansers to remove the eye makeup. Don't use soap or water while eliminating the eye makeup. It may bring irritation to the eyes.

•           Its good to choose darker makeup shades while you are moving out in the evening. In day time, lighter shades are best.

•           Open your eyes and know the latest eye makeup trends. Wearing such makeups, you will look fabulous.

Beauty Tips for Lips

•           When you are buying lip enhancing makeup products, choose a formula which offers your lips moisturizing as well sunscreen effects. You may find lip balms in the market which contain such components.

•           Lip liner is great in defining the lips. Before you are applying any shade of lipstick, select a lip liner that matches the shade.

•           Lip gloss brings shine to the lips. You may apply it alone on your lips.

•           You may also buy a lip plumper for enjoying a fuller lip. It will give you a sexy appearance.

Home Beauty Tips

From ancient times to our times, the beautification of one's self through the use of various homemade beauty recipes has been a practice in every household. Today, getting tips on beauty has become much easier due to the internet that offers different types of useful free beauty tips and free makeup tips. These can vary from tips for different age groups and genders to natural beauty tips and cosmetic tips.

Homemade Beauty tips often become immensely beneficial to those who do not have the time for visits to the parlor and wish to do their makeup and beauty care on their own. Today, children, teenagers, women as well as men are taking personal fitness and beauty regimes really seriously.

The tips on beauty most popular today include facial beauty tips andbeauty secrets for hair care and body care as well. Great beauty tips are available on numerous online beauty sites, books on Beauty Tips and television programs as well. However, while taking the help of such tips, you will have to be careful about choosing the one that is right for you and suits your skin and hair type.

If you do not know where to find all of these beauty tips online and if you are running short of time, you do not need to look further than our site, Beauty Tips Hub. It provides you with all the necessary beauty tips and cosmetic tips and other body care secrets. So, embark on the fantastic voyage of the world of beauty and beauty tips through the pages of our site and stay beautiful!

Honey treatment

Take some grated potato, at least 1 tablespoon of honey and the white part of an egg. Blend all of these components together and make a paste. Apply this mixture on the facial skin. Allow it to dry, now wash your face using cold water. You will enjoy a completely fresh feeling on the skin.

Hair oil therapy

With 3 tablespoon of jojoba oil, two vitamin E capsules prepare a mixture. Leave them to become warm for some moment. Add this mixture on the head and engage in a head massage. It will moisture the hair and will also enhance the strength of the hair.

Eye puffiness

To combat with puffy eyes, take a drop of castor oil and massage the eye lids. It will slowly remove the puffiness from your eyes.

Some Other Beauty Tips

  To have healthy shiny hair, treat your scalp with a mixture of almond oil and olive oil, leave for 10-15 minutes and wash your hair. This also reduces hair loss. You can also wrap a hot towel over your head for the oil to seep in easily and also to open all your pores. 

  Mix honey with  finely ground almond paste. Add little lime juice. Rub gently on your face and neck. Rinse off with warm water. This acts as an excellent cleansing scrub. 

  To get firmer skin, take a egg white, add little sugar to it. Wisk it and apply on face and neck. Leave for 10-15 minutes. Wash off with Luke warm water. This prevents fine wrinkles and gives a firmer skin. 

  Cut a ripe tomato and rub it on your skin. It will become very shiny. 

  Place slices of cucumber over your eyes to remove black circles around the eyes. This also cools  your eyes and relaxes you. 

  Placing a slice of potato over your eyes helps reduce black circles. 

  For healthy looking skin apply olive oil or almond oil to your face everyday. Leave it for ten minutes and wash thoroughly. 

  To remove dirt from your face make a mixture of besan/channa flour and cold milk and apply it on your face. Leave it until it dries thoroughly .  Scrub slowly with your hands using lukewarm water and then wash your face. 

  Drink plenty of water. This will automatically solve most of your hair and skin problems.

Makeup Tips

A proper makeup makes a person more glamorous and attractive when a bad make up can ruin your beauty. Here some makeup tips are given so that next time you would be more conscious when doing a makeup.

•           Choose foundations according to your body complexion. Select foundations one shade lighter than your complexion. You must also know your skin type. Different types of foundations are available for different skin type. If you have a normal skin you must only go for the foundations for normal skin.

•           When applying foundation, remember that fine blending is important otherwise it looks very odd. Also use compact very carefully.

•           When choosing lipsticks, select light colored and matt-finished lipsticks for daytime and glossy and dark colored lipsticks during the night. Also select your lipsticks according to your dress color.

•           For eye make ups, leave mascaras, eye liners and eye shadows for nights. Use only eye pencil to highlight your eyes during the day time. Don’t highlight your eyes at the daytime as it will look bad.


http://searchwarp.com/swa88160.htm

http://www.lookbeauty.com/

http://www.webmd.com/skin-beauty/anti-aging-skin-care-10/5-beauty-tips-secrets-women