Common Problems – Simple Remedies

Your Health is in Your Hands - 9

Dr. Manthena Satyanarayana Raju

https://www.manthena.org

Rajarshi....!

What You Will Learn in This Book

What Is the Right Treatment?

1. How to Get Rid of Cracked Heels

1. Apply coconut oil or castor oil to the feet and soak them in hot water for 20–25 minutes. During this time, the dirt dissolves in the hot water and the hardened skin softens.
2. Take the feet out and scrub the cracked areas gently using a clothes-washing brush. The softened dead skin will peel off easily. When this dead skin is removed, the body naturally produces new skin in that area.
3. Wipe the feet clean and apply a small amount of coconut oil again. This keeps the skin soft and prevents it from hardening throughout the day.
4. Those who can wear shoes regularly will find that their feet remain soft and cracks do not develop.

2. How to Relieve Trapped Gas

1. First, loosen your belt and clothing around the waist.
2. Even if you do not feel the urge to urinate, go and sit on the toilet. During that time, the gas often shifts and is released.
3. If gas is trapped in the upper part of the body, sit in Vajrasana — sitting upright with the waist straight, in any comfortable seated position. This helps release the gas.
4. If it is still tightly held, take 5–10 deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling forcefully. These movements help the gas come out.
5. If it still does not pass, slowly sip hot water, like drinking coffee. The warmth increases intestinal movement and helps release the gas.
6. If discomfort persists, apply a little oil on the chest or below the navel and place a hot water compress. This usually brings significant relief.
7. If the problem still continues, you may take medication after consulting a doctor.

3. How to Prevent Sunstroke

1. Whenever you go out, carry water with you and drink 2–3 glasses every hour, especially when the stomach is empty.
2. When you feel thirsty, drink only water. Do not consume other beverages, as they do not truly quench thirst and do not enter the bloodstream as quickly as water does.
3. Even during peak summer heat, ensure that urination remains smooth and regular by drinking sufficient water.
4. Those who spend time outdoors in the sun should wear white cotton clothes, as they reflect heat and help keep the body cool.

4. How to Reduce Fatigue

1. Among all foods, coconut is one of the most strength-giving. Eating one whole tender coconut in the morning, like a breakfast item (along with sprouts), is highly beneficial.
2. Dates provide a large amount of energy in a very short time. Eating about 20 dates a day, either in the morning along with coconut or in the evening with fruits, brings quick and noticeable benefits.
3. Cooking and eating unpolished rice for both meals daily helps improve stamina within 10–15 days. By following these three practices, one can regain full stamina and strength within a month.
4. If sudden fatigue occurs and dizziness is felt, immediately take 3–4 teaspoons of honey and slowly lick it. Within 5–10 minutes, strength and alertness will return.

5. How to Reduce Joint Pain

1. Every morning, avoid coffee and drink green leafy vegetable juice around 7 or 8 a.m. The natural minerals in this juice help restore lubrication between the joints.
2. For breakfast, sprouted grains must be eaten without fail. Including sesame seeds along with the sprouts helps prevent joint wear.
3. For lunch and dinner, cook food without salt and eat the vegetables wrapped in wheat rotis. In the evening, eating raw vegetables instead of cooked ones is even better.
4. Apply sesame oil to the knees and place a hot water compress for about 15 minutes. After that, apply wet black soil (clay) on the knees, wrap with a cloth, and keep it for 15–20 minutes before washing it off. This provides relief. Those who do not have clay can simply keep a wet cloth wrapped around the knees.

6. How to Fall Asleep Easily and Sleep Well

1. Try to finish dinner by 6:00 or 6:30 p.m. every day. In the first 8–10 days, sleep may not come easily at night, but after that, by 9 or 10 p.m. you will start yawning and will not be able to resist sleep.
2. If sleep does not come due to physical fatigue, leg pain, or foot pain, sit on a chair and soak your feet in hot water. Keep them immersed for 15–20 minutes, then remove them and wash your feet with cool water.
3. Sometimes, if excessive thoughts disturb the mind and prevent sleep, put one drop of honey into each eye before going to bed. The honey causes a slight burning sensation in the eyes. Your mind immediately shifts its focus from worries and thoughts to this sensation. Within 5–10 minutes, while observing that sensation, you will drift into sleep. If you do this every night, the eyes may get used to honey in 5–6 days and the burning sensation will stop. Therefore, use this method occasionally. There is no harm in doing so.

7. How to Reduce Excessive Bleeding

1. During the days of bleeding, break ice into small pieces, wrap them in a cloth, and place the cloth over the lower abdomen. Keeping it there for 15–20 minutes is sufficient. (You can turn or adjust the cloth in between if needed.) The cold causes changes in blood circulation, which helps reduce bleeding. This can be done 3–4 times a day.
2. Taking a hip bath (sitz bath) daily for 1–2 months can bring complete relief. Use either a plastic tub or a cement tub (about 2 feet high and 3 feet wide). Fill it with water, sit in it resting the hips inside while letting the legs remain outside. The water should cover the area from the lower abdomen to the thighs, while the rest of the body stays dry. Sit like this for 20 minutes, then get up. This bath should be done only on an empty stomach.
3. Following dietary practices that help improve blood quality and strength is also beneficial.

8. How to Reduce Post-Meal Breathlessness

1. It is better to eat sitting on the floor rather than at a table. When you sit on the floor, the abdomen naturally folds slightly, reducing its capacity by about a quarter. Even if you eat fully, when you get up there is some natural space created without your noticing, and breathlessness does not occur.
2. Avoid drinking water while eating. Instead, drink water up to half an hour before the meal, and after eating, wait for two hours, then drink water slowly, one glass at a time. This prevents post-meal breathlessness.
3. Be careful not to fill the stomach beyond 80 percent of its capacity.

9. How to Get Relief from Dust Allergy

1. It is good to drink about 5 liters of lukewarm water every day.
2. Practicing deep-breathing pranayama for 20–30 minutes every morning helps clear infections or impurities inside the nasal passages.
3. Applying a little oil to the face and taking steam inhalation at least once a day provides relief.
4. Eating natural, wholesome foods regularly strengthens the immune system quickly and helps prevent dust allergies from recurring.

10. How to Reduce Bleeding During Bowel Movements

1. Drink 5–6 liters of clean water daily. Even after drinking sufficient water, if bowel movements are not smooth, perform an enema daily for 7–8 days.
2. Completely avoid straining in the toilet. Drink water, remain calm, and wait until you feel a strong natural urge to pass stools. Going only when the urge is strong eliminates the need to strain.
3. To relieve constipation in the intestines, eat large quantities of vegetables daily, preferably with rotis. After eating rotis, you may eat rice with curd. Vegetables should be cooked lightly without removing the skins. Following the same pattern in the evening is also beneficial.
4. In the morning, it is best to eat only fruits. For 15–20 days, avoid sprouted grains and stay on fruits alone. Fruits should be swallowed without chewing excessively, which is considered beneficial.

11. How to Reduce Lower Back Pain

1. Avoid sponge or very soft mattresses. It is better to sleep on a thin, firm mattress or quilt.
2. Apply oil to the lower back and place a hot-water bag (rubber bag filled with hot water) over it twice daily. This gives relief to the muscles.
3. Avoid activities that require bending forward. Wherever you sit, make it a habit to sit upright.
4. Every day, completely avoid exercises that involve bending forward. Practice only backward-bending postures, such as Bhujangasana (cobra pose), Dhanurasana (bow pose), and Ushtrasana (camel pose). If possible, practicing these twice a day helps the pain subside more quickly.

12. How to Improve Eyesight

1. Every morning, drink vegetable juice with a generous amount of carrot added.
2. If possible, add drumstick (moringa) leaves daily to vegetable juice and drink it. Alternatively, once or twice a week, prepare drumstick leaf juice separately, dilute it well with water, and drink it mixed with honey and lemon juice.
3. At lunchtime every day, make it a point to cook and eat leafy vegetables.
4. If you have the opportunity to grow leafy greens yourself at home, it is even better to add those fresh greens daily to vegetable juice and drink it.
5. Eat seasonal fruits in their respective seasons — at least 20 percent of your daily intake should be fruits.
6. Keep salt as far away as possible. Salt damages the delicate blood vessels in the eyes very quickly.

13. How to Relieve Stomach Pain

1. Whenever there is pain, apply oil over the painful area and use a hot water bag as a fomentation 2–3 times a day.
2. Perform an enema twice daily for 2–3 days; this helps clear all the waste from the intestines.
3. Avoid rice and cooked vegetables for two days and stay only on liquid foods such as fruit juices, fruits, buttermilk, coconut water, honey water, and plain water.
4. Every day, before the enema, place a wet cloth or a mud pack on the lower abdomen for about 20 minutes; this helps the stool move more easily.
5. To prevent constipation from recurring, eat the right food, drink plenty of water, and ensure that bowel movements occur 2–3 times a day — once this is achieved, the pain will not return.

14. How to Relieve Itching

1. Every day, before bathing, apply lemon juice to the itchy area, wait for 5–10 minutes, and then take a bath.
2. After bathing, applying a little coconut oil to the itchy areas provides relief.
3. If the itching is severe, it is good to take steam therapy for the skin twice a week to help cleanse the accumulated impurities.
4. Drinking about 5 liters of clean water daily helps purify the blood. Adequate water intake significantly reduces allergies.
5. Take care to ensure that constipation is completely eliminated.
6. If about 50% of the daily diet consists only of fruits and fruit juices, the blood purifies quickly and internal toxins are removed.

15. How to Reduce Snoring

1. Eat the evening meal while there is still daylight. By the time you go to bed, the food should be fully digested and the stomach should be empty.
2. In the evening, if you avoid cooked foods and eat only fruits, this reduces the body’s demand for oxygen and allows breathing to remain smooth and natural.
3. Follow a diet that helps reduce body weight and gradually lose excess weight. When this is done, snoring reduces significantly within 10–15 days.

16. How to Reduce Burning Sensation in the Stomach

1. Drinking too little water reduces the protective mucus secretion in the stomach and intestines, leading to burning.
2. People who consume tea and coffee produce more acid, while the protective mucus that guards against acid is reduced by nearly half.
3. Drinking water while eating dilutes stomach acid and interferes with proper digestion. To compensate, the stomach produces more acid, and when this diluted acid suddenly becomes concentrated, severe burning occurs.
4. Painkillers damage and strip away the protective mucus lining.
5. Anger, irritation, stress, and tension increase acid production and reduce mucus secretion, resulting in burning.
6. Fatty foods such as meat, eggs, oil, ghee, and rich rice dishes like pulao stimulate acid production even when the stomach is empty, gradually damaging the stomach.

1. Drink about 5 liters of water daily, preferably lukewarm. Lukewarm water works as an antidote to acidity.
2. Whenever the burning sensation is severe, mix 3–4 teaspoons of honey in lukewarm water and drink it. It provides immediate relief.
3. Completely avoid tea and coffee.
4. It is best to stop acidity medicines and begin these practices. During the first 1–2 days, medicines may be used only in emergencies if absolutely necessary.
5. Avoid eating frequently and continuously. Eat only three meals a day — morning, afternoon, and evening. Eat fully at each meal and then stop. This prevents acid secretion on an empty stomach. Eating small amounts frequently keeps the stomach constantly working, so acid production never stops.

17. How to Get Rid of Amoebiasis and Intestinal Worms

1. For 2–3 days, take an enema with lukewarm water every morning.
2. On the following day, squeeze the juice of one large lemon (without seeds or pulp) into lukewarm water and take an enema with this solution.
3. Using only one container of enema water is not enough. To properly clean the intestinal walls, after finishing one container, try to take a second container immediately.
4. From the fourth day, prepare neem-leaf water for the enema: Take a handful of neem leaves, boil them in 2 liters of water, allow it to cool, strain it, and use this greenish water for the enema. Doing neem-water enemas daily for 3–4 days helps detach amoebiasis organisms and intestinal worms stuck to the intestinal walls, forcing them out due to the bitterness.
5. After using neem-water enemas for 4 days, continue with plain lukewarm-water enemas for another 2–3 days, then stop.
6. To help beneficial protective microorganisms grow quickly in the intestines, eat only curd rice for breakfast. (It is better if the rice is made from raw rice cooked the previous night, mixed with milk and allowed to ferment. You may add chopped onion and green chili.) This helps increase beneficial bacteria in the intestines.
7. At lunch and dinner, follow food rules carefully to prevent constipation.
8. If amoebiasis still seems to persist, after 20–25 days, repeat the neem-water enema for 4–5 consecutive days, then stop.

18. How to Heal Wounds Faster

1. Drink sour fruit juices mixed with honey.
2. While eating meals, squeeze the juice of one or two lemons and consume it little by little along with the food. This can be done twice a day and need not be stopped permanently.
3. Guavas are inexpensive and easily available. If everyone eats one or two guavas daily, it is very beneficial. Those who have difficulty chewing can eat ripe guava fruit pulp instead.

19. How to Relieve Neck Pain

1. First, remove the pillow from under the head.
2. Wherever and whenever you sit, maintain the neck in a straight, aligned position.
3. Apply coconut oil to the neck area and place a hot-water bag over it for 10–15 minutes, twice a day.
4. Avoid postures that bend the neck forward. Even Surya Namaskars should be avoided.
5. Practice only backward-bending postures such as Matsyasana, Ushtrasana, and Bhujangasana.

20. How to Reduce Pimples (Acne)

1. Do not scratch, squeeze, or press pimples. Doing so can leave scars or permanent pits on the skin.
2. Stop using heavy topical creams or medicines on the face. Avoid soaps as well, and instead gently rub the face with gram flour (besan) or a soft cloth.
3. Take black soil, dry it well, grind it into a fine powder, and remove any coarse particles. Dry the cleaned soil in sunlight for 2–3 days. Then soak a small quantity of this soil in water for 1–2 days and use the cooled mud for application.
4. Mix a little lemon juice and a very small amount of coconut oil, apply it to the face, and massage gently. After this, apply a thick layer of the prepared cool mud on the face, especially on the pimple-affected areas. Leave it on for 20–25 minutes and then wash it off. The massage and mud application help remove accumulated waste from the skin pores. Doing this once daily, preferably on an empty stomach, gives good results.
5. It is better to avoid using face powders. Even people with dark or dull skin can regain a healthy glow by applying this mud regularly. The skin gradually becomes clear and radiant. However, avoid moving around the house or sitting in front of the television with mud on your face — children may get scared, and you might even end up with a fever from the shock!
6. Drink 4–5 liters of good water daily.
7. Drinking carrot juice in the morning and fruit juices in the evening helps pimples heal faster, improves complexion, and clears impurities from the blood.
8. Ensure that bowel movements are smooth and regular.

21. How to Avoid Travel Fatigue

1. Always start your journey with a water bottle by your side. Once your stomach feels slightly empty, drink half a glass to three-fourths of a glass of water every 40–50 minutes. If you drink water this way, you will not feel the urge to urinate frequently. The water gets properly utilized inside the body, meeting its needs, and you remain comfortable throughout the journey.
2. Make it a habit to consume more fruits while traveling.
3. There is no harm in eating snacks occasionally, but constantly munching on them can cause problems. Nothing protects you during travel the way water does — so drink it carefully and regularly.

22. How to Heal Broken Bones Faster

1. Completely avoid meat and eggs. Instead, eat sprouted seeds and sufficient raw coconut as a morning breakfast. Along with this, consume one ball of sesame seeds (sesame laddu or a small handful).
2. At lunchtime, eat rotis and vegetables in moderation, ensuring that body weight does not increase.
3. In the evening, take fruit juices and fruits, and stop eating by 6 o’clock. Avoid eating anything at night. During this time, the body actively focuses on repairing and joining the bones.
4. Chewing 1–2 betel leaves daily after meals is beneficial, as they contain a good amount of calcium.

23. How to Reduce Headaches

1. Drink at least 5 liters of good-quality water every day without fail.
2. Ensure smooth bowel movements 2–3 times daily.
3. Take a cold-water head bath every day. Even if the headache increases slightly for the first 2–3 days, it will reduce once the body adjusts. Head baths improve blood circulation to the head and reduce excess heat.
4. Completely avoid tea and coffee in the morning. Instead, drink honey water, green vegetable juice, or fruit juice.
5. For breakfast, eat only sprouts or fruits. This helps improve digestion.
6. When a headache occurs, place both feet in hot water and sit for about 15 minutes with a wet cloth placed on the head (especially over the crown). Relief usually comes quickly.
7. If the headache is still unbearable despite following these steps, you may take medicine as before. Within 8–10 days, the need for medication will gradually disappear on its own.

24. How to Prevent Skin Dryness and Whitening in Winter

1. Completely stop using soaps. Before bathing, apply a little coconut oil all over the body. Take a soft towel and go to the bathroom.
2. After wetting the body with water, wet the towel, squeeze out the excess water, and gently rub the entire body with it. All the dirt will come off onto the towel without damaging the skin.
3. After rubbing, rinse again with water and wipe the body with a dry towel. That is sufficient.
4. If this type of bath is followed every day, the skin remains thoroughly clean and develops a healthy, natural glow.

25. How to Reduce Skin Fungal Patches (Shobhi)

1. Grind tender neem leaves into a paste and rub it over the affected areas, then take a bath.
2. Occasionally, mix honey and lemon juice and apply it to the skin, allow it to absorb well, and then bathe. Alternatively, applying plain lemon juice alone is also beneficial.
3. Bathing as mentioned above cleanses the skin thoroughly and prevents germs from settling. If done regularly, the condition reduces within 20–25 days.
4. Drinking more natural juices as part of the diet is also good for skin health.

26. How to Reduce Hair Fall

1. Take a head bath every day using cool or normal water. This helps strengthen the hair roots. Pouring hot water on the head frequently damages the hair roots due to heat and causes excessive hair fall.
2. Stop using shampoos and wash your hair for 7–8 days with soapnut (shikakai) water. Commercial hair products available in shops damage the hair and make it brittle.
3. After the hair dries, apply coconut oil. This protects the hair and roots from damage caused by sunlight and dryness.
4. Losing about 100 hairs a day and regrowing 100 hairs is a sign of good health. In many people, hair falls but does not regrow. To promote regrowth, cook and eat plenty of leafy vegetables during lunch.
5. Protein-rich foods are essential for hair growth and strength. Therefore, make it a habit to eat sprouted seeds every morning. Along with sprouts, regularly consume coconut and peanuts for better results.

27. How to Reduce Burning Sensation While Urinating

1. Drink 4–5 liters of water every day. Within 2–3 days, the burning sensation during urination will reduce.
2. Even during the daytime, water must be consumed at regular intervals. Those who move around in the sun should drink even more water to prevent burning.
3. Drinking sugar water or other beverages to reduce burning is useless and does not help.

28. How to Reduce Leg Numbness and Burning Sensation

1. Take two basins. Fill one with hot water and the other with cold water. Sit on a chair and first place your feet in the hot water for 5 minutes, then transfer them to the cold water for 2 minutes. Again place the feet in hot water for 5 minutes, followed by cold water for 2 minutes. When the feet are placed in hot water, blood flow increases; when shifted to cold water, circulation is stimulated again. This repeated movement of blood upward and downward improves overall blood circulation in the legs.
2. Eating unpolished rice (raw rice) helps correct Vitamin B deficiencies naturally. With this, burning sensations and numbness gradually subside.

29. How to Reduce Scalp (Crown) Pain

1. Whenever you feel crown pain, immediately wet the crown of your head with water. If possible, place a damp cloth on the crown.
2. If scalp pain occurs during the daytime, it is good to take a head bath in the evening.
3. Drink plenty of water every day. Keep a water bottle with you and sip small amounts frequently during the situations mentioned above. This will not cause frequent urination, and scalp pain will be prevented.

30. How to Lose Weight

1. Overweight people usually have low blood levels. Drinking a glass of green vegetable juice helps improve blood quality without increasing weight.
2. For breakfast, instead of eating 1–2 idlis or dosas, it is better to eat a generous quantity of sprouted grains. This removes nutritional deficiencies and reduces fatigue. Except for coconut and groundnuts, other sprouts can be eaten.
3. For lunch, completely avoid rice. Eat 3–4 rotis along with plenty of vegetables (plain — without salt or oil). The more vegetables you eat, the more fat melts away. Because vegetables contain fiber, they help burn fat without increasing weight. After rotis, a small quantity of curd may be taken. Avoid rice altogether.
4. In the evening around 5 o’clock, drink one glass of fruit juice. It improves blood quality and is good for health. Fruits do not cause weight gain.
5. Finish dinner by 6–6:30 pm. Eating late at night converts food into fat. Eating early helps burn stored fat.
6. For dinner, manage with 2–3 rotis and plenty of vegetables. Avoid curd and rice.
7. To lose weight, practicing yoga asanas daily is helpful. For areas where fat accumulates more, there are specific asanas that help melt fat in those regions.
8. If you read and practice the asanas I have written about for weight loss, you can lose 5–6 kilograms per month. Following these asanas along with the food rules mentioned above gives very good results.

31. How to Reduce Dandruff

1. Wash your head daily with cool water. Do not pour hot water on the head. If the water is too cold, mix a little warm water so it is mildly cool — like well water.
2. Once a week, or once every ten days, wash your head with soapnut (reetha / shikakai-like) juice. If dandruff is severe, apply the juice well on a dry scalp, leave it for 5–10 minutes, and then wash with cool water. Those with severe dandruff may use soapnut juice daily for 7–8 days.
3. After the hair dries, apply coconut oil. Many people think applying oil increases dandruff. This is not true for those who wash their head daily. Just as applying coconut oil helps when the skin becomes dry and flaky in winter, oil can also be applied for dandruff. Our elders did not have dandruff because they regularly applied oil.
4. If the scalp feels excessively oily, applying the juice of one lemon to the scalp and then washing the head daily helps remove excess oil. Lemon juice is very effective in cleaning the extra oily secretions released by the scalp’s sebaceous glands.

32. How to Relieve Calf Muscle Pain

1. Avoid polished white rice and instead cook and eat unpolished (raw) rice twice daily in adequate quantity. Within 15–20 days, calf pain reduces. Calf pain caused by excessive physical work improves significantly with unpolished rice.
2. Every day at lunch, include leafy vegetables — especially spinach and similar greens — and eat them generously. This helps correct mineral deficiencies.
3. If calves cramp frequently, or if pain occurs after extensive walking or travel, apply a little coconut oil to the calves, massage gently, and then apply a hot water compress for about ten minutes. This relieves fatigue and pain effectively.

33. How to Reduce Nausea

1. If possible, drink lukewarm water; otherwise, drink 5–6 glasses of normal water continuously (without adding salt). If you can drink more, continue drinking. As you keep drinking water, the nausea should intensify. Drink in such a way that vomiting occurs while drinking. If you are unable to drink further, stop and induce vomiting by placing fingers in the mouth. The water you drank will go inside, collect the toxins present, and bring them out.
2. Even if there is food in the stomach, you may do this whenever nausea occurs.
3. After vomiting, do not eat anything immediately. Rest for a while, and then drink honey with lemon juice or coconut water — you will feel much better.

34. How to Reduce Sneezing

1. This problem is more common in people who drink less water. Therefore, drink about five liters of water daily, making it lukewarm. Cold water is of no help.
2. In the morning, do brisk walking or jogging (light running that does not cause exhaustion), depending on what suits your age, for 40–50 minutes. While doing this, do not talk; keep your mind focused on your breath and take deep breaths. Move your arms actively. This helps the mucus evaporate and clear out.
3. Practice deep-breathing pranayama (not the slow, gentle types of breathing). Begin only after the nasal passages are free of mucus. If there is some mucus, first do the exercises mentioned above for a few days. If you wish, you may also practice pranayama by reading the pranayama book I have written.
4. Every day, apply a little oil to the face and take steam inhalation for about 10 minutes. If desired, steam inhalation can be done twice a day. There is no need to add anything to the water.
5. Avoid sugar, sweets, refrigerated foods, and cold drinks.
6. For 70–80 percent of people, these tips alone are sufficient. If, for some, the problem does not fully subside, then it will not go away completely unless the diet is followed strictly without salt, as we have explained.
7. Completely stop all medicines taken for sneezing.

35. How to Prevent Sun Allergy

1. Drink at least five liters of good water every day.
Before going out into the sun each day, make sure you have consumed enough water. Even if you walk or work in the sun, drink water in such a way that your urine remains clear and flows freely. It takes about five to six months for darkened skin to return to its normal color.

36. How to Reduce Gas Trouble

1. Constipation: Because of constipation, excessive gas is produced in the intestines. Stagnant stool produces gas just like manure produces biogas in a pit. Since the intestines are clogged with stool and there is no passage for the gas to escape, the gas gets trapped, causing tightness or pain below the navel.
2. Drinking water while eating: Drinking water during meals slows down digestion, causing food to ferment and produce more gas.
3. Not chewing food properly: Those who swallow food without chewing properly experience poor digestion, which leads to gas formation.
4. Eating foods that digest slowly: Foods rich in fats and heavy items — such as meat, pulao, eggs, and processed foods — stay in the intestines for a long time (about 6–7 hours) for digestion, resulting in excessive gas production.
5. Protein-rich foods: Protein-rich foods naturally produce some gas. For example, leafy vegetables, seeds, toor dal, and green gram. Gas produced due to reasons 2, 3, 4, and 5 may come out upward as belching, or get trapped in the abdomen or chest.

1. Ensure smooth bowel movements 2–3 times a day. Even after drinking water, if stools are not smooth, do enemas daily for 7–8 days in a row to clean the intestines.
2. Do not drink water while eating. Drink water half an hour before meals and two hours after eating.
3. Chew food thoroughly, grind it well with the teeth, and eat slowly.
4. Avoid oily foods, fatty foods, meat, and pulao. Eat foods that are light and digest quickly.
5. Completely avoid leafy vegetables, toor dal, green gram, broad beans, and sprouted seeds for 10–15 days.
6. In the morning, instead of regular breakfast items, eat only fruits and dates (people with diabetes should avoid dates).
7. Using lemon juice and green chilies is fine.
8. Finish dinner early in the evening and stop eating by dusk.

37. How to Reduce Sciatic Pain (Leg Nerve Pain)

1. Avoid sitting on the floor and stop doing activities that involve bending forward.
2. Whenever you lie down, and whenever you are resting, place a thick pillow under your knees and lie flat on your back. This gives relief by reducing pressure on the nerve — similar to how a crushed wire feels less strained when pressure is relieved.
3. Practicing the yoga posture called Shalabhasana (Locust Pose) gives very good relief. For the first 8–10 days, practice it lightly once a day. After getting accustomed, if possible, practice it for a longer duration twice a day.
4. Wherever you sit, keep your lower back straight and upright.
5. As much as possible, stay rested and avoid strain — this helps the condition improve faster.

38. How to Reduce Tonsil Swelling

1. The water you drink throughout the day should be boiled, cooled, and then reheated to a lukewarm temperature before drinking. Drinking plenty of such water helps the infection subside quickly.
2. Chewing neem twigs and spitting out the bitter juice helps reduce infection due to its bitterness.
3. Applying a little oil on the outer throat area and giving a hot-water fomentation twice a day helps reduce pain.
4. If the infection is severe, observing a complete fast for 2–3 days with only honey water gives very good relief.
5. Until the infection subsides completely, avoid eating anything till afternoon. From morning, drink honey water and plain water 2–3 times.
6. At lunch, eat light, bland vegetable preparations.
7. In the evening, avoid cooked food and finish eating sufficient fruits by 5 or 6 o’clock. If hunger arises at night, you may drink honey water and go to sleep.

39. How to Build Healthy Blood (Increase Hemoglobin)

1. Take carrots, native tomatoes, cucumber, ridge gourd, and beetroot together, extract the juice, strain it, and take one large glass of this juice. Add 3–4 teaspoons of honey and squeeze lemon juice into it. Drink this in the morning around 7 or 8 o’clock.
2. The vitamin C in lemon juice helps the iron in the juice to be well absorbed from the intestines.
3. In the evening around 4 or 5 o’clock, take one glass of sour fruit juice and add 3–4 spoons of honey to it before drinking.
4. Honey helps build blood faster than most other foods. If the honey is genuine, the benefits can be seen clearly within 10–15 days. Honey can be used generously as suggested above.
5. Dates are rich in iron. Eating 10–15 dates daily helps improve blood levels quickly.
6. Leafy vegetables should be eaten almost every day. Those who can maintain these habits daily will gain even greater benefits.

40. How to Get Rid of Soreness and Infection Between the Toes (Inter-toe Fungal Infection)

1. After finishing work or returning from wet conditions, completely dry the spaces between the toes using cotton or a soft cloth.
2. Apply dry turmeric powder in the gaps between the toes. Doing this twice a day helps the problem subside quickly.
3. Those who have to walk or work in wet conditions frequently should apply coconut oil between the toes before going into water. Applying oil prevents moisture from staying trapped in those spaces.
4. People whose toes are very close together and lack proper air circulation can place a small piece of cotton between two toes. This creates space, allows air to circulate, and prevents odor, soreness, and infection.

41. How to Reduce Pain During Menstruation

1. Whenever possible, do enemas daily for 7–8 days to thoroughly clean the intestines. After that, ensure that bowel movements occur smoothly 2–3 times a day.
2. When pain is present during that time, apply a little oil to the lower abdomen and place a hot-water compress over it for 5–6 minutes. Then place a cool, damp cloth (cool like water stored in a pot) on the same area for 2–3 minutes. Repeat by alternating the hot compress and the cool cloth.
3. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. In the evening, eat only fruits and stop eating early. This helps reduce infection-related issues.
4. If the problem does not completely subside even after 2–3 months and remains very troublesome, it is advisable to consult a doctor. When the pain is unbearable, pain-relief tablets may be used.

42. How to Reduce Urination at Night

1. For people above 60 years of age:
   • In summer, it is better to stop drinking water by 5 p.m.
   • In the rainy or winter season, stop drinking water by 4 p.m. This allows all the consumed water to be passed out as urine before bedtime.
2. Do not drink water with dinner or after dinner at night. If the mouth feels dry or there is thirst, you may take 2–3 small sips of water before going to bed.
3. Others can stop drinking water by 6–7 p.m. This is usually sufficient to prevent nighttime urination, even during winter.

43. How to Reduce Nerve Cramps

1. Whenever available, or at least 2–3 times a week, eat betel leaves (1–2 leaves). Do not take them as paan with additives. They can be chewed plain, or smeared with a little honey before eating to prevent mouth irritation. Betel leaves are rich in calcium.
2. Eating 3–4 teaspoons of white sesame seeds daily is beneficial. If they are difficult to eat as they are, grind them with honey or dates and make small balls. Consuming one such ball daily helps the problem subside quickly.
3. Drinking finger millet (ragi) in sprouted form, or as a porridge made from ragi flour, is also helpful, as ragi is rich in calcium and helps prevent these issues.
4. Avoid calcium tablets and follow the above natural methods instead.

44. How to Reduce Bleeding from the Gums

1. Every day, drink one glass of orange juice, sweet lime juice, or musambi juice mixed with honey. Among these, orange juice is the most beneficial.
2. While eating meals, squeeze the juice of one lemon over the curries and eat. This can be done for both meals each day.
3. Whenever available, eat fresh Indian gooseberries (amla), either large or small. Large gooseberries can be sliced, sun-dried, stored, and 3–4 pieces can be chewed daily throughout the year. Pickled or preserved gooseberry pieces are not useful.
4. Guava is very rich in Vitamin C, so it is good to eat it every day.

45. How to Reduce Mouth Ulcers

1. Every day, cook and eat unpolished raw rice as rice (without draining the water) for both meals. Those who prefer wheat can eat broken red wheat. Those who eat rotis should prepare them using stone-ground whole wheat flour.
2. Those who feel they cannot tolerate raw rice and feel nauseated even looking at it can simply eat 1–2 handfuls of rice bran daily. It can be obtained fresh from a mill once every 5–6 days.
3. An even easier method is to take a handful of rice bran, soak it in a large glass of water for 1–2 hours, then strain it and drink the water after adding honey and lemon juice. All the vitamins get released into the water. Drink this as a tonic — do not complain that someone asked you to drink bran water. After all, why go through all this trouble when eating raw rice itself can solve the problem easily?

46. How to Improve Poor Appetite

1. For 5–6 days, do an enema every morning to thoroughly clean the intestines.
2. In the morning, completely avoid milk, porridges, regular tiffins, sprouted grains, and similar foods. After drinking water, around 8 or 9 a.m., eat sufficient quantities of fruits such as papaya, chikoo (sapota), dates, and pomegranate as breakfast.
3. For lunch, eat food that digests easily. Prepare vegetables without spices — leafy greens, tubers, toor dal, and green gram — and eat them with chapatis, taking plenty of vegetables.
4. For dinner, eat fruits by 5 or 6 p.m. and stop eating thereafter. Keeping the stomach empty at night helps stimulate appetite. Once the problem reduces, ensure smooth bowel movements daily — this will prevent poor appetite from returning.

47. How to Reduce Food Allergies

1. People who drink less water tend to develop more allergies. Therefore, make it a habit to drink 5 liters of water every day.
2. First, for 2–3 days, observe a fast with honey water. If lemon does not suit you, skip it and drink only honey mixed with water. During fasting, if needed, you may drink coconut water on the second or third day.
3. From the fourth day onward, consume only the fruits and fruit juices that suit you, 5–6 times a day, adding honey to them, and continue this for 3–4 days. Sugarcane juice may also be taken if it suits you.
4. From the next day, take juices around 8 a.m., fruits at 9–10 a.m., eat lunch with chapatis and bland vegetables (whatever suits you), and stop eating after having fruits at 5–6 p.m. If this is followed for 5–6 days, the body gets cleaned internally, the blood renews itself, and a degree of natural balance returns.
5. After 10–12 days, slowly reintroduce the foods that previously did not suit you, one by one. You may even wait another 10 days before trying. If someone still does not get relief, then avoiding food altogether — along with salt and oil — for a period will bring complete relief.

48. How to Reduce Excess Body Heat

1. Drink 5 liters of water every day, steadily from morning till evening, as advised.
2. Those who avoid drinking water during the day fearing frequent urination end up experiencing excess heat by evening. Never stop drinking water during the daytime.
3. If you have eaten a lot of heavy or junk food on any day, increase your daytime water intake by another liter — this will prevent excess heat.

49. How to Prevent Food from Getting Stuck in the Throat While Eating

1. While eating, chew each mouthful until it becomes soft and paste-like. When this happens, saliva flows well and mixes with the food. This saliva helps the food slide freely from the throat.
2. Do not talk while eating. Chew slowly and eat calmly for 20 to 30 minutes — this reduces the burden on the stomach.
3. Eat in such a way that you can swallow the food without even a drop of water. Do not keep water beside you while eating.

50. How to Get Rid of High Blood Pressure (High BP)

1. Before giving up salt, for 10 to 15 days get into the habit of drinking 5 liters of good water daily and eating raw vegetable juices, sprouted seeds, fruits, and similar foods. These provide the body with the natural salts it needs. If you stop salt without eating these, you may feel dizzy and weak.
2. Continue taking your BP tablets as usual, but prepare curries completely without salt (to make them tasty, read my book Food – Thought and follow the methods given there), and eat well with unpolished raw rice. If you eat sufficiently, weakness will not occur. Eat this way twice daily.
3. Once every 5–6 days, check your BP and gradually reduce the medicines (with a doctor’s advice) until you reach a stage where tablets are no longer needed. Within 10 to 20 days, 70–80 percent of people return to normal without medicines.
4. If you strictly avoid salty foods, outside snacks, and regular salted curries for 2–3 months, then later even if you eat them occasionally — once or twice a month — BP will not return.
5. But if you go back to regularly eating salt again after some time, then medicines will definitely become necessary once more.

51. How to Reduce Heel Pain

1. Overweight people should first stop walking as an exercise.
2. It is better to use footwear that has a soft, cushioned sole.
3. Before going to bed at night, pour hot water into a basin and soak the feet in it so that the heels are fully immersed, for 10–15 minutes. After this, go to sleep — the strain accumulated during the day will reduce. If it is difficult to place the foot on the ground immediately after waking up, the same hot-water soaking can be done in the morning as well.
4. Wearing high-heeled footwear is not advisable.

52. How to Make Periods Regular

1. The more uncooked (raw) food you eat, the faster the problem reduces.
2. In the morning, stop all other tiffins and drink vegetable juice every day. After one hour, eat a sufficient quantity of 4–5 types of sprouted seeds. Hormone production begins with these sprouts.
3. In the evening around 4–5 pm, drink one glass of fruit juice (papaya, orange, or pomegranate). After 40–50 minutes (around 6 pm), eat fruits until you feel full and treat that as your meal. Stop eating cooked food thereafter.
4. At lunchtime, you may cook and eat food in the usual way followed in our tradition.

53. How to Keep Hair Black

1. Every day, take a head bath with cool water, dry the hair thoroughly, and while the hair is still soft (slightly moist), apply a small amount of coconut oil. That is enough.
2. If oil is applied later in the afternoon after the hair has completely dried, more oil is required, and the reddish discoloration sets in sooner.
3. To remove excess oiliness, you can apply lemon juice to the scalp and then wash your hair (without using shampoos).
4. By applying a little oil this way, the hair remains black throughout the day, and grey hair does not show prominently.

54. How to Relieve Toothache

1. Twice a day, rinse the mouth with lukewarm neem-leaf water. (Boil a handful of neem leaves in a glass of water, let it cool, strain it, and use that water.) Hold it in the mouth and gargle for 10–15 minutes.
2. When there is infection or throbbing pain, place a drop of honey into the cavity of the tooth. This can be done 3–4 times a day. Honey has properties that kill bacteria, and for mild pain it gives good relief.
3. If the pain becomes unbearable, taking a painkiller may eventually become unavoidable.

55. How to Strengthen Bones

1. Grind fresh coconut and raw sesame seeds into a soft mixture. Add a little cardamom powder and make small balls using honey or mashed dates. Eat one ball daily. A ball about the size of a large lemon can be eaten. It can be taken in the morning along with sprouts.
2. Coconut and sesame seeds contain almost all the nutrients required for healthy bones. Since this mixture contains raw sesame seeds and fresh coconut, prepare it fresh and do not store it for more than 1–2 days.

56. How to Eliminate Body Odours

1. To eliminate foul smell from stools, clean the intestines with enemas.
2. To reduce the smell of urine and saliva, drink about 5 litres of water daily.
3. To reduce body odour from sweat, take steam therapy for the skin twice a week.
4. When these four are cleaned regularly, the mouth will also gradually become clean.
5. Foods that clean the body more and leave less waste inside are uncooked (raw) foods. Therefore, try to eat 60–70% of your daily diet raw.
6. If you eat only fruits for the evening meal and stop eating early, body odours will disappear faster and overall health will improve.

57. How to Relieve Scalp Itching

1. If you wash your head daily with cold water, the itching will subside within 4–5 days.
2. If the itching is severe, apply lemon juice well to the scalp and then take a head bath.
3. If you skip head baths for even 2–3 days, the itching will return immediately. Therefore, it is best to consider the head as much a part of the body as the rest, and wash it daily.

58. How to Relieve Nasal Congestion

1. When mucus has accumulated, give warm (lukewarm) water to drink more frequently and in larger quantities.
2. Apply honey inside the nostrils by inserting a finger as far as comfortable. After some time, the mucus becomes thinner, comes out, and airflow improves.
3. If possible, taking steam inhalation for the face twice a day provides quick relief.

59. How to Experience Taste More Fully

1. Every day, while eating, chew thoroughly so that the food mixes well with saliva. When saliva mixes with food, the taste becomes richer.
2. Keeping the food in the mouth longer and chewing slowly allows you to enjoy the taste for a longer time.
3. Some people hurriedly swallow food into the stomach—but the stomach cannot taste.
4. While eating, avoid talking, focus your mind, and eat silently. Notice how much difference it makes and how much satisfaction it brings.

60. How to Reduce Belly Fat

1. People who drink a lot of water while eating tend to develop a protruding belly. Some drink excessive water to reduce food intake and then eat immediately. That water stays in the stomach along with the food, and the continuous weight causes the belly to bulge forward.
2. Those who eat more rice and fewer vegetables consume excess carbohydrates. What the body does not need is converted into fat and stored in fat cells.
3. Eating late at night, around 10 or 11 p.m., causes the body—being in a resting state—to store most of the food consumed, which contributes significantly to belly fat.
4. In our jobs and businesses, only the hands and legs move; the abdominal region hardly moves at all. Even in most exercises, this area gets very little movement. As a result, the belly keeps protruding more and more each day.

1. Drink water only when the stomach is empty. Drinking water on an empty stomach prevents the belly from protruding.
2. Those who want to reduce belly fat should completely avoid rice and instead eat rotis (phulkas) with plenty of vegetables (about three-fourths of the meal should be vegetables). In the morning, having only sprouted grains as breakfast helps melt stored fat.
3. For the evening meal, avoid cooked foods and, by 6 p.m., eat fruits such as guava, pomegranate, papaya, Indian jujube, orange, or watermelon. After that, avoid eating late at night.
4. To reduce belly fat, yoga postures are more effective than other exercises. The lower belly and upper belly are distinct, and there are two specific postures for reducing each: Uttanpadasana for the lower abdomen, Naukasana for the upper abdomen
5. Practicing these two postures twice daily melts belly fat very quickly. You can also refer to the yoga postures book written by the author. Within 2–3 months, more than half of the belly fat can be reduced. Start early and enhance your appearance.