Selfcare Rituals

Selfcare Rituals

Are you the one who immerses yourself in his professional life neglecting his health and well-being and having no time to even think about it or are you the one who hardly finds time to indulge in activities you love to do as your hands are full due to work and responsibilities or are you the one who wants to enjoy himself, eat, play and merry? Still, pressures created by work, life and people around you have bogged you down. The daily grind, the pressure, the call of duty and responsibility and the result will always be there for you and in today’s world, they are inseparable from your entity. So in between the busy schedule, daily rush and cut-throat world of competition, let us take out some time to take care of ourselves and make it part of our daily life. We can call it self-care or the care of self and it should have some daily rituals to adopt some healthy choices to ease out the pressure created on our body, mind and soul.

What is self-care

Giving priority to oneself can be sometimes called selfishness, but it is not about being selfish, but showing some generosity towards yourself to indulge in something which makes you a happy, healthy and calm person. It is all about how to heal yourself and take care of your health and well-being by following some daily rituals. You need to take out time to do some simple chores daily for yourself so that they can keep you in a healthy space and make you feel balanced and nurtured.

We have a complicated relationship with self-care as we can take out time for work, responsibilities, kids and family but we can give a million reasons for not taking care of ourselves. So, we need to write down ideas that actually we can do to create a self-care activity list.

1.    Physical self-care

Physical self-care is all about taking good care of your body as well as your overall health. You need to manage your health in order to be physically fit and active and at the same time ensure to give yourself rest and do not to over-exert yourself. Go for regular medical checkups if required, to ease out the ills faced by your body and mind. Eat healthy food and keep your energy levels high by indulging in your favourite physical activity while understanding the signals of your body. Other rituals that you can also follow are:

a.     Get fresh air in your lungs while enjoying a daily walk to increase energy levels and feel better.

b.     Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep to give your mind and body proper rest.

c.      15 minutes of yoga or any other exercise to energize your body.

d.     Start your morning by drinking warm water with lemon to supply a fresh dose of vitamin C and increase overall metabolism.

e.     Drink 8-10 glasses of water to stay hydrated, flush toxins, boost skin health and maintain blood pressure.

f.       Eat fresh fruits and veggies to ensure gut health.

g.     Get exposed to 15 minutes of bright morning sunlight to get the optimal amount of vitamin D.

2.    Spiritual self-care

Spiritual self-care is the way to get connected to your inner self and nourish your true self which is not your body but your soul. Spirituality is not have anything to do with religion but with everything related to our soul. The practice of spiritual self-care frees your mind from negativities and calms all its turbulences of it. You will feel your inner peace and get clarity on what makes you happy.  To start spiritual self-care you can start to:

a.     Cut down on interaction with toxic people as it is of no use to embrace negativity all the time.

b.     Take out some time for meditation daily, it will help to calm you as well as improve concentration and memory.

c.      Sing to your heart's content as singing can lower your stress level, boost immunity and enhance memory and mental health.

d.     Go to the place of worship to feel relieved and relaxed, as your concentration will improve while focusing on the deity.

e.     Spending time in nature helps you clear your thought process and helps you learn to empathize with a living being.

3.    Mental self-care

Mental self-care is about the stimulation we provide to our brain to keep it active, working and healthy. We can improve our brain functions by proper rest as well as indulging in activities that we enjoy but can’t do in our daily life like puzzles, reading books and painting. All these activities of mental self-care help us keep our brains healthy. Engaging in mental self-care activities helps reduce or eliminate anxiety and depression and increases the happiness quotient. A few steps that we can take for mental care are:

a.     Reread a book you love and it will keep your mind active, and brain muscles stronger and help to improve your memory skills.

b.     Solve a puzzle to create a sense of calm in your mind as puzzles engage your mind and reduce stress.

c.      Playing chess helps reduce dementia in the elderly, it challenges memory, calculations and critical thinking ability.

d.     Writing a daily journal helps to recall things, stimulates the mind, reduces stress and provides clarity in thoughts and feelings.

e.     Taking a break once a week can help maintain mental health and calm our brain. Keep some time to yourself to do nothing and relax.

4.    Social self-care

Social self-care involves connecting and maintaining connections with people like our friends, relatives, family members living away, etc. To connect with your close circle of friends emotionally and maintain reasonable and strong relations with those who are not so far needs time and effort from both sides. But you need to figure out how you can nurture your relationship with people you feel close to.

a.     Meet old friends whenever time permits, and have lunch dates with them.

b.     Spend time with family and make regular calls to those who live far away.

c.      Try communicating verbally more often than via emails or WhatsApp messages.

d.     Offer comments generously on social media to show your love and appreciation for them.

e.     Encourage others in your group to talk about them.

Our close friends and family are the ones we need most when we are happy, in a mood to celebrate, ill or sad. Maintain good relationships with your inner self to be cheerful and confident and make self-care rituals a part of your life.

Body Shaming & its Effects

 Body Shaming & its Effects

Have you ever been body shamed?

Have you ever body-shamed someone?

Did anyone close to you ever face body shaming?

The answers to all the above questions can be yes or no depending upon the people or society you live with, but believe me, as a society we can’t deny that body shaming is one of the ills that is very much part of our life and not many eyebrows are raised when during a conversation with friends or relatives, someone or other is mocked for his or her bodily faults. Sometimes it is sugar-coated with care or concern for the person being body shamed. We have become a society full of adjectives, each one of us has some or other adjective that we associate with any random person whom we start judging because of his or her appearance. Sometimes, we body shame or age shame ourselves and become too critical of our appearance.

 Body shaming is the humiliation or criticism of someone’s physical appearance or imperfections. These days if you look closely around yourself men, women and even kids are body shamed or mocked for their bodily faults. Mocked for their height, weight, age, skin color, hair color, the way they dressed and disabilities if any.

How body shaming is affecting us

1.     Youngsters are the most vulnerable

Fear of public shaming is affecting the mental well-being of the younger generation most while adolescents are becoming more and more vulnerable to body shaming, weight shaming and appearance shaming. It is a race to become perfect, either you are born perfect or change yourself to become perfect, as imperfections can invite shaming from family, friends, colleagues or society.

2.     Increasing Self-criticism

People especially youngsters are not happy with themselves, they start judging themselves and their loved ones on the opinions of others. They criticize their own appearance compare themselves with others or start judging themselves by listening to the negative comments of others. This, later on, leads to depression and eating disorders. Learn to be happy always and not pay attention to what others say.

3.     Low self-esteem

Self-esteem is touching a new low in persons who get affected terribly by the cruel words of those whom they are close to and are part of their ecosystem like friends, colleagues and close acquaintances. Attitudes or beliefs about body image and self-esteem get influenced by social media, peers and family a lot. Family members should try and make the younger lot understand what is more critical than the false pressure of looking good is self-belief and self-care.

4.     Health issues

Body shaming is prevalent these days and leads to several health issues like mental health problems, psychological distress, anxiety and low self-esteem. The general feeling is hatred toward their body, higher body dissatisfaction and poor quality of life.

How to deal with it

A.      Body Positivity

Recognize the importance of body positivity, and be positive about yourself and your appearance. You need to reject and ignore the negative viewpoints and opinions of body shamers. Try to be accepting and understanding towards yourself and feel good about each and every aspect of your personality. Always love and respect yourself and don’t get deterred by negative emotions directed towards you.

B.       Practice self-love

Start to love your shape, skin color and height and feel happy about it and this practice of loving yourself will help improve your emotional health too. Be kind to yourself and don’t judge yourself harshly for what others' perspective is about you. Being kind and loving towards yourself means having respect for yourself for who you are and don’t be self-critical and self-deprecating.

C.     Appreciate yourself despite flaws

Stay mentally strong and build inner confidence that no one is perfect. Try to understand that your imperfections make you unique. Accept the way you are and stop hiding and isolating yourself from the world. Try to be happy and feel good about yourself. Be grateful for your precious life and good health.

D.      Take responsibility of yourself

Some people like parents or trusted friends can never be your body shamers or fat shamers, if they want you to be responsible and accountable towards yourself and your health then you better follow their advice without any hesitation. As they are genuinely concerned about you and your wellbeing and they have a big role in guiding you and generating confidence in you. So, if corrective changes are needed to help you look better, go for it confidently after fully analyzing and agreeing to it. Never be shy of hard work to improve your personality.

E.      Follow positivity influencers

If you are active on social media then follow those influencers that talk about positivity and help you improvise yourself. Follow those people who promote health and body positivity and encourage self-acceptance. Improve yourself physically and mentally and try to spread positivity around you. Help those who have gone through the same social humiliation as you.

F.       Never be argumentative

It is useless to fight back or be argumentative with people who body shame you. They might be your own family, friends or acquaintances or possibly complete strangers, but by mocking you, perhaps, they might not be knowing the depth where their words are hurting you. Better try to make those ignorant souls understand how this is not expected from them, speak for your dignity firmly but peacefully. Control the situation and try to move forward.        

G.   Be sensitive to others

Be sensitive to all those who you find being body shamed, Don't pass any wrong statements, be extra sensitive to them and choose the right words always to address them. Remember your journey and struggles and be sympathetic to others.

Weekend Ideas

Weekend Ideas

Weekends are the hard-earned days after five grueling days of work, For some, Sunday is the day to relax after six hard working days. Most of us look optimistically towards the coming weekend all through the week and plan how we are going to relax and enjoy the day. It is the time to recharge our batteries, spend some quality time with the family and figure out what we need to do during the weekend. But we need to plan it during the course of the week so that we don’t end up straining ourselves over multiple tasks and ever-increasing to-do lists. There needs to be a regularity on weekends too similarly to our weekdays, as a working individual we need not and shouldn’t disturb our rhythm as it can affect our productivity and can seep in needless frustration in our mindset. So let’s try out to figure out and churn out a weekend planner for a smooth weekend or holidays.

1.      Get outdoors

Start your weekend by refreshing your mind and body by going for an early morning walk, touching the early morning mist on flower petals amidst the chirping of birds. Involve the whole family to see the wonderful mysteries of nature. This can be the day to see the rising sun and the golden orange rays of the Sun falling all over the surroundings. You can also jog or swim or do any outdoor activity to give a refreshing start to your weekend.

2.       Analyze the past week

The weekend is the best time to reflect on the past week gone by. You can reflect on what went great and not so great for you. What went wrong, why it went wrong and if you could have prevented it from going wrong. These reflections clear the doubts if you have any, about the past week’s decisions. We can plan accordingly if we want to capitalize on the good decision or think to rectify it if we have done blunders. For all these thought processes to churn, time is required and what is better than a weekend?                                                                             

3.   Plan the coming week

To be more productive you need to go through your schedule in a planned way so that you are able to concentrate on every aspect of your professional as well as personal life. Whether you are a student, working professional or homemaker, try to plan your next week’s schedule during the weekend, believe me, it will not take much time but you will certainly sort out your tasks, appointments, meetings, targets, academics, learning time table, etc. accordingly. You will never feel short of time to do the work you cherish.

4.       Disconnect from devices

Digital devices are addictive and time-consuming and it is better to stay away from them to enjoy your weekend with family and friends. Playing video or mobile games on Saturdays and Sundays will put all your planning on the back burner and you will not even realize where your hard-earned days have gone.  Better to plan for a digital detox on weekend for the whole family and stay away from your devices. Staying away from devices and keeping your loved ones engaged should be your weekend mantra.

5.    Don’t sleep too much on weekends

Many people, whether they are working professionals, school kids, the elderly or persons connected to their routine face the situation of sleep deficit. That means getting less sleep than their normal requirement. This sleep deficit makes most of us wait for the weekend eagerly, and we try to correct our sleep deficit during it. But if you are not facing such kind of issues, don’t sleep too much as it can disturb your circadian rhythm, the natural cycle of physical, mental and behavioral changes of humans, plants and animals that follows the 24-hour cycle. If we sleep too much on Saturdays and Sundays, we are going to feel tired and sleepy on weekdays. Too much sleep is going to do us more harm than good, so plan your off days judiciously, taking care of your sleep as well as other important tasks that you have kept for the weekend.

6.       Have time for fun 

Lastly, as the weekend is not going to last forever enjoy yourself by going out with your friends and family and having a great time chatting over a meal or by watching a movie or going to a waterpark to soak yourself with thrill and excitement. Talk to your kids and other family members about what they want to do during the weekend and plan accordingly. Keep your head calm, enjoy yourself and get ready for a great week ahead.

It is a cycle of work-relaxation-work that our mind and body follow and we should definitely make efforts to plan for work as well as rest. Have a great weekend!!!

Digital Detox Methods

 Digital Detox Methods

If you think your life moves around your mobile phone, if you feel restless without checking your WhatsApp messages or you can’t sleep without watching television or if you feel a certain emptiness in your life without your digital devices around you, then you need help. Help, to reduce your dependence on devices like mobile phones, television and tablets, make you feel normal and usually live and maintain a positive and healthy relationship with technology. These devices with which we and our friends and family started as a means to regularly connect with each other have led us to their addiction leading to stress, anxiety and overstimulation of the brain due to their overuse. Common digital stressors observed in people across all age groups area;

1.  Increase in screen time leads to eyesight and concentration problems, especially in young kids.

2. Too much consumption of online content has changed the equilibrium of life, as a technology that was meant to save time has turned into time spent using technology.

3. High level of smartphone use demands too much attention and engagement.

4. Prolonged period of digital connectivity has created a digital version of us on every platform.       

 

It is impractical and highly impossible to get rid of the medium, content and technology altogether. But we can try to control the urge to use it, in order to bring a balance into our mind and body we need a digital detox to stay away from technology for a specific period of time. Digital detox is the healthiest and one of the best things you can do for yourself.    

Signs that you need a digital detox

I.         Feeling anxious, depressed and poor sleep.

II.   Lack of concentration or motivation and constantly feeling distracted.

III.  Feeling lonely or isolated.

IV.  Don’t want to leave your house without your phone.

V.   Walk with your phone in your hand.

VI.  Fear of missing out and checking your phone without any reason.

VII. Feeling pressured to comment, like or respond.

VIII.Taking pictures of everything.

IX.   Falling asleep with a laptop, tv or smartphone.

X.    Eating with your smart devices.

Detox or detoxification means holistic healing, to do some pre-defined practice to get rid of harmful things in the body. Digital detox here is switching away from digital devices for a few hours or days so that you relax and create a buffer zone free from smartphones, the internet and social media. But it is entirely on you to realize your problem and decide how and when to detox. Some of the measures you can try are as follows:

1.       Schedule your time away from the screen

You need to schedule your time away from the screen and plan your day accordingly as it is going to be tough to manage initially. Cut your screen time to about 30 minutes each week which you can increase gradually. Turn off all notifications that will keep you away from checking your phone periodically. Eat without looking at your smartphone or laptop. No scrolling of the screen before sleep time. Let sleep come to you naturally in a relaxed atmosphere. Make a no-phone zone in your house while making a phone zone specifically for charging and checking it then and there only.

2.     Take a break from technology

Plan for your weekend or weekly holidays without your smartphone. Indulge in outdoor activities walk, run, jog, cycle and spend some time in the lap of nature without checking your emails or looking for messages. Let the people (friends/family/office) know you will be digitally detoxing so that they will stop messaging during that period. Set up an away message on your email account to make your contacts aware of your weekend break.

 3.     Downgrade your phone/look for replacements

Downgrade your smartphone and go for earlier versions of cellphones that have to call and texting facilities, for office and other important work you can log on to your laptops or desktops whenever required, but by downgrading your smartphone you will be able to curb your desire to check for messages, likes, battery percentage etc. If you don’t want to downgrade your smartphone altogether, then try to replace it with a simple cellphone for a few days or a week or two.

4.     Keep time for family meetings

Create no-phone or digital-device-free areas in your home where you can chill with your family. Try to keep your phone away so that family time is for intimate chatting with family members. You can make this a rule for all the members of the family to keep their smartphones or laptops away whenever there is a family meeting, get-together or chill time. Keep an eye on your kids' screen time too as they too need a detox from digital devices.

5.     Turn off your phones for specific timings

Make a daily timetable of your smartphone/laptop/television-related activity as well as when you plan to switch it off for a couple of hours. This way you can be free from it without getting anxious about the work needed to be done. Make a daily schedule of hours you are going to invest in digital devices and away from them. A weekly audit of your away time will encourage you to get independent of it and look for recreational/relaxational activities.

6.     Start a hobby

After switching off your smartphone don’t rush towards your tv as this will fail your digital detox as again watching too much tv will lead to addiction to the device besides a waste of time. Better channel yourself towards a hobby that you wanted to pursue a long. Hobbies regarding physical exercise like tennis, badminton, running, etc. will improve your physical fitness. You can also start to use your time creatively like sketching, painting, sculpting, singing or whatever you wanted to pursue but couldn’t due to lack of time. By staying away from smart devices intentionally you will find yourself with too much time to spare, just plan to utilize them intelligently.

7.     Go socializing with/friends /relatives/neighbors

Earlier when there were no tv, multiple entertainment channels, social media or video/mobile games, family evenings were spent receiving or visiting friends, relatives, neighbors or some social events. Nowadays all those activities are a thing of the past for most families, evenings are passed by watching tv or playing mobile games. We should consciously keep ourselves as well as our kids invested and involved in actual social life. Try to make a close group of friends and encourage your kids to make friends, meet them, help them and socialize with them. Social connectivity with friends, relatives and neighbors will make you and your family feel more relaxed, and happy and keep you away from the virtual world of social media.

8.     Meditate and relax

Try meditation to keep your mind calm and relaxed as digital devices take a toll on mental health. Meditation will make your thoughts clear and your willpower strong to increase the number of hours or days away from your digital device. Even if you find it hard to downgrade, replace or switch off your smartphone, try to meditate regularly to ingrain a sense of calm in your mind. It will definitely help you make decisions wisely and keep job-related pressures away.

 

After going through detox, ponder over it regarding your gains and giveaways. Reflect on what you want as the next step. Don’t rush into it, take mini detox daily by reducing time gradually on your digital devices. Go for baby steps like one-hour daily digital detox initially. Don't leave it midway and try to adopt it wholeheartedly as it will promote mental and physical well-being in you and the people around you. 

Medicinal herbs to grow at home

Medicinal herbs to grow at home

Medicinal herbs or plants refer to a variety of plants used for medicinal purposes, according to WHO there are as many as 21,000 species of plants that have the potential to be used as medicinal plants. the reason to use these medicinal plant remedies is the human urge to remain in sync with nature. there is no huge investment involved to grow these plants at home in comparison to the pharmaceutical medicines we consume. The leaves, bark, seed or any other parts of plants can be consumed by people of any age group. Bringing and growing medicinal plants at home must be accompanied by gathering information about their medicinal use. A few medicinal plants are as follows;

1.    Holy Basil or Tulsi

It is an aromatic plant known for its medicinal properties and is called the mother medicine of nature. It is extensively used in preparing ayurvedic medicines and promotes a healthy body, mind and spirit. The extract obtained from tulsi is helpful for various ailments like the common cold, heart diseases, headaches, stomach disorders and kidney stones.

Tulsi leaves are also known for their potential healing property. It is antipyretic (relieves fever), anti-inflammatory and promotes longevity. It is also analgesic (relieves pain), anti-asthmatic and expectorant (takes out mucous) and helps in reducing stress.

You can grow tulsi in an ordinary flower pot with high-quality soil. Simply sprinkle the tiny seeds over the soil and use your fingertips to gently push the seeds below it. Use a spray bottle filled with water to mist the seed each day for 1-2 weeks, until they begin to germinate.

2.    Winter Cherry or Ashwagandha

 

Ashwagandha contains chemicals that might help calm the brain, reduce swelling, lower blood pressure and alter the immune system. It is called Adaptogens, which are believed to help the body resist physical and mental stress.

Ashwagandha is propagated from seeds. In India, it is cultivated in regions with low rainfall right after the pre-monsoon at the beginning of the rainy season in hot and humid conditions.  To grow in a pot, plant seeds 2 cm deep and 10 cm apart when the temperature is around 70 F (20 C). Seeds will germinate in two weeks. Water the seedlings well while they are getting established as a sapling. Thin out the weak plants after a month of growing, leaving the space of around 50 – 60 cm between plants.

Plant ashwagandha in a dry and sunny location of your garden. If the soil is poor add manure to enrich it and remove weeds and debris from the planting site. Watering should be economical and only when the plant seems thirsty.

Ashwagandha is ready to harvest in 150 – 180 days when flowers and berries start to form and leaves begin to dry out. Harvest ashwagandha roots by digging carefully using a small tool. Be careful not to damage the plant when digging up and make sure the soil has some moisture while doing this. After harvesting, roots, and berries are separated from the plant. Roots are washed, cleaned, cut into small pieces of 7-10 cm, and dried in sun or shade.

3.    Spearmint

 

Spearmint is also known as garden mint or common mint. One of the oldest herbs known to mankind, mint is called pudina in Hindi.

There are about 15 to 20 species of Mint consisting of varieties like spearmint and peppermint, all of which are perfectly fine to eat raw or cooked. Mint leaves are beautifully flavored herbs that people use, dried or fresh in many dishes and infusions. they are cultivated for culinary as well as medicinal purposes.

Spearmint is an herb. The leaves and oil are used to make medicine. Spearmint is used for digestive disorders including gas, indigestion, nausea, diarrhea, upper gastrointestinal tract spasms, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), bile duct and gallbladder swelling (inflammation), and gallstones.

Mint plant spreads by rhizomes and stolen and is an excellent candidate for a container garden. If growing on a flower bed, it should be spaced carefully and you need to control its spread. Harvesting is best done before the plant goes to flower as the flavor will be concentrated in the leaves. It needed to be harvested consistently to get numerous hauls of leaves. these plants prefer rich and moist soil and need full sunlight.

4.    Aloe vera

 

  Aloe vera is grown for beautifying the space at home, as well as to use its gel for medicinal purposes. Some people consume aloe vera juice and some use gel on skin and hair for youthful skin and beautiful hair. 

This plant is hugely important for the cosmetic and pharma industry. the slimy gel extracted out of thick aloe vera leaves is good as a healer of skin injuries, burning, skin irritations, cuts and insect bites. It also reduces skin swellings.

Clay pots with drainage holes that provide plenty of room for roots to grow, well-drained soil and good sunlight are needed to grow aloe vera at home. Vegetative propagation, seeds as well as propagation through the baby plant are done to grow aloe vera at home.

 

 5. lemongrass

Lemongrass also known as Malabar or Cochin grass is native to India, Sri Lanka, Burma and Thailand. Lemongrass is used for treating digestive tract spasms, stomachache, high blood pressure, convulsions, pain, vomiting, cough, achy joints (rheumatism), fever, the common cold, and exhaustion. It is also used to kill germs and as a mild astringent.

In food and beverages, lemongrass is used as a flavoring. For example, lemongrass leaves are commonly used as "lemon" flavoring in herbal teas. In manufacturing, lemongrass is used as a fragrance in deodorants, soaps, and cosmetics. Lemongrass is also used in making vitamin A and natural citral. When cooking with lemongrass, you can use fresh, dried, or powdered leaves. 

Lemongrass likes it hot, so grow it in an area with full sun and fertile, well-drained soil . If you're growing it in a pot, top-dress it with compost every couple of weeks, to make sure it's getting plenty of nutrients. Lemongrass really is one of the easiest plants to grow, as long as you protect it from the cold.

6. Curry leaf

 

     Curry leaf is generally used as an Indian spice in various dishes for its sweet aroma for ages. It is also called sweet neem. This plant is native to India, and is highly aromatic and has a unique flavor. they provide an abundance of health benefits. 

     Curry leaves are packed with plant compounds that may help promote overall health by providing powerful antioxidant protection. 

     It helps in weight loss and treatment of dysentery and constipation. It is good for diabetes patients and heals wounds and cuts and also relieves nausea and improves memory. Consuming curry leaves may benefit heart health by reducing heart disease risk factors, such as high cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

     Curry leaf plants can be propagated from cuttings or seeds, though the seed germination process is a challenging task. To grow from cuttings, just take a leaf, or a set of leaves, with a petiole or stem attached and place it in a pot with well-drained soil.  It should be grown in rich, well-drained soil in full sunlight or partial shade.

7. Sage

 

The Sage plant is called salvia or Salvi tulsi in India. It can be used as spice and medicine both. Its leaves are very high in vitamin K and also contain vital minerals like magnesium, zinc and copper. Sage helps in digestive problems like loss of appetite, gastric problems, stomach pain, diarrhea, bloating and heartburn.

 It is also used in reducing the overproduction of perspiration and saliva. Depression, memory loss and Alzheimer's disease are also treated with it. Sage leaves are eaten whole or ground and can be used to enhance the flavor of food. It looks like a bay leaf but both are entirely different.

Sage plants need full sun to grow well, they can't tolerate wet soil. It can be grown from seed or a cutting and can be placed in a pot on your balcony too. Plants should be set 2 feet apart if grown in the garden, water them regularly to ensure they don't dry.

8. Giloy

                        

It is a climbing shrub and an essential herb in Ayurvedic medicine. It is also called "Heart-leaved moonseed". All parts of this plant are considered to be beneficial for health. The stem of Giloy is considered highly effective because of its high nutritional content and the alkaloids, glycosides, steroids, and other compounds found in it, but the root and leaves also can be used. It is used to treat fever, infections, diarrhea and diabetes.

 It is called a great immunity booster herb and is considered one of the Amrit(nectar) plants in Ayurveda. As per Ayurveda, Giloy can be consumed in either a powdered form or can be in the form of kadha (decoction) or even juice. Nowadays it is available as capsule and readymade powder. Giloy applied topically too as a paste for skin problems.

Giloy plant can be grown in a garden as well as in a pot with ample drainage holes. Giloy plant can be grown from its stems, cuttings and even seeds. To grow a giloy plant from the stem, take stem cuttings from the end part of the giloy plant, then fill a pot with soil and insert these stem cuttings in it and water it gently to make the soil moist, then keep the pot in partial shade away from direct light.

We have thousands of plant species that qualify as medicinal, depending on their benefits, ease of growth, and care involved, they can be made part of our lives. Medicinal plants can be useful as essential drugs, in food and nutrition, for common illnesses and injury, for endemic infectious diseases and for mental as well as oral health.