Neem - Tree of Life

Close your eyes and picture a Neem tree. What do you see? Delicate leaves with gentle serrations along their edges. A hardy bark. A healthy bouquet of branches , laden with lush leaves. And the pert round fruit, fondly called nimboli, that lies strewn at the foot of the tree. Let your eyes move down, to where a weary traveler is fast asleep on a jute cot in the shade of the Neem, letting its wind-kissed leaves fan him.

THE ROOTS:

• Neem is though to have originated in Assam and Myanmar. Today, there are an estimated 20 million neem trees in India.
• Neem is the same plant family as mahogany. Its wood can be used as a substitute for true mahogany, because it is heavy and similarly red in colour.
• It enjoys a very high status in Indian life. Its leaves are strung on thresholds to ward off evil spirits. Brides take ritual baths in neem-infused water. Smoke from the tree is wafted into rooms to cleanse them.

NEEM LORE:

This plant is deeply etched in the psyche of the Indian subcontinent.

In ancient times, people of South Asia used to cook neem leaves like spinach!

• It is said that Mahatma Gandhi ate neem leaf chutney despite its bitter taste.
• In some communities, newborns are laid on neem leaves to provide them with a protective aura.
• Goddess Kali is said to reside on the tree, and sometimes stones representing her are placed before a neem tree and worshipped.
• In southern India, neem leaves are mixed with jaggery and chewed on New Year’s Day, to symbolize acceptance of the good with the bad.
• In ancient India, Hindus believed that planting it ensured a passage to Heaven.

Every part of the tree is usable. Here’s short list of benefits:

• The leaves, bark, twings and oil have anti-bacterial properities, and have been applied since olden days to heal swellings and boils.
• The oils is effective in treating leprosy. In fact, its Sanskrit name is pichumarda(pichu means leprosy).
• Neem oil is also used for massage, and relieves arthritis.
• Twings have been used for centuries to clean teeth and kill oral bacteria.
• Extracts of the bark and twings aer used to treat fevers, thirst, sickness, vomiting, jaundice, anorexia, dysentery and worms.
• The leaves are believed to aid digestion and stimulate the liver(hence their role in healing jaundice). Folk wisdom says that the infusion can treat lung conditions and decrease glucose levels in diabetics.
• Dried leaves and seed oil have been traditionally used to protect stored foods and fabrics from insect damage.
• In some rural areas, meat and fish are cleaned with neem water and then stored with dried neem leaves.
• Research shows that a special chemical in neem prevents insects from feeding and reproducing properly. That’s why, villages, the walls and floor of houses are painted with a mixture of cow dung, clay and neem oil, which keeps bugs away. Neem based insecticides have been shown to be effective against over 200 different varieties, including head lice, fleas, locusts and mosquitoes.
• The bark yields a fibre that is woven into rope.
• Neem seeds can be used to make hardboard.
• The sap can be made into alcoholic today.
• Neem flower honey, although bitter-tasting, heals many an ailment.
• The oil is burned in lamps.
• The seed, husk and wood are all used for fuel.
• Traditional craftsmen carve toys, figurines and small boxes out of neem wood.
• Cabinets and chests made of its wood are not only sturdy, but repel termites and insects.
• Neem timbre is great for making carts, tools, bridges, poles and boats.
• Neem bark gum is used as an adhesive for traditional Indian mural paintings.
• The refined oils used in nail polishes, shampoos, toothpastes and massage creams.
• Leaf-based extracts are used for making face creams and other skincare products.

HEAL WITH NEEM:

• Chewing five very soft leaves purifies blood. Improves voice quality and helps prevent chronic diseases. Find them bitter? Just boil or fry them in butter or Olive oil for a more pleasant taste.
• Regular brushing with a neem stub keeps teeth white,shining,strong and disease free. The next best thing use neem-based toothpaste.
• Heal simple cuts and wounds with a paste of its leaves.
• Boil water, and add a handful of leaves. Let cool, and have a bath in it to keep skin problems at bay.
• In ayurveda, neem is considered to be tridoshic, that is it balances all three doshas: vata, pitta and kapha.
  
• Drinking neem leaf juice helps a lot in skin diseases, diabetes and allergies.
• Hair fall? Putting a few drops of neem oil in your nose might help. A scalp massage with the oil at night prevents dandruff.
• Sprinkle dried leaves in your suitcases and among woolens to keep pests away.Tuck a few dried leaves In your rice jar, it keeps it free of insects.

Dietic Therapy - Promoting optimal health

Clinical nutrition is now evolving as a specialized field. Health care professional and the patients have appreciated the role of nutrition in promoting optimal health. This nutrition awareness has created the need for more and precise information on all aspect of nutrition and clinical dietetics related to the patient care. My plan is to covey the information concerning the role of diet in few common diseases and to give the diet plan for the same.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF DIETIC THERAPY:

• Reach and maintain ideal body weight
• Be careful of serving sizes
• Avoid skipping meals
• Increase your daily activity

DIABETES MELLITUS:

Diabetic diet need not be a complete deviation from the normal diet. A normal Indian diet can be made suitable for diabetics with few modifications in the nutrient intake based on age, sex, weight and physical activity. The diet is designed to improve blood glucose and lipid levels, encourage healthy eating patterns, promote consistent food intake and avoid undue starvation. Today, it is widely accepted that the traditional Indian foods (with few minor modifications) is the best diet for a diabetic person! Not only can you enjoy most of the foods you like, the diet can be varied as you like. Your diet can take into consideration your likes and dislikes and suit your lifestyle. CALORIES:

The calorie requirement should allow the patient to loose or gain weight as required to maintain ideal body weight. The total calorie requirement can be calculated based on the level of physical activity and individual’s actual body weight.

SAMPLE PLAN OF DIABETIC DIET OF 1800 Kcal.

Breakfast:

1cup tea, 3 slices of bread or 3 chappatis or 3 khakhras or 2idlis with sambher or 2 dosas with rasam or 1 katori of cooked upma.

Mid-morning:

1 cup plain milk

Lunch:

3 chappatis without ghee, ½ katori of cooked rice.

¾ katori dal or sambhar or ½ katori non-veg. Curry.

½ katori cooked vegetables. ½ katoricurds. Plan salad/soup unlimited.

(Restrict use of coconut/ peanuts, sugar, jaggery, fried non-veg and other fried items)

Evening:

Same as break fast

Dinner:

Same as lunch

Bedtime 1 cup of plain milk or 1 medium fruit

Fat allowance/day 4-5 tsp.

DISTRIBUTION OF CALORIES:

Carbohydrates 60 - 65 %

Proteins 15 – 20 %

Fats 15 - 20 %

Carbohydrates – Diabetics need not restrict their carbohydrate requirements in their diet. Simple carbohydrates obtained from honey, sugar, jaggery, sugarcane, jam, glucose is readily absorbed and is to be avoided completely. Complex carbohydrates are first digested to produce sugar and do not raise blood sugar quickly. Thus adequate intake of complex carbohydrates is recommended. Cereals, whole grains, dals, pulses and vegetables provide complex sugars. Fruit and milk can also be taken in proper amounts.

Proteins -- Milk and milk products (except cream, butter), dals and pulses, nuts, oil seeds, fish, egg, poultary and meat are rich sources of protein.

Fats – are concentrated source of energy. Excess amount of fat increases the risk of obesity and heart diseases. Ghee, butter, vanaspati contain a high proportion of saturated fats which tends to increase the serum cholesterol levels. Vegetable fats such as sunflower oil, safflower oil, corn oil contain a high proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). PUFA are helpful in controlling the cholesterol levels. These all are visible fats. Some amount of fat that is derived from milk and milk products, eggs, flesh foods, nuts and oil seeds is known as invisible fat. A diabetic diet should provide both visible and invisible fat in limited quantities. A diabetic patient can take 15-20 Gms of visible fat per day.

Vitamins and minerals – they both are essential for the body. Supplements are advised as per the patients need.

Fibre – Dietary fibre is beneficial in Type 2 DM as well as Type 1 DM. Fibre present in vegetables, fresh fruits, legumes and fenugreek seeds (methi seeds) is soluble in nature which is effective in controlling blood sugar and serum lipids. Insoluble fibre present in cearals and millets like ragi, jowar and bajra improves long-term glucose tolerance.

Vitamins - Essential micro nutrients.

Vitamins are essential nutrients required for us in micro level to perform our bodies in healthy condition. There are many types of vitamins are there and what are their functions in body. They act as anti oxidents, repair agents, anti bodies and energy boosters.

Pharmacies throughout the world have been going through growing pains over the last several decades. When our grandparents went to the pharmacy, they chose from only a handful of different vitamins to supplement their diet. For children, there were a few chewable vitamins to pick from and for adults, even fewer choices existed. Most of these multivitamins were taken on the advice of their doctor who told them they “would feel better” if they took them.

Today, your pharmacy likely has an entire aisle devoted to vitamins. The sheer number of vitamin options makes for confusion in even the most savvy customers.
To choose a vitamin or vitamins that are best for you, it helps to be clear on the reasons why you want to take them.

Think about your situation and explore these possibilities:

• Do you have a specific vitamin deficiency that your doctor wants you to correct?

• Do you have a particular illness and your doctor has recommended a vitamin supplement to treat that illness?

• Are you planning to take vitamins in the hopes of improving your general wellbeing?

• Have you been told that a certain vitamin can help prevent an illness from developing in the future?

All of these are valid reasons to take vitamins. Choosing the best vitamin, however, takes a big more research. Let’s explore the different ways that vitamins can be formulated and packaged in the hope that it becomes less confusing for you.

Many vitamins are sold as single vitamin sources, such as Vitamin E or Vitamin C. Vitamin E, for example, is believed to have an anti-oxidant property which means that it has the potential to reduce your risk of developing certain kinds of cancers.

If this is all you are looking for, buying Vitamin E as a single ingredient makes sense. Similarly, if your doctor tells you that you have a Vitamin D deficiency, taking a single-source vitamin D preparation is likely all that is necessary.

A few vitamins are prepared using only a few ingredients. The B vitamins, for example, are commonly packaged as a complex. This is because they generally share physiological responsibilities and work together to maximize your metabolism.

It makes sense to buy them as a complex. Calcium, which is not technically a vitamin, is almost always prepared and sold as a complex with Vitamin D. This is because your absorption of calcium depends on the presence of Vitamin D. Taking calcium without vitamin D can mean that you are not absorbing the calcium you have paid good money for.

Multivitamins have their place primarily for children or adults with highly unbalanced diets and for those who feel that a multivitamin will give them more energy and a sense of wellbeing.
Children’s vitamins are easy. Once you find a vitamin whose taste they like, the rest involves reading the back label to make sure the vitamins within contain nearly100% of the recommended daily allowances (RDA) for children.

The only exception to this is iron. Some parents prefer to have less than 50% RDA of iron in the vitamin because their children get adequate iron in their diet and too much iron from food and vitamin sources can lead to iron toxicity. The rest of the vitamin choices can safely be taken at 100% RDA.

Adult vitamins today have increasingly become tailored to the specific needs of adults who differ from each other in several ways, including age and gender. There are vitamins for men, for women and for seniors. These multivitamins can even be tailored to the type of diet you’re on. Most adult multivitamins have a long list of vitamins, mostly provided at 100% RDA.

Senior versions are nearly identical except for the addition of more Vitamins E and D as well as lycopene for the prevention of heart disease. The brand you choose rarely matters as long as the labeling reflects nearly 100% RDA of the bulk of the vitamins. Certainly, some brands are better known than others and likely have labeling that is complete and accurate. Choosing a well known brand is probably the safest plan.

Is it risky to take vitamins? Generally, no. Your body takes from a vitamin supplement what it needs and discards the rest. The biggest exceptions are the fat-soluble vitamins, namely Vitamins A, E, K and D. These vitamins can build to toxic levels in your system, especially if you take a multivitamin along with another supplement containing even more of these fat soluble vitamins. Reading the labels is your best defense against this complication.

Vitamins are taking an increasing role in healthcare. More and more people are taking vitamin preparations every day. When making your own choices, keep in mind what you’re looking to achieve and read all labels carefully before making your choice.