My herbs and anti ageing

Ageing Process

As we age, we are at increased risk of suffering from conditions such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's, osteoporosis, skin ageing and blindness. Which diseases we might suffer is a balance between our individual genetic predisposition and our environmental exposure. These diseases all commonly affect the quality of our life, but are they unrelated and inevitable? To understand this, we first need to know a little more about the ageing process.

The mechanism underpinning the ageing process is attributable to the production of highly reactive molecules (free radicals) that oxidise or damage components of cells, causing them to malfunction. Over time, these damaged cells accumulate, leading to age-related diseases depending on your genetic predisposition. But are our bodies really just like old cars rusting away?

The difference between young and old cells is actually a change in their gene expression. The DNA (genetic blueprint) in each cell is arranged within 46 chromosomes which contain all our genes. The telomere is a long piece of DNA at the end of each chromosome. Every time a cell divides, it loses a small piece of the telomere. As the telomere shortens in length, the cell effectively ages. This reduction in length changes the gene expression, altering the proteins that are made by the telomere. The telomere proteins then affect the expression of other genes throughout the rest of the chromosome. The telomere is the key to the altering pattern of gene expression in the ageing process.

To understand its consequence, we need to recognise that our bodies are continually being damaged. Most of this damage comes from the process of living, breathing and being active, all of which produce free radicals as a by-product of producing energy. It is these free radicals that can damage proteins, fats and even the DNA within each cell through a process called oxidation. Additional damage can come from exposure to environmental toxins, such as smoke or alcohol, which also cause free radical production. But a body is not like a car that rusts over time. A body starts life continually and actively repairing and renewing itself. It replaces damaged structures or molecules. Ageing occurs as the body gradually stops repairing itself. This is a result of the change in gene expression as a consequence of the reduction in the telomere length.

Most chronic diseases can be traced back to a failure of repair and the accumulation of damage in rapidly dividing cells. For example, in heart disease, it is the cells lining the vessels that supply the heart muscle with blood that get damaged. They divide, repair and age until they gradually fail to repair themselves effectively and the disease process, atherosclerosis, or thickening of the arteries, starts to develop. What's more, risk factors for heart disease, like smoking, speed up the ageing process by increasing the free-radical damage of the endothelial cells.

Black seed (Habbatus sauda'), Kalonji

It's easy to forget that a ¼ teaspoon of black seed a day could rid the doctor for the day.

Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) mentioned its therapeutic efficacy and potential of cure.
Chemical Composition - seeds contain 1.5% volatile oil, while 37.5% Non volatile oil. In addition to this Albumen, Sugar, Organic acids, Glucoside Melanthin Metarbin and bitter substances are also found. The Glucoside is toxic in nature, hence the use of Kalonji in large doses and prolonged use might be harmful.

Hazrat Abu Hurairah States - "I have heard from Rasool Allah (Pbuh) that there is cure for every disease in black seeds except death and black seeds are shooneez."

It is stated in the books of seerat that Nabi-e-Akram (Pbuh) himself used to take these seeds for therapeutic purpose but with the syrup of Honey.

Observations of the scholars of Hadith reveal that shooneez is equally effective for the diseases due to heat and cold. Zahbi states that kalonji removes the obstruction of any part of the body, expels the gases and strengthens the stomach.

It is Emmenagogue, Lactogogue and Diuretic.
It is an Anti-Helminthic, if taken with vinegar.
It is useful in chronic cold. Inhalation of its smell is useful in common cold.
The oil of Kalonji is effective in Alopecia.
Half teaspoonful, if boiled in water and taken, is helpful in Asthma and diffuses the toxic effects of Bee and Wasps.
Continuous use of kalonji is effective in mad dog bites.
Fumigation of kalonji is useful in Respiratory Diseases.
It is useful in Paralysis, Facial Palsy, Migraine, Amnesia and Palpitation.
It is also an Expectorant and Antipyretic.
It normalizes the secretions of stomach and pancreas.
This phenomenon is very much effective and significant in the treatment of Diabetes Mellitus.
It expels the Kidney and Urinary Bladder stones, if taken with the syrup of honey.
It is effective in Jaundice if taken with milk.
Its powder if taken with water is effective in treating Haemorrhoids.
If Kalonji seeds are boiled in vinegar and this solution is applied on Gums and Teeth, it removes the Inflammation of the gums and relieves the pain also.
It is also reported that its fine powder is effective if applied in early stages of Cataract.
Kalonji is also used in Skin disorders.

The oil of the seeds is also effective in Earache.
If it is taken with Qust Sheering after breakfast and dinner, it is effective in chronic Dysentery and Asthma.
Qust Sheering is a good medicine for sexual debility, but if it is taken with Kalonji seeds and Habburrashad, it becomes more fortified.
Modern trials have proven that Kalonji seeds alone or in combination with other drugs are highly effective in Diabetes Mellitus, Vitiligo and other Skin ailments.

The most often recommended weight loss methods are ;
Calorie Restriction - the most effective method is by fasting (see below on ramadan fasting.)
Adjustments to eating habits and patterns - reduce carbohydrate and sugar intake.
Eat more fruits and vegetables as a mean to increase fiber intake is recommended for regulating bowel movements.

Other methods of weight loss include use of drugs and supplements that decrease appetite, block fat absorption, or reduce stomach volume. Application of such medications, however, should only be performed under the strict supervision of a physician and/or specialist.

Weight Loss Coaching is rapidly growing in popularity every whwere in the world, with the number of available coaches nearly doubling since 2000.

Dietary supplements, though widely used, are not considered a healthy option for weight loss. Even though a wide array of these products is available to the public, very few are effective long term.

Exercise - at least walk 30 minutes per day or do gardening

Bariatric surgery is usually considered a last resort in treating severe obesity and it consists of two main procedures: gastric bypass and gastric banding. Bariatric surgery may be used in more severe cases to artificially reduce the size of the stomach, thus limiting the intake of food energy.

As a last resort if every other methods of weight loss failed, one has to consider doing surgery to effectively reduce weight.

The procedure is usually performed by endoscopic surgeons under general anesthesia.. The weight loss is usually achieved by reducing the size of the stomach with an implanted medical device (gastric banding) or through removal of a portion of the stomach (sleeve gastrectomy or biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch) or by resecting and re-routing the small intestines to a small stomach pouch (gastric bypass surgery).

Fasting is amazing for detoxification. Our bodies are toxic like never before. Only fasting has the power to detoxify 20th century toxins. Juice fasting is the best for detoxification.

Today, we consume more toxic substances than all generations before us. Lead in our bones can be 200 times greater compared to bones excavated from 2,000 years ago. Our bodies are living cesspools of pesticides, food additives, drug residues and household chemicals. Within the cells you will discover dyes, bleaches, antioxidants, preservatives, chemical flavors, buffers, noxious sprays, alkalizers, acidifiers, deodorants, moisteners, drying agents, expanders, modifiers, emulsifiers, stabilizers, thickeners, clarifiers, disinfectants, defoliants, fungicides, neutralizers, anti caking and anti foaming agents, hydrolyzes, hydrogenators, herbicides, pesticides, synthetic hormones, antibiotics, steroids and over four thousand other drugs residues.

Fasting Detoxifies the Lungs

Through air, water, food and even mother's milk as a child, there is absorption of thousands of toxins that saturate the environment. City living fills your lungs with 20 million particles of foreign matter daily such as carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, mercury, DDT, cadmium, PCB s, strontium 90, radioactive iodine, x-rays, nitrates, and thousands more.

Fasting Detoxifies the Colon from Food Toxins & Parasites

The colon can contain billions of internal parasites and the 7-10 lbs. of impacted toxic fecal matter on your colon wall.

Fasting to Detoxifies the Organs

Toxins in the organs increase aging. You can be 40 years old with the organs of a ninety year old. Toxins disrupt your the cells and thereby disrupt the function of the organs. If your organs do not work you body does not work. Fasting detoxifies the organs.

Fasting To Detoxify the Brain

Toxins build up in the brain. If you want to see the effect of toxins on your brain, just go a few hours without food, it will cause headaches, emotions and mental clarity are disrupted. Your blood has been overloaded with the sludge of toxic living and the blood feeds the brain. The less toxin in your brain, the better it works.

Fasting Detoxifies Cells

Cells are the vital structured parts of the human body. The body needs the continuous supply of the right balance of nutrients to feed the cells, for optimum performance. If we continue to absorb nutrients with high toxin content, we will diminish our optimum performance. The poisons brought about by toxins in the bloodstream of any living organism can damage the cells & cause fatality. Juice Fasting is a safe, easy but effective discovery to detoxify the cells. Juice fasting cleanses the bloodstream from poisons brought about by toxins. Juice has less digestive work & amp; has a comfortable process in cleansing the cells. Detoxification of cells is a slow but thorough process. People engage in 30-day juice fasting because it takes that long to detoxify.

Fasting is good for health
Muslims all over the world just celebrated Eid to mark the end of one month of ramadan fasting. Most religion encourages fasting, but islam makes compulsory for those who are fit and healthy. For muslims when you fast, we have to completely abstain from eating, drinking, sexual intercourse and other forms of vices from fajar/dawn to sunset , roughly about 12 hours for those living in the tropic.

For a non muslim, to fast the whole day and for entire 30 days of the holy month of ramadan is indeed very intimidating. But for us practising muslims is a great pleasure and we look forward to this month. This particularly so for me at this age of 65 years when I feel that I have completed my worldly responsibilities and obligations especially related to family development , child rearing and upbringing and my career.

We train our children to fast since the tender age 5-6 years, but to start with we do not ask them to fast full day like adults. may be 4-5 hours and later on they can extend the fasting hours until the can reach the target of sunset. Most of them do not find difficulty in achieving . When I was small I grew up in a village of almost all muslims and we all fast but children are all same , we occasionally 'cheat' by drinking some water to quench our thist behind the back of our parents. But since children before age of puberty are not obligated to fast, it did not matter if they did what I did. It is just part of their training.

Three out of five of my grand children who are within the age of 8-10 were able to fast and I am proud that my eldest grand son who is 10 years old fasted full 30 days. It is important to teach and practise religious rituals like fasting , solat or prayer and quran reading from young age.

There are many benefits accrued from fasting from spiritual, religous, mental and physical aspects. Only Allah knows our quality of fasting and He rewards individuals accordingly but if we performed with sincerity for fear of Allah and did it rightly, we are promised by Allah SWT forgiveness and rewarded with jannah (heaven) in the hereafter.

Ramadan fasting make us very patient and humble and we did not indulge in any kind of vices or bad deeds. This has very positive effects on our emotions and state of mind. As for me , over the years it made a better person in character and deeds. In ramadan you are encouraged to donate or zakat , meaning giving away part of our wealth, not the property that you do not want but instead the ones that you love most. Indeed it is something very difficult to do, but it is the way of Allah SWT.

Ramadan has also made me a person with better temperament. I could restrain my temper, my anger and made me less vengeful towards others. It is indeed an effective spiritual and mental exercise.

Ramadan fasting has an effect on my eating habits and the amount of food intake. As a result my health is getting better, blood sugar level, my blood cholesterols and all the toxins in my body are under control and this is a form of detoxification. I will do a complete biochemical profile of my blood soon to confirm .

The scientific and medical experts are now recognizing fasting as a form of medical therapy for various conditions including obesity, diabetes, hypertension, metabolic disorders. I am convinced that this very true but as usual many people realize that something like fasting is good for them but to make it as life practice and ritual is never easy unless your will and determination are strong.