My family is thumps up to butter milk and thumps down to curd alias yogurt.

I have always seen my mother sitting on the floor, churning out the butter and bottling some home-made butter milk. The butter would eventually go into ghee-making while the butter milk would go into a side dish or as Sambharam (a South Indian variant of North Indian Lassi) or I would gulp down a glass of it all by myself after my meals. I lost that lovely, healthy habit long ago once I got married and was busied into home making. Also, my husband hates yogurt unless it is embellished with some veggies as in a salad!

Some of the specialties in South India include the very tasty Dahi Wada and Thairusadam (Curd Rice). Both make extensive use of curd. Once I came to the USA, to my utmost amusement I came across flavored, sweetened yogurt with fruits. Well, to me it is a thick American version of sweet Lassi. I would see people carrying a cup of yogurt (perhaps as a quick breakfast or a snack) as they traveled to work in the train. What more to say, I get to see even ice cream with flavored yogurt in some supermarkets. It was then that writing a post on yogurt occurred to me.

Yogurt is a healthy choice to be taken daily as it contains protein, calcium, riboflavin, iodine and vitamin B 12. Yogurt is endorsed as a daily diet with at least one serving per day as it contains a lot more of calcium than milk and calcium plays a major role in bone building. Yogurt also contains phosphorus in good amounts which would help people with Osteoporosis. It also enhances immunity and increases your body’s natural defense. The active cultures in yogurt prevents the accumulation of harmful bacteria in the body. The bacteria in yogurt also help in the digestion of food.

Studies show that yogurt can ward off cold, prevent diarrhea, promote intestinal and vaginal health, provide relief from arthritis, prevent ulcers and also improve lactose intolerance. It fights yeast infections and balances the body’s yeast levels while also preventing urinary tract infections.

Yogurt works well for those who are intolerant to lactose or milk. If you cannot take milk because of reasons like acidity or IBS you may very well try yogurt so that you keep getting your bone builder, calcium.

Yogurt may also have some other health benefits like helping weight loss, lower blood pressure and lower the risk of some types of cancer. Skim yogurt or low fat yogurt are ideal for people with cholesterol as they do not increase your cholesterol level. If you consume 90 grams of yogurt twice a day it will also fight mouth odor.

Yogurt is a wonderful food for both infant and adults. No wonder why it is a part of their traditional diet in Greece!

Yogurt is a great diet for your skin as well. It serves to even out your complexion, to treat your sunburn and to brighten you up if applied with a pinch of turmeric. Thus the story of yogurt goes on forever.

-Aparna K V

Tags: asthma, herbs, natural, medicine, blood pressure

Eczema is a skin condition where there is inflammation of the upper layers of the skin. Eczema reckless is one of the main symptoms of eczema along with dryness of the skin and itching. There are various types of eczema including atopic eczema, contact dermatitis, xerotic eczema and seborrhoeic eczema among several others.

There are three main ways to cure eczema. They are creams and medicines, diet change by eating more fruit and vegetables and the application of oils like neam or coconut oil.

Diet corrections are also advised by dermatologists as some foods are capable of triggering symptoms of eczema. Also, digestive problems like acidity need to be alleviated as these too can have a bearing on eczema episodes and trigger symptoms. But did you know that one of causes of eczema is acidity in the digestive system. If you can get rid of the acidity you can get rid of the eczema. Cooked foods want enzymes for digestion and your body holds a limited supply of these enzymes. So for the sake of your skin, for high vitamin and minerals and to slow down aging, eat raw foods which are full of enzymes such as pineapple, bean sprouts and papaya. Coconut oil works very well for Infant or toddler eczema on the scalp or other body areas. It soothes the rough patches or itchy rashes.

Babies, children and adults with eczema have skin that is sensitive to any or many substances such as soap, detergents, wool, make-up, cosmetics, lipstick, mascara, nail polish, shampoos, and many others. Natural eczema treatments are unsurpassed to cure eczema and I have found that virgin coconut oil is the best for healing eczema and/or dermatitis. If eczema is on your hands use coconut oil 4 or 5 times a day.

Some lotions like Calamine can be used to keep the skin cool and prevent dryness of the skin. Harsh soaps and detergents are to be avoided as they can irritate the skin and trigger symptoms of eczema. Also, it is greatest to avoid any gentle of irritation to the skin through use of perfumes and deodorants that can increase itching and appearance of rashes.

So the advise is to look for a natural eczema cure. Anything unnatural creates more toxins and will only irritate the body and this merely in the long run cause the eczema condition to become worse.

It happens to me quite often. In fact there was a time when I used to suffer every week. Now also, I experience the ills of this evil quite often, at least once in three to four months. Those who have suffered from this know that it is not as common to cure and mange as it sounds like. Yes, I am talking about common cold.