Ayurveda

Indian traditional medicine in the 21st century
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Ayurveda, the 'Science of Life', is a natural system of medicine with roots in India, that dates back more than 3,000 years. Based on the idea that good health can only be achieved if an individual’s three energies, or doshas, are in balance, Ayurveda promotes lifestyle changes and natural therapies that use herbs, oils, massage, meditation and yoga to regain a balance between the body, mind, spirit, and the environment.

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Health & Wellness
Heal By the Bay, part of the annual India By the Bay programme, takes place this weekend in Hong Kong.
Health & Wellness
5 wellness events in Hong Kong and Macau this weekend, November 8-10
A yoga festival on the beach in Macau, a talk on Ayurveda or a life-saving CPR course – what will you get up to this weekend?
Tragacanth gum and natural rose syrup with honey in a refreshing summer drink. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
Indian ‘miracle’ gum that cools and hydrates is firing up social media
Many Indians swear by the cooling and hydrating properties of tragacanth gum, especially during the summer heat. Find out how this superfood is used in Ayurveda, and its health benefits.
There are all sorts of health benefits associated with visiting a sauna. But how much science is there to back it up? Photo: Healing Hotels of the World
Wellness
Explainer|Do saunas really have any health benefits – and what are the risks?
From Finland’s traditional style and Turkey’s hammams to Japan’s onsens and modern infrared treatments, enjoying extreme heat endures – but is there anything to be afraid of?
Social media is awash with ways to protect your immune system – and one of the more recent to go viral on TikTok is immunity cubes, such as Nicole Keshishian Modic’s recipe (pictured). Photo: Instagram/@kalejunkie
Health & Wellness
Do immunity cubes really work? Experts break down icy TikTok health hack
Social media is awash with ways to protect your immune system – and one of the more recent to go viral on TikTok is #ImmunityCube. Experts break the trend down, and we provide an immunity cube recipe.
The Morning Banana Diet, which prescribes eating bananas for breakfast to lose weight, is back in vogue. We look at why there’s more to the diet than meets the eye, as a nutritionist explains how to incorporate it for healthy, long-term weight loss. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
Explainer|The Morning Banana Diet is the latest weight-loss craze, but what is it?
Japanese social media craze the Morning Banana Diet is now back in vogue, but there’s more to it than the name suggests. An expert describes how to incorporate it for healthy weight loss.
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Leprosy, if untreated, can damage nerves, meaning a sufferer is less likely to react to pain, from burns, say, or pressure - which can destroy tissue. We look at the disease’s symptoms, treatment, transmission and stigma, and whether it’s contagious or curable. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
What causes leprosy and is it contagious? Plus symptoms and how it’s treated
As World Leprosy Day comes around, we look at the disease’s symptoms, treatment and transmission, whether it’s contagious or curable, its stigma, and why there was a recent outbreak in the US.
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Chris Hemsworth in a still from “Limitless”. Photo: Disney+
Health & Wellness
Chris Hemsworth’s fasting, 10 diet secrets: 7 top wellness stories of 2023
We take a look back at the top health and wellness stories of 2023, from the 10 diet secrets of people living the longest and healthiest to how actor Chris Hemsworth fasted for a Disney+ series.
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Intuitive eating is a big TikTok and Instagram trend now and is related to a number of physical and mental health benefits. It involves listening to internal hunger cues - and doesn’t mean you have to feel guilty about eating things like pizza. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
Explainer|What is intuitive eating? It’s ‘not a diet’ – TikTok trend’s health benefits
Intuitive eating is a big TikTok and Instagram trend now – we look at the physical and mental health benefits, including better digestion, more positive body image and increased satiety with less food.
In the Himalayas, luxury spa resort Ananda’s menopause retreat uses Ayurvedic practices and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to correct imbalances and tackle hormonal fluctuations. It is one of a number of retreats for women - including those at perimenopause and post-menopausal stages - that aim to help alleviate their symptoms. Photo: Ananda
Health & Wellness
Menopause retreats: how they help women alleviate symptoms and 7 to consider
Tailored menopause wellness retreats provide therapies and community support to help women – including those at perimenopause and post-menopausal stages – find relief from their symptoms.
A healthy meditation and yoga teacher who hadn’t slept properly for five years visited a specialist of Ayurvedic panchakarma (detox and purifying therapy, above). Photo: Ananda in the Himalayas
Health & Wellness
Can’t sleep? How to beat insomnia with Ayurvedic detox therapy panchakarma
A healthy meditation and yoga teacher was ‘feeling helpless with fatigue’ after 5 years of not sleeping properly. A specialist in Ayurvedic panchakarma (detox and purifying therapy) quickly solved the problem.
The “everything shower” self-care trend includes taking long baths, moisturising, exfoliating and more. Experts talk about the benefits of such rituals, including how they can help us relax in a post-pandemic world. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
How ‘everything shower’ TikTok craze can relieve stress in post-Covid world
The ‘everything shower’ trend has flooded TikTok with videos of users’ prolonged self-care rituals. Experts talk about the benefits of these, including how they can help us relax.
Sarah Keates took up running to feel better emotionally and reduce her anxiety and depression, and was surprised at how much it helped her physical health concerns.
Health & Wellness
‘Terrible insomnia’, anxious, depressed: how one woman’s relief was running
Taking up running helped Sarah Keates reduce her anxiety and depression, especially when adding yoga and meditation, helping her see that ‘the mind-body connection was very real’.
Saffron threads spill from a jar. The most expensive spice in the world is more than just a fancy food flavouring; it provides many health benefits, too. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
Super saffron: the many health benefits of the world’s most expensive spice
As well as being the world’s most expensive spice, saffron has health benefits from preventing diabetes to improving libido.
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Aloe vera plants have many names, including the healing plant, the miracle plant and the burn plant. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
How aloe vera – loved by Nicki Minaj and Cleopatra – could benefit you, too
Nicki Minaj and Drew Barrymore swear by aloe vera, Cleopatra and Nefertiti were fans and even Christopher Columbus and Alexander the Great used it to treat wounds. Find out why it is such a wonder plant.
--NUR-- Flowers: Begonia flowers - snappy acidity Borage flower - cucumber / oyster flavor Dill flowers - herbal dill note Nasturtium flowers - peppery sweetness Herbs / leaves: Lemon balm - lemon scented herb acts to lift flavor Yarrow - woodland favor with mild bitterness adds complexity Begonia leave - adds sharp acidity Nasturtium leaf - adds mustard bitter notes for Roasted mushroom in cultured butter Herbs & flowers, mushroom broth of NUR Restaurant in Central. 25MAR15 [2015 TRENDING 48HRS]
Health & Wellness
The health benefits of edible flowers, from better skin to aiding digestion
Used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years, edible flowers contain essential vitamins and minerals that bestow health benefits from reducing acne to overcoming constipation.
A cup full of cardamom pods. The seeds they contain have many potential health benefits, say practitioners of Ayurveda - traditional Indian medicine. Photo: Getty Images
Health & Wellness
Better sex, fresher breath: how cardamom spice may boost your health
Cardamom, long used in Ayurveda – traditional Indian medicine – has many potential health benefits. We unlock nine health benefits of the spice.
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Ear oiling - adding drops of essential oil such as tea tree oil - to the ear canal, then massaging the ear, is one of several remedies for earache in Ayurveda, or traditional Indian medicine. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
Have earache? Eat raw garlic, pour in some oil – Ayurvedic remedies
Traditional Indian medicine has several home remedies to relieve ear pain – from colds, flu or air travel – some of them validated by Western medicine.
Whether taken in seed or powder form or consumed fresh as a herb, fenugreek’s many benefits according to traditional Chinese and Indian medicine include helping diabetics, aiding weight loss, and promoting heart health. Used powdered as a spice, It also makes food more tasty. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
Superfood fenugreek: from helping diabetics to weight loss aid, its benefits
A traditional Indian and Chinese medicine staple, fenugreek helps diabetics, aids weight loss, promotes heart health and more. It also makes food more tasty.
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Ginger shots improve your well-being, from fighting the flu and colds to boosting immunity and relieving nausea. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
How ginger shots improve your well-being and boost your immune system
Ginger shots take advantage of the root’s many healthy properties to boost the immune system, relieve inflammation and protect the heart.
Jaggery, India’s “medicinal sugar”, is an alternative to refined sugar that is packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and has numerous health and nutrition benefits. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
The healing powers of jaggery, India’s ‘medicinal sugar’
Jaggery, unrefined sugar, is a storehouse of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that help build strength and immunity while warding off common ailments. Experts tell us more.
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Storing water in a copper container infuses it with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, say Ayurvedic scholars, and drinking it has multiple health benefits. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
Explainer|17 reasons Ayurveda says you should drink water from a copper jug or pot
Copper kills bacteria and other microorganisms in water, according to Ayurvedic scholars, and science backs that up. They say drinking water that’s been stored in a copper vessel has multiple health benefits.
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Amla, or Indian gooseberry, is widely used in Ayurvedic medicine. Now it is being hailed as a new superfood. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
Explainer|What is amla? All about the berry hailed as a new superfood
The Indian gooseberry, also known by its Sanskrit-derived name amla, has long been used in Ayurveda – traditional Indian medicine. Now it is being hailed as a superfood.
Ayurdeva expert Poorvi Bhat Khandige. One of her top summer health tips is to add vetiver, an anti-inflammatory herb, to drinking water.
Health & Wellness
10 summer health tips from Ayurveda experts to battle excess body heat
Heat and humidity can trigger all kinds of skin, sleep and digestion problems. Two Ayurvedic experts give advice on what to eat, drink and do to avoid issues caused by hot weather.
Neem leaves as a paste are used to treat head lice, skin diseases, wounds and skin ulcers in many parts of Asia. Neem leaf powder can be taken internally and applied externally to the skin for allergies. Photo: Getty Images/EyeEm
Health & Wellness
Explainer|What is neem? How the world’s ‘most versatile medical plant’ could help you
From boosting immunity to fighting cancer, the neem tree and its many parts – leaves, bark, flowers – are teeming with health benefits. We ask the experts all about them.
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Triphala is widely available as a pre-mixed, ready to use powder. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
Experts provide 7 Ayurvedic remedies for your cold, flu and Covid symptoms
From guduchi to ginger and tulsi to triphala, these seven Ayurvedic remedies may ease your suffering from colds, coughs, flu and even Covid symptoms, say two traditional Indian medicine practitioners.
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India is a popular destination for foreign visitors seeking ayurveda treatment. File photo: Getty Images
Health & Environment
An edge over China? India’s WHO-backed traditional medicine centre ‘a victory’
The WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in Gujarat has been a boost for New Delhi which is competing with Beijing to promote the use of ancient therapies worldwide.
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Kavita Khosa is one of many who use a neti pot to rinse the nose. This can soothe allergies, clear congestion and is also practised for overall wellbeing.
Health & Wellness
Neti pot basics: how Ayurvedic nasal rinse relieves allergies, asthma, cold
Using a neti pot to pour salt water through your nose has a surprising number of benefits. People around the world describe what the traditional Indian medicine practice does for them.
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Raw honey is one of the foods to include in an Ayurvedic diet to boost your gut health and in turn strengthen your immunity, according to an expert on Ayurveda - Indian traditional medicine. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
Explainer|8 ways an Ayurvedic lifestyle strengthens your gut health
Experts in Indian traditional medicine explain how living and eating according to Ayurveda keeps your gut healthy and strengthens your body’s immunity.
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Reishi mushrooms - known as lingzhi in China - are a form of adaptogen, plant-based substances used in traditional medicine and set to become a trend in wellness in a new age of anxiety. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
A revival for adaptogens – ‘They help the body achieve balance’
Adaptogens are plant-based substances - herbs, roots, mushrooms - that are set to lead wellness trends thanks to their ability to help the body adapt to stress and treat other ailments. Experts explain.
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A balanced diet and daily exercise have helped Nomita Hathiramani keep the weight off after years of harsh dieting that left her tired and bloated. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Health & Wellness
How one woman lost weight, regained her health by ditching crash diets
Eating an Ayurvedic diet of fish, lentils, whole grains, vegetables and fruit, and doing yoga every morning help Nomita Hathiramani keep the weight off after years of failed dieting.
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