London, Oct 7 (IANS) Red onion, commonly used in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine, could help prevent heart disease. Scientists have discovered that it helps remove bad cholesterol - which can cause heart attacks and strokes - from the body.

At the same time, red onions retain the body's good cholesterol, which helps protect against heart disease. Scientists in Hong Kong fed crushed red onions to hamsters which had all been put on a high cholesterol diet, reports the Daily Mail. They found that after eight weeks, levels of bad cholesterol, or low density lipoprotein (LDL), haddropped by an average of 20 percent.

But over the same period, there was no reduction in the hamsters' high cholesterol levels, also known as high density lipoprotein (HDL). Zhen Yu Chen, who led the research at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said: 'Despite extensive research on onions, little is known of how their consumption interacts with human genes and proteins involved in cholesterol metabolism `within the body.' 'Our study was, therefore, undertaken to characterise the interaction of onions with enzymes in an attempt to explore the underlying cholesterol-lowering mechanism,' Zhen said. 'This study is the first of its kind to investigate the interaction of red onions with biological functions.

This results support the claim that the regular consumption of onion reduces the risk of coronary heart disease.' Although white onions are by far the most popular type in Britain, red onions are widely used in India, the Mediterranean and the Middle East. They are far sweeter than the white variety and are often used raw in salads. -Indo-Asian News Service St

Massage your scalp using a mixture of warm coconut and castor oil for about 15 minutes. Leave it for one or two hours. Wash it off using an herbal shampoo.Regular application of oils which contain the goodness of amla, arnica, bhrigaraj, henna etc improves hair growth.Apply the paste made of soaked fenugreek mixed with some lemon juice on the scalp and hair. Leave it for 15 to 20 minutes.

Wash it with cold water. Applying the sap of aloe stimulates hair growth and gives a cooling effect. Crush few amlas and leave it in a cup of milk for few hours. Apply it on scalp and hair. Rinse it off after 15 to 20 minutes. It improves the texture of hair. Add neem leaves to boiling water. Strain it and cool it. Wash the hair with it. Mix almond oil with the juice of extracted from amla. Apply it regularly on scalp and gently massage with your finger tips for 15 minutes. Apply juice of bhringaraj and amla on the scalp. Do this two to three times a week. Mix henna powder with amla and lemon juice. Apply it on scalp and hair. Wash it after 20 minutes. Use herbal shampoo made of hibiscus leaves, aloe and tulsi.Use reetha (Sapindus Mukorossi) instead of shampoo as a cleanser.
Ways to reduce dandruff
Mix camphor in coconut oil and store in a bottle. Gently massage this oil on scalp before going to bed. Leave it overnight. Wash it off the next morning using herbal shampoo made of hibiscus leaves or shikkakai. Mix some lemon juice to coconut milk and apply it on the scalp. Wash it after 10 to 15 minutes. Apply a paste of black gram and green gram on the scalp. Apply a paste made of mustard. Herbal remedies for premature graying. Mix henna powder, Amla juice and coffee powder in a bowl. Leave it for few hours. Later apply it on the scalp and wash it after 20 minutes. Boil tea leaves in water. Wash the hair with it after cooling. Apply the juice of brahmi and Bhringaraj. Homemade herbal hair oils to promote hair growth. Hibiscus, Bhringaraj oil.

Ingredients
5 to 6 Hibiscus flower, 100 grams of Aloe Vera, Henna and Bhringaraj, half liter Coconut oil

Published in Speaking Tree, February 06, 2011
In Varanasi, there is the temple of Kal-Bhairav, the fierce form of Shiva. In this temple, surrounding the shrine are priests who are famous for jhaadna or jharra, or dusting, using black chamars made of horse tail or peacock feathers. This is done to ward away negative forces and malevolent spirits commonly known as the evil eye.

Since ancient times people have feared the evil eye. When children fall sick for no apparent reason, when things suddenly start to go wrong, when numerous obstacles appear after initial success, people say, the evil eye has struck. In local languages it is known as nazar or drishti. This idea is found in almost every corner of the world. Ancient Irish legends speak of the evil eye of Balor, the one-eyed giant which inspired the concept of the Eye of Sauron in Tolkien’s Lord Of The Rings. There may be slight variations. Instead of the evil eye, people may use terms like ‘curse’ or ‘hex’. But fundamentally, it is havoc stemming from a neighbour’s envy.

The best way to understand the concept of evil eye, is to accept the idea of auras. Every human being has an aura around them. This is known as the subtle body. It is a kind of energy shield emerging from our physical and mental health status. A beautiful or healthy object has positive aura, which is why looking upon them makes us happy; they energize us. An ugly or unhealthy object has negative aura, which is why looking upon them makes us unhappy; they sap us of energy. It is possible to draw energy from positive aura objects and lose energy to negative aura objects. Exposure to positive aura objects makes us feel empowered and excited. Exposure to negative aura objects makes us feel drained and tired and sick. Evil eye can then be the force that causes us to lose our aura, feel drained and disempowered.

Ancient Egyptians believed that the “Eye of Horus” protected oneself from the evil eye. Ancient Romans used phallic images to keep away bad luck. In modern day Turkey, the blue ‘Nazar’ amulet is sold in every market. Now they have become popular in India too. In many Arab countries one finds the hand of Fatima or Khamsa or Hamsa, which is a palm-shaped amulet to ward away the evil eye. Many Muslims believe that saying ‘Mashallah,’ or ‘God wills it’ creates a protective shield from evil eye. The apparently modern idea of ‘keeping fingers crossed’ has its origin in using the crucifix to keep away evil and ensure success. People believed, and still believe, that some people possess the evil eye. Their glance or gaze results in loss of energy. They spread negativity wherever they go. They feed on other people’s energy. The concept of witch and vampire has its origins in this idea. Then there are people who grant energy copiously; these are the saints and the gods and the holy men, even performers and film stars, who attract vast crowds.

Anyone can possess the evil eye transiently. This follows envy, or even adoration, of something pretty or beautiful, like a child, who is most susceptible to nazar. Inadvertently, even a mother’s gaze, can drain the child of positive aura resulting in sickness. To protect the child from this, people use various kinds of talismans. The most common one is the nazar ka tika, or black dot put prominently on the child’s face. Other practices include bathing with rock salt or tying a black thread to the right arm or ankle. The ultimate practice is to visit shrines because divine grace is the very opposite of the evil eye. Belief in evil eye is so deep that it is said in Nathdvara temple of Srinathji even the Lord can be affected by the nazar of adoring devotees which is why his image at the haveli is shown fleetingly by opening and shutting of the curtain during jhanki and by dusting the sacred image with peacock feathers.