The Top Steps to Prevent and Treat Gout

If left untreated, gout can become increasingly painful and lead to joint damage. So if you experience sudden, intense pain in your joints, especially your big toe, it's important to seek help. Here is a recap of the essential steps to addressing gout:

1. Find out your nutritional type. This will tell you what foods your body needs to thrive, including whether you should be eating more fats and protein, or less.
2. Avoid drinking soda, fruit juice, and other sweet beverages. Instead, drink plenty of pure water, as the fluids will help to remove uric acid from your body. Cutting back on all forms of sugar and grain in your diet is also important.
3. Limit the alcohol you drink (or eliminate it altogether). Alcohol may raise the levels of uric acid in your blood.
4. Exercise. Being overweight increases your risk of gout, and regular exercise will help you to maintain a healthy weight and improve your overall health.
5. Try tart cherries or concentrated tart cherry juice. Tart cherries contain two powerful compounds, anthocyanins and bioflavonoids. Both of these compounds slow down the enzymes Cyclo-oxyygenase-1 and -2, which helps to relieve and prevent arthritis and gout in your body.

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Must-try home remedies for skin and hair

SKIN SMART 

ORANGE
Benefits: Juice, pulp or peel - all can work wonders. Orange (with natural vitamin C) rejuvenates the skin and gives it a healthy glow.

How to: Mix together 1.4 tbsp orange juice and 1tbsp yogurt. Apply this mask on your face and wash off once dry. You can also crush dry orange peel into a fine powder and mix it with yogurt to make a scrub.

WHEATGERM OIL
Benefits: This oil (available at most pharmacies) is packed with vitamins A, D, B, and antioxidants that help delay ageing and keep the skin supple and radiant.

How to: Mix 2tbsp wheatgerm oil with 2tbsp honey. Apply as a face pack and wash off once dry - instant skin boost.

SAFFRON (KESAR)
Benefits: It is packed with minerals such as copper, potassium, calcium, iron, selenium, zinc and magnesium - they all help in achieving blemish-free skin.

How to: Mix 1tsp sandalwood powder (chandan), 2-3 strands of saffron with 2tsp of milk. Apply as a face mask. Once dry, wash off with cold water. Do this once a week for radiant-looking skin.

GINSENG
Benefits: Increases skin’s collagen and prevents from age-related sagging. It also refines and hydrates the skin and diminishes dark spots.

How to: Whisk together the powder of a ginseng tea bag with an egg yolk. Apply on your face and wash off when dry.

MANE CARE

CASTOR OIL
Benefits: Reduces split-ends, controls breakage and moisturises the hair shaft and scalp. 
How to: Massage your scalp with a mixture of castor and coconut oil. Leave it on for an hour - at least. If possible, give your hair a hot towel treatment before you wash off - helps the oil to penetrate into the roots.

PAPAYA
Benefit: Rich in nutrients - prevents balding, boosts hair growth, adds shine and strengthens the shaft. 
How to: In a blender, whizz together 1 cup diced ripe papaya, 1 cup diced ripe banana, 1tbsp coconut oil and 1 cup yogurt. Apply this mixture on your scalp and hair. Wash off after 30 minutes.

SHIKAKAI
Benefit: Stimulates hair growth and deals with dandruff. Also makes the hair soft and silky. 
How to: Mix together 4tbsp of each - shikakai powder and neem leaf powder (available at ayurvedic stores or khadi gramudyog) and yoghurt - make a thick paste and apply it on your scalp. Wash off after 30 minutes for shiny hair.

FENUGREEK SEEDS
Benefit: Counters hair fall and dandruff and promotes new growth. Also reduces dryness, conditions hair, keeps the scalp cool and treats a variety of issues such as itchiness and scaling. 
How to: Soak methi dana in water for 30 minutes and then grind it (using the same water you soaked it in) to make a smooth paste. First apply coconut oil to your scalp and hair and then apply this methi paste on your scalp. Wash off after half hour.

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