Measures For Good Health

Regimen for the Day(Dinacharya) : Traditionally, a person should wake up before dawn when it is calm and quiet, the air is free from pollutants and there is time to pray or to meditate. There is also time enough to plan the day's work. After getting out of the bed one should wash one's face with water-lukewarm or cold according to the season. While gently splashing water over the eyes, it helps if one keeps one's mouth full of water. This helps exercise the eye-muscles. The eyes should be kept wide open while splashing water over them.
After this, the teeth should be brushed. In India, twigs of the neem tree and others are used for brushing the teeth. The neem twig is chewed at the top while brushing. Herbal tooth powders and paste are also available. Along with brushing the teeth, scraping is also highly recommended. Again this helps the eye muscles and therefore strengthens eyesight. Tongue scrapers should be made of gold, silver, copper, tin or brass. They should be curved and should have smooth edges.
After washing and cleaning one's face, it is always advisable to drink a glass of cold water. This is prescribed for all days in all seasons unless one has a cold, a cough or a sore throat. The importance of drinking a glass of water in the morning cannot be overemphasized for it helps in the excretory process. Drinking a cup of tea in the morning only produces pressure and stimulates the intestine to start the movement for evacuation of waste. It is like a reflex action which is different from the effect produced by drinking a glass of water. Hot tea stimulates the intestine so strongly that the effect loses its significance after some days leading to constipation. The caffeine content in tea also produces some adverse effects in the intestines. A glass of water, on the other hand, is excellent for the peristalsis of the intestines.
Evacuation of stool early in the morning should become a regular habit and a glass of cold water helps overcome any problems caused by indigestion and inadequate sleep if the previous night's meal has not been assimilated properly. Worry, anxiety, a short temper, over-sensitivity cause a lot of wind to form in the stomach which gets accumulated in the intestines at night. Fried food and certain 'heavy' lentils cause flatulence as also the absence of an adequate quantity of leafy vegetables and fruit in one's diet. Flatulence causes obstruction and irregularity in bowel movements. Very often this incomplete metabolism leads to loss of appetite, indigestion, headache, fatigue and even sleeplessness. Excessive flatulence can also put pressure on the heart and cause palpitation. Proper food, drink and sleep are therefore of primary importance.