Vinca rosea

Catharanthus roseus:image  in public domain from biolib.cz

Vinca rosea or Madagascar periwinkle is  an ornamental plant and is used in folklore medicine.
The other Indian names are
Sadaphuli
Sadhabahar
Nityakalyani
Billaganneru
shavamnari

Vincristine and Vinblastine are the most important substances extracted from this plant which is used for treating some lymphomas and leukamia and some types of tumors and cancers .The yeild is extremely low ( 1 tonne of the leaves  giving less than 50 gm of the usable form of the medicine).
  It is used  mainly as a tranquilizer and for diabetes and a good herb to reduce high B.P in traditional medicine.But an expert guidance is required because using this plant as a medicine can have unpleasant side effects.

To lose weight faster...

Wish you all a very Happy and Healthy New year.

On the same note, here's a tip to lose weight naturally.
Mix:
30 gm of  Triphala powder
10 gm of Sont powder(dried ginger powder-sonti,chukku)
10 gm of peppercorn powder --Kala mirch ,miriyalu, milagu.
10 gm of rock salt (kala namak-Saindhavalavanam)
10 gm of  long pepper powder-aka  Pippali , Pipallu .For the image see the link
http://simpleayurvedichealthtips.blogspot.com/2010/06/long-pepper-for-stomach-problems.html

The Sont and black peppercorns should be dry roasted before grinding them to a smooth powder.

Mix all the powders and store in a glass jar.
Half a spoon of this weight reducing churan is mixed with a little Sesame seed oil and taken twice a day.
Sesame seed oil is used in various other lehyams and available in all supermarkets-aka -nuvvula nooni in Telugu-til ka tel in Hindi and Nallenai in Tamil.

The dosage period is around six months and this will help a person in their weight reducing efforts and  to attain a slimmer figure.

Low Sodium salt

Sodium chloride is the Table salt which we can't live without.
Salt regulates the fluid balance in the body and regulates the electrical signaling in the nervous system.Too little salt in the diet can cause dizziness and fluid imbalance .
The recommended salt intake differs slightly depending on the age group of a person and the country one belongs to . But 2200 mg of Sodium in a day is the upper limit .This includes the sodium from all the food sources.
              Increased Sodium levels in the diet cause kidney trouble,heart problems and water retention in the body.There is a direct relation between high blood pressure and increased salt intake.So it is always better to decrease the salt intake in the food.
            There are low sodium salts available under different brand names in the market.These substitutes taste almost like salt but the sodium content is low.It is because the sodium chloride is substituted with Potassium chloride.The most common additive in table salt is the anti caking agents to make the salt more free flowing.This could be Magnesium carbonate or other agents in permissible amounts.Iodides  and fluorides are also known additives in special salts.
           Since Potassium chloride is also essential in the body and sometimes used to replenish electrolytes  -it is thought to be safe for replacing the sodium in the table  salt.However it is quite bitter and  not salty and has to be mixed again with other additives to make it more palatable.Over dosage of Potassium chloride can lead to severe consequences and people suffering from hyperkalemia should not try using the low sodium salt.It is always better to consult a doctor before switching over to the substitute salt.
Avoiding pickled items in the diet ,chips,fast foods,processed foods and eating more boiled vegetables(without salt of course) and adding lemon and herbs to improve the taste are natural ways to decrease the salt intake in our food.It is very important to accept the salt- less  taste of the vegetables and enjoy their true taste.