A Daily routine is essential for maintaining good health and proper functioning of the body.

A person should get up from the bed during BrahmaMuhurta (5:00 AM to 6:00 AM) for a healthier life. At this time the nature is lively and it can give its best to you. It is the best time for students to study and obtain Brahma (Knowledge).

After getting up, evacuation of urine or faeces should be done. If suffering from constipation, take a glass of warm water after rising from bed.

After evacuation, one should clean the teeth with the twigs of Arka, Neem (Azidrachta Indica), Khadira (Acacia Catechu) or Karanja (Pongamia Glabra).The top of the twig should be made soft (like a brush) by chewing. The powder of these twigs can be also used for cleansing.

Once in a week, RasAnjan (prepared from decoction of Daaru Haridra (Berberis Aristata)) should be used to drain out the dirt (Kapha).

Put three to four drops of warm Ghee in nostrils. This cleans the sinuses, improves vision and mental clarity. Moreover, in dry atmosphere it will keep the nostrils lubricated.

Herbs or oil is kept in mouth for a while and spit out. Mint water, Neem water along with the mint leaves can be used for mouth gargling as a normal routine. In oils warm sesame oil can be used. Gandusha strengthens the gums and teeth and also prevents bad breath.

Abhyanga is anointing the head and body with mustard oil and mildly massaging. It should be done daily to restore normal physique, keep off the old age and exertion and keep the skin good and strong (healthy).

Yoga is one of the best exercise for all body types. Even walking, jogging, aerobics, tennis, bicycling, swimming are good exercises. Vyama gives lightness to body, ability to do hard work, improves digestion, depletes excess fat and strengthens physical stature.

It is embalming the body with soft fragrant herbal powders. Sandalwood powder, Rose petals powder, Chicken Pea floor (Gram floor or Besan) and turmeric (Haldi) powder. It gives compactness and strength to the body parts and gives soft and smooth touch to the skin.

Bathing with warm water (Snana) is advised after the above routines. It removes dirt, sweat, gives freshness abolishing exhaustion and improves life span and appetite

INTRODUCTION
Shilajit (Asphaltum) is a reputed remedy of Ayurveda, the ancient system of medicine. Charaka Samhita, the classical Ayurvedic treatise on medicine has described physical properties and therapeutic uses of Shilajit.Ayurveda considers the drug to be anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory and urinary antiseptic. Modern clinical studies have shown anti diabetic and antioxidant activity of Shilajit.Recently Shilajit has been used in treatment of Alzheimer's
disease.

ORIGIN
The origin of Shilajit is a controversial subject. It is basically a pale brown to blackish exudate from rocks of Himalayas.The word ‘shila’ signifies rock and in Sanskrit it is considered to be a product obtained from rocks. The drug is collected in raw from and then purified according to methods written in classical Ayurvedic texts.

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
The composition of Shilajit is still a subject of discussion. It contains number of organic acids like fulvic acid, humic acid and hippuric acid. Traces of benzoic acid are also present. Besides these, a special group of compounds known as benzopyrones are also present. Humic acid is fraction in Shilajit, which is insoluble in water .It, is dark brown to black in color. The fraction of humic acid is light brown to yellow brown in color. The standardisation of Shilajit is based on fulvic acid. The chemical formula, structure and characteristics of fulvic acid have been determined by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging (NMR).

PHARMACOLOGY
Modern clinical research has thrown light on anti-diabetic effects of Shilajit.In addition anti oxidant and aphrodisiac activity has been reported. Dr. Salil K. Bhattacharya and scientists from the Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Medial Sciences, at Banaras Hindu University in India, undertook extensive clinical studies on the subject. What they proved was that it was the fulvic acid fraction in Shilajit, and other closely associated humic compounds, that were responsible for the anti-diabetic activity and long reputed historical success of that preparation. Dr. Bhattacharya recognized that the fulvic acids showed significant success in preventing and combating free radical damage to pancreatic islet B cells, which is the widely accepted cause for diabetes mellitus. What he discovered was that the fulvic acid significantly increases superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Dr. Bhattacharya’s clinical studies showed that fulvic acids diminished the development and progression of diabetes, and assisted in the treatment.

Extensive human clinical studies carried out in various medical schools and hospitals in China have shown significant success in treatment of diabetes patients. Studies show that patients become more energetic. The tingling, painful feeling and numbness experienced in the nerve endings disappear or are reduced. In China, the pharmaceutical uses of fulvic acids have now been approved for both internal and external use, because they have shown that they are both safe and effective. Recently it has been found that systemic administration of defined extract of Shilajit differentially affects cholinergic but not glutamatergic and gabaergic markers in rat brain.

REFERENCES
1. Charaka Samhita Chikitsa Stana, Chowkambha orientalia. 1996:E; 25-26.
2. Ghoral, S. (1988). The faces and facts of shilajit. Proc.National Symp. A Development of Indigenous Drugs in India. New Delhi. 72-80.2.
3.Ghoral. S, et-al., (1989). Shilajit: Chemistry of two bioactive benzopyrame one metabolites. J Chem. Res. (s); 350-351.
4.Shilajit Attenuates Streptozotocin Induced Diabetes Mellitus and Decrease In Pancreatic Islet Superoxide
Dismutase Activity In Rats.Salil K. Bhattacharya, Neuropharmacology laboratory, Dept. of Pharmacology,
Institute of medical sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221005, India.
5. Yuan, Shenyuan; et al; Application of Fulvic acid and its derivatives in the fields of agriculture and
medicine; First Edition: June 1993.
6. Bhattacharya, S.K. Activity of shilajit on alloxan-induced hyperglycemia in rats. Fitoterapia,
Volume LXVI, No 4, 1995, pg. 328.
7. Schliebs R.; Liebmann A.; Bhattacharya S.K.; Kumar A.; Ghosal S.; Bigl V. R. Schliebs, Paul Flechsig
Institute Brain Res., Department of Neurochemistry, University of Leipzig, D-04109 Leipzig Germany.
Neurochemistry International (United Kingdom), 1997, 30/2 (181-190).