Spice things up with Ayurvedic herbs for Valentines day!

There are many Ayurvedic herbs and spices known for their rejuvenating and aphrodisiac effects, which can kick things up a notch for Valentine’s day. In addition to proprietary blends, there are many Ayurvedic recipes for spicing up your love life that use ingredients that are easy to find and taste delicious. Nutmeg, clove, cardamom, and ginger are found in most pantries and, when mixed together as a “chai,” serve as an easy and enjoyable way to enhance libido.  

Nutmeg is known in Ayurveda as “women’s Viagra.” This almost overpowering aromatic spice warms the body, pacifies vataand kapha, and increases pitta, and stimulates circulation. These effects can also be achieved with ginger. Clove ignites attraction and boosts libido. It has been used as an aphrodisiac in India and other parts of Asia for many centuries. Cardamom is a tridoshic spice that balances the three fundamental energies and promotes healthy blood flow. Its super-sweet taste enhances energy and vigor.

The two best known Ayurvedic herbs for revitalizing the body and optimizing sexual health are ashwaganda and shatavari. A member of the nightshade family, the ashwagandha plant regulates stress hormones such as cortisol according to the body’s needs, keeping users alert and energized during the day and allowing them to relax and fall asleep at night. In Ayurveda, this adaptogenic herb is believed to be particularly effective at boosting the sexual energy of men. Shatavari, a species of asparagus (Asparagus racemosus), serves as an equivalent tonic for sustaining women’s sexual vigor and the health of their reproductive organs throughout their life.

These two herbs combined with the suggested Ayurvedic spices offer a natural approach to maximizing vitality, energy, and vigor for both sexes. Enjoy this aromatic and delicious recipe to prime your libido for a romantic occasion. Or use it regularly to maintain overall health and vibrancy in everyday life.

Mix & Store

1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon clove
2 teaspoons of cardamom
2 teaspoons of ginger
1 tablespoon ashwaganda
1 tablespoon shatavari

Use ½ teaspoon boiled for 5 minutes in 1 cup of milk. Use the milk of your choice— fresh cow’s milk or almond or coconut.

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease.  

What is Kapha Dosha?

According to Ayurvedic philosophy, there are three doshas (a.k.a. humors) present in every cell, tissue, and organ of our body that govern our psychobiological functioning. These doshas—vata, pitta, and kapha—comprise the five potential states of matter (i.e., space (or ether), air, fire, earth, and water). All five of these elements are present in each dosha, but the two predominant elements in a dosha determine its defining qualities. When in balance, the three doshas create health; when out of balance, they cause disease. They are also responsible for the vast variety of differences and preferences that exist among individuals, and they influence all we are and all we do, from our food choices to the ways we relate to others.

As the forces that govern our physiology, the doshas regulate the creation, maintenance, and destruction of body tissue, as well as the elimination of waste products. They also act as psychological drivers, governing our emotions and mental state. When in balance, the doshas generate understanding, compassion, and love and sustain mental health. When their balance is disturbed by stress, improper diet, and environmental conditions, they give rise to disturbances such as anger, fear, anxiety, confusion, depression, and disease.

The kapha dosha combines the prithvi(earth) and apa(water) elements. In ancient Sanskrit texts, kapha is conceptualized “that which holds things together, embraces, and provides coherence.” It is slow, heavy, cool, dense, soft, greasy, unctuous, sticky, cloudy, liquid, and sweet. Kapha holds the body together, giving it shape, form, and stability. The combined elements of kapha are responsible for the gross structure of the body and for its solid and liquid components including phlegm, mucus, synovial fluid, and plasma. Kapha also fills the intercellular spaces of the body as connective tissues such as tendons.

Kapha occurs mainly in the chest, throat, head, pancreas, lymph, fat, nose, and tongue, but its primary site is the stomach, where much of our immune system resides. As the dosha that regulates body’s protective and immune functions, kapha  is related to ojas(our innate reserves of strength, vigor, and resistance to disease). In addition to building immunity, kapha promotes growth. 

The water element of kapha softens the earthen structures of the tissues, moistening and lubricating the skin, joints, and respiratory system. These watery qualities also help heal wounds and support our sense of smell and taste.  

Psychologically, excess kapha is responsible for the emotions of attachment, greed, lust, and envy. When kapha is in the balance, it expresses love, calmness, and forgiveness; when out of balance it gives rise to heaviness, slowness, coolness, oiliness, dampness, and stasis.

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease. 

What is Pitta Dosha?

According to Ayurvedic philosophy, there are three doshas (a.k.a. humors) present in every cell, tissue, and organ of our body that govern our psychobiological functioning. These doshas—vata, pitta, and kapha—comprise the five potential states of matter (i.e., space, air, fire, earth, and water). All five of these elements are present in each dosha, but the two predominant elements in a dosha determine its defining qualities. When in balance, the three doshas create health; when out of balance, they cause disease. They are also responsible for the vast variety of differences and preferences that exist among individuals, and they influence all we are and all we do, from our food choices to the ways we relate to others.

As the forces that govern our physiology, the doshas regulate the creation, maintenance, and destruction of body tissue, as well as the elimination of waste products. They also act as psychological drivers, governing our emotions and mental state. When in balance, the doshas generate the understanding, compassion, and love that sustain mental health. When their balance is disturbed by stress, improper diet, and environmental conditions, they give rise to disturbances such as anger, fear, anxiety, confusion, depression, and disease.

The pitta dosha governs all the various forms of digestion and transformation that manifest in our mind and body—from digesting sensory impressions and emotional responses to transforming chyle (lymph and fatty matter from partially digested food) into protoplasmic substances like sperm and ova. Pitta is closely related to agni(digestive fire). Its qualities are pungent, hot, penetrating, greasy, oily, sharp, liquid, spreading and sour. The main locus of pitta is the small intestine, where most chemical digestion takes place, but it also resides in the eyes, blood, sweat glands, stomach, and lymph. 

Made up of tejas (fire) and apa(water), pitta seems like a contradiction in terms, but its two constituents are actually complementary. The liquid nature of pitta protects the tissues from the destructive aspects of fire and enables pitta’s metabolic properties to flow through the body in fluids such as bile, digestive enzymes, and hormones. In additional to playing an important role in the digestive and endocrine systems, pitta affects body temperature, visual perception, hunger, thirst, and skin quality.

Mentally and emotionally, pitta promotes sound judgment, discipline, responsibility, and joyfulness when in balance. If out of balance, it generates restlessness, anger and irritability, obsessiveness, jealousy, resentment, or deep negativity.

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease. 

What is Vata Dosha?

According to Ayurvedic philosophy, there are three doshas (a.k.a. humors) present in every cell, tissue, and organ of our body that govern our psychobiological functioning. These doshas—vata, pitta, and kapha—comprise the five potential states of matter (i.e., space, air, fire, earth, and water). All five of these elements are present in each dosha, but the two predominant elements in a dosha determine its defining qualities. When in balance, the three doshas create health; when out of balance, they cause disease. They are also responsible for the vast variety of differences and preferences that exist among individuals, and they influence all we are and all we do, from our food choices to the ways we relate to others.

As the forces that govern our physiology, the doshas regulate the creation, maintenance, and destruction of body tissue, as well as the elimination of waste products. They also act as psychological drivers, governing our emotions and mental state. When in balance, the doshas generate the understanding, compassion, and love that sustain mental health. When their balance is disturbed by stress, improper diet, and environmental conditions, they give rise to disturbances such as anger, fear, anxiety, confusion, depression, and disease.

Vata dosha is composed of akasa(space, or ether) and vayu(air). The root va, which means “to spread,” suggests vata’s responsibility for all movement in the body and mind. This includes the flow of breath, pumping of blood; waste elimination; movement of the muscles, bones, limbs, and diaphragm, and the gut’s secretor-motor functions, as well as expressions of speech and responses of the intellect, the nervous system, and the five senses. 

Known as the master dosha because without it all the doshas would be inert, vata exerts a powerful influence on our well-being. Its capacity to affect our internal energies both positively and negatively becomes evident when we consider the dynamic between air and space in the external world. When the movement of air is unrestricted by space (as on the open ocean), it can gain enough momentum to become a hurricane  with gale-force winds traveling at speeds of over 150 mph. When air is confined in a box, it can’t move and becomes stale. Whether it’s due to lack of movement or too much movement, a vata imbalance disrupts the harmony of the doshas. 

The primary site of vata is the colon, but it also resides in the thighs, ears, bones, and bladder. The predominant qualities of its elements, or pañcamahābhūtās, are cold, light, rough, mobile, subtle, clear, dry, and astringent. These attributes can manifest as physical traits such as agility and thinness or health conditions like insomnia, as well as finding expression in mental and emotional functions and characteristics such as imagination, sensitivity, spontaneity, intuition, exhilaration, fear, insecurity, and doubt.

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease.

Ayurveda 101

Ayurveda is one of the oldest forms of health care—it is the tree of knowledge from which many popular medicines and therapeutic interventions have grown. Used for 5,000 years by many thousands of doctors on millions of patients, Ayurveda is the time-tested medical system of India. The term Ayurvedais Sanskrit and means the “Science of Life.” It encompasses a variety of natural therapies and philosophies that support and enhance individual balance, health, and wellness. It has made huge advances in surgery, herbal medicine, herbal extracts, medicinal uses of minerals and metals, human anatomy, physiology, psychology, nutrition, and exercise.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined health as a state of complete, physical, mental, and social well-being—not merely the absence of disease. Ayurveda goes a step beyond this by offering a complete philosophy of life. It gives equal importance to all aspects of life, including those that are subjective and intangible, when addressing disease and imbalance. Ayurveda’s success and longevity stem from its capacity to teach us how to live vibrantly by creating good health at every step along the way.

Ayurveda is multifaceted, and practitioners often undergo years of training. It is an extremely sophisticated system of observation that categorizes clients by distinctive anatomic and metabolic “types” also known asprakruti. According to Ayurvedic teaching, each person exhibits a distinct pattern of physical, mental, and emotional characteristics. The course of illness and remedies are determined in part by each client’s constitution and the environment in which he or she exists.

In Ayurvedic philosophy, our prakruti is made up of a combination of doshas. There are three doshas that govern our psychobiological functioning: vata, pitta and kapha. Each dosha comprises the five elements (panchamahabhutas) and are present in every cell, tissue, and organ of the body. All five elements are present in each dosha, but the two predominating elements determine the defining qualities of the dosha. The doshas are responsible for the huge variety of individual differences and preferences, and they influence all that we are and all that we do—from our choices of food to the ways we relate to others. 

The doshas also govern the biological and psychological processes of our body, mind, and consciousness. They regulate the creation, maintenance, and destruction of bodily tissue as well as the elimination of waste products. They even govern our emotions and mental state. When in balance, the doshas generate understanding, compassion, love, and health. When their balance is upset by stress, improper diet, and environmental conditions, they give rise to disturbances such as anger, fear, anxiety, confusion, depression, and disease. Thus, when in balance, they create health and well-being; when out of balance, they cause disease and distress.

The goal of Ayurveda is to protect the health of a healthy person and restore health of a sick person by maintaining or bringing the body back into constitutional balance (doshic balance). Many factors can disturb the balance of the body such as stress, unhealthy diet, toxins, weather, work, strained relationships, and lifestyle choices. Such disturbances are expressed in the body as disease. Inherent in Ayurvedic principles is the concept that you are capable of taking charge of your own life and healing. When we becomes ill, the illness is not likely to completely resolve unless we change the behaviors that caused it. Understanding genetic makeup and getting to the bottom of these factors is an important process of the Ayurvedic medical science.

An Ayurvedic practitioner creates specific health programs according to each individual's doshic patterns, addressing each person’s illness as unique to him or her. Ayurvedic treatments may include internal and external medicinal remedies, diet plans, exercise, daily lifestyle programs, external body therapies, yoga, meditation, and detoxification and rejuvenation practices. Through a combination of these techniques and understanding of an individual’s unique constitution, Ayurveda can provide a complete system of healing with long-term solutions.

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease. 

Yummy Radishes!

Today I was working in our beautiful organic garden, and as we harvested our delicious multicolored radishes, I thought, Wow, what an underused vegetable—why don’t more people enjoy them? And even more important, why are their health benefits so seldom mentioned? This unassuming root vegetable actually packs more nutritional punch than you may suspect, including the power of sulphur-based plant chemicals to stimulate the flow of bile, which makes them a valuable tool for optimizing the digestion of fats and cleansing the blood and the liver. Radishes have also been used to dissolve gallstones and kidney stones. 

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Radishes contain manganese, vitamin B6, folate, riboflavin and copper, as well as three minerals—potassium, magnesium, and calcium—that support healthy blood pressure. (The National Institute of Health’s DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) recommends increasing our intake of foods that provide these nutrients.) As a potassium-rich food, radishes also help reduce water retention by lowering salt levels and boosting urine output. 

Radishes are also a very good source of vitamin C—providing 25 percent of the daily recommended value.  In addition to helping rebuild tissues and blood vessels and keeping bones and teeth strong, vitamin C fights disease and helps protect our cells from an onslaught of destructive free radicals. The natural antioxidant action and immunoprotective effects of this one vitamin play an important role in reducing the risk of potentially lethal health threats, including cancer, heart disease, and stroke.

Radishes can also help relieve congestion and prevent respiratory problems, such as asthma or bronchitis. They have antibacterial, antifungal, and detoxifying properties and contain compounds that soothe rashes, dryness, and other skin disorders.

Most people eat radishes raw, but from an Ayurvedic perspective, it’s best to eat them freshly cooked. Radishes greatly increase the pitta energy in the digestive tract, which is good for both vata- and kapha-dominant types, because it clears food stagnation and has a laxative effect. While pitta individuals may find heavy consumption of radishes overstimulating, they can eat them in moderation. Raw radishes may be difficult to digest and cause gas in vata individuals, so they should stick to cooked radishes to enhance their diets with this vegetable’s vata-balancing qualities.

Yummy Recipe: White Radish with Mung Dhal & Radish Greens

INGREDIENTS:

For the seasoning

2 tbsp oil
 tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
2 to 3 dry red chilies, broken into bits
½ tsp asafetida
½ tsp turmeric powder
radish greens cut from the radishes, finely chopped

500 gm or 2 white or pink radishes, finely chopped
100 gm (½ cup) mung dhal
1 tsp sugar
1¼ tsp salt or to taste
3–4 tbsp grated fresh coconut (you can also use frozen)

METHOD:

In a small or medium-sized saucepan, pour in enough water for cooking the mung beans and add them to the pot. Bring to a boil over a medium heat, and simmer until cooked halfway, about 12 to 15 minutes.

In a wok or kadhai, heat the oil over medium heat. Reduce the heat before the oil smokes, and add the mustard and cumin seeds. When the seeds pop, add the chilies, asafetida, turmeric, and radish greens. Stir fry for 30 seconds.

Add the finely chopped radishes, cover, and cook over a medium-low flame, stirring from time to time until the radishes are half-cooked, about 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the mung dhal, mix well, cover, and cook until the radishes are fully cooked, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the coconut, mix well, and switch off the burner. Serve hot with rotis or rice.

*Note that raw brassicas contain chemicals called goitrogens that can block the thyroid function. These chemicals are easily inactivated by steaming or cooking, so always ensure you eat these nutrient-packed foods freshly cooked. 

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease. 

Balance Kapha

"Snigdhah shita gururmandah shlakshno mritsnah sthirah kaphah".— Ashtanga Hrdayam: Sutrasthana 1:12

Kapha is unctuous, cool, heavy, slow, smooth, soft, and static. Understanding kapha’s qualities is the key to understanding how to balance this dosha. Having a kapha-predominant prakriti(constitution) means that these qualities will express themselves throughout your physical, mental, and emotional makeup.

A basic tenet of Ayurvedic medicine, is that “like increases like.” So if kapha is your dominant dosha, cold weather, dense foods, and all things inherently cool and heavy will increase the kapha in your system. For example if you’re a kapha person living in Boston who drinks a large frozen smoothie on a cool evening, you may wake up the next  day with a cold. This is because you’ve amplified the heavy and dense qualities throughout your body, making it even more difficult to move out kapha, which is already stagnant in nature and therefore hard to dissipate. 

It’s common for our predominant dosha to increase more quickly than the others. If too much of one dosha accumulates in the body, we naturally want to decrease it to restore a healthy balance to our constitution. In Ayurveda, “medicines” are substances that do this by providing qualities that are the opposite of those inherent in the overabundant dosha. In the case of kapha, those opposing qualities are dryness, lightness, warmth and activity. Therefore it’s best for people with a kapha imbalance to seek out environments, foods, and routines that embody these qualities both physically and emotionally.

A person with a kapha imbalance will do well with warming, light, freshly cooked foods. Foods and herbs with a bitter, pungent, or astringent taste will also help decrease kapha. These tastes should predominate in your diet. Bibhitaki, chitrak and punarnava are three examples of herbs that help remove excess kapha from the body and maintain balance.

The ideal environment for a kapha person is one that’s warm and dry. Take extra care to stay warm and dry in cold, wet weather and during the winter. Activity can be one of the best medicines for kapha. Try to find something that motivates you to exercise regularly. Consider signing up for a race or a competition to give yourself that extra push.

Daily self-massages with warm sesame oil will help keep kapha from becoming stagnant. Make sure that you massage yourself vigorously and that the oil you use is warm to the point where it’s almost hot. You can capitalize on the warming properties of aromatics such as juniper, eucalyptus, marjoram, and clove by applying them to your clothing or putting them in a diffuser in your home, car, and office.

These are just a few tips. If you would like more information on how to balance kapha, schedule an online appointment here.

Visit the Kapha Yoga tips article to know how to customize your daily yoga practice to balance kapha.

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease. 

Nettles, an Ayurvedic Perspective

Nettle (Urtica urens) grows in many climates, sprouting in the spring and spreading widely in the summer. It’s often called stinging nettle because the leaves sting at the lightest touch. If you can bear the prickling sensation, nettle is a great boon to the circulatory system; traditional Mexican healers rub handfuls of nettle on the body to promote healthy circulation.

Nettle is also considered a superfood because of its rich supply of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, C, D and K; calcium; potassium; phosphorous; iron; and sulphur. Its sedative and nervine properties make it  an excellent support for the nervous system. Use a compress of nettles to relieve arthritis and muscular pain, as well as sciatica.

From an Ayurvedic perspective, nettle serves as a nourishing and rejuvenative (rasayana) tonic,particularly for the kidneys and adrenals. The herb increases ojas (vitality), making it particularly useful for individuals who are run down from stress or illness or need extra nourishment during convalescence, old age, pregnancy, or breastfeeding. The baby leaves at the top of the plant have been used throughout history in food and drinks to nourish and detoxify the body in the spring. By stimulating the action of the liver and the kidneys, nettle helps clear ama(toxins from undigested food) and wastes from the body via the bowels and the urinary tract (mutravaha srotas). 

Nettle’s mild astringency and general nourishing action tightens and strengthens blood vessels, helps maintain arterial elasticity, and improves venous resilience. By reducing excess pitta in the blood (rakta dhatu) and in watery secretions like lymph and plasma (rasa dhatu), nettle helps clear inflammatory skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and acne. The herb also helps keep kapha levels in check, improving overall vitality. Its carminative properties relieve intestinal gas, and its capacity to promote peristalsis is helpful for some common vata-related intestinal problems; however, it can result in excess vata when taken in high doses. Ayurvedic practitioners also recommend taking nettle to stop diarrhea. 

Energetics

• Taste: astringent  

•  Energy: cooling

•  Post-digestive effect: pungent

• Dosha: pacifies pitta and kapha/stimulates vata 

Nettle Infusion

•  1 liter of water

•  1 ounce of dried nettle leaves (2 ounces fresh)

Add the dried nettle leaves to a 1 liter glass jar. Boil the water and pour into the jar; cover and let steep for at least 4 hours or overnight. Drink the herbal infusion during the next 36 hours. You can pour any remaining liquid over your hair after shampooing—it’s a great hair tonic!

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease. 

How to Ensure a Healthy Transition with the Change of Season

Spring is almost here, but we are still experiencing the cold and dark conditions of the winter. Ayurveda defines rutu sandhi as the transition between two seasons, which generally consists of the final 15 days of one season and the first 15 days of the next. As we move from winter to spring, this “door” or pathway between seasons offers a great opportunity to switch out the old season’s clothes, lifestyle, and attitudes for a fresh new start. This seasonal juncture is an excellent time for a cleansing treatments like panchakarma. Chances are we have accumulated excess kapha in our system during the winter. This imbalance can be aggravated by the arrival of the spring, which like winter is a kapha-dominant season. Ayurveda recommends incorporating certain foods, practices, and herbs into our daily routine at this time of year to keep kapha in balance. 

Spring is the king of the seasons. During this time, Mother Earth awakens to bring new life after the dormant winter months. Spring is mild, moist, and full of color. It is a wonderful time for testing new skills, growing intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually and starting a new lifestyle. Spring is also a blooming season, when flowers shed their pollen and infuse the air with their glorious fragrance. While the transition to warmer weather and burgeoning plant life can be a delightful experience for some people, it can have a downside for kapha individuals (especially those with pollen-based allergies) and for any anyone else who’s accumulated excess kapha.For these individuals, the irritation of mucous membranes and the buildup of mucus associated with kapha can lead to an onslaught of colds, allergies, sinus infections, asthma attacks, and hay fever symptoms. Their discomfort often intensifies when the warming spring air liquifies the congestion, inducing runny noses and wet, phlegmy coughing.  

To alleviate excesskapha in the throat, you can gargle honey and hot water or a cup of hot water with 1 teaspoon of turmeric and 1 teaspoon of salt. Another helpful formula for this time of year is a combination of ginger, black pepper, and pippali (piper longum) known astrikatu. This spice blend not only clears mucus from the body but also increases digestive fire and helps eliminate toxins. Adopting a kapha-pacifying  diet during the pre-spring period can also lower the incidence of allergies, hay fever, and colds. 

Regimen for Spring

•  Adopt a diet dominated by bitter, pungent, and astringent foods. 

• Eat lightly, and consume easily digestible foods. Favor soups and cooked vegetables.

• Use small amounts of raw honey as a sweetener.

• Fast for one day a week, preferably on Monday or Thursday (for astrological reasons).

• Drink warming, cleansing herbal teas, such as ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, clove.

• Practice yoga, meditation and pranayama.

• Keep warm and dry.

• Rinse nasal passages with warm saltwater and herbs. By taking just a few seconds to do this, you can avoid days of misery from sick sinuses.

Things to Avoid

• Fatty and fried foods

• Excessive amounts of sweet, sour, and salty foods

• Large, heavy, breakfasts

• Between-meal snacks, except for dried fruit

• Cold or iced beverages

• Daytime naps

•  Exposure to dust, dirt, and pollen

• Cold drafts and air conditioning

Foods for the Season

• Legumes, split peas, red lentils, chickpeas, pinto beans, and fresh soybean products

• Amaranth, barely, buckwheat, corn, millet, oats, quinoa, 

• Radishes, spinach, artichoke, asparagus, beets, broccoli, carrots, lettuces, okra

• Apricots, berries, cherries, dark grapes, mangos, peaches, pears, pomegranates, and raisins

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease. 

Herbal Immune and Lung Support for Spring

Spring can bring many challenges for the respiratory and the immune systems. You may notice many people around you are suffering from colds or flus at this time. This is generally due to excess kapha in the system, built up from the winter season. Allergens, pollutants, and other irritants can aggravate this buildup of kapha. Because too much kapha weakens our agni (digestive fire), it can lead to increased levels of ama (toxic undigested material) in our body. This accumulation of ama overloads our immune system, setting the stage for infections and chronic health issues. Since the seat of kapha is in the chest, the most likely place for these imbalances to manifest is in our lungs and their airways.

The Ayurvedic approach to maintaining a healthy immune and respiratory system during spring comprises a four-step process. The first step, boosting your agni, is inextricably linked to the second step, burning ama. There are many herbs that accomplish both of these goals, including pippali, ginger, turmeric, and an Ayurvedic formula known as triphala. Make a tea with a combination of these herbs and drink it morning and night. Having a cup of warm water with lemon and black pepper upon waking is another easy way to fuel efficient digestion.

Next, you should combine a kapha-reducing diet and lifestyle with herbal support for the respiratory system. Traditional Ayurvedic formulas such as talisadi and sitopaladi are particularly effective at removing kapha from the respiratory tract. These warming herbal blends help clear the throat and nasal passages and promote healthy respiration. Honey is a wonderful carrier for these herbs, as it target the respiratory tissues and gently scrapes off toxic residues.

The final step is to follow a daily herbal protocol for rejuvenating the immune system and building ojas (vitality). A nutritive herbal jam known as chyavanprash is an excellent choice for promoting proper immune function and rejuvenation, as well as for supporting healthy digestion, metabolism, and nervous system and respiratory system function. Take one teaspoon once or twice a day with milk. It’s also a delicious source of nourishment when served on toast or with other foods. 

Herbs such as ashwagandha and guduchi are also known to sustaining the body during periods of stress by bolstering energy, vitality, and overall health. In Ayurveda, the elimination of toxins and wastes from the body is considered the key to strengthening the immune system. To optimize elimination, consider adding triphala to your daily herbal regimen. The formula is the most effective when taken in the evening before bed.

We are happy to help you create a personalized herbal program based upon your mind-body constitution. Please contact us to schedule an in-office or online appointment.

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any

Reducing Cholesterol through Ayurveda

It’s important to understand that cholesterol per se isn’t bad. In fact, it’s essential to the functions of the body. A combination of fatty acids and protein produced in the liver, cholesterol helps build cell membranes; lubricate the channels of the body; and synthesize vitamin D, hormones, and bile acids. To remain healthy, the body needs the lubrication and elasticity that this fatty substance provides. 

From an Ayurvedic perspective, cholesterol becomes harmful only when ama is present in the body. Ama is the metabolic waste that accumulates in the body as a result of improper digestion. It can block the body’s channels and arteries, causing a variety of health concerns and imbalances.

According to Ayurveda, the key to balancing cholesterol in the body lies in maintaining the strength and healthy functioning of our digestive fire (metabolic process). A strong, balanced metabolic process prevents ama from accumulating in the body and thus helps keep fat tissue and cholesterol levels in balance. 

Ayurvedic principles hold that an overabundance of the kapha dosha in our systems can disrupt this balance, slowing the metabolism and promoting the accumulation of fat. This buildup of fat in turn leads to increased levels of cholesterol in our bloodstream. In keeping with this logic, a diet that pacifies the kapha imbalance would serve as the first step toward balancing cholesterol levels and optimizing fat metabolism. 

Such a diet favors foods that have primarily bitter, astringent, and pungent tastes. Astringent foods include dried beans, such as split mung dhal, lentils, and garbanzo beans. Avoid larger beans such as pinto and black beans. Vegetables and fruits with an astringent taste range from broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower to apples and pears. Bitter foods, such chard, kale, spinach, and other leafy greens, should be cooked with spices that help cleanse the bowel and prevent bad cholesterol from accumulating in the body. These include black pepper, garlic, cardamom, turmeric, ginger, fennel, cumin, cinnamon, cilantro, basil, asafetida, and parsley.

Avoiding the three tastes that increase kapha—namely, sweet, sour, and salty—is equally important. In addition to sugary foods, you should limit your intake of other sweet-tasting foods such as wheat, pasta, breads, yams, and sweet milk products. Sour foods, such as lemons, tomatoes, cheese, yogurt, and vinegar, are often found in dressings, ketchup, mustard, and pickles—so use condiments sparingly. Try cooking with less salt in your food, and avoid processed foods such as crackers, salted nuts, and chips.

One of the best ways to support a vigorous metabolic process is to eat cooked food that’s freshly prepared and still warm. Cook with small amounts of oil, such as ghee or mustard oil or sunflower oil. Avoid dry, hard, cool foods as well as frozen foods and packaged meals.

Ayurveda  recommends a variety of herbs to support the body’s capacity to manage cholesterol levels. The herbal formula triphala can be consumed before bed to improve digestion and fat metabolism. Guduchi can also be taken daily to boost fat burning and cholesterol metabolism by enhancing liver function. Studies of guggul have shown it reduces cholesterol as much as cholesterol-lowing drugs, but without harmful side effects. Research also suggests that turmeric  lowers triglycerides and serum cholesterol. Consider speaking with an Ayurvedic practitioner for more specific information about what herbal support and dietary measures will work best for you.

CHOLESTEROL BALANCING SPICE MIXTURE

• 6 parts ground cumin

• 6 parts ground coriander

• 6 parts ground fennel

• 3 parts ground turmeric

• 2 parts ground fenugreek

• 1 part powdered ginger

• 1 part ground black pepper

Mix and store; use desired amount for cooking. 

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease. 

Ayurveda and Sports Medicine

How can Ayurveda—a medical system that’s more than 5,000 years old—contribute anything of value to sports medicine, a discipline that didn’t emerge as a medical specialty until the late twentieth century? 

As it turns out, Ayurveda’s holistic approach to musculoskeletal imbalances serves as an excellent complement to conventional sports medicine, for both rehabilitation, and, perhaps even more important, prevention of sports injuries. Like the Ayurvedic healers of old, today’s sports medicine professionals recognize that sports injuries and athletic performance involve not just bones and muscles but, rather, the whole person. Their increasing reliance on the services of dietitians, psychologists, trainers, and body workers to complement or minimize surgical, pharmaceutical, and other conventional medical interventions reflects what Ayurvedic practitioners have always known: Many diverse factors—from the patient’s genetic endowment and state of training and nutrition to his her age, mental stability, environmental stresses, and economic circumstances—determine how successfully that patient recovers from an athletic injury. Ayurveda offers comprehensive and detailed studies of these factors and provides specific advice on how to optimize wellness in each area.

Ayurveda was ahead of its time particularly in looking beyond the body to the all-important role of the individual’s psyche in the preventing and healing of injuries and in increasing physical prowess. Its focus  on relieving stress and developing concentration taps into the proven power of the mind to overcome physical limitations. Ayurveda also offers specific management protocols for persons debilitated by disease that can be effectively applied to those who are recuperating from sports injuries.

As more and more people adopt fitness regimes, cases of muscle, tendon, and ligament injuries are becoming increasingly widespread. Ayurveda offers a number of gentle yet powerful remedies that can be used as either primary or supportive therapies for orthopedic problems. Among them is marma point therapy, an approach similar to Chinese acupuncture that activates  various pressure points called marmas to heal imbalances and support strength. Ayurvedic experts have also developed many herbal formulations that can hasten recuperation after a surgery, optimize rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries, and help boost performance levels.

These formulations were widely used by ancient warriors to enhance their physical prowess, speed recovery from injuries, and sustain their energy during long, arduous battles. Their Sanskrit names—Mahakashaya Brimhaneeya Dasaimani(“muscle builder”), Jeevaneeya Dasaimani (Vitalizer), Balakara Dasaimani (“promotes strength”), and Sramahara Dasaimani (promotes cheer)—speak for their therapeutic properties. These formulas, which are thought to achieve their effects by stimulating beneficial enzymes and balancing hormones, represent a safe, natural alternative to steroids and other performance enhancing drugs.  

Even though good diet cannot guarantee success, poor diet can certainly undermine training. Ayurvedic practitioners consider eight factors when formulating diets for clients who want to strengthen muscles and build stamina. These include the client’s genetic makeup, the nature of the foods to include, and the proper way to process and combine them, the right quantity to consume, and the best time and place to eat them to advance a particular client’s performance goals.

This deep knowledge of restorative and rejuvenative nutritional regimes, together with their sophisticated understanding of the mind-body relationship, suggests that Ayurvedic practitioners can go a long way toward helping orthopedists and other sports medicine professionals develop a more natural, effective, and individualized approach to maximizing not only the fitness and vigor of the people they treat, but also their satisfaction with the provider’s services. 

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease. 

Yoga Tips for Pitta

Pitta types tend to have the best focus and determination of the three Ayurvedic types. As yoga practitioners, they’re  able to maintain a very disciplined practice once oriented correctly, due to their innate physical and mental qualities. First, however, pittas must understand their strengths and limitations. In general, pitta individuals tend to overheat and become irritable and may even lack the patience to begin a yoga practice. Because of their determination, they may overdo postures, becoming aggressive with themselves, and they tend stick to poses they can do well while ignoring the ones that they are most in need of developing further.

According to Ayurveda pitta types will do best with a practice that fosters equilibrium. Pittas should perform asanas that are cooling, nurturing, expansive, and relaxing. This type of practice requires slow, deep breathing and quiet sitting between strong asanas, releasing any stress that has developed. This doesn’t mean that pittas should totally avoid challenging poses, but if they do practice such poses, they should make sure to compensate for any heat created by ending with cooling postures and pranayama.

People with an imbalance in the pitta dosha tend to suffer from excess heat in their bodies. Poses that extend the solar plexus (where pitta resides) help dissipate heat, calming and cooling the body; however, it’s important not to fall for the temptation to cool pitta indiscriminately—our bellies should always be warm, but our heads, cool. Pitta types tend to be good at most asanas but their relatively compact bones make it hard for them to do some poses that rangy vata types find easy.

In general, a pitta person’s yoga practice should cool the head and blood, calm the heart, and relieve tension, fostering compassion, acceptance, and relaxation. It should achieve these ends through unforced effort. Pittas can cultivate this type of practice by following some basic guidelines: 

• Have fun in your poses. Do not take yourself or your pose too seriously. 

• Enjoy movement in your poses. 

• Soften your gaze downward, focus on the horizon, or even practice with your eyes closed. 

• Allow freedom and creativity in your practice. Change it up. Avoid sticking to one style or series of poses. 

• Practice in a moderately cool space. You do not want to get cold, but pittas should avoid practicing in overheated spaces. 

• Focus on the yoga experience in your body, not your brain. 

• Work at 80 percent effort. 

• Avoid being judgmental and critical of yourself. 

• Make sure you have plenty of practice space. 

• Remind yourself that yoga is not a competition. 

• Focus on your exhalation. 

• Use the exhalation to let go and release any built-up anger, frustration, stress, etc. 

• Be aware of your breath in the back of your body. 

• Practice plenty of twists and side-body openers. 

• Notice the position of your ribs; draw them back into your body. 

• Benefit from practicing at a moderate pace. 

• Remind yourself that less is more.

For more information on how to balance pitta email us. We have loads of information we love to share!

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure or prevention of any disease.

Sex and Your Dosha

As a sexual being, each of us is unique. While our thoughts, emotions, desires, and opinions regarding sex are influenced by our upbringing, culture, and experiences, their distinctive nature is chiefly an expression of  our dosha. An understanding of our dosha and how it affects our sexuality can enhance the role that sex plays in our life and relationships. We should also know and understand our partners’ dosha, as this awareness will help us meet their needs, guide how we stimulate and seduce them, and help us remain patient and empathetic when our sexual encounters don’t live up to our expectations. 

While vata individuals can be creative, responsive, and sensual lovers, they often avoid sex because it can be very destabilizing for them. Yet despite their naturally low sex drive, sex is very important for vata types, but only as an expression of love. Initially, vatas are reluctant to commit to relationships and may come across as cold sexually, but once they meet a person who makes them feel safe and nurtured, they become exceptionally faithful, expressive, and satisfying sexual partners.

Vata types long for romance, beauty, and creative expression. Their partners would be wise to indulge these cravings, because doing so will help relieve the anxiety that inhibits these individuals’ desire for sex. Despite their love of novelty, vatas find comfort in traditional values and routines. They’re likely to find sex more fulfilling when encounters are planned and include old-fashioned courtship rituals and plenty of mental and physical foreplay. 

The vata woman is the type most apt to have difficulty conceiving. The doshic qualities that contribute to her fertility problems include her vulnerability to stress as well as physical tendencies like the dryness of her tissues, low body weight, and disturbed apana vata (the energy that governs outward and downward movement in the pelvic region, such as menstrual flow). These issues may also impair male fertility by interfering with the production and ejaculation of semen.

Traveling, overwork, an erratic schedule, or a worried mind can extinguish the sex drive of vata types. Their partner can help recharge their sexual appetite by appealing to their romantic side and helping them re-establish a calming routine with regular meals and plenty of time to slow down, rest, and nourish themselves. 

Pitta types are fiery, attention seeking, ambitious, and passionate by nature and tend to think of themselves as amazing lovers. However their unreliability and impatience may prove frustrating for their partners. Their tendency to view sex as a competition may prevent them from ever experiencing complete satisfaction. They gravitate toward spontaneous encounters and may seek to dominate their partners. To invigorate, elevate, and lend deeper meaning to their sexual relationships, pitta types should focus on channeling their super-intense energy through the heart, rather than their sex organs or intellect.

Pittas typically indulge in sex more often than a vata person because their natural reserves of energy make it easier for them to regain their stamina after sexual relations. However, they should moderate their sexual activity in the summer to avoid accumulating excess heat in the body. Pitta men may suffer from impotency, due to excess heat burning up reproductive tissues or from upward, rather than downward, energy flow. To return to a balanced state after the sex act, pitta types should engage in cooling, calming, and compassionate actions. 

A kapha person is enduring, nurturing, hardworking, balanced, and determined. The steadfast and deeply sensual nature of kaphas can go a long way toward sustaining a happy marriage and healthy sexual relations. Their downside as partners is that they that may become overly attached, turning into needy, possessive “clingers” with an insatiable hunger for attention. Initially, it may take time to stimulate kaphas or spark their interest in sexual activity, as they’re naturally inclined to conserve their energy. Once they’re aroused, however, kaphas truly relish sex. These individuals really benefit from exercise and can be easily persuaded to regard sex as a highly pleasurable form of exercise that balances their heavy energy  and also satisfies their desire to be nurtured and loved. 

Kapha women are unlikely to suffer from reproductive tissues imbalances and will usually bear many children without complications. If they have any trouble conceiving, they need only to lose a little weight and lighten the body Their strong build and excellent physical and mental stamina enable them to give birth easily and recover quickly afterwards. While the abundance of earth in their elemental makeup supports these qualities, it can also foster tissue buildup that manifests as endometriosis or ovarian cysts. In men, this earth-predominant constitution may contribute to the development of an enlarged prostate. 

For the best possible sex life with your partner, show genuine consideration for their dosha (natural state). Understand that your sexual partner’s physical, mental, and emotional needs may differ from yours. Have patience and compassion in adapting to your partner’s desires, treat your partner with care as the two of you learn about each other’s doshic biorhythms, and then find the balance that works for you both. 

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure or prevention of any disease.

Unwanted Cellulite?

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Most of us struggle with cellulite but have no idea how to handle it. Ayurveda looks to restore optimal functioning to the systems of the body by balancing the mind, emotions, and physical attributes based on a person’s constitutional makeup. This same model informs Ayurveda’s approach to cellulite.

According to Ayurveda, cellulite results from an imbalance in the body’s ability to metabolize fat. The Ayurvedic term for this metabolic function is meda agni (fat digestion). Cellulite occurs when agni weakens and the metabolism becomes sluggish; the resulting digestive residues interact with our body’s tissues and become the toxic material that’s known in Ayurveda as ama.

When ama accumulates in the lymphatic system, the body experiences a drainage problem. The subsequent buildup of toxins and fluids in the tissues leads to the development of fat pockets in areas of the body that are determined by your constitution. 

To address cellulite, you must first understand that the process that creates it starts in the gut and then spreads through the subtle channels of the body. The best way to circumvent this process is to strengthen digestion in the gut and improve the lymph circulation in areas that are prone to cellulite.

 Since Ayurveda addresses every case differently, it’s best to a consult with an Ayurvedic practitioner to determine which cellulite reduction strategies are best suited to your specific constitution and circumstances. If this is not possible, simply add a few of these general suggestions to your daily routine:

1.     Drink plenty of water. Sipping warm water with fresh-squeezed lemon throughout the day helps stimulate digestion and clear the buildup of toxic residues in your body.

2.     Rev up your diet with a variety of zesty herbs that help reduce ama and promote circulation. Use generous amounts of herbs such as ginger, black pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, fenugreek, and cardamom in your cooking.

3.     Eat two fresh tulsi leaves in the morning and at night. This herb helps to regulate fat metabolism and has both lightening and drying properties.

4.     Eat three meals at the same time every day. Make lunch the largest meal of the day and schedule it no later than 2 p.m. Eat dinner no later than 7:30 p.m. Strict adherence to these practices is by far most the important element of an effective cellulite management program. 

5.     Have a cup of kapha-reducing tea: Use ¼ teaspoon each of dry ginger, dill seed, and fenugreek seed, plus one clove per 1 cup of water. Boil water, add mixture, and steep for 5 minutes before drinking. 

6.     Avoid a high-fat diet, but take a daily dose of good quality oil, such as Ayurvedic ghee or flaxseed oil in a cup of warm water first thing in the morning.

7.     Perform full-body abhyanga (self-massage) with organic almond oil daily. Massage areas where you have cellulite with organic mustard seed oil followed by calamus herb powder. Use rapid long strokes to heat up these congested areas and improve circulation throughout the whole body.

8.     Make sure you get enough exercise. Yoga asanas like Dandayamana Dhanurasana (standing bow pose), Ardha Chandrasana (half-moon pose), Utkatasana (chair pose) , Supta-Vajrasana (reclining thunderbolt pose), Dhanurasana (bow pose), and Salabhasana (locust pose) are highly recommended.

9.     Take 500 mg of turmeric every morning upon waking and 500 mg of Triphala every night before bed. 

10.  Try panchakarma. An annual panchakarma program not only detoxifies many of the body’s channels, including the liver, but also helps your body burn fat more efficiently. Best of all, the benefits of panchakarma go far beyond its visible impact on the appearance of your body. This traditional Ayurvedic method of purification and rejuvenation is a time-tested approach to restoring balance and vitality to your entire being.  

For more information, visit us at our clinics, or book an appointment online! 

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure or prevention of any disease.

Essential Oils for Your Dosha

Essential oils are a wonderful means of balancing the doshas that you can use every day. Understanding essential oils from an Ayurvedic perspective can help you customize your approach to integrating them into your daily routine. According to this viewpoint, the particular chemical makeup of every essential oil determines whether it has a warming or a cooling effect on the body. This approach to essential oils places each one on a vertical scale, with the oils that are coolest at the top, the oils that are neutral in the middle, and the oils that are warming at the bottom. All essential oils can be placed somewhere on this scale, according to their properties. For example blue chamomile is a cooling oil, lavender exemplifies neutrality, and thyme is a hot essential oil. 

Try taking a chamomile and peppermint bath and feel the coolness as you emerge from the tub. Rub a drop of thyme or clove oil into the skin on your forearm, and you’ll experience a warm sensation within 15 minutes. The neutral oils in the middle range, such as lavender, are known as balancers, because if you are feverish, they can help cool you down, and if you are feeling very cold, applying a lavender massage oil to the body can warm you up. Lavender is an oil for all seasons. Balancers will always bring you back toward a neutral, normal state. 

In Western chemistry, they scale ranking essential oils according to their thermal impact on the body corresponds to a scale that ranks compounds from high to low in terms of their electronegativity. Electronegativity refers to the relative power of an atom in a molecule to attract electrons from other atoms toward itself. The cooling oils at the top of scale are strongly  electronegative. They have extra electrons and take heat away from the body. The warming essential oils at the bottom of the scale are electropositive. They are missing electrons in their outer rings, and are eager and ready to acquire them, producing heat in the body.

Ayurveda also ranks essential oils on a continuum that runs from wet to dry. Wet oils, such as geranium and rose have an affinity for water. Another term for oils with this property is hydrophilic (“water loving”). Wet oils typically contain high levels of alcohols, which act as an emulsifier when you put them in bathwater, breaking the oil into tiny droplets that disperse  in the water and form an emulsion. Dry oils, such as citrus and pine, consist almost exclusively of terpenes, which are hydrophobic and lipophilic. In other words they  don’t mix with water, but, rather, have an affinity for and the ability to mix with fats. They will float on the surface of the bathwater and form a “ring” around the inside surface of the tub. Neutral oils which include clary sage, Roman chamomile, basil, anise, and tarragon as well as lavender, are neither wet nor dry.

Vata Balancing 
Because the vata dosha is light, dry, mobile, and cold, an imbalance of this energy is treated with oils that are wet, heavy, calming, and warming. Because sweet, sour, and salty tastes can be used to reduce excess vata, oils derived from botanicals with these properties are often a good choice for treating vata disorders. There are two types of vata disorders to consider. One is known as obstructed vata, where an accumulation of vata and toxic residues (ama) due to erratic eating habits, poor diet, and irregular elimination blocks the flow of biological materials and nutrients through the channels of the body. Like kapha excess, obstructed vata is treated for a short period of time to remove the blockages. The other type of imbalance is vata-caused deficiency, which occurs when a vata disturbance leads to dry, atrophied tissues and emaciation. These symptoms of vata-caused deficiency resemble the effects of accelerated aging.

Among the best remedies for both types of vata imbalance are the following botanical oils: ginger, oregano, orange, eucalyptus, cumin, cinnamon, clove, celery seed, black pepper, bergamot, bay, calamus, camphor, marjoram, arnica, ajwain, caraway, thyme, sage, rosewood, lemon, and nutmeg. These oils increase digestive fire, flush out toxins, increase internal heat, and strengthen circulation. They are contraindicated for conditions caused by extreme vata aggravation, such as dehydration or inflamed mucous membranes.

Vata-caused deficiency requires oils derived from nutritive herbs that will build the tissues, such as angelica, clary sage, myrrh, parsley, tarragon, vanilla, rose, and jasmine (avoid overuse of rose and jasmine, which may prove too cooling for vata types). These oils help relieve menstrual cramping, build the blood, moisten and nourish the sexual organs, boost the immune system, strengthen organs weakened by disease, and alleviate the effects of poor nutrition and aging. 

Pitta Balancing 
Because pitta is hot and wet, it is best managed with cooling, drying, nutritive, and calming oils. The tastes for reducing pitta are sweet, astringent, and bitter. Oils extracted from cooling carminatives, such as aromatic spices, help relieve burning diarrhea and digestive complaints caused by accumulations of excess pitta in the small intestine. These oils include chamomile, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, lavender, lemon, lemon balm, lime, neroli, peppermint, spearmint, and wintergreen.

Calendula, carrot seed, lemon, St. John’s wort, turmeric, wintergreen, and yarrow oils are also helpful for managing pitta-related disorders. These astringent oils reduce excess secretions of gastric juices and discharges of tissue fluids without completely drying them up and help tighten and heal tissues and stop bleeding. 

Cooling essential oils that purify the blood, fight infections, reduce fevers, and promote healing include aloe vera, coriander, cumin, dill, jasmine, neem, sandalwood, spearmint, tagetes, turmeric, yarrow, and blue chamomile. To nourish the tissues of the body, reduce inflammation, restore secretions that have dried up from pitta’s excessive heat, and build the blood and lymph system, choose oils made from angelica, carrot seed, cedar wood, neem, neroli, and spikenard. When pitta aggravation leads to energy burnout, angelica, brahmi, carrot seed, cedar wood, rose, and jatamansi oils help rejuvenate the body and mind, increasing awareness and promoting behavioral changes and more dynamic and expansive thinking.

To reduce pitta’s heat and cool the liver, use oils from diuretic herbs such as coriander, fennel, lavender, lemongrass, sandalwood, and spearmint. Antipyretic oils that help pacify pitta’s fire include jasmine, lime, neem, tagetes, vetiver, and neroli.

Kapha Balancing
Composed of earth and water, kapha is predominantly cold, moist, slow, and heavy in nature and can be balanced with substances that are warming, drying, lightening, and stimulating, such as oils made from plants that taste pungent, bitter, and astringent. The most important of these properties is pungency because its light, hot, dry nature is diametrically opposed to kapha’s defining characteristics. 

By strengthening digestive fire, stimulant and carminative essential oils help reverse the mental and physical sluggishness associated with a kapha imbalance. These oils include ajwain, anise, basil, bay, black pepper, calamus, cardamom, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, garlic, ginger, juniper berry, mustard, nutmeg, orange peel, oregano, parsley, pennyroyal, saffron, thyme, turmeric, and valerian.

To reduce the fluid buildup associated with kapha aggravation, use oils from diuretic herbs, such ajwain, cinnamon, coriander, fennel, garlic, juniper berry, lemongrass, parsley, and spearmint. Diaphoretic oils, which induce sweating—such as ajwain, angelica, basil, camphor, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, eucalyptus, ginger, juniper berry, lemongrass, mugwort, oregano, sage, and thyme—are good for this purpose, too. These oils also help cleanse the blood and lymph.

Kapha imbalances often manifest in the accumulation of excess mucus in the lungs and stomach. Emetic oils can help expel this buildup but should be only administered by a trained panchakarma therapist.

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure or prevention of any disease.

An Ayurvedic Perspective on Healthy Elimination

For many of us, unhealthy elimination is a somewhat routine occurrence. If we are completely honest, most of us have suffered from constipation, diarrhea, or some other symptom of a bowel imbalance. Yet, generally, we are embarrassed to talk about our elimination patterns. Fortunately, Ayurvedic experts are very comfortable with this aspect of our health and have a lot to say about it. The truth is, our bowel habits and stools show us a great deal about whatever problems our bodies may be going through and what we need to do to return them to balanced functioning.

Ayurveda recognizes that the digestive tract is the very first place imbalances arise in the body. According to Ayurveda a malfunctioning digestive system is the root of all disease. Ayurveda places great importance on the digestive system and its ability to transform foods into energy and nourishment. Without the proper digestion, foods cannot be broken down and absorbed in the body to fuel tissue renewal; instead, excessive waste is created, leading to a buildup of toxic sludge (ama) and eventually disease. Thus, bowel imbalances tend to function as early warning signals that something is amiss in our physiology. 

If an emerging imbalance is not properly addressed, it will either take root in the digestive tract and become a more serious condition or spread to other tissues and create imbalances there. If we can learn to understand the early indications of disharmony in our bodies and respond appropriately, our bodies can self-correct and heal. Ayurveda’s teachings on elimination serve as a valuable tool for maintaining overall health and wellness. 

According to Ayurveda, healthy elimination occurs one to two times every day. Generally, the first bowel movement should happen in the morning, within a few minutes of waking up, and should not be stimulated by food intake. Stools should be well formed, have the consistency of a ripe banana, and maintain their shape after being eliminated. They should be light brownish-yellow, should float, and should be oily enough to keep from sticking to the sides of the toilet bowl. Their odor should be mild, not strong or pungent. 

Most people’s stools fall short of this ideal. Modern lifestyles make it difficult to maintain perfect digestive health—that’s why talking about elimination is so important, so we can foster balance in our bodies, in our stools, and in our lives as a whole. 

In Ayurveda, physiological systems such as the reproductive, digestive, and urinary systems are called channels. All channels perform various functions that are vital to sustaining our overall health. Ayurveda accentuates the importance of proper movement in all the channels to maintain a disease-free body. The regular movement of the bowels plays a fundamental role in ensuring the proper flow of biological materials, nutrients, and waste though the digestive channels. 

The foods we ingest undergo the process of digestion and absorption through the action of agni, or digestive fire. An individual’s agni largely determines how well food is digested and eliminated. When agni is in balance, it supports strong immunity and a long, healthy life. Balanced agni also supports emotional health and makes life more enjoyable. The strength of agni is inevitably diminished by a poor diet, improper food combinations, an unhealthy lifestyle, emotional disturbances, and even damp, rainy weather. When agni weakens, so does our body’s resistance to disease. Strengthening agni and understanding the particular needs of your doshic constitution are key to finding a truly balanced diet.

In general, the qualities of foods are similar to the qualities of the doshas. The intake of food that has the same quality of a dosha will tend to aggravate that dosha. For instance, when a vata (dry) person eats popcorn (dry), that person’s tissues will become even drier. Opposite qualities tend to be balancing, such as when a pitta (hot) person drinks mint tea (cooling). This fundamental principle can help you select foods that are balancing to your own unique constitution. While there are certainly many things we can do to generally foster healthy elimination, identifying which doshas are involved in a specific imbalance enables us to pursue harmony on a deeper level and to create a more focused therapeutic strategy. 

Sometimes it is very easy to identify personal bowel movement tendencies at a glance—if so, you can find  dosha-specific support in Ayurvedic teachings to help you restore balance. If you remain uncertain, please see a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner for a more personalized assessment of your needs. It is also important to know that long-standing imbalances in the elimination channel often involve more than one dosha and can easily lead to more complex disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). These conditions are more serious and should be treated by a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner. 

Vata Elimination 

In vata elimination imbalances, the excess vata that accumulates in the digestive channel tends to cause dry, hard, scanty stools that can be painful or difficult to pass. Vata buildup can also cause gas, bloating, colicky pain, gurgling in the intestines, irregularity, and constipation. Some vata types tend to alternate between constipation and diarrhea. The symptoms are usually accompanied by an irregular appetite and variable digestion. Other related ailments caused by excess vata include low back pain, sciatica, non-bleeding hemorrhoids, a prolapsed rectum, and fissures or fistulas.

When vata is too predominant, you must balance its cold and dry qualities with warmth and a lot of fluids, along with healthy oils. It’s also important to slow the pace of life, keep warm, and stay hydrated. Support your digestion and elimination with Triphala or Hiṅgvāṣṭaka or consider taking haritaki instead of Triphala if you’re sure that excess vata is the root cause of your problem. You should also adopt the following diet and lifestyle practices.

Diet

• Focus on eating vata-pacifying foods in which sweet, sour, and salty tastes predominate.

• Eat three solid, freshly cooked meals a day, ideally at about the same time each day; vata types need consistency. This practice increases the digestive fire and helps with weight control and detoxification of the body.

• Enrich your diet with multiple sources of fiber, such as oatmeal, wheat bran, oat bran, and other whole cooked grains and cooked vegetables.

• Increase your dietary quotient of high-quality oils, such as ghee, sesame oil, and olive oil.

•  Eat more fruit. Consume it at least one hour before and after other foods, and do not eat it cold. Room temperature fruit is the best choice.

• Drink at least 60–80 ounces of fluid each day. Warm or hot water and warm herbal teas are the most beneficial. Stay away from iced and cold liquids. 

• Chew on a slice of fresh ginger about the size of a nickel with a pinch of sea salt, a few drops of lime juice, and ¼ teaspoon of honey 30 minutes before lunch and dinner. 

Lifestyle

• Focus on establishing a vata-pacifying daily routine; consistency in the structure of the day is especially balancing for vata types. Focus on calming the mood and energy and nurturing the body.

• Get plenty of vata-pacifying exercise: Make sure that your exercise routine is not overstimulating; instead favor gentle and grounding activities like walking, hiking, light jogging, swimming, or gentle cycling.

• Practice vata-pacifying yoga or a handful of slow and purposeful sun salutations each morning.

• Practice 5–15 minutes of alternate nostril breathing every day on an empty stomach.

• Give yourself a daily massage with sesame oil after warm shower or bath. 

Pitta Elimination

Excess pitta in the elimination channel tends to cause frequent, urgent bowel movements, with stools that are soft, loose, liquid, or oily. The stools may fall apart of after being evacuated. They are also often hot, causing burning pain when eliminated, and have a strong and frequently offensive sour or acidic odor. If left unaddressed, this type of imbalance can develop into chronic diarrhea. Excess pitta in the digestive tract can also cause heartburn, blood in stool, bleeding hemorrhoids, and acid indigestion as well as an insatiable appetite. 

In order to balance pitta, one must balance pitta’s hot, sharp, light, and liquid qualities with food, herbs, and experiences that are nutritive, heavy, cooling, and dense. It is important to keep the mind and body cool and avoid heavy exercise and exercising at midday. Support your digestion with amalaki or with Avipattikar. Triphala is also an option. Focus on the diet and lifestyle suggestions outlined below.

Diet

•  Eat a pitta-pacifying diet that favors sweet, astringent, and bitter tastes. 

• Consume cooling foods—not cold but, rather, foods that have a cooling effect, such as cilantro, coconut water, peppermint tea, coriander, fennel, mint, and cucumber.

• Drink moderate amounts of fluid, mainly at room temperature and avoid iced and sour drinks as well as sodas.

• Take a few tablespoons of aloe vera juice or gel two to three times per day to cool and soothe the channels of digestion.

•  Include moderate amount of good-quality cooling oils such as ghee, sunflower oil, or coconut oil in your diet.

Lifestyle

• Focus on pitta-pacifying routines to ground and cool the fiery intensity of pitta.

•  Practice sheetali pranayama every day on an empty stomach for 5–10 minutes. A few minutes of alternate nostril breathing will also help balance pitta.

• Perform pitta-pacifying yoga at a gentle and purposeful pace. Do not make yoga a competition against yourself or others. Moon salutations are useful in balancing pitta. 

• Daily exercise is important, but it should not be overly intense; relax your efforts. Walking, swimming, cycling, light jogging, and hiking are best for pitta types. These individuals should exercise when the day is the coolest, in morning or evening, and breathe through their nose the entire time.

Kapha Elimination 
Counteracting kapha’s heavy, slow, cool, oily, smooth, and sticky qualities requires foods, herbs, and experiences that are light, sharp, hot, dry, rough, and clarifying. In general, when kapha is aggravated, it is important to keep warm and dry, to avoid daytime napping, and to stay active. Trikatu is helpful for stimulating the sluggish digestion of kapha types. Bibhitaki is better than Triphala, but Triphala can also be used. The following diet, lifestyle recommendations will help restore balanced functioning to a kapha-dominant digestive system.

Diet

• Adopt a kapha-pacifying diet.

• Minimize the presence of oil and fat in your diet (the best oils for kapha types are sunflower oil and olive oil).

• Reduce intake of processed foods and sugars.

•  Favor warm and hot beverages, and be careful not to overhydrate. Hot water and herbal teas like ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, or clove can help to liquefy and remove excess kapha and ama.

• Eat three square meals each day (at about the same time each day), and try not to snack between meals.

• Focus on making lunch the main meal and eating smaller quantities of food at breakfast and dinner.

•  Incorporate a wide variety of spices into your cooking.

• Stoke the digestive fire about 30 minutes before lunch and dinner by chewing a slice of fresh ginger (about the size of a nickel) with a pinch of sea salt, a few drops of lime juice, and about ¼ teaspoon honey.

 
Lifestyle

• Focus on establishing a kapha-pacifying daily routine.

• Get plenty of kapha-pacifying exercise: Make sure that your exercise routine is fun, vigorous, and stimulating. Kapha individuals thrive on activities like walking, hiking, running, cycling, and high-intensity interval training.

• Practice kapha-pacifying yoga or a handful of invigorating sun salutations each morning.

Perform bhastrika pranayama every day on an empty stomach. You can start with just one or two rounds of 10 breaths and slowly build up to five rounds of 10 breaths. A few minutes of alternate nostril breathing can serve as a wonderful complement to this practice

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure or prevention of any disease.

The Amazing Healing Properties of Turmeric

Turmeric comes from the rhizome (a root-like structure) of a plant closely related to ginger. Commonly used in curries, turmeric has a warm, slightly bitter taste that’s used for coloring or enhancing the flavor of curry powders, cheeses, mustard, and other foods and condiments. Many of my Ayurvedic teachers have stated that turmeric is a natural solution to most common ailments, including stomachaches, sore throats, cuts, infections, and skin problems.

According to WebMD, the list of health-related uses for turmeric is long. It has been ingested for stomach problems, such as gas, bloating, or diarrhea; arthritis; menstrual pain; fever; and other ailments for thousands of years in some areas of the world. A juice version is used as a topical agent, and a turmeric paste (warm milk mixed with turmeric powder) is employed as an antiseptic for treating wounds.

Countless studies have shown the healing powers of turmeric’s chemical constituents. Recent research on the effect of aromatic turmerone, a bioactive compound extracted from turmeric, shows that it may help regenerate damaged neurons after  brain traumas such as a stroke. Many studies on curcumin, another active ingredient in turmeric, confirm its anti-inflammatory properties. In one study, curcumin worked about as well as ibuprofen for reducing arthritis pain. There have also been clinical studies on its benefits in diabetes and prediabetes and as a cancer treatment, particularly for prostate cancer. Many other studies have shown that it aids in weight management, liver detoxification, and digestive diseases, such as Crohn’s disease.

Turmeric can easily be incorporated in to your daily life. It contains many essential nutrients, including pyridoxine, choline, niacin, and riboflavin as well as calcium, potassium, copper, iron, manganese, magnesium, and zinc. Turmeric in the diet increases the production of enzymes that digest fats and sugars, and it helps prevent cholesterol from forming gallstones. It is an immune support as well as an antiseptic that kills yeast and parasites when used internally. It is also helpful for easing headaches, bronchitis, colds, lung infections, fibromyalgia, leprosy, fever, and menstrual problems. Other uses include the management of depression, Alzheimer’s disease, water retention, and kidney problems.

You can take turmeric as a daily supplement and incorporate it into your cooking. It is delicious in soups, stir fries, and curries and as a daily tea. The Ayurvedic recipe for this tea is made from a paste of 2 ½ teaspoons dried turmeric and 80 mL of good-quality raw honey. Work the turmeric into the honey until it forms a paste. The paste stores well in a jar so you can keep it on hand for whenever you’d like a cup of revitalizing turmeric tea. 

Ayurvedic Daily Turmeric Tea Recipe 

• Heaping teaspoon of turmeric paste

• 1 cup of hot water

• Squeeze of fresh lemon

•  Lots of freshly ground black pepper

For each cup of tea, place a heaping teaspoon of the turmeric paste in the bottom of a mug. Pour hot (but not boiling water) into the mug, and stir well to dissolve the turmeric paste. Add a big squeeze of juice from a lemon, and a generous amount of black pepper (pepper is invigorating and helps support the digestion of the turmeric). 

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure or prevention of any disease.  

To Supplement or Not to Supplement?

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Ayurveda teaches that you should get your daily nutrients from food as much as possible and that you can do this by eating plenty of fresh vegetables, fruits, grains, beans and legumes, nuts and seeds, healthy meats, and seaweed. That said, there are cases in which it makes sense to take vitamin supplements. Vegetarians should take vitamin B12 and possibly vitamin D, since they are missing out on these nutrients by not eating meat. Pregnant women should take extra folic acid. Those with osteoporosis will need to take calcium, magnesium, trace minerals like boron, and other supplements that support bone health. People recovering from a long illness may need to take certain immune-boosting supplements.

It’s important to keep in mind that decades of industrial farming practices have significantly depleted the nutrient content of the soil in which most of our food is grown. Consequently, our food is not as nutritious as it once was. With that in mind, you might be inclined to question the common wisdom that a varied diet fulfills all of our nutritional requirements. If so, you may want to consider taking a broad-spectrum mineral supplement or daily multivitamin. Whenever possible, ingest supplements that are extracted from whole food sources like fruits, vegetables, and grains. These nutrients are more bioavailable than synthetic versions, meaning they are more easily absorbed by your digestive system. The best ways to take vitamins and minerals in are in powdered form, as a liquid concentrate, or as an oil. Avoid taking megadoses or doses larger than recommended dietary reference intakes, no matter how good you think a particular nutrient is for your health. 

Supplementing your diet with vitamins should be the exception, not the rule; they are, after all, called supplements. Nutrients are much more accessible and easily processed by your body when they are consumed via food rather than supplements. Also, a person taking vitamins may mistakenly believe that eating a balanced diet is unnecessary. Remember, no supplement is a magic bullet that does as good a job of meeting your nutritional needs as a diet of healthy whole foods. 

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease. 

Healing, Anti-aging Foods

For thousands of years, humans treated their bodies as personal laboratories for discovering which foods are therapeutic and which are poisonous. Prehistoric humans evaluated healthy and unhealthy foods based on their reactions to what they put in their mouths. Occasionally, eating a certain food, herb, or plant would bring relief from a particular ailment, and that food would be noted as possessing healing qualities. Over time, patterns emerged that evolved into long-standing principles governing healthy diet and nutrition. Based on thousands of years of experimentation and documentation, as well as the consensus of modern scientific research, it’s widely agreed that fresh fruits and vegetables should be humans' primary foods. Fruits and vegetables are low in fat and sodium, high in fiber, and, best of all, packed with powerful antioxidants crucial for maintaining your health. 

All whole, unprocessed foods from the earth—fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, and legumes, nuts, seeds—possess abundant healing properties. Take just one example: cranberries. Cranberries are antioxidant-rich and have been traditionally used in the prevention and treatment of urinary tract issues. While perceptive and health-conscious humans have recognized this truth for centuries, studies now show that cranberries contain hippuric acid, which inhibits the growth and attachment of various strains of bacteria, such as E. coli, to the bladder. Studies have also proved that cranberries improve dental health and help heal stomach ulcers by inhibiting the growth of H. pylori. Cranberries are merely one healing food in your arsenal of natural medicines that foster good health and longevity. As Hippocrates says, “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.”

In many studies of centenarians, the same ten foods have emerged again and again as common elements in the diets of long-lived individuals:

1.Sweet potatoes
2. Corn
3. Peanuts
4. Pumpkin
5. Walnuts
6. Black beans
7. Sesame seeds
8. Shiitake mushrooms
9. Green tea
10. Seaweed

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease.