Clarify, Simplify, Amplify—with Ayurveda

The first three words of the title of this blog is taken from a financial magazine with reference to taxes but these three words seemed really appropriate to our health and wellness as well. What do you people think? Do let me know !!

Going further on the topic –in the modern day, our lives physically and mentally have become too clustered and complicated. Some things are complicated by the nature and occurrences around us and some are complicated by ourselves. Be it the nature or our body & mind clustered and complicated, clogs the system restricting the free flow of energy and thereby affecting the functioning of the whole macro & micro-universe. The solution to this are the three words Clarify or cleanse, Simplify & then Amplify the level of health and wellness both outside as well as inside.

Toxins are naturally occurring organic substances produced by metabolic activities of living cells or organisms. There are different types of toxins-artificial or manmade or environmental toxins and biotoxins (produced by organisms for offense or defense). Toxins can enter our body through various paths from external sources or may get produced inside our body itself as well. Our bodies as such are well equipped to regularly cleanse or clarify the system of these toxins. Lungs, liver, kidneys, skin all these are excellent cleansers of various forms of toxins from our body. On a regular basis, the organs can handle the amount of toxins and remove them from the body.

But in the modern times, busy schedules, unhealthy and processed diets, sedentary lifestyle and extreme emotional stresses has led to overload of toxins in the body. This overload of toxins puts a huge load on the organs thereby making them sluggish and inefficient. This leads to accumulation of toxins in various parts of the body. Ama or toxins or free radicals when accumulated lead to various diseases, aches and pains. Now I think it is easy to understand why in the modern times we have so many diseases, allergies , intolerance and conditions. Therefore for maintaining one’s own health and wellness, it is very important to cleanse or clarify the toxins, simplify our lifestyle and diet habits and slowly amplify the functional capacity of the various organs especially detoxifying organs.

Ayurveda, the ancient life science recognized this need of regular cleansing for the body. Ayurveda is based on the functioning of the 05 basic elements outside and inside the body. Any change in the balance or functioning of the elements outside the body has a very huge effect on the balance and functioning of the body as well. The most uniform and prominent change which takes place in the nature is the seasonal change and Ayurveda places a great importance on seasonal cleanses especially beneficial as a preventive therapy.

According to Ayurveda, the 05 elements combine in a particular order to form 03 humors or doshas in our body, to aid in proper execution of various functions. Ayurveda Panchakarma procedures or therapies are the cleansing procedures explained to us in details. These are used both as curative and preventive aspects. The set of 05 therapies are administered to balance either of the 03 doshas (vata, pitta or kapha) in our body.

The Panchakarma therpaies can be administered both as curative and preventive therapies. Let us talk about preventive aspect.

Ayurveda puts a great emphasis on the seasonal regimen and the therapies to be done during certain season to prevent seasonal diseases. Depending upon the changes in the outside environment according to season, the body also faces lots of changes to adjust to the seasons. This causes imbalance of the doshas or humors which if not connected can lead to various diseases. To correct the imbalance seasonal cleanses in the form of Panchakarma therapies are advised. Panchakarma therapies are preceded by pre-therapy procedures which help to Clarify the various srotas or channels in our body, thereby unclogging the transport system in the body. The main cleansing process removes the toxins and ama or free radicals from the body along with the vitiated doshas.

Panchakarma Retreats

Ayurveda doesn’t end the treatment here. After the cleanse there are post therapy procedures which mainly include diet and lifestyle changes according to the season, body type and disease being treated. These changes helps us to Simplify our food habits to a healthy path. It also includes simple lifestyle changes along with yoga or other exercise schedules and social etiquette. Simplification of the diet and lifestyle not only helps maintain our health and wellness but also aids in managing stress in our day to day life.

SHIRODHARA

How do we simplify our diet and lifestyle? Ayurveda suggests that the diet one has to consume food according to one’s body type or one’s imbalances. It is also advised that one should have regional, seasonal and fresh foods. Ayurveda also mentions that our diet should contain all the 06 rasas (tastes ) and must be balanced with all the nutrients. The food must be warm and freshly prepared and should be eaten consciously. Simple, balanced, warm food cooked with affection is how you Simplify your diet.

Coming to simplification of your lifestyle, Ayurveda provides the perfect solution with its extensive Dinacharya routines. Try and adapt the various aspects of Diancharya like waking up at Brahmi muhurta, teeth cleaning, exercise bath etc and you will see that without any major effort your lifestyle is simplified and stress free. It also helps to maintain the balance of the tridoshas at various times of the day as well as during various seasons.

Next comes the part-Amplify. What do we Amplify? After clarifying and simplifying we need to amplify the functions of the various organs. Ayurveda provides different types of rejuvenation therapies and medicines. Regular treatments like Abhyangam, Shirodhara helps to relax and rejuvenate the body internally and externally. They improve the circulation of the body making sure all the nutrients reach every single cell in the body. Ayurvedic rejuvenative herbs and medicines help in amplifying the functions of the organs of the body. Regular yoga practice, pranayam and medication also help to clarify, simplify and amplify the health and wellness of the body along with the balancing therapies from Ayurveda.

We all spring clean our houses, de-clutter, repaint and even refurbish our houses, so Why not Clarify, Simplify and Amplify our bodies.

Stay Healthy with Ayurveda….

Is Your Diet Balanced?-An Ayurvedic View

“Your diet is a bank account. Good food choices are good investments.” -Bethenny Frankel

Loads of lessons mankind has learnt during the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the most important I believe is the realization that our health is our main wealth. Like the quote says, investing in our health is one of the most important investments we all should make. Food is one of the pillars of health and good food or balanced diet is the best investment to be made on our health. Ayurveda, the ancient science of life mentioned that food, sleep and abstinence are the three pillars of life. Ayurveda has dedicated chapters of detailed diet regimens according to body type, seasons and so on. Ayurveda also mentions different types of preparations procedures for different diet regimens. Let us just discuss some points from both modern nutrition and Ayurvedic point of view.

So what is a Balanced diet? Is a balanced diet nutritious? Is just a balanced diet enough? What does Ayurveda say about this?

Science defines a balanced diet as a diet that contains different kinds of foods in certain quantities and proportions so that the requirement for calories, proteins, minerals, vitamins and alternative nutrients is adequate. A small portion is also reserved for additional nutrients. Dietary fiber, antioxidants and nutraceuticals and other phyto-chemicals also form an important part of a balanced diet.

Modern science stresses on consumption of well-balanced diet for all ages to maintain health. Deficiency of various nutrients leads to various diseases according to modern nutrition. Modern nutrition also stresses on different aspects like acid alkaline balance, portion size according to body weight etc while explaining balanced diet. Concepts like glycemic index, inflammatory factor are also taken into account.

What is the take on balanced food or diet in Ayurveda? Does Ayurveda insist on vegetarian diet? What are the factors considered in Ayurveda while deciding one’s diet? these are some of the most common questions almost every Ayurvedic physician faces from his patients.

Ayurveda the ancient Indian science believes in the similarity between the macro universe outside and the micro universe inside our body. 05 basic elements create, maintain and destroy the macro universe around us. The seasons, vegetation and the animals are affected by the changes in the macro universe. We humans are a part of this universe and thereby we are also made up of these 05 basic elements. Just like outside, inside the body also the 05 elements create, maintain and destroy the micro universe. For this purpose, the elements combine in a specific order to form 03 humors or doshas known as Vata, Pitta, and Kapha which help the body survive. The five elements in the universe nourish each other and support each others’ functions, whereas in case of our body, the humors inside the body derive their necessary nourishment and building materials from the nature around. Any changes in the nature around, therefore has affect on the humors of the body as well.

Food or nutrition is considered as one of the 03 building blocks of healthy life in Ayurveda. Maintaining and re balancing the equilibrium or the inbuilt balance (prakriti) of the 03 humors in the body is the basic rule of lifestyle and treatment in Ayurveda.

Several detailed chapters and books are avaialable regarding the various aspects of diet and balanced diet according to Ayurveda. Ayurveda mentions various aspects of diet like Rasas(tastes), Guna(quality), Veerya(Potency), Vipaka (post digestion quality), Matra (quantity), Kala (time & season), Samyoga (combining & preparing)and so on.

All these aspects are based on the predominance of the 05 natural elements & their effect on the balance of 03 humors in the body.

Ayurveda mentions 06 basic Rasas or tastes namely Madhura(sweet), Amla (sour), lavana (salty), Katu (Pungent), thikta (bitter), & kashaya (astringent). Among these, depending upon the predominance of the natural element they either vitiate or pacify any of the doshas. Therefore Ayurveda advises that one should have food which has all the 06 tastes regularly. Changes can be made according to the requirement of one’s own body and the environment around them. Ayurveda also mentions that the flavor and fragrance of the food being eaten is as important as the taste itself. This is because our body eats the food not only with the mouth but with all its senses. So the food eaten should be pleasant to see, fragrant in smell, comfortable to touch and made up of all the 06 tastes as well.

The net important aspect is the equality of the diet. Ayurveda mentions about 10 pairs of qualities. The quality of the food before and after cooking or depending on the season or area where it is grown changes and this has a huge impact on the balance of the three humors in the body. Various processes the food item undergoes during its growth, harvesting, storage, cooking etc has to be considered while balancing your diet according to Ayurveda.

Ayurveda also highly stresses on considering the potency (Veerya) and post digestion quality (Vipaka) of the food. Veerya and Vipaka are interdependent on each other. Vipaka of an item involves the biochemical process it undergoes like oxidation, reduction etc and also depends on the veerya of the item. Veerya and vipaka of the food item has direct effect on the balance of the 03 humors and thereby it is an important aspect of diet regimen and treatment in Ayurveda.

Ayurveda also mentions that every dravya or element in this nature has a special effect or action on the body. This is known as prabhava of the item in diet is also very important.

Along with the mentioned rasa, guna, veerya, vipaka and prabhava of the individual dravya or food item, Ayurveda also lays a huge stress on region, time of the day, seasons, combination of foods and processing techniques. Ayurveda advises that food items having opposite rasas or gunas or veerya or vipaka should not be combined and consumed. Wrong combination or wrong processing of foods will change the quality or the characteristics of the food and thereby when consumed will lead to imbalances in the body’s humors.

Another important aspect Ayurveda considers is the quantity of food as well. Quantity of food depends on the person’s digestive fire (agni), age, season, region, time of the day and profession as well. The balance and imbalances in one’s own body also is considered.

Ayurvedic diet doesn’t always mean vegetarian diet as there is extensive description and use of various types of meats and other animal products both as food and medicines. Having said this, Ayurveda does advocate the use of more of Satvic food then Rajasic or Tamasic foods which include meats and other stimulating foods. Satvic foods are balanced diets with adequate usage of grains, pulses, vegetables, spices and herbs along with good fats like ghee, coconut oil sesame oil etc. The intake of Satvic foods relaxes the mind and thereby does not stimulate disturbing or imbalancing thoughts and reactions in the body.

So you see-these are various aspects considered in Ayurveda while describing a balanced diet. Fresh, regional, seasonal, well cooked food consumed in consideration of one’s body type and imbalances in a peaceful, happy environment consciously without distractions is what our microuniverse needs and processes to build and maintain a healthy life.

Eat healthy Stay healthy.

Welcome 2023

Rejuvenating the liver-the detoxifier

One of the largest glandular organs in the human body, the liver is the most important and essential organ as well. Having said this, in the modern days, I think it is one of the most neglected organs as well. It is abused and overloaded with all sorts of physical, physiological, and psychological means by us with our modern sophisticated unhealthy stressful diet and lifestyle. While speaking of preventing illness and maintaining wellness, cleansing the liver, and supporting and boosting its functions becomes very very important. Let us know more about this amazing organ and the effect of Ayurvedic panchakarma on it.

In Greek Mythology, the titan Prometheus is said to have been tortured eternally by giving his liver to be eaten by vultures but the liver kept on regenerating. The liver is the organ in the human body that can regenerate itself whenever required. In Greek, the organ liver was known as ‘hepar’ or ‘hedas’ which basically meant ‘pleasure’. They considered the liver as a central organ of the human body, the seat of life, soul, emotions and intelligence. It was considered seat of life and soul because of its richness in blood. It was also considered equal to heart and therefore Greek referred to the liver as the seat of emotions. Many other ancient populations also believed that liver vehicled feelings and emotions. In Latin, liver is called ‘iecus” (likely to have originated from Sanskrit word ‘yakrit’ and it is explained that the liver has this name because there the fire that flies up into the brain has its seat. (Etimologicum, 11, 125). ‘Iceus’ was also connected to human feeling in Latin as well.

The liver is the largest solid organ and the largest gland in our body. It is located beneath the rib cage in the right upper abdomen. Made up of four lobes and eight sections it is richly supplied blood giving it a dark brown colour. It produces bile juice. Our liver is one of the busiest organs in our body and manages more than 500 vital functions. some of the key functions include:

1. Bile Production: A critical digestive juice, bile produced int he liver aids in digestion and absorption of fats in the body.
2. Blood filter and cleanser: After absorbing the nutrients int he large intestine, all the blood passes through the liver, where liver filters and removes the toxins, waste byproducts and any other harmful substances.
3. Albumin Production: A protein which prevents the breakage of nutrients in the cells-albumin is produced by the liver. Albumin also helps in the transportation of hormones, vitamins and enzymes through the body.
4. Glucose processing: The liver processes the excess glucose in the blood into glycogen and stores it, when required, the liver can convert the glycogen back to glucose for energy.
5. Regulates amino acids and stores vitamins, minerals: For the production of proteins, the liver ensures that the amino acids are adequate in the blood stream. It also stores adequate amounts of various vitamins and minerals like iron and copper.
6. Regulates blood clotting: Vitamin K is an important nutrient essential for blood clotting and coagulation and vitamin K can be absorbed only with the help of bile.
7. Prevents infections: While the blood is being cleansed, bacteria and virus are also filtered by the liver.

Ayurveda also places a high regard and importance to this vital organ in our body. ‘Yakrit’ as it is known in Ayurveda, it is also known as Jyotisthana, Raktaashaya, Kalakhanda, etc. Acharya Sushruta mentions that Ahara rasa (digested food/nutrients) is first received by the jyotisthana which is richly supplied and formed by blood which later nourishes the whole body. Jyotisthana here is nothing but liver. Yakrit is considered as the seat of Pitta and is supposed to give the red color to our blood. According to Ayurveda, the rasa dhatu gets its color as it passes through the liver and spleen. Even though this is difficult to correlate with the modern science’s views, during intrauterie life blood is produced in the liver. But later, after birth, all the blood passes through the liver after absorbing the nutrients in the colon. So liver/yakrit is responsible for metabolism of fats, proteins and other nutrients, storage of essential nutrients and elimination of toxins as well.

Ayurveda believes that liver is the seat of Pitta dosha. It is also composed of all the five bhutagnis (digestive fires). Each of these bhutagnis are specialised in digesting particular elemnts in the food and transform rasa dhatu to rakta dhatu(blood) full of nutrition. Any imbalance in any of the agnis or the pitta dosha leads to imbalance in nutrition or the formation of rakta dhatu and thereby various symptoms and illnesses are observed.

Ayurveda has not only explained the process of liver functioning but also gives us some of the most effective and excellent therapies and procedures which help in cleansing the liver as well as balance the various agnis and pitta dosha.

In Ayurveda, there are both Shamana (pacificatory) and Shodhana (purificatory) treatment protocols. In general, for best results, it is suggested to administer the relevant purificatory treatments before administering curative or pacificatory treatments. Ayurvedic Panchakarma chikitsa is a group of cleansing therapies which help in eliminating toxins, vitiated doshas and thereby balancing them as well. Vata, Pitta & Kapha are the 03 doshas which govern and maintain the health and wellness of our body. The Panchakarmas are also specialized to balance these individual doshas–like Vamana for balancing Kapha, Virechana for balancing Pitta, 02 types of Vastis for balancing Vata and Nasyam to balance the doshas in the head region.

As we observe, Virechanam is the treatment for cleansing vitiated pitta, and balance the pitta and various agnis. Like all the Panchakarma chikitsa, virechana is preceded by certain pre-therapy procedures which includes snehapana (internal) & external snehana & swedana (oleation & fomentation).

Snehapana is oral administration of comparitively big amount of sneha/oils or ghees (lipids) before the main procedure of cleansing. According to Ayurveda, sneha helps to get all the ama(free radicals), toxins and vitiated pitta dosha into the alimentary canal so that it can be evacuated easily during Virechana (purgation). Now we get to MAIN POINT–Will such quantities of sneha not have negative effects on the body–like increase in cholesterol etc.

Studies have been conducted on this topic and the following is the gist–Lipids (fats) are hydrophilic–so after administration of certain amount of Sneha, the cells get saturated with lipids and then by the process of osmosis, the fat gets transported to the plasma and into the digestive system. So any excess lipids or fatty acids along with ama and toxins come out of the cells and get collected in the digestive system. Later when virechana or purgation is given, easy elimination off toxins is observed. Gradual progressive intake of various snehas with proper diet protocols not only helps in bringing out the toxins and excessive fat but also helps in balancing the various vitiated doshas. Generally snehas used are processed with various medical herbs and therefore the therapeutic value is fortified. After internal oleation, external oleation and fomentation is also administered. External oleation with treatments like abhyangam, sarvangadhara etc using medicated oils help to improve the lymphatic circulation, thereby aiding in better elimination of toxins during the fomentation therapies through the skin. Liver as an organ helps in digestion of fats by breaking them into fatty acids. It also helps in elimination of toxins and free radicals. But whent eh liver is overloaded with toxins, the toxins also get packed with fat molecules and stored around the liver. Snehapana helps to loosen these fat and remove the toxins from the body as well.

The sneha and the medicines used in virechana help in bringing out the toxins intra cellular, extra cellular or that in the plasma to the digestive tract from where they can be easily eliminated. The snehas/lipids given during snehapana require/stimulate the liver to release more bile which serves as a means of excretion of several waste products from the body. It includes bilirubin (an end product of hemoglobin destruction ) and excesses of cholesterol synthesized by the liver cells.

After studying and observing all these effects, we can conclude that Virechana along with the pre-procedures and post procedures not only help in cleansing the body of toxins and balancing the vitiated doshas but also stimulate the liver, decrease the fat accumulated in the liver, and indirectly decrease the insulin resistance. All these benefits helps to cure as well as prevent various lifestyle disorders like obesity, diabetes and various hormonal imbalances. Liver the power-organ of the body gets completely cleasned, revitalised and rejuvenated by this simple effective Panchakarma process of virechana.

Do not self administer—-do consult an experienced ayurvedic physician for the complete benefits of this miraculous amazing therpy.

Clean Liver, Healthy liver, Happier you, Safer & healthier you.

#staysafe #stayhealthy

Ayurveda & Lifestyle Disorders

Weight gain, obesity, type 2 Diabetes, PCOD are some of the most commonly experienced disorder in our modern times. The ultra gadgeted sedentary lifestyle with the diet consisting of processed, nonseasonal foods and the most important high levels of professional, personal stress has given us the above disorders as gifts. The high levels of toxins that we load our bodies with is unimaginable. The body with its own cleansing mechanisms tries its best to remove all the toxins but finally it is a machine and like any other machine when overloaded beyond a limit it starts to slow down and finally stops. Regular cleansing and maintenance of this machinery is of utmost importance to maintain our health and wellness.

Ayurveda the ancient holistic science recognized many of these lifestyle disorders and also has explained treatment protocols for the same. The treatment protocols include both purificatory and pacificatory treatments with a huge stress on purificatory or cleansing therapies known as Panchakarma chikitsa.

Lifestyle disorders–Newton’s third Law states that every action has an equal & opposite reaction. This law holds good even in our present day especially in our lifestyle and the effects faced by us. In the primitive times when man was a hunter gatherer he used to walk, work & burn out the food which he used to consume. Even in stressed conditions the energy released could used for the fight or flight re instantly. This made sure that there is no accumulation of fat or disturbances in digestion as well. The toxins consumed also was very minimal because the air, water were pure and food was regional & fresh.

But in the present times, the lifestyle and diet has changed drastically. Man is no longer a hunter gatherer but has settled down in a particular area. He uses more of his brain rather than brawn. The energy consumed is lesser than physical jobs. The fast paced gadgeted lifestyle has made us sedentary. To top it is the processed, unseasonal dietary habits. In the modern times we ourselves do not know whether what we are eating is organic & fresh has been preserved with chemicals or with preservatives etc. Unhealthy, untimely, non-conscious eating habits combined with addictions to smoking, sweets, alcohol, aerated drinks leads to entry of immense toxins into the body. To top it all is the extensive stress in the professional & personal life of the modern age.

When the body is under stress it prepares itself for the fight & flight response by stimulating various organs to release hormones in turn release the glucose into the circulation for instant energy for the response. This immense amount of glucose has to be used up, if not the body converts it into fat and stores it in the body. In the modern times due to our method of reaction to stress and sedentary lifestyle this conversion of glucose to fat is on the higher rate. This fat gets accumulated on the various vital organs in the body leading to imbalance and disruption of their functions. To add to this fat accumulation is the overload of toxins entering our body through different means and routes. Food, thoughts, addictions and habits-are the means of toxins in our lifestyle. Pollution, processed & preserved fast foods, stress/negative emotions-are some of the unavoidable circumstances of entry of toxins.

Our human body is equipped with some of the best detoxifying organs which constantly throw out the toxins but of course they are also kind of machines. Just like any other machine, over a period of time due to overwork & overload of toxins, they start slowing down, over a period of time they stop. This causes accumulation of toxins. The liver cannot let the toxins into the circulation and so to protect the body it packs the toxins with fat molecules and starts accumulating the fats (fats are the last nutrient to be broken down). This accumulation of fat leads to various diseases and conditions.

The above mentioned are some of the main reasons for the lifestyle diseases like obesity, diabetes, hypertension, PCOS, infertility, cancer & so on.

Ayurveda believes that our body is made up of the same 05 elements in the nature. These elements combine to form 03 doshas or humors in the body which build, maintain and control systems and functions in the body. Any variations in the environment also effects the balance of the 03 doshas in the body.

While defining a disease, Ayurveda says a disease or a disorder is mainly due to the imbalance of the doshas. What causes the imbalance of doshas?? The doshas can be vitiated naturally due to age, seasons and other environmental features but are mainly vitiated by improper diet, sleep and lifestyle patterns of ours. The improper diet patterns, sedentary stressful lifestyle and irregular sleep patterns lead to vitiation of the digestive fire and doshas. The disturbance of digestive fire leads to formation of ama/free radicals in the body. This ama combines with the vitiated doshas and gets accumulated in the weak areas of the body. This later leads to various diseases. The increased ama gets accumulated int he form of fat in the body–the cause of most of the modern lifestyle diseases.

Ayurvedic Treatment protocol for Lifestyle diseases

The basic treatment protocol includes removal or cleansing the body of all the toxins and ama, rebalancing the vitiated doshas, rebalancing the various organ systems and the lifestyle to maintain the balance of doshas.

As mentioned above cleansing or removal of toxins and ama from the body is the most important treatment protocol. Ayurveda provides us one of the most effective cleansing and rebalancing set of treatments known as Panchakarma. The set of 05 cleansing therapies include Vamana (medicated emesis), Virechana (medicated purgation), 02 types of Vasti (medicated enemas) & Nasyam (medicated nasal therapy). Each of these help in removing the vitiated doshas in different parts of the body. Removal of toxins and ama makes sure that all the organs are stress free, the channels are open and the communication system of the body is working to its optimal level. The panchakarma cleansing therapies also helps in boosting the digestion and metabolism in the body. This boost in metabolism ensures that the balanced diet and any medication taken after the cleanse is absorbed by the body properly and nourishment & effect reaches the required organs correctly. Panchakarma cleanse also reduces the stress on various endocrine glands thereby rebalancing the hormones. This rebalance ensures reduction in weight and proper functioning of all other systems. Panchakarma cleanse rejuvenates, revitalizes, restarts, reboots all the organ systems in our body.

After a Panchakarma cleanse, Ayurveda advises detailed diet, lifestyle regimens along with internal medications and external therapies depending on the lifestyle disorder, some of the conditions might require. The post cleanse diet and lifestyle changes are very important especially in controlling lifestyle diseases.

Ayurveda also advises certain regimens like daily regimen, seasonal regimen, diet regimens and social regimen. These regimens give us in detail not only food according to our body type and imbalances but also explains in detail the various types of exercises, activities and stress relief techniques to be followed according to one’s body type and imbalances.

Obesity or weight gain being one of the major lifestyle disorders, Ayurvedic cleanses , diet, regimens & medicines help not only to loose weight but also balance the vitiated doshas, imbalanced hormones and thereby rejuvenate the body completely.

Ayurveda also be stresses on maintaining an emot9ional and psychological balance for preventing and curing of fvarious lifestyle disorders. Studies show that stress, sorrow, anger, and such other negative emotions have a major impact on our body systems especially the detoxifier–the liver leading to acuumu0lation of toxins, ama–later fat resulting in obesity. Stress is inevitable and therefore it is of utmost importance that we learn to manage our stress effectively. Ayurvedic treatments like #shirodhara, shiroabhyangam, padaabhyagam etc help reduce stress and relax the nerves and the body completely. Yoga also gives us various types of asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing techniques) and meditation techniques that help manage stress and relax ourselves. If the above techniques are not helpful, then one can take the assistance of trained hypnotherapists who can teach some self help tecniques like EFT, Self hypnosis, etc which will help handle anxiety, stress at day to day basis. Hadling stress, letting go of negative emotions on dzily basis and regularly managing them makes sure that our liver is fine and in turnour lifestyle is healthy as well.

Lifestyle in the modern day has changed and so have our habits. Ayurveda even though an ancient science provides us with various techniquesand solutions to reboot, restart, rejuvenate, relax and rebalance our lifestyle and body even in these modern times. Adopt our own ancestral sciences and keep healthy.

#staysafe #stayhealthy

Shirashoola/Headache–A better Ayurvedic perspective

Headache is one of the most common conditions, 75% of the people in the world from. Sometimes it seems that we realize the presence of various nerves and other areas in our head only when we get a headache. Diagnosing the causes and treating the root cause of the headache becomes very very important in today’s world to maximize the efficiency of the person in all fields of life. Ayurveda believes that three doshas/biohumors control and maintain the health and wellness in the body. Shiras is considered the main seat of various sub doshas and any imbalance in these leads to Shirashoola. Ayurveda treats the condition of Shirashoola by first diagnosing the root cause and imbalance, followed by various treatments which not only help to alleviate the symptoms but also balance the vitiated doshas. The cleansing and palliative therapies help in this process in Ayurveda. Ayurveda also advises various diet regimens, daily and seasonal regimens, and rejuvenation therapies to maintain health and wellness.

What is a headache? Medically, headache is the pain in the head area especially above the eyes and ears, occipital area etc. It can be unilateral or bilateral in nature. Generally, there is a trigger that stimulates the nerves in the head area/brain. this stimulation can be controlled by the brain to a certain extent but when the limit is crossed, the nerves get irritated and lead to severe pain in the various areas of the head and neck region. Depending upon the causative factor the pain is experienced in different areas of the head and neck region. Depending upon the causes headaches are divided largely into primary and secondary headaches. International Headache Society identifies around 150 types of headaches. Causes for headaches range from simple dehydration, fatigue, sleep deprivation, common cold, stress to complicated ones like effects of an overdose of medicines or drugs, withdrawal symptoms, viral infections, head injury, a sudden intake of cold foods or drinks, or even dental, sinus infections.

In modern medicine, the treatment of headaches mainly involves pain killers. The reason behind this is because the brain itself has no pain receptors and so cannot feel pain. The pain is felt in the area around the brain in the head and neck region which are rich in pain receptors. Therefore the main treatment step is to kill the pain or numb the pain receptors, thereby reducing the headache.

Let’s have a look at Ayurvedic viewpoint on this condition.

In Ayurveda, Shirashoola is considered both as a lakshana (symptom) and a vyadhi (disease). It is a disease when the imbalance of the doshas leads to headache/shirashoola. Shirashoola can also be a symptom of various systemic or psychological diseases. Identification of the root cause of the shirashoola is of utmost importance while treating headaches in Ayurveda.

Ayurveda has both purificatory and pacificatory treatment procedures for all types of conditions. Even for headache/shirashoola treatment, depending upon the root cause of the condition, therapies are planned and executed.

Ayurveda Panchakarma therapies or cleansing therapies help to remove the toxins from the body and balance the imbalance in various doshas. In the treatment protocol for headaaches, cleansing therapies like virechana-where the root cause of headache is digestive problems and Nasyam are very beneficial. Virechana helps to remove the excessive Pitta in the body and Nasyam or shirovirechana not only helps to remove the excessive kapha from the head and neck area but also helps to balance the vitiated vata dosha in the area. The treatment of nasyam can be used as both purificatory and pacificatory treatment. The medicines used for the pre-treatment facial massage and the herbal oil or juice or powder used for nasal application are decided by the Ayurvedic physician depending upon the root cause.

Now coming to pacificatory treatment-this includes external massage and therapies, internal medications, diet, and lifestyle changes. External therapies and massages include shiroabhyanga, shirodhara, pada abhyangam shiropichu and so on. Here the medicated oil used is decided by the physician according to the root cause of the headache. The physician would also suggest internal medications which help pacify any of the vitiated dosha, relax the various organ systems and reduce headaches. diet according to one’s body type and dosha vitiation is one of the most important aspects of treatment protocols in Ayurveda. Timely conscious consumption of a nutritionally balanced alkaline predominant diet with adequate intake of fluids is important to balance all the 03 doshas/humors of the body. Small changes or additions in our regular diet like the inclusion of certain spices in the salads or meals or as infusions is one of the easiest ways to balance the diet. Another important aspect of Ayurveda treatment protocol is lifestyle. Ayurveda suggests Dinacharya (daily regimen), Rtucharya (seasonal regimen), & Sadvritta (social regimen) maintain and rebalance the doshas in the body. Both daily regimen and seasonal regimen lay a large emphasis on consumption of regional seasonal food in our balanced diet, exercise according to one’s body type, and restful stress relief techniques.

Headache or shirashoola whether a disease or a symptom is very disturbing and painful. It constitutes to a large number of absenteeism in the professional line. Instead of treating it symptomatically, Ayurveda tries to find the root cause of the headache and provides purificatory or pacificatory treatments for permanent relief.

Adopt a healthy lifestyle and diet regimen. Stay safe, stay healthy.

Happy New Year 2022……Welcome the new year with lots of positivity and love!!!!!!

Hormonal imbalance–How does stress affect our hormone balance?

Modern lifestyle, the world and environment are overloaded with innumerable stressors. These affect all the living things on the Earth. Stress-a situation which disturbs the equilibrium between a living organism and its surrounding is unavoidable. All living organisms have their own mechanisms to overcome stress and re-balance the homeostatic equilibrium in the body. This holds good even for human beings but the process is quiet complicated with the involvement of several body systems. Nervous system and hormone system are the two main systems effected by the re-balancing action of the body while dealing with stress. Whether young or old, male or female, the hormones get into a state of severe imbalance when the body is continuously fighting internal and external stress. Ayurveda also considers stress as one of the important factors for the imbalance of vata element which later leads to the imbalance of other doshas as well. Let us just learn a bit more on which hormones are affected and how can we re-balance them as well as fight stress.

Stress response

Hormones are chemical messengers secreted by various endocrine glands in our amazing body. There are quiet a few of these glands but all are controlled by the ones in the brain–the pituitary and the pineal glands. These glands secrete the hormones which stimulates the other endocrine glands to secrete the essential hormones to perform the required function. The functions of the hormones are varied. They not only help in coordinating body’s functions starting from metabolism to growth, development, emotions, moods, intellect, sexual functions, sleep, fertility and reactions to stress.

So, how do hormones help us fight stress? All living things especially the animal kingdom react to stress/new external change in only two ways—-fight or flight. Both of these basic responses need several organs to function sharply and quickly. When stressed the master glands in our body stimulate the various other glands especially adrenal, thyroid, pancreas which release hormones that help increase blood supply to extremities, eyes etc, so that they can be ready to fight or run away from the situation; provide enough glucose to provide energy to the organs responsible and also maintain high levels of alertness and concentration. This is the necessity for all animals and was necessary when man was a hunter. But are the requirements same even NOW?

In the present day scenario, the stressors do not require the physical fight or flight response. Today’s stressors need more of thinking or mental work. But our body does not realize this scenario and stimulates the hormones as usual. But the glucose and energy are not utilized completely and get stored as fat in the body. Chronic, continuous such kind of stress means increased unnecessary stimulation of various glands and a flood of hormones in the blood stream. Over a period of time this unnecessary spikes of hormones make the glands fatigued leading to imbalance in their normal functions.

These hormonal imbalances lead to lot of illnesses and disruptions in the physical, physiological and psychological wellness. Simple illnesses starting from allergies, intolerance to complex lifestyle diseases like diabetes, obesity, infertility., are caused by hormonal imbalances. In the modern times there is an immense increase in the number of diseases caused by hormonal imbalance.

What does Ayurveda say about this process? According to Ayurveda, all our body functions and balance is maintained by the 03 doshas (biohumors)-Vata, Pitta and Kapha. These 03 biohumors control and maintain all the vital functions both involuntary and voluntary in our body. Each of these have specific functions viz., kapha dosha takes care of the nourishment and tissue build up in the body, Pitta dosha takes care of modification/transformation in the body and lastly Vata-the most important takes care of transportation or movement or transmission in the body.

Vata dosha and pitta dosha are the two main biohumors responsible for the endocrine or hormonal functions in the body. The release of stimulating hormones, the movement of hormones to the target gland and later to target organs is controlled by the vata element and the functioning of the hormones is controlled by the pitta element. When the body is under stress, both these biohumors..vata and pitta are affected. They go into an imbalanced state and thereby the tissues and organs they get in contact with are also affected. Since both vata and pitta both are imbalanced, the stimulation, production, transmission and functioning of the hormones are effected leading to severe dysfunction of both the hormone producing glands as well as the target organs.

Ayurveda believes that health is a balance of all the 03 doshas, all tissues, mind and soul. Achieving this balance means that the hormones are balanced as well. Ayurveda not only adopts symptomatic treatment in case of hormonal imbalances but stresses more on balancing the imbalanced doshas especially vata and pitta. Both cleansing and pacifying treatments are used for this purpose. Ayurveda also stresses on adapting different stress relief techniques like treatments (shirodhara, abhyanga etc) (https://www.vedicaayurveda.com/ ) , yoga exercises, pranayama & meditation techniques (https://yogavimoksha.com/) and also modern psychological/hypnotherapy techniques (EFT, Self hypnosis etc) (https://amruthasanjeevani.com/). The all round approach of treatment ensures the body recovers completely from the imbalance as well as stress factor is also relieved.

Stress is inevitable. Learning to live with it by adapting various lifestyle and diet regimens from Ayurveda and other life sciences helps us to maintain the re-balance our body and mind. This helps in rejuvenation and revival of Physical, Physiological, Emotional–in turn our Overall WELLNESS.

#Stafsafe #Stayhealthy

The Journey from Imbalance to Re-balance with Ayurveda

Be it Corona or the modern fast paced lifestyle or the environmental pollution–our lives have been thrown out of balance. This imbalance has affected all aspects of Our Wellness–Physical, physiological, psychological, social, financial or spiritual. Re-balancing the various aspects of life is very very important to make sure life goes on with energy and success. This journey from imbalance to re-balancing has been explained in detail in Ayurveda in the specialized branch known as Rasayana chikitsa. It lays a huge emphasis on cleansing the body thereby preventing illness and maintaining wellness. Here is just a peek into the pre and post conditions and the journey itself with the holistic science of Ayurveda.

What is Imbalance? What in our body goes into imbalance and how does it affect the body and the functions? Our body is made up of various types of cells and tissues forming various systems in combination. These systems perform innumerable functions non-stop 24*7 as long as we are alive. For this, the various organs secrete different types of chemicals and chemical messengers which help to maintain the homeostasis in the body. Any change in the internal or external environment of the body leads to imbalance of the homeostasis in the body. The natural response of the body is to perform actions to regain the homeostasis in the body. Our amazing body is equipped with the required systems and organs for this job. Just like any other machine, our body also requires regular cleaning and maintenance. Also when overloaded the systems start breaking down thereby leading to the path of illness. Like we spring clean our houses or do yearly maintenance of our equipment and vehicles, it is absolutely necessary to do a regular cleanse routine to our body, so that it can continue its regular functions normally.

Let us look at the Ayurvedic perspective. Ayurveda believes that being a part of this nature, human body is also made up of the same 05 natural elements. Any change in the equilibrium of these elements leads to change in equilibrium in the nature and also an imbalance in the body. Vata, Pitta & Kapha —the 03 basic humors made up of the natural elements balance, control and maintain the equilibrium in our body. These 03 humors are easily effected by various internal and external factors and can go into imbalance. When they go into imbalance they affect the surrounding tissues and systems leading to illness. Ayurveda defines health as a state of equilibrium of all the 03 doshas (humors), 07 Dhatus (tissues/systems), 03 malas (waste products) lodged in a body with happy soul, mind and senses.

Going by this definition, we can see that Ayurveda placed an immense emphasis on equilibrium of various humors, tissues and systems in the body and thereby cleansing therapies(shodhana chikitsa) is an important aspect of treatment protocol in Ayurveda.

The Ayurvedic cleansing journey is relaxing but intense, pleasant but also tiring sometimes. The 05 major cleansing procedures also known as Panchakarma chikitsa are the most important ones. An Ayurvedic physician would determine the prakriti /body type and the imbalance in a person before starting any of the cleansing therapies. This assessment is very very important because Panchakarma therapies can be done both seasonally and when required. When doing seasonally, our body’s natural cycle will have certain humors vitiated which can be balanced by relevant cleansing therapies. But while doing ad hoc, the assessment of vitiated dosha along with prakriti and season in very very important. Always consult an Ayurvedic doctor for this assessment.

Let’s continue the journey, once the assessment is completed, the physician decides on the therapy required, number of days, medications, treatments and diets to be followed. Every therapy Vamana (medicated emesis), Virechana (medicated purgation), Vastis (medicated enemas) or Nasyam (medicated nasal treatment) have a set of pre-procedures.

Pre-procedures generally include internal and external snehana (oleation) and fomentation treatments. Internal snehana uses medicated ghee/oils which help to bring out the ama and toxins from various parts and cells of the body to the cleansing route (digestive system). The physician chooses the medications according to the prakriti and the illness presented. The medicines also help to reduce the various symptoms of the illnesses. External snehana treatments help to improve lymph circulation thereby speeding up the cleansing and fomentation therapies help to open up the clogged skin pores thereby clearing the detox vents.

The next part of the journey is the main process of cleansing therapy. Depending upon the prakriti of the person and the dosha imbalance the physician administers the cleansing medication. In case of Vamana and Virechana the procedure is for only one day whereas in case of Vastis and nasyam it may range from 7 to 21 days. Diet during the cleansing process is very very important as it determines the load on the digestive system. The lesser the load the more effective the cleansing is as the energy is better used of cleansing. The cleansing is not only physical and physiological but also emotional. One may experience varied levels of mood swings and emotional outbursts during the cleansing journey. Make sure to have someone close who can support you during this journey.

Next part of the journey is post therapy process. This route generally includes transition of diet from light to normal, exercise schedule, medications for any particular ailment as the physician suggests. The process of diet transition from light diet to one’s normal diet (according to prakriti and illness) as suggested by the physician is very important. After a cleanse, the digestive system cannot be suddenly overloaded with normal food. If done so, the system will break down and one may end up with different illnesses.

This is the journey from illness to wellness with Ayurvedic cleansing therapies. As mentioned, this journey can be done during various seasons (according to natural variation in doshas) as a preventive care or can be done according to the disease (illness whenever required).

Arriving at the destination of this intense, tiring yet relaxing, rejuvenating journey, one gains immense benefits physically, physiologically and emotionally. It is like doing a system reboot on our devices. The entire system of our body restarts afresh and gets ready to face the day-to-day challenges of the hectic modern life.

Consult me on Whatsapp +917774902296 for any suggestions or a detailed consultation for various Panchakarma therapies.

Desserts when stressed? How to manage what we eat?

“It is not stress that kills us, it is our reaction it”–Hans Selye

A statement which is absolute truth but having said that we cannot prevent stress in the modern world. So it is necessary that we train ourselves to fight stress or train ourselves & our bodies to change the way stress is reacted to. Reaction to any kind of stress is similar in our body. Like all living things our body also has just 02 responses to any kind of stress–fight or flight. Both of these responses require high amount of energy which is provided by carbohydrates to our body. Therefore the body craves for sweets rich in carbohydrates. Since our body doesn’t make full use of these carbs in the modern times, it leads to various diseases and illnesses. Being an Ayurvedic doctor, how do I co-relate it to Ayurvedic principles? Its quite simple actually. According to Ayurveda, all nervous system functions and communications are managed by Vata (air) element in our body. When stressed naturally vata goes into a hyper mode and prolonged stressful periods leads to vitiation of vata element. Anyways, Ayurveda mentions that high carbs diet and sweet foods help to reduce the vitiated Vata and thereby our body craves for sweet comforting desserts when stressed.

Stress is inevitable in the modern world and lifestyle. So how do we manage? More importantly how does stress effect the body, how does the body maintain homeostasis and what can we do to help the body maintain the balance? These are some simple but important questions about stress and our body. Let us try to get some simple answers to these queries. Shall we? Don’t get STRESSED………..

Stress is the most common reaction of any living organism on this Earth to sudden changes around them. The reaction of the body/cells results in physical, physiological, psychological changes/responses. These responses affect the various systems in our body and prepare them to face the change/stress. The two main responses to any stressful situation is fight and flight responses. For all organisms and for main in olden days, these two responses required huge amount of energy. This high amount of energy is released by carbohydrates or glucose in the body. This need of sudden energy and glucose makes our body crave for sweets high in sugars. This is the natural process for the body. The energy released would be used up for fighting or running away from the changed situation. But in the present world/scenario, our bodies do not require this large amount of energy released by our organs and so the excess sugars are converted to fats and stored in our bodies. This storage of fats leads to various conditions like obesity, diabetes, arthritis and so on.

The above mentioned are the so called lifestyle disorders mainly caused by poor stress management and also our fast paced unhealthy diet and lifestyle. So it becomes highly important for us to learn to effectively manage our stress and also make sure that our body systems do no suffer during the process. According to Ayurveda, all kinds of nervous functions, movements and emotions are largely controlled by Vata (air) element. When stressed, vata element goes into imbalance which leads into uncontrolled movements of nerve impulses and other chemical messengers in the body. This uncontrolled movement effects the other two humors as well leading to overall illness condition. There is also severe dryness which is caused due to imbalance in vata element. The body feels tired, malnourished and weak, therefore it craves for nourishing, comforting and easily digestible foods which are mainly simple sugars and foods made of sugars.

So these are some of the reasons why desserts comfort us when stressed. How do we get our this vicious circle of stress and illness and achieve health & wellness?

As discussed before, stress or stressful situations are unavoidable. Let us see how various techniques help us to manage stress better:

1. Vata Pacifying diet & Lifestyle: Ayurveda advises a vata pacifying diet and lifestyle to help a person manage stress effectively. Sweet, sour and salty foods help balance vata elements. So when stressed, it would be highly beneficial to have a sweet salt lemon juice or an orange juice or an orange etc instead of binging on sugary desserts. Carrying some dry fruits or amla (Indian gooseberry-fresh or dry) or an orange in your bag will help avoid the craving for sugary desserts. Deep breathing exercises, light relaxing exercises, meditation etc helps to balance the vitiated vata dosha. Ayurvedic treatments like Shirodhara, Abhyangama, foot massage etc helps to relieve stress and balance vata element. www.vedicaayurveda.com
2. Avoid all kinds of stimulants: When stressed, a cup of coffee, a glass of wine or alcohol or a cigarette is what everybody wants to grab along with sugary desserts. But this is the worst mistake. Stimulants only create more stress for the various body systems as they try to stimulate the body to work better. This leads to further disturbance in the body. So when stressed try and find healthier options like fresh fruit juices or green teas or infusions which can not only help balance the various imbalances in the body but also balance the various hormone levels as well. Another major stimulant people get addicted to is nicotine or tobacco. Cigarette or e-cigar or nicotine gums or tobacco chewing also has severe stimulating effects leading to imbalance of various doshas and body systems. One should try to stop this particular addiction. Using ayurvedic dhuma varthis or infusions or green teas can be one of the method to stop smoking or chewing tobacco.
3. Learn and practice Stress Management techniques: Stress management techniques are various simple methods which can be practiced by self. Yoga teaches us techniques like pranayama, meditation etc which when practiced regularly help not only to reduce the stress but also aids in getting ways to ease oneself out of changed situations as well. Pranayama or breathing provides large amounts of elixir or oxygen to our body which is highly required to manage stressful situations. There are also techniques like EFT, EET, Self hypnosis learnt from experts www.amruthasanjeevani.com aids in managing our emotions especially when stressed. Anger, grief, jealousy, are some of the common emotions which come up when stressed. The self help techniques mentioned above help us to achieve freedom from these emotions and thereby situations can be handled effectively.
4. Finally, some simple effective tips for stress management..……

• Sip water regularly-water especially with a slice of lemon if sipped regularly through the day will not only provide hydration, Vit C but also will balance vata dosha effectively.
• Time management-work life balance is very very important. Learning to manage the time (24hrs) each day is essential. Planning day by day will give one an idea of how much time is on work, how much on self and how much on friends and family. This will also help in being prepared for any charge in situation.
• Self care-maintaining an assertive positive attitude along with knowing ones own abilities and limitations is an essential part to manage stressful situations.
• Learn to express yourself- Being able to express one’s own emotions and ideas in all situations helps in handling stress much better, but it does not mean that one should show their anger or grief in public. Emotions can be vented out by writing diary or recording or shouting out in empty spaces or even exercising.
• Treat yourself to healthy snacks-Last but not the least, make sure to stock your office drawers or kitchen cabinet with dry fruits, nuts and seeds, or fresh fruits. This helps the body to get the required energy and not crave for those DESSERTS when STRESSED.

So Everyone, enjoy your Desserts with family and friends and not when Stressed………..#Staysafe #Stayhealthy