Ayurvedic Cure & Prevention by Herbal Medicines

Ayurvedic Diets for a better body

2009-11-29T03:06:00.000-08:00

Ayurveda has divided all kind of diseases and medical conditions into three types of Dosha or Body Types i.e Vata, Pita and Kapha and accordingly diets are also divided into three categories. Vata type body usually have slender figure, with their bones protruding at joints. They are quick moving and are constantly on the move, therefore, tasks like simple organization and keeping the household in order becomes a challenge for them. Their mind wanders, frustration sets in and things become difficult to manage. Vata can be prone to depression, especially if they become submissive. Since Vata is air and movement, it is vital for them to be active. But activity for Vata people must be arranged in a focused calm manner, or the activities will lead to anxiety. Focused, constructive activities can lift their spirits and spark the creative fire, that is so very important for their well being. Most Vata people chew their nails, crack their knuckles, and are usually seen moving their hands and feet in a nervous or quick manner.

Vata balancing fooods are: Fruits - Apricots, Avocado, Mango, Bananas, Berries, Dates, Fresh Figs, Grapefruit, Grapes, Kiwi, Lemons, Melon, Oranges, Papaya, Peaches, Pineapple, Plums, Strawberries. Sweet fruits are balancing. No dried fruits. Vegetables - Artichoke, Asparagus, Beets, Carrots, Cucumber, Green Beans, Leeks, Mustard Greens, Okra, Olives, Onion, Parsnip, Potato, Squash, Watercress, Zucchini. Cooked vegetables are most balancing. Avoid raw vegetables.Grains - Amaranth, Oats, Rice, Wheat, Wild Rice. Herbs, Spices, Condiments - Brown Rice Syrup, Honey, Maple Syrup, Molasses, other sweeteners than White Sugar, Allspice, Almond Extract, Anise, Basil, Bay Leaf, Black Pepper, Caraway, Cardamom, Cayenne, Chamomile, Cinnamon, Cloves, Coriander, Coconut, Cottage Cheese, Cumin, Dill, Fennel, Garlic, Ghee, Ginger, Mustard, Nutmeg, Onion, Oregano, Parsley, Peppermint, Poppy Seeds, Rosemary, Sage, Spearmint, Spirulina, Tamarind, Tarragon, Thyme, Pickles, Salt, Seaweed, Soy Sauce, Turmeric, Vanilla. Dairy - Buttermilk, Cow's Milk, Cheese, Goat's Milk, Goat Cheese, Yogurt. All in moderation

Pita Body Type is a mixture of the water and fire (the Agni and Jal Mahabhootas). Imagine water and fire in co existence, it is close to a strong acid or to a strong alkali. So are Pitta people, strongly acidic in nature that can burn anyone with their wits or leave many expressionless by their words. Born with wisdom they are soft at heart and they also think a lot. The fire part enrages their anger anytime and water flows out of their eyes as soon as they are hurt. They become anxious easily. They have good moral values within them and this makes them more sensitive. Sensitivity coupled with anger is hard to control. They can fire anytime but when they are at peace with their minds they are hard to win.

PITTA Balancing Foods are: Fruit - Apples, Avocado, Berries, Dates, Figs, Grapes, Mango, Melons, Pears, Pineapples, Plums, Pomegranate, Prunes, Raisins, Watermelon. Sweet fruits are balancing. Sour fruits are aggravating. Vegetables - Artichoke, asparagus, bell pepper, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cucumber, celery, green beans, leafy greens, mushrooms, okra, parsley, parsnip, peas, potatoes, squash, sprouts, zucchini. Sweet and bitter vegetables are balancing. Grains - Barley, Cooked Oats, Basmati Rice, White Rice, Wheat, Wheat Bran, Wheat Granola are balancing. Amaranth, Buckwheat, Millet, Oat granola, Quinoa, Brown Rice and Rye are aggravating. Legumes and Nuts - All beans except black and red lentils are balancing, such as adzuki beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, soy beans, split peas and tofu. Coconut, psyllium, pumpkin and sunflower are balancing. Almonds, Brazil Nuts, Cashews, Chia, Filberts, Flax, Macadamia Nuts, Peanuts, Pecans, Pine Nuts, Pistachios and Sesame are aggravating. Herbs, Spices and Condiments - Maple Syrup, Fruit Juice Concentrate, Barley Syrup, Brown Rice Syrup, and other sweeteners except for honey and molasses, Coconut, Coriander, Cumin, Dill Fennel, Ghee, Mint, Orange Peel, Peppermint, Saffron, Seaweed, Spearmint, Sprouts, Turmeric, Wintergreen are balancing. Chili peppers, Garlic, Ginger, Horseradish, Ketchup, Mustard, Lemon, Mayonnaise, Onions, Pickles, Salt, Sesame Seeds, Soy Sauce and Tamari are aggravating. Dairy - Butter (unsalted), Cottage Cheese, Mild Soft Cheeses, Ghee, Cow's Milk, Goats Milk are balancing. Salted butter, Buttermilk, Hard Cheese, Feta Cheese, Sour Cream and Yogurt are aggravating

Kapha Body Type is derived from the basic elements of earth and water. These elements literally have the characteristics of being heavy, stable, cool, oily and smooth and these are the best characteristics of all the elements in nature. In fact, the very nature of stability of earth and water elements, imparts an amazing strength to Kapha individuals, both physically and psychologically. The qualities of Kapha are comparable to that of the Mother Earth , peaceful, fertile, calm, balanced and steady. Thus, Kapha individuals are deep rooted and down to earth. Kapha reflects the contentment and peaceful nature of the bovine cow and the primordial elephant. However, when these qualities become imbalanced it can lead to laziness, lethargy, over possessiveness and stubbornness. Kapha individuals may tend to indulge in excess when it comes to food, especially those of sweet, fried or creamy nature; therefore, they need to be aware, if their choice is over-dominated by foods that are too sweet or too oily, like fried food, sugar or refined carbohydrates, than it can result in diseases like diabetes and obesity

Kapha Balancing Foods: Fruit - Apples, Apricots, Berries, Cherries, Cranberries, Dried Figs, Mango, Peaches, Pears, Pomegranate, Prunes, Raisins. Sweet fruits such as bananas and dates are aggravating, as are sour fruits such as lemons, sour oranges and grapefruit. Vegetables - Asparagus, Beets, Beet Greens, Bell Pepper, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Eggplant, Garlic, Green Beans, Horseradish, Leafy Greens, Leeks, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Okra, Onions, Parsley, Peas, Peppers, Potatoes, Spinach, Sprouts, Turnips, Watercress. Raw, pungent and bitter vegetables are balancing. Sweet, juicy vegetables are aggravating. Grains - Amaranth, Barley, Buckwheat, Corn, Granola, Millet, Oats, Oat Bran, Quinoa, Basmati Rice, Rice Cakes, Rye and Wheat Bran are balancing. Cooked Oats, Brown or White Rice, and Wheat are imbalancing. Herbs, Spices and Condiments - allspice, Anise, Basil, Black Pepper, Caraway, Cardamom, Cayenne, Cinnamon, Cloves, Coriander, Cumin, Dill, Fenugreek, Garlic, Ginger, Horseradish, Mint, Mustard Seeds, Nutmeg, Onion, Oregano, Paprika, Parsley, Peppermint, Poppy Seeds, Rosemary, Sage, Spearmint, Star Anise, Tarragon, Thyme, Turmeric, Wintergreen are balancing. Dairy - Ghee, Goats Milk and Diluted Yogurt (diluted 1:4 yogurt:water) are balancing. Butter, Cheese, Buttermilk, Cow's Milk, Ice Cream, Sour Cream and Yogurt are aggravating

Yoga for Children to improve their health & immunity

2009-10-10T21:00:00.000-07:00

Well, no need to start the post highlighting the importance of exercising our bodies to remain fit for a longer perios, so I will not spend time on this. The point I am making in this post is that not only adults but children also need to exercise their bodies right from beginning so that they beome more fit and obviously for longer time. In today's world of video games, television and excessive internet surfing, the normal exercises that children used to do while playing field games went missing from their schedule and it is more pertinent for them to formally start doing these yogic exercises so that the balance in body remains positive. In addition, this will also develop natural inclination of children towards Yoga and hence will increase health conciousness in them.

As other field games, the fun factor is not missing from these yogic games though I agree that these can not be compared to the field games as those are multi player and maulti faceted games as compared to Yogic exercises but still there is enough fun factor in these to keep the children glued to them as their daily routine. Yoga also boosts the metabolism of the body and provides a natural calmness in mind. This is particularly beneficial for the children, most of whom possess a hyperactive or hypoactive nature these days.

I will recommend following exercises for the children to start with:

Vir-asana - this yogasana helps the kid to build the confidence
Pranayam - this hugely popular and useful breathing exercise(s) helps a lot in mental relaxation and the child will feel much more refreshened up(and this is without the dose of a fizzy cold drink that makes the brain dizzy)
Simh-asana - this instlls fearlessness and confidence in child
Swastik-asana - to provide them a feeling of security from all worldly emotional pains like exams, sadness due to a fight with a friend etc.
Trataka Karma - this enhances the concentration levels of children and also helps boost their memory

A child can be re-energized with yogic exercises like Surya Namaskar like I mentioned in my earlier posts on this. Also helpful are Bhramari, Hal-asana and Karnapid-asana to boost their overall growth.

Dejection and lack of confidence are common among children today, due to the intense competition which they have to face. Some of the yoga poses that help them regain their confidence and become competitive include Marichi-asana, Pash-asana, Bharadvaj-asana, Rangachikitsa etc.

Yoga: Surya Namaskar - Benefits and Positions...Part 2

2009-09-30T01:51:00.000-07:00

Let us talk today about the rest of the 6 positions of Surya Namaskar. Remember that it is important to do all 10 positions of Surya Namaskar ot attain maximum benefits.

Let me start with Position 4: Hold the breath and raise the knee of left leg. Take the right leg backwards and keep it close to the left leg. Straighten both the legs and both hands. Keep the neck straight and site fixed. Keep both the toes erect. Take care that the neck, spine, thighs and the feet are in a straight line.