|
Ayurvedic Insight
Issue #9, June 2002
In this Issue
Ayurvedic Diet Tips to Keep You Cool and Calm this Summer
Summer is the season of pitta, the body’s fire principle. Pitta’s
qualities are hot, light, mobile, sharp, and oily. It governs the
heat in the body and it is primarily responsible for digestion, perception
and intelligence.
Because pitta shares many of the same qualities as summer, it is
more common for our bodies and minds to suffer from conditions resulting
from aggravated pitta during the summer months. As it gets hotter,
pitta-type physical imbalances such as inflammations, infections,
skin irritations, hyperacidity, heat rashes and diarrhea are more
common and pitta-type emotional imbalances such as impatience, anger
and intolerance are experienced more often.
Simple adjustments in our diet and lifestyle will help us avoid these
conditions and maintain a state of balance.
As a general rule, select foods and drinks that are naturally sweet,
bitter and/or astringent. Limit or avoid things that are pungent,
salty and sour especially: hot spices (such as cayenne, garlic, dry
ginger, mustard seed and hing), breads that contain yeast, fermented
foods, caffeine and alcohol.
- Drink six to eight glasses of cool water per day. In Ayurveda,
it is believed that extremely cold or iced drinks extinguish the digestive
fire. For optimum health, it is best to take all drinks cool, warm
or at room temperature.
- Enjoy sweet fruits like apples and berries rather than sour or
citrus fruits.
- Eat plenty of sweet and bitter vegetables like cucumbers, spinach,
celery and zucchini rather than pungent veggies like raw onions, hot
peppers and tomatoes.
- Choose white, wild or basmati rice rather than brown rice and
go for quinoa, barley and bran rather than rye, corn and millet.
- If you can tolerate dairy products, use ghee, cow’s milk,
goat’s milk, unsalted butter and unsalted cheese. Ice cream
is ok, on occasion. If you are prone to congestion or weight gain
it may be better to avoid it. Sour cream, buttermilk, and salted dairy
products are not recommended, especially during the summer.
- If you eat animal products, do so moderately, and try to limit
it to the white meat of chicken or turkey, freshwater fish or egg
whites.
- Use an abundance of cooling spices like cilantro and fennel. Avoid
heating spices like cayenne, chili peppers and mustard seeds. Fresh
ginger is ok, but do not use dried ginger. Sprinkling coconut on foods
is also a cooling treat.
- If you eat nuts, choose almonds. Soak and peel them for healthiest
results.
- If you drink alcohol, choose beer and dry white wine, in moderation.
- Chamomile, dandelion, fennel, licorice and mint teas are best.
Coffee and yerba mate are not recommended. If you drink coffee, add
cardamom as an antidote.
Dr. Welch Answers your Questions on Men's Health
Dear Dr. Welch:
Q: While my libido is strong and my energy pretty good, I have experienced
difficulty in achieving erections over the last seven or so years.
A long-term relationship was ending at that time and I have been in
and out of several relationships since. I don’t know if these
are related or not, but I have also had a few urinary tract infections.
I wonder if Men’s Support would help or if there are other remedies
that Ayurveda would recommend?
A: If energy and desire are there but the body isn’t responding,
there is most likely some obstructed energy. The fact that you have
experienced urinary tract infections as well, supports this possibility,
because when energy is blocked it can cause discomfort anywhere in
the general neighborhood.
To illustrate this, you can imagine a river suddenly dammed in one
spot. The displaced water upstream from the dam will flow indiscriminately
into any local areas that permit. If these pools stagnate, bacteria
may flourish, debris may accumulate and the environment becomes unhealthy.
The longer the obstruction is in place the more debris accumulates.
Meanwhile, downstream from the dam, a habitat now deprived of water,
may wither; or at least not flourish as it had.
In the same way, if free-flowing energy (prana) in the body is blocked
long enough, trouble may arise. What begins as energetic stagnation
may lead to a physical mass or obstruction, because the stagnant energy
does not clear it away. There may be an increased likelihood of infections
or inflammations because, as energy and heat are closely related,
if the one stagnates, the other builds. And, “downstream”
from the obstruction, the tissues that were once saturated are not
as well nourished and can experience flaccidity, weakness or numbness.
So, removing the energetic or physical “dam” or obstruction
is the best remedy. Physically, two powerful tools to move energy
are breath and movement. Breathing deeply into the abdomen, so that
the abdomen expands on the inhale and relaxes on the exhale can be
a simple and effective medicine. You can get further direction on
this from many yoga teachers. Yoga itself can be a practical medicine;
focusing on postures that open the hips and encourage energy to move
freely in the urogenital tract.
Emotionally, it may be useful to look at physical and emotional intimacy
in your life and address this if there is stagnation or discomfort.
Yoga and breathing may also be helpful here, as well as counseling,
healthy communication or meditation.
“Men’s Support” is not contraindicated for you,
but will be more beneficial in cases where low energy or low libido
accompany erectile dysfunction. In other words, if there is no “dam”
but there’s just not enough water in the river in the first
place. (Not enough vital energy in the reproductive organs).
“Gokshuradi Guggulu” might be a better choice for you
as it is a traditional remedy to help remove obstruction in the urogenital
tract.
“Triphala” would probably be beneficial because it stimulates
apana vayu, the downward moving energy in the body and so can help
discourage stagnation. If there is nervousness or confusion associated
with sex, “Tranquil Mind” or “Mental Clarity”
may be beneficial.
Q: I have a two-part question. The first part is, I am losing my
hair and I’ve heard that this can be due to excess Pitta or
heat. I’ve heard that applying Bhringaraj oil may help, but
how effective have you actually found this? Secondly, my overall vitality
feels low and I thought that “Men’s Support” would
be good for that, but is it possible that because of the heating herbs
in it, it will aggravate Pitta?
A: Sushruta writes that anointing the head with oil (abhyanga) is
a good cure for the affections of the head. It makes the hair grow
luxuriantly, and imparts thickness, softness and a dark gloss to them.
It soothes and invigorates the head and the sense-organs and removes
the wrinkles of the face.” (Sushruta Samhita, Vol. 2, ch 24:13-14)
I have found Bhringaraj oil to be extremely useful for reducing hair
loss in both men and women, even when Pitta is not their dominant
Prakriti or Vikriti. It is not unusual for hair loss to occur with
any constitution because, since heat rises, it is not surprising that
Pitta can tend to accumulate in the scalp.
Generally, I recommend to my patients that they apply lukewarm oil
to the scalp and massage it in with circular, shampooing motions and
leave it on overnight. If they tend to be cold, I recommend that they
wear a nightcap to avoid getting chilled. Some of my patients are
not comfortable leaving the oil on overnight but have found very nice
results with leaving it on for an hour, under a shower cap and then
washing the hair. Both the quality and the quantity of hair often
begin to improve within a month.
I have seen that hair loss accompanies low kidney energy as often
as it is a symptom of excess Pitta, and I would suspect this is true
in your case, as you are experiencing low energy. “Men’s
Support” has a fairly neutral energetic (is neither too heating
nor too cooling) and so can increase your vitality and stamina without
increasing Pitta. Brahmi and bhringaraj are both major ingredients
of “Mental Clarity” and can encourage balanced Pitta in
the head and emotions as well. You might try the following regime
for three months to see improvement:
- Pitta reducing diet
- Avoid yoga postures that bring blood to the head, like headstands
- Avoid excessive thinking. If you need to maintain an extended
period of concentration, take frequent breaks, close your eyes,
place the palms of your hands gently over your eyes and breathe
deep into your abdomen.
- Mental Clarity: 2 tablets, 3x/day
- Men’s Support: 2 tablets, 3x/day
- Apply Bhringaraj oil to the scalp at bedtime and leave on overnight
Claudia Welch is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine and a practitioner
of Ayurvedic medicine. She began her study of Ayurveda in 1987 under
the supervision of her mentor, Dr. Robert Svoboda. She worked at the
Ayurvedic Institute with her teacher, Dr. Vasant Lad, for seven years.
She has a busy private practice in Albuquerque.
If you have a question please contact Melissa@banyanbotanicals.com
or to arrange a phone consultation with Dr. Welch, she can be reached
through:
North Valley Acupuncture
7120 4th St. NW
Albuquerque, NM 87107
505.899.7095
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
John Douillard, D.C.
In Ayurveda, Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is classified as
an imbalance of one of the three vital parts; the head, heart or pelvis.
More specifically, vata in the colon and reproductive organs gets
aggravated and rises upwards, leaving the prostate depleted.
Caraka Samhita points out a few of the major causes of this condition:
suppression of natural urges, fasting, excessive exercise, excessive
intercourse, too much astringent, bitter, and pungent foods, wine
and meat in excess.
The most common reason for the high prevalence of this disorder
in the west is probably the excessive amount of sexual activity (which
is often mistaken as a normal/typical indulgence in this society).
Too much sex will result in a depletion of semen. Without an adequate
reserve of sperm, the prostate inflames as the demand for sperm is
excessive. This inflammation of the normal channels of circulation
leads to the chronic condition of prostatic hypertrophy.
Blockage in the channels that control the reproductive organs can
cause pain in testicles or the penis, painful intercourse, premature
ejaculation, excessive sex drive and an enlarged prostate. When these
are blocked then they will in turn block the lymphatic and water-carrying
channels, leading to retention and difficulty in urination. In Ayurvedic
terms, the obstruction and rising of vata causes pain and difficulty
in urination as well as retention of urine.
In the case of prostatic hypertrophy, the reproductive organs are
where the body dumps the impurities of the blood. Because of the lymphatic
and urinary blockages, the impurities have no way out through normal
channels, and thus deposit into and inflame susceptible organs. Depending
on body type, diet, and genetic predisposition, the prostate can commonly
be affected.
Dietary Guidelines
In general, one suffering from BPH should avoid garlic, onions,
and alcohol. Because of both the impure and hot blood, treatment would
have to incorporate both a vata and pitta-balancing approach.
Follow the pitta diet if the following associated factors apply:
heartburn, acidity, yellow urine and stools, reddish whites of eyes,
anger, skin rash, crave sugar, loose stools, and an aversion to heat.
Follow the vata diet if the following factors apply: low back pain,
constipation or incomplete elimination, dry skin, sleep disturbance,
fear and anxiety.
This article has been edited and revised for the Ayurvedic Insight.
To read this article in full or to learn more about Ayurveda or Dr.
John Douillard, please go to www.lifespa.com.
You can also reach Dr. Douillard via:
John Douillard's LifeSpa
6666 Gunpark Dr E #102
Boulder, CO 80301
303.516.4848
Balanced By Banyan Botanicals has
been created in response to the innumerous calls and emails we have
received from clients who have achieved greater health through the
use of our products and services. We have happily shared them at staff
meetings and posted them on our company bulletin board. Now, we proudly
pass them along to you - hoping to inspire you on your journey toward
improved health and ever-increasing happiness.
Balanced By Banyan Botanicals
From time to time - and your site gave a perfect explanation, why
it's so unexplainable - I get a boil. My doctor told me to start applying
ice as soon as I feel one starting and that will prevent it from developing
fully. This method has worked for years, however it takes a lot of
time, it's cumbersome and painful.
When I came across the Ayurvedic information - after having checked
some other chemical remedies offered online - it made perfect sense.
I very much liked the idea of an herbal supplement so I ordered Blood
Cleanse. I kept on with my freezing ritual in the meantime, praying
that the tablets would arrive soon. A couple of days after my order
a nasty pimple started developing on my chin. I could practically
see it getting redder, very tender and harder by every passing hour.
Blood Cleanse could not arrive too soon.
When it arrived I thought both my boil and my zit were way beyond
help. I didn't have anything to lose so I took 2 tablets 3 times the
first day and 1 tablet 3 times the following day, cutting down to
two a day for the rest of the week. The pimple never developed fully,
withdrew and disappeared completely without leaving a sign within
three days. The redness and tenderness was gone by the next day, my
boil stopped aching and was gone in about two days. I have never seen
anything work so fast.
A woman I work with started having a sore on her upper lip and was
ready to put up with it for a couple of weeks. I gave her some of
my now prized Blood Cleanse tablets Friday and her lip showed but
a faint reminder of the sore by Monday. I surely don't need any further
evidence. I still take 2-3 tablets a week, just to maintain a clear
complexion.
No more freezing rituals either and for this I really thank you!
Gabriella F.
Houston, Texas
Recipe: Sinfully Delicious Rice Pudding
A lovely, light, elegant dish, worthy of honored company. It is based
on the saffron milk popular in India. Replacing cow’s milk with
goat’s milk and sweetening with honey seems a perfectly tasty
way to balance kapha, perhaps with a pinch of dry ginger to cut the
sweet. Use any of the sweeteners except honey if you want to calm
pitta.
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup basmati rice, uncooked
- 3 cups cow’s milk
- 1/8 teaspoon saffron
- 15 cardamom seeds
- 3-5 tablespoons brown rice syrup, honey or maple syrup (depending
how sweet you like it)
- Garnish: 2 teaspoons organic lemon peel, grated and 2 tablespoons
toasted unsweetened shredded coconut
Wash the rice until the water is clear. Combine the rice, milk, saffron,
and cardamom seeds in the top of a double boiler. Cover and cook (with
water in the bottom or your double boiler) over low heat for 1 hour.
While it is simmering, you can toast the coconut in a dry skillet
if you like, unless you have happened upon a source of pre-toasted
unsweetened coconut. It just takes a few minutes, stirring occasionally
so it does not get too brown. Let it cool. When the rice is done,
stir in the sweetener and top with lemon and coconut. Serve hot or
cold.
COMMENTS: Barley malt, rice bran syrup, sorghum, and maple syrup
are all cool, heavy and moist: good for vata and pitta, to be avoided
by kapha. Brown rice syrup is a good choice if you are looking for
a sweetener without much flavor of its own; it distracts least from
the taste of a dish compared to the other syrups.
Prana
A Monthly Interview With Certified Yoga Instructor, Chitra Giauque
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE NAMES OF POSES
AI: Hi Chitra. I’ve often wondered about the significance of
the names of poses, could you explain that a little bit?
Chitra: Well, thousands of years ago, when yoga postures were cognized,
the benefits were clearly considered before they received their names.
Each pose has a functional and structural relationship with a corresponding
symbol in nature. When we are in a pose, we can tap into the benefits
of what the yogi saw by aligning ourselves the way the animal or object
would.
AI: Could you give me an example.
Chitra: Sure. Let’s take the camel pose. The pose itself resembles
the hump on the camel. The function of the hump on the camel is to
hold water. In the same way, the pose functions to tone the organs
that hold bodily fluids; it tones the kidneys and bladder, strengthens
the reproductive system and is related to the second chakra –
which is related to the water element and emotion.
During a woman’s cycle, there is a natural increase in fluids;
this pose helps balance PMS, mood swings and even peri-menopausal
symptoms. It also opens the chest, so it is beneficial for those with
excess kapha (fluid or stagnation) in the heart or lungs. With proper
use of the breath, this pose can ameliorate congestion and weakness
and alleviate stagnation.
AI: Amazing. Can you explain how another pose took its name?
Chitra: O.k. Let’s look at tree pose -- If you look at how
trees move, they are not really static, in the wind they are moving
with it…they respond to what is in their environment. And the
same with balancing poses, it is never a moment of stasis, but it’s
always a moment of silence b/w two poles on a spectrum, a continuum.
Balance is always relative to what’s happening around us, and
how the elements and environment are shifting and how we hold ourselves
or shift ourselves in response. With yoga asanas, even though it may
seem that we are in a static pose, we are really in more of a flow
as we attempt to achieve balance.
Tree pose brings a real awareness of how we are rooted into the earth.
When we are in that pose, we can feel how we are connected to the
earth – whether or not we are feeling balanced. As we’re
trying to balance on that leg, we are rooted through our foot and
similar to the trunk of a tree, our torso and lower body keep us centered.
If we are stable in the pose, it is easier to extend up towards the
heavens with our arms (like branches of the tree). In the same way,
in life, it is much easier to reach for the heavens when we already
have that feeling of being rooted deeply in the earth. This pose helps
us bring it all into one moment…effortlessly.
AI: Ok, how about one last one.
Chitra: Sure. Let’s look at peacocks, known for their incredible
digestive systems. It is said that they can swallow poison and it
won’t affect them. Similarly, peacock pose brings incredible
strength to the digestive system. The body can assimilate more and
risk exposure to common toxins with less severe side-effects.
To wrap it up, the poses re-calibrate, re-set where we are and move
us back into balance. They help us adapt to our environment easily
and efficiently. So, pay attention to the names of the poses. If you
consider how and why the pose got its name, you will more than likely
know how to posture yourself so that you can reap the full benefits
of the pose…both on and off the yoga mat.
Chitra is a certified breema bodyworker and private therapeutic yoga
instructor based in Albuquerque, NM. She is on staff at the Ayurvedic
Institute and New Mexico Sports and Wellness. If you are interested
in a private session, Chitra can be reached at 505.323.8023.
Return to newsletter index. |
