As we saw in the last article, healthy sugar metabolism requires optimal functioning of numerous organs and tissues which produce the hormones necessary to regulate glucose as fuel in the body: pancreas, liver, intestines, and nervous system. Bringing Ayurveda into the picture, kapha must primarily be balanced, supplying relief to any imbalanced vata and pitta, allowing for proper digestion, usage, and production of glucose in the body.
A 38-year-old female comes to see you because of fatigue and trouble sleeping at night. On taking a further history, you find out that she is waking 2–3 times at night to urinate, and this is not allowing her to get restful sleep. She also reports constantly feeling thirsty throughout the day. She is a real estate agent working long hours, so she spends a lot of time in her car, and often gets fast food meals on the run. On examination, you find her to be a pitta-kapha individual, overweight, with no other significant findings. Her family history includes a father with diabetes and a mother with arthritis. Which of the following recommendations would you be least likely to give at this time?
A 59 year-old (prakriti vata-pitta) corporate executive male comes to you seeking optimal health. On your evaluation, you notice he has a reddened complexion, his skin is warm to touch, and his waist circumference is increased at 111 cm. He mentions a very stressful job, with demanding hours, which leads to a poor diet. He also shares that lying on his back and taking deep breaths helps when his stress is very high. What herb are you most likely to incorporate in the formula?
The western medical community is slowly reawakening to the idea that the root of heart imbalance begins with pitta as opposed to kapha. The Ayurvedic seers, thousands of years ago, described that the sharp and penetrating nature of pitta damages blood vessel walls. Kapha then comes to seal and soothe over the damage, and as such, kapha’s intention is to protect and not clog channels.
