Superfood Ginger !

Ginger is a super food . It not only gives taste and flavor to food but also is very good for health. People have been using it as a home remedy since years.

The food we eat gets digested and digestive juice is formed. This juice nurtures the body tissues (i.e. dhatus). So proper digestion of food is very important for maintaining healthy body. So everyone should always take care of their digestive power .

Ginger ( Zingiber officinale) : 

It is available as a root or rhizome . Its wet form is called as ardraka and dry form as Shunthi in Hindi. Both can be used. Only difference is that shunthi has sweet after digestion effect on body.
         It is called as Vishwabheshaja because of its vast medicinal uses.

Properties:

• Alleviates Kapha and Vata
• Pungent taste
• Light
• Hot
• Appetizer
• Aphrodisiac
• Cardiac tonic
• Improves taste
• Helpful in bloating and constipation
• A very good remedy for pain an abdomen.

Medicinal uses of Ginger:

1. In cough: Pieces of ginger can be chewed with honey or juice of ginger with some honey helps in both acute and chronic type of cough.
                                       
2. Cold : Juice of ginger should be taken 3 -4 times a day.
3. Ginger juice added with saindhava ( rock salt) helps in acidity and in urticaria caused by acidity as well.
   
4. Rheumatoid arthritis:
   
   Add dry ginger powder (Shunthi) to hot water (shunthi phanta) and have it throughout the day for drinking. 
5. Pain in abdomen due to bloating: Massage over abdomen with ginger powder in mustard oil. It also relieves menstrual pain by taking orally. 
   
6. Local application of paste of ginger powder in water is advised in headache and joint pain. It gives good relief.
7. It is useful to chew ginger in nausea, morning sickness and travel sickness. 
8. It is a very good appetizer, so can be used in indigestion , loose motion, and all other conditions caused by low appetite.
9. It is also good in diabetic patients to lower the blood sugar levels and even HbA1c levels.* It can also help in weight loss if diet and exercise is properly done.
10. It is good for heart as it lowers fat and helps in weight loss.
    

Caution:

• As ginger has hot potency should not be taken too much, otherwise acidity can develop.
• Pregnant women should have less ginger as being hot it may stimulate intestinal movement and lead to miscarriage.

Guidelines for joint pain patients

Vatavyadhi is a term used for diseases caused by increased vata dosha which includes joint pain, paralysis, and many more diseases. It is a vast term. Generally people mean joint pain by vata vyadhi or Sandhivaat which is osteoarthritis.

The increased vata dosha in body reduces the kapha (Shleshaka kapha) present in joint spaces. So there is no more smooth movement in joint and pain and swelling appears.



The joint pain is sometimes very bad and limits your daily activities. 

Modern medicines give temporary relief and have lots of side effects like acidity, drowsiness etc. So it is better to opt for Ayurvedic medicines and follow healthy diet and lifestyle regimen.

Factors that aggravate joint pain:

• Cold weather and rainy season
• Inactivity
• Strain on joint ( Overuse of joint)
• Indigestion

The treatment for this joint pain mainly comprises of 

• Internal Vata alleviating medicines, 
• Snehana- Svedana ( Oil massage and steam)
• Medicated enema (Basti) ,
•  Oil pulling(local basti) and 
• Agnikarma.

Along with the medications following are the dietary and lifestyle guidelines:

How should be the diet?

Do’s		Don’ts
·         Hot foods and liquids ·         Sweet, saline and sour tastes in diet ·         Food should be moist added with ghee and oil ·         Milk ·         Non veg soups and foods ·         Ghee and oils treated with appetizing and digestive herbs and medicines. e.g. Dadimadi ghrita, Pippalyadi ghrita ·         Alcohol in moderate amount ·Eat in small quantity so that food digests well. Undigested food aggravated the pain.		·         Cold, refrigerated foods and drinks  Bitter, pungent and astringent tastes  Dry and ununctuous foods like biscuits, bread etc.   Eating less Fermented foods Food items made up of black gram (urad daal) Stale food.

How should be the lifestyle?

Do’s	Don’ts
·         Daily abhyanga ( light massage with oil) and steam ·         Rest your body ·         Keep yourself warm with warm clothes ·         Stay in warm place ·         Take shower with warm decoction of herbs like dashamoola. ·         All forms of heat e.g. steam, electric heating pads, hot tub bath etc are useful.      Light exercise and Yoga.	·         Hard work, walking too much, strain over joints by bending etc ·         Don’t expose yourself to direct wind and fan or AC .

Ayurvedic formulations: 

These should be taken only from registered Ayurvedic practitioner.

• Different guggula kalpas e.g. Rasnadi guggul, Yograj guggul, Aabha guggul, Triphala guggula
• Vishtinduk vati, Aamvatari rasa etc.
• Maharasnadi kadha etc. 
• Medicated oils for massage and Basti 

The equilibrium of vata,pitta and kapha maintains healthy state in body. All these vata lowering remedies/ procedures help to reduce joint pain.

Take good care of yourself...!!!

Can honey really help in weight loss...?

Obesity is a big concern these days as obesity, hypertension and diabetes go hand in hand.We see people struggling for weight loss. They prey for commercial, fancy and non-healthy diets .
 Sedentary lifestyle and bad eating habits lead to improper digestion resulting in over accumulation of medo dhatu.

Honey in water, cinnamon water with honey and lemon honey are famous easy weight loss formulas for many .  Weight loss may happen or may not but a person can get acidity with regular cinnamon! 

Qualities of Madhu (Honey):

•  Heavy to digest- So it should be taken in a small quantity otherwise it can lead to indigestion. Indigestion of honey is very difficult to treat.
• Cold
• Dry
• Increases Vata and alleviates kapha.
• Chhedana -removes kapha and meda (body fat)
• Sweet , after taste is astringent
• Improves digestion
• Yogavahi ( It works as a catalyst substance to transport the medicinal properties of herbs into the body.) So it is used as an adjuvant with many Ayurvedic medicines.

So, it is not very nourishing but more opposite properties to as that of Medo dhatu. So it helps in reducing meda.

Nutritional value:

• It is basically Fructose, a sugar.
• Free of fat
• It has healthy glycemic index, so it is slowly absorbed into bloodstream so resulting in better digestion of sugar. 
• Contains few natural vitamins and minerals. It is better than table sugar and artificial sweeteners.

Contraindications:

• Honey should not be taken hot or with hot foods, as according to Ayurveda , it is a nectar collected from different flowers, some of which might be poisonous, when heated it's potency may increase. 
• Honey is not good for a person who is exhausted with heat.
• Honey and ghee should not be taken in equal quantity the study revealed that heated honey (>140°C) mixed with ghee produces HMF which may produce deleterious effects and act as a poison in due course (Ushnam cha samagrutham madhu marayati).*
• Honey should not be taken with salt.
• Should not be taken by diabetics.

Honey alone is not enough for weight loss. 

What other things are suggested for weight loss?

• Panchakarma procedures such as Vamana, Virechana, Basti, Raktamokshana
• Exercise
• Diet control- Avoid taking sweet, unctuous foods in large quantity
• Svedana(Steam bath)
• Dry and ununctuous foods
• Honey with Triphala or Hirade or Agastyaprash. Here honey acts as catalyst and improves the action of these medicines.
• Massage with dry powders like Triphala powder.

What's the conclusion?

Honey can help in weight loss but when taken along with other healthy eating habits and active lifestyle.

Healthy combo- milk and ghee !

What is Rasayana?

These medicines improves the bodily elements and give strength and vitality. They are known for maintaining healthy state.

 Other benefits are:

• Long life
• Improve immunity
• Improve memory
• Maintain youthful appearance and delay ageing
• Improve luster and complexion
• Maintain optimum strength of body and senses

According to Ayurveda, ghee added to milk is a great combination and is called as Best Rasayana by Acharya Charaka. Each of them being Rasayana itself, together the benefits are even more as they compliment each other.

Among the vast options of Rasayana foods, milk and ghee are two easy to consume options. 
Cow's milk and ghee are best to be consumed.


Benefits of cow's milk:

• Easy to digest 
• Wholesome
• Rejuvenating
• Strength promoting
• Cardiac tonic
• Promotes intellect, longevity and virility

Benefits of ghee:

• Ghee is ideal for improving intelligence, memory and  ingenuity.
• Improve digestion strength, long life, semen (sexual vigour), and eye sight.  
• It is good for children, the aged and those who desire kids, tenderness of the body, and pleasant voice, for those suffering from emaciation as a result of injury to chest (lungs), Parisarpa (herpes), injury from weapons, and fire, disorders of Vata and Pitta origin, poison, insanity, inauspicious activity (witchcraft, etc.) and fevers;
• Of all the fatty materials, ghee is the best. 
• It is a coolant
• Best for retaining youth.

How is it to be taken?

1 teaspoon ghee in 1 glass of warm cow's milk once or twice a day , daily.

Who should avoid taking?

If someone has high cholesterol, should avoid.

How does this combo help?

• Improve digestion:
  
  It pacifies the vata and pitta doshas, lubricates colon. Helps in bloating and constipation.
• Keeps check on hyper acidity:
  

 Help in healing the gastric ulcers. If you suffer acidity, then you must be friend with this combo!

• Improves health and strength: 
  
  Milk is called as a complete food. It has protein, fat and sugar as well.

• Lubricate joints : 
  
  The loss of unctuousness is the reason for osteoarthritis, this combo maintains the lubrication.

• Induces sleep:
  
   Insomnia is one of the major health issues now a days. Milk with ghee at bedtime will make you sleep better.

• It's like an elixir for kids and elderly people. 

                                               
         Gives energy and helps building the healthy tissues. 

• It delays the signs of ageing
  
  like lines and wrinkles on skin, drying of skin etc.
• Must for pregnant women : 
  
  Provides nutrition to mother and growing baby. Also helpful to avoid constipation and related complications during this phase.
• It improves  memory and intelligence.
  
  Good for kids and elderly too.
• Good for gaining weight, as it facilitates healthy growth .
  

Abhyanga : Ayurvedic massage

Ayurvedic massage is so famous now-a-days. People pay so much in spas for this. It is not just to be done in spa or Ayurvedic center, but it is a part of daily routine that should be done at home as well. For many reasons we should know more about it and incorporate it in our daily lifestyle regimen.

The word Abhyanga means applying oil with movement and speed i.e. with massage.

Common properties of oil:

• Hot potency
• penetrating
• Strengthening
• pacifies vata and kapha
• Good for skin

Skin is a site of sparshanendriya, so contains more of Air element . Oil alleviates the vata dosha so oil massage is very beneficial and important for skin.

Oil massage should be specifically done on these 3 areas viz.

1. Head
2. Ears
3. Feet

Shiro-abhyanga (Head massage) :

• It removes dryness and makes scalp and hair soft.
• Helps in itchy scalp and good for hair and scalp health.
• Hair roots become strong so helps in hair fall.
• Facial skin becomes soft.
• It is very calming and sleep inducing.
• It improves strength of sense organs namely eyes, ears, skin, nose and nurtures skull bones and joints.
• Relieves the stiffness from neck joints and muscles.

Padabhyanga ( Foot massage):

Regular oil massage over feet is specifically advised as they carry our whole body weight and need extra attention.

• It cures the dryness, stiffness , numbness and fatigue in feet and sole.
• Makes feet look soft.
• Improves strength and stability.
• Oil massage  over sole is good for healthy  eyes.

Ear massage:

• It is considered as a site of Vata dosha , so putting oil and massage alleviates vata.
• It also improves the strength of sense organ.
• It nurtures the tempero-mandibular joint.

Benefits of doing abhyanga every day:

• Skin becomes more resilient so healing is faster.
• Body becomes strong.
• Person looks fresh and pleasant.
• Sign of ageing are delayed.

What is the effect of Abhyanga ?

• Massage with oil lubricates skin and forms a barrier between skin and environment, so helps keeping the skin hydrated. It prevents drying of skin and makes it look healthy.

• It improves the blood circulation so helps in quicker removal of metabolic toxins out of the body. 
• The medicated oils penetrate into the skin and calms the nerves. 
• The massage has deeply nourishing and relaxing effect on brain, nervous system, skin, muscles and joints.
• 
  
• It relaxes body and mind , so gives better sleep.
  
• It relieves muscle and joint pain.

Different medicated oils for massage:

According to the prominent dosha, oil can be chosen, to alleviate the doshas.

For Vata: 

• Sesame oil
• Bala oil
• Nirgundi oil
• Madhuyashti oil

For pitta:

• Chandana oil
• Cow's ghee
• Madhuyashti oil

Who should not do Abhyanga...?

1. One who has got any Kaphaja vikara e.g. cold.
2. Abhyanga should not be done on the same day when Vamana or Virechana has been done.
3. One who has got indigestion.

Different forms of Abhyanga: There are 15 forms of abhyanga. They are used according to the subjective need as all of then have specific effect and indications.

1. Applying oil over body
2. Mask (Lepa)
3. Udvartana-massage with herbal powders in oil
4. Oil massage 
5. Foot massage
6. Oil pouring
7. Light massage
8. Swishing oil in mouth
9. Oil pulling-Holding oil in mouth
10. Oil pulling over head (Shirobasti)
11. Netratarpana-oil pulling over eyes
12. Nasatarpana-oil pulling into nostrils
13. Karnapurana-oil pulling into ear
14. Head massage
15. oil bath

For healthy body and mind daily Abhyanga is highly recommended and everyone should incorporate it in daily regimen.

Triphala

Triphala powder is the most popular Ayurvedic medicine. People know it for it's laxative property and it is the most famous medicine to be sold over-the-counter for constipation. 

But it is far more than just a laxative. In Ayurveda, Triphala is best known  for it's Rasayana (i.e. Rejuvenating) property. 

Triphala is comprised of :

• 1 fruit of Haritaki (Harde)
• 2 fruits of Bhibhitaka (Behada)
• 4 fruits of Aamla

Each of the contents have different and specific properties. 

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Haritaki: ( Terminalia chebula)

• It has 5 tastes, most dominant being astringent and it lacks saline taste.
• It is light, hot and dry , its after digestion effect on body is sweet and constructive, so it helps in growth of the body.
• The harde which when put in water sinks down is considered as good quality .
• It improves memory, intellect and longevity.
• It promotes eyesight.
• It is a laxative.
• It cures digestive problems such a bloating, constipation,ulcer, vomiting etc. It cures piles, parasitic infestation, jaundice . It also cures urinary disorders, diabetes, asthma and cough.

Different ways of taking harde:

• By chewing harde, it improves digestion.
• When taken in paste form it cleanses the bowel.
• When used by steaming , it is constipative.
• When used by frying, it alleviates all three doshas.

Use of harde in different seasons:

• In summer it should be taken with equal quantity of jaggery.
• In rainy season with saindhava (rock salt)
• In autumn, it should be taken with equal quantity of sugar
• In Hemanta ritu (early phase of winter) , it should be taken with dry ginger powder (i.e. shunthi)
• In Shishira ritu (later in winter) to be taken with Pippali (black pepper).
• In spring season should be taken with honey.

Nutritional Value of Haritaki:

• Haritaki consists of active ingrediant which are recognized to have healing properties including anticancer, antibacterial, antidiabetic and anti-oxidant properties.
•  Haritaki is very nutritious containing essential vitamins, minerals, and proteins. It is a source of vitamin C, manganese, selenian, potassium, iron and copper. 
• It also contains plant chemicals like – tannic acid, gallic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid and behenic acid.

Contra-indications:

• Harde should be avoided by an extremely exhausted person after strenuous work
• A person whose body is dried up and emaciated.
• During pregnancy.

Bhibhitak ( Terminalia belerica)

• It has astringent taste and after digestion effect is sweet and constructive.
• It is  hot,dry and alleviates kapha and pitta.
• It promotes eye sight and especially cures cough and impaired voice.
• It is good for hair.

Aamalki (Indian gooseberry-Aamla)-Emblica officinalis :

• Aamla is sour in taste and is cold.
• It is an elixir of life , it builds immunity and increases longevity.
• It is exceedingly aphrodisiac and rejuvenating
• It has all the properties of harde and specifically it cures bleeding disorders and diabetes.
• It alleviates all 3 doshas.

Nutritional value of Aamla:

• It is very rich in Vit C (90%)
• It also contains calcium, phosphorus, carotene and vit B complex.
• It is a powerful anti-oxidant.

Triphala:

It is a power pack combination of 3 fruits harde, behda and aamla

Action of Triphala:

• It improves digestion. Indigestion is the root cause of all diseases.So helps in maintaining health.
  
• Alleviates all three doshas. So helps to maintain the equilibrium.
• It has moderately laxative action, so helps in removing toxins out of the body.
  
• The after digestion effect is sweet and constructive , so it promotes healthy growth of body and rejuvenates the body tissues. The effect is long and healthy life.
• It is specifically good for eyes, it improves eyesight.

          

• Being hot, it alleviates kapha dosha , meda (Fat) and helps in diabetes and weight loss.
  
• It is very useful in wound healing.
• It also has anti-inflammatory action. Gargles and mouth wash with triphala decoction is advised in oral diseases and sore throat.
• Good for scalp infections such as dandruff. Use as scalp mask or wash hair with triphala decoction.
• It improves immunity.
  

You can include Triphala in any form( i.e. capsule, powder, decoction) in your daily regimen.