Tongue Diagnosis The human body is one the most fascinating and complex systems in all of creation. It’s truly a remarkable system with each part affecting the whole and certain conditions of the whole affecting each part. For example, we can simply observe the quality of our skin and gather valuable information which reflects the health of the entire body. Similarly, the close observation of the tongue also provides clues which reflect the health of the entire body. In fact, “tongue diagnosis” is a vital instrument used in Ayurvedic Medicine not only for assessing a person’s current state of health but for determining one’s physical, mental, and emotional state of health. Tongue diagnosis is both an art and science and for thousands of years, visual inspection of the tongue has bee...
Gut Health & “Ama” Over the course of a lifetime, we ingest roughly 50 tons of nutrients and our ability to properly digest these nutrients determines to a large extent the state of our health. “Ama” is a concept of Ayurveda which can be best understood as the accumulation of toxic metabolic by-products at various levels of physiology. More simply, ama is the by-product of poor digestion and according to the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda – ama is the root cause of nearly all diseases. Ayurveda states that proper diet and optimal digestion are the major pillars of good health. Similarly, optimal function of the GI tract requires proper mucosal integrity and a balanced microbial ecosystem in the gut. In essence, “gut health” relies on “good bacteria”. Any compromise...
Is Arthritis Due To Gut Disturbance? Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease, is the most common form of arthritis and according to the CDC, over 52 million Americans have been told by a doctor that they have some form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, or fibromyalgia. Interestingly, the ancient science of Ayurveda has long described three basic types of musculoskeletal joint diseases, namely sandhivata [osteoarthritis], amavata [rheumatoid arthritis], and vata rakta [gout], that are characterized by pain and swelling of the joints. Management for each type of arthritis is unique, as we shall discuss below, but for nearly all cases, it’s important to acknowledge that arthritis begins in the colon. “All disease begins in the gut.” – Hippocrates Accordin...
Ten Health Tips For The Holidays Ama, the toxic waste-product of inefficient digestion, can accumulate at any time of the year. During the holidays, we’re particularly susceptible to it. The bounty of festive meals and lots of sweets tempts us to overeat and eat at irregular times, and these are all triggers for the build-up of ama. If left unchecked, our body can become clogged and our immune system weakened by the accumulation of ama. Do you experience lack of appetite, stiffness in the joints, occasional constipation, respiratory issues, allergen reactions, or weight gain? Ama is the most likely culprit. So, what is the ayurvedic tool for conquering ama? Agni — our digestive fire! If we keep our agni strong, our bodies will be able to digest the food we eat without creating toxic by-pro...
Simple Tips For Healthy Digestion In Ayurveda, the oldest system of holistic medicine, perfect health begins with perfect digestion. Ayurveda speaks of Jatharagni (digestive fire), located in the stomach, as being the primary location where either health begins or disease. According to Ayurveda mostly all diseases start in the digestive system; this includes mind since the mind is transforming information by nature. The digestive fire is like the furnace in a house. If it’s not properly working then the house will suffer its consequences. Linked to digestion, according to Ayurveda, are all the other organs that are part of a sequential process that digests food and takes in the essence of food that nurtures every cell on every level, not just physical. 11 Simple Tips: 1. Eat 2-3 meals a da...
Ayurveda recognizes that each human being is born with a unique balance and that this natural balance is responsible for physical, mental, and emotional well-being. By recognizing and maintaining this unique balance, Ayurveda provides simple guidelines to help each person create his or her own state of ideal health. For now, we will discuss the fiery nature of Pitta. Hey Pitta – “Chill Out.” The first thing which comes to mind when thinking of pitta is the brilliant blaze of fire. The primary function of pitta is transformation and controls digestion, metabolism, and energy production. The fire aspect makes pitta types bright, illuminating, fiery and even hot-tempered. A Dose Of Loving Compassion One of the best ways to pacify the fiery and hot-tempered nat...
The Divine Healing Digestive Drink Takra or buttermilk, is a liquid preparation prepared by continuously churning yogurt in water. This preparation increases your digestive power and is often used in many health conditions. Takra is considered beneficial for many G.I. conditions such as IBD and Crohn’s disease as well as poor digestion, hemorrhoids, tumors, edema, diarrhea, anemia, urinary diseases and many other health-related conditions. “He who uses takra daily does not suffer from diseases, and diseases cured by takra do not recur; just as amrita [divine nectar] is for the gods, takra is to humans.” – Bhavaprakasha Chpt 6.7 The Benefits Of Homemade: This type of buttermilk is not like the fermented buttermilk you often find in the stores. Likewise, the properties of regula...
Improve Your Digestion Naturally According to the most ancient and revered textbook of Ayurveda, the Charak Samhita, “the distinction between health and disease arises as the result of the difference between wholesome and unwholesome diet.” Similarly, Hippocrates [the father of modern medicine] has said, “leave your drugs in the pot at the pharmacy if you can’t cure your patient with food.” “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” – Hippocrates Food As Medicine We have all heard the saying, “you are what you eat”. Though true, it would be more accurate to say, “you are what you eat, digest, absorb, and assimilate”. With that in mind, let us now introduce the most fundamental principle according to the science of Ayurveda. This principle is “Agni” – The Diges...
How To Make Kitchari For its easy digestibility and flavored simplicity, kitchari has long been valued in nearly every indian household. Despite its name in hindi, which means “a mess” or “all mixed up”, India’s traditional science of Ayurveda considers this dish to be nourishing and is often used as part of its seasonal cleansing programs [i.e. Panchakarma]. Not only is kitchadi nourishing but with certain spice combinations, kitchadi can also greatly help to improve digestion. Kitchari Kit This kit provides all the basic supplies you need to make Kitchari for 7 days. The Spice Of Life Spiced generously or by adding extra ginger you can make kitchari a simple lunch on a cool autumn or winter afternoon. Likewise, the addition of ghee [clarified butter] garnished with fresh cilantro and a ...
Revolutionizing Healthcare Despite all the advances of the modern world we as a race have never been more sick than ever before. A Broken System – Approximately … 600,000 people die from heart attacks annually in the U.S. 800,000 strokes occur annually in the U.S. often related to high blood pressure 50,000,000 people in the U.S. suffer from autoimmune conditions 120,000,000 people worldwide are affected by mental depression 1,000,000,000 people around the world suffer from diabetes and obesity Digest Tone Good health depends on strong, efficient digestion. Digest Tone supports the digestive system and elimination; assists the body in absorbing nutrients; high-quality antioxidant; wide range of benefits. It’s very intuitive to acknowledge that in order to regain a...
Seasonal Guide For Autumn It’s that time of year when you first feel that crisp breeze and know that summer is gone and autumn begins revealing herself. Although every season has its traits – autumn has a particular beauty about it. Noticeable changes of autumn include the leaves changing colors, days getting shorter, and mornings growing chillier and more crisp as summer begins to fade away. Dry, Light, Cool, Rough, & Windy The qualities of autumn depict the element of “air” which can easily be understood by the nature of wind. The wind during this time of year becomes more gusty and naturally tends to dry the body [i.e. dry skin, dry eyes, constipation, etc.]. From an Ayurvedic perspective this season is thought to aggravate “vata”. Vata regulates all movement wit...
“LEAKY GUT SYNDROME” Although the phrase “leaky gut” was never well accepted in the medical community, research over the past two decades has revealed that gut health is critical to overall health, and an unhealthy gut contributes to a wide range of diseases including diabetes, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, depression and chronic fatigue syndrome. Ancient Wisdom Of Ayurveda … “Due to the purification of the body, the capacity of digestion and metabolism is enhanced, normal health is restored, all sense organs start working with vigor, old age is prevented and diseases cured.” – Charaka Samhita Ch. 16 Sutra 17-19 In Ayurvedic medicine, most treatable diseases arise from the presence of “ama”, a toxic by-product of poor digestion. Mirroring this ancient wisdom...