GHEE

 Ghee is a diary product from India, 'desi' ghee is synonymous with good nutrition in India. Ghee was considered as a medium to communicate with Gods with the help of 'agni' Deva (fire God) in some rituals like homa.

Let's take a physiological perspective of this, as we are a miniature model of this cosmos we draw a comparison.

Ghee is one of the few materials which can penetrate into our inner tissues, tissues communicate better thorough fatty-acid medium than water or any other liquid. It is even thought that ghee can even breech the most selective area of our body the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB).

So analogy is that with the help of agni (digestive fire) ghee reaches inner tissues (devas) and brain and nourishes them. In Ayurveda panchakarma therapies are incomplete without  ghee.

But Ghee being purely fat many an eyebrows is raised when physicians advise patients to consume it fearing a spike in cholesterol level. 

This is where the manufacturing process and selection of ghee plays a big role. 

Ghee from cows that are fed in natural environment where cows are allowed to roam free are the best. Since their diet includes variety of materials including different kinds of grasses which contains medicinal properties. Farm fed cows are nourished with fodder which has pure nutritional as well as medicinal qualities.

Best ghee is obtained by conventional method of centrifuge using hands. Modern day diary farms use high velocity machine run centrifuges which will separate all the solid  and liquid part separately which include all types of fat, including low density lipoproteins which are considered as 'bad cholesterol'

Ghee obtained by conventional centrifugal methods are found to have higher percentage of high density lipoproteins which are actually good cholesterol

 

NATURAL SOURCES OF CALCIUM

 Major source of calcium is from animals, in the form of meat, diary products, seafood and eggs. But due to religious compulsions and the unethical practices of over exploitation of cattle and poultry more and more people are looking for alternate sources of calcium.

Some people who have lactose intolerance also needs alternate calcium sources.

Figs

Chia seeds

Almonds 

Broccoli

Plant-based milks like soya milk

Tomatoes 

Dates

Beans 

These are some of the plant based sources of calcium; but if one wishes to shift from animal based calcium to vegetarian calcium, one needs to move with caution as enzymes and gastric juices for the absorption and assimilation of these sources varies from animal sources and sometimes people may end up calcium deficient trying a sudden shift of diet.

Best way is to inroduce vegetarian calicium with gradual tapering of animal based calcium.

As a general rule whatever the source of calcium one needs to take green leafy vegetables in our regular diet for complete absorption of calcium.

 

GOMUTRA -COW'S URINE AS MEDICINE

Cows Urine (Gomutra) has been used in India from time immammorial both as medicine and manure. Gomutra is used as such or in prepared medications like pancha-gavya . It is used in panchakarma therapy like vasti, which is an important ayurvedic treatment in diseases like arthritis. It has been found effective in many diseases like skin diseases, liver-kidney disorders, anemia, gout and cancer (claimed by some fold vaidyas)

But a care should be taken in the selection of urine as farm-fed cattle is being fed with fodder with poor quality nutrition and there are chances 

Cow's that fed natural grass by free roaming is the best one, some conditions pregnant cow's urine is selected as it contains additonal hormones that has more medicinal value. Urine must be collected early in the morning, preferably the first urine and must be preserved before it turns stale.

Cow's urine is also used for mixing many ayurvedic herbs in the preparation of pills. 

However the cow's urine is more used as fertilizer along with cowdung and also for making organic pesticides

 

SIMPLE MORNING EXERCISES

 Good mornings begin after a good night's sleep! 

Try to get up from bed by turning towards your right side, fold your legs at knees and hip, also your arms folded and make your arms like a pillow for a minute, mimicking a baby in mother's womb, and slowly rise signifying a rebirth as per Oriental philosophies.

As we become older, we are also prone to diseases, one of the commonest diseases is arthritis. Even though there are many varieties of arthritis, most common one is rhematic type. It is a metabolic disorder but it gets manifested in our joints, starting with smaller joints of our fingers, later on to bigger joints like the weight bearing joints; knees and ankles.

We can do some simple exercise for our smaller joints; in yoga we call it 'pavanamukthasana' series; it means exercises that clears the passages of vata through our nadis or astral tube. On the physical body such exercises help us to eliminate the metabolic toxins which gets deposited in our joints overnight inactivity due to our sleep. 

This is simple flexion and extension of all our body joints including the small joints of hands and feet.

Another exercise we can practice is 'kapalabhathi,' kapalabhathi is active and forceful expiration followed by passive inhalation. This also helps to eliminate any build-up of toxic wastes in the form of gasses in our system, especially excess carbon dioxide. 

Kapalabhathi also help to reduce any viral or bacterial infection.

 

FUMIGATION AT HOME

Fumigation has its origin in some religious rituals with fire, in cultures which worshiped FIRE.  They considered fire and fumes as a means to communicate with the demi-gods and to destroy demons. Thinking rationally, we can understand that all the ingredients we use in fumigation has some ani-microbial, anti-bacterial or anti-fungal properties which repel harmful flies, mosquitos and even microbes.

Frankincense, gulgulu, myrrh, neem, sandal and turmeric can be used to fumigate our household both indoors and outdoors.

In Kerala fumigation using 'aparajitha choornam' an Ayurveda product is widely used in fumigating local community sponsored by the government, especially during the pre-monsoon cleaning drive which has been proved successful in reducing vectors borne and other diseases which appear during rainy season.

Fumigation can be done any place but more suitable in independent houses as sometimes fumes can trigger a false fire alam.

Best medium to fumigate is embers of coal or charcol from coconut shell and putting "aparajitha choornam" in it.

 

PANCHAKARMA

 What is panchakarma and its relevance

 Ayurvedic treatment is divided into two 

1.     Symptomatic treatment (samana)

2.     Detoxification treatment (shodhana)

Panchakarma belongs to shodhana or detoxification therapy of Ayurveda which is more effective and prevents the recurrence of diseases. 

Nature has given us different routes to expel toxins from our body, like voiding, urination, sweating and in in emergency situations vomiting. Our liver, kidneys and rectum take part in this natural process. But some toxins which body cannot expell remain in our system including deeper tissues and liver. So shodhana or detoxification therapy works in expelling these toxins.

But how is it possible to reach deep seated tissues and clean them? This is where the importance of fatty acids come into play. 

Ghee is a milk-fat product from India, very few materials can penetrate deeper tissues of our body, ghee is one among them. It is believed that ghee can even breech the blood-brain barrier. 

A copious amount of medicated ghee is administered to patient/subject in metered doses day by day, increasing the amount daily. Inside our body ghee molecule can penetrate the cell walls better. Most of biotoxins are soluble better in ghee medium and they come out to alimentary canal as waste product. When the situation is conducive for their explusion, a induced purgation, enema or vomiting is done in the patients. Procedures like medicated enema needs more sessions to get full result.

Apart from the oil administration internally (orally) patients are also given oil massages followed by sweating. This is to facilitate the expulsion of toxins near to skin through sweating. An Ayurveda massage is incomplete if sweating (steam bath) is not done.

Panchakarma is a time-consuming procedure as it takes few days to complete and there should be some restrictions on the diet too.

Historic Importance: One of the limitations of any indigenous or herbal system is that most of the medications are given enterically, or through mouth. And ingested medicine undergoes the same digestive process like our food. So many medicines which are in protein nature lose their molecular structure and cannot reach site of action.

In olden days nasya (nasal infusion) and vasti (enema) could bypass the alimentary canal by their entry through nasal and rectal entry where medicines could reach blood stream in its original form.

Any medication given via nose can reach the site of action fast too, in earlier days nasya was an important treatment in treating snake bite as anti-poison herbs could reach the blood stream soon through nasal mucosa. 

Apart from above mentioned benefits panchakarma procedures can be done to healthy people if they wish to do rejuvenative type of treatment.

In yoga also there are some detoxification therapies called as 'shat kriyas'

Yoga considers our lungs has an excretory function too where toxic gasses are expelled after respiration. Some pranayama practices mentioned in yoga are purely detoxifying in nature.

It expells mental toxins too!

 

HOW MUCH WATER TO DRINK? AND WHEN?

 How much water to drink varies from person to person depending on our body weight, nature of job and climatic conditions. 

Modern medical scientists also differ in this, as a generally accepted rule anywhere between 2 liter to 4 four liters is accepted, for a man weighing 70kilos. Coming to Ayurveda it also take into account of your prakriti physiological humour.

In simple words if you are pitta or fire type  person you need to drink more because fire-type  persons sweat more and dehydration rate is higher than kapha (earth) and vata (wind elements)

When to take water.

If you want to do slimming you can drink water before you take your meals, and if you want to gain weight drink water only after you have eaten all the solid food.

In you want to keep status-quo drink water in smaller quantiles at frequent intervals.

Cold or Warm Water: Always drink warm or lukewarm water if you have eaten any far rich meal. Cold drinks can definitely dampen your 'agni' or digestive fire.

Climate Wise: In humid hot conditions it goes without saying that we needs to drink more, but hot dry spells can sometimes mask our water requirement as sweat is not apparently visible.

 

HAIR LOSS AND AYURVEDIC REMEDIES

Remedies

 

 Good hair is a direct benchmark of one’s health in general. In many cultures it is a parameter of beauty too. It is found that those with good nutritional diet, especially protein intake, has good hair too. In India lengthy thick hairs for girls is considered as sign of beauty and direct index of their gynecological health.

 

Hair loss can be due to myriad reasons

• Lack of Nutrition
• Change of water used
• Working in hot conditions
• Stress related
• Hormone related 
• Side effects of drugs

In some men baldness is a condition which sets in middle ages and it has a hormonal and genetic disposition. Currently there is no cure for this condition.

HOW CAN HAIRFALL BE PREVENTED?

• Create an ambience for hair growth, don't pour very hot water while taking shower.
• Keep the scalp clean and free from dandruff
• Eat protein rich food
• Rational use of shampoos
• PERIODIC APPLICATION OF OIL ON HEAD

External application of oils and paste of head. As per modern chemistry our skin is a highly selective membrane which allows entry only to selected chemicals and materials (no entry even for minute bacteria or viruses)

In Ayurveda mostly oils or hair tonics are made in oil medium, a nearest analogue is aloe vera, both have the ability to dissolve most of the aromatic active ingredients which enhances hair growth. 

Mere application of oil or cream does not suffice; this is where the importance of massage comes. Application of oil on head can definitely give a smoothness and sheen to scalp and hair but does not reach the dermis level of skin where the hair roots are situated.

Any massage with finger tips on head creates a pressure gradient sufficient enough to trigger a reverse osmosis type of medicinal entry. This applies to other massages too.

Hair oils are selected according to prakriti (physiological humour) and vikriti (pathology if any). 

It is recommended you consult your ayurvedic doctor before selecting the type of oil for your hair as sometimes some herbal oils used at the wrong place can be counter productive.