Ayurvedic Home Remedies for digestive disorders

By Dr.Savitha Suri
Ayurvedic Home Remedies for digestive disorders
There are numerous simple recipes illustrated in Ayurveda to correct many disorders. Here are few gruel recipes which are strongly recommended in digestive disorders. These are simple and effective remedies which can be prepared easily at home to correct the digestive disorder and also to replenish the lost nutrients.
Gruel recipes
1. In Indigestion
Ingredients:Rice-1/2 cupWater -4 cupsLong pepper- 2or 3 Ginger -1’’
Method of preparation:Cook rice with recommended quantity of water with crushed ginger and salt. Powder long pepper and fry it in a spoon of cow’s ghee and add it to gruel. Consume this when it hot. This is very light to digest and relieves colic pain.
2. In Diarrhea
Ingredients:Rice -1/2 cupWater – 4 cupsGinger paste – 1/2 spoonSalt to tastePomegranate juice: ½ cup
Method of preparation1. Cook rice with recommended quantity of water with ginger paste and salt
2. Add pomegranate juice when the gruel is warm. This gruel rehydrates body and supply energy . This soothes inflamed walls of intestine and controls bowel movements.

3. In flatulence
Ingredients:½ cup of rice4 cups of waterHaritaki (Terminalia chebula) - powder-1/2 spoonRoots of pippali or long pepperGinger paste -1/2 spoon salt to taste
Method of preparation
Cook Rice, haritaki powder , roots of pippali and water together. Add salt to it.Consume this when it is warm. This relieves flatulence and regularizes the bowel movement

4. In indigestion due to over consumption of oily food
Ingredients:½ cup rice4 cups of waterButter milk – 1 cupSalt to taste
Method of preparation
Cook rice water and salt together. Add a cup of butter milk when it is little warm and consume it . This relieves indigestion, nausea and corrects digestion.
Biography of Dr.SavithaSuri
Dr.SavithaSuri has been an Ayurvedic Practitioner since 1989. After getting a graduation degree in ayurveda (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) in 1988 from University of Mysore, India, she started practising ayurveda . Her articles about ayurveda have been published in news papers and websites. She is a regular health columnist to a regional news paper.
Dr.SavithaSuri lives in Mysore , Karnataka, India. She gives consultations in Mysore and also in Bangalore, the silicon valley of India.http://www.ayurhelp.com email doctor@ayurhelp.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr.Savitha_Suri

Ayurveda Approach to Genital Herpes

By Dr.Savitha Suri
Dosha theory which help in diagnosis of the diseases.
According to ayurveda three doshas or three energetic forces control the activities of the body. These doshas are
1. Vata
2. Pitta 3. Kapha
VATA: The Vata dosha is the most important of the three doshas. It has been said in ayurveda classic books that “ pitta , Kapha and all other body tissues are considered lame without assistance of VATA .” Vata dominates the lower part of the body, which is below umbilicus. The movements of body fluid, metabolism, elimination of waste products, semen ejaculation, pushing the fetus out of body, relaying stimulus to brain and response to organs and tissues, heart beat, respiration, body movements etc are assisted by VATA.
Vata dominated regions are intestines, lumbar region, ears, bones and skin.
Vata gets vitiated due to following reasons.
1. Controlling natural urges like urination, defecation, hunger, thirst, etc.
2. Late nights.
3. Irregular food habits.
4. Talking in a high pitch.
5. Over physical and mental exertion.
6. Consumption of spicy, dry, bitter foods.
7. Exposure to severe dry and cold climate.
The opposites of above-mentioned reason normalize the vitiated vata.
PITTA: The pitta dosha assists the body fire or Agni, which plays a major role in body’s metabolic activities. The locations where pitta dominates are digestive system, skin, eyes, brain, and blood. Pitta maintains body temperature. The secretions like digestive juices pigments like melanin (bhrajaka pitta), hemoglobin (ranjaka pitta) are all types of pitta.
Pitta is dominant in regions of Umbilicus, stomach, sweat, lymph, blood, eyes and skin.
Vata gets vitiated due to following reasons.
1. Excess consumption of spicy, sour, salty foods.
2. Consuming alcohol in excess.
3. Over exposure to hot sunny climate.
4. Short temperedness.
5. Using dried vegetables.
6. Indigestion of food.
The opposites of above-mentioned reason normalize the vitiated pitta.
KAPHA: Kapha provides bulk to body, lubrications, moistness, fertility, stability, strength, and memory. Helps in binding process wherever necessary. This is heaviest of all doshas.
Kapha dominated regions are chest, neck, head, stomach, body fat, nose and tongue
Kapha gets vitiated due to following reasons.
1. Sleeping in daytime.
2. Consuming sweets, chilled food, in excess.
3. Consuming fish, sesame, sugarcane, milk and milk products.
The opposites of above-mentioned reason normalize the vitiated kapha.
When these doshas are in balanced condition the body remains healthy. If these doshas get imbalanced the body succumbs to diseases. Doshas get imbalanced frequently due to change in climate, seasons, lifestyles, diet etc. The treatment is to bring back the doshas to normalcy and expel the toxin or ama produced during the imbalanced condition.
Causes of Genital Herpes
Herpes is caused by a virus the herpes simplex virus (HSV), which belongs to the same family of viruses that cause chickenpox. There are two types of herpes simplex viruses
1. Herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) and mostly causes oral herpes
2. Herpes simplex type 2 (HSV-2). And mostly causes genital herpes
However, both type-1 and type-2 can occur in the genitals, oral area or both.Due to unhealthy life styles and diet the delicate balance between doshas get disturbed. This disturbs the body fire or Agni.(Agni is the body fire, which is responsible for transformation of one substance to another. It breaks down the food substances, eliminates toxins and wastes, maintains body temperature, and resists the invasion of microbes by maintaining strong body immunity.
The body fire, which is assisted by balanced doshas, digests the food completely to form Pakwa Anna rasa (the liquid form of food which is completely digested by digestive enzymes), which is ready to get absorbed by body tissues. According to ayurveda Pakwa Anna Rasa nourishes the body and its components to keep the body devoid of diseases. But when body fire is impaired there will be an incomplete digestion of food forming Apakwa Rasa (indigested food). The indigested food fails to nourish the body components leading to lowered body resistance.)
The disturbed Agni fails to digest the food and toxins get accumulated in body due to improper metabolism. Accumulation of toxins reduces the body immunity and paves the way for invasion by microbes.When a person who has low immunity comes in contact with HSV virus, he/she gets the genital or oral herpes.
Unhealthy lifestyle
1. Over eating
2. Sleeping in afternoons.
3. Over physical exertion.
4. Over mental exertion
5. Consuming food frequently even when not hungry.
6. Constant exposure to hot sunny climates
Unhealthy diet
Excessive consumption of
1. Salty, sour, hot, spicy food.
2. Sour curds
3. Alcohol.
4. Cheese
5. Charred and overcooked food.
6. Sesame, Bengal gram, horse gram, sesame oil, rice flour, garlic, fish.
Opposite foods
1. Curds, salt, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, sour fruits, meat, prawn, pork, should not be consumed with milk. The above-mentioned foods should not be consumed by mixing one item with another.
2. Sprouts, honey and milk should not be consumed with meat and fish.
3. Fish & milk: fish &sugarcane juice; jaggery & pork; honey & pork; milk & mango; banana & milk; are opposite foods.
The Transmission Of genital Herpes
A person can get genital herpes in following conditions
1. If he is sexual active and when he performs sex (oral or genital) with infected partners.
2. A person who has oral herpes transmits herpes to genital organs of a partner during oral sex and a person who has genital herpes transmits this to his partner during coitus when they have a genital contact.
3. The disease gets transmitted when mucous membrane comes in contact with infected area.
The disease gets transmitted mostly during active phase. But it may spread even during asymptomatic (when person is free of symptoms for a particular duration) phase. The virus needs a fluid media for its transportation. The body fluids like saliva, semen, vaginal tract secretions etc. Mucous membranes in mouth, vagina, urethra or open wounds facilitate the virus invasion due to their moistness.
In Genital herpes there is an imbalance of all three doshas (VATA, PITTA, KAPHA), which in turn vitiate lasika (lymph), blood (rakta), muscle (mamsa) and skin (twacha).
The imbalanced doshas vitiate skin and the immunity of skin cells is lowered. The virus attacks these weak cells and starts exhibiting symptoms on affected area.
Local symptoms
1. Pricking sensation
2. Edema
3. Pain
4. Feeling of constriction
5. A sensation of ant creeping
6. Many small eruptions gathering in a small area.
7. These eruptions or blisters burst soon with exudates.
8. These blisters will have different colors according to involvement of doshas. (Blackish red or blue in vata, red, yellow, copper colored in pitta, shades of white in kapha).
The weakened body immune system tries to resist the virus invasion but fails to achieve the goal. In this futile attempt the following systemic symptoms are exhibited.
Systemic symptoms
1. Fever
2. Weakness
3. Indigestion
4. Impaired bowels
5. Increased frequency of urination.
6. Body pain.
7. Increased thirst.
Imbalanced vata causes the symptoms like pain, swelling and body ache
The imbalanced pitta and vitiated blood and skin cause
1. Blisters,
2. Change the color of skin,
3. Cause burning sensation, and fever.
The imbalanced kapha and vitiated lymph cause itching, tingling sensation.
After the first attack the virus moves from skin through the nerve paths to base of the nerve and becomes inactive. Now the herpes infected person will be devoid of all symptoms. But the imbalance of doshas still persists.
Reactivation of Virus to cause outbreaks
At unpredictable times, the virus becomes active. It multiplies and resurfaces on skin by traveling through the nerve path and exhibits the symptoms locally. The severity of symptoms of out break depends on the strength of body immunity.
The pelvis or shroni, nerves and skin are dominated by vata. When vata gets vitiated due to precipitating factors, it reactivates the virus dormant in base of nerve end and the virus travel through nerve paths to reach the skin surface.
Precipitating Factors
As we know the outbreaks have few precipitating factors like
1. Excessive exposure to sun.
2. Illness,
3. Poor diet,
4. Emotional stress
5. Physical stress,
6. Friction,
7. Steroids
8. Menstruation. 9. Emotional stress.
10. Genital trauma and intercourse.
11. Repeated infections such as a cold or pneumonia.
These factors increase vata and increased vata activates the virus, which is dormant.
Low Immunity The systemically imbalanced doshas interfere with the body metabolism by vitiating the body fire (agni). This leads to indigestion and malassimilation of nutrients, which in turn causes poor immunity. Due to decreased immunity the body fails to offer resistance to outbreaks.
Ayurveda Tips to avoid outbreaks
Avoid
1. Spicy, sour, fried and junk food, which aggravates vata.
2. Precipitating factors.
3. Sleeping in afternoon.
4. Meat products over fried or deep fried in oil or fat.
5. Charred and overcooked food.
6. Consuming opposite food like fish and milk etc
7. Physical exertion after a meal
8. Taking bath immediately after exercise or heavy outdoor work.
Include honey, pomegranate, and fruits of Emblica officinalis, legumes, dates and raisins in your diet.
Practice Yoga and Meditation to control emotional disturbances
Ayurveda References
1. Sushruta Samhita
2. Charaka Samhita
3. Madhava nidana
4. Ashtanga Sangraha
5. Yoga Ratnakara
Dr.SavithaSuri has been an Ayurvedic Practitioner since 1989. After getting a graduation degree in ayurveda (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) in 1988 from University of Mysore, India, she started practising ayurveda . Her articles about ayurveda have been published in news papers and websites. She is a regular health columnist to a regional news paper.
Dr.SavithaSuri lives in Mysore , Karnataka, India. She gives consultations in Mysore and also in Bangalore, the silicon valley of India.
Ph:91-0821-2451405
Mob: 91-0821- 9342115292
http://www.ayurhelp.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr.Savitha_Suri

5 Signs and Symptoms of Folic Acid Deficiency

Don Ford, M.D.
Folic Acid is one of your body’s essential nutrients! It is important for everything from brain function to cardiovascular health. Folic Acid deficiency is the most common deficiency of any of the B vitamins. It also works along with vitamin B-12 for formation of red blood cells.
Some of the signs and symptoms you would want to look out for would include:
•Irritability or Depression- Because of folic acids importance in your central nervous system you may experience symptoms such as irritability, sluggishness, forgetfulness, or depression.
•High Homocysteine Levels- Along with other B-Vitamins, folic acid works to lower homocysteine levels. People with high homocysteine levels have been shown to have a higher increase in cardiovascular events such as heart attacks.
•Birth Defects and Miscarriage- Folic acid is critical in the development of your fetus. Folic acid supplements are recommended to women that are pregnant or trying to get pregnant.
•Some Cancers- Some cancers have been associated with abnormally low levels of folic acid.
•Diarrhea and loss of appetite- Many vitamin deficiencies have been linked to gastrointestinal complaints.
It is very important to identify why your body may be deficient in folic acid!
Are you eating enough foods that are rich in folic acid, such as spinach and other green leafy vegetables, soybeans, salmon, or orange juice?
Are you taking any prescription or over the counter drug that has been shown to either lower folic acid levels, or increase your bodies need for folic acid such as oral contraceptives, aspirin or other anti-inflammatory drugs, antacids such as Zantac, Pepcid or Tagamet, or metformin for diabetes?
If you want to learn more about why your body needs folic acid please visit: http://www.essential-nutrients.net/vitamin_B9.htm
If you would like to learn more about other medications that have the potential to put you at risk of other vitamin and mineral deficiencies please visit: http://www.essential-nutrients.net/
If you would like to see the full line of NutraMD products please visit: http://www.essential-nutrients.net/store/PPF/Category_ID/11/products.asp
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Don_Ford,_M.D.

U.S. RDA vs. Optimal Health

By Don Ford, M.D.
Recently attempts were made to make food labels easier to read. Everyone is familiar with the boxed information on our food packaging that provides information about the nutritional content of the food inside. It tells you the serving size, calories, and percent of the US RDA, which stands for the United States Recommended Daily Allowances, which this food product meets. But many people wonder what are those “recommended daily allowances” based on?
The percentage of US R.D.A. is based upon a 200 pound, average sized man on a 2000-calorie diet. They are also based on the amount of vitamins, minerals, and essential nutrients to provide “adequate” health for this man. According to an article published in Health World Online, entitled Nutrient Intake From Typical American Diets “the RDA are the most commonly accepted guidelines for establishing target levels of nutrient intake, however, the RDA are not intended to represent optimal levels of nutrient intake for the individual”.
Common sense would dictate that if a consumer is reading the food packaging for the nutritional content, that particular consumer is interested in optimal health as opposed to just “adequate health” that is represented on the food labels.
Since the vitamins, minerals and essential nutrients to achieve optimal health isn’t represented, you could reach 100% of RDA every single day, and still be deficient in many of the essential nutrients that would provide personal optimal health.
Each individual’s body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes and excretes essential nutrients a little differently. Many things can alter an individual’s nutritional needs such as age, illness, pregnancy, dieting, exercise, stress, or certain prescription and over the counter medications.
There is testing available from your doctor that can give you a personal, individualized analysis of the essential nutrient demands for your body. You can learn more about this test from Spectracell at their website www.spectracell.com
http://www.essential-nutrients.net/
To learn more about supplements available to help prevent the vitamin, mineral and essential nutrient depletion caused by many of the prescription or over the counter drugs you take: http://www.essential-nutrients.net/store/PPF/Category_ID/11/products.asp
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Don_Ford,_M.D.

Nutrition for Peak Recovery

By John Eliot, Ph.D.
One of the factors that significantly influences recovery—how steep the slope of the curve, and therefore how much of an overshoot (image a hose pointing into the air and then adjusting the pressure of the water)—is the fuel the body has available to it. If the right volume and combination of nutrients are available, the body will sling back with tremendous force. If not, both the benefit from training will be dampened, and lengthen the time it takes before training can be resumed will be lengthened.
To take full advantage of nutrition’s impact on the overshoot, fuel has to be on hand when the body starts to recover. And, using a little common sense, you can’t immediately get fuel to your muscles, organs, and brain by eating—unless you’re going to tote an IV bag around. Digestion just plain takes time.
The most influential period in recovery happens in the first hour post-training. At that point, your muscles need glycogen and amino acids, your liver needs hepatic sugar, and you must have a host of co-factors such as insulin. But take amino acids, for instance. Their source is protein and it takes about 3 hours to digest protein. If you wait until after training to provide these nutrients, your timing will be off by 200%. Certainly not peak performance!
So what can you do? Pay strict attention to pre-training fuel intake. Here are four basic guidelines that are critical for all athletes follow:
(1) Eat a well balanced, healthy meal about 3 hours prior to conditioning. This includes a full serving of low-glycemic index carbohydrates such as fruits, legumes, whole grains, and non-fat milk, along with a full serving of high quality, lean protein (servings are dictated by weight, level of fitness, metabolism, gender, and type of sport).
(2) Drink plenty of water throughout the day. For many sports, this requirement is upward of 100 ounces every 24 hours!
(3) Take in a liquid form of carbohydrate (5-10% carbohydrate by solution) immediately before training commences. The company Twin Lab makes a good product for this, called Hydra Fuel.
(4) Down an exercise recovery drink right after finishing your conditioning (or as soon as your stomach will tolerate one). The best recovery drinks are scientifically designed to provide the right balance and forms of carbohydrates and protein. Check out Twin Lab’s OptiFuel 2.
JOHN F. ELIOT, PH.D., is an award winning professor of management, psychology, and human performance. He holds faculty appointments at Rice University and the SMU Cox School of Business Leadership Center. He is a co-founder of the Milestone Group, a consulting firm providing training to business executives, professional athletes, physicians, and corporations. Dr. Eliot’s clients have included: SAP, XEROX, Disney, Adidas, the United States Olympic Committee, the National Champion Rice Owl's baseball team, and the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Eliot’s cutting edge work has been featured on ABC, MSNBC, CBS, ESPN, Fox Sports, NPR, and highlighted in the Harvard Business Review, Wall Street Journal, New York Daily News, Entrepreneur, LA Times, the Washington Post, USA Today, and the New York Times. Dr. Eliot serves on numerous advisory boards including the National Center for Human Performance and the Center for Performing Arts Medicine. His latest book is Overachievement: The New Model for Exceptional Performance. For more information, visit Dr. Eliot’s site at http://www.overachievement.com
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Ayurveda Regimen for Winter Depression.

By Dr.Savitha Suri
Long nights, short days, sweaters, warm clothes and chilly weather make many of us sick and depressed. This depression which surfaces especially in winter is a Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and is often called as winter Time Blues or Winter depression. The exact cause for this depression is as of yet unclear. But yet few scientists believe lack of exposure to sunlight as the reason for this disorder.
The symptoms of winter depression are tendency to over eat, craving for carbohydrates and sweets and weight gain.
Had our ancestors observed this change in humans? The answer is yes. Have they recommended any remedies? Yes, they have recommended simple and effective natural remedies to overcome Seasonal Affective Disorder. They have laid down explicit guidelines about diet and lifestyles which have to be followed according to seasons.
The winter season is marked as Hemanta ritu and Sisira ritu in ayurveda. Hemanta ritu starts from mid November and ends in mid January. This falls in southern solstice which is called as visarga kala or dakshinayana in ayurveda. Sisira ritu starts from mid January and lasts till middle of march. Sisira ritu falls in Northern solstice which is called as Aadana kaala or uttaraayana.
The response of human body to this season is very well explained in ayurveda. People will have increased strength and their digestion capacity is increased .This is marked by increased hunger. These symptoms are caused by increased body fire which is supported by vata. Vata inside body increases in winter because of cold and dryness which is prevalent in outer atmosphere.
The winter time depression is noticed mostly in persons who have vata as major constituent in their prakriti or body constitution. The cause for this type of change is longer nights of winter.
Light therapy is recommended by doctors for winter time blues. Exposure to artificial light may cause headache , Irritability ,Eye strain , Inability to sleep and fatigue. Exposure to sunlight and if sunlight is not available sitting near fireplace is the remedy suggested in Ayurveda.
Keeping the home well lit with lights help to reduce the intensity of depression.
Moderate exercise like yoga is another remedy for winter depression. Ayurveda recommends oil massage (abhyanga) to body and head (moordha taila.). Indulging in sexual act to keep the moods elevated and to keep the body warm is another strongly suggested ayurvedic remedy.
Meeting friends who are kind and understanding boosts morale and brightens up the day. Spending time with friends on the beach helps to expose your body to sunlight and keeps your spirits high.
Relaxing with meditation, massage , light music and laughter helps to great extent.
The following ayurvedic tips help to prevent and reduce the intensity of seasonal disorder of winter, the winter time blues.
1. Expose yourself to sunlight as much as you can. In absence of sun light sitting near fire place is very helpful.
2. Massage your body with vata balancing herbal oil (abhyanga). Never forget to apply oil on your head (moordha taila). 3. Then remove the oil by taking hot water bath. A mixture of flours of yellow gram (channa), green gram (moong) , fenu greek seeds (methi) in equal proportion is the best herbal scrub which can be used to remove the oil. This mixture prevents the washing of natural oil from skin.
4. Consume hot soups.
5. Use vata balancing foods like wheat, oil, corn, black gram and jaggery. 6. Tickle your taste buds with sweet, sour and salt tastes
7. Always use hot water for all daily routine activity.
8. Use thick blankets and sheets made of cotton, silk and wool.
9. Always wear foot wear.
10. Indulge in sexual act.
11. Spend your leisure time with friends and relatives whom you like.
Biography of Dr.SavithaSuri
Dr.SavithaSuri has been an Ayurvedic Practitioner since 1989. After getting a graduation degree in ayurveda (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) in 1988 from University of Mysore, India, she started practising ayurveda . Her articles about ayurveda have been published in news papers and websites. She is a regular health columnist to a regional news paper.
Dr.SavithaSuri lives in Mysore , Karnataka, India. She gives consultations in Mysore and also in Bangalore, the silicon valley of India.http://www.ayurhelp.com email doctor@ayurhelp.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr.Savitha_Suri