Everyday we are bombarded with stress from travel, home life, relationships, work, or simply that we can't poop! Stress creates toxins, it's the real deal in this reality and we need to learn ways detox our bodies and handle stress better. Ayurvedic knowledge teaches the importance of daily routines that allows one to nourish and strengthen the body to prevent imbalances such as burn out, overwhelm, or toxic overload. One of these daily practices is called, Abhyanga, which means oil massage in Sanskrit. Why give yourself a daily oil massage? The act of massage stimulates the lymphatic system. Lymphatic vessels run throughout the entire body just as the veins and arteries of the circulatory system do. The only difference between these two systems is that the heart pumps blood where as movement of the body moves lymph fluid. The lymphatic system removes toxins from the body in conjunction with the liver and kidneys. When the liver and kidneys are overloaded with toxins the lymph...
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This world is extraordinary with so many things to explore. In this life I've chosen to explore foods and share my explorations with you! This week let's talk about Kudzu root. Have you heard of it? Kudzu root has been used in Chinese Medicine for over thoundans of years. It is cooling and sweet, perfect for the firey pitta dosha. As you can see, herbs from all over the can be considered "Ayurvedic" if the nature of the patient is known (elemental genetic makeup), the nature of the herb being administered is known, and the nature of the imbalance is known. For example, let's imagine there is a person who's elemental genetic makeup consists predominately of 50% pitta (fire) and 35% air and ether (vata) and 15% kapha. Recently, this person has been overworking, barely getting sleep, and eating spicy hot foods and drinking coffee to keep up with work's demand. A week later this person notices that he or she has been feeling depleted, has a short fuse with ot...
Have you ever said or heard someone say... "I've been forgetful lately, the old age must be creeping up on me." "I've been experiencing a certain body pain now that I am getting older." "Now that I am older, I can't lose weight as easily when I was young." "I've been experiencing dry skin now that I am older." A lot of the times when someone experiences a health imbalance, she or he identifies with it. Meaning, the person thinks or believes that she or he is the health issue and not separate from it. That belief can make the person feel helpless that there is nothing to do about it but suffer. What if that was only partly true? Let's take a step back. If we can notice we are forgetful, feel body pain, or can't lose weight, there is a aspect of us that provides us the potential to create change. By being the witness of our lifestyles and food choices, it allows us to see that maybe how we are living and eating are the cul...
It’s natural response to want sex, sugar, or salt. The body wants to have sex to reproduce and create offspring. The body’s cells need sugar for energy and salts to control movement of water. To understand the natural urge to want sex, sugar, and salt we need to dive deeper into the endocrine system and the organ that produces the hormone that create this response. The adrenal gland, located on top of each kidney, assists the body coping with stress. When the body experiences stress the adrenal glands secrete the hormone adrenaline. It’s adrenaline that makes the body want sex, sugar, salt, which can offer the body a temporary boost of pleasure followed by a crash. What comes up must come down, figuratively and literally! If the body is already severely depleted, the crash is not going to be fun and it cause more harm than good within the body. When the body is well taken care of the pleasures of sex, sugar, and salt can fully be enjoyed in a restful and heartfelt wa...