Winter months bring with it colds and flu, both are a kapha-vata disorders. The body builds up excess cold and moisture (kapha qualities), resulting in congestion, runny nose, and excess vata, which reduces agni, leading to chills, loss of appetite, and poor digestion.
Remedy:
Try ginger. It’s the best remedy for colds. Drink ginger tea, or try a ginger steam treatment. Boil one teaspoon powdered ginger in a pint of water. Turn off the stove, put a towel over your head, and inhale the steam through your nostrils for about 5 minutes. This will relieve congestion and help you feel much better.
Echinacea Tea can be used to treat the common cold, influenza outbreaks and mild to moderate infections of all kinds. This is due to echinacea's actions in boosting the immune system.
Take vitamin C.
Use natural nose drops- Lubricates the nasal passages and relieve the irritation.
Drink hot water. Drinking hot water several times a day removes toxins from the system and speeds up your recovery time.
Avoid dairy products. Strictly avoid dairy products, including yoghurt, cheese, milk, and ice cream, until your congestion clears up.
Why Is Your Appetite Stronger in the Winter?
In response to cold weather, the body constricts the skin pores,therefore preventing heat loss, which directs the heat away from the peripheral tissues and into the body’s core, including the stomach. Agni (therefore,your appetite) becomes stronger in winter. However, if kapha or vata are provoked, agni plummets, leaving you more susceptible to colds, poor circulation, joint pains, and negative emotions.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Ayurvedic Digestive Tea--Recipe
Digestive Tea for all dosha( body constitution)
1 finely sliced ginger
1 liquorice stick
1 cardamom
1 cinnamon stick
Put all ingredients to pot of boiling water and steep for 20 minutes on low heat
1 finely sliced ginger
1 liquorice stick
1 cardamom
1 cinnamon stick
Put all ingredients to pot of boiling water and steep for 20 minutes on low heat
Tridosha Chai Tea
Recipe
Tridosha Chai Tea
A half to 1 teaspoon of each of the following:
Coriander – good for skin diseases, colic, rheumatism
Cardamom – reduces caffeine toxicity, helps coughs and asthma
Fennel – relieves heartburn and nausea
Cinnamon – good for circulation, nerves, joints, congestion
Spearmint – helps nausea and promotes sleep
Tridosha Chai Tea
A half to 1 teaspoon of each of the following:
Coriander – good for skin diseases, colic, rheumatism
Cardamom – reduces caffeine toxicity, helps coughs and asthma
Fennel – relieves heartburn and nausea
Cinnamon – good for circulation, nerves, joints, congestion
Spearmint – helps nausea and promotes sleep
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Winter - Vata Season
Autumn /Winter are seasons where Vata dosha needs a little taking care of.
During this season the same qualities that characterize Vata: cold, dry, light, clear, and movement, are all present.
As long as these qualities are in balance, a person whose dosha is predominantly Vata will be healthy, creative, and exuberant. But when too much Vata accumulates in the body and mind, the imbalance may manifest as physical or emotional disorders, including insomnia, dry skin, arthritis, constipation, high blood pressure, anxiety, and depression.
Tips in staying balance-
- have frequent small meals.
- take plenty of hot soups
- Eat foods that are warming, fresh, and well cooked; avoid dry or uncooked foods (especially salads and raw fruits and vegetables).
- Drink lots of warming liquids such as hot water and herbal teas to prevent dehydration.
- Drink herbal tea eg ginger and tulsi.
- Eat more of the sweet, sour, and salty tastes and less of the bitter, astringent, and pungent ones. Avocados, bananas, mangoes, peaches, lemons, pumpkins, carrots, beets, asparagus, quinoa, rice, mung beans, almonds, sesame seeds, and ghee are a few excellent Vata-pacifying foods.
- Don’t worry if your appetite seems stronger than usual as this is a natural tendency in winter and helps pacify Vata.
Give yourself gentle self-massage in the morning or before bed. Use a nourishing, warming oil such as organic black sesame seed oil . You may also want to gently rub a drop of sesame oil inside your nasal passages, which tend to become dry during winter.
And lastly getting enough sleep is vital for vata, who tend to push themselves to the point of physical or mental exhaustion.
During this season the same qualities that characterize Vata: cold, dry, light, clear, and movement, are all present.
As long as these qualities are in balance, a person whose dosha is predominantly Vata will be healthy, creative, and exuberant. But when too much Vata accumulates in the body and mind, the imbalance may manifest as physical or emotional disorders, including insomnia, dry skin, arthritis, constipation, high blood pressure, anxiety, and depression.
Tips in staying balance-
- have frequent small meals.
- take plenty of hot soups
- Eat foods that are warming, fresh, and well cooked; avoid dry or uncooked foods (especially salads and raw fruits and vegetables).
- Drink lots of warming liquids such as hot water and herbal teas to prevent dehydration.
- Drink herbal tea eg ginger and tulsi.
- Eat more of the sweet, sour, and salty tastes and less of the bitter, astringent, and pungent ones. Avocados, bananas, mangoes, peaches, lemons, pumpkins, carrots, beets, asparagus, quinoa, rice, mung beans, almonds, sesame seeds, and ghee are a few excellent Vata-pacifying foods.
- Don’t worry if your appetite seems stronger than usual as this is a natural tendency in winter and helps pacify Vata.
Give yourself gentle self-massage in the morning or before bed. Use a nourishing, warming oil such as organic black sesame seed oil . You may also want to gently rub a drop of sesame oil inside your nasal passages, which tend to become dry during winter.
And lastly getting enough sleep is vital for vata, who tend to push themselves to the point of physical or mental exhaustion.
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