Health

5 Healthy Takeaways from “Perfect Digestion” by Deepak Chopra {Five Series}

Swathy · November 5, 2014 · 2 Comments

Finally, I have also started reading some of the books which would be useful for the blog and me 🙂 And, this one has scored high on my list. For a beginner health enthusiast, it can serve as one of the foundation books. It explains ayurveda in a simpler way than I could ever understand it till date. So, check out 5 new things I learned from the book.

One holistic system

Ayurveda treats our entire body as a single unit with each part having its own portion of intelligence as opposed to a machine controlled by a central engine. The nutrients from our food enhance the said intelligence. Ayurveda also believes that perfect digestion is the key to keep the body free of any disease.

Our thoughts, our imaginations, our feelings, desires and energies are as much “us” as are our fingernails, our blemishes and our digestive tracts.

Ayurvedic Doshas

Pitta characteristics so do check out if they concur with your nature!

Ayurveda understands a body as a part of three doshas – Vata, Kapha and Pitta.

Vata – controls movement like breathing, blood circulation, food passing through the digestive tracts, nerve impulses sent to and received from the brain.

Pitta – represents metabolism or digestion like processing food, air and water and facilitate proper intellectual functioning.

Kapha – governs body structure, holds cells together and forms muscles, fat, bones and sinew, also governs digestive fluids int he body.

Everyone has all 3 doshas in equal measures but some imbalances in the body may lead to one or other dosha dominating over the others in which case the said dosha must be pacified and balanced . Our body is in a harmonious state when all these three doshas are in perfect balance.

Digestion is considered a heating process in Ayurveda which is why it is denoted by the agni or digestive fire.

Too high digestive fire means pitta dosha which leads to excessive appetite.

Too low digestive fire means kapha dosha which leads to low energy and weight gain.

Too variable digestive fire means vata dosha which leads to extreme hunger or loss of appetite.

Perfect digestive fire in which all doshas are balanced.

Kapha characteristics so do check out if they concur with your nature!

Small Intestine and Its Role

Small intestine is one the major organs where the maximum digestion and extraction of the intelligence from the foods happens. To keep it healthy,

eat variety of foods everyday

foods should not be over-cooked or raw

foods must not be too hot or too cold

That is why ice cold water is not a preferable option, as much you might crave it!!

Spice to eat to keep the digestive system in healthy order – black pepper, ginger and nutmeg.

Vata characteristics so do check out if they concur with your nature!

Ama and Ojas

When the body is in perfect harmonious state, it produces a biochemical called Ojas which represents the positive flow of energy in the body. It means the body is in complete harmony with the mind.

A complete opposite to this harmonious state is when the body feels sluggish. A sticky biochemical called Ama is produced in such a state. It can be due to improper lifestyle, improper diet or improper digestion.

Signs of ama production in the body – lethargy, feeling of heaviness, weakness, weak immunity, fatigue, emotional instability, low energy levels.

Visible sign – white coating on the tongue which is also present throughout the digestive canals of the body. That is why tongue scraping should be done right after brushing your teeth.

How to eliminate Ama from the body?

Eat in a settled and quiet atmosphere where there is no television or talking.

Rest quietly for a few minutes after a meal to begin the digestive process in a effortless way.

Always eat while sitting. it helps the body relax.

Do not eat while upset. Wait for a few minutes to stabilize your emotions and then start eating.

Do not overeat. Always eat only 3/4th of your total capacity. leave eating when you feel almost full and still feel light.

Always avoid cold drinks or foods. Cold freezes the digestive fires and may lead to creation of ama.

Always eat slowly. After a bite, chew and wait till you swallow it before taking another bite.

Do not eat till your preceding meal is digested. It takes 3-6 hours for the previous meal to digest so if you feel heavy but crave something to eat, snack on a fruit or any warm beverage.

Always eat fresh food.

Drink hot water throughout the day, as often as possible, to dissolve the ama in your body.

sort of diet you should maintain according to your specific dosha

6 Ayurvedic Tastes

Ayurveda identifies 6 tastes in order of digestion – sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent. It is important to incorporate all these tastes in all our meals throughout the day. And, one should eat them in their order of digestion as specified.

For example, sweet should be eaten before anything sour which should be eaten before a salty dish which should precede a pungent one which should precede bitter and lastly, follow with an astringent. That is why dessert should be taken first and salad should be the last meal.

Have you read the book? Do you think digestion is the key element to our well-being?

5 reasons for Anal or Rectal Burning or Itching and How to Treat It! {Five Series}

Swathy · November 4, 2014 · Leave a Comment

Healthy Diet eases every Health Problem!

Hey All!! I know I disappeared again! Even I am tired with my habits but I shall surely elaborate on those reasons in some other post. For now, I came across this extremely important topic which I wanted to discuss. So, anything which has to do with the genitalia is a generally embarrassing topic to discuss and many times it is overlooked health aspect.

Sometimes when you are passing out stool, you might feel burning sensation or sometimes when you have a change in diet or hydration levels, the skin there might be prone to itching. Whenever you face such situations, it is generally the symptom for anal or rectal burning and inflammation. Let me discuss a few of the causes for this problem.

Too Spicy Diet

This is one of the most important causes for any kind of change in your body. When you start eating too spicy foods or too much of peppers or hot sauces, the chemicals in them can irritate the skin near the rectum and cause it to inflame. Also, a lot of caffeine and sugary foods can also lead to this condition. So, this is the first thing you need to cross out of your check-list.

Skin Diseases

Do you suffer from psoriasis or seborrhoea or dermatitis? If yes, you can also get those chronic dry skin conditions at the rectum area. Also, less hydration in skin or dry skin can also lead to irritation at the rectal area so drink a lot of water and keep the area hydrated by using hot or cold compress. That helps soothe the irritation there!!

Medical Problems

Well, another reason may be you are suffering from diabetes, anemia, inflammatory bowel disease, jaundice, leukamia, lymphoma, thyroid disease so check out if you have any of the above conditions.

Lack of Hygiene

Not washing the area properly or using too drying soaps and liquids can also irritate the area. A gentle cleanser or plain water should be used on the genitals and the basic clothes must be washed and changed on a regular basis. Also, excessive aggressive cleaning after bowel movements should be avoided. When using jets or bidets, make sure that the pressure of water is gentle enough and not too strong to hurt the skin.

Solution – Banana

Banana is rich in potassium. Potassium is an astringent which shrinks or tightens the body tissue (Source). And, during the rectal inflammation, the tissues of the rectum also become inflamed.

So, do you think any of the above may lead to your problems? Are you or have you ever suffered from this problem? And, how did you treat it?

Exercising and Pregnancy {Pregnancy} [Part – III]

Swathy · September 29, 2014 · Leave a Comment

Read the previous part of this series here. This is the last post of this series.

Guest Post by Punam

General cautions for pregnancy exercise

While most forms of exercise are safe, there are some exercises that involve positions and movements that may be uncomfortable or harmful for pregnant women. Be guided by your doctor or physiotherapist on those positions but let me share some of the generic cautions:

Avoid raising your body temperature too high – for example, don’t soak in hot spas or exercise to the point of heavy sweating. Reduce your level of exercise on hot or humid days.

Don’t exercise to the point of exhaustion.

If weight training, choose low weights and medium to high repetitions – avoid lifting heavy weights altogether.

Don’t exercise if you are ill or feverish.

If you don’t feel like exercising on a particular day – then don’t! It is important to listen to your body to avoid unnecessarily depleting your energy reserves.

Exercises to avoid while pregnant

During pregnancy, avoid sports and activities with increased risk of falling like:

Contact sports or activities that carry a risk of falling (such as trampolining, roller blading, downhill snow skiing, horse riding and basketball)

Competition sports – depending on the stage of pregnancy, the level of competition and your level of fitness

After about the fourth month of pregnancy, exercises that involve lying on your back – the weight of the baby can slow the return of blood to the heart. Try to modify these exercises by lying on the side.

In the later stages of pregnancy, activities that involve jumping, frequent changes of direction and excessive stretching (such as gymnastics).

If you’re not sure whether a particular activity is safe during pregnancy, check with your doctor.

Pelvic floor exercises and pregnancy

The pelvic floor muscles are weakened during pregnancy and during normal birth (vaginal delivery), so it is extremely important to begin conditioning the pelvic floor muscles from the start of the pregnancy. Appropriate exercises can be prescribed by a physiotherapist. It is important to continue with these throughout the pregnancy and resume as soon as is comfortable after the birth.

Abdominal exercises and pregnancy

Strong abdominal muscles support your spine. The internal core and pelvic floor abdominal muscles act as a natural ‘corset’ to protect the pelvis and lumbar spine. Traditional sit-ups or crunches can be ineffective during pregnancy and may make worse the condition known as diastasis recti abdominis (a painless splitting of the abdominal muscle at the midline).

Appropriate core stability exercises are recommended during pregnancy to strengthen the muscles of the abdomen:

Concentrate on drawing your belly button towards your spine.
Breathe out while pulling in your belly.
Hold the position and count to 10. Relax and breathe in.
Repeat 10 times, as many times a day as you are able.
You can perform this exercise sitting, standing or on your hands and knees.

Warning signs for exercising during pregnancy

If you experience any of the following during or after physical activity, stop exercising immediately and see your doctor or physiotherapist:

Headache
Dizziness or feeling faint
Heart palpitations
Chest pain
Swelling of the face, hands or feet
Calf pain or swelling
Vaginal bleeding
Contractions
Deep back or pubic pain
Cramping in the lower abdomen
Walking difficulties
An unusual change in your baby’s movements
Amniotic fluid leakage

And, finally, Things to remember

Exercise during pregnancy offers many physical and emotional benefits. While exercise during pregnancy is usually encouraged, you may feel it’s not right for you.

Talk to your doctor, physiotherapist or healthcare professional to make sure your exercise routine won’t cause harm to you or your unborn baby.

Any illness or complication of the pregnancy should be fully assessed and discussed with your doctor before commencing or continuing an exercise program.

What do you say? Do you think it is good to exercise during pregnancy? Did you doctor recommend it to you? Or, did they cite reasons for it being unsafe for you?

Punam is currently busy with her second baby and I wish she will soon come on board with more articles like these. She blogs at be beautiful with Punam.