Say No To Cold

Adding ice to drinks, especially in the summer time is okay, right?  Well, no it is not!

Ice old beverages basically extinguish the digestive fire – the fire that is needed to digest that ice cold beverage you just had, along with the meal.

Something like ice cold milk, juice, or even water puts out the fire.

Cold drinks and foods mixed with warm cooked foods can cause stomach cramps, bloating and discomfort in the stomach area.

So say no to cold!

 www.seemasahani.com

Tip Of The Day

According to Ayurveda, drinking water at the end of a meal is wrong.

It destroys the jathar agni (the fire that is present in the stomach and that which facilitates digestion).

When drinking water after a meal, it rots the food inside the system and doesn’t digest.

 www.seemasahani.com

Body Parts Remind Us How To Live

We have two eyes and one tongue,

Which means we need to look twice and talk once.

We have two ears and one mouth,

Which means we need to listen more than we talk.

We have two hands and one stomach,

Which means we need to work twice as much as we eat.

We have two major brain parts – left and right and one heart,

So we can think twice, but love only once.

Amazing how our body parts remind us how to live …

Lets try to live it that way and see the difference…

www.seemasahani.com

Did You Know - About Cherries

Did you know that cherries ease joint pains and alleviate headaches and migraines?  A study by researchers at East Lansing's Michigan State University showed that if you have arthritis or chronic headaches, having a bowl of cherries a day might alleviate your pain, minus the stomach upset so often triggered by painkillers.  Eating cherries can also reduce uric acid in the blood, which is the cause of arthritic pain and swelling.

Definitely have a bowl everyday.

Did You Know About Lemon Water

According to Dr. Raju, lemon water should not be taken on an empty stomach because it causes joint problems.  Having something very small and light before, for example a few crackers, is advised.

Wonders of Olive Oil

Olive oil is one of the most popular ingredients in the kitchen, but it can also be found in the medicine cabinet and even on a night stand.  In fact that it is rich in vitamin E and essential antioxidants, makes it one of the most efficient measures to balance blood pressure levels and cholesterol, to precent heart attacks, cancer and fight aging.  And if you thought that's where its benefits end, you are sorely mistaken.

Here are 25 more uses for this excellent material - the olive oil

1 - to precent snoring - swallow a spoon of olive oil before bed

2 - to reduce stretch marks - massage olive oil before bed

3 - to treat acne - prepare a mix made of 3 table spoons of olive oil with 4 table spoons of sea salt, put on your face for 1-2 minutes.  The mix will clean the pores and keep the moisture of your skin.  Wash with hot water and soap.

4 - to alleviate ear pain - spill one drop of warm olive oil in your ear

5 - to reduce stomach ulcers and pain - mix one table spoon of live oil with a 3/4 cup of citrus juice or vinegar and drink

6 - olive oil can serve as a substitute for shaving cream

7 - to strengthen your fingernails - soap them in a bowl of olive oil

8 - to rehabilitate your skin - to treat dry skin of the hands, elbows and knees, warm a few table spoons of olive oil (until it's luke warm) and smear on the relevant areas.

9 - to treat colds - warm a mixture of 1/3 cup of olive oil, 1/3 cup of sesame oil, 4 drops of thyme, 2 drops of rosemary oil and massage the warm mixture on the chest area 

10 - to treat dandruff - massage olive oil into your scalp and leave overnight.  Wash your hair in the mooring and wash with a regular shampoo.  Try this treatment for a week.

11 - to treat dry hair with split ends - warm the oil and smear on scalp for 45 minutes

12 - to treat after hair coloring - soak a soft cotton towel with olive oil and wipe the spotted skin, it may take some time but the color will come off the skin

13 - to prevent hair loss - mix 2 eggs with 2 table spoons of olive oil.  Smear on the scalp and hair for 40 minutes and then wash with cool or luke warm water.  It's recommended to repeat this 3 times a week.

14 - to treat lice - mix 1 table spoon of olive oil with 5 drops of the the tree oil and smear on the scalp for several minutes.  Then comp your hair with a live comb and wash with hot water.

15 - Relieve toothache - mix drops of clove oil with drops of olive oil, in about a ratio of 3:1 and use a cotton ball to put on the aching area.  Not recommended for children and pregnant or breastfeeding women. 

16 - remove mascara - drip a bit of olive oil on a cotton ball and wipe the make up from your eyes.

17 - relieve coughing - swallow a spoon of olive oil mixed with a spoon of honey.  Another option is to massage the upper back and chest with the oil at body temperature. 

18 - treating swollen/red gums - wash your mouth with a mix of olive oil and water.

19 - prevent diaper rash - mix 2 spoons of olive oil with a spoon of water and smear on baby's rear

20 - to polish furniture - mix olive oil and lemon juice at a ratio of 2:1.  Use a gentle towel soared in the mix to polish the furniture 

21 - to maintain garden tools - smear a bit of olive oil on garden tools to keep them from accumulating filth and corrosion.

22 - to prevent squeaks - smear some olive oil on screaming hinges to make them silent 

23 - for digestive problems - swallow a spoon of olive oil every morning on an empty stomach.  Another option is to drink a glass of water with a spoon of olive oil and spoon of lemon juice.

24 - to maintain knives - after washing thoroughly with water and soap, wipe the blades well and then use a small amount of olive oil and gentle rub it on the blades with a towel. 

25 - prevent wax from building up in the candlesticks - just drip a bit of olive oil and it won't stick. 

The 7 Don'ts After A Meal

An interesting read I received and want to share.

1     Don't smoke - Experiment from experts proves that smoking a cigarette after meal is comparable to smoking 10 cigarettes (chances of   cancer is higher).                                                                                          2    Don't eat fruits immediately - Immediately eating fruits after meals will cause the stomach to be bloated with air.  Therefore take fruit 1-2 hours after meals or 1 hour before meal.                                            3     Don't drink tea - Because tea leaves contain a high content of acid,  this substance will cause the protein content in the food we consume to be hardened thus difficult to digest.      4     Don't loosen your belt - Loosening the belt after a meal will easily cause the intestine to be twisted and blocked.                                                5    Don't bathe - Bathing will cause the increase of blood flow to the hands, legs and body thus the amount of blood around the stomach will therefore decrease.  This will weaken the digestive system in our stomach.                                                                                                                                                6    Don't walk about - People always say that after a meal walk a hundred steps and you will live till 99.  In actual fact this is not true.  Walking will cause the digestive system to be unable to absorb the nutrition from the food we intake.                                                                                                                              7    Don't sleep immediately - The food we intake will not be able to digest properly.  Thus will lead to gastric and infection in our intestine.

Doshas - Vata, Pitta, Kapha

We all have a place of balance, our basic nature or constitution, which in Ayurveda is called Prakriti.  It is determined at the time of conception.  And by knowing your prakriti, obtaining perfect health is possible.  By knowing your dosha or body type, an Ayurvedic practitioner can tell which diet, herbal preparations, lifestyle changes, massages, yoga asanas and other Ayurvedic medical therapies can help you.  These three primary life forces - Vata, Pitta and Kapha are the doshas that bind the five elements down into a living flesh.

Vata, pitta and kapha are the fundamental principles governing the physiological process.  When imbalanced, they afflict the body of imbalances.  They act as basic constituents and protective barriers for the body in its normal physiological condition.  And when out of balance, they contribute to disease.

• Vata means wind or "that which moves things"
• It represents the force that governs biological activity
• The functions are transformation, movement and communication
• Main location for Vata is the colon

(Photo credit - http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-fulminant-colitis.htm)

• Pitta means fire or "that which digests things" 
• It represents the fire that digests all activity and experiences 
• The functions are digestion, metabolism and transformation
• The main location for Pitta is the stomach

(Photo credit - http://articletube.blogspot.com/2012/06/stomach-three-misunderstanding-patients.html)

• Kapha means phlegm or "that which holds things together"
• It represents the physical and emotional home in which we reside
• The functions are structure, cohesion and lubrication
• The main location for Kapha is the chest

(Photo credit - http://thoracicsurgery.stanford.edu/patient_care/malignant_pleural_mesothelioma.html)



Every cell in the body contains all these three principles.  Every ones body has to have Vata, or movement which allows you to breathe and circulate blood.   We have to have Pitta, digestion or metabolism which processes food, air and water throughout our system.  And kapha which is structure and which aids to hold the cells together.  This is how nature created us and to know your body type is essential to understand yourself.

Samadoshah samagnish ca

Samadhatumalakriyah

Prasannatmendriyamanah svastha ity

Abhidhiyate

He whose dosha are in balance, whose appetite is good, whose dhatus are functioning normally, whose malas are in balance, and whose consciousness, mind and senses remain full of bliss,

 is called a healthy person.

Sushruta Sutrasthan 15.38