Turmeric Brew

Stressed after a hard’s day work?  This turmeric brew can help – it’s also great to relieve a sore throat and runny nose.
- 1 cup of almond milk
- 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1/8 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1 teaspoon of organic sweetener (optional)
- pinch of cayenne (optional)

Put all of the ingredients in a small pot, mix and let it heat.  Stir and enjoy.


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Menstruation Guidelines

In today's world, women curse to the knowledge of having their period.  But according to Ayurveda, having your period is a blessing and not a curse.  Apart from preparing the body for conception and pregnancy, the body is being cleared of all toxins.  Every month we get to clean out our system and we don't even have to do anything!  Nature does it for us!  Our bodies are being renewed.  We are born again!  What a beautiful support from the laws of nature.

Constipation, diarrhea, irritability, mood swings, bloating, upset stomach, cravings, fatigue, breast tenderness, breakouts, sadness, anger, sensitivity - just to mention the very few variety of symptoms we might experience.

Here are some guidelines that will help during our menstruation -

• the body needs to be free of ama - this means no fast food, junk food, leftovers, alcohol and drugs.  Best to favor vegetables, grains, fruits, milk.  These fresh foods will keep your body clean and be easy on your digestive system.
• favor light and warm foods - the ones that will pacify your Vata.
• take it easy!  Don't engage in certain activities or people that will get you moody.  Best to be more inwards.
• light to moderate exercise is recommended; walks in particular
• avoid daily massages during menstruation 
• definitely follow a routine when menstruating as this will help in regulating your menstruation 
• use the following spice mix when cooking to help balance your cycle - 
• 6 parts fennel
• 1 part black cumin
• 1 part cumin
• 6 parts coriander 
• 1 part turmeric 
• 1 part black pepper 
• sauté this mix in ghee and add to your meals 

Cancer Killing Foods

It's really that simple -
To stay healthy, we need to eat healthy.
To fight an illness, we need to introduce or in some cases reintroduce certain foods that contain properties and nutrients that can actually help fight cancer and prevent it.

The following are the best foods that help with killing cancer -

Broccoli
Tomatoes
Grapefruit
Kale
Eggplant
Garlic
Turmeric
Wheatgrass
Ginger
Berries
Walnuts
Cauliflower

Foods & Spices That Help Fight The Flu & Cold

Greetings fellow readers.

I'm back in Fairfield, Iowa and it's freezing here!
The air is crisp and clear.
The snow is bright and white.
And my feet are frozen!

I just got back from a great walk on the Cedar View Bridge.
On the right is a picture I took.

Thought this would be a perfect opportunity to blog about some foods and spices that can help fight the flu and cold season.

• ginseng
• cinnamon 
• turmeric
• cloves
• garlic
• spinach
• ginger
• onions
• honey
• strawberries 
• oranges
• anise seeds 
• leafy green vegetables 
• sweet potatoes 
• blueberries 

These help boost your immunity, helps with cough, clears the channels, contains lots of vitamins and  has lots of antioxidants. 

Natural Skin Remedies

Your face is the first thing a person sees when interacting with you.
There are 20,000 pores on the face.
Majority of the face products that are sold are chemical based which definitely clears the skin to an extent, but in the long run will cause some problem.
I have been putting lemon juice all over my face for about a month now before bed time.  And it's definitely looking good.
Below are some natural skin remedies for you all to try.
Take one from below and apply all over the face once a day, twice a day for better results.

Lemons - removes the skin of dead cells
Turmeric - lightens blemishes and pigmentation
Cucumber - prevents pimples, blackheads, wrinkles and dry skin
Coconut - wash your face with coconut water - your face will be blemish free
Neem - gets rid of pimples and cleans out pores

Sinus Relief Remedy

The weather is changing.
Our bodies are changing.
We are the universe and the universe is us.
Here's a great sinus relief remedy that can help during the weather change in and around us.

• 1 cup of boiled hot water
• 1 tablespoon of raw honey
• 1 teaspoon of fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 pinch of turmeric powder
• 1 pinch of cayenne pepper 
• 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar 

Drink this mixture a couple of times a day.

It will help improve your sinus symptoms, break up congestion and kill pathogens. 

Pitta Pacifying Diet

Is your pitta out of balance?
Here's what you can do to pacify Pitta.

Favor the following foods -

General - Food not too hot.  Cool or luke warm drinks according to preference.  Sweet, bitter and astringent tastes.

Grains - wheat, rice, barley, oats.

Beans - yellow mung daal, small kidney beans, soy bean products

Vegetables - asparagus, artichokes, white pumpkin, okra (lady fingers), zucchini, spinach, chard, kale, chicory (bitter vegetable), cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, green beans, celery, potatoes, peas, green sweet pepper, green papaya, sprouts, lettuce, daikon (white carrot), tender eggplant.

Dairy - ghee, milk, butter, sweet buttermilk, sweet lassi, cream, cream cheese

Sweeteners - white or semi-refined sugar, honey in small amounts when person is not afflicted with heat.

Oils - coconut, olive, sunflower

Spices & condiments - coriander, cumin, ginger (in small amounts), turmeric, saffron, fennel, cinnamon, cardamom, lemon juice

Fruits - grapes, pomegranate, cashew, banana, avocado, mango, coconut, melons, apples, pears, raisins, dates figs, apricot, sweet orange, sweet pineapple, persimmon, papaya (small amounts), kiwi fruit.

Avoid or reduce the following -

General - pungent, sour and salty tastes

Grains - millet, corn, buckwheat, rye.

Beans - adzuki beans

Vegetables - tomatoes, beet root, carrots, radish, hot peppers, raw onions.

Dairy - sour milk products, yogurt, cheese (especially old and salty), salty butter, quark, sour cream.

Sweeteners - molasses, brown sugar.

Oils - almond, corn, safflower, sesame.

Nuts - all (except coconut)

Seeds - all except sunflower and pumpkin

Spices & condiments - chili pepper, cayenne, black pepper, mustard seeds, cloves, celery seeds fenugreek

Fruits - papaya, grapefruit, olive, sour orange, peach, sour grape, sour pineapple, berries, cranberries, prunes

Tips For Healthy Hair

Tips for healthy hair -

• include lots of leafy green vegetables and sweet juicy fruits
• coconut is best
• favor fresh yogurt, milk, buttermilk, ghee 
• favor seeds, nuts and grains 
• eat less of processed, canned food - no nutrition is given to body and mind
• cumin, turmeric, black pepper are good for the hair - include these spices in your cooking
• stress is a huge factor for hair loss and graying of hair - practice TM or any other meditation technique
• harsh chemicals in hair products is a big NO - it damages the hair - read the labels
• oil massages to the scalp once or twice a week stimulates the hair follicles, provides nourishment to the scalp, stimulates the mind and clears any impurities on the head
• do not comb or brush your hair when wet - more hair will break and fall
• blow drying hair is a big NO - excessive heat damages the hair, is not good for the mind and gives you split ends
• it's good to brush the hair regularly to stimulate the scalp and keeping the hair looking healthy and lustrous! 

Feedback 2!

Greetings.

I received an awesome feedback from a client today.  She was feeling a little under the weather and instead of taking the basic NyQuil, she decided to have boiled milk with a little bit of turmeric in it.  Totally washed the cold away!  And, she has been drinking hot water and says her blouse fits!  That's amazing!  It's very fulfilling to know that some readers are following these simple recommendations.  Thank you!

Feedback!

Greetings.

Someone had reached out to me recently asking for a recommendation as to how she can help with the reddish, small acne type bumps on her face.

The best cure - turmeric.

I told her to make a paste out of turmeric -
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
- Mixed with water
- Mix till there is a good consistency
- Apply on affected area
- Best to do morning and night

After a few weeks, we got in touch and she said there's a big difference and the affected area is so much better!

Here is some general information about turmeric -

• can be used internally and externally
• dry and light in quality
• taste is pungent, bitter and astringent
• golden in color which gives a golden like complexion
• the oil from the turmeric contains a lot of vitamin A, proteins, carbohydrates
• decreases cholesterol level
• often used as cream component for skin
• reduces pain and swelling
• good for dry eczema and wounds
• fumes of turmeric is used for breathing problems - hiccups
• stimulates process of digestion
• facilitates downward movement of vata
• purifies the blood
• helps to stop bleeding
• reduces urinary frequency
• helps reduce fever
• good to have if diabetic
• has a purifying effect on lactating mothers
• good for anemia 
• recent studies shows it to have anti cancer properties 

Remedy 3 - Immunity Spice Mix

What is the main function of the immune system?  The answer is to protect the body from foreign invaders.  To strengthen and keep the immune system in balance is vital to health.  Here's a great way to boost your immunity with spices.

• 3 parts ground cumin
• 3 parts coriander
• 6 parts turmeric 
• 6 parent ground fennel
• 1 part powdered, dry ginger
• 1 part ground black pepper
• 1/4 part ground cinnamon

- Mix the spices together 

- In 1 tablespoon on Ghee (clarified butter), heat 1 teaspoon of this spice mixture until it releases aroma

- Add this to your vegetables, rice, etc. 

Must have spices in your spice rack

Spices and herbs have healing powers.  
Spices and herbs are in direct relation to the entire holistic functioning of the body.
They're therapeutic.
Flavorful.
Convenient.

Be sure to have the following spices in your spice rack. 

• Turmeric
• Coriander
• Fennel
• Cumin
• Cinnamon
• Cardamom
• Nutmeg
• Cloves
• Asafoetida 
• Ginger
• Garlic
• Basil
• Cayenne
• Black pepper
• Saffron
• Ajwain
• Dill
• Mustard seeds
• Sea salt
• Black salt
• Fenugreek