Ayurveda

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Ayurveda
Ayurveda A Science of Life…
 

Ayurveda is an ancient science of India which explains the way of leading a healthy and stress free life. The word Ayurveda itself means the science of life Ayu is Life and Veda is Science or Knowledge. It’s references are available in all vedas & mainly in Atharvaveda.

Vedas, where all the Rishis have explained about the way of leading a healthy life and its various other factors which affect life. Aurveda explained that for every work done karya there is a responsible cause Karan.
Eg. In malarial fever malarial parasite is the karan and malarial fever is the karya.

Principles of Ayurveda

As modern science explains that the whole universe is made up of three major components ie. solid, liquid and gases, similarly Ayurveda explains about panch bhautik sidhanta. According to Ayurveda all living and non living beings have originated from panch mahabhuta

  • Aakash The Space
  • Vayu The Air
  • Agni The Energy
  • Jal The Water
  • Prithvi The Earth

Aakash

It is similar to empty space.Space is the only factor which makes the things to differentiate among themselves.Suppose there are ten stones then due to the space among these stones we can easily identify them separately. Now suppose they are placed together in a bunch it will be difficult to count them from a distance as it will look like one so the space is a factor which provides identity to a substance or work.

Vayu

It is similar to air. It is that factor which provides movement to every particle or simply put all sorts of movements are carried out by vayu.

Agni

Here agni is that factor which changes the shape or gives a particular shape to substances.

Jal

It is the liquid factor which helps to bind different particles. Flour is drought without Water. Water turns the cement into stone. ( here oil is also included in Jal Mahabhuta)

Prithvi

Prithvi is the factor which contains the specific weight. and that factor on which rest of other Mahabhuta acts i.e. Prithvi can be moved by air in space.Agni provides a particular shape to prithvi and prithvi can be bound by jal.

Fundamentals of Ayurveda

Ayurveda says that the fundamentals of human body are based on three basic pedestals namely

  • Doshas are the functional units of the body .
  • Dhatus are the structural units of the body.
  • Malas are the excretory products of chayapachay ie. metabolism occuring in different system.
Doshas
The functional elements of the body are namely vayu, pitta, kapha, which are responsible for the maintenance of physiology in healthy individuals, any change in their proportion and functions due to external and internal factor leads to patho-physiology. This leads to diseases. Thus doshas are the chief factors,which are responsible for healthy systemic,maintenance or diseased state of an individual.

Vyadhi (disease) is an effect of Dosha Vaishyamya–vitiation of doshas

Depending on an amount of dosha vaishaymya curative procedures are advocated. Elaborate descriptions of various procedures and rituals to maintain health and to cure disease are available in ayurveda literature.A state where an amount of vitiation of dosha is less, (which is judged by signs and symptoms of disease) dosha suppressive medications are suggested which is known as shaman chikista. When an amount of vitiation of dosha is more elimination of that or those doshas, from the body by different routes is advocated is termed as shodhan chikista.

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Dhatus

Dhatus are the structural units of the body i.e. the whole body is made up of seven factors

  • Ras
    After digestion food material gets converted into very first Dhatu i.e. Ras.Its function is to provide nourishment to rest of all dhatu i.e. Prinanam.
  • Rakta
    Ras dhatu is converted into Rakta by action of Agni. (Rakta is similar to blood) It’s function is to keep every cell alive.

    Agni has got a very major role in ayurveda. It is believed that if agni is normal then that person can lead a healthy life and he will not suffer from any other metabolic disorder.Agni is very much similar to digestive enzymes.

  • Mans
    It is similar to muscular layer on the body.
  • Meda
    It is similar to fat layer. Its function is to provide lubrication to the body.
  • Asthi
    It is similar to Bones. It provides support to the body.
  • Majja
    It is similar to Bone marrow. It occupies the cavity of bones.
  • Shukra
    It is similar to semen and sperm in Male and in female all the factors responsible for reproduction. Its function is reproductive.

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Malas

Malas are the waste materials produced as a result of various metabolic activities in the body. these are faeces,urine & Sweat . Each has got its own importance in Ayurveda.

FAQ’s of Ayurveda

Here are some Frequently Asked Question that you always wanted to know.

Q1. What are the causes of Baldness and how can we prevent it?
Q2. What are Acne and how it is treated ?
Q3. How Constipation can be cured ?
Q4. How Acidity can be avoided ?
Q5. What may be the reason for the dark circles below the eyes ?
Q6. Any home remedy for loss of appetite ?

01. What are the causes of Baldness and how can we prevent it?

Baldness is a slowly growing disease. Many of us ignore the early stages of hair loss which might cause complete or partial baldness. Baldness not only harms beauty or personality but also affects a victim psychologically. Surveys show that women don’t like bald men as compared to others. A bald person also feels his personality quite affected by his recent changed look. The baldness or hair loss is encouraged due to

  • Body heat or dryness caused by overeating of spicy food or fried food.
  • Alcoholism
  • Careless attitude towards hair cleaning which increase the chances of infection.
  • Abhishandi type of food .The food that, after digestion, gets deposited on walls of vessels, which forms the blockage. This prevents nourishment of cells, causing hair fall e.g. Curd, Banana, Frizzed food, Ice-Creams, Fruit Salads.
  • Women rarely have hair problems,but lack of iron and calcium might lead to balding in women

Home Remedy

If you find a gradual hair loss don’t panic; put yourself on a Satvik Ahar. Have fruits or fruit juices for 5-15 days. Find out yourself which of the above mentioned reason is yours and avoid it. Try avoiding alcohol or spices.

Apply paste of the following on your scalp
Emblica officinalis (Aamla)
Eclipta alba (Maka)
Lawsonia inermis (Mehendi)
in equal quantity for 15-20 min.Then wash with Luke warm water.

Aamla (Emblica officinalis) will nourish as well as strengthen your hair roots.
Maka (Eclipta alba) will prevent discoloration of hair.
Mehendi (Lawsonia inermis) will give you a cool feel thus nullifying your body heat and will give you sound sleep which will help keep you mentally balanced.
Within 15-20 days you will discover the difference in you and your personality. OR ask for our medicated oil specially prepared to prevent hair loss.

02. What are Acne and how it is treated ?
Acne Most people think it is an unavoidable patch of one’s life while turning from a kid to an adolescent which has no solution. While transforming from childhood to adolescence due to vitiation of doshas adolescents suffer from acne. In Ayurveda childhood is known as Kaphjawastha; whereas adolescence is Pittajavastha. In this transforming period, the vitiation of doshas increases resulting in acne appearing on face.

Treatment

The adolescent is expected to do Waman Karma(Emesis) as the initial step.They should start Satvik Ahar and avoid non-vegeterian food.
The adolescents are suggested to wash their face 2-3 times daily. To avoid constipation, diet rich of fibers should be taken. Lemon juice acts against the Kafadoshas and opens the blockage, increases the Metabolic activities. Fruits are suggested on this problem .You can also consult us for further details.

03. How Constipation can be cured ?
Constipation affects a person in day-to-day life. It also affects his mental balance.
Constipation (with hard stool) might be due to overnight exertion or bad eating habits. On the of the common reasons is having less water every day. Mental stress or alcoholism can also be one of the reasons. A patient is suggested to have fruit diet.
Cure :1 tbsp ghee with glass of milk daily before going to bed. Senua 500mg + Terminalio chebula 1 gm (herda).If the patient has faeces with mucus, he is suggested to have
Amla – (Phylanthus emblica) + Aniseed gm + Cumin Seed 500 mg

04. How Acidity can be avoided ?
Acidity : (Amlapita)

Acidity is a most commonly seen problem amongst people. The main reason being eating more than necessary, or eating every now and then, or constipation. The people who have more liking for fried or non-vegeterian food are often seen troubled by acidity.

Treatment :All you have to do is follow simple rules.

  • Don’t drink water immediately after eating.
  • Koshna Jal (Luke warm) water after 1/2 hour.
  • Reduce your diet to 3/4 th of regular diet.
  • Have Aniseed croomy (Saunf) and Coriander seed (500 mg) twice a day.
  • Have lemon water with equal amount of sugar and salt everyday.

05. What may be the reason for the dark circles below the eyes ?
The dark circles below the eyes is not the sign of ageing or reaction of make up or result of moving out in hot sunny days. It’s a sign of deficiency of nutrition factors. If you are working or studying in poor light or overexerting your eyes this problem might occur. Your eyes can also get strained due to watching television for long. Dark circles are the result of bad eating and working habits.

Treatment :

Make thin slices of potato and cucumber and keep them on your eyes for about 15 minutes. Take milk diet and fruit juices. Most important do not strain your eyes.

06. Any home remedy for loss of appetite ?
Loss of appetite is not a disease but it is a sign which indicates that digestive system requires rest so that BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) gets normal.Fasting for a day or reducing diet will be the best remedy for it.

Treatment :

Cumin seeds 500mg
Aniseeds 500mg twice a day.
One glass of lemon juice with pinch of salt once a day.

Nutrition of Ayurveda
Satvic Diet Rajasi Diet Tamasic Diet Food for Good Health

Tips for Nutritions

Infants should always be feed on breast milk. Since nature has provided healthy food for him.
From 6-7 month i.e. after development of teeth starts, baby should be kept on fruit juices and breast milk.
From 8th month onwards we can feed him on little bit hard diet such as rice,pulses etc.
Once baby starts playing and performing other physical movement it should not be restricted for any diet. Because of more exertion,he gets enough digestive power to digest any heavy meal.

Now to understand the type of diet for working class and about the type of nutrition for them. Let’s see how improper metabolism can cause various disorders.

To maintain the proper balance nutrition Ayurveda has divided the food according to its taste.
It is of six types.

  1. Madhur (Sweet like sugar)
  2. Amla (Acid or sour like Lemon)
  3. Lavan (Salty like salt)
  4. Tikta (Bitter like Bitter gourd, Neem)
  5. Katu (Ushna, Pungent like Chili)
  6. Kashay (Astringent like Alum)

According to Ayurveda diet should contain all the six tastes in proportion and should be easy for digestion.
When all the six Rasas are employed properly they maintain the body and their incorrect utilization results in the vitiation of doshas.

Types of diet influencing Satva / Mana / Mind.
Normal brain functions and mental diseases can be altered by adequate diet. Ayurveda classifies diet into three groups as per the satva gunas.

  • Satvic Diet
  • Rajasi Diet
  • Tamasic Diet
Satvic Diet
Satva is the main and most healthy property (guna) of mind. Satvic diet is Ojas (Bliss) producing and maintains the body mind equilibrium and longevity. It keeps all the three body Doshas in a balanced state. This best diet consists of light, soothing, easily digested, refreshing articles with a balance of all six tastes and in adequate quantity.

Milk : Cow’s milk is preferred to other milks as it is most satvic. Milk provides proteins and strength necessary for reconstruction of all cells.

Ghee : Ghee provides the fatty portion of diet.

Fruits and Vegetables : Fruits and vegetables must occupy the maximum portion of one’s diet. But they must be fresh, properly ripened, devoid of germs and consumed as per their reasons only. Both are immuno-modulate and provide one the required vitamins, minerals, salts. They are bulk-promoting, nourishing and strength-promoting.

Fruits : apricots, melons, dates, cherries, coconut , orange, bananas, amlaki etc.

Vegetables :Green leafy vegetables, mung, cabbage, karela etc.

Cereals : Cereals like old quantity of red variety of rice, white variety, barley, little amount of wheat etc are excellent carbohydrate supplements.

Dietary articles of sweet taste in general : A small quantity of butter and honey can also be termed as Satvic articles.

Thus a Satvic diet provides all necessary energy for reconstruction and development of body constituents. Maximum portion of such a diet is converted into Ojas infusing happiness & buoyant feeling throughout the body. Persons habitual to Satvic diet have minimum risks of diseases like heart troubles, blood pressure etc.

 
Rajasi Diet
Rajasi diet is a tasteful diet maintaining the equilibrial state of doshas. It vitiates Vata and Pitta leading to their respective disorders.
Dietary articles with pungent and bitter taste
Food items with sour and salty taste, hot in potency, aggravate Pitta.
Liquor : Liquor’s properties are almost similar with those of poison. It provokes all three doshas and is a great risk factor for disease like Hypertension, Hyperacidity, Cardiac disorders, Neurological deficits, Gastritis, ulcers etc.
Fish: It is Vata-Pitta aggravator & causes various dermatological complications and allergies manifestations.
Meat & Eggs : Though they are strength promoting in turn greatly aggravate Kapha & some times even Pitta. As they are heavy to digest on daily usage cause various digestive problems like Indigestion, Gastroenteritis, Vomiting, Ulcer, HyperAcidity etc.
Meat & eggs also come under main risk factors of HyperTension, Obesity, HyperLipidemia etc.
Vegetables : Onion, Garlic, Radish, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes, Brinjal, Beans etc.
All Spices : They greatly aggravate Vata-Pitta.
Hot soft drinks : Tea, CoffeeModern dietary products like fast foods, all oily-spicy articles are Rajasi. Thus a Rajasi diets maximum portion is converted into waste producing a little of Ojas. Hence it reduces body immunity and induces anger, irritability like properties.

Tamasic Diet
Tamasic Diet : Tama is the most degraded guna of Mana & so is the Tamasic diet.It vitiates Kapha mainly. but on excessive consumption vitiates all three doshas.
A list of Tamasi i.e. vicious food is as follows.Curds: Curd is a Abhishyandi* product vitiating all doshas especially Kapha-Pitta.
*(Abhishandi is a type of food which gets deposited on the walls of vessels and forms the blockage.)
Wines : Prepared by fermenting food articles.
Stale Stuffs
Tasteless
Rotten
Stinking food items
All these food articles are unpleasant & Ama-producing (Ama is the Ras Dhatu formed due to improper digestion it’s properties are similar to Abhishandi) disturbing the complete digestive system.
Fermented food items like bread, cakes, pastries, idli, dosas etc are Kapha aggravators.

Thus Tamasi diet is a mal-nourished diet which instead of producing Ojas, reduces it. It produces undesirable effects on body and mind.

Food for Good Health
There are few factors which determine the utility of food.
Food should be warm
One should take warm food. When warm food is taken it is delicious; after intake, it provokes the factors (enzymes) in the abdomen responsible for digestion ; it gets digested quickly and helps in the downward passage of vata.
Food should be unctuous (like Ghee)

One should take Unctuous food. It increases the plumpness of the body, strengthens the sense faculties, promotes strength and brings out the brightness of complexion.
Food in proper Quantity
A] For the purpose of taking food the stomach capacity should be divided into three parts. One part of it should be filled up with solid food. The second part with liquids and the third part should be left for vata, pitta and kapha. One who takes food with due regards to this principle, does not fall a victim to any of the harmful effects which arise due to food taken in improper quantity.B]When taken in proper quantity it promotes longevity in its entirety without affecting vatta, pitta and kapha, it easily passes down to the rectum; it does not impair the power of digestion and it gets digested without any difficulty.
Intake after digestion of previous meals.
One should take food only when previous meal is digested. If one takes food before the digestion of the previous meal; the digestive product of the previous food i.e. immature rasa gets mixed up with the product of food taken afterwards, resulting in the provocation of all the dhosas instantaneously.If food is taken after digestion of the previous food while dhosas are in their proper places and agni (digestive enzymes) is provoked, there is appetite. The entrance of channels of circulation are open, circulation is purified, there in unimpaired cardiac function, downward passage of gases and proper manifestation of the urge for voiding flatus , urine and stool, then the product of food does not vitiate the dhatus of the body, but on the other hand it promotes longevity in its entirety. So one should take food only after digestion of the previous meal.
Intake of food having no contradictory potencies
One should take food having no contradictory potencies e.g. – fruit salad, curd with fish.
Intake in proper place and with all accessories
One should take food in proper place equipped with all the accessories. By doing so he does not affiliate with such of the factors as would result in emotional strain which (normally) occurs when one takes his food in improper places without the required accessories. Therefore one should take food in proper place equipped with all accessories.
Intake, not in hurry and not too slow
One should not take food too hurriedly nor very slowly because it effects the secretion of digestive enzymes.
One should take food with full concentration.
And should be confident enough that whatever food stuff he is taking is good and beneficial to him and his health.
He alone is a good physician who knows specific nature of rasas (tastes) drugs, dhosas and diseases as well as habitat time and physical constitution.

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