How to make a Kwath/Kashayam
What Is Kwath? Ayurveda uses natural herbs as medicine. The raw herb as such cannot be consumed. It needs to be converted into a suitable dosage form. Since 90 percent of the herbs are composed of water, ancient ayurvedic masters thought of using a water-soluble medium as the dosage form….
Koshtha – GI tract/alimentary canal
Koshta is a unique concept in Ayurveda. It is defined as nature of digestive tract, which represents motility of the intestines and movement of food and fecal matter in the alimentary canal and elimination of the stool.
Food Guidelines
Along with what we eat, where we eat, how we eat, when we eat make all the difference in our health. This thought is unique in Ayurveda. Ayurvedic eating is not generalized. It is “person” specific.
Eating Guidelines
1. Do not eat while on the go
2. Do not eat too fast or too slow
3. Eat only when hungry
4. Do not eat without washing hands, feet and face
5. Without reciting mantra
How to travel Ayurvedicly
Travel increases Vata but also traveling in general promotes poor sleep and eating habits.
These are some tips to help travel more Ayurvedicly and feel better and healthier.
Haritaki
Haritaki (Chebulic myrobalan), also called Indian walnut or Indian hog plum, is a fruit that’s cultivated from the seeds of Terminalia chebula trees. The rind of the fruit is most often made into haritaki powder that has a number of medicinal uses, considering it acts as a natural laxative, has astringent properties and contains…
Dravya Guna
The word ‘Dravyaguna’ means the science dealing with propertries and actions of drugs. This is counterpart of modern pharmacology. It would be necessary, at first, to understand the fundamentals of Ayurveda in general before one can grasp the concepts of Dravyaguna.Panchabhutas (Akasha, Vayu, Agni, Jala and Prithivi) are regarded as…
Vegetables
Vegetables Overview Taste: Pleasant and not too strong in tasteEnergy: EvenPost – Digestive Effect: SweetActions: Generally, sattvicDoshas/Indication: Depend on the following vegetable varieties:Roots: Heavier, nutritive, V↓K↑P=; Carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beetrootsLeafy Greens: (Including cabbage family) lighter and drying; PK↓ V. Often has blood cleansing properties, the source of vitamins, minerals.Pungent…
Oils
Oils and fats are a much misunderstood area of our modern diet. We moved away from cooking with saturated fats (e.g. meat fats, dairy fats) as we were told they were causing us too many problems.
Amla
Amla undeniably a powerhouse of nutrients. It is a very delicious fruit. Amla is also known as Indian Gooseberry. Amla Botanical name is Emblica Officinalis. This herb is a little fruit stuffed with versatile and miraculous health benefits. It is world’s best recognized herb and edible fruit rich in vitamin…
Animal Products
Meat is the most nourishing food, excellent for debility, convalescence, lowering high vāta disorders. Meat is considered deranging and makes more toxins or āma, especially in pitta personality. It promotes infections, fevers, tumors and increases irritability. Meat is considered a highly tamasic food, which interferes with spiritual elevation. It may…
Drinks
Liquids are very important to our nutrition as we are mainly made up of plasma.
Cooking Spices
Spices, in general, enhance the taste of food. Spices are an essential part of Āyurvedic cooking. Āyurveda recognizes the medicinal qualities of spices. Āyurvedic cooking uses these spices intelligently to balance the doṣas, to enhance digestion (stimulates Pācaka pitta), to efficiently absorb nutrients, to improve circulation, to improve hormonal balance…
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds are rich in proteins, fats and fiber (ojas). They are a great alternative to grains, which are often too carbohydrate rich but deficient in other nutrients. Our ancestors ate a diet rich in nuts and greens.
Legumes and Beans
Legumes (lentils, peas, beans) are comprised mostly of the elements of earth and air. Sweet and astringent in taste, they are immediately cooling, then go on to nourish and strengthen. While this is ideal in India’s hot, moist climate, beware however, too many legumes introduce rough, heavy, drying qualities that form…
Signs of Depletion and Increase of Dhatu & Mala
Dhatus also have three states – sama (Balanced state), vrddhi and ksaya (same as doshas). Aggravated doshas weaken dhatus, so in the disease process dhatu ksaya signs are addressed. Only in few diseases vrddhi signs are mentioned.
Strotas – Channels/Ducts of Transportation
The entire body is composed of uncountable channels called srotas. These are the spaces that carry and transform materials.There are 13 subtypes of srotas. Three input srotas – anna (food), udaka (water) and prāṇa (breath/air), seven srotas for seven dhātus, three srotas for three malas. ‘Vaha’ is indicative of a…
Dairy
Dairy is most beneficial when it is raw, from animals that are treated kindly, are fed with fodder free from pesticides, insecticides, and receive no steroid injections or rBGH (bovine growth hormone) in their foods.
Dhatus
The Universe is made up of energy and matter. The doshas represent energy and the dhātus represent matter. Dhātus are made up of mahābhūtas which are created from tanmātras. Tanmātras are the different vibrations of universal, cosmic energy. The doshas and dhātus are close friends, who cannot live or function…
Sweeteners & Condiments
We need a certain amount of sweet taste to maintain tissue development. This is because the basic taste of our body is sweet. White sugars are refined, which means they have been stripped of their nutrition. Thus, as they are absorbed into the body, it takes nutrition and energy from…