Monthly Archives: August 2014

Massage Reduces Stress in Teens

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Most of the time when we read about massage it is in the context of working adults or parents looking for an escape from stress or relief from some kind of physical difficulty. Just the other day, however, I was reading about research on massage for teens. After receiving a 30-minute massage each day for five days, the teens in one study were in a better mood, more cooperative and sleeping better.

It got me thinking about how stressful the transition from summer vacation to school can be. It’s not just bed times and waking times that need to be adjusted. There is also the transition from relaxed summer attitudes to academic and social alertness. Adolescence can be a very stressful time of life. It’s a time of huge changes, both physical and psychological. Hormonal pressures, peer pressure and expectations can all create stress for young adults.

The benefits of massage are well documented: lowered stress hormones, relief of muscle tension, improved immune function, increased sense of relaxation and even a heightened ability to concentrate. There is also a recognized relationship between stress and the immune system. If stress hormones are chronically elevated, the hormone, cortisol, will destroy healthy immune cells that fight viruses and keep the immune system healthy. Lowering stress hormones means letting the immune system get back to doing its job.

Ayurvedic massage is traditionally performed in the morning before bathing or showering. Good massage oils are cured sesame oils, olive oil or sweet almond oil. Sesame oil is inherently heating, so those with a more Pitta constitution should opt for olive oil or sweet almond oil. A consultation with an expert in Ayurveda can help determine which oil is best for your child.

If you do choose sesame oil, look for cold-pressed, chemical-free organic sesame oil. To cure or purify the sesame oil, heat the oil to 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from heat once this temperature is reached, cool and store for use as needed. Up to a quart of oil can be cured at a time. Of course, you should observe safety precautions when curing oil. All oils are highly flammable. Use low heat, and don’t leave the oil on heat unattended. You can look for professionally cured sesame oil at stores that sell Ayurvedic products if you’d rather not do the curing yourself.

If your mornings are already too rushed, try encouraging an oil massage at night.

Ayurveda spas, like The Raj Ayurveda Health Center, offer Ayurveda massages (Aybhanga) given by two technicians moving in synchrony, providing a deep experience of balance and integration. For more information on Ayurveda consultations and massage, contact The Raj Ayurveda Health Center:

www.theraj.com

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Coffee and Your Brain: Regaining Normal Brain-Functioning with Ayurveda

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arabica_catura_coffee_beanMany of my friends start their active morning routine with a stop at the local coffee shop. Most of those friends also own some kind of coffee making apparatus and even their own grinder. Coffee is now a 30 billion dollar industry in the US. It is also an industry that is self-perpetuating: caffeine is highly addictive and the withdrawal symptoms are unpleasant. The other day one friend mentioned that she had been trying to quit coffee for over a year, but just couldn’t kick the habit. Part of her problem was the terrible headache she got when she tried to stop. She asked for an Ayurvedic perspective.

First and foremost, Ayurveda always recommends gradual shifts in changing diet and behavior. This is advice is especially appropriate when dealing with an addictive substance like caffeine. While the press now regularly touts the positive aspects of caffeine, the fact is that caffeine is a drug that alters your brain’s chemical and physical make-up.

Caffeine dissolves both in water and in fat-based substances. This means it dissolves in our blood and in our cell membranes. It also means that it can penetrate the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain. The caffeine molecule closely resembles adenosine, a natural byproduct of cellular respiration—and our brain carries receptors for the adenosine molecules. Caffeine molecules fit neatly into the adenosine receptors, blocking them off and masking feelings of tiredness.

When the adenosine receptors get blocked, the brain signals the adrenal glands to secrete adrenaline, a natural stimulant.

Author Stephen R. Braun, author of “Buzzed: the Science and Lore of Caffeine and Alcohol”, calls caffeine a “stimulant enabler: a substance that lets our natural stimulants run wild”. Over time, coffee, tea, caffeinated sodas and energy drinks end up changing the way our brain is wired. The brain starts to build more adenosine receptors in response to the constant blockage of those receptors. It also starts decreasing receptors for adrenaline. Because of this, regular caffeine drinkers need to up their “dosage” over time. And the coffee (and caffeine) industry continues to grow.

It takes 7 – 12 days of no caffeine to allow the brain to return to its original configuration. During that time withdrawal symptoms can be quite intense and include fatigue, headaches and nausea.

So how to go about dropping the caffeine habit without suffering? Start by gradually increasing the amount of milk added to your coffee. Coffee aggravates both Vata and Pitta doshas (but in moderation can actually help balance Kapha). Adding milk to coffee helps modify the aggravation of Vata dosha.

Next you can start trying a combination of regular and decaffeinated coffee. Slowly increase the ratio of decaf until you have eliminated the caffeinated coffee. Or (even better) try mixing coffee with Raja’s Cup (an herbal coffee substitute). Slowly increase the amount of Raja’s Cup until you have eliminated the coffee altogether.

Raja’s Cup is preferred over decaffeinated coffee because decaffeinated coffee still contains acids that can aggravate Pitta, and because coffee in general is known to increase free radicals. Raja’s Cup, on the other hand, has been shown to be hundreds of times more effective against free radicals than Vitamin C or E.

One other note: Coffee has a bitter taste, which is one taste that American diets tend to lack. If you make sure that you include bitter foods (such as leafy greens like spinach, kale, etc.) in your diet or use spices with a bitter taste (such as turmeric, fenugreek, cinnamon and cumin), you may find that your craving for caffeine diminishes. Chocolate also has a bitter taste—and contains caffeine—so watch out that you don’t replace one with the other!

As I discussed in the blog post, “Summer to Fall Transitions: Avoiding Rashes and Hay Fever with Ayurveda”, many people find themselves dealing with both Pitta and Vata disturbances as summer turns into fall and the increase in Vata starts to “fan the fire” of Pitta. If you are drinking coffee, this is a very good time to cut down or make the change to a non-caffeinated drink. Traditionally in Ayurveda, the times of seasonal transitions are the most important times for purification treatments (Panchakarma) and Ayurvedic consultations.

For information on Ayurveda consultations and detoxification programs (Panchakarma) visit The Raj Ayurveda Health Spa website:

 www.theraj.com

 

 

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Ayurveda and Hypertension

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Hypertension is also known as high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing up against the blood vessel walls. The higher the pressure, the harder the heart has to work. Over time hypertension can lead to serious heart conditions and other illnesses. Recently high blood pressure in middle age has been linked to cognitive decline later in life. Statistics show that hypertension affects over 70 million adults in the United States alone.

The good news is that hypertension is treatable using natural approaches. However, there is no single approach that works for everyone. The causes and symptoms of high blood pressure can vary from individual to individual. Luckily Ayurveda understands and addresses this uniqueness. If you have hypertension, a consultation with an Ayurvedic expert skilled in the ancient science of pulse assessment can help determine which particular imbalances are responsible for your specific condition.

People with Pitta and Vata predominant constitutions (and Pitta and Vata imbalances) are more prone to hypertension than Kapha types. Here are some possible causes of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha types of hypertension:

Vata – Anxiety and mental stress and strain can aggravate Vata and put pressure on the nervous system. Other contributors include not getting enough sleep, having an irregular lifestyle, and working, watching TV or working on computers late at night and constantly rushing from activity to activity

Pitta – Because one of the main seats of Pitta is in the heart, emotional stress can create imbalances in Pitta dosha. Eating spicy, salty, or sour food is another factor that can aggravate Pitta. When Pitta is out of balance, people have a lessened capacity to deal with emotional challenges in a balanced manner. The resulting anger or hostility can lead to high blood pressure.

Kapha – Sluggish digestion, sedentary habits, and a diet filled with fats, sweets and processed foods can lead to being overweight, feeling depressed, and having high blood pressure

The Ayurvedic approach to pacifying these imbalances may include dietary and lifestyle recommendations, yoga exercises, meditation, specialized Panchakarma or purification therapies and herbal supplements.

Here are a few “universal” recommendations that can apply to anyone with high blood pressure:

Regular routine and meals

Follow a regular daily routine that includes getting to bed before 10:00 in the evening. Have your main meal at midday and try to make it both relaxed and substantial. If the midday meal is rushed, digestion will be incomplete and the body will not be prepared for the more hectic second half of the day. This will put pressure on the nervous system and exacerbate the symptoms of high blood pressure.

Practice the Transcendental Meditation technique

A 1992 study of hypertension in African-Americans (who are three times as likely to suffer from the disorder as the rest of the population) found that the blood pressure of those who practice TM was reduced by twice as much as compared to a group who practiced a muscle relaxation technique. And blood pressure actually increased slightly in another group that simply followed the usual recommendations for reducing hypertension.

In general, the best way to lower high blood pressure is to create greater balance and harmony in the mind and body. The good news is that while you’re working to reduce blood pressure, you will also be creating balance health, both physically and mentally.

For information on consultations with an Ayurveda expert or on Panchakarma treatments, visit The Raj Ayurveda Health Spa website:

www.theraj.com

 

Summer to Fall Transitions: Avoiding Rashes and Hay Fever With Ayurveda

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Minnesota_Fall-GoodbyeThe transition from summer to fall reflects huge changes both in climactic and doshic influences, and can have a significant effect on your health. As the fall season begins, Pitta dosha, which has been accumulating over the summer months, gives way to a rise in Vata dosha. It is not uncommon at this time to see an upsurge of Pitta disorders, particularly skin disorders, allergies, eye problems and digestive disturbances. This is because the influence of Vata, which is moving and changeable by nature, is causing underlying accumulated imbalances to rise to the surface.

Hay fever, which is particularly common during the transition of summer to fall, is basically an imbalance in the immune system (a condition called immune hyperactivity.) It is also a natural mechanism through which the body purifies itself of accumulated impurities related to digestive (Pitta) imbalances.

Remember that the external summer heat causes a decrease in our internal digestive fire. This can give rise to an accumulation of impurities if we do not adjust our diet to accommodate our diminished capacity for digestion.

The transition from summer to fall is an ideal time to go through the classical detoxification and purification treatments of Ayurveda, known as Panchakarma. These therapies strengthen the physiology and remove accumulated impurities.

This is also a good time to avoid foods that are difficult to digest, such as cheese, nonvegetarian foods, processed foods and cold drinks and ice cream.

To pacify the rising influence of Vata, go to bed on time, wake with the rising sun, give yourself a daily oil massage, eat at regular times and be regular with your mediation practice.

For more information on Panchakarma treatments at The Raj, visit:
www.theraj.com

 

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Fasting and Ayurveda

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pea soupOne of the most popular diet plans in the news today involves intermittent fasting. Interest in the approach was sparked by a BBC2 documentary called “Eat, Fast and Live Longer”. Since its initial airing in 2012, books on fasting have popped up on bestseller lists in Europe and the US. The basic idea is that a lower caloric intake leads to a longer and healthier life.

Intrigued by the concept, I started investigating Ayurveda’s view on the wisdom of such an approach. As with most aspects of Ayurveda, the answer depends on who is asking the question, because according to Ayurveda, every individual is unique.

For certain body types, fasting can increase lightness, improve appetite and revitalize digestion. During a fast, the body uses energy that is normally spent processing food to eliminate impurities and repair the system. In this way, fasting helps clear the srotas (channels or pathways of the body) and improve resistance to disease. (These same mechanics are behind the specially designed diet that one receives while going through Panchakarma, the detoxification programs of Ayurveda.)

According to Ayurveda those with Kapha constitutions often benefit from taking a “liquid day” one day a week. This helps increase energy and well being for Kapha types who tend to have heavier builds, slower digestion and weaker appetites. (It is good to note that Ayurveda does not recommend prolonged fasts, even for those with Kapha physiologies.)

Although most people feel better if the skip one evening meal a week, for those with Vata or Pitta constitutions, fasting could actually decrease well-being. Someone with a Vata body type, for example, will tend to be lighter, more easily excitable and quicker. For them fasting might aggravate insomnia, anxiety or other symptoms of Vata imbalance.

Similarly, the strong appetites of Pitta types may cause irritability or other symptoms of Pitta imbalance during a fast. Because even people with Kapha constitutions could have Pitta or Vata imbalances, it is recommended that you consult with an Ayurvedic expert before deciding to follow an intermittent fasting diet.

Can you reduce caloric intake without fasting? Ayurveda has, in fact, always recommended the light intake of food. Traditionally it is said that at each meal one should eat only the amount of food that can fit in your cupped hands. In order to promote ideal digestion, at the end of a meal half your stomach should be filled with solid food, a quarter with liquids and a quarter should be left empty in order to give enough room for the stomach acids and enzymes to do their job. This means leaving the table satisfied, but not full.

According to Ayurveda, over-eating leads to an accumulation of ama. Ama is the debris of partially digested matter. When allowed to accumulate in the body, this turns into a sludge of toxic metabolic waste-products which blocks circulation through the tiny channels of the body and thus becomes a breeding ground for disorders. Ama also interferes with the proper absorption of food and can lead to a constant craving for food, even after you’ve just eaten.

For many people, fasting offers an opportunity to give the digestive system a rest. This helps to revitalize and re-ignite the digestive fire, thereby improving overall health. It also gives a chance for the body’s internal “fire” to burn up existing toxins, or ama. Check with an Ayurvedic expert and find out if this approach is right for your body type. If Vata or Pitta imbalances prohibit fasting, an intermediate plan can be worked out to accomplish a lower calorie approach without aggravating imbalances and creating health problems.

For more information on consultations with an Ayurveda expert, visit the website for The Raj, Ayurveda Health Spa:
www.theraj.com

 

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