Get to know your lunch

Get to know your lunch

There's only one way to pave the road to your most healthy body- you must roll up your sleeves and learn how to cook your own food. The reason is that you never really know what's in your food if you don't make it yourself. Case in point: A few months ago, i decided to quit sugar altogether (no honey, no agave, no nothin'- only fruit is allowed. Fake sugars, suffice to say, were out of question as well). I went to a healthy supermarket and perused the aisles for sugarless bread. Unfortunately, almost all breads include some type of sugar (evaporated cane juice, maltodextrine, barley malt, honey, etc). I find it really disheartening that stores and restaurants proclaiming to be healthy still douse their food with alternative sugars (macrobiotic restaurants are a breeding ground of agave nectar-ladden dishes!). So i went home and did what any self-sufficient girl would do. I busted out my faithful old bread machine and decided that the only way i could have my bread and eat it too, was to make it myself.

There is something so delicious about creating something that will nourish you. Okay, the machine helped. But seriously, it reminds me of a passage i read in another blog that really inspired me:

When you aren't the one making your food, you don't know where it comes from, how it feels to cut and wash. You can't watch the color or texture change as you heat or cool or mix it with other ingredients. When you don't have information about the food you eat, you are less likely to know its healing qualities (...) The more you stay connected to the original form of food, the more you can stay connected to your environment, your body, and your spirit. From The Life of Kiley

Beautifully said. Indeed, Ayurveda advises to cook your own food so that you know where it comes from and how it was made. The other day i went on a weekend trip to an Ayurvedic retreat where we all cooked together. It was nice and the food seemed to taste even better. On one of the days, i had a headache and went to take a nap. I came back a little late, just as lunch was being served and when i ate the lunch, it was a little bit of a shock eating food that i hadn't helped prepare. It was like the food just appeared and i hadn't primed my body into knowing what was coming.. from the textures, the smells and the ingredients you get to witness when you cook on your own.

I've always liked to cook from scratch, but cooking without sugar really forced me to learn how to cook new things. For example, the spinach curry from an indian restaurant nearby (not sure there's no sugar in it). Now i make it myself and can eat it several times a week if i chose to (it's my favorite dish). The other day, i tried making a pizza. Because i used whole ingredients, i was full after my first slice (I never thought it was humanly possible to eat just one slice when it came to pizza). Eating healthy should not conjure up the image of a limp piece of tasteless fish and steamed broccoli. You can make hardy soups, curries, vegetable quiches, sugarless apple tarts, etc! It doesn't even feel like you're denying yourself anything.

There are others bonuses ( or boni? lol) to cooking yourself. You can avoid all the extra preservatives and chemicals (Just because it says organic doesn't mean it's chemical-free! *cough* Organic frozen TV dinners *cough*). You can eat fresh and sattvic, avoiding old or frozen foods. AND you can impress all the people waiting behind you at the checkout stand while the clerk rings up all your fruits and veggies.

Finally, i wanted to post a recipe for delicious spelt bread that i conjured up this afternoon. The fenugreek powder adds a yeasty, nutty taste to the bread which i really like, but it might not be to everyone's liking. I added the fenugreek because my Ayurvedic practitioner suggested it to me as a way to cut the spelt. I don't really understand what that means, but i'll roll with it!

Ingredients:
6 cups of organic spelt flour
1 cup of flax seeds
3/4 cup of Fenugreek powder
2 teaspoons of sea salt
1 teaspoon of dry yeast
2 cups of water.

In a trusty bread machine, add your spelt flour and salt. In a small bowl, add the flax seeds and a cup of water. Wait until the water becomes a bit gelatinous. In another small bowl, add about two tablespoons of hot water to the yeast and set aside. After 5 minutes, add the flax seeds and yeast to the flour and add another cup of water. Start your bread machine and check on it a few times to make sure the dough isn't too dry or too wet. Add more flour or water depending on the dough. Your want the dough to be slightly sticky, but still round. I like to cook the bread on the "french bread" setting of my machine so it spends extra time kneading it. Then, voila! Bread that is nourishing, tasty and wholesome (i.e. not wonderbread paste with "fortifying" synthetic vitamins added in).

[ ... ]

Smooth transition into the Winter season...

Smooth transition into the Winter season...

Anyone who knows me knows that my favorite thing ever is to cuddle up in a nice soft chair with a book and some tea and cookies. Bonus if it’s raining outside. Granted, cold weather and rain are normally things that are abhorred by Kaphas, but you’re (hopefully) just watching the rain from the comfort of your own plush chair.

Fact is, Kaphas love comfort. There’s something comforting about food, about good books, and finally, about the winter months. Every year, on the very first cold day (“cold” being relative in California), I am struck with this Proustian feeling of what I can only describe as christmasy-thanksgivingness. If you don’t suffer from SAD (Seasonal affect disorder), then you know what I mean.

Spring and autumn are nice because you don’t have to worry about the weather as much, but winter is truly indulgent. It’s also an excuse to take extra care of yourself which, in ayurveda, is throuroughly recommended. Warm baths, oil massage with a vata-pacifying oil such as Sahacharadi thailam, aromatherapy, moongazing, sauna, meditation. In other words, Pamper away!

If you know a little bit about Ayurveda, you are most likely aware that seasons are an important part of the Ayurvedic lifestyle. You must gently adapt with the changes going on outside to remain balanced on the inside. According to Ayurveda, Fall and Winter are the strength-building seasons. When we think of winter weather, we often also think of catching a cold, but it isn’t so. You may catch a cold because of the seasonal shift, but in the winter season, the body’s immunity can be at its best.

According to the Ayurveda Encyclopedia, it is during the winter months that the moon is the most powerful. The moon’s cooling rays produce “soma” or nectar which nourishes people’s spiritual energies, as well as animals and nature.

There are two transitional periods into winter. The first is transitioning into fall, which is a difficult time for all doshas (mind and body). Thus, doshas should be monitored carefully during this time. If you want to get technical, the problem is that the seasons prompts changes in the northern solstice (which is depleting) and in the southern solstice (which is strengthening). This dichotomy can be contradicting and confusing to the body. In autumn, pitta dosha can be aggravated with the rain and the sudden warmth from the sun. During this time, it is best to avoid heavy meals, sour foods, and oily and fatty foods. However, when it is cold and rainy it aggravates vata and thus it is best to opt for sour, salty and fatty foods, as well as oil massages. Confusing? Yes. It’s a juggling act. Because digestive fire, or “agni”, is weakened during the dry weather of the summer, it is further abated by the rainy season. In fact, cold, rainy, snowy weather aggravates all three doshas.

Once the full transition into winter has started, it is Vata season. Here, we are to avoid anything vata-increasing, such as cold weather (yeah, sure, easy to avoid in…winter! Just dress warmly), cold drinks, light foods. Opt for wheat, rice, soups, and oils. For example, you can get natural oils, vitamins and warmth from nuts such as cashews and almonds. You can invigorate and heat your body with spices, such as pepper, ginger, cumin and coriander. And you can sustain your body with lentils, dhal, vegetable porridges, rice and homemade bread. It’s always best to prepare your food as you eat, in order to get the full pranic and sattwic benefits. And finally, eat whatever vegetables naturally grow in the winter time. This is a great season for onions, carrots, potatoes, leeks, squash, sweet potato, broccoli, etc. If thanksgiving has taught us anything, it is eating winter-appropriate foods!

In winter, the digestive fire is at its strongest and thus heavier foods are easily digested. Appetite also increases during this time, prompting people to turn to junk foods and thus decreasing immunity. Optimally, you will eat a lot of healthy foods which will be easily digested, adding nourishment to the body. During this time, it is best to ingest products that improve longevity, such as warm milk for immunity, hot water to flush out toxins, raw honey to build strength, rice, and oils. Sour and salty tastes should be favored. You can also visit steam rooms, saunas or get oil massages to improve circulation. As the winter months progress, follow these suggestions more intensely.

Make the best of winter- it’s nature’s nurturing season!

[ ... ]

Ashwaganda and Shatavari

Ashwaganda and Shatavari

As much as I dislike that people always focus on differences between men and women, I have to admit that we’re not all constituted exactly the same way. There are flagrant discrepancies between the two. Have you ever noticed that men use twice as much of the amount of product in the shower than women? Shampoo, conditioner, body wash: stock up on those if you live with a man. How clean can inch-long hair get? I sometimes wonder why we’re the ones stuck with the stereotype of being high maintenance. I’ll stop horsing around and get to the point: men and women have different needs when it comes to health, and the herbs Ashwaganda and Shatavari fill the needs of men and women respectively.
Ashwaganda (Withania somnifera) means 'horse' in Sanskrit. Yes, you guessed it. A man likes to feel “manly” (whatever that means *pounds chest*) and this herb is perfect for that, as Ashwaganda increases your… err… manlyhood. But, apparently just like your Victoria’s Secret body wash that gets depleted at an abnormally rapid rate, Ashwagandha can be used by both men and women. It rebuilds vitality and especially sexual ability. It’s not only an aphrodisiac and builds libido in both sexes, but also increases male fertility and semen. Ashwaganda works also on the brain, as it decreases stress. Ashwagandha is also known as "indian ginseng" and works to improve mental clarity.Overall, Ashwaganda will increase your energy and helps build strong muscles and bones. It is anti-carcinogenic and is known to restore overall health to the body.

Now that we have the horse issue covered, let me present you with Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus), otherwise known as “woman with a hundred husbands”. Like Ashwaganda, Shatavari is good for eliminating stress and building Ojas (vitality, prana). It is extremely good for women (and tastes good!), as it helps with PMS, infertility, hormonal imbalance, pregnancy and lactation. It increases the quantity and quality of breast milk. It further helps with any female related issues, such as menopause or post-hysterectomy recovery. Shatavari will help with any inflamed area, will rebuild the tissues, and will PH balance the cervix.. It also has a rejuvenative effect on the female reproductive system. Men need not abstain though, as Shatavari also increases male fertility.

Shatavari is primarily good for strength and vitality as it is rejuvenative and balancing, especially for pitta and vata (it’s not good in excess for kapha doshas). Shatavari decreases body heat and cleanses the blood. It will help with all pitta-related disorders such as ucers, acid-reflux, inflammation, indigestion.

Shatavari is also said to increase spiritual love, devotion and healing power. No wonder it is a great herb for fertility.

It is important to note that neither Ashwagada nor Shatavari should be taken if you are congested or if you are suffering from excess Ama.

[ ... ]

Finding a patch of green amidst the grey.

Finding a patch of green amidst the grey.

People often refer to cities as "alive", but i think they are dead. When i look around, i see cut up trees, trash, lifeless metals, decaying life, artifice. I see car upon car polluting, destroying, not caring. I witness people whining, criticizing, having a temper tantrum when they don't get what they want. I hear sirens, car tires shrieking, a loud neighbor swearing. Often this makes me cringe, but most of the time it just depresses me. I want to yell "Stop! -Just calm down for even a minute!", but i know that i can only make a difference by silencing my own mind. We have chaos inside ourselves and it matches the chaos outside.

Now, i'm the type of person who lives off Starbucks, so i could never leave the city myself. But, living in Los Angeles can really take a toll on someone's prana.

My sister was telling me the story of a shaman or healer that lives in nature, or on the countryside outside of L.A. This person, being a powerful healer, can see and sense things that we mere mortals are oblivious to. I say "oblivious" because if we put our minds to it, we too could really open up our eyes and see. It's right there, but we just don't "get it". Anyways- my sister was telling me that this healer would come into the belly of the city only a few weeks per year to do healings, but couldn't bear to stay any longer than that. The reason was that every time she would enter, she would see the city lathered in this thick, mucousy goo. Disgusting (think Slime the friendly ghost from Ghostbusters). Just like Björk once announced that when she first moved to London she had the urge to scrape the grease off the buildings, but instead went to buy a bag of chips to "get all greasy with it". But think about it: our cities are stuck in goo. The healer did not just describe the city itself- she was also describing the people being gooey, stagnant.
We carry so much pain, baggage, resent, blame, sadness, disgust, hate, shame, etc. We act like victims, gooey, slimy victims (and fashion victims!). When i think "goo", i automatically think "green". But i bet this goo is grey with some black areas, and lifeless.

We need to break away from this slimy predicament. My sister gave me some good pointers: go back to nature, hug a tree (yes! she said that!), put your bare feet on the soil, get in touch with nature (our roots!). And that's just what i did today. I have been pleading for a break from the city. I'm hard-pressed for anything green in Hollyweird. Usually i have to suck it up and resort to talking to my plants and herb garden on my balcony. But i found a green patch of heaven really really really close by (in the valley, no less). Now, if you're from Wyoming, Canada, Iceland, or even Chicago you probably don't think this is a big deal. There is nature everywhere. But when you live in L.A., you have either:

a) nothing
b) carefully select areas of perfectly arranged
and groomed imported palm trees
c) dry stuff
d) more dry stuff.

Luckily, no more!

Today was heaven. We spent the whole afternoon on a county botanical garden called Arboretum in Arcadia, CA. Arboretum is a big chunk of land that has plants, trees and flowers from all over the world. The whole park is divided into four continents, when you can walk around and see, touch and smell plants related to each said continent. We 'traveled' to Asia, Africa, Australia, and America (we had already traveled to Europe that morning when we ate croissants au beurre at Anisette in Santa Monica).

The place is huge! There are waterfalls (albeit artificial ones), greenhouses, carnivorous plants, a lake with turtles, carps and Koi fish. There are ducks, birds, lizards and- get this- peacocks running around all over the place. The peacocks were marvelous because they are beautiful and aren't scared of humans. They are also quiet and nonviolent (unlike the ducks, i heard, so we stayed away).







We ate lunch under a Brazilian tree, which we later realized was full of bees (none of which bothered us at all). We snoozed on the grass, we walked all around. I was breathing. Everything smells so wonderful. It was truly a breathe of fresh air.



The place doesn't seem to be very well-known, as there weren't a lot of people around. We crossed paths with people, but half the time we were walking alone. The entrance is $8, parking is free, and every third Sunday of the month you can bring food into the park and have a picnic. I heard that they also have events there, as well as the L.A. Philharmonic playing during the summer. Go there- now!

Haha- right now i'm listening to someone continuously honking down the street for the past 2 minutes. Some people need the Arboretum more than others.

[ ... ]

An update!

An update!

As you may (or may not have) noticed, i have been a little bit M.I.A as of recently. Fear not, health freaks, i will be back soon with a fresh batch of posts on Ayurveda very soon. In the meantime, meditate on this natural medicine joke i found online:

" Doctor, I have an ear ache. "

2000 BC - Here, eat this root.

1000 BC - That root is heathen, say this prayer.

1850 AD - That payer is superstition, drink this potion.

1940 AD - That potion is snake oil, swallow this pill.

1985 AD - That pill is ineffective, take this antibiotic.

2000 AD - That antibiotic is artificial. Here, eat this root!


Also, you can now follow me on twitter:

Click Here!

Okay, okay, i just wanted an excuse to post this adorable picture.

[ ... ]

Spice up your life!

Spice up your life!

I've been meaning to write this post forever years ago, but never got around to it. I mean, I'm writing this in the bus for Pete's sake! Diligently tapping on the tiny keyboard that is my phone, my thumbs red and sore. They don't call 'em "berry thumbs" (or crackberry) for nothin'!

That said, this post is about something completely different. I want to talk about spices. We all have them in our kitchen, half of which we don't know how to use or even why. Some people, like me, just get trigger happy at the Indian store, while others are trying to utilize that nifty spice rack grandma bought them last Christmas. You just didn't have the heart to re-gift. And then there are those people who just have a knack for cooking, bending over a steaming pot of soup, throwing and handful here, a pinch there, and creating some delicious concoction that can never be duplicated.

But chances are, all these have something in common. A lot of people don't know that spices have medicinal and healing properties. So, I've compiled a list of common spices and how they can benefit your health in many ways. I definitely had to pick and choose among many, many benefits. Of course, I mostly chose the ones that would prevent me the embarrassment of talking about certain bodily functions and mishaps (There's no posh way to talk about flatulance).


Anise (Aniseed): Anise comes from the Parsley family, believe it or not. The Romans used to bake anise into a cake, which they would consume at meal times. This worked out perfectly because anise is known to prevent indigestion from overeating. These days, it is more popularly known as one of the key ingredients in Ricard, a yellowish liqueur drunk after meals (no pun intended). Personally i really don't like anise. I think it tastes/smells awful. But if you like it, then indulge! Anise helps stimulate the glands, especially for women. It regulates estrogen and can even improve the potency of breast milk (though it is not a spice to take while you're pregnant). Anise also breaks up the mucus in your digestive system and is an all-around great spice for the lungs. It can help improve asthma, bronchitis, coughing an even emphysema. Finally, anise is a stimulator: brain, heart, liver, lungs, you name it! (source). Anise decreases Vata and Kapha, increases Pitta.

Quick tip: Anise oil works really well in getting rid of head lice.


Cardamom: Cardamom works on both the digestive system (relieves gas, acidity and cramping) and respiratory system (it increases blood flow to the lungs) It's also a good mind stimulator and brings mental clarity. It is said to break down kidney and gallbladder stones, as well as treat urinary tract infections. Finally, cardamom is a good spice to take for all-around weakness or if you feel tired and mentally depleted. Cardamom balances all three doshas.


Quick Tip: Buy cardamom pods and use the back of a spoon to crush them open. This will increase the flavor of the spice, because cardamom is known to lose its freshness more rapidly than other spices.

Cinnamon: Cinnamon does not get a gold star from my taste buds either. I think it's because a lot of the cinnamon commonly used has a really artificial taste and it's also because people put cinnamon on everything. Ugh. It's difficult to find a tart or pie that is not drenched in the stuff. Real, fresh cinnamon is better smelling, although i still won't cook with it. What can i say? My taste buds are very controlling. But i guess most people don't agree with me, because cinnamon is one of the spices that propelled world exploration and trade. Like anise, it is not good for pregnant women to take. But it is good for menstrual symptoms, as it calms the stomach and for menopause. Cinnamon is anti-bacterial and can suppress E. coli and excess candida (good for yeast infections too). Finally cinnamon is also a natural food preservative. Ahhh so THAT'S why they use it in cakes. Cinnamon decreases Vata and Kapha, increases Pitta.

Quick tip: Cinnamon is anti-fungal and can be used to treat athlete's foot!

Bonus! New Age quick tip: Cinnamon is linked with attracting money, so you can sprinkle this powder over the bills in your wallet. Trust me, i have been handed a cinnamon encrusted bill before!


Cloves: Okay, so i'm not a big fan of cloves either. Don't worry, my favorite spices are coming up! But Clove is great for the teeth and i do use it when i take my Gum Tone. It disinfects and anesthetizes, so dentists often use it. But clove can also be an irritant because of the oils inside the spice. Never take too much clove for too long, as it can irritate the stomach. I've seen this spice dissolve aluminum and melt plastic! How crazy is that!? Taken in moderation, cloves are good for stomach problems such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. It is also the strongest germicidal of all herbs (no kidding! It MELTED my plastic spoon) and it is good for blood circulation. Clove decreases Kapha, increases Vata and Pitta (rajasic).

Quick tip: Clove is a great mosquito and moth repellent!


Coriander: Yum! I love coriander. Coriander is great for digestion, detoxing and enhancing your natural defenses, especially against allergens. It also has a multitude of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, vitamin B complex, iron, phosphorus, calcium and anti-oxidants. I use it in my curries all the time. It adds so much flavor and deliciousness! Coriander balances all three doshas.


Quick tip: Coriander mixed with water makes an excellent eyewash.

Cumin: Cumin is another spice that i love. In my head, its coriander's brother. I can't cook one without the other. They also make cute baby names: Imagine: Cumin and Coriander. Teehee! Cumin is a cleansing spice and helps the liver be more active. It allows oxygen to pervade the blood stream and purifies the blood. Cumin is anti-carcinogenic, aids digestions and also contains a multitude of vitamins and minerals. It was used by Egyptians to embalm Pharaohs and in the Middle Ages, people believed cumin has the power to keep lovers from straying. It balances all doshas.

Quick tip: Cumin will help you with insomnia. It's both a stimulant and a relaxer, but the oils in cumin have a tranquilizing effect.


Fennel: Fennel improves digestions and eliminates gas, but it also helps with all kinds of stomach-related issues such as bloating, cramping, nausea, hernia, abdominal pain, etc. It's a good source of vitamin A and clears mucus from the liver and lungs. It also improves the quantity and quality of breast milk. Fennel is the most sattwic spice. It balances all three doshas.

Quick tip: Fennel is an antidote to poisonous mushrooms!


Fenugreek: I absolutely love Fenugreek. When i was little, my mom used to give me Fenugreek capsules for my allergies and i loved them so much that i used to let the capsule dissolve in my mouth and just eat the powder. Nowadays, i love just sprinkling it over my rice. Fenugreek is a rejuvenative herb that promotes longevity. It's the oldest known medicinal herb. Fenugreek is also used to lower blood sugar and regulate insulin, thus helpful in treating diabetes. Fenugreek dissolves hardened accumulated mucus and phlegm, especially for those who often indulge in cheese or dairy in general. Because it gets rid of mucous, it helps with disease in general and aids the body to drain the lymphatic system and promotes blood circulation. A mucus-less body is a huge step toward a healthy body. It is not to be used while pregnant (may lead to miscarriage). Fenugreek decreases Vata and Kapha, increases Pitta.

Quick tip: Dried Fenugreek leaves can act as an insect repellent in your food pantry.



Ginger: I have already talked about Ginger in a previous post. Ginger enhances the healing properties of all other herbs and spices. It's amazing against colds and flu, as well as digestive problems. Ginger decreases Vata and Kapha, increases Pitta.



Quick Tip: Drinking Ginger tea before eating will help your taste buds naturally select foods that your body needs.


Licorice Root: Licorice is 50 times sweeter than sugarcane. In European pharmacies, you can purchase pieces of licorice root to chew on and help get rid of bad habits, such as smoking, biting your fingernails or snacking. I used to chew on them all the time as a kid and everyone always wondered why i was chewing on wood. Hehe. Licorice is great for arthritis, liver detoxing and coughing. It normalizes the menstrual cycle, quenches thirst and acts as a natural hormone similar to cortisone. It is also excellent for the heart, the throat (voice) and to combat acidity. It purifies the blood, mixes well with ginger to combat colds and coughs, improves hair, skin, eyes. Do not use this spice while pregnant. Contrary to popular belief, licorice is not used in licorice candy (they use anise oil). Licorice decreases Vata and Pitta, but can increase Kapha if used long term.

Quick tip: Spiritually, licorice is said to promote contentment and harmony.




Nutella: Sorry guys, no dice.


Quick tip: Spread Nutella on toast and dunk it into your tea. Yum!!




Nutmeg: Nutmeg is a great brain tonic. It helps with stress and mental exhaustion, while stimulating the brain and promoting concentration. But watch out, as nutmeg is also a strong sedative. Nutmeg is great for muscle and joint pain. It's also great for mental disorders such as anxiety and depression, as well as nervousness.

Quick tip: Sprinkle nutmeg in warm milk and drink it to help fall asleep. Bonus: Nutmeg improves the quality of your dreams!



Black Pepper: Pepper is a powerful anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial.
Black Pepper helps the healing properties of other herbs navigate toward different parts of the body. It is good for a variety of ailments, including stomach worms, skin eruptions, toothaches, and throat problems. It also helps increase the flow of digestive enzymes. Pepper decreases Vata and Kapha, increases Pitta.

Quick tip: Heating black pepper enhances its healing properties.



Turmeric: Turmeric is THE healing herb by excellence. Besides being a very powerful anti-oxidant. it is purifying for the lungs, the liver and heart. Often turmeric is used in face packs because it is excellent for the skin. Just be aware that this bright yellow powder is also a powerful dye and can turn your face and pillows yellow if you use too much of it! It is advised to mix it with milk to wash the face. Turmeric is also anti-carcinogenic (especially bowel and colon cancer, so eat up!) and can help reduce brain inflammation that causes Alzheimer's. Turmeric balances all three doshas.

Quick Tip: Turmeric is excellent for clearing and cleaning the chakras.


In Ayurveda, it's very important to cook with spices. You can use certain spices, such as cumin/coriander/turmeric in hot water and drink it along with your meal to help promote digestion. Or you, can make yogi tea with the sweeter spices (recipe below). I also want to note that spices from grocery stores are often less fresh and potent from those of herbal stores. You can definitely see a difference in color and smell.

I couldn't include all the spices in the world. Obviously we're missing the mints (which i don't really consider spices) and spices such as paprika or cayenne pepper (so strong, it doesn't need an introduction). I heard Saffron is a spice, but i fail to detect a taste. It just looks cool to put in your rice!


Buy Yogi Tea here or make your own (bulk recipe as taught by Yogi Bhajan):

3 quarts of boiling water
20 whole cloves
20 whole green cardamom pods
20 whole black peppercorns
5 sticks of cinnamon

Continue boiling for 15 to 20 minutes, then add:
1/4 teaspoon of any black tea

Wait 2 minutes, then add:
1/2 cup of cold milk per cup of remaining liquid.

When it returns to the boiling point, remove immediately from heat. Strain and serve with honey to taste, as desired (only add honey when the tea is cooled enough to drink, or else it will cook and turn toxic).

Blue text is quoted from "Kundalini Yoga: The Flow of Eternal Power" by Shakti Parwa Kaur Khalsa.

[ ... ]

Wash your tongue, young man!

Wash your tongue, young man!

Every morning before I drink water, eat breakfast, or go back to sleep (mostly this one), I clean my tongue. According to Ayurveda, all diseases stem from the digestive system (from the tip of your tongue to the bottom of your colon). This is the reason why food is considered to be nourishment to ensure our bodies proper functioning, as well as medicine to help our bodies heal. In fact, according to Ayurveda, the tongue absorbs prana from food. So that’s reason enough to keep a clean tongue.
In a world where the “Live to Eat” motto has taken over (and eaten) the “Eat to Live” motto, we are in constant “damage-control” mode. The good news is that every little change counts.

During the night, our digestive systems work full force to digest food, selecting the good stuff and trying to get rid of the bad stuff. (I always imagine how one day, dead bodies will just stop decaying thanks to all the preservatives we ingest during our lives). Over time, Ama, which is the body’s toxicity, will accumulate in the weakest areas of our bodies and cause disease there. But during the night, Ama will also accumulate on the tongue. The tongue, by the way, is always a good indicator of the body’s current health or lack thereof. So, when you wake up in the morning and you have a coated pasty tongue, that’s Ama. The problem is that when we drink or eat without washing our mouths, we just re-ingest the toxic substance and it’s impossible for the body to digest it properly. Brushing your teeth is good, but brushing your tongue will just move the Ama back and forth around your mouth. However, with the new optimal tongue cleaner technology, we’re able to extract the toxins and expel them forever (down the drain). No, actually tongue scrapers are as old as time. They come in a variety of different materials. Most of the tongue scrapers you find in regular store will be plastic, but it’s best to get one that is made of metal such as steel, brass, tin, sterling silver, copper, or gold (yeah…sure.. let me just get my checkbook). I use a copper tongue scraper, as the metal itself helps destroy bacteria. You won’t have to replace it like you would a plastic one. Plastic is evil and unhealthy anyways.

So how do you user a tongue scraper? It’s simple! You start as far back as you can, place the curved edge of your utensil on the tongue, fingers holding the stems and make a few short movements dragging the scraper down. Every few drags, you rinse the scraper off and repeat. Little by little you move the curved part down until you’re scraping the tip of your tongue. The first few times it may make your tongue a bit raw, but your tongue will adapt. After I’ve scraped my whole tongue, I do a few “whole tongue” scrapes for good measure and then I’m good to go.

Recession tip: Use a spoon if you don’t already have a tongue scraper.

Scraping the tongue helps remove disease, mucus, bad breath and it will help with lethargy and all those kapha-related problems. And get this: Scraping the tongue of the toxins will also help release repressed emotions. Inneresting!
A lot of the information online will talk about tongue scraping as a method to get rid of halitosis or bad breath. While this is true, it’s only a minor advantage compared to the disease reducing, emotion releasing goodness I talked about in this post. I can’t help but think: Oh the fools! If only they knew! There’s a whole paradigm of health practices that they don’t know about. And they still think bad breath just comes from bad oral hygiene! I wouldn’t be surprised if there existed a “Chronic Halitosis” pill. (Okay I just looked and there is! Hahaha that brings the Lolz). I wonder if there’s a “chronic messy room” pill for me…

The tongue is really interesting: The back of the tongue is Vata territory, the middle is Pitta and the tip is Kapha. There are different types of coating that refer to each dosha-related problem. For example, thick white coating is Kapha imbalance. And the way the tongue looks can give you an idea about which part of the body is diseased. For example, marks around the edges of the tongue that look like slits means that nutrients are not being absorbed properly. A line down the middle suggests immune problems (source: The Ayurveda Encyclopedia by Swami Sada Shiva Tirtha).

On a side note, it’s really important to taste food in Ayurveda, notably when you take medicinal herbs. Tasting even the most bitter herb will send messages to your body to prepare itself for what is to come. So if your practitioner asks you to take herbs with hot water or honey instead of swallowing capsules, it’s not to torture you! You body will better prepare itself to be healed and will absorb them more effectively. Just imagine swallowing a capsule of herbs- one moment you stomach is relaxing, being all stomachy and the next thing you know, BAM! there’s an herb there, in the corner, waiting to get taken care of. Talk about a surprise! Your stomach never saw that one coming! I wonder what you’re stomach thinks it’s supposed to prepare itself for when you’re munching on Doritos...

[ ... ]

Healing the Womb

Healing the Womb

A few years ago, my sister and I went to a Kundalini yoga and meditation retreat in New Mexico. One of the classes we attended was a women's workshop called "Healing the womb of the Goddess". The teacher, Guru Atma Kaur, taught us a technique to realign our menstrual cycles with the cycle of the moon. A woman's menstrual cycle is the only thing in life that corresponds to the cycle of the moon- that is 28 days. (Sure, water is pulled by the magnetic effect of the moon on the earth, but that is on a daily basis). According to "The gynecological Sourcebook" by M. Sara Rosenthal, "menstrual" comes form the Latin "mens", meaning "month" and the word "month" comes from the root word "moon". The Greek for moon is "mene" and therefore if you meet it all it the middle, you'll find that menstruation etymologically means "moon change". The proof is in the language. And, as most of us may know, when women live with other women, their cycles tend to align themselves with each other. Thus the importance of being surrounded and bonding with our fellow sisters. The problem is that our cycles are out of whack. They beat to their own drum and i'm not sure that's a good thing. When we're not aligned with the moon, we may experience more pain, longer menstrual cycles, etc. Why are we out of whack? My guess is our sleeping habits, eating habits, and or slight detachment from nature. I always like to say "When in doubt, watch the animals". Wild animals are completely in sync with nature, with their intuition and their natural habits. And, as you may have guessed, female animals menstruate with the cycle of the moon. (Don't compare anything to domestic animals, as their are just as disconnected as we are- Hello, it's the reason some people send their depressed pets to animal therapists!)

That being said, my sister and i took this wonderful class and i'm so happy she saved the notes, because there's not much information online about realigning yourself with the moon cycle using yoga. I haven't tried it yet, but i invite you to try this with me and see what changed occur in your life with this practice. There are three parts to the practice: Asana (posture), Mudra (hand gesture and Prana (breath).

Again, the class was "Healing the womb of the Goddess" with Guru Atma Kaur and her references are: "The Path of Practice" by Maya Tiwari and "A woman's guide to Yoga" by Hari Kaur. The text is in blue so you can distinguish is from what i have written in black, above. And, in case you're curious, the retreat was Summer Solstice 3HO.

According to Ayurveda, all disorders relating to the womb are related to the monthly cycle. In bringing our cycle into alignment with the natural rhythms of the moon, we will harmonize ourselves with nature. Under this premise, we should be menstruating at the time of the new moon and ovulating during the full moon. These practices will help you strengthen your shakti-prana, re-balance your hormonal system and rejuvenate your womb and womanly spirit. You should continue with these practices for the new moon until you are sixty years of age to help you maintain healthy hormone levels and to recall your natural rhythms.

1) Shakti Asana

With your head pointing East, lie on your back and stretch out your legs, hip-width apart. Let your arms fall to the sides, palms up. Bring the soles of your feet together so that your knees fell to either side, extending the stretch without strain. Feel the stretch in your pelvis, and visualize the breath coming in through your vulva. Let this energy flow up into your belly then slowly release it downward through the vulva. With each breath imagine white light flooding your belly. Hold the posture for at least 5 min., increasing time as you feel comfortable.

2) Yoni mudra- Womb seal

This is the most powerful way to draw the shakti-kundalini into our bodies, womb and belly. This mudra strengthens the shakti-prana and directs the menstrual blood so that the flow begins at the time of the new moon. It locks the opening to the womb, so that the circulation of prana in this region stays within and intensifies. This should be practiced 3 days before the new moon. Hold this hand mudra for at least 5 minutes.

3) Solar Breath to strengthen shakti- prana

You can shift your menstrual cycle to the new moon by activating your solar (right) breath. A few days before your period begins, (regardless of which phase of the moon your cycle occurs), do the practice as follows.
Lie on your left side, close the left nostril, and slowly inhale and exhale through the open right nostril. Do this practice for a few minutes every day on the three days before your cycle begins. The solar, or ha, breath invokes the power of shakti in your root chakra, and helps it gather its forces so that it thoroughly collects the menstrual waste before ejecting it.

[ ... ]

Random Herb: Guduchi

Random Herb: Guduchi

Guduchi is the rejuvenating herb by excellence in Ayurveda. In Sanskrit, Guduchi means "protector of the body", although it also goes by the name of Amrita, which means immortality, as it brings life to the body even in the worst cases. Okay, maybe death is the worst case scenario- Guduchi cannot help you with that, unless you live in a world of Indian mythology where you kick it with Rama and spend your days defeating Ravana and bringing monkeys back to life. Yes- such is the power of Guduchi. But we live in the real world, where you spend your days defeating wrinkles and pass time trying to bring your ipod back to life.
While Guduchi may not grant you immortality, it can come close, as it increases longevity AND helps slow down the aging process. (it also rebuilds tissue and is great for the skin, so those wrinkles may get a kick in the butt after all).

Guduchi is a Rasanaya, which means rejuvenating tonic. It is often used in Ayurveda to enhance energy. It is a very versatile herb which penetrates and rebuilds all tissues of the body, including the liver, the skin and the brain. It also clears all the channels of the body. This is why Guduchi is considered to be a great memory enhancer, as it penetrates and detoxes the brain and allows for better mental clarity. It is also excellent for the liver and will reverse the effects of alcohol and drug poisoning, as it regenerates liver tissue. Overall, it helps detox, rejuvenate and strengthen the body. It will also purify blood, reduce blood pressure, lower blood sugar and regulate body temperature. Guduchi actually detoxes everything closely related to blood, from urinary infections to fatigue, to skin problems, to liver dysfunction. In other words, this is your go-to herb for hangovers. Although, if you're reading this, chances are you know better than poisoning your body with alcohol. Cookies are MUCH more satisfying.

But lets get serious. Guduchi's power to "bring life" should actually be taken literally, because it is an extremely powerful herb in more ways than one. First, Guduchi is an immunity booster. It improves the body's resistance to infection and disease. It also helps inhibit bacterial growth. Guduchi increases the amount of macrophages in the body, which are essential for fighting external threats. It is extremely helpful with low immunity cases, such as chemotherapy patients (it increases white blood cells) and those who have a low t-cell count due to AIDS. I find that simply amazing! But it's no wonder, as a Guduchi sprig will even continue to survive and grow when it is cut from the tree, by taking elements from its environment and producing energy. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is not Indian mythology.

Now, in relation to bioenergetics and doshas, this is the breakdown:

Rasa- Tikta (Bitter); Kashaya (Astringent)

Guna- Guru (Heavy); Snigdha (Unctuous)

Veerya- Ushna (Warm)

Vipaka- Madhura (Sweet)
(breakdown source)

For those who just want to balance their doshas, Guduchi reduces mucus (hello Kapha!) and purifies fat tissue, making it easier to break down. It calms and stabilizes Vata (nervous system), and it clears pitta toxins. It's a tridoshic herb and it never interferes negatively with the balance of the other doshas. Also, it doesn't overwork any part of the body in order to create balance. In other words, it eases and does not attack.

[ ... ]

Detoxobsession

Detoxobsession

Last Saturday, my boyfriend and i decided to hit the gym and have a quiet night at home in order to avoid the crowds of Valentine's day. During the day i had to work and the stress of work combined with the elimination of toxins at the gym was the perfect recipe for my getting sick. My body is extremely sensitive to my environment, so i know that just one hour of stress or one pinch of dust can make me react. (Heck, i'm the type of person who gets sick after a massage!). Is that good or bad? I want to say both. It makes me more aware of my body and at the same time, i know I only need a small dose of herbs for them to have an effect on me.
I want to say that toxin elimination was the reason i got sick (after all, i've only just started going to the gym after a year-long hiatus), but i also heard there was a new type of virus going around on the news. Normally i don't really believe the news, as they are always trying to scare people into taking flu shots or a new medicine. Plus, believing my toxin-releasing story made me happier and more apt to getting better, faster.
So there i was, on sunday, with a scratchy throat. On monday, i had a full-blown fever, sinus pain, headache, sore throat, etc. The works. I wasn't hungry, so i just ingested liquids all day. First, i had some rooibos red tea, then i had some ginger tea. Later in the day, i had some fresh-squeezed orange juice. My fever caused me to get very hot and sweaty, then very cold, on and off all day. I pretty much stayed in bed and slept the whole time. In Ayurveda, regardless of your dosha, you need extra sleep when you're sick. Also, i made sure to sleep early at night, as your body is programmed to self-heal and rejuvenate between the hours of 10 pm and 2 am. That's why people who go to sleep in the wee hours are seriously damaging their bodies. Sorry to say, but that also goes for people who work the night shift. Even though you have adjusted your sleep patterns to shift, there are chemicals and hormones in your body that march to their own drum. It's like they know it's between 10 and 2! This is also why it's okay for yogis and yoginis alike to start their day at 4am. The restful sleep happens before.
While i was sick, i also threw up some mucus (there was nothing else in my stomach!) But this is a good thing! Mucus is extremely toxic and your body will not digest it at all. In fact, being snotty and having a cold is not being sick- it's actually your body ridding itself of whatever made you sick in the first place! And your body does that through mucus. So next time you have a cold and you're annoyed at how many rolls of toilet paper you've gone through, just remember it's just your immune system doing its job. Ahh...don't we all feel better?

Anyways- to set my body up for rapid healing, i ate only rice with ghee, salt and pepper. It was was perfect and easily digested. I continued to drink a lot of water and a lot of tea. Whenever i had my ginger tea, just one sip of it made me feel instantly better. It really is an awesome herb. My orange juice automatically gave me energy, and i also took some vitamin B12 because i don't eat meat. The more i drank tea and water, the better i felt. For the first time ever, i felt hydrated. It's an incredible feeling...You feel like each cell of your body is pervaded with water (but not drowned in water). The downside is that i stopped being do diligent about drinking liquids as soon as i felt better and then i felt absolutely parched for 4 days.

On a side note, I have to admit (and i'm quite ashamed of this because of my ginger post and that whole spiel) i did have aspirin while i was ill. I had a splitting headache / sinus congestion for two straight days and i was sick of it. Maybe that helped in breaking my fever a bit (or so it says on the box). Normally i don't like taking pharmaceuticals unless i'm really in pain. And aspirin is pretty much the only one i'll have.

Anyways, two days later, here i am feeling 150% better and my boyfriend comes home bearing gifts: chocolate croissants. Nooooooo! I automatically shoved one in my mouth. 1 hour later, i'm having stomach cramps. So i guess that wasn't the best idea. But when you're feeling better, you just think you're a superhero or something.

One interesting thing that was happening though, and please stop me if i'm being paranoid, i could literally smell the toxicity in the mucous my body was creating. I swear! For about 5 days everything had this smell... this horrible smell. The closest i can come to describing it was that is smelled like a really bad version of ketchup. I felt like i was smelling my own toxicity and the toxicity in the food...but i'm not sure. Down here in health-obsessed California, we're really into detoxing...and consequently we become paranoid with anything toxic. For instance, i don't leave the house without some sort of makeup foundation, as I truly believe it sets a barrier between my face and the pollution-filled air here in L.A. Another example- my sister only eats organic food. She'll even bring her own food when she's invited to a non-organic dinner. If it's your birthday, she'll call you up a few days before to coax you into choosing an organic restaurant to celebrate. Yes, we angelinos and our fear of toxins... Ketchup... *shudders*

[ ... ]

Honey, i shrunk your body!

Honey, i shrunk your body!

Let's talk sugar. Today, the most widely accepted sweeteners for the health conscious are raw agave nectar, organic maple syrup, stevia and, of course, raw honey. Honey is Ayurveda's sweetheart. It has been used for thousands of years as a vital medicine. It is also bee barf. There, i said it. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, bees are known to collect the nectar of flowers and store it in a special stomach where it is turned into honey with the help of enzymes. They then regurgitate it and store it in the honey comb. Whereas we have a negative opinion about vomit (after all, our bodies induce vomiting to get rid of toxins or spoiled food), bee vomit is actually quite nutritious and packed with minerals, sugars, protein, vitamins, etc. If i put this information into my little Ayurvedic calculator, it translates into:

Guna: Guru

Rasa: Madhura & Kashaya

Veerya: Sheetha

Honey aggravates Vata, balances Pitta and gets rid of excess Kapha. But there are different types of honey, based on different types of bees, nectar from different plants, etc, which all have a different effect on the body and different medicinal properties. Ayurveda is always very specific like that.

Honey is very energizing. It is healing and very good for the skin when taken internally or applied externally. I, for one, have never tried it. Although i've heard many times that it is very good for healing acne (it has anti-bacterial properties!) and works as a gentle exfoliant, i have always felt awkward with the idea of putting "sugar" on my skin.

Honey disinfects and heals wounds, but it also help quicken the healing process. It is good for coughing and asthma, eyesight, high blood pressure, open wounds, anemia, heart disease, among others, and it's safe for diabetics. And, because it is anti-bacterial, it will never spoil. I read somewhere that honey was found in the tomb of King Tut and because it was sealed in containers, it was still edible! How's that for a superfood?

Historically, honey has been used as medicine and food for thousands of years. Honey is mentioned in hieroglyphics and was used as a currency in different parts of the world. According to historical biologists, bees have been producing honey for 150 million years!

As i said before, honey decreases Kapha. It may be sweet, but it actually helps reduce body fat. Yes, i said "reduce". Basically, honey will help you lose weight. The trick is to drink a cup of warm water mixed with raw organic honey before bedtime every night. Not only will it get your body fat to start shifting, but it will also purify your blood, get your bowels moving and essentially cleanse your digestive system. Honey is the easiest food to digest.

The only precaution to take with honey is NOT to cook it. If you heat honey, it becomes toxic to the body. Therefore, i should not be baked into anything, cooked, or mixed with liquid that is too hot. If you want to put honey in hot water or tea, just make sure the liquid is not too hot to drink. If you're able to drink it, then the liquid is honey-safe.

In Ayurvedic medicine, honey is often mixed with herbs and ghee to create what is called "Rasayana", which is essentially a sort of tonic which has a paste-like consistency. It is absorbed at a deeper level than just herbs alone and can be stored for longer periods of time. Rasayana basically looks like tar. It's thick, black and viscous. If it gets stuck in your throat, your gag reflex will be awoken.
I once had to take a rasayana that smelled like "fish in a garbage can". It was... charming. It's still there, in the back of my cupboard. Sometimes i get all excited and brave and i reach for it, but i can never get myself to eat more that a quarter teaspoon. My trick is always to put it on my tongue, keep it moving in my mouth so it doesn't stick to anything, and then take a gulp of water like i would swallow a capsule.

I'm not sure if this post was more about honey or about vomit, but it was supposed to be about honey. Vomit will be the topic of a future post, as it is actually a helpful tool in Ayurveda.

[ ... ]