Simple Ayurvedic suggestions to help you stay balanced and in optimal health throughout the day!
Two easy Ayurvedic Tips for Improving Oral Health
There a number of Ayurvedic practices that focus on oral health. Some of us think oral health requires nothing more than brushing our teeth, flossing, and having regular dental cleanings and checkups. But oral health deserves much more attention than that. Medical and dental professionals stress how important oral health is to overall wellness because of its far-reaching impact on the deeper organs and tissues of the body. Many people find that when they introduce Ayurvedic oral health care to their daily routine, their general health improves. We suggest that you adopt two simple Ayurvedic oral hygiene practices and see how they work for you.
Tongue Cleansing
First, Ayurveda recommends using a tongue cleaner at the start of each day, upon waking and while your stomach is still empty. According to Ayurveda, the tongue is connected to our health and mirrors the state of vital organs including the stomach, small intestine, colon, liver, spleen, kidneys, heart, and lungs. Scraping away the impurities that collect on the tongue is said to directly affect each of these organs. Most people use a toothbrush to do this, but because the tongue is soft and spongy, a hard, rigid instrument such as a metal tongue scraper cleanses this tissue more efficiently than pliant bristles.
By clearing away the coating of debris, microbes, and ama(i.e., toxic residue from undigested food) that builds up in the folds and grooves of the tongue, a scraper optimizes oral hygiene, which in turn helps protect the integrity of our teeth and other oral tissues. The removal of this buildup also helps maintain our general health by preventing oral bacteria from seeping into our bloodstream. This practice further enhances our overall well-being by stoking digestive fire, sharpening our sense of taste, and stimulating the internal organs.
It’s very easy to use a tongue cleaner at the start of each day. Just hold the ends of the tongue cleaner in both hands, open your mouth, and extend your tongue. Place the curved edge of the cleaner at the rear of the tongue, as far back as you can, and then, pressing gently on the tongue, pull the cleaner to the front.
Oil Pulling
Another easy Ayurvedic practice is oil pulling. Oil pulling consists of swishing oil in the mouth for anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes. This is best done with organic sesame or coconut oil. All oils are lipid-based, as are the exterior cell membranes of the microorganisms that inhabit the mouth. When these microbes come in contact with the oil, their cell membranes adhere to the oil, which helps detach them from the teeth and gums. This practice removes harmful mouth bacteria that raise the risk of not only plaque, cavities, gum inflammation, and bad breath, but also blood vessel and heart damage.
Oil by nature is heavy and warm. These qualities soothe and nourish the tissues. The practice of swishing oil throughout the oral cavity and in between the teeth distributes these beneficial qualities to all the tissues of the mouth, boosting their strength and resilience
In addition, the swishing action activates a wide array of muscles in and around the mouth. Some of these muscles are seldom engaged and typically get very little exercise. By working them for an extended period, swishing tones and strengthens these muscles, while increasing circulation to the entire mouth, thereby supporting both the nourishment and detoxification of the oral tissues. Healthy blood flow is particularly important for encouraging firm, healthy gums.
To enjoy these health benefits, practice this simple routine every day: In the morning, on an empty stomach, swish a mouthful (about 1 tablespoon) of coconut or sesame oil or a combination of both for up to 20 minutes. Swish the oil side to side, all around the gums, teeth, and cheeks and also pull the oil in and out between the teeth. Once finished spit out the oil, and rinse with water.
Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease.
3 Ayurvedic Practices for Longevity
Longevity is something most humans wish for. Its pursuit involves a constant battle. From the time of birth to the time of death, the body is engaged in a struggle with the aging process. Each day the body breaks down tissues and organs at a cellular level, causing damage and degeneration. Thus our efforts to achieve longevity and rejuvenation must focus on what’s happening in our body at the cellular level.
Each of the three doshas plays an essential role in our health and longevity. Together, they regulate all the functions of the billions of cells that constitute our body. For example, the vata dosha is closely related to pranic life energy and governs the nervous system and all of our body’s movements. Pitta governs digestion, nutrition, and transformation at a cellular level, and kapha maintains the longevity and the structure of the cells.
To combat aging on a deeper level, it is also necessary to balance the subtle essence of each dosha. The subtle essence of vata is prana, the life force. This energy governs respiration and the physiological functions of the heart, including circulation of the blood and the oxygenation all the dhatus (bodily tissues) and vital organs. As the purest form of the dosha that drives the nervous system and stimulates the intellect, prana also controls all the motor and sensory functions, the natural intelligence of the body, and all the functions of mind, including memory, thoughts, and emotions. In addition, prana regulates the biological functions of the two other subtle essences, ojas and tejas.
The subtle essence of kapha and the seven dhatus, ojas constitutes the vital energy that works with prana to sustain the life-giving functions of the body. It contains all five basic elements (i.e., earth, water, fire, air, and space) and all the vital substances of our bodily tissues. Balanced ojas is necessary for biological strength and immunity. Because ojas and kapha are inextricably linked, an imbalance in one leads to an imbalance in the other, fueling a vicious cycle of waxing kapha and waning ojas that undermines our health and vitality. Ojas is also responsible for our psychological strength. While balanced ojas promotes compassion, love, peace, and creativity, depleted ojas can give rise to negative states such as fear, nervous exhaustion, impaired sensory perception, loss of consciousness, and even death.
As the purest essence of the pitta dosha and agni (digestive fire), tejas regulates cellular metabolism and drives the transformation of food, thoughts, sensations, and experiences into energy and nourishment for the body and mind. Balanced tejas is necessary for sustaining ojas. When tejas is aggravated, it burns away ojas, reducing immunity and overstimulating pranic activity.
To address the debilitating effects of imbalances in the three doshas and their subtle essences, Ayurvedic sages developed the rejuvenation method known as panchakarma. As a holistic approach to physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual renewal, panchakarma aims to provide a total solution to the systemic degeneration and dysfunction caused by the aging process.
Ayurveda also offers simple techniques that you can that you can easily integrate into your lifestyle and use daily to support balanced prana, ojas, and tejas. The first step toward optimizing these energies is to avoid smoking, overexertion, cold drinks, most dairy products, and hydrophilic foods (e.g., salty snacks, tuna fish, cucumbers), excess sexual activity, fried foods, red meats, excess alcohol, and too much or too little or sleep. It’s best to eat a nutrient-rich plant-based diet, primarily cooked foods with the balance of sweet, sour, pungent, salty, astringent, and bitter tastes in each meal. Eating three to four small meals a day with lunch being your biggest meal and maintaining a light daily exercise regime are also recommended.
One of the simplest ways to sustain ojas is to consume ghee, a product made from unsalted cultured butter that stimulates the appetite and the secretion of digestive juices, enkindles agni, and enhances the flavors of foods. It also strengthens intelligence and memory. Unlike many oils, ghee doesn’t increase cholesterol. In addition, it balances all three doshas and rejuvenates all the tissues.
To incorporate ghee into your diet, make it your go-to cooking oil. For a more concentrated daily dose of ghee, take a teaspoon of ghee each morning followed by a cup of warm water on empty stomach or eat a date that has been soaked in ghee. Please make sure you are using organic grass-fed cultured ghee. A lot of the ghee you find in Indian markets is not the medicinal-grade form and will not be effective.
Prana is best managed by eating a nutrient-dense organic diet of freshly cooked plant-based meals and practicing pranayama, a yogic breathing exercise that promotes healing and balance. Like yoga, pranayama comprises different styles. According to Ayurveda, the style you should adopt depends on your constitution. If you have a pitta constitution, you should perform left nostril breathing. For this exercise, inhale through the left nostril and exhale through the right, using the thumb and middle finger to close and open alternate nostrils. A person of kapha constitution should do right nostril breathing, inhaling through the right nostril and exhaling through the left. Vata types should perform alternate nostril breathing by exhaling out of one nostril and then inhaling with the same nostril, then switching and exhaling and inhaling with the alternate nostril. Practice the appropriate technique for 10 to 20 minutes a day.
Careful management of tejas is equally important to cultivating vitality and long life. Improper diet and lifestyle and overuse of drugs will cause an imbalance in this subtle energy, which, in turn, can cause problems with either prana or ojas. Substances that are hot, sharp, and penetrating directly enhance tejas. A great way to achieve this effect is to start every morning with a glass of warm tea made with a paste of turmeric and honey.
Use 1/3 cup or 80 mL premium raw honey and 2 1/2 teaspoons dried turmeric. Work the turmeric into the honey until it forms a paste. You can store this in a jar. For each cup of tea, place a heaping teaspoon of the turmeric paste in the bottom of a mug. Pour hot (not boiling) water into the mug, and stir well to dissolve the turmeric paste. Add a big squeeze of juice from a fresh lemon and a generous amount of black pepper. (Pepper is invigorating and supports the digestion of the turmeric.)
Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure or prevention of any disease.
15 Reasons Why You Should Take Triphala Daily
One of Ayurveda’s most frequently used herbal formulation, triphala is made from the dried fruits of the haritaki, bibhitaki, and amalaki trees. The three dried fruits are ground into powder and blended in equal parts to maximize the formulation’s efficiency. Its popularity as a digestive aid, bowel cleanser, and wellness support derives from the Ayurvedic teachings that suggest a healthy digestive system leads to a healthier life.
According to some Ayurvedic teachings, triphala’s power to optimize digestive health and promote wellness lies mainly in its gentle, effective laxative action. Unlike many other laxatives, triphala doesn’t stress the digestive system by forcing the liver and gall bladder to secrete digestive juices. Instead, it works like a sponge that helps not only clean out the intestinal tract but also detoxify the liver and blood. Many Ayurvedic experts hold a broader view of triphala, arguing that its many health diverse benefits stem from its rich store of potent nutrients.
Top 15 Benefits of Triphala
1. Normalizes and improves digestive functioning.
2. Alleviates constipation.
3. Tones the gastrointestinal tract.
4. Cleanses the bowels.
5. Purifies the blood.
6. Removes excess fats from of the body.
7. Cleanses the liver.
8. Builds immunity and contains high levels of vitamin C
9. Maintains good male and female reproductive health.
10. Nourishes and strengthens the respiratory tract.
11. Improves eyesight.
12. Boosts voice quality.
13. Enhances hair color and strengthens hair roots.
14. Provides polyphenols and other powerful antioxidants that reduce oxidative stress on the body.
15. Contains anthraquinone, which helps stimulate peristalsis.
For optimal results, take no more than 1 ½ teaspoons of triphala 45 minutes after having dinner or just before bed. It’s best to boil the powder for 5 minutes in 1 cup of water, but it also can be taken with a spoonful of honey or in milk. Boiling the herbs helps break down the molecules, allowing for better absorption. Triphala is also available in tablet form. Consult an Ayurvedic practitioner for more detailed advice on how to use triphala to support optimal health.
Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease.
To Supplement or Not to Supplement?
Ayurveda teaches that you should get your daily nutrients from food as much as possible and that you can do this by eating plenty of fresh vegetables, fruits, grains, beans and legumes, nuts and seeds, healthy meats, and seaweed. That said, there are cases in which it makes sense to take vitamin supplements. Vegetarians should take vitamin B12 and possibly vitamin D, since they are missing out on these nutrients by not eating meat. Pregnant women should take extra folic acid. Those with osteoporosis will need to take calcium, magnesium, trace minerals like boron, and other supplements that support bone health. People recovering from a long illness may need to take certain immune-boosting supplements.
It’s important to keep in mind that decades of industrial farming practices have significantly depleted the nutrient content of the soil in which most of our food is grown. Consequently, our food is not as nutritious as it once was. With that in mind, you might be inclined to question the common wisdom that a varied diet fulfills all of our nutritional requirements. If so, you may want to consider taking a broad-spectrum mineral supplement or daily multivitamin. Whenever possible, ingest supplements that are extracted from whole food sources like fruits, vegetables, and grains. These nutrients are more bioavailable than synthetic versions, meaning they are more easily absorbed by your digestive system. The best ways to take vitamins and minerals in are in powdered form, as a liquid concentrate, or as an oil. Avoid taking megadoses or doses larger than recommended dietary reference intakes, no matter how good you think a particular nutrient is for your health.
Supplementing your diet with vitamins should be the exception, not the rule; they are, after all, called supplements. Nutrients are much more accessible and easily processed by your body when they are consumed via food rather than supplements. Also, a person taking vitamins may mistakenly believe that eating a balanced diet is unnecessary. Remember, no supplement is a magic bullet that does as good a job of meeting your nutritional needs as a diet of healthy whole foods.
Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease.