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OKANAGAN AYURVEDA
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Innovative Conversations

New Years #2

1/7/2019

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​AYURVEDA RESOLUTION #2:
 
Sit down to eat your meals and wait at least 5 minutes before you get up from the table. Again sitting to eat is more important than what you eat.
 
The first Ayurveda principal of eating at the same time (when to eat) is followed up by where and how to eat. At a table without the distraction of your phone or other device!  And maybe a lit candle. The lit candle is representative of Agni, the digestive fires that stimulates digestion.
 
The gut is intricately connected to the brain. You have heard the expression gut feeling. Standing to eat, eating in your car, at your desk or in front of any device is a stressor and this stress effect the brain-gut axis (BGA)and has pathophysiological consequences on digestion. Exposure to any of these stressors affects the autonomic nervous system which affects the brain gut axis and both of these leads to the development of different digestive issues, all of which are pre cursors to ama (toxins) in the body. When you sit down to eat it allows relaxation in the mind and body and the function of the autonomic nervous system is regulated  allowing for the proper digestion of food, through many systems in the gut, muscular contraction, the immune system, blood flow and peristalsis etc.
 
The practices of sitting down also has the possibility of positively affecting the  breath which offer the possibility of reducing inappropriate activation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS).
When there is inappropriate activity of the ANS , the vital life-force , prana, is affected and it results in heightened bowel dysregulation and digestive disturbance. Of the five life-forces, the most important for the healthy functioning of the body is “Samana,” a life-force that is responsible for digestion and balancing two other major life-forces, “Apana” and “Prana.” When “Samana” is disturbed, the food ingested cannot be digested properly. This leads to over digestion (atijirnatvam), nondigestion (ajirnatvam), or wrong digestion (kujirnatvam) and this improperly digested food settles in the body and leads to diseases . If “Samana” becomes dominant, it leads to gastroesophageal problems, including epigastric pain, hyperacidity and gastric reflux. Ajirnatvam and heightened sympathetic activity (disturbed ANS) results in IBS-C  constipation).Disturbed “Samana” causes an imbalance in “Apana,” and excess Apana along with parasympathetic dominance manifests as IBS-D  diarrhea In other words, heightened parasympathetic activity results in IBS-D and heightened sympathetic activity results in IBS-C.
This is a small glimpse at why sitting down to eat is important to your health. It is also a simple Ayurveda principal that you can every day to accomplish better health. 
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Ayurveda New Years Resolution

1/1/2019

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New Year’s Day is resolutions day.
What if you just changed one thing and it could have a profound impact on your health throughout the year.
 
Here it is!
Eat your meals at the same time every day and eat your largest meal at breakfast or lunch, have a small dinner and do not
eat after dinner. Once you do this your hunger patterns will change. Simple, effective and can be easily done for the entire year.
In Ayurveda, food therapies are Ahara Chikitsa. This is one of our basic principals of good health. We believe there is more to eating food that just eating healthy, fresh, organic food. When you eat, how you eat, who you eat with, how much you eat, who cooks your food, your mood when you eat, how your food is cooked, what elements are in your food and what tastes are in your food all influence a healthy you.
Ayurveda says that when you eat is more important than what you eat. This may be surprising to most North Americans that believe that what we eat is of ultimate importance. I am not saying that what we eat is not important , it is, but when we eat will have a more profound effect on your health.

Science has discovered that insulin resistance is linked to the sun. Ayurveda has followed the rhythms of the sun for thousands of years and , if you are eating 3 meals a day, eating your largest meal at noon and eat your smallest meal at the end of the day.  This will produce more energy and ama will not build in our system. Eating large meals at the end of the day produces ama, fat and clogs channels.
North America has been eating its largest meal at the end of the day for centuries. This was based on a rural, farming society that worked hard all day. We no longer live like that, yet we have not changed our eating behavior. A Spanish study has proven that if most of your calories are eaten before 3 you can lose up to 25% more weight than if you eat those same calories after 3. And that eating after dinner will turn food to tricycerides and fat. Intermittent fasting has been always been part of Ayurveda  so no food after dinner to breakfast is important. This fast of 12 to 16 hours is an anti -aging pill!
Start eating breakfast for dinner and dinner for breakfast. Heavy meals late in the day will put denatured proteins into the blood. Start changing what you think is right for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And remember that not all calories are the same. It was once thought that all calories were the same and a calorie was a calorie. But all calories are not the same, it depend on when they are eaten and what elements are in those foods.
Remember no fasting in mid winter.

 
Happy New Year!
Love, Light and Laughter
Erica


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3 Things You Don’t Want To Hear About Weight Loss

10/8/2018

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​There are a lot of weight loss programs, treatments, and supplements out there that would promise you the world.  

Some companies out there would have you believe that you can just take a few pills and you don’t even need to control your food intake or need to exercise in order for you to enjoy a lean and healthy body and other companies restrict calorie with dead food purchased from them. 


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Diet Myth Busted

9/24/2018

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​Today we are bombarded with different dietary programs! The issue is that these programs may be designed for some people but not for you. The health and wellness industry is very generalized and everyone fits into some zone of normal. But really, no two bodies are alike and  everyone need a unique blueprint that is suitable to meet their health and wellness requirements.

I’ve known some people who have decided to take on a certain dietary program and have committed to a lifelong healthy lifestyle and and have come to me because they have not enjoyed the result that they are expecting.  This is because a dietary and lifestyle plan needs to be designed for you and your prakriti (birth constitution) and vikriti (Doshic imbalances).

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Why A Fall Cleansing Is Important

9/17/2018

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Rutucharaya means holding routines for seasonal change. An Ayurveda Cleanse diet is common in this time of change."Rutu" means the seasonal movement of time and "charya" means routine. Each season influences the bodily cells, organs and systems as well as the three doshas in different ways.

According to Ayurveda, a person is a reflection of nature and like people seasons have a prakriti or constitution. Spring is like Kapha, summer is like Pitta and fall ​


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The Future of Healthy Diet

9/4/2018

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When it comes to nutrition and healthy diet, the field is constantly changing and evolving. This leads to so much frustration, not to mention confusion. Many people come to me because they are confused about food. They have tried it all and still nothing has worked for there weight, their tiredness or their illness.
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Nothing is more constant than change.  The modernization of our society creates a lifestyle that demands that our habits also adapts to it.  Healthy diet is not exempted to this. The best and safest advice I can give is this: Stop chasing the latest fad.  While times has changed, the principles of Ayurveda that apply to your health have not!

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Coriander Seeds

8/29/2018

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Coriander Seeds – Dhanyaka
 
Coriander seeds are tridoshic in Ayurveda.  They are astringent and bitter, which makes them great for Pitta.
There qualities are laghu (light) and snigdha (oily) and their effect on the body is rejuvenating. The seeds are
used extensively in Ayurveda to improve digestion, to relieve heat in the body, help with asthma and can
be useful for malabsorption issues. Research in modern medicine says it may help control blood sugar.
As summer comes to an end coriander seed water can be useful for the excess heat that has built up
in the body, especially for the Pitta constitution. Here is a simple recipe for the body heat.
 
Natural Coolant:
1 part coriander seeds (10 gram)
6 parts water ( 60 grams) ½ cup
 
Crush the seeds and add hot water. Let sit overnight and in the morning drain and add a small amount of
jaggery or maple syrup. Enjoy

For digestion:

Use in cumin, coriander and fennel tea. Recipe in the last blog. Or
 
10 grams ( 3 tsp) coriander seeds
1 tsp. fresh grated ginger
½ tsp. jaggery
Crush seeds and ginger. Add 1/2 cup of hot waterwater. Let cool and enjoy before meals.
 
Rheumatoid Arthritis:
 
Mix equal parts coriander seeds, ginger and castor roots. Add water.
 
 
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The Ultimate Secret To Weight Loss

8/28/2018

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The prevalence of weight issues and obesity, as a consequence of improper, fat metabolism, is increasing worldwide and is a major concern to allopathic doctors, natural healthcare practitioners and the the overweight public The metabolic disorders, improper transformation of fat and obesity are at epidemic levels and medical and natural health care system have not found an effective solution to this problem and obesity and metabolic disorders numbers continue to climb.This epidemic burden of this chronic condition ( and disease when it becomes obesity) is driven by a food and healthcare system that does not support health. Individuals can not turn to these system to solve their problem.The complications of excessive weight are numerous, including diabetes, heart disease and sexual dysfunction to mention only a few. The ancient Indian system of natural medicine, Ayurveda,does have an answer. It teaches that all disease and conditions need to be addressed at the root cause and weight issues are no exception One of the primary root causes in Ayurveda is pradhapradha, blasphemy against natural intelligence. The means that we need to understand our disconnection with the nature order of the world to understand our diseases. ​


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Spices

8/26/2018

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Spices are pungent or aromatic substances obtained from the bark, buds, fruit, roots, seeds or stems of various plants and trees and used to season or flavor foods. In Ayurvedic cooking spices are valued for their taste but even more valued for their medicinal or healing properties. Ayurveda give emphasis to two factors of food preparation; quality of food and proper digestion of that food. Our digestive capacity or the capacity to transform food into healthy tissues is known as Agni or digestive fire. The proper functioning of our body largely depends on the Agni. Spices play an important role in digestion and assimilation of food and maintaining a balanced and healthy Agni.  If digestion is sub optimal or overactive even the best food can turn toxic in the body. If not spiced properly these foods quickly produce Ama (toxicity), that causes heaviness and blockages of the micro-circulatory channels and physiology. 
We live in a beautiful world filled with countless natural ways to balance health, restore digestion, boost immunity, treat colds and fever, aid in weight loss, reduce pain and inflammation - the list goes on and on.  Spices are one of the most intelligent and medicinal foods in Ayurveda. Use spices daily and begin to feel the impact that these small packages of infinite wisdom have for you. Healing begins in your kitchen. It is not just what we eat but how we eat and what we digest.
Lets have a look at Cumin
Cumin
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Signs That Tells You It’s Time For A Diet Change

8/21/2018

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Today most people know that their diet will have an impact on their health and this is true but a food plan or diet ( I don’t like the work diet) needs to be designed for YOU! Not for your mother, your friend or anyone else.

Ayurvedically, the way your diet impacts your health is based on the elements and qualities in the food, how strong your digestion is, how much ama ( toxins) you have accumulates and what level of imbalances you have in your constitution( doshas).  Ayurveda says that food is your medicine and medicine is your food, but food is not seen as READ MORE...

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  • Home
  • Ayurveda
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        • Choorna for all three Dosha
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        • Breakfast
        • Soup
        • Vegetables
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        • Kitcheri
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