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AYURPATRA Your
monthly health e-newsletter Volume:
1- SERIES URDHWAJATRUGAT IV –DECEMBER 2004 Diseases
of - Above Shoulder region |
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As
a celebration of the globalization of Ayurveda, we are delighted to
present to you our new monthly e-feature about Ayurveda and health.
Our web site (http://www.ayurplanet.com/)
has helped millions of people. This newsletter will be loaded with
lots of information, events and happenings related to Ayurveda
including featured articles, details of very useful herbs, beauty tips
and various herbal products and health supplements. The aim of this
Newsletter is to serve humanity from health aspect by natural means. FEATURED
HEALTH ARTICLE:- S.A.D.
Seasonal
Affective Disorder/Kaphaja Mansika Avsad
Throughout
the centuries, poets have described a sense of sadness, loss and
lethargy, which can accompany the shortening days of fall and winter.
Many cultures and religions have winter festivals associated with
candles or fire. Many of us notice tiredness, a bit of weight gain,
difficulty getting out of bed and bouts of "the blues" as
fall turns to winter. SAD
(Seasonal Affective Disorder) is a type of winter depression that
affects an estimated half a million people every Winter between
September and April, in particular during December, January and
February. SAD is a mood disorder associated with depression episodes
and related to seasonal variations of light. SYMPTOMS: Sleep
problems:
Usually desire to oversleep and difficulty staying awake but, in some
cases, disturbed sleep and early morning wakening. Lethargy:
Feeling of fatigue and inability to carry out normal routine. Overeating:
Craving for carbohydrates and sweet foods, usually resulting in weight
gain. Depression:
Feelings of misery, guilt and loss of self-esteem, sometimes
hopelessness and despair, sometimes apathy and loss of feelings. Social
problems:
Irritability and desire to avoid social contact. Anxiety:
Tension and
inability to tolerate stress. Loss
of libido:
Decreased interest in sex and physical contact. Mood
changes:
In some sufferers, extremes of mood and short periods of hypo mania
(over activity) in spring and autumn.
SAD
seems to be more common in northern latitudes (and in southern
latitudes in the southern hemisphere) because the winter day gets
shorter the closer you travel toward the polar regions. Why
SAD Happens The
nerve centers in our brains controlling our daily rhythms and moods
are stimulated by the amount of light entering the eyes. During the
night, the pineal
gland
produces a substance called melatonin
which makes us drowsy. At daybreak, the bright light causes the gland
to stop producing this melatonin. But on dull winter days, especially
indoors, not enough light is received to trigger this waking up
process. More
recently, good evidence has been found to link exposure to bright
light with the increased production of a substance called serotonin,
or 5HT. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, ie it carries signals from
the output of one nerve to the input of the next inside the brain.
Lack of serotonin is known to be a cause of depression, and indeed
this maps well onto what people say: tasks which are easy when you are
well become frustratingly difficult when you are depressed It
is tempting to note that melatonin is made from serotonin within the
brain, but there is no evidence to say that this link plays a part in
what happens. In
Ayurveda, winter and early spring are considered “kapha” season
therefore this depression is the result of unbalanced kapha.This
problem is therefore seen more in the countries where winters are
associated with rains. Factors
that Contribute to Kapha Depression
·
Tendency
toward inactivity and lack of exercise, laziness ·
Eating
heavy diet ·
Not
dressing properly for the cold weather ·
Eating
cold instead of warm foods ·
Increase
of ama due to eating wrong foods, or to poor eating habits such as not
chewing food sufficiently, reading or watching TV while eating, etc. ·
Daytime
sleep Management: Panchakarma
offers treatment for depression. They are; Abhyanga
(whole body oil massage); Shirodhara
(constant stream of medicated liquid as oil or milk over the
forehead); Shiro Basti (medicated oil retention over the head);
Vamana
(emesis, therapeutic vomiting); Virechana
(therapeutic purgation); Basti (medicated enema); Nasya
(nasal application of herbs and oils); Dhumapana (smoking with
herbal fumes); Dhupan (fumigation of the room using incense and
sandalwood to calm the mind); Anjana(type of medication in the
eye); Shirolepan (application of herbal paste over the forehead
and scalp). Ayurveda
has rich resources of Herbs that act specifically on Manovaha srotas
as Brahmi,
Atmagupta,Amla,Shankhapushpi,Ustekhudus
etc. Oils
like Jyotishmati and Brahmi are useful in this disorder. Apart
from this, Cap.Medha, Cap.Depend, Cap.Cerebex, Ashwagandha extract,
Saraswatarishta, Brahm Rasayana,Manas mitra vatakam are the common
medication used in practice by Ayurveda physicians. We
advise to regularly do Pranayama and Yoga along with Ayurveda
medication to boost up positive psychological approach towards
Depression.
You
may consult our Ayurveda experts through on
line consultation or personally.
HERB
OF THE MONTH: TRIPHLA
Part
–3 VIBHITAKI Vibhitaki
(pronounced Vib hee' tuck ee) is its Sanskrit name, Terminalia
bellirica is the Latin name, and Bahera is the Hindi name. There is
not as much scientific research on this fruit, but it is famous in the
classical ayurvedic texts for its many good qualities. Both
Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita mention Vibhitaki as a
homeostatic, meaning that it helps create balance and pure blood in
the body. Sushruta Samhita, a text on surgery, mentions that it is
useful to staunch internal hemorrhages. Charaka
also reports that it is ideal for pacifying both Pitta and Kapha. It
is cool to the touch (pacifying Pitta) but is hot when you eat it (and
thus pacifies Kapha). Charaka Samhita also says that Vibhitaki
cleanses the Rasa, Rakta, Mamsa and Meda dhatus, which means the
nutritive fluid, the blood, the muscle and the fat tissue. In
addition, the Charaka Samhita says Vibhitaki is excellent for
balancing and nurturing the vocal chords, is antibacterial, and is
chakshushya (a rasayana for the eyes). Sushruta
Samhita also mentions that Vibhibataki is dry and hot. It's excellent
for nourishing the voice and the eyes, and is antibacterial. Sushruta
also points out the bhedana effect of this fruit, which means that
because of its heating quality it clears the clogged channels almost
as if drilling them clear. Lifestyle
or dietary tips to help support detoxification: It
is important to avoid building up toxins in your body in the first
place. Avoid foods that include chemical preservatives, emulsifiers
and additives of any kind. Also try to avoid foods that are grown with
pesticides and chemical fertilizers, as these toxins enter your body
and get stuck there, forming the basis for disease. Eat fresh,
organic, well-cooked foods whenever possible. Avoid
eating packaged, frozen, canned, "fast" or leftover foods,
as these dead foods are hard to digest and create toxins when the body
can't digest them properly. Then your body just has to work harder to
remove them from the body. There
are other dietary changes you can make to improve your digestion and
to avoid building up digestive toxins such as ama and amavisha (toxic
matter). Avoid ice-cold drinks, as they reduce the digestive fire.
Drink plenty of warm water throughout the day to help flush out
toxins. Eat sweet, juicy fruits daily if possible, as these help
cleanse the rasa (nutrient fluid) and the bowels. Besides
eating pure foods, there are many things you can do each day to reduce
digestive toxins. For instance, go to bed by 10 p.m. so your body can
rest during its natural purification period from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
That will go a long way in purifying your body of toxins. Eat
your main meal at midday, when your digestive fire is high. Eat
lighter at breakfast and supper, when your digestion is not as strong.
Keeping a regular time for eating meals is best, because your body can
prepare itself when the meals are eaten at the same time each day. Eat
only when you're hungry, and wait a full 3 hours after a main meal
before snacking. This will allow the food to digest properly. Eat only
until you are 3/4 full. Usually it takes a few minutes for the brain
to register that you're full, so if you eat until you're stuffed,
you're probably going to feel uncomfortable a while later. Also, the
digestive system needs some space to operate in, so stuffing yourself
to the maximum will actually inhibit digestion. When
you drink milk, boil it first with fresh ginger or cardamom pod, or
add a pinch each of the ground ginger and cardamom spices. Let the
milk cool to the temperature you like and then drink it. This is the
Ayurvedic way to make milk more digestible and to avoid the build-up
of mucus. Avoid combining milk with salty foods, fish, and foods of
mixed taste. It digests well when you drink it alone between meals, or
with other sweet tastes such as cereal, desserts, or toast. Common
Uses of Triphla: ·
Soak
Triphla 20 gm. at night in approx.400 ml water, in morning that water
can be used to wash the eyes to maintain good eyesight and prevent eye
infections. ·
One
teaspoon full of Triphla if taken with luke warm water, relieves
constipation. ·
Triphla
powder is used with water to clean the hairs also. ·
If
taken regularly it is good for eyes, skin, hairs and is considered as
Rasayana as mentioned earlier. “Ayurveda
India” also makes minute refined Triphla that has to be taken half
in quantity and is more effective. It is Rs.450 per Kilo BEAUTY
TIP – FOR
WINTERS ·
Unboiled
milk can be used as excellent cleaning milk especially during the
winters. Dab face with unboiled milk, remove gently with moist cotton.
Wash off with a face wash. It removes all the dirt, grime, as well as
any make up. ·
Mix
fresh lemon juice and sugar, rub into your face as a face scrub and
then wash it off. It gives you clean, smooth and soft skin. For
personalized beauty related queries mail to: beauty@ayurplanet.com
FORTHCOMING
EVENT:
Event
Name
: International Trade Exhibition
Tradecom
2005, Dubai Date(s)
:
January 15 -17,
2005 Venue
:World Trade centre
Organiser
: Tradecom Dubai Promotion & IDMA
Contact
:
Nitin Jain (Chief Exhibitions Consultant) News –News:Vegetables
such as cabbage, broccoli, sprouts or cauliflower could help in the
fight against cancer.
Tuesday,
16-Nov-2004
in
Medical Research News. Researchers
from the Wales College Of Medicine, Cardiff University in the UK have
discovered what may be a clue to the prevention and treatment of
cancer. They have found that when vegetables such as cabbage,
broccoli, sprouts or cauliflower are eaten, they could help in the
fight against cancer. Milk
protein may reduce high blood pressure
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A section of a protein derived from milk
appears to reduce blood pressure in people with hypertension, results
from a small study suggest. AYURVEDA
INDIA Our
European Centre:AGN
Headed by Dr.A.K.Mehta ;2521 ZL ; Thijsse
straat 16;Denhaag;The Netherlands.Website:
www.agn-ayurveda.com ; E.mail:
info@agn-ayurveda.com *Please
send your articles in simple English
and abstract (not
more then 250 words) words). *
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Disclaimer:
All details, thoughts and opinions shared by the writers in this
monthly, are their own and does not necessarily reflect the views of
the editor or management of this monthly. This monthly is meant only
for information purpose and it is not intended to replace the services
of a health practitioner licensed in the diagnosis or treatment of
illness or disease. Any application of the material in this text is at
the reader's discretion and sole responsibility. For all health
concerns you are advised to consult with a duly licensed health
practitioner We do not claim for any authenticity of the matter. |