Fat, Ayurvedically
In Ayurveda fat is known to be a “dhatu” – in English we could call this a “tissue” (you have a tissue when similar cells from the same origin together carry out a specific function). In modern biology, we speak of 4 tissues, but in Ayurveda, we speak of 7 physical tissues. In Ayurveda, a tissue plays a very important function, as the Sanskrit sutra indicates: “dharyante iti dhatava.” That is: a dhatu is that which holds our body together, and supports it. In this sense, fat is an essential component, not an extraneous element deposit. Ayurvedically speaking, fat is an essential tissue for the proper functioning of our body’s organs and systems as well as our minds: it lubricates, supply fuel, and energizes the body. In addition, fat is also the raw material for the bone tissue. Without fat, your bone tissue would be starved and crumble. A good healthy fat tissue means good healthy bone tissue – then healthy joints, healthy hair, healthy nails, etc.
In order to have a healthy bone tissue, our fat metabolism must be optimal – we have to fully digest and absorb the fat we eat, so that it can lubricate the body and brain, and support the bone tissue.
What does good fat metabolism depend on? Several factors.
- A sharp strong digestion at the level of the stomach, in ayurvedic terms, a good pachak pitta. Because in the stomach, fat gets broken down into its elemental molecules as an initial stage.
- After the stomach, fat travels to the liver to get processed by ranjak pitta.
- Finally, it reaches the colon where apana agni, the agni or metabolic function in the colon, absorbs it.
- Along its path, our body must also have optimal “deha-agni” or cellular agni – each cells plays its part in breaking down and helping metabolize the fat molecules that we ingest.
Of course, it’s not enough to have a great healthy metabolism at the stomach, liver, colon, and cellular levels, you also have to eat good nourishing fats, such as: ghee, olive oil, sesame oil, coconut oil, so that you body can be nourishes. If you are consuming processed, synthetic, heavy fats, then you will not get the results you are looking for.
Tips and Ingredients for Increasing Fat Metabolism
When you are eating healthy fats, and have these four factors, your pachak pitta and pachak agni, ranjak bhutagni (the five agni-s of the liver) as well as your apana agni and dhatu agni in optimal shape, then your body will be full of energy without an ounce of extra fatty deposits. With Ayurveda, and particularly SV Ayurveda tips and protocols, you can learn how to take care of pachak agni of the stomach, bhutagni of the liver, agni of the colon (apana agni) and dehagni (cellular agni). To address these four factors plus support pachak agni which breaks down the physical fat molecules here are some simple tips to start with:
- use ginger: this helps break down fat molecules in the stomach;
add turmeric to your food (never raw): to help breakdown fat in the liver; when the liver is happy and healthy, it releases bile that helps to metabolize fat in the colon; this in turn increases agni in the apana area;- Cook with fat metabolizing masala or spice mixes, such as the SVA MedAgni Masala, any or all of the Garcinia Masalas (for vata, pitta, or kapha), Mum’s Masala.
add methi or fenugreek seeds and/or fresh leaves to your cooking. Fenugreek supports and enhances pachak agni and dhatu agni as well, supporting bhutagni in the liver too.- Garcinia cambogia addresses pachak agni and dhatuagnis and apana agni as well.
- Indian sarsaparilla, supports medhagni or dehagni, metabolism on the cellular agni level;
But remember, when using any or all of the above ingredients, it is also important to maintain a physically active lifestyle and have a disciplined daily routine of exercise/yoga to keep things flowing. Another small but crucial detail to help with fat metabolism and is daily (or at least 3 times/week) self or administered massage. Massage helps keep channels open for evacuation even as it stimulates and balances all digestive fires. This is further enhanced when you use “intelligent” massage oils that contain herbal synergies. I specifically recommend my SVA Massage oil with Turmeric and Magnesium.
One last but very point concerns the intake of protein and the good maintenance of your muscle tissue. In the ayurvedic understanding, our tissues are built one of top of the other, one nourishes the other. The muscle tissue nourishes the fat tissue. This means that if your muscle tissue is healthy and happy, it will supply the needed nutrients to your fat tissue. Protein is food for the muscle tissue, or mamsa dhatu. So make sure to be on top of your protein intake – white easy to digest meats if you are not a vegetarian (chicken, fish, turkey, no pork), and if you are a vegetarian, paneer, small lentils, yoghurt, etc.
Eating good fats and protein to help support your fat tissue will inevitably give you results, but you also need to be cautious about one thing. In this day and age, all fat soluble toxins are a big threat for our fat tissue, much more so than a few decades ago. Fat soluble toxins mean that such toxins go and get dissolved and reside in the fat tissue. These toxins can be: pesticides from your fruits and vegetables; chemical harsh cleaning products; preservatives in your personal care products – creams, oral care, etc. all xenobiotics. All fat soluble toxins are stored and saved in the fat tissue, impacting the metabolism of the fat tissue. So whenever possible, try to eat all organic food, using toxin-free personal care, and make sure your environment is also free of toxic fumes. These are all necessary for maintaining a healthy fat tissue.
Sugar metabolism
In ayurveda sugar metabolism and sugar metabolism-related conditions are well-documented. Several kinds of hetu, etiological root conditions, for imbalancing disturbing our sugar metabolism are discussed in all the samhitas, or ayurvedic compendiums. In this article, I want to give you some information you can practically use in your day-to-day life to support your sugar metabolism in a well informed manner. If you have a tendency for hypoglycemia or low sugar levels – do not use any of the recipes discussed in this article.
Ayurvedically speaking, pachak pitta and pachak agni, then ranjak pitta and bhutagni govern the pancreas. The pancreas, as we know, is responsible for producing insulin to metabolize the sugar in the blood, and in the cells. In this sense, raktagni, or the metabolic principle in the blood, plays a major role in sugar metabolism. So here is a very important thing you can do to support your sugar levels ayurvedically.
Keep the Metabolic Flames burning bright
Keep a healthy pachak agni flame in the stomach: the stomach plays a key role in the breakdown and metabolization of sugar and carbs. When we eat, pachak pitta – the fuel of pachak agni in the stomach – has to be intelligent and sharp so as to connect and breakdown the sugar and starch molecules. To optimize your pachak agni and pachak pitta, have some ginger tea, or cook with fresh grated ginger. Add black pepper to your meals. Drink lime juice. All these ingredients help sharpen and unclog pachak agni so good, ama or toxin free rasa dhatu which contains the digested sugar molecules can go directly to the bhutagni of the liver, and support the pancreas which interacts with rasa dhatu. When rasa dhatu is in good shape, then rakta dhatu comes into play to transform the sugar molecules with the power of raktagni. Here insulin plays a major role in supporting the raktagni so that the transformed sugar reaches the muscle tissue and supplies the muscle tissue with energy. Now if any of these three centers of transformation have a problem at all, if all three agnis are high then people can go into hypolglycemia. On the other hand, if any of these 3 agnis or metabolic centers is low, then people go into hyperglycemia. The sugar/glucose content in the blood goes high because raktagni is not able to transform sugar into energy through the muscle tissue (the next tissue after the blood tissue). So how can you support your sugar metabolism ayurvedically to high blood glucose conditions?
Tips and Ingredients
To maintain optimal digestive fire levels for pachak pitta and pachak agni, it is great to cook with fresh ginger, black pepper, ajwain. These uncover the digestive fire, support the pitta in the pitta in the stomach. To support the liver, which is the next step, always cook with turmeric. And here are some more ayurvedic ingredients:
- Use kutki in your herbal water – a couple of pinches;
- Neem leaf powder: a couple of pinches in your herbal water;
- to support the pancreas for cooling, use jamun seeds;
- to nurture the tissues of the pancreas, use indian kino;
- to support the pancreas to increase insulin production/quantity, use Gymnema;
- karela is good for both the bhutagni of the liver and supplying more prana to the pancreas;
- fenugreek seeds (not leaves) help increase the stamina of the liver and pancreas;
- guduchi stem powder also helps to increase the intelligence in the insulin by supporting the pancreas’ intelligence;
- proper transdermal delivery on the spine of Gymnema, Indian kino, and a special herb called “Saptaparni.” Saptaparini is a rare herb which has been used for glucose metabolism because it supports the liver and the pancreas physically, supporting the physical intelligence, and the vibrational intelligence of the insulin.
All the above listed bitter herbs are full of marut intelligence which supports the circulation and intelligence – circulation between organs and systems. Certain vegetables, such as karela, fenugreek leaves, moringa leaf, moringa sticks also known as drum-sticks, bitter leafy greens, are good for sugar metabolism. However, if you need to maintain your blood thin for medical reasons, you have to steer clear and be cautious with the consumption of dark leafy greens. Leafy greens contain Vit K and can clot the blood and thicken it, creating an antagonistic food-herb/drug interaction.
There is also another key ingredient for sugar metabolism, and that is Cinnamon. Cinnamon can be used either in a tea medium or in your food. Cinnamon helps metabolize and transform the glucose into energy from the blood into muscle.
Eat the SVA Green Protein recipe cooked with methi leaves, and baby spinach, here’s the link to the SVA recipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw99ChA_uXI
Incorporate karela as a vegetable in your diet – to the SVA youtube channel, SVA Health, for recipes with Karela. Here are some recipes for Karela. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpD-TgGvVAQ; https://www.svayurveda.com/?s=karela Drink instant karela soup mix – once or twice a day – visit www.chandika.com for the recipe and more information.
In general, to maintain optimal blood glucose levels it is important to eat frequently, 4-5 times a day, smaller easy to digest meals. Fasting is contraindicated. Regular use and consumption of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian protein is recommended. In addition, an awareness of the glycemic index of fruits is key. Avoid fruits with high sugar content and favor those with low glycemic index, such as cherries, kiwi, blueberries blackberries.
Mind your grains: favor barley, wild rice, over white rice.
Use kala channa as a good source of vegetarian protein with a lot glycemic index.
Drink my SVA Gymnema Brew: a special all ayurvedic brew of gymnema and other ingredients, with Indian kino.
All Moringa products help support sugar metabolism, you can choose from a wide variety of moringa products – moringa soup mix, moringa tea moringa leaf powder; at www.chandika.com.
