Are you Spice-Deficient?

In the ocean of Ayurveda, there are a lot of gems! Among those gems, the knowledge of Agni (digestive and metabolic fires), Ama (semi- or undigested food materials left behind in the tissues and organs), and Ojas (the finest by-product of good metabolism that nourishes the neuro-transmitters and hormones and gives glow to the face). Agni, Ama, and Ojas share a close relationship to herbs and spices.  The chemical make-up of spices can enhance or slow down our metabolic activities, help or hinder it. In other words, the balance of Agni, the circulation of Ama, the production of Ojas can be affected by the use or lack of spices and herbs. According to Ayurveda, and particularly in the SVA tradition, spices and herbs do not just contribute flavor to our palate they are a necessary part of our daily diet. They maintain optimal metabolic rate and avert sickness which results from the production of toxic waste. They balance our emotions and clear mental fog through the balance of hormones and other finer chemicals that nourish our cells. We can look a little more closely at how spices and herbs in our food help us in different ways.

The first thing is proper combination or Samyog. Which spices do we combine with other ones and in what proportions. The second most important thing is proper processing or Sanskar,  how to cook and in what medium. Ayurveda supplies us the detailed knowledge of what will work best for whom, how, and why. When proper Samyog and Sanskar are used, spices and herbs can help balance almost all kinds of digestion ailments, correcting metabolic and assimilation problems.

Not only eating spices and herbs, but smelling them is also therapeutic! Through their aromatherapeutic value they connect the mind and the digestive system via subtle  pathways, travelling in the micro- and macro- physical channels (Srota-s) as well as the vibrational channels (Nadi-s).
Raw spices and herbs help even through their aroma, but cooking the spices and herbs is recommended in Ayurveda. Cooking – that is exposing to heat – activates the inherent chemical properties of the spices and herbs, creating a molecular interaction between the spices and the oil medium used (ghee or olive oil). Cooking makes the spices and herbs more easily available to the digestive organs and systems in our body. In addition, cooking with spices also sanitizes toxic unwanted materials that might be present in the vegetables, lentils, or grains. But spices and herbs have an additional even greater property.

Almost all spices and herbs are primarily known to be Yogvahi, that is: they act as vehicles for the micronutrients found in the food you eat. Spices help to break down carbohydrate, protein, fat, as and when needed. As Yogvahi-s, they are as essential to our diet as all the food groups found on the food pyramid, but somehow we have forget to use them, and we only include them in our recipes for added flavor!

The SVA tradition explains that spices and herbs are little packets of intelligence, equipped with the blue-prints for healing! The minute they enter our body they start to clean-up the channels paving their way to their destination, carrying along nutrients they that came with and taking them to where they are meant to go for further processing, In addition, they make sure that unwanted bi-products are evacuated through the proper pathways and discarded from the body in a timely manner.

However, there is more! Spices and herbs are so intelligent that they can perform their functions not only when we eat them, but also when we apply them on our skin. If they are pranically preserved and placed in a lively medium (a good oil base or shea butter) they enter the skin and travel through its different layers and then travel through the blood stream, bypassing all the digestive organs and systems, and they reach the mind, the heart, and all the  extremities of the body.

The topical use of spices and herbs is very important in the SVA tradition, because often, due to different factors, the body is unable to ingest large quantities or spices that are necessary for it to restore balance. Topical transdermal use is safe, highly effective, and even faster than oral ingestion and digestion. It takes seconds for transdermal topical absorption to reach its targeted area, while it takes approximately 20-30 minutes for food, after it is ingested, to be broken down, processed, and eventually distributed. Spices and herbs when used topically, also help the skin locally, on the spot. They nourish and awaken it, and then rejuvenate its different layers, before being transdermally absorbed all over the body.

So how can you tell if you are spice-deficient? SVA recommends that we  ideally consume at least some turmeric, cumin, coriander, and fennel with every meal. These four spices are basic in their balancing properties and targeted benefits. Otherwise, if you tend to feel tired after completing a meal, or if you tend to overeat because you do not feel satiated, or crave sweets excessively after completing a meal, these are all signals that there is some imbalance in your digestive system, and adding the proper mixture of spices (masala) can help correct it. A good digestion is key to healthy emotions and clear mind! Click here to watch Vaidya talk about spice deficiency and much more!