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!

Proper digestion of food is the foundation of our health. But what does proper digestion mean in ayurvedic terms and what does it entail? Vaidya Mishra offers a very specific and clear answer. Click here to hear Vaidya Mishra explain the details of the ayurvedic digestive process. But do we every stop to think about what triggers digestion? How does our body “know” when to start the process of digestion?
The SVA tradition reminds us that the process of human digestion is initiated even before you put something into your mouth! When you see and smell the food, your body already prepares itself by sending signals to your different brain centers. The brain then triggers the release of specialized chemicals that will help in the break-down, digestion, and absorption of your food. We have all experienced this. Remember what happens when you look at pickles? Your mouth automatically produces more saliva to coat the spice, salt and sour that is coming in with the pickle! Or the feeling of content in your heart when you see or smell a freshly baked hot-from the-oven cake?

This is your brain sending signals to your digestive system based on what the senses are gathering. Science confirms the fact that digestion begins with the sight and smell of food and calls this stage of digestion “cephalic phase” (cephalic means that which has to do with the head). This phase occurs before food enters the stomach and is very important because it readies the body for eating and digestion. The sight and thought of the food stimulate our cerebral cortex. Then the taste and smell of our food are sent to yet other specialized parts of our brain, the hypothalamus (this is a small chamber in our brain that connects the nervous system to the endocrine system) and the medulla (this part of the brain deals with the cardiac, respiratory, vomiting, and involuntary functions, such as breathing, heart-rate, blood pressure). When the cerebral cortext, the medula and the hypothalamus receive all this information they adjust their functions and ready the physiology in all its aspects to enhance the secretion of gastric juices and enzymes.
Ayurveda also explains this complex system of digestion in detail.Vaidya Mishra’s lineage, Shaka Vansiya Ayurveda, likens the digestive system to a burner and uses the analogy to its fullest to explain its different components. This is how Vaidya Kameshwar Mishra explained the digestive process to his interning son, Vaidya Ramakant Mishra, when his college teacher was unable to explain and elucidate the difference between Pachak Pitta and Pachak Agni….

SV Ayurveda likens the stomach to a ‘burner’ – imagine a burner as the one in your kitchen stove on which you cook everyday. In order to function and cook food placed on top of it, your burner needs fuel. Our stomach supplies such fuel (gastric acid, pepsin, digestive enzymes). In ayurveda, the fuel of this burner is called “pachak pitta.” How do you ignite this fuel? When your brain receives the signal that food is coming, it starts releasing pachak pitta in the stomach cavity which amounts to lowering the stomach pH so that the “cooking of the ingested food” can be initiated. This produces a flame/fire called “pachak agni” or “jathar agni” which is responsible for transforming the food that was ingested. This phase is called the gastric phase (or the stomach phase) that takes approximately 3-4 hours to complete! At this point in the stomach we have food, we have gastric and digestive juices (pachak pitta), a lowered pH (1-3), and automatic reflexes that churn the food breaking it down into smaller molecules and particles and this constitutes the pachak agni, the actual cooking activity.

SVA highlights that in order to support this highly sophisticated activity of eating and digesting food, of maintaining the proper balanced activity of Pachak Agni and Pachak Pitta in the burner, the gap, it is necessary to chew well, and helpful to eat in silence because chewing helps to break down the food by mixing it in with the digestive fluids found in the saliva, because unlike some other species, for humans, digestion begins in the oral cavity or the mouth. We secrete large amounts of saliva every day (1-1.5 litres/day). This saliva helps moisten the food and it contains digestive enzymes which aid in the chemical breakdown of complex molecules. The tongue helps form the food into a ball and pushes it to the back of the mouth and then down the esophagus where it is ready to be broken down by the stomach. Keeping silence helps to focus on the food. It gives the brain the opportunity to put undivided attention to govern all the activities in the mouth, the esophagus, the burner, or the digestive gaps. When the brain’s attention is not divided by other activities, then it can better determine how much flame needs to be given during the process of digestion. The brain then knows best what to do if there are problems arising due to either the food that was ingested (if it needs more breaking down if it is too rich in fat or protein) or if the digestion is slow because the individual is tired(not sleeping enough and working too much) or undergoing emotional stress etc. If digestion is slow due to heavy foods, it may also be due to the lack of proper spicing and cooking or the quality of the food or the quantity of the food, or the temperature of the food. This is where the concept of Ama comes in. The vedic shastras (ancient classical texts) say that no physical disease can happen without Ama hence one of the synonyms of disease is “amaya” (full of ama).

What are some ayurvedic digestive imbalances?
There can be 3 kinds of imbalances that the flame can have due to problems in the fuel or the burner. Click here to listen to Vaidya explain these.
For example,  if the fuel is less in quantity or the burner is clogged (different parts of the stomach are not functioning optimally) or both then the flame, the Agni (overall cooking process) will be low. This state is called Mandagni – or low Agni. In this case, when the food reaches the stomach without proper spicing that would correct that condition, then whatever portion of the food is not cooked properly will result in Ama. Proper spicing can help this situation very easily as different spices can help with different parts of the digestive process – some enhance the Pachak Pitta, others correct the Pachak Agni, others yet just clean the gaps on the burner to let the Pachak Pitta and Pachak Agni interact and do their job better in a cleaner environment! Modern nutraceutical science promotes high nutrient content diets across the board for all individuals. For example, brown rice. Brown rice contains more nutrients than white rice but then what happen when somebody has low Agni? When they eat heavier food that their stomach cannot fully properly digest, it will remain semi-digested, that is they will produce ama (semi-digested toxins) out of the nutrients in brown rice. In the case of Mandagni or the slow flame, SV Ayurveda gives specific recommendations for spices based on specific body types, age, climate, or season, and even ethnic background. Taking care of Mandagni or low agni situation through recommending spices is easier than other conditions Common helpful spices for Mandagni are: fresh ginger, sunthi(pitta-pacifying ginger), black pepper corns, long pepper (pippali), green thai chilies, ajwain seeds, cumin seeds.  But recommending these spices to all low Agni or Mandagni people would be dangerous in the situation where the person is either high Pitta by Prakriti (natal constitution), or if the Pitta is aggravated and accumulated in the stomach or the Sandhi (gap) or the burner is clogged, due to vibrational toxins (resulting from emotional or other non-material stress).  Unlike mainstream Ayurveda, SV Ayurveda identifies this condition called “High Pitta Low Agni” and has remedies to help balance it preventing further digestive and emotional aggravation. If an individual has high Pitta low Agni when the fuel is hot and the flame is low, then all the above spices will heat up the Pitta even more and create aggravation (desire to eat more but ability to digest less and less resulting in heaviness, fatigue, acidity, heartburn, emotional upset). In this situation, SVA recommends spices such as fennel, coriander to cook with. Clove is also very good for high Pitta and low Agni situations. but in very moderate doses. As far as turmeric, the king of spices goes, it has to be used in high Pitta low Agni with lots of coriander and fennel.
Connecting the mind and the stomach, that is keeping your attention on the eating process and not on TV or a conversation or reading a book is also recommended in Ayurveda. In ayurvedic terms, the mobility factor in the our bodies is call the Vata Dosha. The Vata Dosha helps to move things where they are meant to go. It supplies the air principle to our physiology. It has many subcategories. During digestion, it is important to keep Prana Vata (that runs the brain activity) and Samana vata (that keeps activity in the stomach going) balanced and coordinated, since the brain always commands the conversion and flow of the flame as modern science also recognizes. Hear more about the sub-doshas with Vaidya Mishra, click here

Tips for connecting Samana and Prana Vata :
when you eat, keep your spine straight to allow for the optimal flow of Prana Vata to the stomach area and also to give better room for Samana Vata to do its job. If you are having trouble with your circulatory vibrational channels, you can use Vaidya Mishra’s Supersport Transdermal cream on the spine or Supersport spray on the stomach (apply in clockwise motion) before food. 

There are thousands of studies on turmeric and its health benefits including its preventative action for a wide range of fatal and chronic modern diseases, including: cancer, arthritis, diabetes,cardiovascular diseases, osteporosis, Alzheimer. Research shows that turmeric helps the body release cancer causing toxins, blocks estrogen receptors and enzymes that promote cancer and prevent the growth of new blood vessels.
 Turmeric is now recognized as one of the most powerful chemopreventive and anticancer agents. Anticancer drugs weaken the immune system, but curcumin actually enhances it! even acting as an immune restorer. Research at UCLA has concluded that turmeric is effective for the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers have found that turmeric helps maintain healthy brain cellular metabolism, helps the the cells repair themselves and maintains the cell connection to each other. A wealth of data shows the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, chemopreventive and anti-neoplastic (fighting cancer), antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral properties and capabilities of turmeric. The countless benefits of turmeric are so diverse that they affect virtually every organ.

Some pertinent research references:

•          Churchill M. Chadburn A, Bilinski RT, Bertagnolli MM. Inhibition of intestinal tumors by curcumin is associated with changes in the intestinal immune cell profile. J Surg Res. 2000 Apr;89(2):169-75.
•          Pal S, Bhattacharyya S, Choudhuri T, et al. Amelioration of immune cell number depletion and potentiation of depressed detoxification system of tumor-bearing mice by curcumin. Cancer Detect Prev. 2005;29(5):470-8.
•          Perkins S, Verschoyle RD, Hill K, et al. Chemopreventive efficacy and pharmacokinetics of curcumin in the min/+ mouse, a model of familial adenomatous polyposis. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2002 Jun;11(6): 535-40.
•         South EH, Exon JH, Hendrix K. Dietary curcumin enhances antibody responses in rats. Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol. 1997 Feb;19(1):105-19
•         Kim GY, Kim KH, Lee SH, et al. Curcumin inhibits immunostimulatory function of dendritic cells, MAPKs and translocation of NF-kappa B as potential targets. J Immunol. 2005 Jun 15;174(12):8116-24
•          Bhattacharyya S, Mandal D, Saha B, et al. Curcumin prevents tumor-induced T cell apoptosis through Stat-5a-mediated Bcl-2 induction. J Biol Chem. 2007 Jun1;282(22):159-64.
•          Thangapazham RL, Sharma A, Maheshwari RK. Multiple molecular targets in cancer chemoprevention by curcumin. AAPS J.
•          Jagetia GC, Aggarwal BB. “Spicing up” of the immune system by curcumin. J Clin Immunol. 2007 Jan;27(1):19-35.
•          Yang F, Lim GP, Begum AN, et al. Curcumin inhibits formation of amyloidbeta oligomers and fibrils, binds plaques, and reduces amyloid in vivo. J Biol Chem.2005;280:5892-901.
•          Lim GP, Chu T, Yang F, Beech W, Frautschy SA, Cole GM. The curry spicecurcumin reduces oxidative damage andamyloid pathology in an Alzheimertransgenic mouse. J Neurosci. 2001;21:8370-7.
•          Cole GM, Morihara T, Lim GP, Yang F, Begum A, Frautschy SA. NSAID and Antioxidant Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease: Lessons from In Vitro and Animal Models. Ann N Y Acad Sci.2004;1035:68-84

Turmeric has long been known as an auspicious spice in India. It has been used not only in cooking but also in spiritual and social rituals. The vedic shastras laud its benefits. So much so, that even a pinch of turmeric is considered enough! Click here to watch Vaidya talk about the top 20 benefits of turmeric. But should we just gowith what the shastras say or is there any scientific validation for this? Is it just an ancient indian myth or can it have meaning for us in our modern daily lives?
If you have not had the opportunity to check, you might want to google turmeric and scientific findings. The literature is recent, vast, and growing. Over the past few years, interest in turmeric has grown exponentially, hundreds of studies have been conducted not only confirming what the ancient vedic scriptures spoke of thousands of years ago, but also showing the potential this spice has for healing and preventing so many of our modern chronic and fatal diseases. So it’s good for you! But what does that mean? And how and why is it good for you? The scientific world will say that it contains specific chemicals (curcumin) that behave a certain way when ingested, and therefore heal. But there is a much bigger picture to things. Here is what Vaidya Mishra has to say about turmeric. His SVA explanation of turmeric is very distinct and as always particular to his lineage. You will not be able to read this anywhere else!

THE SVA PERSPECTIVE :
Vaidya explains that turmeric is highly pranic. We have learnt that Prana is itself made of three components, Soma, Agni and Marut. Turmeric is mostly made up of Marut and Agni. Because turmeric has more Marut and Agni, it is a very active ingredient that acts as a catalyst when ingested or applied transdermally. It does not sit idle. The healing and health-supporting effect of turmeric derives primarily from its characteristics of Agni and Marut. This is why detox is its primary property. In addition, it target a specific organ first and foremost: the liver. To define it in one sentence: turmeric detoxifies the liver. That is its primary target. Because it addresses the liver first, it also supports and helps the whole cellular system of the body – through its primary action on the liver it supports all the 5 Agni-s or metabolic factors that are seated in the liver. Each Bhutagni (or agni of the liver) corresponds to an element: space, air, fire, earth and water. The liver is primarily made of Agni and Marut but it also has some Soma. When the liver is intelligent (meaning it is able to perform its activities in the way it was meant to) and does not meet any hindrances for absorbing, processing and transforming Soma, then it can produce intelligent blood. When blood is intelligent (meaning it is not overloaded with toxins due to a weak liver, it carries all the information it is meant to, and is full of Prana due to a good satwic diet), then such blood supports the immune system and helps maintain the health of all the organs and organ systems in the body, maintaining as well the pH of the blood. This, in turn, reduces inflammation in the body overall. Inflammation can be the number one cause of many diseases. Turmeric is thus an alkalizing and therefore an anti-inflammatory. Its ability to support the liver in processing and transforming Soma results in alkalinity in the body. In scientific terms, researchers confirm that turmeric is an immuno-modulator, anti-inflam atory, it helps balance cholesterol, as a result it repairs DNA, is good for chemo-prevention, helps in senile dementia… and these are just a few of the findings… (see the column to your right for additional research references). Does this mean we should be ingesting large doses of turmeric? Nowadays curcumin capsules are prevalent in health food stores across the country, and countless people are swallowing a couple capsules a day. SVA explains that this can be highly detrimental to your health. In fact, if used improperly, turmeric can have unwanted negative results. So what is the proper use of turmeric then? Click here to watch Vaidya explain all about it.

HOW MUCH TURMERIC IS TOO MUCH?
In traditional ayurvedic medicine, it is not recommended that turmeric be used alone. It is also not recommended that turmeric be consumed raw. Why? As explained, the primary effect of turmeric is on the liver organ. Turmeric activates the liver and promotes its detox. turmeric brideWhen the liver starts to leach out toxins with the help of turmeric, and if the detox pathways found all over the body are not ready (they could be blocked, or incapable to handle a sudden toxic load efficiently) then this will affect the rest of the organs. Similarly, if the other organs such as the kidneys, or the urinary tract , or the colon, have not been prepped to handle the release of large toxic loads, then the toxic waste being released by the liver all at once without previous preparation will surely result in a “detox crisis.” It can rupture the circulatory channels while moving here and there, and worst of all, if it does not find its way out of the body safely and effectively, it will get reabsorbed which can result n auto-immune conditions. To use a simple analogy: a fast-forward detox with turmeric when you have never done any gentle detox protocols would be like trying to clean your house when you’ve not done it in years (5,10, 15 or more!). One fine morning you bring in this expert contractor, Turmeric Inc., who tells you have to start from the most important room in your house (your liver) that happens to be in the middle of the house (situated in terms of its role). So while you are discharging loads of junk and garbage from that room you have to be able to move and throw it all out, but all the pathways are filled with clutter, there’s barely any room to move or walk, so you start to put little little bags here and there in an effort to clean that first room, but you end up making the rest of the house even more cluttered, even more messy. What’s worse, you move things that had been sitting in their place and putrifying for a long long time, and naturally when you move them, you notice that there are strong chemi al reactions, toxic gases that are released but you are not able to open your windows and doors to bring in some fresh air as everything is backed up against walls… What a mess! So the first rule of thumb: 1) never consume turmeric raw. The second: 2) never eat it alone. After discovering turmeric for the first time and tasting its gentle bitter taste and reading about its health benefits, many people start to leave it on their tables along with the salt and pepper in a little shaker! When you visit Whole Foods market, you will in fact see next to their salad bar a little shaker with turmeric in it for those who are more health conscious! Someone should notify their management that it is a health risk…

A DELICIOUS AND SAFE SPICE MIXTURE:
SVA recommends that turmeric be cooked. If you are introducing turmeric to your diet for the first time, you must do so only in pinches.
SVA also recommends that turmeric be cooked with other spices. Here is a safe and delicious spice recipe with turmeric. Combine 1 part turmeric powder with 1 part cumin, 6 parts coriander, and 6 parts fennel. The cumin, coriander and fennel seeds will be measured in seed form, then ground and then added to the turmeric powder. This recipe is not only delicious but it also has very specific effects. This is what the rest of the spices do.
Cumin helps to open the circulatory channels and restore their intelligence. Cumin has more Marut than Agni, it is not as pungent as chilies. It also knows what to absorb and what to eliminate. Coriander has the amazing quality of collecting and binding toxins from and in the blood and exiting them through the urinary tract.
Fennel is added to this mixture because the detox process initiated by the previous spices creates a little more cleansing activity in the body, and something is needed to overlook the cleansing operation to make sure everything is progressing on schedule. Fennel creates a friendly and cooling environment at the same time supporting the enzymatic processes to make sure detox happens safely and effectively.
Even though this recipe is balanced and balancing, if this is your first time introducing spices to your diet you must start using this mixture only in pinches. Add a pinch or two to your food while it is cooking. Increase a pinch every three days and go up to half a teaspoon and eventually up to a teaspoon. Do not sprinkle on your food for added flavor!
If you experience unwanted rash or nausea, or bloating and gas, reduce the dose until you feel comfortable again. Do not make tea out of this mixture, always only cook with it (protein, vegetables, lentils).
Put enough water in your vegetables or lentils so that the water becomes the medium for the transformative power of the spice. And then add a lipid medium as well, like ghee or olive oil, that way you can get both the lipid soluble and the water soluble factions of the spices. It is recommended that you cover your pot while cooking so as to preserve the aroma in the Soma.

TURMERIC AND SOCIAL RITES AND RITUALS:
Turmeric is considered a divine tuber. For any auspicious ritual celebration turmeric is used either as a powder or a paste. Clothes are dyed in turmeric. A mixture of turmeric and sandalwood paste is made to and applied on the body (face, limbs, etc) of brides and grooms before their wedding ceremony.

Only if death occurs, then turmeric should not be used. Why? When you grieving, mourning, your Sadhak Pitta is high. All the Pitta subdoshas (the metabolic principles of the physiology) are related to the liver and its 5 Agnis. If you ignite the fires in your liver, it will also increase the fires residing elsewhere in your body, and you don’t want to increase Sadhak Pitta when it is already high due to loss. In vedic India, when a person passes away, no turmeric is used during the 13 day vedic ritual. All close members dress in white as a sign of mourning, and avoid eating heating foods or agni-enhancing foods (turmeric, ginger, onion, garlic, or other spicy foods).
You need more Soma during periods of high grief or emotional turmoil, more Soma and more Ojas to connect your brain to your heart. Anything that consumes Soma is counter-indicated.

COUNTER-INDICATIONS:
Since turmeric ignites the five Agni-s of the liver Turmeric is also contraindicated in cases of high fever, chicken pox, small pox, active hemorrhoids, tuberculosis. if you are currently on any medication or are experiencing any serious health conditions, you must check with your medical doctor before perusing any turmeric or turmeric products.