A testimonial on Psoriasis

September 24, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Screenshot 2014-09-24 12.04.18
This is an excellent case history on the wonderful work we are doing for all our psoriasis patients.  This particular patient had it so bad, his hands were weeping so he had to wrap them in bandages.  His fingers were so swollen he couldn’t even close his fists.  We saw him last winter –he was on prednisone the summer before, and once he finished his round of prednisone the psoriasis and joint swelling came back with a vengeance.  This is because the underlying cause of the psoriasis was not being addressed, only pushed down deeper temporarily with the prednisone.  We see this often with many conditions which get much worse once the patient goes off the prednisone.
So I had to figure out what was causing it:  the pulse diagnosis showed me a very hot liver and the hot ama visha and gar visha toxins in several of the tissues, but I had to “play detective” and figure out where the toxins were coming from.  Once we identified all the causes in his diet and daily routine, we had him stop doing those things (like drinking a half a gallon of tea a day, and skipping and delaying meals, among other problems) he began healing.
Once we changed his diet and the herbs started to kick in, we slowly started the cleansing process, making sure the whole time that the toxins we were pulling out didn’t aggravate his skin further.  He was very compliant and followed his diet and did all his spring cleanses every week.
And in no time, his skin was looking beautiful — the sores were gone, the itching of the skin and the swelling of the joints went down.
And we finally got his immune system to regain its intelligence and stop hyper-reacting.  We give these case histories to show others the good work we are capable of doing with the SVA diet, herbs and cleansing protocols.
Dr. Marianne Teitelbaum
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Why do you get sick in “ritu sandhi” – when the season shifts from Summer to Autumn?

September 18, 2014 by Leave a Comment
In the summer time we are exposed to increased “agni” – the sun’s vicinity to the earth heats up the environment along with our bodies. In response to the heat, our channels dilate and our metabolic “agneya” organs –  liver, spleen, pancreas, stomach – carry and circulate more heat.
But as summer wanes out, and temperatures drop, our channels shrink and slow down. Then the heat accumulated over the summer gets stuck in our physiology, along with all kinds of toxins that were being evacuated freely earlier.
In particular, the already hot or “agneya” organs of the body – the spleen, pancreas, stomach, liver – feel this transition, as they get less support from the environment to process toxins. Being already overheated from the Summer season, they now have to deal with shrunk channels overloaded with toxins. When the processing of nutrients slows down due to reduced environmental agni and high pitta in the physiology, accompanied with the reduced elimination of toxins, our overall transformational agni (in the tissues and organ systems) gets impacted as well, and “apar ojas” or the finest by-product of digestion which maintains our immunity, decreases, and our immunity plummets! When our body’s natural defense is compromised, it is easier for allergens, bacteria, viruses to take over and we may end up contracting the infamous seasonal flu!
Boost your Immunity
Our bodies are exposed to infectious and viral bacteria as well as toxins on an ongoing basis, and immunity is our body’s inherent ability to resist infection by the action of specific antibodies. So the key is and remains in the maintenance and support of your immunity. In Ayurveda, immunity is called “vyadhi kshamatwa” – from vyadi: disease; and kshamat: resistance.
The Charak Samhita explains that there are 3 kinds of “vyadi kshamatwa:”
  • sahaj: innate – some people are born with stronger immunity, while others are not. The point is to take steps to avoid weakening a challenged immunity during “ritu sandhi,” while you also support it and strengthen it.
  •   kaalaj: time-bound immunity indicates that one’s immunity may wear out with the passage of time, i.e., aging, and seasonal changes – even if you have strong immunity, adjusting your diet and routine to ongoing seasonal changes will help keep it stronger;
  •    yuktakrit – addressing immunity through herbs, the adjustment of diet, balanced routine, daily or seasonal detox, etc.
The shastra-s elaborate on all 3 aspects of immunity at length with particular attention on the most challenging aspect the “sahaj” or “beej guna.” Beej guna literally means a property or quality in its seed form from the Sanskrit “beej” – seed. One may be born with great immunity or have genetic predisposition towards low or poor immunity. The shastra-s explain how to support the good predisposition and to disallow poor beej guna immunity from sprouting and taking over. Yukti, or specifically tailored protocols based on individual needs, will help balance your genetic predisposition, whether it is poor or strong: it will help keep the unwanted seeds in seed form so they are not allowed to sprout; it will support a strong “beej guna” to blossom and balance mind, body, and spirit, instead of letting it lay dormant.
The impact of the “ritu sandhi” (seasonal transition) on our immunity is discussed in thecontext of “kalaaj vyadi kshamatwa” – imbalances in the body and mind that result from time bound and seasonal changes, along with specific practical “yukti”-s or protocols that can help.
So what should you do? What “yukti”-s should you follow to avoid a cold this Autumn?
 
1. Mind your channels channels channels!  If you’ve practiced some SVA, you know the importance that Vaidya Mishra and SVA attribute to the channels. These are not, as some think, just the blood vessels, they are rather the micro and macro channels throughout your body, either physical or vibrational, that carry everything from food and nutrients, toxins, energy, and more. They are the “srota”-s and the “nadi”-s. During the change of season, it is important to address these first. How? Supporting your channels is easy based on following protocols tailo
red to your body’s doshic tendencies, or tendencies towards imbalance. Mind your dosha, and balance it out through daily ayurvedic protocol and diet. See the next paragraph for specific details.
2. Be dosha-wise! One size does not fit all!
You will come across a lot of “one size fits all” recommendations, at this point in time, circulating on social media pages and elsewhere. With Ayurveda, your dosha is your body’s propensity towards a specific type of imbalance. This is the best time to make the most out of this knowledge, to help you keep things under control.
If you are primarily a pitta dosha prone to inflammation, heated emotions, over-activity, and over-the-top perfectionist to your detriment, with a voracious insatiable appetite and tendency to over-eat sweets etc, do the following: keep your channels open and cool, by doing ideally daily but if not then bi-weekly self-massage or “abhyanga” with SVA Pitta Massage oil with Magnesium.
Use Shroto Shudhi Tea and Shroto Shudhi Masala at night with dinner only.
Use Pitta Masala and Pitta Tea during the daytime.
Add Wild Alma tablets to cool off all your pitta sub-doshas and boost your immunity – 1 tablet after breakfast and 1 tablet after lunch.
Add Soma Cal capsule once a day after lunch.
 Add 2 drops of Herbal Memory Fennel drops; 2 drops of Yasad or Zinc drops; 2 drops of Coriander; 1 drop of clove.
If you are primarily a vata dosha prone to dry skin, a creative yet out-of-focus mind, a capricious appetite with an unruly daily schedule and helter-skelter life-style and sleep: 
do daily body massage with Vata oil with Magnesium and Vit D. If you don’t have time to do full body, then do at least daily your limbs – arms and legs. This will make a world of a difference!
Add Shroto Shudhi Masala and Shroto Shudhi tea to your diet for lunch and dinner
Occasionally, have a cup of  Bliss and Bliss tea to keep things warm and running.
Add Wild Amla tablets twice a day – after lunch and dinner
Add the following Herbal Memory drops: 2 drops Yasad

Yasad(Zinc)Bhasma Nectar
Yasad(Zinc)Bhasma Nectar

or Zinc, 2 drops Ashwagandha, 2 drops Calm Mind.

If you are primarily a kapha dosha with the tendency to be slow to get-up and go, slower metabolism, and tendency to be blue and low, and gain weight easily: 

Do daily abhyanga massage with Ashwagandha with Magnesium oil
Cook with Medagni Masala a
t night, but Shroto Shudhi masala during the day,
Sip Shroto Shudhi tea during the day
Add Wild Amla tablets to your diet,
Add the following Herbal Memory drops: 2 drops of Black Pepper, 2 drops of Indian Sarsaparilla, 2 drops of Yasad or Zinc.
Follow a kapha pacifying diet: avoid or minimize grains (rice, wheat, even quinoa, barley), have plenty of vegetables with every meal and some light protein – lentils (masoor, mung, ku
lthi, etc) along with a few cubes of paneer – preferably during daytime, not for dinner.
Notorious Green Protein
Nourishing Green Protein
Nurture yourself – in the summertime, we allow ourselves more “soma” food – heavier, sweeter, colder – because the environment and the season support our digestion and elimination. Delicious sweet fruits high in sugar content, cold treats, desserts, salads, etc. Now is the time to switch over to a lighter balancing diet, until the temperatures really drop fully trapping in the agni in our bodies and increasing our hunger, at which point we can start to have heavier meals again as the winter season gets closer. During “ritu sandhi” it is particularly important to eat to balance your body’s tendency towards imbalance, that is: either a vata, pitta, or kapha balancing diet. Make sure to add Vaidya’s SVA Green Protein Recipe to your diet at this point in time, with extra turmeric sautéed in ghee while preparing it.
3) Mind the Cycles of Time – life is made up of cycles, small and large, hourly, daily,weekly, monthly, yearly. When we align our activities with the cycles of nature, we get the most out of our energy and productivity, plus we get full Nature’s support at every step of the way, no matter what comes our way! A balance between rest and activity is the mantra of SVA! The best way to bring your body and mind back to a balanced routine is to gently coax it through mindful exercises such as yoga and meditation. These are sister sciences of Ayurveda that help us not only stay on track, but get more out of life – more balance, more bliss, more life!
 We wish you more of all that your heart desires – welcome Autumn!  
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Ease your way into Autumn with turmeric

September 11, 2014 by 2 Comments

 

In the SVA tradition, the channels play a central role in “ritu sandhi” – the junction between two seasons. Addressing the channels will not only make you feel better as the temperatures drop, but it will make sure you can get the most benefit out of your new seasonal diet, routine, or any herbal and spice additinos and supplements you may be introducing to stay in synch with the new season.
 In the Summer time, with the heat, our physical channels, or srota-s, get fully dilated, allowing toxins to flow out freely. As temperatures drop, channels shrink slowly but surely, giving less easy passage to toxins.
 It is important to nourish and keep the channels intelligent in the Fall, to support their health, so that when they shrink further in the winter time, we do not experience an overload of toxic build-up that will inevitably get stored.
In the Summer time, the pitta organs such as the liver, the spleen, the stomach, and pancreas accumulate more heat. The first thing to do as the seasons transition from Summer to Fall, is to cool off these organs and release their seasonally accumulated heat.
In order to ease your physiology into the autumnal detox, it is important to prep it. What are some things you can do?
1) Add turmeric to your diet: do not swallow turmeric capsules! Adding turmeric to your food is always the best way to do it.   Here is a video with Vaidya Mishra on how to use Turmeric.
2) If you’ve been slacking off on your daily body massage, now is the time to get back on track. Daily warm oil massage pacifies Vata and will help ease the transition into Autumn. With Vaidya Mishra’s unique SVA formulations you can get the benefit of transdermal turmeric. This will help the physical channels immediately as the turmeric gets absorbed seconds after application.
3) Favor less raw fruits and sweet items, to help support your immunity. Start incorporating more warm and warming food items and spice into your diet. Vaidya Mishra’s Shroto Shudhi Masala and Tea are ideal at this point in time. Shroto Shudhi Masala was

designed to support the intelligence of the channels. When combined with turmeric, you will not only keep the detox process ongoing, but you will also give a boost to your immunity. The proper use of turmeric in the diet supports the liver and its functions, and the liver is the primary detox organ. When your liver is detoxing as it should, your cellular system detox will also be optimal, then fighting against seasonal colds, the flu, or other infections becomes very easy.

 

Click to watch Vaidya Mishra’s videos on turmeric:

Screenshot 2014-09-11 11.33.46Screenshot 2014-09-11 11.33.56

Filed Under: 2014, Archives, Q & A, Videos Tagged With: ,

Testimonial on ADHD Insomnia

September 11, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Screenshot 2014-09-11 11.11.49
This case history demonstrates the wonderful work we are able to do (without pharmaceuticals!) with children who are diagnosed with ADD, ADHD, Insomnia and lack of attention and focus.  Again, as in all the other maladies we treat, we get to the root cause of the problem.  In these cases, you not only want to give herbs to balance out the neurotransmitters in the brain, herbs to balance out the brain functions and organize the brain for better focus, but you also want to address any and all gut issues.  In addition, we also teach the parents how to correctly feed their children to nourish the brain correctly.
We know the ancient doctors said Prana Vata (movement of thoughts through the mind) and Apana Vata (found in the abdominal region) go out of balance together.  That was over 5,000 years ago…and without the use of microscopes!  Now modern medicine in fact describes what is called the “Gut/Brain Axis”.  They say that most of the neurotransmitters that affect the brain function are actually made in the gut.  So when dealing with any issue of hyperactivity, depression, lack of focus, fears, anxiety, etc., one must look at both the gut and brain in order to have success in treating these conditions.
Unfortunately, the over-zealous use of pharmaceuticals in the early formative years disturbs the normal growth of not only the friendly bacteria in the gut, but the lining of the gut and the enzyme system as well, which is why there is an epidemic of not only ADD and ADHD, but food allergies, sensitivities and digestive disturbances in most of the children we see in our practice.
These issues are relatively easy to fix, so it is a good idea to address them as soon as possible.  Once children go into the teen years with these imbalances, the problems can blossom further, if left unattended, into more serious issues of depression and lack of zest for life, anger, aggression and suicidal tendencies.  Pharmaceuticals only exacerbate these issues.
And if the imbalances continue into the 30’s, 40’s and older, the immune system can become so imbalanced, the patient runs the risk of auto-immune problems such as Lupus, MS, Fibromyalgia and so on.
So remember, it is always easiest to fix these issues earlier rather than later.  If your child has had the full vaccination schedule and/or has ever taken some antibiotics, chances are high that these gut/brain issues need to be addressed now.   The parents we see in our practice are so happy they were able to fix their child’s ADD, ADHD and insomnia without the use of the strong and sometimes dangerous pharmaceuticals which only cover up the symptom.  They are elated we know how to address the root cause and actually fix the problem.
Dr. Marianne Teitelbaum
856-786-3330
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SVA Summer hair tips

September 4, 2014 by 2 Comments
At the end of summer, the increased and accumulated heat in the environment and our bodies maintains our channels wide open and our physiology gets to release a lot of fat soluble toxins  through sweat as well as the scalp. This is a desirable natural detox, but most of the time, the toxins that are evacuated can be very irritating for the hair follicles, resulting in oily scalp or pimples, or too much dryness and flakes. It is always good to drink lots of water to help flush out the toxins, but here are some SVA  recommendations to help you balance things out and repair the side effects of the toxins locally.
If your scalp is dry and flaky: give yourself time to do a hair oil massage twice a week with the SVA HerbRich Hair oil. Warm the oil in your sink, apply, massage in with your finger tips, leave on for 20 minutes then wash off with HerbRich shampoo and rinse with the HerbRich conditioner. Do this protocol twice a week.
If your scalp is oily and itchy:  give yourself time to do a hair oil massage twice a week with the SVA Aloe with Vit D Hair oil. Warm the oil in your sink, apply, massage in with your finger tips, leave on for 20 minutes then wash off with HerbRich shampoo and rinse with the HerbRich conditioner. Do this protocol twice a week.
Otherwise: make sure you add a lot of leafy greens to your diet to help detoxify and nourish the hair follicles.
Make sure you consume Morinaga leaves in one form or another: either as a tea, as the moringa soup mix, or a nectar drop (www.chandika.com). Traditionally, in India Moringa is known to be very nourishing for the scalp and hair.
Summer time is the time to feast on coconut! Fresh is always the best! Here are some recipes from your SVA Kitchen
www.youtube.com/svahealth
In South India, coconut is the number one food item for lustrous hair and healthy follicles.
Incorporate Bhring Raj nectar drops in your diet. The plant Bhring Raj is also known as “kesh raj” – the king of hair! It is famous for nurturing and supporting the hair.
Finally, you can use Vaidya’s SVA Lustrous Hair capsules that contain Bhring Raj along with other ayurvedic herbs in a balanced synergy.
Filed Under: 2014, Archives, Health & Nutrition, Knowledge, Q & A Tagged With: , , , , ,

An e-mail about food combining in SVAyurveda

September 4, 2014 by 3 Comments
Patricia
“In Newsletter, No 34, Volume 4, the Quinoa Summer Salad recipe reminds us not to combine yogurt with fruits.
I have grown up combining those two all the time and do not quite understand why this is bad for the body.
Would this mean that Mango Lassi is bad for you as well?
My normal breakfast is to eat 1 cooked apple with a few dried apricots and prunes first, followed immediately by cooked
whole buckwheat (to which I’d added some sunflower seeds, green pumpkin seeds, dried goji berries, dried mulberries,
your Madhur Masala, kelp granules, turmeric and ghee). Is this all wrong?
What are some easy food combining rules for Ayurvedic newcomers like me?
And what are the definite no-no’s?
Thanks for any answer you can provide.
Have a nice day,
Patricia”
Vaidya replies:
We have written article on food combining please refer to this article as well:  http://blog.vaidyamishra.com/blog/knowledge/indigestion-due-eating-mutually-contradictory-food-items/
Dear Patricia: there is a very concrete reason why Ayurveda recommends we do not  combine fruits and yogurt. Ayurveda categorizes edible items in many more ways than western nutrition, because it identifies many more “guna”-s or properties that characterize each edible item. Each property has a very specific effect on the physiology, whether beneficial or imbalancing. In this sense, Ayurveda is much more careful in combining different food items, because many items may carry mutually contradictory properties, or together carry properties that can bring about a greater imbalance. The question you raise about fruits and yoghurts is perfect in this context.
In many culinary traditions, whether american or even some parts of India, the combination of fruits and yoghurt is celebrated in delicious recipes: fruit and yoghurt in different flavors on supermarket shelves, and otherwise the delicious mango lassi sold at almost 99% of indian restaurants! So why does Ayurveda say not to mix yoghurt and fruits? Because both are considered “guru guna” or “heavy” – heavy not in terms of fat content as we understand it in western nutritional terms but heavy in terms of the load it puts on “pachak pitta” or the digestive fire in the stomach. How?
Yoghurt and fruit are considered highly “soma”-genic, and when something is high in content of “soma” it takes more digestive fire to break it down. If it is not broken down properly then it will make semi-digested material known as “ama.” In Ayurveda, “ama” is the root cause of all diseases when it is left unaddressed. When you make “ama” after a meal you will feel heavy, sluggish. But if you don’t do anything about it and let it stay in your physiology, like trash that you allow to sit in your kitchen dispenser that gets to rot and turn acidic, then “ama” turns into “amavisha” and this kind of toxin is virulent, it can clog your channels, and cause stiffness, inflammation in the joints and the muscles. It is what we identify as “free radicals” here in the west, that is the root cause of many inflammatory conditions.
Some people may have the great metabolic capacity to digest fruit and yoghurt together, but most don’t, and most will make “ama” or toxins out of it. Best to steer clear of mango lassi and yoghurt shakes with fruits. If you want to sweeten your yoghurt, it is best to add some raw honey and a pinch of nutmeg!
Regarding your breakfast, number one: any seeds should be soaked overnight; then I advise you to sauté the ghee, turmeric and Madhur Masala. Melt your ghee then add the spices before adding to your other ingredients. Why?
When seeds are soaked, they are easier on the digestive system; also warming and sautéing turmeric and Madhur Masala toasted in ghee this will support your digestive fire instead of adding more load/work on it, and actually be therapeutic. You see, whatever you do not cook outside your stomach needs to be cooked inside, which means more work/load on the digestive system. In Ayurveda, it is always recommended to keep things flowing and going smooth and easy on the digestive system, because as I said, if your digestive fire is compromised in any way, it will semi-cook/digest food and make “ama” and that is the beginning of dis-ease.
If you amend these things for your breakfast, it actually is a very  good breakfast to have!
Filed Under: 2014, Archives, Health & Nutrition, Knowledge, Q & A Tagged With: ,

A few doubts on oral hygiene for kids, copper vessels, thai tamarind and more…

September 4, 2014 by 4 Comments
Pinky
Dear Vaidya,
Please help me with few of my doubts as follows:
1)How to care for Oral Hygiene in small kids?
Vaidya: “I am in the process of formulating a full line of oral care products for children. Please look for the launch on www.chandika.com and through our newsletter. In general, however, avoid feeding them white sugar, candy, bleached flour, foods with additives. Teach them to rinse their mouths with fresh water after each meal and before sleep to help remove food residues.”
2)Is it safe to use cooper vessels for storing,cooking,drinking?
Vaidya: “No it is not. In SVA we do not recommend using any copper items. This was acceptable decades ago, but nowadays, due to acidic nature of the water available to us, copper develops a layer when it comes in contact with acidic water that you can actually see as a greenish layer/residue forming on the surface of the copper. This is copper sulfate, a highly toxic chemical when ingested. I recommend you do not use copper for anything in your home.”
3)I have always heard Tamarind is acidic but is it not the case with Thai Tamarind and what about using Kokam as a substitute for Tamarind?
Vaidya: “There are 2 kinds of tamarind, the sour and then he sweet one. Nowadays it is easy to buy fresh sweet thai tamarind. This is very good for health, it supports metabolism and elimination. For kokam, many parts of the plant are sold. Try to find and use on the white flower part in order to flavor your meals with its distinct tangy taste. All the other parts are no desirable. “
4)I usually have dinner early at work at around 18:00 by the time I am home 21:00/22:00 I am hungry and end ip eating biscuits or chikki I know it is not healthy to eat late is there any thing which I can eat and easily digestible?
Vaidya: “Make home-made almond milk – peel off the skin of soaked almonds (soak overnight in cool water or 1 hour in hot water) blend by adding some water and filter out the fibre. Make 6 oz. of almond milk. This will be a very nourishing thing to have before bedtime. Otherwise, if you are more hungry, make a light (thin) kicheri with mung dahl, a little quinoa, and you can peel and thrown in one zucchini squash. Boil everything and then finish off by sautéing some Mum’s Masala in some ghee and adding on, and then add a squirt of lime. Light and nourishing before bedtime. “
5)How is Peanut Prabhava in human body?
Vaidya: “Peanut has a very undesirable “prabhava” or subtle post-digestive effect. Long-term usage creates inflammation, irritation, and channel-blocking. It is considered a “tamasic” food in Ayurveda – it does not support an individual’s progress towards greater happiness and bliss.”
6) Difference between amla and wild amla. How to select amla one which are big or small?
Vaidya: “Wild alma is the generic amla fruit as described in the shastras or ayurvedic texts.  Non-wild alma is the genetically modified and hybridized version mass produced for consumption. The larger ones are not wild, they are the hybridized version that carry more pulp and less fibre for greater yield. The wild version has less yield and more fibre, but it is the best one to have. In SVA we do not use the generic amla fruit because it does not carry the great properties that the shastras describe it to have.”
7)Best time to drink milk?
Vaidya: “Best time to drink milk is at night before sleep, or in the morning for breakfast – make sure not to mix it with any other items. It should be a stand-alone item. I suggest you boil your milk with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, black pepper. This will make it easier on digestion.
For one glass of milk add:
1 small stick of cinnamon,
4 crushed green cardamom pods,
2 thin slices of ginger,
6 crushed black peppercorns.
 Boil and filter, cool off to room temperature and consume. “
8)My 2.5 years son does poo every alternate days is it a concern?
Vaidya: “Yes, it could be, not a big one, but it is best to correct. I suggest you give him more cooked  veggies. Specially zucchini squash. Conceal/mix it in his food as a puree along with other vegetables (carrots or even apple puree) in case he does not like the flavor.”
9)Better sweetener Jaggery or brown sugar?
Vaidya: “Both are equally good but only if they are both organic!”
Thank you,
Pinky
Filed Under: 2014, Archives, Health & Nutrition, Knowledge, Q & A Tagged With: , , , , ,

An e-mail about paneer and raw milk…

September 4, 2014 by 1 Comment
“Hi,I made paneer for the first time ever today. It didn’t seem to curdle in a large enough clump. Is there a recipe for how much milk to boil and how much lime juice to use?
Also, wondering about using organic raw milk, with any of the natural cow hormones, since I had estrogen-positive breast cancer five years ago and need to be careful about hormone intake.
Thank you for any help you can give. Laura”
—
Vaidya replies:
“Dear Laura: in general, raw milk will not contain any hormones that will imbalance your physiology unless the cow herders are injecting the cows with substances to increase the production of their milk. However, milk is considered estrogenic, but how your body responds to it also depends on the current state of your physiology. I would suggest you test things out on your end with hormonal panel tests and see how you are doing when consuming it. If you are consuming the raw milk in the form or paneer and/or yoghurt, then the estrogenic content is less of an issue. However, if you are looking to consume the milk as a drink, I suggest you boil the raw milk with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, black pepper. This may balance out the estrogenic effect of the milk
For one glass of raw milk add:
1 small stick of cinnamon,
4 crushed green cardamom pods,
2 thin slices of ginger,
6 crushed black peppercorns.
 Boil and filter, cool off to room temperature and consume.
In general, raw milk does not and should not contain any additives and the cows it comes from should have been treated more humanely than not. But it does not hurt to check with the providers to make sure they are not injecting additional hormones into the cows as well.
As for making fresh paneer with 1 gallon of raw milk, bring to a boil and then lower the heat, squeeze in 2 oz of lime juice and boil for another 3-5 minutes until it curdles. At this point, your milk should curdle into big clumps of paneer surrounded by a clear yellow water – whey water. Filter the mixture by pouring into a cheese cloth. Tie it up and strain it so when it dries you can slice or cube it. Keep in your refrigerator – it is good to consume for up to 5 days.”
Filed Under: 2014, Archives, Health & Nutrition, Knowledge, Q & A, Recipes, Snacks / Appetizers Tagged With: , , , , , ,

A question about hair loss…

September 4, 2014 by 1 Comment
Neha
“Sir,
I have too much hair fall and an unhealthy scalp ever since I shifted to Dubai after marriage. White deposits on my scalp don’t go with any dandruff shampoo and hair fall out in bunches now whenever I do head wash. Please suggest some remedy.
Thanks”
Vaidya Replies: 
Dear Neha: your condition may depend on many different factors, and in Ayurveda, once you identify the root cause, then you can correct things fully. Having a an ayurvedic assessment is usually the first step towards identifying the root cause of any imbalance. You can have an ayurvedic assessment over the phone with SVA expert Dr. Marianne Teitelbaum in New Jersey: 1.856.786.3300). However, here are also some suggestions that may help improves things.
First thing: try to follow the SVA diet. If you are not familiar with this, you can email us and we will give you more details, but here are the basic guidelines:
avoid nightshade vegetables (tomato, potato, eggplant, bell pepper) – these increase inflammation and clog the channels. It is ok to have them once in a blue moon, but not on a daily regular basis. Replace tomato as a base sauce for your cooking with fresh thai tamarind.
Avoid left-overs: try not to consume anything after 4 hours of its being cooked. Do not eat leftovers from the previous day by reheating etc. Left-over food is inflammatory and generates free radicals.
Try to reduce/eliminate: coffee, vinegar, or other acidic ingredients. Favor lime over lemon.
Reduce/eliminate: onion/garlic – these contain a lot of sulfur and will not help in pitta imbalanced conditions such as hair-loss.
reduce eliminate soy and soy bi-products – tofu, soy sauce, etc
Hair fall is connected to stress. If you have a stressful daily life, try to correct things by incorporating some gentle breathing yogic techniques, or meditation. Yoga always helps.
Try to get at least 7 1/2 to 8 hours of sleep at night, ideally from 9:45pm to 5:45am.
Topically, there are a few things you can do to help support the skin on the scalp, balance it, so it nourishes the hair follicles and shafts. Every other day: apply the SVA HerbRich Hair oil. Warm the bottle in your sink, apply a few drops on the scalp, gently massage in with the tips of your fingers. Make sure you cover the entire scalp. Cover your head and rest for 20 minutes. Then wash off with SVA HerbRich Shampoo. Dry and style your hair then finish off with the Actifoll Plus scalp spray. After applying the Actifoll spray, expose your scalp to 10 minutes of sunlight to help support the regrowth of new hair and keep the existing hair healthy and in place.
The HerbRich Scalp oil (you can read up more on this on www.chandika.com)  will lubricate the scalp, nourishing and nurturing it, and removing any dryness that can cause starving and flaking of the hair follicles.
The HerbRich Shampoo has so many ayurvedic herbs put together in a synergy, so they support each other’s properties and work together to nurture, nourish, and balance the scalp, as they clean it of unwanted toxic residues. It allows the healthy friendly bacteria environment of the skin on your scalp to thrive – normal shampoos just deplete it. You can read about the ingredients on www.chandika.com.
The Actifoll Plus formula contains an herb called Psoralea corylifolia which carries the unique property of attracting and using up UV light that the scalp and follicles are exposed to; this helps activate the hair follicles so they are not dormant and new hair sprouts. In addition, this formula contains Gymnema Sylvestra, an ayurvedic plant that is used in many ways in my SVA lineage with great results. It will help with the flake residues of your scalp.
Use the Actifoll Plus every other day for a month. Let us know your results.
In general, please note that hair loss can be caused due to external and/or internal factors. Externally, you can make sure the water you are washing your hair in is of good quality, with a balanced pH. Otherwise, since you indicate that you moved to Dubai after marriage, you may want to minimize changes in your diet and lifestyle that you have recently adopted that may be causing imbalances in your physiology. Internally, hair loss is connected to toxins that get evacuated through the scalp and carry hair follicles with them as they exit through the skin of the scalp, so you want to make sure you minimize toxin intake through diet as well. Hope this helps.
Filed Under: 2014, Archives, Health & Nutrition, Knowledge, Q & A Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Month One- Live lecture with Vaidya

August 28, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Dear course participant: these are the notes from Vaidya Mishra’s first live lecture for the Pulse and Marma course. They are not a detailed transcription of his talk. These notes are meant to give you the highlights of his talk and guide you through it. In addition, in these notes you will find the new Sanskrit sutras he discussed, along with word-by-word translation and transliteration. The full talk recording is posted on the forum for you to listen to at your leisure.

Here are some highlights from Vaidya Mishra’s first live lecture

Ayurveda is an upanga: a branch from the Veda-s
When we read the pulse we are scanning the “ flow of creative energy”: how does it flow? Where is the imbalance? Which organs and systems are involved?
Marma: is a junction point of nadi-s, carrying three components that make up the cosmos:
Soma+Agni+Marut<—> connected to the “light of the soul”<—> origin of creation /universe
Remember:
Marmas and pulse both deal with the nadi-s and the flow of prana

TMS is an integral modality that involves : 1. TOUCH 2. MARMA 3. SOUND/ SPACE 4. HERB 5. AROMA
As discussed in your notes from chapter one, Ayurveda is a siddhant: Siddha antana yastahu: siddhanta —that which has proven end- there have been “no recalls” in Ayurveda for the past several thousand years!


Sarvada- at all times, ever, forever
Sarva-each, every
Bhavanam- emotion, sentiment, spirit, appearance, temperament
Samanyam- common, normal
Vriddhi- growth, increase
Karanam- cause
Hrasa- decline, loss, deterioration, decrease
Hetur- reason, purpose, reason for
Visheshcha- special, peculiar
Pravritti- behaviour, tendency, prevalence
Ubhyasya- of both kinds, of both manners
Tu- and
Always and in all circumstances when 2 equal qualities (vibration material) or physical material are put together, that quality/material increases
—The space element gives intelligence to the cellular system
— Sound is manifested aspect of the space element
What is Prana? It is expressed on the cosmic and individual levels:
Light of the soul on the cosmic level :: paramatma
Light of the soul on the individual level :: jivatma

  • TMS enhances pranic flow and reception
  •  “synthetic” prana disrupts the nadi-s
  • Pure knowledge: siddhanta
  • “Satya sampurn gyan”  truthful total knowledge based on siddhantas

Medicine vs Ayurveda vs SV Ayurveda
first hetu then symptom
Health
samadoshaha                                                                samagnishcha             samadhatu           malah kriyaha

13 total “fires” or “ centers of powers of transformation”
1 jataragni  (also pachakagni) in the stomach
bhutagni- 5 fires in the liver
7 metabolic fires in the tissues called dhatwagni
PLUS: wherever there is pitta, there is agni or fire- pitta is the fuel for agni, the flame, so wherever there is fire, there should be fuel for the fire to burn- for example:
dehagni (cellular)
alochak agni- in the eyes
sadhakagni- metabolic fire to digest thoughts and emotions in the heart
bhrajakagni- metabolic principle/intelligence in the skin that helps absorb that which is good and protect that which is not desirable for absorption

“prashanatmendriya  manah swasthamitya abidhiyate:” coordination between senses and the mind

Filed Under: 2014, Archives, Courses and Workshops, Knowledge Tagged With: , , , , ,
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