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: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Japanese Yam Puree

August 15, 2014 by 3 Comments
Here’s a delicious easy recipe that combines sweet, astringent, sour, spicy, salty, and pungent – if you add the optional ingredients. A great summer treat to keep your senses sharp and your tummy happy! This recipe makes enough for 2 people or can be a side-dish or appetizer for 4 people

  

Choose one medium sized yam

Peel and cube and boil until soft

Mash into puree

Add 3/4 tsp Mum’s Masala

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp Soma Salt

Fresh chopped green Thai Chilies (optional)

1 oz ginger juice  (optional)

1 tablespoon Olive oil

 

1 lime juice

Mix well
Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro leaves
add a few drops of olive on top as a final touch (optional)
Enjoy with some bread or as a side dish with quinoa and other vegetables.
Filed Under: 2014, Archives, Health & Nutrition, Knowledge, Recipes, Snacks / Appetizers Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Summer Days with Vaidya

August 15, 2014 by Leave a Comment

By Bonita Carol

August 5 2014

Last week I was fortunate to have spent some quality time with Vaidya and Malvika. I had been feeling under the weather for a few months and needed to get my Ayurvedic batteries recharged.   I knew in my heart that there is no better way to do this than be with the source of Ayurvedic knowledge, my teacher, friend, and healer and to surround myself with nourishing open hearted people like Malvika. I also wanted to learn more and refine my skills as a SVA Educator. What was intended to just be a few days turned into a full week, just enough to detox and restore me back to health and engage my curiosity.

Confessions of confections. This past year I developed some dietary habits that contributed to UTI, fatigue, and unnatural menopause symptoms. I moved to Berkeley California a few months prior and became addicted to Arizmendi Bakery on Shattuck Ave. eating their morning buttery scones filled with warm and melty chocolate pieces and drank it often with coffee. I have never been a coffee drinker, but my fatigue led me to it. I was also trying out all the new cafes and eating out a lot. In addition, a friend from Italy had gotten me into a Gelato craze. I basically ate everything that I was not used to eating. I had gotten lazy and bored with my Ayurvedic diet. I was taking my good health for granted. All this sugar was starting to harm my health.

  I had no idea of what to expect as I was approaching the Prana Center. It’s been my past experience (over 15 years) with working with Vaidya and Malvika that every moment is spontaneous and plans have a way of changing from hour to hour mostly because they are very generously taking care of so many people’s health, creating new products, and managing the Prana Center. So I went without expectation and an open mind. What I received was more than I imagined.

Aromatherapy: Upon arriving, the Prana Center was literally buzzing with the sound of  spices and herbs being ground. The smell of fresh aromatic cardamom filled the air. Then came the odor of sweet ground coriander, pungent clove, and cumin one by one. Vaidya said they make a new batch of Mum’s masala every two weeks so the flavors and benefits are maximum. Blanca offered me a cup of their newest tea, called Bliss and BlissTea. And after my 6 ½ hour drive from Berkeley, I started to revive.

Rare herbs: I did not realize that Vaidya has over 250 single herbs on hand, including some rare and very difficult to find herbs that were painstakingly difficult to find and were researched for authenticity by his son Raj who now lives in India. They don’t go through any middlemen and deal directly with the growers to avoid any scam. Vaidya said he must have all of these herbs in order to make his special formulas. He does not accept any herb that is partial, old, or in question. There are absolutely no

compromises on the quality of the products that he formulates. He is very strict about this. Each ingredient has certain requirements and standards. They must have maximum prana, which means they are fresh and free from chemicals and pesticides. And of course, it has to be the correct herb. There are so many artificial and similar herbs that are not actually the correct herb. For example, Ashoka. There are many types of Ashoka. The Ashoka he had received on the day I arrived was from a pure source. That is why the products when used properly, have such health transforming affects. And that is why the products are also more costly.

I also learned that the herbal formulas, in particular the herbal memory nectars work better when you follow the SVA diet. If you are going to eat junk food and take the nectars, then it’s not going to be as effective. You can’t just take herbs. You have to do the whole program. By the way, Vaidya took my pulse and then looked right at me and said, “No more eating out”. Of course I had not confessed my sins to him, but the pulse never lies….

Yummy Food: Vaidya and Malvika would not let me eat out and there was no kitchen for me to cook as I was staying at a hotel. So, they fed me.   And they fed me good. Each day they generously shared the most delicious and heavenly food. Malvika and Vaidya cook their meals consisting of rice cooked with whole cardamom pods, dahl sprinkled with lime juice, and a variety of succulent healing vegetables such as green papaya with Loki sauteed with mum’s ghee, curry leaves, a variety of spices including their new Garcinia masalas, nagaimo (which really tastes like potato minus the starch!), roti, bitter melon, paneer cubes toasted in mum’s ghee and mum’s masala and one day she made fresh moringa leaves. The dahl always had a new and distinct flavor that was crafted and created in their kitchen with divine assistance.   Most of all there was a whole lot of love in the food. I felt I was in heaven eating such an abundance of delicious food that was healthy, nourishing, and detoxifying as well. After one week of eating Malvika’s food, my UTI disappeared and that was without taking herbs and of course no sugar.  My eyes looked clearer and I started to feel energetic. What they reminded me of is that eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring. Now, it’s a week since I have been home and cooking all the dishes she showed me.  There are so many spice combinations that make a big difference and variety of dishes. This food is life changing.

Bad Vibes Be Gone: One issue that I have is that I do not do well sleeping in hotel rooms. And I was even considering not coming to visit Vaidya and Malvika because I would have to stay in one. I think Vaidya must have read my mind because on that first day, I was introduced to his product called Tribindu. It is an ancient blend of essential oils that contain the highest quality camphor, ajwain, peppermint, and tulsi oil with a spray top. You spray it all over the hotel room and under the furniture. I could not believe it; all the odd hotel vibes just went away and I felt the room was transformed. It’s also good as a mosquito repellent. As a de-decongestant if you feel you are coming down with a cold or have an itchy throat. And so many other things! I will never travel without Tribindu again.

Darshan: The highlight of my trip was receiving darshan from the SVA lineage. I had never been in Vaidya’s office. The feeling in that room was really heavenly, like there were angels in the room. Not to sound corny, but it’s true. The room has bookshelves filled with books on health and Vedic literature. He started to tell some stories from when he was with Maharishi, how he read a passage to him, from the Charaka Samhita about how drinking hot water 24/7 is not good for people who suffer from hemorrhaging, menses, and seizures. He said he was reading it from his Grandfather’s copy of the Charak. I asked him if he still had a copy of his Grandfather’s book. And yes, in fact he did. He pulled out a very old book written in Sanskrit. Below is a photo of us getting the blessing from his Grandad’s copy of the Charaka Samhita. Also pictured is Daria, who is helping Vaidya organize the Pulse and Marma E-course that currently has more than 90 participants. It was lovely to meet her.

End of trip: as all goods things have to come to an end, I had to pick up my things and head back home. But I did not leave before purchasing a whole bunch of SVA products for my daughter and myself. Unique ayurvedic formulations like Vitamin D and Vitamin B-12 that are applied trans-dermally, not taken orally, for maximal efficiency and safety, to help bypass the liver and other organs that we usually tend to tax due to bad diet and stress. I also made sure to get some of the newest cooking masalas or spice blends with Garcinia cambogia, and of course, Ashoka Transdermal, Ashoka memory nectar, and a few more nectars. Vaidya put me on a new protocol and I am not only feeling happier but I am more energized. I did not get to purchase their Sweet Orange and Mango chutney that bursts with amazing flavor – it’s their best-seller and always runs out! I will get that on my next trip. Thank you Vaidya and Malvika for the much needed love and healing.

Filed Under: 2014, Archives, Health & Nutrition, Knowledge Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Cooling Summer Dahl with Toru and Lime Leaf

July 31, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Be transported and soothed by this delicious recipe with Toru (this is an Indian  squash, very cooling, that has deep dark green ridges on the outside and a soft white inside) and the refreshing hints of lime leaf. It is a great summer-evening dinner dahl to cool off pitta and nurture you with easy-to-digest protein. It will take you 10 minutes to prepare!

You will need:

  • 1 tbsp. ghee (or grapeseed oil)
  • ½ tsp. turmeric
  • 4 crushed green cardamoms
  • ¼ tsp. soma salt
  • 2 green chilies (optional)
  • Toru 1 large or 2 medium sized
  • 1/3 cup mung dahl (to serve for 2 people)
  • 5-6 fresh lime leaves (available at Asian grocery stores)

Prep:

Peel and slice the Toru into thin small pieces.

 Melt/warm the oil in your pot, then add the turmeric, cardamom pods (and chilies if you are using them), and toast for a 30 seconds or so.

Now add the Toru and keep toasting medium heat for a couple more minutes.

  Add your rinsed yellow mung dahl

Toast for five more minutes until your dahl turn a golden color

Add 3 cups (32 oz.) of water – you can add more water to dilute the consistency

Cover and cook on low heat for 10-15 minutes

When your dahl “melts” into a creamy consistency and your Toru is soft and cooked, add 6 lime leaves and cover for 5 minutes. Serve with a side of rice, quinoa, or flatbreads and enjoy!

Filed Under: 2014, Archives, Health & Nutrition, Knowledge, Main Meals, Recipes Tagged With: , , ,

Sweet Summer Juice Blend

July 10, 2014 by 5 Comments
It’s too tempting not to have a drink, or two specially in the hot days of summer! How long can you steer clear of the sweet, juicy, refreshing experience of a smoothy or a juice blend?  But you have to beware. Smoothies and juices can dilute your digestive agni within minutes, giving you the feeling of satiation but causing long-term harm. In addition,  protein powders and/or other minerals and vitamins also add an additional layer of complication. You may not feel the effects right away, but such mixtures are not ayurvedically ideal to keep a happy digestive balance. But we all could do with a glass or two of sweet summer drinks, so here is a balanced recipe that will keep all your doshas in check, rehydrate you, and soothe your heart and mind.

This recipe will make about 25-30 fluid ounces
  • 1 red apple
  • 1 green apple
  • 1 pear
  • 2-3 carrot sticks
  • 1 orange
  • 1 lime
  • 3-5 celery sticks
  • a good handful of fresh cilantro leaves
  • 2-3 chunks of fresh ginger (thumb-size)

variation: you can also replace one apple with some grapes, or blueberries if you like. However, economically speaking, such fruits are always better just eaten as is, as they tend to be a little more expensive than apples and pears, and you will need larger amounts to yield juice. If your juicer is powerful enough, you can just slice/dice your apples and orange/lime and throw into your juicer.

This recipe will pacify your pitta through the sweet juicy fruits, but keep vata and kapha in check with the lime and the ginger. You can reduce the amount of ginger if you tend to have high pitta, but must keep some to keep your agni ignited so it can digest the juice. The celery will help further alkalize and balance the sweetness of the blend. If you are sensitive to sugar, or are avoiding sugar in general, you can avoid the carrots. This drink will rehydrate, soothe, and even detox some through the cilantro. It is a perfect summer juice blend.

Filed Under: 2014, Archives, Desserts, Health & Nutrition, Knowledge, Recipes, Snacks / Appetizers Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

SVA Summer care tips

July 10, 2014 by 1 Comment
Summer is splendid – beautiful long sunny days out at the beach or in the woods as Nature displays its full glory in fruits, flowers, and vegetables. Don’t let the heat take you down. It is easy to keep yourself cool and calm with these simple tips and recommendations from the Carak Samhita Sutrasthana (verses 27-32): add sweet, cool, liquid, and unctuous foods and drinks – steer clear from salty, spicy, dry, and drying foods. Personal care, daily routine, sensory stimulation, exercise, and environment all need to be appropriately adjusted so that the body is given the opportunity to absorb the maximum cooling effect of Soma necessary to balance excess heat. Here are some SVA tips from Vaidya’s summer booklet  to keep your body cool and your mind and heart full of bliss this summer.

  • Eat more sweet juicy fruits. Somagenic fruits and vegetables like summer squashes, louki, cilantro, parsley, mint, greens, apples, pears, plums, peaches, apricots, grapes, blueberries, figs. Juicy fruits will rehydrate and nourish you in the heat.

  • Drink coconut water from a mature coconut, NOT the young green ones that abound in the stores and are popular. The young ones have a lot of Soma and can be clogging and heavy even though they taste good! The mature ones are more balanced in their ratio of Soma and Agni and will rehydrate and cool you without clogging or imbalancing your agni.
  • Wear sunglasses when going out in the sun to protect your eyes and the pitta subdosha that governs the eyes – alochak pitta. When one pitta subdosha goes off, the others will follow suit, so it is best to take measures to keep all cool and balanced.

 

 

 

 

  • Drink cool (not ice cold) spring water with a balanced pH to help replenish the evaporated moisture from the body. You can also add additional coolness by adding a drop or two of SVA Rose Nectar, Jasmine Nectar, or Sandalwood Nectar. If you more rehydration, don’t reach out for the commercial soft drinks, make your own best rehydration drink: squeeze a lime or two, add 1-2 teaspoons of raw sugar, add a pinch of Soma Salt, and 2-3 leaves of fresh mint. Carry with you in a thermos and enjoy throughout the day!

 

 

  • Sleep in air cooled apartment. In ancient days in India, people hung vetiver mats on their windows and plastered their walls with clay. The cooling property of vetiver and clay converts the hot air in the environment into cool air and circulates the cool air inside the apartment. In order to absorb more Soma, sleep outdoors in the moonlight, if possible. Position your head in the direction that receives more breeze.

 

 

  • Pearls carry a lot of lunar vibration and wearing them helps relieve heat from the body.

 

 

  • Use sandalwood and vetiver essential oil aroma. Surround yourself with flowers! Or take a stroll in a flower garden to ward off emotional and mental  heat! Walk in the moonlight, in the woods, or close to large bodies of water.

 

 

  • Apply Aloe-sandalwood lotion, garden of soma massage oil, or coconut oil all over the body. Avoid hot massage and prefer a “cool hand” massage. Bathe in sandalwood water or use Sandalwood or Vetiver soap in the shower.

 

  • During the summer season, do only mild physical exercise and avoid strenuous workouts. Walking next to a body of water or in a park is recommended. Swimming is always a good option. Yoga is good for all seasons – not hot yoga, or intense yoga, gentle, soothing, calming yoga.

 

 

  • Avoid foods rich in sour, salty, and pungent taste, these are heating to the body. Favor unctuous soothing snacks – fruits – over salty snacks. Make sure to have a glass of yoghurt drink (20% yoghurt with 80% water, add a pinch of Mum’s Masala or toasted cumin seeds) with your lunch.

  • Avoid staying up past 10 pm – specially in the summer time, when pitta goes off even more easily. Agni time of the day is from 10am-2pm in the morning and 10pm-2am in the evening. Staying up late into the night increases the  agni quality in the body and should especially be avoided in the summer.Your mornings will be very blissful if you can adopt a 9:30pm to 5:30am sleeping and rising routine.
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