Karela Tapenade Recipe plus: Dr T on Why Karela is So Good For You; Gymnema Brew for Sugar Metabolism; and more! – Vaidya Mishra’s Newsletter #3, Vol 8, Jan 25, 2018

 
In this issue:
  • Karela: why it’s so good for you – with Dr. Teitelbaum
  • Karela Tapenade Recipe: quick, healthy, and delicious!
  • Memorial Weekend for Vaidya Mishra
  • Karela Soup, Gymnema Brew, Sugar-free Stevia Sweeteners with Cardamom, Rose, or Cinnamon, on sale this week at: www.chandika.com

Wintertime is NOT a good time to diet or detox, unlike what we are led to believe, specially so after the holidays! So what do you do if you did eat too much and feel you want a little help boosting your metabolic fire and curbing your appetite? Vaidya gave us plenty of knowlege, but also effective, and delicious  unique formulations and recipes: Gymnema Brew, Karela Soup, sugar-free sweeteners, and more! Vaidya’s book on sugar and fat metabolism contains a wealth of information for all. Browse all on www.chandika.com


Why is Karela, aka Bitter Gourd or Bitter Melon, so good for you? 
A SVA perspective backed by Science 
One thing that’s especially rewarding for me is how we can now use our modern research methods to verify ancient Ayurvedic wisdom.  

 

This is especially true when it comes to identifying the actions of this unique vegetable, bitter gourd, which can be used as a food or medicine.

 

Bitter gourd has a reputation as being perhaps the best vegetable for treating Type 2 diabetes.  Now we know that it contains three active substances which can lower blood sugar:  charantin, vicine and an insulin-like compound known as polypeptide-p.

 

And check this out:  science defines “Charantin” as “a chemical substance obtained from the Asian bitter melon (Momordica charantia), reputed to be responsible for the hypoglycemic properties of those plants. It was identified by Lolitkar and Rao in 1960.” This was amazing to me that a word was created based on an active ingredient found in bitter melon!

 

Bitter melon also contains a lectin that reduces blood sugar by suppressing appetite, much like the effects of insulin in the brain. It is this lectin that is thought to be a major factor behind the blood sugar lowering effect which occurs after consuming it.

 

Sidenote:  A Little Bit About Lectins
Lectins are sugar-binding plant proteins that attach to cell membranes. They are found in most plant foods and are proinflammatory, immunotoxic, neurotoxic and cytotoxic. Some lectins may also increase the thickness of the blood and can interfere with gene expression and disrupt endocrine function. And they can contribute to leaky gut by binding to receptor sites on your intestinal cell walls, interfering with the absorption of nutrients from the intestines into the blood stream. Lectins are strongly associated with autoimmune disorders. They can even mimic proteins in your thyroid gland or joint spaces, causing your body to attack your thyroid and contribute to rheumatoid arthritis.  This occurs as they penetrate the gut wall, eliciting very strong immune responses. 

 

Wait – what?  Does this mean that vegetables are bad for you?  Well, Vaidya Mishra once told me this:  “The ancient rishis stated that all vegetables contain compounds that are bad for you – but if you cook them they would evaporate out, making them good for you.”

 

As usual, modern medicine is proving this quote correct. These nasty little lectins are found throughout an otherwise healthy diet, in the fibers of all the fruits, vegetables, grains and the beans we love. But instead of avoiding these foods, we can temper their effects through proper prepping and…you guessed it, just as Vaidya said…by cooking these foods.

 

Also, soaking the legumes and grains overnight and discarding the water used for soaking will eliminate the lectins. This is why the ancient doctors said to soak and then peel the almonds, as the skin of the almonds contain high amounts of lectins.

 

Back to Bitter Melon
A January 2011 article published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology showed that a 2,000 mg daily dose of bitter melon reduced blood glucose levels similar to metformin. It also protects pancreatic beta cells (where insulin is made) and stabilizes insulin levels.

 

And it is also amazing to me that Sloan Kettering posts the benefits of eating bitter melon on their website. They claim that modern research shows that the substances in bitter melon act in the same way as insulin, by increasing the entry of glucose into the cells and promoting its processing and storage in the liver, muscle and fat. They also state that bitter melon prevents the conversion of stored nutrients to glucose and the release of this glucose into the blood, thus keeping the blood sugar within normal limits. In fact reductions in blood sugar after taking bitter melon can be seen quickly –  as soon as 30 minutes – with the greatest reduction occurring at four hours and lasting for 12 hours.

 

Sloan Kettering also states that bitter melon extracts were shown to kill leukemia cells in the laboratory and slow the growth of breast cancer in mice. And a University of Colorado study found that over time bitter melon actually resulted in a 64% reduction in pancreatic tumor size.

 

In addition, bitter melon is one of the best vegetables for treating obesity as it can break down old fat cells and prevent the formation of new ones!  It does this by breaking down fat into free fatty acids (body fat is chemically composed of connected chains of fatty acids), and on top of that it lowers the levels of enzymes required for the formation of new fat.

 

Here’s other ways it can help you lose weight:

 

  1. It stimulates the flow of bile out of the gallbladder which helps to metabolize and break down the fats you eat.
  2. It stimulates the liver to secrete its bile, which aids in breaking down fat for you to burn as energy. This process is usually not working well enough in people who are overweight or obese.
  3. It also activates a protein called “AMPK” which modulates the release of insulin, enables glucose uptake by all the cells, including the muscles, inhibits the synthesis of cholesterol and triglycerides, and helps burn fat.

 

Basically what this means is that it eliminates the root causes of obesity!

 

In fact, many researchers have shown significant decreases in triglycerides and LDL cholesterol and increases in HDL cholesterol with the consumption of bitter melon. This would make sense since bitter melon is one of the best foods for supporting liver function.  It is one of the many jobs of the liver to keep triglycerides and cholesterol in check (as well as blood sugar).

 

Bitter melon has been shown to have a positive effect on hemorrhoids. Again, this is due to its effects on liver function. If the liver gets congested or overheated, the veinous blood flow to the liver can back up, creating hemorrhoids.

 

As you can see, many of the benefits of bitter melon come from its effects on the liver. And according to Ayurveda, the liver is a pitta organ (ranjaka pitta), containing five digestive fires, which gives it a great tendency to overheat. A bitter taste is one of the best tastes to cool down and pacify pitta. Thus, its bitter taste aids the liver in all its functions.

 

The Ancient texts also stated that the skin can reveal the cleanliness of the liver and blood. Thus bitter melon can actually prove the look of your skin, reducing redness soothing acne, psoriasis and eczema, and create a glowing look due to its effects on clearing toxins from the liver and blood.

 

And finally, bitter melon is rich in beta carotene and Vitamin A, helping you to ward off problems like cataracts and macular degeneration, and improving vision.

 

If you can overcome your initial instinct to spit it out, over time, you will probably acquire a taste for bitter gourd, and your liver will thank you for it!
Dr. Marianne Teitelbaum
Cinnaminson, New Jersey

 

Call Dr. Teitelbaum’s clinic to set up an in-person or over-the-phone SVA consultation:  1-856-786-3330

 

 

Warning
 
Karela can have an immediate impact for some people, so if you are known to have low blood sugar (hypoglycemia – feeling light headed, experiencing undue fatigue, or faintness) make sure to monitor your blood sugar levels when eating karela.
DO NOT consume raw karela juice. There is a new fad, particularly amongst members of the Indian community, and a new line of products being promoted by some ayurvedic companies from India, that pushes people to drink the juice of specific vegetables for detox and health. Amongst them is also karela juice.
Vaidya Mishra was very clear in teaching us that anything that impacts the liver and that has to be processed by the liver should be accompanied by a fatty medium (ghee is the best fatty medium, olive oil the next). Consuming liver detoxing ingredients without considering the role of the detox organs can result in greater ill-health.
An exception to this are transdermal creams and Herbal Memory Nectar drops that were specially formulated to alleviate stress and strain for the detox organs (liver, kidneys, etc) – they capture the molecular pranic intelligence of the herbs. They are ok to consume in water as a medium, or in the cream base they come with.

Karela Tapenade Recipe + Video

 

Karela is a very bitter vegetable that is loaded with healing properties for the human physiology as it is Tikt (bitter), Katu (pungent), Kashai (astringent – has a lot of Marut or space element). Due to these properties it helps counteract the heavy, clogging and ama-genic properties of sugar or high carb foods. But it is easier to speak ab

out incorporating karela into our diet than actually doing it! Its bitter taste is not alwaysdesirable, even if we try to mask it one way or another. Indian culture, and specially Ayurveda, has many recipes, but in Vaidya Mishra’s SVA Kitchen, a new recipe was created, one that has a modern twist to satisfy our western palates as well. This recipe is as tasty as it is easy and we know it is going to please your family and friends with its bitter, sour, salty flavors. You can also improvise on the presentation – you can make small triangles out of fresh rolled roti-s or flatbreads and spread the Karela Tapenade on top and garnish either with fresh cilantro or toasted powder coriander.

 

 

 

Karela Tapenade Recipe

(serves 4 or 2 very hungry karela loving people! )
4 oz Karela (weight by weight) chopped rough
1 tsp Mum’s ghee
1/2 tsp Olive Oil
1 tsp SVA Turmeric
1 Tbsp SVA Coriander seeds
1/2 tsp Soma Salt
1/ tsp Mum’s Masala
2 Green Thai chillies (optional)
1 small chunk of fresh ginger (optional)
3/4 cup water
2 limes
fresh cilantro leaves for garnish (optional)
fresh toasted and ground coriander powder (optional)

 

Directions:
Add the karela, the ghee, the turmeric, the coriander, the salt, the olive oil, and the water (plus the chillies and ginger if using any) in a pot and cook over slow to medium fire until the karela is fully cooked.
Turn off the heat and add the lime juice. Add the whole mixture into a blender and blend down to a smooth paste (add some more water if needed).
In a separate pan, warm 1/2 tsp of Mum’s Ghee and add 1 tsp Mum’s Masala. After 20-30 seconds pour over the blended mixture.
Next you can choose to put your Tapenade in a plate and decorate it with suggested garnishes or you can just serve it in a bowl.
Try this after heavy sugary meals and let us know how you felt!
Enjoy!

 

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Disclaimer

The sole purpose of this blog is to provide information about the alternative healing modalities of Shaka Vansiya Ayurveda (SVA) as practiced in Vaidya Mishra's ancestral family tradition. The information contained herein is not intended for use in the diagnosis, prevention or cure of any disease. If you have any serious, acute or chronic health concern, please consult a licensed health professional who can fully assess your needs and address them effectively. Otherwise, for more information, you may call Vaidya Mishra's Prana Center toll free in the USA at 1.888.3CHANDI (888.324.2634). or 1.818.709.1005 globally, or email us at: info@prana-center.com. You may also visit: www.vaidyamishra.com, or www.chandika.com

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