Marma Certification Course Details & Registration; SVA on Sugar Metabolism; Calendar of 2020 SVA Events in the USA, Canada, & Mexico – your SV Ayurveda Newsletter Jan. 30, 2020 – #3, Vol 10
In the wintertime, we naturally crave more sweet stuff, and it’s ok. Until it’s not! If you find that you are unable to control your sugar cravings, don’t try to force-stop or compel yourself to eat less etc. Instead do things that support your sugar metabolism. When you up your sugar metabolism, your body gets more of what you ate and will send you back a signal of satiation. This of course happen when you eat healthy natural sugars, not highly processed industrially manufactured sugars.
In ayurveda sugar metabolism and sugar metabolism-related conditions are well-documented. Several kinds of hetu, etiological root conditions, for imbalancing disturbing our sugar metabolism are discussed in all the samhitas, or ayurvedic compendiums. In this article, you will find some information you can practically use in your day-to-day life to support your sugar metabolism in a well informed manner. IMPORTANT – If you have a tendency for hypoglycemia or low sugar levels – do not use any of the recipes discussed in this article.If you are looking for healthy sugar substitutes that satisfy your sweet tooth without giving you the sugar content, look no further than here.
Ayurvedically speaking, pachak pitta and pachak agni, then ranjak pitta and bhutagni govern the pancreas. The pancreas, as we know, is responsible for producing insulin to metabolize the sugar in the blood, and in the cells. In this sense, raktagni, or the metabolic principle in the blood, plays a major role in sugar metabolism. So here is a very important thing you can do to support your sugar levels ayurvedically.
Keep the Metabolic Flames burning bright
Keep a healthy pachak agni flame in the stomach: the stomach plays a key role in the breakdown and metabolization of sugar and carbs. When we eat, pachak pitta – the fuel of pachak agni in the stomach – has to be intelligent and sharp so as to connect and breakdown the sugar and starch molecules. To optimize your pachak agni and pachak pitta, have some ginger tea, or cook with fresh grated ginger. Add black pepper to your meals. Drink lime juice. All these ingredients help sharpen and unclog pachak agni so good, ama or toxin free rasa dhatu which contains the digested sugar molecules can go directly to the bhutagni of the liver, and support the pancreas which interacts with rasa dhatu. When rasa dhatu is in good shape, then rakta dhatu comes into play to transform the sugar molecules with the power of raktagni. Here insulin plays a major role in supporting the raktagni so that the transformed sugar reaches the muscle tissue and supplies the muscle tissue with energy. Now if any of these three centers of transformation have a problem at all, if all three agnis are high then people can go into hypolglycemia. On the other hand, if any of these 3 agnis or metabolic centers is low, then people go into hyperglycemia. The sugar/glucose content in the blood goes high because raktagni is not able to transform sugar into energy through the muscle tissue (the next tissue after the blood tissue). So how can you support your sugar metabolism ayurvedically to high blood glucose conditions?
Tips and Ingredients
To maintain optimal digestive fire levels for pachak pitta and pachak agni, it is great to cook with fresh ginger, black pepper, ajwain. These uncover the digestive fire, support the pitta in the pitta in the stomach. To support the liver, which is the next step, always cook with turmeric. And here are some more ayurvedic ingredients:
Use kutki in your herbal water – a couple of pinches;
Neem leaf powder: a couple of pinches in your herbal water;
to support the pancreas for cooling, use jamun seeds;
to nurture the tissues of the pancreas, use indian kino;
to support the pancreas to increase insulin production/quantity, use Gymnema;
karela is good for both the bhutagni of the liver and supplying more prana to the pancreas;
fenugreek seeds (not leaves) help increase the stamina of the liver and pancreas;
guduchi stem powder also helps to increase the intelligence in the insulin by supporting the pancreas’ intelligence;
proper transdermal delivery on the spine of Gymnema, Indian kino, and a special herb called “Saptaparni.” Saptaparini is a rare herb which has been used for glucose metabolism because it supports the liver and the pancreas physically, supporting the physical intelligence, and the vibrational intelligence of the insulin.
All the above listed bitter herbs are full of marut intelligence which supports the circulation and intelligence – circulation between organs and systems. Certain vegetables, such as karela, fenugreek leaves, moringa leaf, moringa sticks also known as drum-sticks, bitter leafy greens, are good for sugar metabolism. However, if you need to maintain your blood thin for medical reasons, you have to steer clear and be cautious with the consumption of dark leafy greens. Leafy greens contain Vit K and can clot the blood and thicken it, creating an antagonistic food-herb/drug interaction.
There is also another key ingredient for sugar metabolism, and that is Cinnamon. Cinnamon can be used either in a tea medium or in your food. Cinnamon helps metabolize and transform the glucose into energy from the blood into muscle.
Eat the SVA Green Protein recipe cooked with methi leaves, and baby spinach, here’s the link to the SVA recipe here
Incorporate karela as a vegetable in your diet – to the SVA youtube channel, SVA Health, for recipes with Karela. Here are some recipes for Karela: first recipe, second recipe.
Drink instant karela soup mix – once or twice a day – visit www.chandika.com for the recipe and more information.
In general, to maintain optimal blood glucose levels it is important to eat frequently, 4-5 times a day, smaller easy to digest meals. Fasting is contraindicated. Regular use and consumption of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian protein is recommended. In addition, an awareness of the glycemic index of fruits is key. Avoid fruits with high sugar content and favor those with low glycemic index, such as cherries, kiwi, blueberries blackberries.
Mind your grains: favor barley, wild rice, over white rice.
Use kala channa as a good source of vegetarian protein with a lot glycemic index.
Drink the SVA Gymnema Brew: a special all ayurvedic brew of gymnema and other ingredients, with Indian kino.
All Moringa products help support sugar metabolism, you can choose from a wide variety of moringa products – moringa soup mix, moringa tea moringa leaf powder; at www.chandika.com.
Calendar of Upcoming Events
looking for a live SVA event in your area or online?
Check out our Calendar page for upcoming courses and community events & for full contact and registration details:
