Questions about cinnamon, salt, electronic toothbrushes and more!

Hi,

I just watched the oral care video and learned a lot. And I just gargled with coconut oil and my mouth and mind feel wonderful.

I wonder what Vaidya’s thoughts are about electric toothbrushes and waterpixs. Since they are electric near the mucous membrane, I am guessing he would not want the body to absorb those emf. Anyway, just thought I’d ask. Also, what toothbrush bristles are best – soft, medium, hard?

Thank you,

Mary

Vaidya Replies:

Dear Mary , yes you are right in that I would not recommend electric toothbrushes or water pixs that run through electric current to clean your oral cavity. In general, you want to avoid using EMF devices in the oral cavity. What works best is massaging your gums with coconut oil using your own fingers that will transmit your own healing vibration to your gums instead of electric devices. This would not replace flossing which is always a healthy way of making sure we rid the crevices between our teeth of food residues.

Otherwise, I generally recommend medium bristles, neither too soft nor too hard, unless one has a specific sensitivity or gum condition, in which case it is best to use soft bristles.

If you chose to use coconut oil, first do the massage with your fingers and then floss.

The ideal order for oral cavity hygiene would be as follows: oil massage, floss, then brush, then scrape the tongue, and finally gargle with the oral mist and the end.

Soma Salt

I realize that many of your products use proprietary processes and ingredients and I would not want to jeopardize your business in any way. However, I have found your Soma Salt to be so entirely different (and far better in every way!) from any other sea or land salt that I have used (and I have tried many through the past few decades) that I am left wondering two things:

1. Is anything added to the originally mined salt (eg to create the high amount of potassium)?

2. How is it processed?

I would appreciate any information on these two points to allay my concern regarding exactly what I’m eating! Thank you.

Regards,
Anonymous

Vaidya replies:

Dear SVA follower: Soma Salt is Himalayan in origin, but once we get the crystal rocks, we have a multiple-step purification process to rid it of impurities, and offer the powder of only the purest white crystals. Every rock has a mixture of white and pink strands, we sort through the batch to select only the white crystals, and discard the pink! So, in general, we remove rather than add to it!

The rocks come from North West India, currently a Pakistani area. Many of these rocks are obtained through the use of explosives. Our first task is to make sure these rocks are not contaminated with explosive chemical residues – for that we send every single batch to be tested in a lab, to make sure there is no lead content.

After we have our selection of pure white crystals, we expose the rocks to a proprietary herbal steam to flush out unwanted minerals and residues.

We do not add any potassium, or calcium, or any other nutrients or ingredients. The salt that is packaged comes rich with its own natural mineral content, cleansed by our herbal steaming cleansing process.

White crystals are harder and more precious to acquire than the pink crystals or rocks. Traditionally, in India, all know not to use the pink crystal salt as it is higher in sulphur content and can be heating and pitta-provoking, as it is more agneya – contains ingredients that are fiery in nature. That’s why we select only the white crystals that are more somagenic, hence the name “Soma Salt” as known in my SVA lineage.

We flush the white rock crystals with distilled water, to give you only the purest rocks available. We do not even add any anti-caking agents or chemicals, and you may have noticed that the salt sometimes may cake in the presence of moisture.

Unlike other salts mentioned in the shastra-s, this salt is known to be the least pitta-provoking – all salts provoke pitta with their sharpness to some extent. But as this salt is so rich in flavor, one needs to add a least amount to get the benefits and the flavor. Thank you for your question.

Skin care questions

Dear Vaidya Mishra,

The following questions apply to a 59 year old female, 5′, 100 lbs, red headed, freckled, Scotch-Irish descent, pitta-vata body type.

1. Which face cleanser and cream and any other products would you recommend for aging, wrinkled, dry, pale, lusterless facial skin? Sun exposure has been a major contributor to the wrinkles, although I’m sure other internal and emotional factors exist. Wrinkles are mostly around mouth and eyes. Mouth: smile lines and vertical lines around lips.

Eyes: crows feet and bags under eyes. Forehead: vertical lines between eyebrows and horizontal across top of forehead. I am interested in any other advice you have for this condition, such a diet or lifestyle changes.

Vaidya replies:

Dear SVA Follower: for this and similar conditions, internal rehydration and oleation are needed, so eating good fats such as ghee, or olive oil, and drinking enough amounts of water are necessary. Delaying or skipping meals will not help. Prevention from further sun exposure is necessary as well. Consume more sweet juicy fruits in your diet, make sure you are eating enough easy to digest protein – no aged cheeses, no red meat, favor chicken and fish cooked with spices.

Otherwise, you can use our SVA Real Rose Soap to clean your face, and then apply the Age-Defying cream at night. Do a gentle cleanse with the soap, then apply the water-based toner, and then the cream. You can also do the Facial Marma Massage – please contact the Prana Center to get the poster for the marma points and directions for how to do it. Doing a daily marma massage with the verbalized Lalita’s creams will help support the flow of “prana” to the skin that can nourish and revitalize it, helping it defy further aging.

2. Which body soap and cream would you recommend for dry, lusterless body skin that is starting to sag on the same person?

First do a warm Pitta oil with magnesium massage, rest for 10-15 minutes, then use turmeric soap to wash off in the shower.

3. Does the Tumeric Soap stain one’s towels, clothing, bedding etc. ?

Our turmeric soap will not stain any of your clothing or bedding, nor will it turn the skin yellow. It will nurture and nourish and strengthen, allowing your skin to absorb to benefits of turmeric transdermally.

Cinnamon

Hello – can u tell me if your cinnamon sticks are made from true cinnamon or cassia cinnamon? Thank u so much !

Vaidya replies:

Dear “Desilu,” we use cassia cinnamon. We use “sweet cinnamon” in the recipes for the “Kid’s Masala”-s, and “indian cinnamon” in our “Mum’s Masala.”

Suffering from Skin Diseases : Guidance

Shree Vaidya Mishraji:

Namaste !

I have visited your web site ” S V Ayurveda” – Prana Center , interested to get Guidance & remedies of my skin disease, 70 years, male , residing in CA.

I would like know more about treatments, diagnosis of my skin disease.

It itching very much, with blackish brown patches on my back side ( Vasama ) Also, on different part of my body.

Please, let me know more about various treatment for vegetarian with simple home prepared food diet.

Vinod T.

Vaidya replies:

Dear Vinod: there are very many different protocols in Ayurveda, and the response would vary based on what specific imbalance is there in your body causing your specific skin disease. You will need to have a full medical evaluation to determine the cause and the possible remedies. However, here are some pointers that you can try that may help you get some relief. Try them for three months and email us back.

Apply coconut oil on the dry itchy area

Increase your intake of good turmeric in your cooked meals – 1/4 tsp twice a day cooked in your vegetables or lentils. Make sure to use “real” turmeric! Unfortunately the yellow powder sold in most Indian grocery stores tends to be tinted clay!

Discontinue the use of tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, bell pepper, onions, garlic, garbanzo and pinto beans.Try these tips for three months and let us know how you feel.

SVA Mum’s Ghee

I am curious about the source of butter for your ghee. Is the butter locally sourced in CA (or elsewhere in the U.S?) or is it from India? Can you guarantee no GMO feed for the cows?

Vaidya replies:

Dear Iris: the organic raw material for our ghee (cream from milk to make yoghurt and then butter) comes from pasture-raised free roaming cows raised and bred in the United States, that are given non GMO feed. We do not use milk or any milk products from India.