seemingly small details have a big impact on your overall health, and,
ultimately, your life-span.Vaidya Mishra likes to use plenty of spices and
herbs in his cooking. Spices, he says, are not only taste-enhancers, but also
great healers. Sprinkle some freshly cracked black pepper on your sandwich and
it helps you absorb the nutrients readily. A pinch of turmeric in your soup
adds not only color but also works as an excellent anti-oxidant. Combined in
the right proportions, spices lend their synergy to everyday soups and curries.
To derive maximum benefit from your spices, sauté them inclarified butter or
Ghee before adding them to prepared foods. Ghee helps the body absorb the
lipid-soluble part of spices with ease. It's highly aromatic and delicious,
too.SLEEP YOUR WAY TO A LONGER LIFE!Ayurveda believes that disease and
disorders develop as the result of accumulated "ama" or toxins in the body.
While
physical "ama" leads to disturbed digestion and forms the breeding ground for
disease, mental "ama" can impact resistance to day-to-day stress. Lack of good
quality sleep is a major factor in generating high levels of mental "ama."
Nature intended sleep as a nightly ritual of rest and rejuvenation. When sleep
does not come easy or is disturbed, the day's piled-up stresses or ama fails to
be cleansed. A good night's sleep, on the other hand, increases ojas or vital
life force.Ayurveda has several remedies for disturbed sleep. Drink a glass of
warm milk with a little honey just before you sleep. This has a settling
influence on the mind and body. Milk contains the amino acid tryptophan, which
is a precursor of serotonin, a brain chemical that facilitates sleep. Use honey
that has not been heat-treated and be sure not to heat it above 60 degrees
Fahrenheit, as this eliminates its beneficial qualities.Transcendental
Meditation helps combat the daily build-up of stress, making it easier for the
mind to shut off for the night.ROUTINE MATTERSAyurvedic healers have always
emphasized the value of regularity in everything, be it rest, play or work.
They observed it in the daily and seasonal rhythms of life itself, and adapted
it to their own lifestyles. Most of it is practical advice: Go with the flow of
nature as often as you can. Sleep on time-never after 10 p.m. if possible. Wake
up early. Spend time and attention on your morning ablutions, including the
daily self-massage. Eat a good, fibrous breakfast, and have lunch at noon, when
the body's agni or digestive fires are at their peak. Meditate twice a
day-Transcendental Meditation is a proven stress-reduction technique. Spend
time with your family.KEEP IN STEP WITH THE SEASONSThough you can choose any
time of the year to cleanse your body, ayurveda believes that
spring is king. It is, after all, Nature's own chosen time to regenerate, renew
and cleanse the environment of winter's accumulated rough, dry and cold
qualities.Panchakarma, done at this time, is a wonderful way to cleanse and
detoxify the body through healing massages and baths. Research on Panchakarma
indicates that it is a very powerful way to increase biological youthfulness
and improve overall well-being.If you meet the demands of the seasons
year-round, you can maintain both body and mind in peak health. In summer, stay
cool with healthy shakes and sherbets, cool, not ice-cold. Eat lots of sweet
juicy fruits. In the fall, fill up on figs, prunes and raisins to fortify the
body and improve elimination. Let the winter months be as nourishing as you can
make them, for both body and soul.HERBS TO HELP YOU ALONGWhile your own efforts
will take you a long way in your journey towards a long, healthy life, a
little help from Mother Nature will make matters much easier. Nature has an
astounding pharmacy, and each herb it creates has its own concentrated synergy
and intelligence. Researchers at Maharishi Ayurveda pick the best and the
ripest of herbs, fruits and spices, then combine and process them to ensure
maximum benefit.Herbal CleansingOne of the key elements of regular routine is
good elimination. Although getting more fiber in your diet can help, Maharishi
Ayurveda's Detoxification System is a highly effective support system for good
digestive health. It helps purify the liver, supports balanced fat metabolism,
reduces digestive impurities, curbs the buildup of impurities in fat and muscle
tissue, strengthens the entire urinary tract and aids liver function for pure
blood and better absorption of nutrients. More about herbal cleansing
formulas...Potent Ayurvedic FormulationThe most respected of
Maharishi Ayuurveda rasayanas is Amrit, which strengthens the immune system and
refines the functioning of the physiology. Amrit promotes bala or vital energy.
Scientific studies have now established that Amrit fights free radical damage
1,000 times more effectively than any other anti-oxidant. While Amrit is
excellent for overall mind/body health, targeted herbal formulations can help
you address any specific imbalances you encounter. More about Amrit...Durgesh
Mankikar,MD
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