EVERGREEN SECRETS FROM AYURVEDA

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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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