Various products in grocery store - I have questions

[Guest guest]

Hello and namaste to all,

 

I was in my local Indian grocery store and wrote down the names of some

products.

I would like to know which ones would be recommended for use.

I was there to get some chyawanprash. I eat it on toast with my breakfast.

 

For your information I am a 49 yr old female with a Vata-Kapha dosha. I tend

to be very sluggish because of the heat and humidity here in Houston (really

similar to south India - subtropical). Here in Houston we tend to stay inside

in our air conditioned houses and cars, and only go outside in the heat when

it's necessary. Our heat index lately has been around 105 to 110 degrees F. I

also have some skin breakouts, dark circles under my eyes due to allergies, high

blood pressure, obesity, and most likely have a sluggish liver and kidneys.

 

"AM" stands for ayurvedic medicine, it says on the container.

These are the products:

Hayde Tablet

Maha Darshan

Hingashtal Guti

Sitopaladi Churna (I know churna is powdered stuff you put on your food)

Triphala Churna

Vakumba whole (looks like a dried flower or seed pod)

Asario

Hajmola AM

Dharasana Malis Tel - AM

Pipramool powder

 

Would you recommend any of these products?

 

Thank you,

Sharon

[Guest guest]

Hello Sharon,

My name is Radhika, and I have an Ayurvedic practice in Canada

(I gradualted from the Rocky Mountain Institute of Yoga and Ayurveda in

Colorado).

It sounds to me like your current imbalance is of a Pitta nature, and I would

recommend you go to see a practitioner in your area to address your current

health issues before getting anything from an Indian grocery store. Only because

in Ayurveda it is recommended to take a balanced formula that addresses and

balances your Pracrity(your constitutional nature) as well as your current

imbalances(vikrity)rather than one or 2 herbs to soothe your current symptoms.

It would also be advised to follow an anti Pitta diet in this very hot season,

and adjust accordingly to the changing seasons.

Dark circles around the eyes are also sometimes a symptom of kidney troubles.

I hope this helps,

Namaste, Radhika

[Guest guest]

>

> Various products in grocery store - I have questions

>

> Hello and namaste to all,

>

> I was in my local Indian grocery store and wrote down the names of

> some products.

> I would like to know which ones would be recommended for use.

> I was there to get some chyawanprash. I eat it on toast with my

> breakfast.

 

dear L Sharon

 

don't eat it on toast! did you read it somewhere that Chyavanaprash

should be spread on toast? Just b/c some people translate leha or

avaleha as "jam" doesn't mean its actually a conserve you can eat on

toast

 

most avalehas like Chyavanaprash should be taken on an empty stomach,

especially those with rasayana properties, b/c they are a complete

food. sometimes they are taken with milk, but i don't recommend this

for you, and further, i really don't think Chyavanaprash is what is you

need at this point - you need to detoxify first

 

by taking Chyavanaprash when agni is weak all you are doing is feeding

ama

 

> For your information I am a 49 yr old female with a Vata-Kapha dosha.

 

who said you are vata-kapha? this may or may not be right, but for the

most part ignore this and focus on you symptoms

 

from what you have described all I can tell is that you have lots of

ama and agni is weak - this is where your attention should be

 

> I tend to be very sluggish because of the heat and humidity here in

> Houston (really similar to south India - subtropical). Here in

> Houston we tend to stay inside in our air conditioned houses and cars,

> and only go outside in the heat when it's necessary. Our heat index

> lately has been around 105 to 110 degrees F. I also have some skin

> breakouts, dark circles under my eyes due to allergies, high blood

> pressure, obesity, and most likely have a sluggish liver and kidneys.

 

do these things for at least 2-3 months:

 

-no dairy, although butter is probably OK

-no sugar or any kind

-no flour product of any kind

-no fermented foods, incl. beer, wine, pickles, soya sauce, etc.

 

eat only good quality meats, lots of leafy green organic vegetables and

a minimum of carbs

for more info on a detoxifying diet that will help you lose weight and

won't deplete your energy, see:

 

http://www.toddcaldecott.com/Meal.html

http://www.toddcaldecott.com/paleodiet.html

 

as for medicines, you need to get qualified and intelligent advice -

your condition isn't something you should be treating without

supervision

 

however, you could take some Triphala churna in the meantime, 1 tsp in

a little warm water twice daily, before meals

 

with this you can stir in a half a teaspoon of turmeric powder for your

liver, and add 1/4 tsp of pippali to ensure all these herbs get

properly digested. the pippali you will buy whole, and can reduce it

to a powder in a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle

 

thus:

 

triphala - 1 tsp

turmeric - 1/2 tsp

pippali - 1/4 tsp

 

you might also try dandelion coffee, or roasted barley coffee, 2-3 cups

daily

 

another remedy you might want to consider are deep sea fish oils, in a

dose equal to about 1000 mg of EPA and DHA daily; this will be helpful

to boost your metabolism, reduce inflammation and correct what is an

obvious nutrient deficiency

 

you would also benefit from taking mixed bioflavonoids, 5 g daily, and

some digestive enzymes, at least until you can see somebody

 

 

>

> "AM" stands for ayurvedic medicine, it says on the container.

> These are the products:

> Hayde Tablet

> Maha Darshan

> Hingashtal Guti

> Sitopaladi Churna (I know churna is powdered stuff you put on your

> food)

 

churnas are taken with specific anupanas, or vehicles

they are not sprinkled on your food

 

> Triphala Churna

> Vakumba whole (looks like a dried flower or seed pod)

> Asario

> Hajmola AM

> Dharasana Malis Tel - AM

> Pipramool powder

>

> Would you recommend any of these products?

 

this is too much - more is not better

further, an Indian grocery store is not the place to buy Ayurvedic

products b/c most are shipped after their expiration date, and are of

questionable quality - in your area you can get Ayurvedic products from

Banyan Botanicals

 

but, once again, you need to see a professional - any advice on this

list from experienced professionals or relative neophytes won't be as

helpful as somebody that can actually see you in person, or at least

conduct a detailed clinical assessment over the phone or by email

 

there is a fellow in Austin that practices Ayurveda, and is a member of

the american herbalists guild

the guild has very good criteria for professional membership, and i

recommend that all folks looking for ayurvedic herbalists consult this

organization first

 

ayurvedic doctors living in the US or Canada should also join this

organization

 

any, here he is:

 

Craig  Williams , M.S.O.M., L.Ac., AHG, Dipl. C.H., Dipl. Ac.

2111 Dickson, Suite 12 

Austin TX, 78745 USA 

siddhimunic

Phone: 512-447-3365

Acupuncturist; Western Herbalist; Ayurvedic Herbalist; Chinese

Herbalist 

Personal Consultations; Classes/Lecturing  

 

best...

Caldecott

todd

www.toddcaldecott.com

[Guest guest]

Sharon:

 

As Radhikaji mentioned, it is better to avoid taking anything from

the grocery store unless you have met with a practitioner or have a

greater understanding of what these medicines are for. Some of them

are just commercial products and not necessarily ayurvedic medicines

(eg Hajmola). Also the quality of "ayurvedic" products usually sold

in these grocery store is not very good.

 

Of all the medicines you mentioned, you can take triphala churna

right away, this balances all doshas (preferably eat on empty stomach

rather than sprinkling on food).

 

Dark circles under the eye are a sign of vata imbalance; if there is

a green tinge to it, then it is a pitta imbalance.

 

One of the best places to get high quality ayurvedic medicines are

from www.oilbath.com(kerala ayurvedics, I have no association with

them). And for Chyavanaprash, you can get a high quality and

inexpensive product from www.ashram.org.

 

-yogaman

 

 

> Hayde Tablet

> Maha Darshan

> Hingashtal Guti

> Sitopaladi Churna (I know churna is powdered stuff you put on your

food)

> Triphala Churna

> Vakumba whole (looks like a dried flower or seed pod)

> Asario

> Hajmola AM

> Dharasana Malis Tel - AM

> Pipramool powder

>

> Would you recommend any of these products?

>

> Thank you,

> Sharon

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the recommendations.

I will ignore the doshas and treat the symptoms as you have said.

I guess I should take something for general balancing as well as change my diet.

 

I have had a major consultation. I didn't read a book and self diagnose.

 

I was diagnosed as Vata-Kapha a few years ago by an American M.D.

(ophthalmologist) in Sugar Land, TX, who has some trainnig in ayurveda, with a

detailed interview and workup. If he is not qualified as an ayurvedic

physician, then I was fooled. But then who am I to say? I went to college for

twelve years myself and have a doctorate in jurisprudence and a a bachelor of

arts in biology. I'm not saying I know how to practice medicine, I'm just

saying I don't know how I could have told if this guy is not competent. This

guy sold the maharishi's products out of Fairfield, Iowa.

 

I'm sorry if you thought I was gullible for going to this guy and assuming he

knew what he was talking about. I am fairly knowledgeable about western

medicine and try to be proactive about my health. I also do not assume that

Western-trained doctors know everything.

 

From what little I know about the Maharishi Mahesh's operations, I think his

products are too expensive, because they are marketed to upper class Americans

(I think). I do not know anything about their quality. I know they charge $50

for a large jar of amrit nectar which is similar to chyawanprash, and that is

ridiculous. I believe he is associated with Deepak Chopra, and I don't trust

what he says either.

 

 

 

Regarding air conditioning: You haven't spent much time in Texas in the summer,

have you? People in America die (yes literally die) by the thousands from the

heat, especially the elderly. Not just in Texas, but in places like Chicago. I

am most comfortable with the air conditioning on about 75 degrees. I do not

like it to be particularly cold, and I wear socks to bed at night. I don't

think I have a Pitta problem, as I have always been cold-natured. I grew up in

Houston in a house without any air conditioning, and I remember my childhood

days as being extremely miserable, and dusty and dirty. Especially when the

temperature did not dip below 80 degrees at night and it was too hot for me to

sleep at all. I don't want to offend anybody but there is a very good reason

why Houston is the most airconditioned city in the world. The machines have to

work very hard just to get the water out of the air.

 

Again, I will pay attention to your recommendations.

 

Sharon