oil tests for health

[Guest guest]

Dear GB Khalsa

 

How can tasty foods offered to us by nature be bad? What is

poisonous is recognised even by animals, by the taste and smell. Many

ayurvedic herbs were discovered when sick animals would eat them, but

not touch them under ordinary circumstances.

 

As already pointed out by all oils are good nutrients, as long

as they are not processed using heat and treated chemically to obtain

clear color. Generally all oils tend to have dark color.

 

One oil better than other, since they have slightly different

vitamin and type of fat contained. Even though sesame oil is so

praised, this author has been eating ground nut and its oil from

child hood and has no problem whatsoever with it. The reason for this

may be ground nut belt in which this author spent the child hood. As

per ayurvedic principles, what is locally available is good, Sesame

oils is also liked but used for massage and occasionally raw oil in

breakfast. Sunflower, cotton seed, flax seed oils were not commonly

consumed in India, since other oils were available in plenty, and

until few years back MNCs had not entered oil seed, oil market.

Cotton seeds were offered to Cows and are offered even now a days.

The sunflower crop has increased only in recent years, due to MNCs

creating the demand. Mustard oil is very common for preserving

pickles even in Gujarat, a traditional ground nut oil belt.

Andhraites use Sesame oil for their pickles, and make some of the

finest pickles in India.

 

Modern science offers analysis of contents, but ayurveda decides

based on effects on people. Overall effect is more important rather

than which ingredient responsible for which effect. Search for

important ingredient is motivated by desire to obtain a patent.

Ayurveda was not evolved with patents in mind.

 

Who should use which oil, or for that sake of matter, which food is

beneficial, can be tested by individuals. Two tests are there for

all items while for oils, one more test.

 

1. The food item, when eaten raw in a small quantity, should be

palatable, and liked by person, without any spices. The effect on

mind should be pacifying and satisfying. The 'effect on heart' test

comes next. On this count, people who get nausea when they enter fish markets,

keep away from fish. In comparison, vegetables remain fresh and pleasant

smelling longer time. Fruits do not smell foul till they start rotting.

If one needs to add aromatic essenses or preservatives, better to avoid such

items.

 

2. Stand erect. Hold the item close to heart by holding it by left

hand. It may be necessary to pack some items in thin polythelene bag

for this test. e.g. ghee you have to put in polythelene bag. Exert

force on a rope or something, such that force can be measured, either

by spring balance or by the amount of weight raised at the end of

rope. In village, you can use the water bucket and well rope used to

remove water. Nowadays, there are various gadgets in gym which can

tell you the measure of force you exert on a handle.

 

Compare the force without anything in hand with the foerce exerted

when you hold the food item close to heart. If there is no

difference, you can compare the time up to which you can exert the

force. IF you are able to exert more force or for more time, when the

food item is held close to heart, the food item is benficial for your

prakruti.

 

3. For oils and fats, make an oil lamp similar to one when we light a

lamp in Puja. Check the clarity of the flame. Hold a piece of metal

or glass over the flame such that soot will be collected over the

piece. The oil which shows clear flame, and soot is less, is a health

promoting oil. Breath in the hot gases above the flame, and note

their effct inside your nose. the fat which makes you happy is

better. On this count the ghee of Indian cow turns out best. Gives

least soot. here is one more secret not mentioned in ancient texts.

When Indian cow ghee burns, it releases a little ozone, hence ghee is

sacrificed in Yagnya. Along with seven other woods offered in homa,

it purifies the environment. On the other hand oils used in vehicles

give pollutants such as SO2, CO, NO etc. Please note that Petroleium

oils are hydrocarbons, and believed to have formed from extreme heat+

pressure on animal bones or similar matter of animal origin.

 

4. One more principle can be used to identify the overall effect of

any food on the element balance of body. This can be made clear by

taking an example. Ground nut grows inside the ground so has more

earth element in it, while coconut tree grows abundantly near sea

lagoons, water is plenty and is too high in air, so has more of water

and air element in it. (in fact when fruit forms, it is fully water).

Further, since coconut sees sky all the time, it has Aakash element

also in it. Hence coconut oil is applied to head, to get cool sleep.

Ground nut oil will have tendency to build Earth element which

nourishes flesh (Meda) dhatu. On the other hand coconut is an

intellighent food as already brought out by Maharshi Ayurved Articles

posted last year on this list. The oil content is also high in

coconut. Thus coconut oil useful for all having problems such as

vertigo, depression, migraine etc.

 

Author believes that despite ancient sage not having laboratories,

through such simple tests and meditation, they had senses to decide

what is good and what is bad. On the other hand, with more the

scientific data more is the confusion.

 

Incidentally, American Heart Association sings all praise for sesame

oil, as can be confirmed by google search. Its effect on lipids is

described by them. And essential fatty acids are to be found there,

esp. lenoleic.

 

With this post, author desires opinions from various members reg. one observed

fact. There is an agreement world over that food shoud contain certain

proportion of carbohydrates, proteins, fats and vegetables. Author knows quite a

few persons, who are eating only fruits, vegetable juices, and are excellent in

health, even in age approaching three digit figure. Extreme case is from

Rajastan, India, where one survived eight months on sunlight alone! Do we need

so much discussion on chemistry of food? There must be principles oher than

chemistry, which sustain and keep heart ticking all the time.

 

Dr Bhate

 

ayurveda, Guru Khalsa <greatyoga>

wrote:

 

I cannot understand

> why you said not to use sunflower oil. They have high

> levels of unsaturated fats. We also eat them and by

> every source I know of they are considered healthy

> food. I do know that one should not cook with

> sunflower oil. If we use cold pressed sunflower oil

> in it's natural state, then why would it be unhealthy.

> By the way, I rarely if ever use sunflower oil.

>

> Thank you

> GB Khalsa

[Guest guest]

Hi Dr. Bathe and thanks for insightful postings. You told that

Maharshi Ayurved had written about coconut oil last year. I have

done a search on the message board both on the name and on Coconut,

but no postings came up. Where can I read these postings?

 

~ From Lara

 

> nourishes flesh (Meda) dhatu. On the other hand coconut is an

> intellighent food as already brought out by Maharshi Ayurved

Articles

> posted last year on this list. The oil content is also high in

> coconut. Thus coconut oil useful for all having problems such as

> vertigo, depression, migraine etc.

>