Frightened and Hungry all the time.

[Guest guest]

Hi Folks,

 

I have been suffering from irregular heart rhythms and hunger pangs

for the past 10 years. The docs have dismissed it as anxiety related.

 

Only in the last 2 months, i have been diagnosed as hyperthyroid and

i took antithyriod drugs. No doubt i got better but i am feeling

very fatigued and weak.

 

What could be the reason for my hunger pangs? I wish i could just

eat three square meals a day and feel good. I have to eat every two

hours. This is for the past 10 years. I am not a diabetic either. I

cannot drink fruit juices or simple carbohydrates because they spike

my insulin levels.

 

You have a remedy for me? What do you think of chywanprash availble

in India? I heard some ayurvedic medicines sold in India are toxic

because of metal content in them.

 

i am now 45 years old, a female from india, with average build. I

have one daughter aged 16 years. I am a vegetarian. I am neither

overweight nor skinny.

 

Even the smallest argument can cause my heart to race. With such

morbid fear, how can i face the noises of the world?. I want to be

able to tackle nuisance normally like most folks, but i have to

avoid all arguments because it could cause me to have palpitaitons.

I dont want to be so frightened in life. You could help me live life

boldly?

 

Thanks

[Guest guest]

Dismissing something as mental or anxiety related is common. But these very two words lead this author to something substantial.

 

All the data provided by you, including age, fear, Thyroid hormonal

imbalance, heart palpitations, etc makes this author conclude that

you are in peri-meno years. Reduced sleep, arrythmia, Prone to Hot

Temper, anger, irritability, feeling hot, hot flashes, night sweats,

heavy periods, excessive bleeding, urinary tract infections, skin

rashes, acne, migraine, constant fatigue, bouts of hunger, always

thirsty, feet and hands burning, especially at night. Skin dryness,

especially in feet. You may be experiencing some of these symptoms

also. Reddening/rashes on skin near knee joints, belly, thighs etc may also be present.

 

Author has treated few ladies in your age group, where

hyperthyroidism was due to fluctuating estrogen and adrenalin/thyroid hormones

were trying to balance the state. These try to balance reducing

estrogen. Modern lifestyle has weakened ovaries which is making

hormones randomly disturbed.

 

Increase cooling foods, water intake, sweet juicy fruits (grapes,

pears, plums, mango, melons, apples,) yellow squash, cucumber,

organic foods. Use spices such as cinnamon(mixed with honey),

cardamom and fennel. Avoid hot spicy foods, hot drinks and alcohol.

no eating late at night.

 

Go to bed before 10 PM , oil massage using cow ghee or coconut and

sesame oil. Use Meditation and other techniques to reduce anger,

hatred and resentment. Exercise and exposure to the sun should be

reduced.

 

Anti Pitta herbs to be used include aloe vera, arjuna, brahmi, cumin,

fennel, coriander seeds (Heem of last three herbs) sandalwood and

shatavari.

 

The author gave shatawari ghrutam and Chandrakal ras to control pitta.

 

However, if there is a bout of heavy bleedings as well, the treatment

was different.

 

The first thing we can do to avoid feelings of false hunger and

cravings is to increase the Jeeva Shakti in meals by eating, fresh,

home-made meals, and avoiding spicy fast foods. When the dough is

kneeded by mother, she is sending reiki into it, which children

receive automatically. Entire solar system obtains energy from Sun.

The grains, vegetables, fruits obtain this energy in different

proportions and we get it from them in readily usable form. Increase

of green foods in diet helps in such cases. Leafy vegetables pacify

pitta. In winter, one gets a number of vegetables in bright colors

and use them plenty. Early morning walk, especially on garden lawn

with dew helps a lot.

 

Instead of Chyvanpras, author will suggest two fresh amala juice

added with 1 tsp honey. If no time to make it everyday, store a large

quantity of aamla+ginger juice in fridge and take it everyday,

freshly mixed with honey. Ginger only 10-15% weight of amala. This

amala receipe is for arrythmia. Fatigue and arrhythmia is generally

due to estrogen fluctuations.

 

If you get ladies finger (Bhindi) vegetable, take 3-4 beans, cut them axially and soak in a glass of water. Next morning, remove beans while squeezing the juice into glass. drink this empty stomach. Tandulaja or Chawali, Chowlai is also a good leafy vegetable to cool down the hormones/hunger. Coriander, Fennel, Dill are also similarly helpful vegetables.

 

>From far east corner of the world, author can provide you this much

info only. LOcal patients undergo liver detoxes and panch karma

giving most of the relief, as liver plays a major role in hormone

balance. It causes elimination of excess hormones through SHBG

metabolism giving siginificant relief even in arhythmia.

 

ayurveda, "pashva_rao" <pashva_rao

wrote:

> I have been suffering from irregular heart rhythms and hunger pangs

> for the past 10 years. The docs have dismissed it as anxiety

related.

[Guest guest]

Have you tried doing yoga? I would do yoga. I will make an

oversimplification. Backward bends help strengthen. Forward bends

help relax. More specifically, do pranayams. The best type for the

kind of symptoms you are concerned with are the types where you

inhale, exhale and keep the air out. Wait 20 seconds or as long as

you can and then inhale. You can also inhale, exhale and pump the

navel as many times as you can while keeping the breath out, then

inhale. Do this for 3 minutes to start and you can increase the

number of minutes.

 

GB

 

ayurveda, "pashva_rao" <pashva_rao

wrote:

>

> Hi Folks,

>

> I have been suffering from irregular heart rhythms and hunger

pangs

> for the past 10 years. The docs have dismissed it as anxiety

related.

[Guest guest]

Hi Shirish Bhate,

Thanks for the detailed information.

i am just going through it.

But it is not perimenopause because i have been having these symptoms for the past 10 years when i was 35. Definitely one is not perimenopause at 35?

Someone also recommended Shilajit for my hunger pangs. More than anything else i dont want to be so frightened. I want to make my heart strong enough and not palpate at the slightest disagreement. Thats exactly what i am now. If there is slightest disagreement i get short of breath, chest pain, and palpitations.

Regards.

Shirish Bhate <shirishbhate > wrote:

Dismissing something as mental or anxiety related is common. But these very two words lead this author to something substantial.

[Guest guest]

> I have been suffering from irregular heart rhythms and hunger pangs

> for the past 10 years. The docs have dismissed it as anxiety related.

>

> Only in the last 2 months, i have been diagnosed as hyperthyroid and

> i took antithyriod drugs. No doubt i got better but i am feeling

> very fatigued and weak.

>

> What could be the reason for my hunger pangs? I wish i could just

> eat three square meals a day and feel good. I have to eat every two

> hours. This is for the past 10 years. I am not a diabetic either. I

> cannot drink fruit juices or simple carbohydrates because they spike

> my insulin levels.

<snip>

> i am now 45 years old, a female from india, with average build. I

> have one daughter aged 16 years. I am a vegetarian. I am neither

> overweight nor skinny.

>

> Even the smallest argument can cause my heart to race. With such

> morbid fear, how can i face the noises of the world?. I want to be

> able to tackle nuisance normally like most folks, but i have to

> avoid all arguments because it could cause me to have palpitaitons.

> I dont want to be so frightened in life. You could help me live life

> boldly?

>

> Thanks

 

hi parimala

 

i would agree with the many helpful suggestions made by dr bhate

in addition, i am thinking that your condition may be related to a

reactive hypoglycemia

 

i know some of my ayurvedic colleagues may disagree, but in such

cases a strict vegetarian diet may worsen the condition

this is because a vegetarian diet is necessarily higher in carbs, and

its the high carb content of the food (such as rice) which spikes

insulin, lowers blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and causes the resultant

hunger and anxiety

 

if possible, i would institute a low carb diet for all three meals

for at least 2-3 weeks, and see what the results are

this means no white rice, no flour, no washed legumes (with the husk

removed), no fruit, no sugar, no honey and no alcohol

also, avoid coffee and tea as they only worsen this problem

 

to ensure sufficient calories, i would suggest incorporating fresh

farm eggs into your diet

try having 2-3 eggs for breakfast, with some non-starchy vegetables

without any additional carbohydrate

this will provide your body with the necessary calories but won't

cause a spike in blood glucose, and a resultant spike in insulin and

then hypoglycemia

other vegetarian options include cheese, preferably the more ripened

cheese because they have a lower sugar content

 

of course it wouldn't be the best idea to eat only eggs, so typically

i encourage variety by suggesting cheese, fish, poultry etc - there

is no tenet of hinduism that states that these foods are unlawful,

and in your case they may indeed be medicinal

 

however, if these changes seem to difficult to contemplate, at the

very least eliminate all rapidly digesting, refined grains and

legumes with their whole grain versions to increase your fiber

content - in this regard higher fiber will slow transit time and act

as a limiting factor on how quickly your body digests the carbs; for

example, choose rice with the husk still on it, whole grain barley,

and unwashed legumes - everything should be whole grain only

 

another modification you can try is to increase the fat content in

your diet, using fats butter, ghee, coconut, sesame and olive oils

if you are going to eat a high carb meal, add a generous proportion

of fat to the food, such as a big dollop of butter

 

like the high fiber suggestion, the high fat slows digestion and

transit time, and helps to moderate the insulin response

similarly, eat more nuts and seeds as a snack - avoid any starchy food

 

in terms of herbal interventions, you might look at Bach Flower remedies

there are a number of possibilities for you including aspen, mimulus,

rock rose and white chestnut

to see what might suit you, you can fill out an online form here:

http://www.feelbach.com/qti.asp

 

if you have any further questions on how to use them, just ask

 

best wishes... todd

Caldecott

todd (AT) toddcaldecott (DOT) com

www.toddcaldecott.com

[Guest guest]

Hi

 

it would be next to impossible for me to consume garlic, eggs, fish,

or meat. I am a vegetarian and would not be able to consume nonveg.

I will however try bach flower remedy or shilajit.

 

Thank you so much for the information.

 

Regards

[Guest guest]

Some of this author's patients, age less than 38, have shortness of breath,

chest or shoulder pain, palpitations. when their accupoints are checked,

the angina related points are sore. Their cycles are reduced in wet

periods, or lengthened dry span. the hormone related poinst

also show soreness. based on this, when hormone restoring herbs and green foods are

prescribed, heart related symptoms disappear, without prescribing any

heart herbs!!

 

Women find it difficult to accept the word perimenopause, but

author uses the word whenever age is greater than 30 and hormones

are reduced. perhaps once hormone balancer herbs stop having the influence, perimenopause is a right word.

 

Women are victims of their hormones. If they find themselves alone

without children, daighter-in-laws or grand children, their hormones

start going out-of-whack. Fear comes out of this loneliness,

emptiness. Other extreme, where they are independent executives of a multinational, their androgens and adrnelins are making them adventurous; so here too they suffer when they return home in the family folds.

 

Thinking about hormones is a reductionist approach. Author feels

that all neurotransmitters, hormones etc are connected. The

interaction between all is too complex for human mind to understand.

When one isolates himself from material world and relationships, the

interaction becomes weak to lead to real bliss within us.

 

ayurveda, P S <pashva_rao wrote:

> But it is not perimenopause because i have been having these

symptoms for the past 10 years when i was 35. Definitely one is not

perimenopause at 35?

>

> Someone also recommended Shilajit for my hunger pangs. More than

anything else i dont want to be so frightened. I want to make my

heart strong enough and not palpate at the slightest disagreement.

Thats exactly what i am now. If there is slightest disagreement i

get short of breath, chest pain, and palpitations.

[Guest guest]

Also do aerobic exercises like running and BRISK walking. They help a

lot with depression and strengthen the heart.

 

GB

 

 

> Someone also recommended Shilajit for my hunger pangs. More than

anything else i dont want to be so frightened.

[Guest guest]

i request that you re-read my message because I took care to give you many vegetarian

alternatives - you might also notice that I did not mention anything about garlic

 

i mentioned eggs however because i have both indian brahmin and chinese taoist

vegetarian friends and they see no philosophical objection to eating unfertilized eggs any

more than drinking milk - no creature is harmed in either case

 

anyway, please review my message again and implement the vegetarian regime i outlined

and you will notice definite improvement

 

shilajit and the bach flower remedies are only a secondary treatment, and because you

aren't addressing the cause you will likely get minimal results

 

you want to live bravely, then bravely look at the causes and fearlessly employ the

treatment that works - hoping that a pill will bring you relief, be it ayurvedic or allopathic,

is a prajnaparadha and tamasika

 

once again, look at the symptoms of hypoglycemia described on emedicine.com and see

how closely they resemble your own:

 

• Symptoms of hypoglycemia may be categorized as neurogenic (adrenergic) or

neuroglycopenic.

 

• Symptoms due to sympatho-adrenal activation include sweating, shakiness,

tachycardia, anxiety, and a sensation of hunger.

• Neuroglycopenic symptoms include weakness, tiredness, or dizziness;

inappropriate behavior (sometimes mistaken for inebriation), difficulty with concentration;

confusion; blurred vision; and, in extreme cases, coma and death.

 

source: http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic1123.htm

 

although medical doctors should easily be able to diagnose your condition they don't

because they have so little training in nutrition, and still suffer from the same "magic

bullet" syndrome that you are suffering from

 

in ancient ayurveda, where refined foods were absent, hypoglycemia was probably very

rare, even among pure vegies

 

like everyone pretty much everywhere, most indians these days eat crappy fascimiles of

ancient foods - even those that espouse healthful eating continue to eat white flour roti,

refined rice and refined flour

 

nature, philosophy and practice must go hand in hand

 

in ayurveda, reactive hypoglycemia is a simple vattika condition

employ a vata-hara diet and you will find improvement

 

todd

 

ayurveda, "pashva_rao" <pashva_rao wrote:

> it would be next to impossible for me to consume garlic, eggs, fish,

> or meat. I am a vegetarian and would not be able to consume nonveg.

> I will however try bach flower remedy or shilajit.

[Guest guest]

Hi

I am sorry to have overlooked the important points in your post. Yes i have been drinking a porridge made of red rice and green gram moong dhal. I am also trying oats.

I am now going thru that link on reactive hypoglycemia. I will get back to you with my thoughts. Thanks a bunch for the same.

You know any dabur remedy for vatahara?

Also the vegetarian foods you have recommended are they vata hara? Thank you.

Regards

Caldecott <todd (AT) toddcaldecott (DOT) com> wrote:

i request that you re-read my message because I took care to give you many vegetarian

alternatives - you might also notice that I did not mention anything about garlic

[Guest guest]

Dr. Bhate

 

That reminds me. There is an acupuncture (possibly marma also) point

where the arms meet the torso. It is on the front side of the body in

sort of an indentation where the arm meets the torso. It will usually

cause quite a bit of pain in most people. It is related to blood

pressure and will help balance blood pressure.

 

GB

 

 

Moderator adds:

You are right.

The point you mention is perhaps "H-1" shown at

http://www.acumedico.com/heart.htm

 

ayurveda, "Shirish Bhate"

<shirishbhate wrote:

>

> Some of this author's patients, age less than 38, have shortness of

breath,

> chest or shoulder pain, palpitations. when their accupoints are checked,

> the angina related points are sore.

[Guest guest]

ayurveda, P S <pashva_rao wrote:

>

> Hi

>

> I am sorry to have overlooked the important points in your post. Yes i have been

drinking a porridge made of red rice and green gram moong dhal. I am also trying oats.

 

drinking? it sounds like maybe its overcooked or too liquid

it should be thicker and heavier, more dense and solid, but not undercooked

 

use other grains like chana and barley as well that have a low glycemic index (a measure

of how qucikly the food gets turned into blood sugar)

 

add a very generous portion of healthy fat or oil to grain dishes, such as fresh coconut oil,

butter/desi ghee or olive oil - this will lower the glycemic index of the food, and moderate

the effect on blood sugar

 

you can also lightly roast nuts such as almonds, crush them, and add to your food; in

japan they season them with tamari (soy) sauce, and i can think of all sorts of tasty indian

flavors...

 

other fatty foods such as cheese will also have this benefit - personally i like a ripened

goat cheese, but anything similar will suffice

 

also consider adding vinegar and non-sweet pickles to your food - these will also help to

delay gastric emptying

 

the key to this diet diet is that it should be as calorically dense as possible so the GI tract

has to work hard to extract the nutrients - inevitably, this ends up being foods rich in

proteins and fats

 

here in canada tofu has become very popular, and if you can get it in india might be a

helpful and interesting addition to your diet - its almost pure protein

 

i find that it matches quite well fried in butter with herbs such as hing, cumin, mustard,

coriander and tumeric, finished off with fresh sliced tomatoes and cilantro - and it sort of

ends up looking like eggs as well (fool your non-veg friends!)

 

>

> I am now going thru that link on reactive hypoglycemia. I will get back to you with my

thoughts. Thanks a bunch for the same.

>

> You know any dabur remedy for vatahara?

 

"hara" means "reducing" - so, "wind" reducing remedies are required, i.e. those that

oppose dry, light and cold

 

in actuality, both vata and pitta appear to be active here, or rather, the imbalanced quality

of lightness (laghu), leadng to fear, palpitations/tachycardia and constant hunger - think

of hypolycemia as excess lightness of blood, and excess blood sugar as excess heaviness

of blood

 

so, its actually not pitta or vata but a combination called excess lightness

this is why both pitta and vata have higher protein and fat requirements, pitta more

protein, vata more fat

 

i can't really tell which is predominant in you by email, and to be honest its of secondary

importance - if you feel warm take heavy foods that are more cooling - if you are cold,

take heavy foods that are more warming

 

for you, let food be your medicine

 

 

best... todd