In the recent times, when beauty is often equated with ‘fair’ complexion or a fashionably thin figure or a particular shape of nose, it is interesting to look back to an era when beauty was defined in holistic terms, and that beauty was within every woman’s reach.
Positives thoughts, clear speech, consonant actions, regulated and refined body language are all essential parts of true beauty.
Ayurveda, the most ancient healing system of India, has a unique perspective on beauty. It is holistic and all-encompassing. The Ayurvedic definition of beauty thus reads –Roopam, Gunam, Vayastyag - Iti – Shubhanga Soundarya Kaaranam.
According to Ayurveda, there are three foundations of beauty:
Thus, Ayurveda does not focus only on cosmetics to achieve the state of true beauty.
Roopam does not specify a type of figure or the color of the skin or the length or style of the hair. Outer beauty, according to Ayurveda, is a reflection of good health – Mental & Physical. The frame of the body is what you are born with. Each type of body structure can be beautiful as long as good health exists.
"You are what you eat” - Ayurveda takes this notion very seriously. In fact, it goes a step further to say - “You are what you digest and assimilate.” A radiant clear complexion begins with proper nutrition, efficient digestion and assimilation of nutrients by the body and regular elimination of toxins. Ayurveda states Yadha Bhojanam, Thadha Vyakthithwam meaning - the way you eat is the way you become!”
There are simple Ayurvedic principles you can follow. Some of the Ayurvedic tips that we strongly recommend are -
1. Never eat when not hungry
2. Never skip a meal when hungry
3. Eat slowly; chewing, tasting & nurturing the food
4. Stop eating as soon as the hunger is pacified
5. Serve very small but never large quantities on your plate
6. Never feel obliged to clean up the plate by consumption
7. Relax for a short while after eating
8. Drink enough water in between meals
9. Totally avoid aerated waters & colas
10. Try and sweat as much as possible with workouts
11. Never control and postpone urination or defecation
12. Make sure you get a minimum of 7 - 8 hrs of good sleep daily
13. Learn something new every day
14. Try to see only what is good in the people you meet
15. Love as many people as you can
The new question that’s gaining momentum all over the ‘health-starved’ world is “Can Nutrition cure?”
What is nutrition? Is it not the same as food? No! Junk food is not nutritious! Food is the combination of nutrition and waste. Nutrition is that which is absorbed by the body for utilization to build and sustain the body and waste is excreted to prevent buildup of toxins in the body. The study of Nutrition as a prophylactic or as a medicine is called ‘Nutriceuticals’ or ‘Nutraceuticals’ and is the fastest growing sector for healthcare in the western world. Based on the above definition of nutrition, does water becomes a nutrient? Yes it does! Thus the evolution of the concept of hydrotherapy and the reason there are so many moisturizers in the global market! But water is not only the most important nutrient but also the sole carrier of nutrients inwards and wastes outwards in the body.
In the contemporary medical world, ‘Cure’ is explained and understood as the apparent diminution or removal of symptoms. This is established not by dealing with the cause, but only by reducing or removing the capacity of the patient to perceive these symptoms. Hence the cure is illusory and not real. Often, it transforms one disease into another – and that is wrongly perceived as the cure of the former and the latter as the side effect. Often, side effects cause more sufferance than the original disease as in cancer treatments through chemotherapy & radiation. ‘Cure’ is the complete elimination of the symptoms (not suppression) thereby restoring the body to normalcy with a sense of well-being.
A disease is a ‘Vector’, which is a qualitative identity with a quantitative force. Where it originates and how it progresses has never been thoroughly understood. Effects are interpreted as causes, generating limitless confusion in the path of understanding the true origin of a disease. This sub-optimal understanding led to the concept of treating a disease by developing another ‘vector’ (drug) that squarely opposes the original ‘vector’ (disease) in order to nullify its perceived existence or dynamic manifestation. This results in the two vectors being at logger-heads and invariably in the suppression of symptoms and not in the elimination of them. In addition, the two interacting vectors engender several small component or large resultant vectors which are easily explained as side-effects and brushed away!
The only way to ‘cure’ is to deal with the cause rather than the symptoms; to dissipate the disease vector rather than to oppose it. This is exactly what ‘Nutrition’ can do - the key word is a ‘Harmonious Nutrition’. In Ayurveda, it is called ‘Sameekruta Aharam’ or integrated food. The most important part of an integrated diet is ‘Probiotics’ which is the exact opposite of ‘Antibiotics’. Our traditional routine of consuming dahi (curds or yoghurt) in India with every meal is a practice of probiotics. The microorganism Lactobacillus in the yoghurt helps keep the intestines very clean by aiding digestion, consuming the unwanted byproducts of digestion while proliferating and depriving food for the harmful bacteria, thereby preventing their proliferation and causing disease. A healthy stomach is the foundation for a healthy body!
Probiotics enhance the vitality of living cells in the intestines to a great extent that not only are they capable of enhanced self-survival, but they are also able to overcome exposure to chemical toxicity or harmful bacteria due to consumption of unhygienic food. Modern drugs are self-limiting due to their inherent nature – application for a specific condition and causing drug-resistance. Probiotics as a nutrient can act on a much wider and varied spectrum of diseased conditions when consumed singularly or in combination, as they are not inherently self-limiting in nature or self-defeating (causing any kind of resistance) upon long usage.
Nutrients are simple substances like Turmeric, Ginger, Pepper and Coriander that are routinely used as taste enhancers or modifiers that possess curative and/or prophylactic properties for varied disease conditions and act as ‘medicines’.
There is little quantitative space owing to the large number of health care products flooding the market; but there is a large qualitative gap between the demand and supply of health care products in terms of efficacy and effectiveness in providing relief and complete cure. This sincere and honest observation should propel the healthcare industry to commit to developing new products that can act as a ‘medicine’ without being a ‘drug’.
Good nutrition and what you put into your body is the foundation for good health. “Food is Medicine” is a term which was originally coined by Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine. It was his belief that eating wholesome food is the basis for good health. Hippocrates said almost 2500 years ago “Leave your drugs in the chemist's pot if you can heal the patient with food."
Here are some useful tips-
Hay fever? Eat yogurt! Eat lots of yogurt before pollen season. Also add honey from your region to it!
To prevent a stroke drink tea! Prevent buildup of fatty deposits on artery walls with regular doses of tea! Actually, tea suppresses appetite and keeps the pounds from invading. Green tea is great for our immune system too!
Insomnia? Have some honey! Use honey as a tranquilizer and sedative.
Asthma? Eat onions! Eating onions helps ease constriction of bronchial tubes (packs of onion placed on the chest help respiratory ailments and actually make breathing easier).
Arthritis? Eat fish! Salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines actually prevent arthritis (fish has omega oils which are good for our immune system).
Stomach upset? Bananas & ginger! Bananas will settle an upset stomach. Ginger will cure morning sickness and nausea.
Bladder infection? Drink cranberry juice! Highacid cranberry juice controls harmful bacteria in the urinary tract.
Bone problems? Eat pineapple! Bone fractures and osteoporosis can be prevented by the manganese in pineapple.
Memory problems? Eat oysters! Oysters help improve your mental functioning by supplying the muchneeded zinc.
Regular colds? Eat garlic! Clear up that stuffy head with garlic (and remember garlic lowers cholesterol too!).
Coughing? Use red peppers! A similar substance found in cough syrups is naturally found in hot red peppers. Use red (cayenne) pepper with caution it can irritate your tummy.
Breast cancer? Eat wheat, bran & cabbage! Helps to maintain estrogen at healthy levels.
Lung cancer? Eat dark green and orange veggies! A good antidote is beta carotene (Vitamin A) found in dark green and orange coloured vegetables.
Ulcers? Eat cabbage again! Cabbage contains ingredients that help heal both gastric and duodenal ulcers.
Diarrhoea? Eat apples! Grate an apple with its skin, let it turn brown and eat it to cure this condition. (Bananas are good for this too!)
Clogged arteries? Eat avocado! Mono Unsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFA) in avocados helps lower cholesterol.
High blood pressure? Eat celery and olive oil! Olive oil has been shown to lower blood pressure. Celery lowers blood pressure too.
Blood sugar imbalance? Eat broccoli and peanuts! The chromium in broccoli and peanuts helps regulate insulin and blood sugar levels.
A mix of honey and cinnamon is found to cure or avoid most diseases. Honey is produced in most countries of the world. Honey consumption in moderation has no side effects which is a huge plus in the current ‘drug-world’. Additionally, inspite of its ‘sweetness’, it acts as a medicine even for diabetic patients when taken in the correct dosage. Honey and cinnamon powder taken in equal parts help increase flexibility and alertness, restores vitality and well-being. Below is a list of different ways to take a combination of cinnamon and honey to combat common diseases/conditions.
Heart diseases: Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder and have it on toast for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol and could potentially save one from heart attack. Also, if you have already suffered an attack, you could be kept miles away from the next one! Regular use of cinnamon and honey strengthens the heartbeat. As one ages, the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get easily clogged. Honey and cinnamon revitalize the arteries and the veins.
Arthritis: Arthritis patients can benefit by taking one cup of hot water with two tablespoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. When taken daily even chronic arthritis can be cured. In a recent research conducted at the Copenhagen University, it was found that when doctors treated their patients with this mixture before breakfast, within a week about 35% were completely relieved of pain and within a month, almost 95% of the patients who could not even walk because of arthritis had started walking slowly without pain.
Bladder infections: Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink it. It destroys the germs in the bladder.
Cholesterol: Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of cinnamon powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water given 3 times daily to a chronic cholesterol patient was found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10% within 2 hours.
Colds/Flu: In addition to being delicious, one tablespoon of lukewarm honey with 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon powder daily for three days will cure a simple sore throat and even the most chronic colds, coughs and help clear the sinuses.
Stomach upsets/Flatulence: Honey taken with cinnamon powder relieves stomach aches and is also believed to heal stomach ulcers. Cinnamon powder sprinkled on two tablespoons of honey taken before a meal relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals thereby avoiding flatulence.
Immune system: Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacterial and viral attacks. Regular intake of honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles that fight bacterial and viral diseases.
Longevity: Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder taken regularly arrests the ravages of old age. Use four teaspoons of honey, one teaspoon of cinnamon powder, and three cups of boiling water to make a tea. Drink 1/4 cup, 3-4 times a day. It helps maintain a glow in the skin.
Pimples: Make a paste of three tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder and apply it on the pimple(s) before sleeping and gently wash it off the next morning with warm water. Repeat daily for two weeks and it will yield in a clear and fresh-looking skin.
Weight loss: Daily in the morning, on an empty stomach before breakfast and at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup of water. It helps in weight loss by not allowing fat accumulation in the body.
Bad breath: South Americans gargle with one teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water first thing in the morning so their breath stays fresh throughout the day.
Hearing loss: Honey and cinnamon powder taken in equal proportion twice a day, morning and night, is known to help restore hearing.
We welcome your suggestions & tips too. Please let us know in the comments section below!
Eating fruit provides health benefits people who eat more fruits and vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Fruits provide nutrients vital for health and maintenance of your body.
Kiwis are tiny but mighty! It is a good source of potassium, magnesium, Vitamin E & fibre. Its Vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.
An Apple a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low Vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhance the activity of Vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke.
Strawberries are protective fruits. They have the highest total antioxidant power among most fruits & protects the body from free radicals causing cancer.
Oranges are the sweetest medicine! Taking 2 4 oranges a day help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessen the risk of colon cancer.
Watermelon is the coolest thirst quencher! It’s composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione which helps boost our immune system. They are also a key source of lycopene the cancer fighting antioxidant. Other nutrients found in watermelon are vitamin C & potassium. Watermelon also has natural SPF properties that keep our skin healthy looking and protecting it from those darn UV rays!
Guava & Papaya are the clear winners for Vitamin C content! Guava is also rich in fibre which helps prevent constipation and related issues. Papaya is rich in carotene which is good for the eyes (in addition to flatulence and indigestion).
Tomatoes provide excellent nutrition as a preventative measure for prostate related problems.
Chronic fatigue in the current ages is not due to overwork, but rather due to a scattering of our efforts in different, often conflicting directions. In the current era, ‘focus’ is dramatically lacking and people are easily influenced trying to take on multiple tasks in haste rather than complete one task efficiently. Success and achievements are measured by numbers rather than excellence. This results in the constant exhaustion we see in citizens of the world’s busiest cities and people are unable to greet each other with a smile and acknowledge each other’s presence. We are losing our social nature due to being targets of chronic fatigue.
Fatigue is also a result of loss of interest in an activity. Our energy levels are largely dependent on our passion and enthusiasm in addition to the basic foods and nutrition we consume. People complicate their daily routines and clutter their minds with debris of preoccupations and desires. This makes us lose focus and thus interest in the task. An intelligent person will simplify their life by converging their energies to complete a few tasks perfectly rather than restlessly scatter their energies.
“The greater the will, the greater the flow of energy.” -- Paramhansa Yogananda
Be ‘willing’ in every task you take up as ‘willingness’ begets energy. ‘Willingness’ in this context is a pleasant and steadily increasing focus of our attention upon a goal.
There are known foods that can strongly affect our energy levels. The stimulation received from such foods is rarely due to the energy they provide but their influence on our body. E.g. Coffee is a well-known food stimulant; while its immediate effects are often uplifting, its long term effects are depressing (becomes an addiction). Caffeine is known to deplete Vitamin B in the body and people who drink too much coffee find that their own natural energy supplies decline. They require more and more coffee to get the same ‘lift’ they seek. The same may be said of tea, tobacco and other stimulants.
Yoga emphasizes on a harmonious rather than stimulating diet. Some of the products of VedaCeuticals (Tire-Not Capsules, Gud-Helth Capsules and BioSulf Powder) have been specially formulated to correct and reverse the current state of fatigue to a healthy and rejuvenated one!
Adapted from Swami Kriyananda’s editorial on ‘The Speaking Tree’
