Guest guest Posted March 23, 2000 Report Share Posted March 23, 2000 Hi Claudine, my name is Connie and I have been trying to fid something that will make my blood clot. This is not from my platelets. They say it is something having an aspirin type effect on my blood. My bleeding time is greater than 3 times normal. When that pre-op bloodwork was done I had been off the combo for about 6 weeks (of course no surgery was performed). I finally had my long term disability decision from work overturned. I will be going back on combo shortly. I hope that in the time since October things have not got worse. How much do you know about that when someone is pulled from treatment then put back on? When I originally started 3/99 my viral load was 12.5 million and ALT and AST was in the range of 100-120. September 17/99 my viral load had dropped to 300 thousand. and my ALT and AST were in the 50 -60 range. I am asking you all because you seem to know a lot of things......Thanks, Connie --- Claudine Crews <claudinecrews@...> wrote: > > Ayurveda and Liver Damage > > > Volume 1, Number 1 > > Ayurveda and Liver Damage > Wagner H, Geyer B, Yoshinobu K, Govind SR. > > Eclipta alba and Wedelia calendulacea are > traditional Ayurvedic herbs which > grow abundantly in the tropical and sub-tropical > parts of the world. In > Ayurvedic medicine Eclipta alba is said to be the > best drug for the > treatment > of liver cirrhosis and infective hepatitis. Both of > these medicines are > widely used in India for liver enlargement, jaundice > and other ailments of > the liver and gall bladder. > > Using fresh extracts of rat liver, researchers > studied the protective > effects > of the plants against treatment with known liver > toxins carbon tetrachloride > and the toxin from the Amanita mushroom > (phalloidin). The results showed > that > at therapeutic concentrations Eclipta conveyed > complete protection on the > liver cells. In fact the hepato protective effect > was the most prominent of > any natural extract that the researchers had ever > screened. In vivo studies > on phalloidin-treated mice resulted in > no losses, as compared to 70% mortality in > non-treated controls. Wedelia > showed considerable anti-hepatotoxic and protective > effects against carbon > tetrachloride induced liver destruction, far in > excess of those observed > with > silybin. > > The researchers concluded that the active ingredient > in both cases was a > coumestan extracted from both plants called > wedelolactone. A separate study > showed that wedelolactone was a potent and selective > inhibitor of the potent > inflamatory chemical, 5-lipoxygenase, the inhibition > occurring via extremely > aggressive oxygen radical scavenging. A Peruvian > herb, Mutista acuminata > ( " cinchicurma " ) also showed protective effects on > the liver, and is a > traditional Chilean remedy reputed to be of use in > kidney and liver > disorders. The coumarins isolated from the herb > behaved in a > similiar protective manner as Wedelia and Eclipta. > Other members of the > Mutista tribe are medically noteworthy: Mutista > viciaefolia has traditional > use in heart disease, hysteria and epilepsy. > > Mutista retrorsta, a reported cancer remedy, has > many traditional uses: a > tea > of the flowers as a diuretic, the bark for malaria > and the leaves as a > poultice for ulcers. > Wagner H, Geyer B, Yoshinobu K, Govind SR. > Coumestans as the Main Active > Principles of the Liver Drugs Eclipta alba and > Wedelia calendulacea. > Planta Medica 1986:5: 370-2 > > ______________________________________________________ > Get Your Private, Free Email at > http://www.hotmail.com > > __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 23, 2000 Report Share Posted March 23, 2000 Hi Claudine, my name is Connie and I have been trying to fid something that will make my blood clot. This is not from my platelets. They say it is something having an aspirin type effect on my blood. My bleeding time is greater than 3 times normal. When that pre-op bloodwork was done I had been off the combo for about 6 weeks (of course no surgery was performed). I finally had my long term disability decision from work overturned. I will be going back on combo shortly. I hope that in the time since October things have not got worse. How much do you know about that when someone is pulled from treatment then put back on? When I originally started 3/99 my viral load was 12.5 million and ALT and AST was in the range of 100-120. September 17/99 my viral load had dropped to 300 thousand. and my ALT and AST were in the 50 -60 range. I am asking you all because you seem to know a lot of things......Thanks, Connie --- Claudine Crews <claudinecrews@...> wrote: > > Ayurveda and Liver Damage > > > Volume 1, Number 1 > > Ayurveda and Liver Damage > Wagner H, Geyer B, Yoshinobu K, Govind SR. > > Eclipta alba and Wedelia calendulacea are > traditional Ayurvedic herbs which > grow abundantly in the tropical and sub-tropical > parts of the world. In > Ayurvedic medicine Eclipta alba is said to be the > best drug for the > treatment > of liver cirrhosis and infective hepatitis. Both of > these medicines are > widely used in India for liver enlargement, jaundice > and other ailments of > the liver and gall bladder. > > Using fresh extracts of rat liver, researchers > studied the protective > effects > of the plants against treatment with known liver > toxins carbon tetrachloride > and the toxin from the Amanita mushroom > (phalloidin). The results showed > that > at therapeutic concentrations Eclipta conveyed > complete protection on the > liver cells. In fact the hepato protective effect > was the most prominent of > any natural extract that the researchers had ever > screened. In vivo studies > on phalloidin-treated mice resulted in > no losses, as compared to 70% mortality in > non-treated controls. Wedelia > showed considerable anti-hepatotoxic and protective > effects against carbon > tetrachloride induced liver destruction, far in > excess of those observed > with > silybin. > > The researchers concluded that the active ingredient > in both cases was a > coumestan extracted from both plants called > wedelolactone. A separate study > showed that wedelolactone was a potent and selective > inhibitor of the potent > inflamatory chemical, 5-lipoxygenase, the inhibition > occurring via extremely > aggressive oxygen radical scavenging. A Peruvian > herb, Mutista acuminata > ( " cinchicurma " ) also showed protective effects on > the liver, and is a > traditional Chilean remedy reputed to be of use in > kidney and liver > disorders. The coumarins isolated from the herb > behaved in a > similiar protective manner as Wedelia and Eclipta. > Other members of the > Mutista tribe are medically noteworthy: Mutista > viciaefolia has traditional > use in heart disease, hysteria and epilepsy. > > Mutista retrorsta, a reported cancer remedy, has > many traditional uses: a > tea > of the flowers as a diuretic, the bark for malaria > and the leaves as a > poultice for ulcers. > Wagner H, Geyer B, Yoshinobu K, Govind SR. > Coumestans as the Main Active > Principles of the Liver Drugs Eclipta alba and > Wedelia calendulacea. > Planta Medica 1986:5: 370-2 > > ______________________________________________________ > Get Your Private, Free Email at > http://www.hotmail.com > > __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 30, 2001 Report Share Posted May 30, 2001 BODY BISTRO Ayurvedic Apothecary We are launching our new line in October 2001. The first 20 people who visit our website and sign our VIP guestbook, will receive free samples of our gourmet handmade, handpoured soap. Three Flavours for Three Doshas Brand Ambassador BODY BISTRO Regards, C. H. Chatlani ---------------------------------- This email and any attachment is intended for and confidential to the addressee. If you are neither the addressee nor an authorized recipient from the addressee please notify us of receipt, delete this message from your system, and do not use copy or disseminate the information in or attached to it in any way. Our messages are checked for viruses but please note that we do not accept liability for any viruses which may be transmitted in or with this message. ------------------------- Blue Box, LLC Post Office Box 5788 Beverly Hills, CA 90209-5788 Tel +1 (818) 487 - 8181 Fax +1 (818) 487 - 8879 http://www.bodybistro.com Blue Box, LLC is DBA BODY BISTRO | Ayurvedic Apothecary Authorized by laws of the State of California to conduct business Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 8, 2001 Report Share Posted June 8, 2001 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 16, 2004 Report Share Posted March 16, 2004 Rich, Not low carb per say. I still eat potatoes, carrots, some popcorn occasionally. I do have way too much energy most of the time, but then I always have had a lot of energy. I know many who say they wish they had my get up and go. But let me tell you I too have trouble sitting still, and it is not always a good thing. So what kind of diet are you on. You said Ayurveda. I have read very little about this. . .but found it fascinating, but confusing. Tell me more. I found when I read it that I had all the traits of all the three categories. How can you find the exact match for you? Sheryl Berman <rberman6@...> wrote: I'm new to coconut oil so this may be slightly off topic, but here goes. You said you have been laying off sugar lately. That makes me wonder if you are on a low carb diet. If so, my experience may be helpful. I tried low carb for several months and found I had excellent energy, too much in fact. I'm still pretty athletic and I could play all day. The trouble was, I couldn't not play. I had trouble doing detail work which required focus and not action. I read some stuff about ayurveda which led me to believe that I was a pitta type. When I switched to more " cooling " foods and spices, I started sleeping better and was able to work without going a mile a minute. It seems to me that I got in trouble by being a true believer and not listening to the feedback from my body. Just a thought. rich Re: Can coconut oil cause rapid heartbeat Funny. . .I went to the Dr Weil site and one of the top subject lines was talking about rapid heartbeat. The person said they were getting it after drinking a drink of alcohol. He said he felt it was harmless. . .to get more rest. . .and maybe layoff the alcohol. I been getting rapid heartbeat lately. . .I have been not sleeping well or for very long, as I have a husband who snores! He is getting an appliance today that is suppose to help. I can only hope. I have also been doing a lot of really hard physical labor in my new yard. Hauling soil, sand and decomposed granite in large quantities like 3 yards each. Temperature has been a little warmer lately. . .but have been drinking plenty of water. I have also been under some stress, illustrating a children's book and I just signed a contract to do a lot of color books. All of the above considered, I was also thinking of the VCO. I know that it can raise your metabolism. . .do you think this could cause the rapid heartbeat. I have been laying off sugar almost totally. . .I do cheat on occasion. I have had this other times in my life, not quit to this extent, it seems more frequent this time. . .but just wondering what people thought. Oh Dr. Weil also said to try deep breathing. I think I had done that in the past and it is a temporary fix. . .will try it again. Sheryl Sheryl Illustrations http://dovedesignsrus.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 16, 2004 Report Share Posted March 16, 2004 I've found Ayurveda is dynamic. That is, if you're feeling too much energy at a particular time, then eat more white meat (chicken, white meat fish, etc, and less red.) More whole grains and green vegetables and less fats and salt. If you're feeling scattered then you eat heavier food, lazy, hotter spicier foods. There are three doshas or energy systems in Ayurveda, Kapha, calm slow, Pitta, firey energetic, and vata creative scattered. Coconut is listed as good for pitta and vata, not as good for Kapha. That means it's calming. However, too much fat or oil can be aggravating to pitta. There's a lot of good info on the web about ayurveda. I think the main thing is that your state can change from day to day. You may have high pitta one day, and high vata the next. Also, sometimes pittas have too much energy but think it is too little. What they really need is a calmer energy. Hope this helps. Rich Re: Ayurveda Rich, Not low carb per say. I still eat potatoes, carrots, some popcorn occasionally. I do have way too much energy most of the time, but then I always have had a lot of energy. I know many who say they wish they had my get up and go. But let me tell you I too have trouble sitting still, and it is not always a good thing. So what kind of diet are you on. You said Ayurveda. I have read very little about this. . .but found it fascinating, but confusing. Tell me more. I found when I read it that I had all the traits of all the three categories. How can you find the exact match for you? Sheryl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 16, 2004 Report Share Posted March 16, 2004 Ayurveda is also related to the yoga teaching of the three gunas. Here's an article I wrote recently about the latter, for the British Yoga magazine. The article also explains a bit about the background of how I stopped eating meat - as we discussed recently. The Three Gunas Thirty years ago I went on a ten-day trip up the Amazon on a rickety old riverboat. Sounds exciting, and it was - except for the food, which was excruciatingly boring. Breakfast was biscuits dipped in sweet black coffee (cafezinho); lunch and dinner was meat, gravy and pasta - day after day after day. For ten days, not one morsel of fresh fruit or vegetables. On day ten I felt as heavy as a sack of wheat, and just as dense and lethargic. Two weeks later I stayed with Marcus, a Swiss friend, in Lima. Marcus was a practicing Yogi, a vegetarian, an excellent and enthusiastic cook. For an entire month I indulged in the most delicious meals based on fresh fruit and vegetables, lovingly cooked. After just a few days I was buzzing with energy. I felt as light as a feather, ready to dance for joy on the beach. That was my first direct experience of the gunas of food. According to this yogic teaching, all material nature, all life on earth, all action, falls into one of three categories, called gunas - the Sanscrit word guna being roughly translated as " element, " " quality " or " energy " . Our lives are made up the interplay of these three gunas, and part of the work of yoga is to go beyond the limitation of seeing merely concrete forms and overt actions, and to recognize the underlying qualities hidden to the eye. Once we can see the energy at work behind a given mood or behavior we can better understand ourselves, and work consciously towards a higher quality of life. One way of doing so is through diet. Western nutrition teaches how our food affects out physical health; yoga teaches that what we eat also influences our thoughts, our moods, our mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. Becoming what we eat is true in the widest of senses: food affects the mind, transforms the way we feel about ourselves and shapes the way we live our lives. You have probably noticed this yourself: after eating certain foods you feel sluggish, dull and heavy, whereas certain othrer foods make you feel light and alert. The Yogic diet is a system of classification of foods according to the energy they produce in our minds. The three gunas at play are called Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. Sattva is a blissful, tranquil and clear energy. The Sanskrit word is based on the principle " Sat " , which means " being; as it should be, perfect " . People that are predominately sattvic are balanced, serene and compassionate. We've all had glimpses of sattvic energy: the calm joy you feel at the sight of a beautiful sunset or on hearing a glorious piece of music is fuelled by sattva. According to classic yoga this is our natural state, a state of inherent happiness latent in all of us. Sattvic food promotes lightness of body and clarity and calmness of mind. It is " sweet, fresh and agreeable " and includes most fruits, nuts, seeds, vegetables, particularly green leafy vegetables, whole grains, honey, pure water, milk and milk products. Rajas is a passionate, excited, aggressive energy; sexual passion is rajasic. Predominately rajasic people are full of desire, hedonistic, and driven by competition and ambition. The Sanskrit root means " impure " ; but a " raja " also a king, a member of the warrior caste. It is also related to the root rakta, " redness " , and raga, " passion. " Think of an animated crowd at an exciting football match and you will get the feeling for rajasic energy. Rajasic food nourishes the body, but promotes activity and therefore induces restlessness of mind. Rajasic foods include most spicy foods, stimulants like coffee and tea, eggs, garlic, onion, meat and fish, as well as most processed food. Tamas is dull, insensitive, gloomy and dark energy. The Sanskrit word literally means " darkness, dark-blue, black " Tamasic people are low-spirited, sluggish, dull and greedy. They can be characterized as lazy and slothful. Think of someone who has spent the night clubbing, drinking himself into oblivion; on awakening the next day he will be in a deep state of tamas. Tamasic food induces heaviness of the body and dullness of the mind, and is detrimental to both. It includes alcohol, as well as food that is stale or overripe. The three gunas encompass all existence and all actions and exist together in equilibrium. Thus on an apple tree, some fruit is ripe (sattvic), some ripening (rajastic) and some overripe (tamasic). Each of us has inherent predominance of one or more gunas, and the combination changes with time and place, giving rise to different energies at different times and in different places. Sometimes sattva prevails, making us elated and loving. Sattva regenerates and renews us, fills us with creative energy, well-being and goodwill; when we are on holiday we are usually in a state of sattva. If we lead demanding professional lives, we are governed by rajas. At the end of a busy workday tamas beckons: the lethargy of slouching in front of the TV with a can of beer and a microwave dinner, the mind dulled and virtually " switched off " . Recognizing which guna is at play it helps to bring about a state of balance in our lives. Cultivating sattva prevents us from being overwhelmed by the strains of a demanding job, and relieves stress. Rajas is needed for an active professional life, and rajasic food can help us overcome the tamas that befalls us after a busy workday. But for the practice of yoga, a sattvic diet is best. A sattvic diet is not only about choosing the right foods; it's also about the effect of heat, time, and even thought on food. The nature of food can change through heat: grains become sattvic only after cooking, while honey becomes tamasic with cooking. Time also changes food. Generally, grains become more sattvic through age, while fruits rot and become tamasic. Even the best food left overnight becomes stale and tamasic. Food should be freshly prepared and eaten with attention, respect and gratitude; saying grace before meals renders even rajasic food sattvic. Eating too quickly is rajasic, while overeating is tamasic. We should eat to live, rather than live to eat; sattvic food is naturally tasty, but an obsession with healthy food is again attachment, and rajasic. Equally important is the way food is prepared. The mood of the cook permeates the food, which is why most Indian men still prefer a lunch box prepared at home by their wives to restaurant food. Some yogis only eat food cooked by themselves or other yogis. Animal products need particular attention. Battery hens live in a torture chamber with no room to move. Dairy cows are imprisoned in narrow compartments and separated from their calves. These are miserable animals, and their produce promote tamas when eaten. The poor treatment of the milking animal, or the laying hen, the stress they are subjected to, means that the spirit of ahimsa, non-violence, one of the cornerstones of yoga, is constantly violated. What goes for dairy products goes far more for the actual meat of these animals. A classic yogic diet is almost by definition vegetarian, and while it is not a prerequisite of yoga practice to eschew meat, often the need and taste for meat drops away. Meat is categorized both as tamasic and as rajasic. It is tamasic because from the moment of an animal's death, meat starts to decay. On the other hand, meat is rajasic because the fear of death permeates every cell of an animal when it is slaughtered. A pig or cow brought to the slaughterhouse can see, feel, smell and hear the fate that awaits it. It secretes adrenaline, the " fight or flight " hormone. Adrenaline is in fact the concrete manifestation of the second guna, rajas. According to classic yoga teaching, when we eat meat we are consuming the fear of the dying animal, and the aggression that is its flip side. The rajas of a meat-based diet may be right for those who by profession lead active, challenging lives. These were the warriors of yore, in our time translated into urban warriors who need that rush of rajas to fight the battles of modern life. As long as one is attracted to such a lifestyle, a rajasic diet is necessary to uphold it. But for those who feel the need for a calmer life, for those who feel the call of yoga, the craving for meat, alcohol, processed foods, stimulating beverages, and other rajasic and tamasic foods gives way to a desire for more sattvic foods. A meatless diet, the taste for whole and fresh foods organically produced, becomes natural. For such a person there is no question of " renouncing " meat, and not eating it is no sacrifice. I did not give up meat after my stay with Marcus; I simply lost the urge for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 16, 2004 Report Share Posted March 16, 2004 Actually Rich I understood more of what you said here than all the rest I read. The part about it changing daily is maybe why I didn't understand why I had so many of all of them. Thanks so much I will check it out. Sheryl Berman <rberman6@...> wrote: I've found Ayurveda is dynamic. That is, if you're feeling too much energy at a particular time, then eat more white meat (chicken, white meat fish, etc, and less red.) More whole grains and green vegetables and less fats and salt. If you're feeling scattered then you eat heavier food, lazy, hotter spicier foods. There are three doshas or energy systems in Ayurveda, Kapha, calm slow, Pitta, firey energetic, and vata creative scattered. Coconut is listed as good for pitta and vata, not as good for Kapha. That means it's calming. However, too much fat or oil can be aggravating to pitta. There's a lot of good info on the web about ayurveda. I think the main thing is that your state can change from day to day. You may have high pitta one day, and high vata the next. Also, sometimes pittas have too much energy but think it is too little. What they really need is a calmer energy. Hope this helps. Rich Re: Ayurveda Rich, Not low carb per say. I still eat potatoes, carrots, some popcorn occasionally. I do have way too much energy most of the time, but then I always have had a lot of energy. I know many who say they wish they had my get up and go. But let me tell you I too have trouble sitting still, and it is not always a good thing. So what kind of diet are you on. You said Ayurveda. I have read very little about this. . .but found it fascinating, but confusing. Tell me more. I found when I read it that I had all the traits of all the three categories. How can you find the exact match for you? Sheryl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 16, 2004 Report Share Posted March 16, 2004 Thanks for the article Sharon. . .I am so backed up with work I will read it in depth when I have more time. Sheryl Sharon M <smaas@...> wrote: Ayurveda is also related to the yoga teaching of the three gunas. Here's an article I wrote recently about the latter, for the British Yoga magazine. The article also explains a bit about the background of how I stopped eating meat - as we discussed recently. The Three Gunas Thirty years ago I went on a ten-day trip up the Amazon on a rickety old riverboat. Sounds exciting, and it was - except for the food, which was excruciatingly boring. Breakfast was biscuits dipped in sweet black coffee (cafezinho); lunch and dinner was meat, gravy and pasta - day after day after day. For ten days, not one morsel of fresh fruit or vegetables. On day ten I felt as heavy as a sack of wheat, and just as dense and lethargic. Two weeks later I stayed with Marcus, a Swiss friend, in Lima. Marcus was a practicing Yogi, a vegetarian, an excellent and enthusiastic cook. For an entire month I indulged in the most delicious meals based on fresh fruit and vegetables, lovingly cooked. After just a few days I was buzzing with energy. I felt as light as a feather, ready to dance for joy on the beach. That was my first direct experience of the gunas of food. According to this yogic teaching, all material nature, all life on earth, all action, falls into one of three categories, called gunas - the Sanscrit word guna being roughly translated as " element, " " quality " or " energy " . Our lives are made up the interplay of these three gunas, and part of the work of yoga is to go beyond the limitation of seeing merely concrete forms and overt actions, and to recognize the underlying qualities hidden to the eye. Once we can see the energy at work behind a given mood or behavior we can better understand ourselves, and work consciously towards a higher quality of life. One way of doing so is through diet. Western nutrition teaches how our food affects out physical health; yoga teaches that what we eat also influences our thoughts, our moods, our mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. Becoming what we eat is true in the widest of senses: food affects the mind, transforms the way we feel about ourselves and shapes the way we live our lives. You have probably noticed this yourself: after eating certain foods you feel sluggish, dull and heavy, whereas certain othrer foods make you feel light and alert. The Yogic diet is a system of classification of foods according to the energy they produce in our minds. The three gunas at play are called Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. Sattva is a blissful, tranquil and clear energy. The Sanskrit word is based on the principle " Sat " , which means " being; as it should be, perfect " . People that are predominately sattvic are balanced, serene and compassionate. We've all had glimpses of sattvic energy: the calm joy you feel at the sight of a beautiful sunset or on hearing a glorious piece of music is fuelled by sattva. According to classic yoga this is our natural state, a state of inherent happiness latent in all of us. Sattvic food promotes lightness of body and clarity and calmness of mind. It is " sweet, fresh and agreeable " and includes most fruits, nuts, seeds, vegetables, particularly green leafy vegetables, whole grains, honey, pure water, milk and milk products. Rajas is a passionate, excited, aggressive energy; sexual passion is rajasic. Predominately rajasic people are full of desire, hedonistic, and driven by competition and ambition. The Sanskrit root means " impure " ; but a " raja " also a king, a member of the warrior caste. It is also related to the root rakta, " redness " , and raga, " passion. " Think of an animated crowd at an exciting football match and you will get the feeling for rajasic energy. Rajasic food nourishes the body, but promotes activity and therefore induces restlessness of mind. Rajasic foods include most spicy foods, stimulants like coffee and tea, eggs, garlic, onion, meat and fish, as well as most processed food. Tamas is dull, insensitive, gloomy and dark energy. The Sanskrit word literally means " darkness, dark-blue, black " Tamasic people are low-spirited, sluggish, dull and greedy. They can be characterized as lazy and slothful. Think of someone who has spent the night clubbing, drinking himself into oblivion; on awakening the next day he will be in a deep state of tamas. Tamasic food induces heaviness of the body and dullness of the mind, and is detrimental to both. It includes alcohol, as well as food that is stale or overripe. The three gunas encompass all existence and all actions and exist together in equilibrium. Thus on an apple tree, some fruit is ripe (sattvic), some ripening (rajastic) and some overripe (tamasic). Each of us has inherent predominance of one or more gunas, and the combination changes with time and place, giving rise to different energies at different times and in different places. Sometimes sattva prevails, making us elated and loving. Sattva regenerates and renews us, fills us with creative energy, well-being and goodwill; when we are on holiday we are usually in a state of sattva. If we lead demanding professional lives, we are governed by rajas. At the end of a busy workday tamas beckons: the lethargy of slouching in front of the TV with a can of beer and a microwave dinner, the mind dulled and virtually " switched off " . Recognizing which guna is at play it helps to bring about a state of balance in our lives. Cultivating sattva prevents us from being overwhelmed by the strains of a demanding job, and relieves stress. Rajas is needed for an active professional life, and rajasic food can help us overcome the tamas that befalls us after a busy workday. But for the practice of yoga, a sattvic diet is best. A sattvic diet is not only about choosing the right foods; it's also about the effect of heat, time, and even thought on food. The nature of food can change through heat: grains become sattvic only after cooking, while honey becomes tamasic with cooking. Time also changes food. Generally, grains become more sattvic through age, while fruits rot and become tamasic. Even the best food left overnight becomes stale and tamasic. Food should be freshly prepared and eaten with attention, respect and gratitude; saying grace before meals renders even rajasic food sattvic. Eating too quickly is rajasic, while overeating is tamasic. We should eat to live, rather than live to eat; sattvic food is naturally tasty, but an obsession with healthy food is again attachment, and rajasic. Equally important is the way food is prepared. The mood of the cook permeates the food, which is why most Indian men still prefer a lunch box prepared at home by their wives to restaurant food. Some yogis only eat food cooked by themselves or other yogis. Animal products need particular attention. Battery hens live in a torture chamber with no room to move. Dairy cows are imprisoned in narrow compartments and separated from their calves. These are miserable animals, and their produce promote tamas when eaten. The poor treatment of the milking animal, or the laying hen, the stress they are subjected to, means that the spirit of ahimsa, non-violence, one of the cornerstones of yoga, is constantly violated. What goes for dairy products goes far more for the actual meat of these animals. A classic yogic diet is almost by definition vegetarian, and while it is not a prerequisite of yoga practice to eschew meat, often the need and taste for meat drops away. Meat is categorized both as tamasic and as rajasic. It is tamasic because from the moment of an animal's death, meat starts to decay. On the other hand, meat is rajasic because the fear of death permeates every cell of an animal when it is slaughtered. A pig or cow brought to the slaughterhouse can see, feel, smell and hear the fate that awaits it. It secretes adrenaline, the " fight or flight " hormone. Adrenaline is in fact the concrete manifestation of the second guna, rajas. According to classic yoga teaching, when we eat meat we are consuming the fear of the dying animal, and the aggression that is its flip side. The rajas of a meat-based diet may be right for those who by profession lead active, challenging lives. These were the warriors of yore, in our time translated into urban warriors who need that rush of rajas to fight the battles of modern life. As long as one is attracted to such a lifestyle, a rajasic diet is necessary to uphold it. But for those who feel the need for a calmer life, for those who feel the call of yoga, the craving for meat, alcohol, processed foods, stimulating beverages, and other rajasic and tamasic foods gives way to a desire for more sattvic foods. A meatless diet, the taste for whole and fresh foods organically produced, becomes natural. For such a person there is no question of " renouncing " meat, and not eating it is no sacrifice. I did not give up meat after my stay with Marcus; I simply lost the urge for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2004 Report Share Posted March 18, 2004 Hi Sharon, I know that coconut is listed as calming to both pitta and vata. Because is clams pitta one would figure, as I did, that coconut is cooling. But I think I was wrong. There are a number of qualities in Ayurveda, like hot cold, light heavy, solidity liquidity, stability mobility. Each of these calms one or two of the doshas and aggravates (increases) the other one or two. For instance, heat calms Kapha and vata and aggravates Pitta. As a shorthand, I use cooling for anything that calms Pitta. That's true for me but not generally. For instance, one of the qualities that vata and pitta share is lightness. If coconut has a heavy quality, it might calm both pitta and vata, while aggravating kapha. However, since it also raises the metabolism, it might calm both vata and Kapha and aggravate pitta. It these two balance each other, it might in fact be good for all, the calming effects for each dosha balancing the cooling effects. That would depend on your own particular condition at the time. For instance, I have noticed that at particular times since using coconut oil I have been too energetic. I don't know if this is from the coconut oil and even if it is, I could use other things to calm the effect. Sometimes I use the coconut oil on sprouted crackers with fennel, cardamom and a little maple syrup, all cooling. As I said, it's all play. rich Ayurveda I have an Indian friend who has been traing as an ayurvedic doctor. She told me that in Ayurvedic medicine, coconut is " cooling " I was surprised at that, and told her that its effect on most people is actually " heating " Does anyone know anything about this? Sharon M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 27, 2005 Report Share Posted June 27, 2005 B., are you a practitioner? or are you just really into ayurveda? have you seen it really, really help people? or has it really, really helped you? i read the article; but i really don't know anything about it. i guess i always thought it was similar to chinese med. how do you know i'm a water type? > > Exercise is top priority for you. i agree. i feel my best when i exercise regularly. Also, getting out of bed and moving > around before 6 AM easier said than done. when i'm off caffeine and get to sleep by 9 pm...but most of the time i'm on caffeine and can't fall asleept til 11. if i got up before 6 i'd be a zombie all day. and no daytime sleeping! it makes me spacey and more tired anyway if i ever do that. Unfortunately, the cow > milk promotes your innate complacency. this doesn't surprise me somehow. since i started guzzling raw milk i've put on wt. and while it's helped my diabetes, at the same time i'm almost more sluggish than before. but i hate to shop and prepare food so i like to use it as a meal substitute. and it DOES help my diabetes (i'm borderline actually). anyway, that's my rationalization. You can improve the situation > by heating the milk and adding some ginger or other pungent spice and > maybe a little honey when it's off the heat, if you can't give it up. i should try this but it's easier to drink it straight from the fridge. what about kefir and yogurt? > Even better, switch to goat milk, if you can, and don't drink so much. yuck. i had it once. it tasted fine the first few days. after that... it was gross. i had to mix it with cow milk to get it down...didn't want to waste it. and anyway it's more expensive. > > And no wheat BTW. i try to eat as little as possible. tho we did have pizza tonight. mostly i have sprouted or sourdough spelt here and there. not a lot. > You want to focus on pungent, astringent and bitter tastes in food, to > warm and dry and lighten all that heavy dampness. like kefir and yogurt? Raw cow dairy is > about as damp/cool/wet as it gets. maybe not. > > I am this type, too. It's funny, how you said you needed the ND to > tell you what to eat because that's how we are, we don't create or > lead so much as need someone to tell us what we need to do--then we're > indefatigable. > B. that's right teresa...i've always been the kind of person that follows orders, not gives them, tho dh and son might disagree!!! have never been very creative. but i have a hard time eating what people tell me to eat...if i'm unconvinced, and if i don't want to change. which i don't. i'm not trying to be difficult. i just have a hard time making myself eat stuff i don't want to eat, and stopping eating the stuff i want to eat. i guess even if it's to my detriment i hate to say. i complain constantly about how tired i am and how i wish i had more energy...yet i'm unwilling to change my eating. story of my life, i guess. sigh. laura in nj Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 27, 2005 Report Share Posted June 27, 2005 > B., > > are you a practitioner? or are you just really into ayurveda? have > you seen it really, really help people? or has it really, really > helped you? I have studied it for many years, but I put it aside before I got into WAPF, frankly, I found it to be very prim. Just recently, this year, I started rereading my old books and buying new ones and it all began to make much more sense and fit together with WAPF and fine tune it, in some ways, at least for me. What fascinates me so much about it is the premise of using food to control your consciousness. I have seen amazing things with myself and friends and clients who had the willingness to adopt certain changes. It's not just food, but whole lifestyle. I don't know other people who live this kind of lifestyle, but I'll meet some next week, and listen to their stories. > how do you know i'm a water type? hahahaha, read your posts! The lethargy, the attachment to dairy products and wheat, the overweight problem, high blood sugar, the personal dissatisfaction with a concurrent lack of initiative to change--this is all textbook kapha overabundant and out of balance. B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 27, 2005 Report Share Posted June 27, 2005 > > hahahaha, read your posts! The lethargy, the attachment to dairy > products and wheat, the overweight problem, high blood sugar, the > personal dissatisfaction with a concurrent lack of initiative to > change--this is all textbook kapha overabundant and out of balance. > B. so if you were me...what would you do? i know, you already told me. but if you were me and would do one simple thing...what would it be? a 'baby step' so to speak. i really feel stuck. i've actually been feeling hopeless lately like i will never change. i've been stuck like this for really decades and have been searching for a 'cure' for as long...to no avail. either nothing works, or nothing works for very long, or i can't stick to anything indefinitely. i'm worse in summer. it's summer. i hate summer. if i could move north i would. i fell in love with new england decades ago and wanted very, very much to live there...i thought the climate suited me better. but i didn't and i can't now...dh hates the cold!!! i LIVE for the cold. we weren't going to take a vacation this summer as we bought a house last summer and it needs a lot of work...and money. but i can't bear the thought of not getting away from the awful summers here so i just booked a week on lake champlain in ny state. and a week is never enough to escape the a/c prison. spring and fall i feel a lot better but it never lasts. i love winter but am tired and sleep a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 27, 2005 Report Share Posted June 27, 2005 > so if you were me...what would you do? i know, you already told me. > > but if you were me and would do one simple thing...what would it be? > a 'baby step' so to speak. , I would wake up before 6 AM--five mins. till, if need be--and go for a walk around the block. Or feed the birds in the garden. B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 29, 2005 Report Share Posted June 29, 2005 > I really love the ayurvedic system. I agree it can look prim at first. I > think that's because we Westerners (I'm assuming you were raised in a > Western culture) make certain associations that aren't necessarily there in > the original writings. Sometimes I will think a statement is very > conservative and then realize that it is just common sense, but I am so used > to Western culture that connects the common sense thing to a whole slew of > religious and cultural weirdness. Once I realize that the ayurvedic text is > really just talking about the common sense behavior and not making any of > those other assumptions, I can accept it better. The same thing can happen > with Buddhist texts which often sound a lot like original sin doctrine when > they talk about detachment. > > I would caution about " diagnosing " someone's ayurvedic type so quickly, > though, especially based on imbalances. For a long time, I thought I was > mainly kappha. I have always dealt with a very kappha type depression (very > deep, existential and rooted in sorrowful compassion). I am overweight, > lethargic and have a wheat allergy. Also, whenever I took any of the > questionaires, even some of the better ones, I always scored very high for > kappha. > > Then I worked with a woman who was an ayurvedic practioner, trained in India > (where ayurvedic medicine is integrated into newer Western medicine.) She > said that I wasn't a kappha, but a vata with a kappha imbalance. Vata had > always been my distant second highest score, but the kappha imbalance was so > dominant that I scored as a kappha. (One funny thing is that no one who > looks at me can tell my weight. At my highest, I was 190, but only a size > 16. No one thought I was that heavy, which makes me think that my vata > " type " shows through even when I am carrying a kappha amount of weight!) > > Recently, I have gone off wheat, reduced my carbs, upped my fats and protein > and started eating kefir. I have also been diagnosed with sleep apnea and > have gotten a CPAP machine to correct it. Now that my diet has changed and > I am actually getting good sleep, I can feel the kappha problems subsiding. > > But still, if you are experiencing the symptoms of a kappha imbalance, > that's what you need to correct for first. > Hi , You are right, I was over-enthusiastic and I now regret it. I understand what you say about the type because I have an equal story to you, but transposed, I am kapha predominant but so very vata-deranged and for so many years the only thing I can score as Kapha is my build. This is the trouble with self-scoring on a quiz. If I took one before, I would have scored very, very low in the kapha category. It is distressing to discover what I thought forever was " me " personality-wise, is in actuality a long-term derangement. Kinda sad. The same feeling happens when people (me) read Ross' books and learn about how false moods have been controlling their lives. What fascinates me further is that the--is it--twenty-two or so amino acids in fact correspond to the twenty quality attributes. That blows my mind. It's all in there! Ancient! Absolutely I bet you are right about your size. I am curious about the size of your bones. Doctors in India study bones/skeletons to learn type analysis. It is the angularity of the joints that is telling of the vata structure AFAIK. Either *very* tall or small, always irregular. The large joints juxtaposed with the narrow long bones. Also, what size you were as a child, light/thin, med. or stocky--compared to siblings and other kids. Thank you for your thoughts, B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 24, 2008 Report Share Posted November 24, 2008 Hmm........ I am explorer and vata, not pitta. I haven't gotten past the vegetarianism in ayurveda to know more about their food recommendations. ________________________________ From: Debra <mermaideeee@...> Sent: Monday, November 24, 2008 7:37:57 AM Subject: Ayurveda Irene, are you also familiar with Ayurveda? Have you found the two very compatible? Dr. D. says that Explorers is most like Pitta, which I am. I was following Pitta long before I knew about Blood Type. I never agreed with the amount of meat Ayurveda recommends though. I find I need more like 70 protein/good fats and 30% carbs. I do like though that Ayurveda lets you eat fruit, while a lot of metabolic diets limit it. However, a lot of the good/bad foods are similar to Blood Type except, of course, wheat. _____ From: @groups .com [mailto:@groups .com] On Behalf Of Irene de Villiers Sent: Monday, November 24, 2008 1:47 AM @groups .com Subject: Re: Fruit All U Want? On Nov 23, 2008, at 8:12 PM, Bumpas wrote: > As an O nonsecretor I eliminated almost all fruit along with the > grains and sweets. I haven't yet figured out how much fruit I can > eat. Grapefruit doesn't seem to be a problem. I eat a little apple > (O avoid, but genotype superfood) Weird I think. In my case, I can eat Granny s but not other kinds. My best fruits are ones I grew up with but can not find here. Mango, grenadilla, white peaches, and such. Black grapes work for me, not red or green. ............Irene -- Irene de Villiers, B.Sc AASCA MCSSA D.I.Hom/D.Vet. Hom. P.O. Box 4703 Spokane WA 99220. www.angelfire. com/fl/furryboot s/clickhere. html (Veterinary Homeopath.) " Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt one doing it. " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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