Monday 2 September 2013

WELCOME TO THE MAX / MIN CLUB: Maximise your health and minimise disease

The Max/Min Club brings you essential ideas to integrate into your routine and give you the greatest opportunity to maximize your health and minimise disease.

TIP#1: The very first thing you ingest in a morning is of utmost importance as your whole body has been at rest, so to jolt your system first thing (eg with coffee/tea) can have negative consequences especially to your liver and digestive system. 

So TIP #1 is to drink one cup of warm water with juice of half a lemon first thing before you eat or drink anything else.  This will give you a mini detox and flush out toxins that stayed with you over night.  (Note: Adding a square of chopped ginger will certainly benefit and reduce winter’s Kapha, unless you have a Pitta imbalance and too much fire/inflammation already, then go for it).

My son, Watson actually enjoys Chyavanaprasam.
Its an Ayurveda herbal paste that builds strength,
stamina and strong immune system.
First boil your filtered water (you can add Pitta/fire energy by boiling for 5 mins) and then top up with room temp filtered water so it’s warm to drink.  Perfect time to take any other supplements such as Fish Oil or Vit C (only at recommended dose).

But not multi-vitamins – never take a generic mix, have a Naturopath advise you on what specific vitamins and minerals your unique body needs.  Overload on man-made fat soluble vitamins (eg vitamins A, C, E and beta carotene) and they stay in your fat cells and potentially turn toxic.  Plus eating the correct whole food plant based diet will give you what you need anyway.

SUPER BOOST: When you have about 1 inch left in the bottom of your cup, put in a teaspoon of Tumeric powder.  I won’t pretend that it tastes like the yummiest thing in the world, but it sure isn’t the worst, and like my 4 year old son says, “it’s just like a needle – get it over and done with”.

“Turmeric has been used for 4,000 years to treat a variety of conditions. Studies show that turmeric may help fight infections and some cancers, reduce inflammation, and treat digestive problems.  Curcumin is the potent ingredient in Tumeric and is a powerful antioxident."

The University of Maryland Medical Centre
has some great information on research being done on the powers of Tumeric especially in relation to diseases mentioned, though take care if you suffer from a Stomach Ulcer.

There is also exciting information on the American Cancer Society site and please read this before taking especially for those allergic to ginger or yellow-food colouring plus people taking blood-thinning medications, drugs that suppress the immune system, or non-sterodial pain relievers (such as ibuprofen).       

PERSONALISED NUTRITION PLANS:
Contact Alison at info@pranahealingholidays.com if you would like a Personalised Nutrition and Lifestyle Plan with 7 or 14 day Meal Plans that will maximise your health and minimise disease.  They can be tailored to your Dosha type and/or goals such as weight-loss, allergies, heart health, minimise pain eg: arthritis, etc.


DISCLAIMER: In understanding that each person is an individual, then results from treatments may vary. Information by Prana Healing Holidays is presented for the sole purpose to impart education.  You will need a full Consultation with an Ayurveda Doctor to fully benefit therefore this information, and any product, is not intended to diagnose, treat, mitigate, cure or prevent any disease. 

If you have a medical condition, or are pregnant or lactating, please consult a health professional. Before making changes to your diet or routine, especially if you take medications, it is recommended that you speak with your GP or Dietician.

Sunday 1 September 2013

Essential tips to re-balance and spring into An Ayurvedic Spring

I am one happy bunny now that spring is here.  Spring time brings an incredible vibrancy to the air as the plants that have rested throughout the winter burst forth with renewed vigour. It is a time of growth, ascendancy and new potential. But with this new growth comes a time of change for our bodies.

Spring is time of increased warmth and wetness from a thawing of the congealed damp of winter. Because of the high amount of cold and wet qualities of winter and the heavier diet that we take to offset the climate, we have all accumulated some excess Kapha (water) at this time.

Just as there are spring floods from rivers overflowing so there are internal ‘floods’. The increased heat ‘melts’ our Kapha accumulation causing spring colds and hayfever. So we want to use this time to cleanse the body and prepare for the ‘melted’ Kapha to flow out of our body.

This cleansing can help Kapha imbalances to be removed from the body before they impact negatively on your health. If you know that you are a Vata (air) type, then you usually like spring with its warm and wet qualities.

However as it’s a time of change, if you have any Vata problems, then it’s best to pay due attention to re-balancing your Vata.  Pitta (fire) is balanced in the early part of spring but can accumulate as the warmth increases so just remember that you may need to pay attention to re-balancing Pitta in the summer. 

As Kapha imbalances are the main threat during spring the general rule is to try and follow a Kapha reducing lifestyle.

SPRING ROUTINE:

*Wake early (6-7am) and utilise your new season vitality. Kapha is especially aggravated by sleeping beyond 7am and rising early is a useful way to reduce Kapha aggravations of fatigue, lethargy, mucus and muzzy headaches.   Avoid excessive rest and oversleeping.

*Before you shower, give yourself a quick self-Abhyangam massage using organic Sesame or Sunflower oil to reduce Kapha from the skin.  (I will post up Deepak Chopra’s instructions on how to do a self-Abhyangam massage).  

*Even a quick massage should include skin rubbing which is very valuable at this time of year for stimulating lymphatic circulation. After doing your head then go direct to massaging your feet and legs, then progressing to the arms and back and then to the chest and abdomen. This brings lymphatic fluid back to the heart for elimination via the blood where toxins and wastes are cleared by the liver and kidneys.  Follow with a hot shower to refresh the body.

*If you don’t feel like doing a self-massage every day then stimulate your skin with a dry massage with a silk glove or use some organic soap and a good exfoliating glove or loofah sponge (not too harsh) to stimulate the circulation.

*If you can have a sauna during this early part of spring it will help to sweat out some of the liquefied Kapha that occurs at this time of year.

*ESSENTIAL TIP: First thing in the morning drink a cup of warm ginger and lemon water to stimulate digestion and cut through any mucous that has accumulated overnight.

*Practice Kapha regulating yoga poses which are dynamic, expansive and stimulating. Increase emphasis on your breathing. Do vigorous sun salutation up to twelve rounds until you are warm and your breathing becomes deep. Also include backwards and forward bends that open the chest to stimulate the kidneys and lungs. Also include spinal twists such as rotated triangle.

*If doing other forms of exercise, make sure that you move vigorously until you break a sweat every day for at least 30 minutes – whether it’s hiking, speed swimming, or intense aerobics– they’re all very helpful.  Ignore your initial resistance to doing this, as you’ll start converting stored fat into energy right away, and you will be pleasantly surprised to see dramatic weight loss results in a matter of weeks.

*Deep pranayama breathing with emphasise on Frontal brain encourages the clearing of Kapha. Make a daily habit of breathing more deeply, as it charges up your metabolism.

*The spring diet should emphasise the bitter, pungent and astringent foods that help to clear mucous and excess moisture from the body. The bitter and pungent flavours also help to open the channels of elimination.

*An excellent breakfast for balancing metabolism for all three body-types is a cooked apple or pear with cooked prunes and figs.  This breakfast choice is light and sustains most people until noon, when they can eat their heaviest meal.

*A healthy evening meal for a Kapha-person, and for everyone during this spring re-balancing time, is soup made with vegetables, grains and dhal and flavoured with spices such as cumin, fresh ginger, black pepper, and turmeric. Or try a Kitchari, a light meal made with rice and split mung dhal, is also a light Kapha-reducing meal (I recommend this weekly no matter what the weather as it improves digestion).

*TOP THINGS TO ADD are ginger, tonic water, spiced non-alcoholic cider, cranberries, turmeric, and beans to your day.  Especially fresh ginger which will stimulate your digestion by eating a little before meals.

*Plus pulses which are considered to be astringent so they can be emphasised at this time of year with red lentils, aduki beans and chickpeas which are good for clearing Kapha.

*Include plenty of green leafy vegetables, split mung dhal soup and other bean soups, and astringent vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and brussel sprouts. It's important to cook your vegetables and eat them warm, rather than relying on raw vegetables. Raw vegetables are difficult to digest, whereas to balance Kapha Dosha you want to eat warm, light, cooked foods.

*Increase light grains such as rice, quinoa, barley, millet, corn. Quinoa is an excellent grain for managing weight, as it has high protein and zinc content (4mg of zinc per cup). But it should be cooked with a bit of ghee or olive oil, as otherwise it may be too drying.

*Basmati rice is also a good grain because it has a more drying quality than other types of rice, but quinoa is better because it has the intelligence of fire to support weight loss.

*Kapha can be disturbed by excessive intake of dairy, cold and oily foods.  You must avoid ice, refrigerated foods eaten cold, eating too much, eating between meals and sleeping in the day as they will offset all of the other good work that you are doing.

*Also avoid the sweet, sour and salty flavours that are heavy and cause water stagnation in the body. Your meals should be warm, light and very easy to digest. Whilst the nature of most food is sweet it is important to add the bitter, pungent and astringent flavours into your diet.

*Honey is considered to be slightly astringent and warming, it is the only sweetener a Kapha-type person is allowed as it actually helps to clear mucus but only in moderation for everyone, not more than two tablespoon per day, as it’s still sugar.

*You will notice a dominance of yellow flowers in the spring and yellow and the liver are also connected. Many of these yellow flowers, such as dandelion tea, benefit the liver.

*If you are a Kapha-person then it’s recommended you stay away from stimulants like coffee, black tea, yerba matte, etc.  These stimulants have upsetting side effects like insomnia, tremors, anxiety and increased blood pressure and will make you feel nervous, jittery and agitated.

After your initial course of Kapha clearing move back to your own Dosha-balancing diet and methods.

If you would like all of these tips to be put into a Nutrition and Lifestyle Plan which includes 7-day or 14-day Meal Plans and Recipes then please visit www.pranahealingholidays.com

It is my goal to help you maximise your health and minimise disease.  Read further on how I can design a Nutrition and Lifestyle Plan for you, whether it is according to your Dosha-type, or to address your personal health goals such as weight loss, avoid heart conditions, minimise arthritis, allergies, etc.