Reenita's Wisdom

The monsoon season may not considered to be the ideal time to travel in India but if you are looking for a green spa retreat amidst the chirping of birds around a large lake then try the Coconut Lagoon. Situated on the banks of Lake Vembanad, the largest lake in Kerala, this unique health resort offers ayurveda, yoga, and kalaripayattu (ancient martial arts) in old world Kerala style living. It provides the perfect retreat from fifth gear living and its core values abide by the the name of its owner, the CGHearth group, which stands for Clean, Green, Healthy Earth. In the monsoon season, the air is dense with moisture making the flora of the Kerala backwaters seem greener and even more abundant than the rest of the year. [...]

The mango is so widely available in India, that the fruit itself is named aam which translates from Sanskrit as common. Even though the Indian subcontinent is home to more than a thousand varieties of mango, most Indians identify the fruit with the Alphonso variety.

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Once you’ve identified your primary Ayurvedic dosha or mind-body constitution, you can work towards achieving perfect health by eating to for your dosha-type. This could mean that you need to experiment with making a few changes to your diet that will help keep your body in balance. Of course, you won’t be able to stick to these guidelines all the time, but being conscious of your body’s natural tendencies is a great way to help control your moods, keep your energy up, and maximize your ojas, or vitality.

How to Eat for the Kapha Dosha

1.    Eat warm, cooked, light foods with bitter, pungent and astringent tastes.
2.    Avoid heavy oils and butters. Opt for lighter oils such as olive or canola oil.
3.    Avoid caffeine in excess and sugars—try cutting down on the mochas and opting for tea instead.
4.    Avoid heavy, congestive foods that are difficult to digest such as pastas, breads and cakes.
5.    Eat plenty of dark leafy green and brightly colored vegetables like celery, carrots, spinach, and tomatoes.
6.    Eat plenty of citrus fruits and berries. Drink citrus, fruit and vegetable juices.
7.    Avoid more than three meals or snacks in a day and maintain a gap of at least four hours between meals.
8.    Avoid high protein diets for extended periods—the lack of other nutrients will begin to set off imbalances in your doshas.
9.    Sip a specially blended Kapha tea (available from health food stores) to balance digestion in the stomach and prevent discomfort during and after mealtimes.
10.    Flush your system with water through the day—aim for at least 48 ounces.
11.    Make sure that dinner is the lightest meal of the day and try to eat no later than sunset.

For more tips about eating right for your dosha type, check out Inner Beauty.

Image credit: http://www.sailusfood.com

If you want your kids to stay healthy, you had best give them a daily dose of outdoor playtime. Old fashioned as it sounds, daily exposure to the sun is probably all that they need to absorb Vitamin D, a fat soluble vitamin necessary for building strong bones and preventing disease.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has changed its stance on its Vitamin D recommendations for kids. Up until now the accepted daily dosage of Vitamin D intake had been 200IU. However, pediatricians are now recommending that children receive double this amount of because of increasing evidence pointing to its ability to help reduce the risk for cancer, diabetes and heart disease [...]