Clean Your Drains with Vinegar and Baking Soda
Commercial drain cleaners are corrosive and dangerous. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has plenty of articles that warn users about the nasty things the corrosives can do to the human body, inside and out. Vinegar and baking soda on the other hand are the perfect ingredients for keeping drains clean and unplugged.
What You Need
- A handful of baking soda
- 1/2 glassful of vinegar
What To Do
- Dump the baking soda into the drain
- Pour in the vinegar
- Plug the drain immediately to drive the carbon dioxide down the pipe. Keep the plug in until the fizzing stops.
- Run hot water down the drain to clear the pipes completely.
Cold and flu got you down? Turn to your Ayurvedic medicine cabinet to help you kick those flu blues.’
According to Ayurvedic medicine, the common cold results largely from an imbalance of the Kapha and Vata doshas. Vata (air-space element combination) imbalances lower immunity. This invariably leads to a build up of the Kapha dosha (water-space element combination) to compensate. However, Kapha mechanisms typically overcompensate to make up for the ‘dryness’ associated with imbalanced Vata and lowered immunity. The result is excessive ‘coldness’ that creates mucus. This in turn reduces your ‘Agni’ or gastric fire, leading you to have the ‘chills.’
Ayurvedic remedies involve using warming herbs and spices to help you break down and expel mucus while re-building your gastric fire. So, while the idea of a runny nose might not appeal to you, chances are that if you can transition from being ‘stuffed up’ to ‘blowing it all out,’ then you are well on your way to recovery.
My favorite herbs to remedy the common cold are tulsi (‘Holy Basil’), the universal immune booster and ginger which helps to ‘loosen and liquefy’ stuck mucus. Both are great for helping balance Vata and Kapha.
Try these simple Ayurvedic home remedies to unclog your ENT system and help you breathe easy.
1. Ginger and Tulsi Tea
Make a brew of tulsi and ginger herb tea and sip it every couple of hours.
As always, I recommend fresh ginger root and tulsi leaves. The former are easy enough to find at most natural food stores, the latter you can find with a bit of looking, or just order seeds and grow your own. Use 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs per 1 cup of water.
Alternatively, check out Organic India’s Tulsi and Ginger tea or Ayoma’s Kapha Tea. Both are made with dried tulsi and ginger.
Consider using honey not just to sweeten your tea but also to help soothe a sore and abrasive throat.
2. Herbal Inhalation Therapy
Inhalation therapy is an age-old trick for breathing in the potent powers of herbs and releasing mucus. It works every single time!
Boil 3-4 tablespoons of freshly grated ginger root and chopped tulsi leaves into a pan filled with a quart of water. Alternatively, add a 3-4 drops of tulsi and ginger essential oils into a quart of boiling water. When the decoction begins to release steam, remove the pan from the stove-top and bend over it to inhale the herbal steam for about 10-15 minutes. For best results, ‘tent’ your head and the pan with a large bath towel to prevent the herbal steam from escaping.
Resist the temptation to ‘sniff or swallow’ back mucus as it begins to decongest in your nose and throat. If you find that you are expectorating quit a bit, then take a momentary break from your inhalation therapy to blow it all out.
Image Credit: Creative Commons – Superhua
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
As much as people might recognize that Ayurveda is an ancient medicine from India and that it enhances positive health, most do not realize how intricately it is connected to sustainability.
Translated from Sanskrit as The Science of Life, Ayurveda is probably one of the oldest known systems of sustainable living. Given that it enhances longevity goes to show how important sustainability is…not just as a marketing or lifestyle trend but as a method of achieving long term health.
Ayurveda is the natural medicine of India, about 5,000 years old. It provides a system for maintaining the health of the mind-body via daily and seasonal self-care practices. Since disease begins with improper digestion, digestive health and healing lies at the core of Ayurvedic self care. Food preparation techniques, appropriate food selection and combination, proper eating habits all contribute to preventing ill health.
Living In Harmony With Your Environment
Because Ayurveda is the Science of Life, it provides a set of tools that help you live in harmony with your natural environment. When this happens you can truly maintain a state of balance. This means eating local foods and preparing your meals to balance the effects of seasonal elements on your mind-body. Choosing not to harmonize your living patterns with seasons and geography can throw your health off course ultimately leading to poor health and disease.
You do not have to completely re-invent your life every few months but you should plan to make small changes over the course of the year, to live in harmony with the seasons. While the supermarket can provide all foods all year round, there is a wisdom in eating warming foods in winter or cooling fruits in the summertime. Try eating fresh and organically grown produce, fruits, and vegetables that are available through farms and suppliers close to where you live to be sure that you are in tune with the season and surrounding geography. A perfect reason to sign up for community supported agriculture (CSA) or start regularly visiting your local farmer’s market!
You might also enjoy reading
-
Ayurveda: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Living : Feelgood Style
-
Honey – The Cure For Just About Anything : Eat. Drink. Better
-
Nine Rejuvenating Herbs and Fruits That Will Get You to the Top of Your Game in 2009
Image Credit: WordRidden @ Creative Commons
You’ve probably been there quite a bit this year: tossing and turning from the moment you switch off your light until the wee hours of the morning…
Even though you love your job and you’re pretty good at what you do, the reality of a down economy is bringing you down too. Sure, you manage to finally fall asleep at the end of another stressful day, but the next day you wake up wondering what…where…how….
The New Year is a time to put some zing in your step! Try out one of these remedies from rejuvenating herbs and fruits that have been known for thousands of years to help you focus and clear your mind.
Acerola. Acerola is believed to have originated from the Yucatan peninsula. The fleshy red stone acerola fruits contain very high amounts of vitamin C and are believed to enhance creativity and clarity. Perfect for making jams and jellies; use the last of your cranberries along with acerola to make a power fruit preserve that you will want to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Or sprinkle a teaspoon of dried acerola over your soup or salad to power up your meal.
Acai. The wonder fruit of the Amazon improves mental clarity, promotes sleep and fights inflammation, a common outcome of stress. Acai juice is widely available on the market. You can make some frozen Acai ice-cubes by pouring Acai juice into an ice-cube tray and storing in your freezer. Add them into a glass of plain water, and sip your way to optimum health this New Year.
Goji Berry. Goji berries have been used for 6,000 years by herbalists in China, Tibet and India to improve circulation, enhance sexual function and promote longevity. Their mild, tangy, sweet and sour taste makes them perfect to drink as a juice or better yet, mix with some olive oil, lemon and herbs for and energy-enhancing salad dressing.
Gotu Kola. Gotu kola has been used as a medicinal herb for thousands of years in India, China, and Indonesia for its ability to improve mental clarity and alleviate anxiety. Steep one teaspoon of the dried herb in hot water to make a wonderful herbal tea. Add honey to sweeten it if you like.
Tulsi. India’s “Holy Basil,” has been used to allay anxiety for generations in Asia. Tulsi leaves and flowers help rid the blood of toxins that are typically built up through stress. Combined with ginger, it makes for an uplifting tea especially on a cold winter day. Alternatively, add 10-12 fresh tulsi leaves or a teaspoon of dried tulsi leaves into your salad. Read more about Tulsi here…
Mangosteen. This Asian fruit is filled with potent antioxidants called xanthones that increase energy and stamina all around. Try Mango-Xan, a liquid dietary supplement made from this exotic Queen of Fruits. For a healthy new year bubbly, mix half a portion of Mango-Xan with sparkling water. Add a mint leaf for extra oomph.
Amla. This immune system-boosting, antioxidant fruit has the richest natural source of Vitamin C. Not only will it clear your mind, it will also enhance a positive body nitrogen balance, which is essential for mental and physical performance. And, it clears your breathing passages. Open a capsule of Amla, and mix it into a cupful of warm water to sip as a tea. Or spread some Chyawanprash, an Amla based Ayurvedic jam, over nine-grain toast. Delicious!
Siberian ginseng. Siberian ginseng is prized for its ability to restore vigor and stimulate both a healthy appetite and a good memory. It is widely used in Russia to help the body adapt to stressful conditions and to enhance productivity. In China it is valued for its beneficial effects on qi, the energy that flows through your mind-body. One to three grams of dried Siberian ginseng root powder steeped in hot water makes a wonderfully fragrant tea. Or add 3-5 ml of the tincture into fresh fruit juice each morning. You’ll be bounding with energy through the day.
Ashwagandha. The word Ashwagandha translates from Sanskrit as “the virility of a horse.” This potent root is used by Ayurvedic healers to relieve stress, increase mental activity and invigorate the body. Take apart 1-2 capsules of ashwagandha, and add the dried powder into soup stock or stir fry. You will have a highly fragrant meal that will send you galloping to success.
This story was originally written by Reenita Malhotra Hora for SustainLane .com
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 Vata Dosha
Vata dosha types are most often digestively challenged. A tendency towards dryness can easily translate to gas, bloating, colonic gripes, hard stool and other digestive stress. Follow these tips to optimize digestion for Vata folks:
- Eat warm, cooked, light foods with sweet, salty, sour tastes.
- Lubricate dry or raw foods, breads, omelets, with oil, protein and butter
- Avoid caffeine in excess—this might take practice for coffee addicts!
- Substitute brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup for white sugar.
- Avoid gassy, bloating foods such as beans and soda. If you really want to eat beans, cook them with ghee and digestion-aiding herbs such as ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cilantro and dill.
- Opt for more root vegetables and leafy green vegetables rather than canned or raw vegetables.
- Eat plenty of fleshy fruits such as peach, mango, papaya, etc. Drink plenty of citrus, fruit and vegetable juices.
- Avoid meals on the run. Eat in a calm frame of mind.
- Do not mix different types of animal proteins such as fish and eggs, milk and meat, or turkey and shellfish.
- Avoid “low fat” diets. Vata folks need the nutritious quality of fats to keep them warm and to build strength.
- Sip a specially blended Vata tea (available from health food stores) to help regularize digestion in the colon.
- Eat many “small” meals through the day to help ramp up your energy level.
Image Credit: ArtofMovement.Net
Lately, I have been getting a series of Ayurvedic remedy requests for poison oak. Oddly enough, they all seem to be coming from pregnant mamas or women who are planning to be pregnant. But when I provide my favorite poison oak relief recipe with turmeric, I am presented with nerves and anxiety. Is it safe for a pregnant woman to use turmeric?
The Story With Pregnant Mamas Using Turmeric
First, it’s important to understand that turmeric is highly detoxifying and cleansing. Which is why it is commonly used in various Ayurvedic detox remedies. Now when it comes to pregnancy and breastfeeding, a soon-to-be mother is not usually advised to take detoxifying herbs and spices internally in a ‘medicinal capacity’ as it can cause her to release toxins right into the baby’s bloodstream or into her breast milk (if you are planning to become pregnant any time soon then wait for at least a couple of months following any kind of detox program).
By ‘medicinal capacity,’ I mean several capsules-ful or several spoonfuls. A pinch of turmeric in your cooking is not going to harm you. Same goes for other detoxifying herbs like manjishtha (a heaven-sent blood purifier).
Secondly, while taking detoxifying herbs and spices internally might be a bad idea, external application is not a problem. So, I recommend the use of a lepa (pronounced lay-puh) or medicinal plaster. A lepa can be somewhat messy to work with but it is a great way to draw out toxins in the skin. Here is my favorite recipe that offers advice on how to deal with poison oak using an Ayurvedic lepa.
Poison Oak Relief Lepa
What You Need
- 1 Tbsp ground turmeric*
- 1 Tbsp ground neem*
- 1 Tbsp ground manjishta*
- 3 Tbsp fuller’s earth or any mud
* Using fresh herbs is always preferable. But if you cannot find fresh herbs, then go for dried, powdered herbs instead. If you can only find them in capsule form, then open up the capsules and measure the powdered herbs into a spoon.
What To Do
- Mix the herbs and fuller’s earth together with water into a smooth paste.
- Apply the paste onto the affected area and let it ‘dry’ into your skin.
- When it is mostly dry, remove the excess.
- Avoid washing the herbs off. Your skin might be a little stained. Don’t worry, the stain will go away.
- Apply neem oil after (watch out, it’s awfully smelly).
Shopping Resources
You can buy neem and turmeric at Indian grocery stores and natural food shops everywhere. Manjishtha is a little harder to find. Here are a couple of online shops:
- Bazaar of India (www.bazaarofindia.com)
- Banyan Botannicals (www.banyanbotanicals.com)
About 24 hours ago, I submitted an article to Digg entitled
‘Mumbai Hotel Hostage Situation is Not Yet Under Control’
inspiredeconomist.com — A terror scene that eerily resembles 9/11 has been unfolding in Mumbai since late Wednesday night (November 25th). In spite of the arrival of army commandos, three hours ago, hostages are still being held in Mumbai’s top two hotels.
A number of people commented on the article but one particular comment left me gasping….
“How does it resemble 9/11?
Have any buildings been demolished?? No.
Have any planes been used as weapons of destruction?? No.
Obviously the subject matter is important, but BURIED for inaccurate and sensational headline.”
It amazes me that anyone from anywhere could possibly make such a naive comment!
How does a deadly series of attacks on Mumbai that has spanned beyond 40 hours NOT resemble 9/11? Have Mumbai’s landmark hotels not been destroyed? Does a terrorist necessarily need a plane to exercise as a weapon of mass destruction? Are AK-47s, hand grenades and bombs not enough? How could anyone consider a report of Bombay burning in these last two days either inaccurate or sensational?
Bound by natural human values of greed and self-indulgence, we are all perhaps entitled to live in our own ivory towers. But when disaster strikes should we not stop for a moment to question why the home of 20 million spirited people becomes a terrorist’s playground? Or what possesses a terrorist to turn a city’s monuments and into fortresses of terror?
I never thought that I would see the day when I would watch the news to find out that 30 dead bodies were recovered in the Oberoi hotel yet feel a sense of relief because the news was an indication that things were finally under control. What have we come to? Where do we go from here as we realize tomorrow which of our loved ones have been lost. After all, in this town everyone exists with three degrees of separation.
It pains me as it pains millions of others to see my city go up in flames. And while it is easy to point fingers at the coastguard, the government..our national security…when are we going to point fingers at ourselves? Will we ever question what role large or small, we might have played in molding the mind of the terrorist? The ‘brotherhood of man’ is a concept that society has consistently failed to cultivate. India is certainly no exampl,: although Mahatma Gandhi attempted to unite races and religions, he arguably failed too.
Are we going to continue living in fear for the rest of our days? What can we do as individuals to quell terrorism for good? I would like to invite your opinion.
Highlights of the events can be found on Mumbai Terror Update: 40 Hours Later, the War Continues
Tulsi or Holy Basil, India’s Sacred Medicinal Herb
Sacred to the Hindus, people often ask me the reason why Tulsi or the Holy Basil is considered holy. The story goes that the plant was once the devoted wife of a celestial being. Lord Krishna tricked her into committing a sin so she cursed him into becoming a stone. Impressed with her devotion and sense of righteousness, the Lord blessed her saying that she would be the subject of worship from then on. Tulsi is considered to be a symbol of fidelity. As an adaptogen, it helps maintain blood sugar levels within a normal range. It is also believed to nourish the mind and elevate the spirit.
The Indian tradition believes in the concept of atman, an inner light of strength that resides in the individual soul. Just as each individual celebrates the birth of his physical being each year, Diwali celebrates the inner strength of the soul. One reason why the darkest night of the Krishna Paksh, (the month of the Diwali holiday) is lit with a row of lights outside each home is to remind individuals of their inner strength, one that can light up even the darkest night.
India is celebrating Diwali, a major holiday not only for Hindus, but for Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains, too. Check out this beautiful picture of Diwali light in the UK Telegraph.
Loading ...