The Alchemy of Sustainable Health

Let’s kick’em plastics off of our kitchen

The light weight, unbreakable, multicolored plastic kitchenware has now infiltrated every part of our life, water bottles, refrigerator boxes, microwave bowls, dinnerware, mixers, blender, food processors, the list is endless. Our food kneads, warms, mixes, stirs, and sometimes even cooks in the chemicals of plastic.

The price we pay for the plastic convenience! The harmful chemicals used in plastic run into our food exposing us to many health risks. These chemicals are more pronounced when we use plastic for warm foods.

Bisphenol-A commonly known as BPA is added to plastic to make it clear and hard, It tends to leak into the food stored in plastic, more so, when the food is microwaved in the plastic. The microplastics that mix with our food thus, are known to cause many adverse health conditions like

· Metabolic disorders

· Fertility Challenges

· Structural damage to brain

· Different kinds of cancer

· Hyperactivity

· Altered immune function

· Early puberty and menopause

· Alterations in sexual behavior among others.

Beware, Sleepless Warriors

The only time I will rest is when I am dead. How many times have we heard people say these words?

Even the Guinness Book of World Records has stopped recording the Sleep Deprivation World Record because the risks associated with sleep deprivation are very high and often times irreversible.

Faculties that suffer due to consistent sleep deficiency are concentration and memory retention. Slowness, irritability, stress, and fatigue come next.

People with Alzheimer and dementia have been reported to have chronic sleep deficiency before they began showing signs of memory loss. Researches have shown sleep disorders as one of the notable culprits in many diseases like diabetes, cancer, and other lifestyle diseases.

The real misery being, most sleep deprived people are clueless about how impaired they become by the day until it begins to reflect in their health or as a permanent disability.

It is only recently that sufficient sleep is being prescribed as a necessary requirement for healing.

Rest your Gut with Khichari

Khichari is a simple porridge made up of dal, rice, and warming spices, served with a dollop of ghee, which makes a complete protein meal. The combination of dal and rice cooked together makes it easy to digest, thereby increasing the bioavailability of their combined proteins. It is primarily a resting food and helps rest your gut during digestive disorders, while recovering from viral fever or other health problems, or as an evening meal after a heavy celebratory lunch.

Since Khichari offers a complete protein based diet which is easy on your gut compared to other proteins, it is used in Ayurveda Cleanse like Panchakarma.

Our Energy today equals our Health tomorrow

When our energy is low in addition to feeling fatigued we may have one or more of the following symptoms.

· Planeness in skin and tongue

· Depression

· Irritability

· Poor Appetite

· Slowness and Dizziness

· Excessive Sweating

· Weak Pulse

· Loose Motions

· Bloating

· Indigestion

· Food Sensitivities

· Weakness during Periods

Consistent occurrence of these tell-tale symptoms of

energy deficiency in body for more than three

days, even after eating healthy and sleeping

adequately, can be a sign of concern. Please contact

a licensed practitioner who can identify the area of

energy blockage and support you in restoring a healthy flow of energy. If your overall life force goes down or is distributed unevenly, the routine functions of your body will be hampered. When this continues over a period of time it may result in serious ailments. How you feel today will decide your health quotient tomorrow.

This Holiday Season Indulge Consciously

Holidays are a wonderful time to bond with family and friends. The beginning of winter and festivities together whip up a charming atmosphere. It is easy to indulge in excess and turn a blind eye to our health routine. There is no reason to have fun, albeit with consideration for our bodies. After all we do want to start 2022 on an energetic note. Moderation and conscious indulgence is the key to have fun through the festivals and not regret the consequences.

· Identify your hunger – Eat only when hungry, stop just before you are full

· Stay hydrated to avoid the winter dryness, drink ample water.

· Limit your sweet bites to two pieces a day. You can substitute sweets with fresh fruits in moderation.

· Fortify your liver – Alcohol is the staple with festivities. Let’s stick to two drinks a day. Consume liver supporting foods and herbs like blueberries, cranberries, grapefruit, garlic, onions, brussels sprouts, mustard greens, cabbage, kale, broccoli, dandelion root, artichoke leaf, nuts, fatty fish, milk thistle, beetroot, carrots.

· Go gluten free –Most Christmas foods like cakes, breads etc contain high gluten content, which we can do without.

· Exercise everyday – make sure you walk at least 15 minutes after every meal, and exercise every day to maintain a healthy blood flow.

· Alternate between heavy and light meals. Do not follow a heavy festival lunch with a heavy dinner. Eat a light dinner

YIN-YANG the Complementing Opposites

The Yin–Yang was used by the Chinese ancients to explain the basic dualism of Qi. Yin and Yang are two opposing aspects of Qi that are also complementary by nature.

If Yin is form, Yang is function.

If yin is matter, Yang is energetic vibration.

Yin and Yang create each other, control each other, and transform into each other.

Yang refers to the characteristics of the heaven, ascending, the sun, warmth, brightness, daytime, clearness, motion, fire, aggression, male, generation, etc.

Yin refers to the characteristics of the earth, the moon, cold, heavy, descending, darkness, night time, murkiness, quiescence, water, female, death, etc..

Together they form the wholeness of Qi, the life force. When the life-force energy is balanced between Yin and Yang, it flows smoothly promoting physical and emotional health.

Disharmony between Yin and Yang inside our body causes the life force to deplete and damages our health.

Let’s kick’em plastics off of our kitchen

The light weight, unbreakable, multicolored plastic kitchenware has now infiltrated every part of our life, water bottles, refrigerator boxes, microwave bowls, dinnerware, mixers, blender, food processors, the list is endless. Our food kneads, warms, mixes, stirs, and sometimes even cooks in the chemicals of plastic.

The price we pay for the plastic convenience! The harmful chemicals used in plastic run into our food exposing us to many health risks. These chemicals are more pronounced when we use plastic for warm foods.

Bisphenol-A commonly known as BPA is added to plastic to make it clear and hard, It tends to leak into the food stored in plastic, more so, when the food is microwaved in the plastic. The microplastics that mix with our food thus, are known to cause many adverse health conditions like

· Metabolic disorders

· Fertility Challenges

· Structural damage to brain

· Different kinds of cancer

· Hyperactivity

· Altered immune function

· Early puberty and menopause

· Alterations in sexual behavior among others.

Sustainable Health is Conscious Health

We ride through life powered by the following five horses,

· Structure (related to our physical structure)

· Functions (related to the functions of our body)

· Emotions

· Nutrition

· Environment

Our health depends on the synch these five aspects maintain between themselves and with our whole being. If any of these five aspects is misaligned with our whole being, we experience discomfort or disease in our body.

Is it possible to sustain lifelong health?

Yes, of course, it is possible to sustain your health by LIVING CONSCIOUSLY.

Never push yourself.

I believe this should the mantra of every person who wishes to live to their optimum potentiality in all walks of life.

Much has been said about going against the current. Everything that truly works for you moves with the current, not against it. So, if you feel yourself pushing too hard in any direction, STOP and INVESTIGATE.

Improve your Sleep Quality

· Avoid overeating

· Go to bed before 11 pm

· Meditate for around 15 min before sleeping

· Avoid naps before bedtime

· Avoid watching TV, working on computer/tablet or phone at least 30 min before bedtime

· Use a warm night filter on your computer and phone screen in evenings

· Use warm and low lighting in evenings

· Keep your bedroom temperature comfortable

· No meals before 3 hours of bedtime

· Ensure a good gut health

· Eat freshly cooked, warm food which is balanced and nutritious

· Avoid warming foods and drinks like alcohol, caffeine, and spicy food

· Avoid emotional triggers before sleep

· Avoid over exhaustion

· Avoid hyper activity 2 hours before sleep

· Read something fun before sleep or listen to calming music

· Soak feet in warm water for about 15 minutes before bedtime

· Do breathing exercises

· Diffuse mildly fragrant essential oils like lavender in your bedroom before sleep

· Try acupuncture, it is quite effective in treatment of insomnia

· Take a warm bath or shower before bed

What are the sources of Qi in my body?

There are three sources of QI in our body.

Primordial or Prenatal Qi - this innate Qi is inherited at conception and defines our inborn constitution. It is stored in the kidneys. Congenital conditions are a result of primordial Qi disorders. Primordial Qi is replenished with acquired Qi.

Air Qi – the first source of acquired Qi comes from the essence of inhaled air. It is obtained from clean air and with proper abdominal breathing and aerobic exercise. Air Qi is extracted by lungs

Grain Qi - The second source of acquired Qi comes from the essence of digested food. Known as grain qi, it is extracted by our spleen from high quality fresh foods.

The Grain and Air Qi form the Acquired Qi. Together the acquired and primordial Qi make the normal QI in the body.

Benefits of eating Warm Meals

· Since heat increases blood flow, warm food eases the flow of blood to the gut which increases oxygen supply to support digestion.

· Aids Digestion – Digestion is a chemical process where the gastric juices break down the food we eat. This process is supported better by warm temperatures than cold. It is advisable to serve food between 40 to 80 degrees Centigrade, depending on the type of food.

· Enhanced nutrients absorption – Warm food enhances the absorptive power of the stomach.

· Better Taste - Taste buds called as TRPM5 are known to be more responsive to food at warm temperatures, hence it tastes better.

· Preserves body energy – It takes less time and energy for the body to digest warm food. In case of cold food, the food must be first brought to body temperature before beginning the process of digestion. This depletes our overall energy.

· Decontamination - Most bacteria and microorganisms cannot survive high temperatures. Heating the food helps decontaminate it.

· Supports weight loss – Efficient digestion of warm food aids in maintaining a healthy weight. Poor digestion is one of the triggers for obesity.

· Helps maintain healthy digestion – Warm food fuel the digestive fire, and maintain a better digesting capacity cumulatively.

Rules for Gut Wellness

1. Identify your hunger - Eat only when really hungry, which will happen only when your previous meal is fully digested.

2. Begin with gratitude - Take time to feel gratitude before beginning to eat.

3. Eat in a relaxed environment – Eating on the go, eating while watching TV, working, or talking on phone distracts you from enjoying all aspects of your food, namely, aesthetics, flavours and textures. This delays satiation of hunger and aids overeating

4. Eat with all your senses - Before you take that first bite, enjoy the aesthetics, aroma, texture, and color of the food served.

5. Chew your food properly before swallowing it

6. Know when to stop – Listen to your body before you take the second helping. Most often you do not it.

7. Eat warm and freshly cooked food– Cold or stale foods deplete our digestive fire.

8. Food must be well cooked and juiced with right amount of energizing fats to ease digestion and nutrition absorption