Jumpstart-Ayurveda

Winter Ritucharya (Winter Daily Routines) 

As we anticipated our first snowfall last night in NYC, it reminded me that it is time to discuss our Winter Ritucharya (winter daily routines).  In the winter the Heaviness of Kapha (earth-water) increases;  as well as the cool dryness of Vata (air-space).    In winter, people are more prone to digestive problems, sinus problems, colds, flu, aches and pains (especially in the joints), anxiety, sleep difficulty, and low enthusiasm.  

It is recommended to eat warm easy to digest foods.  Make sure foods are cooked well so that they are soft and digested easily.  Minimize the consumption of uncooked and raw foods this season, but if you must eat raw foods, have them chopped very well, or blended in smoothies.    It is a good idea in the winter to combine leafy vegetables with stem vegetables (such as asparagus and squash) to help balance Kapha and Vata.  Cook flowery vegetables (like broccoli and cauliflower) with root vegetables (such as carrots and beets).  

As a Reiki practitioner, I am now very aware of the energy that surrounds everything around us.  Try to cook your meals with your own loving hands, with the intention of infusing your foods with love and energy.   Share this meal with someone to energize them with your love and energy-- peace, patience, and light.  It will energize those things within you as well.  

Avoid cold drinks.  Hot water or HERBAL teas should be sipped throughout the day.  

To help with sleep, try 8 ounces of tart cherry juice (2 ounces concentrated diluted) about an hour before bedtime or golden milk.  Also consider doing Abhyanga (self-oil massage before your evening bath) using sesame oil infused with rosemary essential oil (100 ml sesame oil with 20 drops rosemary essential oil).  Both sesame and rosemary are heating.  Shower or bathe as usual AFTER your massage.  Your skin will take what it needs, and the water will wash the excess away. 

Alternate nostril breathing can also be helpful for anxiety.  

If you would like more details on Abhyanga, alternate nostril breathing,  an Ayurveda  Nutritional Consultation, Reiki, Chakra balancing, or stress reduction, email me here or at [email protected].

Happy New Year! Are you living in sync with your bodily rhythms, where things are fluid, connected, and content? Or are you chaotic, stressed, overextended, and depleted? Are your habits intentional and effortful? Or are they careless and regressive? Ayurveda can help.

As we head into 2016, many of us are looking to make healthy changes. The problem is that we often create new habits that go against our rhythms, which are already well-established. Or we sacrifice our natural rhythms to accommodate our families. We need guidance to evolve our current habits to achieve our wellness goals.

I have created a 10-week “Introduction to Ayurveda” course that you can do at home. We all have busy schedules, and families to attend to, and I have created this program with that in mind.

Each Sunday, I will email you a new habit for you to practice throughout the week. Each week, you will build on the previous week’s habit. The purpose of these exercises is NOT mastery, but rather to keep moving forward by taking small steps using repetition to bring about big changes.

Because this will be done by email, you will have all the tools you need at your disposal at any time. And, of course, I will also be available by email, phone, Facetime/Skype, or in person for anyone during the 10 weeks.

The course will encompass: Week 1: Your Dosha. Plus: Early to bed (this does not mean going to bed at 9 p.m.) Week 2: Early to rise (this does not mean waking up at 4 a.m.) Week 3: Starting the day right (oil pulling, hydration, morning routines) Week 4: Meditation and mindful breathing (stress reduction and feeling grounded) Week 5: Exercise and movement Week 6: Earlier, lighter dinner Week 7: Healthful eating Week 8: Abhyanga (self-oiling) Week 9: Self-diagnosis (tongue reading) Week 10: Building better habits from this point on

Program dates: January 24 to April 2, 2016, by weekly emails sent on Sunday evening and covering the week ahead.

The cost of the program is $50.00—that comes to just $5 a session! It’s less than a cup of coffee and a donut each day (and way healthier) and much less than private Ayurveda sessions at $70 each. (Note: There may be small additional costs for supplies that you do not already have in your kitchen, such as coconut oil.)

Please RSVP to me your interest to join along with your email, and I can set up payment with you. (Please message me privately rather than posting in the comments section below).

Payments can be made via PayPal or through Venmo. If you do not have either, let me know and we can arrange payment by cash or check.

Sign-up deadline is Friday, January 22, 2016. Payment must be made before you can begin.

Feel free to email or call me if you have any questions (718-501-5687).

This week, the US Government is expected to release its new food guidelines for healthy eating (get your New Year’s resolutions ready). The problem here in the USA is that the FDA and USDA are tangled in a web of money, lobbying, and marketing. Instead of telling you what not to eat, or what is good to eat, our government is entangled in political lobbying with huge payouts that support food makers rather than consumers-- basically, if you have enough money you can get the government to say ANYTHING is good for you. The US isnt the only one with this problem. Check out the link below on food guidelines from around the world. My favorite is Brazil's. Ever wonder why Brazilians ALL have beach bodies? Take a look at the link below:

Imitation Food- Anything that is something it is not. Things like margarine, imitation crab meat, pancake "syrup" and "lemonade" powder. Imitation foods are highly processed "fake" versions of the real thing that often contains chemicals rather than the actual foods. There use to be a regulation requiring manufacturers to clearly label fake products with the word "imitation". But food manufacturers have money and had the regulation thrown out the window. Instead, buy REAL- REAL butter, REAL maple syrup, and make REAL lemonade with REAL lemons. Your body will thank you for it later.

(Adapted from 100 days of Real Food)

Good Nutrition Tips: Vegetables and Fruit. Vegetables and fruit should be the bread and butter of everyone's diet. Vegetables are KING! Set a goal. Try to eat 1 fruit with breakfast, 1 fruit AND 1 vegetable with lunch, and 2 Vegetables at dinner. If this is too much to start with for you, then shoot for 1 VEGETABLE with each meal and try to make fruit your between meal snacks. This small change will yield HUGE results in both your health and weight.

(Adapted from 100 days of Real Food)

Many of you know that I have been trained in both conventional nutrition (Bachelors of Science in Nutrition Science) as well as Holistic Nutrition (Ayurveda). I try to bring the best of both worlds while also trying to weed through a lot of the misinformation. I found this totally interesting, and have been paying attention to my own nose to see. I think this may be something to pay attention to!

Those of you who practice yoga or pranayama (breath work) are aware that we have a dominant nostril and it changes throughout the day (if you pay attention closely to your breathing, you will notice that one nostril seems to flow more easily and smoothly than the other--and this changes). If you are not sure what I’m talking about, lie down on your left side, wait a few minutes, and see which nostril works harder when you take a breath. Now try laying on your right side, wait a few minutes, and seeing which nostril has a harder time.

According to yogis, even breathing signifies balance.  When the left side is dominant, it is associated with passive pursuits- it is cooling, and predisposes you to receptive pursuits such as studying or other quiet forms of sustained efforts. The right side is associated with dominance and heating, which predisposes you to active pursuits like sports, or EATING. (Anderson, 2015).

According to this info, it would be best to take a meal when the right nostril is dominant.  If the left side is dominant-- don’t eat.  The article further invited readers to pay attention to their breathing when they are eating.  It stated that you would more likely enjoy a meal when the right nostril was dominant (Anderson, 2015).

For the past week I have been paying attention to my nostrils.  My lunch schedule is not regular.  I eat when my schedule allows.  I have noticed that when I am hungry, my right nostril is dominant!

I also noticed one day, when I missed lunch being so focused on a project, and went to eat  (not because I was hungry, but because I could)—that my left nostril was dominant! I also didn’t enjoy the meal as much (even though I had not had anything to eat since that morning and should have been hungry).

One night, I was in a snacky mood but it was really late.  I paid attention to my nostrils and noticed the left was dominant.  Was I hungry or was I bored?  I chose not to eat.

I found this to be very interesting and am investigating further. Check out the link below and let me know what you think.

Reference:

Good Nutrition Tip : Real Food. For the next 30 days, see if you can incorporate some simple rules about making sure you are eating REAL foods rather than processed foods.

1. NO refined grains: only 100% whole grain 2. NO refined or artificial sweeteners; only honey or pure maple syrup 3. Nothing out of a package that contains more than FIVE ingredients 4. NO deep fried foods 5. NO fast foods 6. Beverages only to include water, milk, occasional all-natural fruit juices, naturally sweetened coffee and tea, and (to help us with our sanity) wine and beer in moderation.

(Adapted from 100 days of Real Food)