Seasons change and everything in nature changes as well, however unlike the birds, bees and the plants. we in the frantic world of modern society, have lost touch with living in accordance with the natural rhythms  of the nature.  According to Ayurveda, as the seasons change, so too should our diet and lifestyle. While we instinctively make  changes according to season, Ayurveda brings us greater awareness as how to create seasonal balance.

Hibiscus Tea:
The first time, I had hibiscus tea was years ago in Egypt as a child. My family was there for the month of July and that is when I fell in love with it probably because it really hit the spot when I was dying of heat! Hibiscus tea is served both hot and cold all over the world; in the Caribbean,  South America, Central America, Mexico where they call it jamaica and the Arab world where they call it karkade. It can be either hot or cold brewed.I prefer it cold-brewed because it is less bitter and there are less tannins.

Ayurvedic Properties:

Taste: Astringent, Bitter
Guna: Light, Dry
Virya: Cold
Vipaka: Pungent
Dosha: Pacifies Pitta and Kapha and intensifies Vata
Karma: Pittahara, Kaphavatashamaka, Arshavinashi, Keshya, Garbharodhi, Sangrahi, Vishahara, Hridya

Recipes:

Hot Brewed:
Ingredients

• 2 cups dried hibiscus flowers rinsed

• 8 cups water
• 3/4 cup turbinado sugar ( you can substitute agave or any other sweetner of your choice. Do not use honey, however, as honey when heated may release toxins)
  

Instructions

1. In a large pot on high heat, bring hibiscus flowers, 4 cups of water, and sugar to a boil.
2. Cover and simmer over low  for 15 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and cool  to room temperature.
4. Using a collander or strainer,strain out the hibiscus flowers.
5. Add the remaining four cups of water.
6. Stir and chill.

Cold Brewed:
Ingredients:
1 cup of dried hibiscus flowers (rinsed)
8 cups of  cold water
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 cup of sweetener of your choice

Instructions:
Place all ingredients in a pitcher. Stir and place in the refrigerator overnight ( 8 hrs).
Strain out the hibiscus flowers, add a little lime juice (optional) and serve.

Watermelon Shake

Eating watermelon helps to  remain well hydrated during summer.  Not only is it thrist quenching and cooling but has great medicinal andnutritional value as well with its  anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-cancerous properties. It is good for preventing macular degeneration and treating hypertension, erectile dysfunction and skin problems. According to Ayurveda, water melon is guru (heavy to digest), shita (cool), pitta pacifying and kapha increasing.

Ingredients:

6 cups watermelon (tarbuj), cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin seeds (jeera) powder
2  teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons low fat milk

Instructions:

1. Remove the seeds from the watermelon and blend in a blender to create a smooth purée.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
3. Pour the mixture into a container and freeze until it is firm (approx. 2 hours).
4. Blend the mixture in a blender until it is slushy.
5. Pour into glasses and serve chilled.

Rose Yogurt Drink
Ingredients:

• 2 cups Fresh Yogurt
• 3 tbsp rose jam
  
• 1/2 cup Water
• Sugar as needed
• 1/4 tsp Cardamom Powder
• Ice Cubes
• Almonds for garnish

Instructions:

1. Take the yogurt, rose jam, sugar and cardamom powder in a blender.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Add water and ice cubes and blend again until well combined and frothy.
4. Pour the lassi into glasses and garnish with chopped almonds.
5. Serve chilled. 

 

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A friend of mine the other day was asking whether honey really has all the healing benefits that are claimed. There has been plenty of research done and it has been proven that honey is very useful in urinary tract disorders, worm infestations, bronchial asthma, cough, diarrhea and nausea, vomiting. It can be used to cleanse and heal wounds and great for weight loss as it aids in the metabolism of fat. 

The best honey according to Ayurveda is raw unfiltered honey for its antibacterial and antifungal properties.In Ayurveda honey is called as “Madhu” and it has been used for thousands of years for its healing qualities:

“Sandhatru cchedanam ruksham kashayam  madhuram madhu ||”

“It has sweetness (madhura rasa) with added astringent as end taste (Kashaya anu rasa). It is heavy (guru guna), dry (ruksha) and cold (sheeta). Its effect on doshas is as follows It aggravates vata, scrapes kapha and normalizes pitta and rakta. It promotes healing process.”

In the  ayurvedic text,  Sushruta Samhita , the actions of fresh and aged honeys are discussed ;fresh honey is nourishing  to the body  and is a laxative while aged honey on the other hand is anti -diarrheal and reduces fat and obesity. It also is also considered the best  ‘yogavahi’ substance. Yogavahi refers to its carrier qualities meaning that when used with other medicines or herbal preparations it enhances the medicinal qualities of those preparations helping them reach deeper into he tissues.

While honey is very beneficial, some precautions should be taken:
Honey should never be heated above 40°С (104°F) because it loses most of its benefits, it is mucus forming and according to Ayurveda becomes toxic producing ama which sticks to the tissues of the body and is difficult to remove. Also honey may include nectar of flowers that may be poisonous. Poison has hot or Ushna quality. When honey is mixed with hot and spicy foods or alcoholic beverages  the poisonous properties get enhanced and cause imbalance of doshas.

Honey should not be given to infants due to the risk of botulism.

Is it pure or adulterated? I just got to the US last night and grabbed some honey to use in my breakfast. Sadly, I found that it was adulterated (you can find many tests online).

Consider the sources of the honey and are there GMOs in your honey? Since bees from a single colony may gather nectar and pollen from flowers in a 200-square-kilometer area, are there GM crops in the area where the honey is being produced? In Europe there has been recent legislation requiring labeling if the GM pollen made up more than 0.9 percent of the honey. Since pollen only forms approximately 0.5 percent of any batch of honey, it would never have to be labeled!

Some Benefits of Honey & Applications:

Cut and wounds: Apply bee's honey on cuts and wounds.

Cardiac Tonic: Honey contains flavonoids, antioxidants that help reduce the risk of heart disease.

Blood sugar regulation.

Arthritis: Place a spoonful of honey with two tablespoons of warm water, one teaspoon cinnamon.Make the dough and rub the affected area, the pain will disappear within minutes. Drinking a glass of warm water with two tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon cinnamon, morning and evening to ease the pain of arthritis .

Bladder infections :Mix two tablespoons of cinnamon, one teaspoon of honey in a cup of warm water
and drink it. The drink eliminates the bacteria in the bladder.

Eyesight: 10 ml of honey mixed with 10 ml of carrot Juice and consumed regularly will improve eyesight and is helpful for those who sit at the computer for long period of time.

Cold and cough: Mix 10 ml of honey with equal quantity of ginger juice and consume twice a day.

Obesity: One glass of warm water taken with 10 ml of honey and 5 ml of lemon juice in early morning reduces fat and purifies blood

Skin Disorders: Applying honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on the affected parts of skin helps to cure eczema, ringworm and many other types of skin infections.

Bad Breath: In the morning, gargle with one teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water, so breath stays fresh throughout the day. It maintains dental hygiene and cleanliness of the smell of the mouth.

Young Honey has a laxative effect on the digestion system of an individual and helps provide relief from constipation.

Cholesterol: In one study it was found that two  tablespoons of honey, cinnamon and 3  tablespoons water in 16 oz. tea, can reduce cholesterol by 10% in only two hours.  3 times daily for a week may heal  it completely.

The Immune System: The regular use of honey per day with cinnamon strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacteria and viruses.

Asthma: A mixture of black pepper powder, honey and ginger  juice in equal quantities, when consumed three times daily helps to relieve the symptoms of asthma.

Blood Pressure: Regular use of one teaspoon of garlic juice mixed with two teaspoons of honey helps to control blood pressure.

One glass of warm water taken with two teaspoons of honey and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice in the early morning  reduces fat and purifies blood.

Cosmetic Uses of Honey:

Face wash: Mix a small quantity of lemon juice into 5ml of bee's honey and apply on face before washing.

Facial to improve smoothness:A tablespoon of honey whisked together with white of an egg, 1 teaspoon of glycerin and 1/4 cup of flour makes an excellent firming mask. Just smooth on the face, leave on 15 min, and rinse off with warm water.

Cracked lips: Apply bee's honey on cracked lips

Hair luster: Mix 5ml of bee's honey into 4 cups of warm water. Use as a hair rinse

Conditioner:Mix 10 ml of olive oil into 5ml of bee's honey and apply on hair. Wash after 15 min



Consuming one spoon of honey daily helps us to lead a healthy long life! Enjoy!

UPDATE ON August 10th. Watch this video below by Collin Chi:
Collin Chi, C.N.C., referencing over 43 clinical studies, discusses well-researched possibilities of MEDICINAL BENEFIT, as well as the PHYTOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES of PROPOLIS, ROYAL JELLY, BEE POLLEN and honey. Also includes the HISTORY, Life-cycle, and Importance of BEES!!!

Sources:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3611628/

“Therapeutic uses of Honey in Ayurveda” by Dr. Krishna.R.S — Pioneer Thinking

 “Samuel Hahnemann: Founder of Homeopathy” --http://altmed.creighton.edu/Homeopathy/history.htm

http://www.irjponline.com/admin/php/uploads/1661_pdf.pdf

Photo Credit: veganbits.com

In a report published in 2006, the NIH stated:
“The present evidence is insufficient to recommend either for or against the use of MVMs [multivitamins/minerals] by the American public to prevent chronic disease.” It further stated "Most of the studies we examined do not provide strong evidence for beneficial health-related effects of supplements taken singly, in pairs, or in combinations of three or more."

Chutneys are condiments similar to dips, ketchup and barbecue sauce used in American meals. Chutneys are traditionally part of an ayurvedic meal because not only are they delicious, but also nutritious and  aid in digestion. A balanced Ayurvedic diet includes all of the six tastes in every meal but each individual should adjust the quantity of the tastes for his or her constitution.
The six tastes are sweet, sour salty, bittern, pungent and astringent.
What is beautiful about this coconut chutney is that it includes all six rasas, or tastes.
Ingredients:
1 small bunch of mint
1 bunch of fresh cilantro
meat from one green coconut ( the yellow has less meat. you can also find this in the frozen section of Indian markets in the U.S.)
1 whole jalapeño ( I do like it a little spicy, but you may want to use 1/2 a jalapeño or less to start with and remove the seeds)
1 large chunk of fresh ginger
1/4 cup fresh yogurt.
 1 tbs. of raw sugar , honey or agave. I  prefer to  use honey because it has more nutritional value than agave
1 tsp. of salt
1 pinch of hing
1/2 tsp. of black pepper

The word marma in Sanskrit means " secret" or "hidden". As humans, we exist simultaneously   in  multidimensional planes on the physical, emotional and spiritual levels.  Located at the junctures in the human body where muscles, veins, ligaments, bones or joints intersect, marmani ( pl. for marma) are  portals that channel energy between the physical and energetic bodies. There are 107  marmani on the body and the mind is said to be the 108th marma. The marmani  were mapped out in detail centuries ago by Sushruta Samhita (6th Century founding father of Ayurvedic medicine)  in his classic Ayurvedic texts.) The  marmani are like locks on a dam  situated along the nadis of which there are  72,000  that channel prana through the body . When illness occurs, one or more of these energy pathways  may become congested and interrupt the flow of prana to the body parts and systems it feeds.  Applying physical pressure to the marmani through marma massage & asana practice and psychically through meditation, yoga nidra  and chanting of the bija mantra has a multitude of benefits:

• Sensitivity or pain of the marma points  can indicate an imbalance
• Therapeutic applications:
  

          pain relief, detoxification, pacifying or stimulating the doshas, stimulating dhatus & organs

• Calming & pacifying  the mind and emotions
• Enhanced awareness
• Preventative Care & Rejuvenation
  

Ayurveda and yoga are sister sciences that more than complimenting each other for the sake of healing body, mind, and consciousness,  are intertwined branches of the same tree  with  roots in Samkhya philosophy. They share similarities and fundamentals on many levels: