During these hot, muggy days of summer it may be tempting to reach for icy drinks and foods. But, surprisingly, very cold foods do little to cool you off, and may in fact make you feel hotter. Cold foods put out your agni-your digestive fire (similar to metabolism)-which makes it harder for you to digest foods. Also, cold foods and drinks may raise your metabolism since your body has to work harder to raise their temperature and break it down. All this makes it harder to cool down.
Instead of ice cream or ice water, try eating cooling foods such as cucumbers and melons and eating spices such as cumin and corriander. Drink room temperature water and other fluids.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Travelling in Balance
I'm afraid I've been a little slow in getting Surya off its feet since I recently ran off to France where I spent the last two weeks eating my way from Normandy beach to the Riviera. It was all white bread, cheese, pastries and wine, and though I'm certainly not complaining, in large proportions, that kind of food isn't the greatest thing for the stomach (or the waistline).
Travelling in general can easily throw a person out of balance. The constant movement of air or ground travel makes it difficult to feel grounded and settled, even when you're standing still. And attempting to strike a balance between eating habits, excercise and sleep can be difficult when you're limited to hotels, tour buses and rich restaurant food (not to mention a stunning array of French cream custards). However, coming from experience, I do have some suggestions for travellers that may help ease jet lag and the changes in routine.
Water: It's important to stay hydrated when you're on the move, and when there are so many new sights to see it's easy to forget to drink enough. Always carry a waterbottle full of fresh water (avoid sugary drinks and excessive caffine) and pack fruit. Watery fruits such as watermelon, cantelope, pineapple and oranges are especially good. Red fruits and citrus especially are loaded with vitamin C and will give your immune system a boost.
Nuts: Carrying nuts and dried fruit with you provides an easy, accessible afternoon snack that will give you a boost of energy in that dull time between lunch and dinner.
Lavender: The fragrance of lavender is especially calming for frazzled nerves. Bring a sachet of dried lavender leaves or daub some essential oil on your wrists. If you put an open bottle of lavender oil in the shower stall when you are taking a shower, the steam will heat up the oil enough to release its fragrance.
Melatonin: This is a hormone that occurs naturally in the pineal gland in the brain and helps regulate your sleep cycle. You can find it in most health food stores. Taken in small amounts, melatonin can help you recover faster from jet lag if you are travelling across time zones.
Moderation: This is a word I use often, but in this context it applies to food. Often when we travel we eat restaurant food much more often than we normally would, which is not ideal for our bodies since restaurant food tends to be richer and higher in salt, sugar and fat than home-cooked meals. If you have to eat out during your trip, I would suggest eating only half of your serving. Limit yourself to one piece of bread and make sure you order a vegetable salad before your main plate, which will discourage you from overeating. It is also helpful to order one dessert and share it between two or three people.
Bacteria: I recently discovered probiotic supplements that you can slip into a purse or backpack. In just one pill you can ingest more than 2,000,000,000 live cells of Lactobacilli and Lactococcus, the good bacteria found in yogurt and naturally occuring in your large intestine. These bacteria help digest food and also provide the seat of the majority of your immune system. Your supply can get depleated during times of stress. I find it helpful to take one probiotic supplement at least a week before you leave and then take two a day, one in the morning and one at night, during your trip. When you get back home, take one a day for another week.
Breathe: Whenever you can, take a few minutes in your hotel room to stretch, twist and take deep breaths. Stand up straight, wiggle your toes and close your eyes, focusing on grounding yourself.
I have finally just emerged from the rather intestinal process of air travel and am feeling happy to be home and back in my routine (even though I do miss the breakfast croissants and bread and cheese sandwitches).
Happy travels.
Travelling in general can easily throw a person out of balance. The constant movement of air or ground travel makes it difficult to feel grounded and settled, even when you're standing still. And attempting to strike a balance between eating habits, excercise and sleep can be difficult when you're limited to hotels, tour buses and rich restaurant food (not to mention a stunning array of French cream custards). However, coming from experience, I do have some suggestions for travellers that may help ease jet lag and the changes in routine.
Water: It's important to stay hydrated when you're on the move, and when there are so many new sights to see it's easy to forget to drink enough. Always carry a waterbottle full of fresh water (avoid sugary drinks and excessive caffine) and pack fruit. Watery fruits such as watermelon, cantelope, pineapple and oranges are especially good. Red fruits and citrus especially are loaded with vitamin C and will give your immune system a boost.
Nuts: Carrying nuts and dried fruit with you provides an easy, accessible afternoon snack that will give you a boost of energy in that dull time between lunch and dinner.
Lavender: The fragrance of lavender is especially calming for frazzled nerves. Bring a sachet of dried lavender leaves or daub some essential oil on your wrists. If you put an open bottle of lavender oil in the shower stall when you are taking a shower, the steam will heat up the oil enough to release its fragrance.
Melatonin: This is a hormone that occurs naturally in the pineal gland in the brain and helps regulate your sleep cycle. You can find it in most health food stores. Taken in small amounts, melatonin can help you recover faster from jet lag if you are travelling across time zones.
Moderation: This is a word I use often, but in this context it applies to food. Often when we travel we eat restaurant food much more often than we normally would, which is not ideal for our bodies since restaurant food tends to be richer and higher in salt, sugar and fat than home-cooked meals. If you have to eat out during your trip, I would suggest eating only half of your serving. Limit yourself to one piece of bread and make sure you order a vegetable salad before your main plate, which will discourage you from overeating. It is also helpful to order one dessert and share it between two or three people.
Bacteria: I recently discovered probiotic supplements that you can slip into a purse or backpack. In just one pill you can ingest more than 2,000,000,000 live cells of Lactobacilli and Lactococcus, the good bacteria found in yogurt and naturally occuring in your large intestine. These bacteria help digest food and also provide the seat of the majority of your immune system. Your supply can get depleated during times of stress. I find it helpful to take one probiotic supplement at least a week before you leave and then take two a day, one in the morning and one at night, during your trip. When you get back home, take one a day for another week.
Breathe: Whenever you can, take a few minutes in your hotel room to stretch, twist and take deep breaths. Stand up straight, wiggle your toes and close your eyes, focusing on grounding yourself.
I have finally just emerged from the rather intestinal process of air travel and am feeling happy to be home and back in my routine (even though I do miss the breakfast croissants and bread and cheese sandwitches).
Happy travels.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
The Three Doshas: A Brief Summary
Imagine that you are looking at a watercolor painting of a landscape. You can see sky, trees, grass and animals. Step back and you can easily see the whole picture, but if you move closer you may only be able to see brushstrokes and smears of different pigments.
In Ayruvedic philosophy, the watercolor painting would be likened to the body as a whole while the various pigments represent the different doshas (energies) that occupy that body. For many people who live in the desert, an overcast, rainy day may leave them feeling depressed and dragged down. Likewise, eating a large dish of fried cheese appetizers may cause you to end up feeling bloated and fatigued.
Rather than lying in bed all day or reaching for the Alka-Seltzer, it is necessary to look at these instances in the larger sense, which is where the doshas come into play. The three main doshas described are Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.
The leading dosha is vata. Vata embodies movement, coolness and air; within the body, vata is tied to the nervous system, which is why it is often called the king of all the doshas. People who are Vata-dominant tend to be thin and quick with fine dry hair and skin. They may process new information quickly and have excellent imaginations, but they tend to be very energetic and burn out quickly.
Pitta is the dosha of fire and water and, unlike Vata, it is warm and moist. People who are Pitta-dominant flush and get hot very easily. They tend to be motivated and ambitious when it comes to work, yet may get easily frustrated. In the body, Pitta energy is connected with metabolism.
The Kapha dosha is that of earth and water. It is slow, steady, cool and heavy. -People who are Kapha-dominant tend to have a hard time losing those few extra pounds. In general, they have thick, dark, curly hair. They are typically unshakable, loyal, deliberate-thinking and slow to change. In the body, Kapha energy is seated in the chest.
Now, bear in mind that this is merely a brief summary of the dosha in order to introduce terms and concepts. Later on, I will go into much greater detail about the doshas, how to keep them in balance and how to detect an imbalance. There are also simple changes you can make to your lifestyle that can make balancing these energies more effectively.
You can take a simple quiz to determine your dominant dosha. This particular one is courtesy of Deepak Chopra at the Chopra Center.
http://doshaquiz.chopra.com/
In Ayruvedic philosophy, the watercolor painting would be likened to the body as a whole while the various pigments represent the different doshas (energies) that occupy that body. For many people who live in the desert, an overcast, rainy day may leave them feeling depressed and dragged down. Likewise, eating a large dish of fried cheese appetizers may cause you to end up feeling bloated and fatigued.
Rather than lying in bed all day or reaching for the Alka-Seltzer, it is necessary to look at these instances in the larger sense, which is where the doshas come into play. The three main doshas described are Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.
The leading dosha is vata. Vata embodies movement, coolness and air; within the body, vata is tied to the nervous system, which is why it is often called the king of all the doshas. People who are Vata-dominant tend to be thin and quick with fine dry hair and skin. They may process new information quickly and have excellent imaginations, but they tend to be very energetic and burn out quickly.
Pitta is the dosha of fire and water and, unlike Vata, it is warm and moist. People who are Pitta-dominant flush and get hot very easily. They tend to be motivated and ambitious when it comes to work, yet may get easily frustrated. In the body, Pitta energy is connected with metabolism.
The Kapha dosha is that of earth and water. It is slow, steady, cool and heavy. -People who are Kapha-dominant tend to have a hard time losing those few extra pounds. In general, they have thick, dark, curly hair. They are typically unshakable, loyal, deliberate-thinking and slow to change. In the body, Kapha energy is seated in the chest.
Now, bear in mind that this is merely a brief summary of the dosha in order to introduce terms and concepts. Later on, I will go into much greater detail about the doshas, how to keep them in balance and how to detect an imbalance. There are also simple changes you can make to your lifestyle that can make balancing these energies more effectively.
You can take a simple quiz to determine your dominant dosha. This particular one is courtesy of Deepak Chopra at the Chopra Center.
http://doshaquiz.chopra.com/
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)