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Ayurveda |
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Ayurveda Health Tips |
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Ayurveda Health Tips |
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Tips for Balancing Vata |
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Eat three warm, nourishing meals each day. |
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Favor foods that are warm, heavy, oily, sweet, sour and salty. |
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Minimize foods that are spicy, bitter or astringent. |
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Minimize foods that are cold, dry and light. |
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Pay attention to fluids: avoid cold or iced drinks, sip warm water at regular intervals, avoid alcoholic beverages, coffee and black tea. |
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Ayurveda discusses three doshas or mind/body operators to keep ion balance for optimum health. Vata is the lead dosha and governs all movement in the body. |
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Experience the benefits of a warm sesame oil massage before your morning shower or bath. |
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Keep warm: avoid cold, windy or chilly environments; take long warm baths and showers. |
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Try to keep your environment humid. |
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Favor calm, quiet environments. Avoid mental strain, overstimulation, loud music, and long hours of TV in the evening. |
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Develop regular habits such as eating and going to sleep at the same times each day. |
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Enjoy light, humorous entertainment. |
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Make your surroundings light and bright. |
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Regular daily elimination is important. |
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Tips for Balancing Pitta |
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Favor foods that are bitter, sweet, astringent, cool, heavy and liquid. |
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Reduce foods that are excessively spicy, salty, sour, hot, or deep-fried. |
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Try to avoid skipping meals. |
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The key to remember when balancing Pitta is moderation. |
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Avoid hot baths and overexposure to the sun. |
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Pay attention to leisure and rest: do not overwork. |
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Keep inside temperatures on the cool side. |
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Avoid or minimize stressful deadline-oriented activities. |
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Seek out pleasing natural environments (sunsets, lakes) and the tonic of laughter. |
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Late evening strolls, when the air is relatively cool, and swimming can help soothe a Pitta-aggravated mind and emotions. |
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Decrease stimulants: avoid alcohol, coffee and tea. |
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Avoid watching violent, shocking or controversial entertainment. |
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Cool milk, blended with a couple of dates, before bedtime can help balance Pitta. |
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Maintain regular mealtimes; try and eat lunch close to noon. |
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Use cooling oil for massage, such as coconut. |
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Tips for Balancing Kapha |
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Favor foods that are light, dry, warm, pungent, astringent and bitter. |
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Reduce foods that are sweet, sour, salty, heavy, cold and oily. |
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Do not overeat but do not skip meals either. |
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Kapha types are steady and slow, so the key to balance is activity and variety. |
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Exercise regularly preferably every day |
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Avoid excessive rest and oversleeping. |
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Enjoy the benefits of a dry massage with a loofah sponge or raw silk gloves to stimulate the circulation. |
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Enjoy variety in life, and seek the stimulation of new sights, sounds, and people. |
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Stimulate the digestion by eating a little fresh ginger before meals. |
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Stay warm in cold, damp weather. |
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Early to bed and early to rise can help balance rest and activity. |
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Raw honey is the one sweetener that is beneficial for Kaphas, but in moderation not more than two tablespoon per day. |
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Tips for Quality Digestion |
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Savor your meals don’t work, drive, read or watch televisions while you’re eating. |
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Eat in a settled atmosphere. A calm environment and focusing on the food aid the body in absorbing nutrients. |
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Eat your main meal at midday, and eat lighter at night. Your digestive fire is strongest at midday. |
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Always sit down to eat eating on the go can hamper digestion. |
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Avoid ice-cold drinks or foods. They decrease the digestive fire. |
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Eat at approximately the same times each day. |
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Don’t eat too quickly, take the time to enjoy each mouthful of food. |
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Eat to about three-quarters of your capacity. |
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Take a few minutes to sit quietly after eating. |
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Don’t drink a lot of fluids with a meal. It’s fine to sip water or juice. |
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Favor fresh foods and avoid left-overs which can disrupt digestion. |
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Avoid taking a meal until the previous meal has been digested. Allow approximately three to six hours between meals. |
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A bit of fresh ginger before a full meal will help stimulate the digestive fire. |
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Milk should not be taken with full meals, especially with salty or sour tastes. |
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Avoid yogurt, cheese, cultured buttermilk and cottage cheese at night. |
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Eat only when you are hungry when the stomach is empty. |
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Do not eat when you are stressed digestion and assimilation are negatively impacted by stress. |
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Maintain regular meal times. |
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A happy, positive frame of mind at meal times will help you get the maximum benefit from your food. |
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Chewing fennel seeds after a meal helps digestion and freshens the breath. |
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Do not interrupt your meals for phone-calls or other work-related activities. |
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Tips for better Sleep |
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Place thin packets of aromatic, relaxing herb / flower potpourri in your pillows. |
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Do not bring work-related material into the bedroom. |
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Wear comfortable clothing to bed cotton is recommended. |
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The bedroom should ideally be dark or very dimly lit. |
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Keep your bedroom clean and orderly to limit disorderly thought. |
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Calming or settling activities as bedtime draws near help prepare the mind and body for rest. |
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Drink a cup of warm milk before bed. |
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Use calming aroma therapy oils to help you feel more settled. |
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Go to bed before 10 p.m. during the drowsy Kapha time of night. |
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Listen to soothing music before bed such as Maharishi Gandharva-Veda melodies. |
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Poppy Seed Chutney is a natural sleep aid. |
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Avoid arguments or intense entertainment right before bed. |
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Have your last meal about three hours before you go to bed. |
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Eat light at dinner and minimize hot spicy foods. |
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Wash your face, hands and feet just before bed. |
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A warm 20-minute bath an hour before bed can help you relax. Infuse bath water with relaxing aroma oils for added benefit. |
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Tips for Stress Management |
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Practicing Transcendental Meditation is an effective way to manage stress. |
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Walnuts, almonds, coconut, and sweet juicy, seasonal fruit such as pears, apples (cooked if possible), milk, lassi, Ghee, and fresh cheeses such as panir or ricotta are natural stress-busters. |
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Practice pranayam-breathing exercises to help balance the mind, body and emotions. |
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Mental Stress: |
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Manage mental activity try not to overuse or misuse the mind. |
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Favor Vata-balancing foods, such as sweet, sour, and salty tastes and warm, unctuous and heavy foods. |
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Favor warm milk, Ghee and other light dairy products. |
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Diffusing a relaxing aroma oil can help calm you before bed. |
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Perform a full-body warm oil massage everyday. |
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Physical Stress |
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Follow a Vata-Kapha pacifying diet. |
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Perform the full-body warm oil self-massage everyday. |
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Exercise regularly in moderation. |
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Tips for Immunity |
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Avoid extreme temperatures, hot or cold. |
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Eat a balanced, nutritious diet with lots of fresh vegetables and fruits. |
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Cook with moderate amounts of spices like turmeric, ginger, black pepper, cumin and coriander. |
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Avoid ice-cold foods and beverages. |
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Eat three regular meals everyday. |
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Enhanced Brain Power |
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Eat foods as close to their natural state as possible processed, canned and refined foods are low on chetana natural intelligence. |
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Include healthy proteins in your diet legumes, lentils, beans and grains. |
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Include several helpings of fresh fruit and vegetables in your diet. |
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Don’t cut fat entirely out of your diet, fat performs essential functions in the body. |
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The brain is especially susceptible to damage by free radicals, so harness the power of antioxidants. |
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Try diffusing the essential oil of rosemary, peppermint and lemon to help enhance mental clarity and alertness. |
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The essential oils of basil helps dispel mental fatigue and aids focus. |
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Stress impacts mental performance practice relaxation techniques to manage stress levels. |
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An adequate among of good quality sleep is essential for peak mental performance. |
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Keep your brain constantly challenged to keep it working well. |
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The daily warm oil self-massage helps enhance mental alertness. |
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Cracked black pepper in your diet can help the free flow of oxygen to the brain and help you stay focused yet calm. |
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Balance periods of intense mental activity with short periods of rest. |
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Tips for Balancing Stomach Acid |
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Reduce your intake of dry, spicy and salty foods. |
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Drink a little cool milk, but not with meals. Eat sweet, juicy fruits, such as plums and pears. |
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Get proper rest. Try to go to bed before 10 p.m. when digestion becomes active again. |
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Eat promptly when you’re hungry. |
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Don’t skip meals. |
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Tips for Healthier Joints |
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Cook with moderate amounts of ginger, turmeric and black pepper. |
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Cut down on raw foods such as salads. |
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Regular daily elimination is important. |
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Avoid or reduce bananas, yogurt, eggplant and bell peppers. |
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Avoid or minimize intake of cold, heavy foods that are hard to digest. |
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Do regular exercise in moderation-overdoing exercise can strain joints. |
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Perform the warm oil full-body self-massage everyday to improve circulation. |
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Pay special attention to the joints during the massage. |
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Tips for Detoxification |
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Get extra rest during detoxification |
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Go to bed before 10 p.m. to aid the body in purification. |
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Eat wholesome, nutritious, easily digestible foods such as vegetable soups and well-cooked mung dahl. |
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Increase the amount of fiber and bioflavonoids in your diet eat plenty of cooked, leafy green vegetables and fruits. |
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Tips for Massage |
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Use more massage oil on the soles of your feet and the palms of your hands to enhance circulation to the peripheries. |
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A full-body warm oil daily self-massage helps balance the body, mind and emotions. |
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A brisk daily dry massage with a raw silk glove can help break down cellulite deposits over time by enhancing circulation. |
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Enrich your massage oil with extracts of herbs for added benefit. |
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Sweet juicy fruits are excellent for cleansing and repairing the body. |
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Drink plenty of plain warm water to help flush toxins from the body. |
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Spring is the ideal time for a full-fledged internal cleansing program. |
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Regular, daily bowel movements are important. Psyllium seed husk can aid regularity. |
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Essential-oil-infused massage oils provide the dual benefit of massage therapy and aroma therapy. |
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Wait 5 -10 minutes after you apply the oil and before you shower for better absorption. |
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Massaging the lower arms, hands, lower legs and feet with a light massage oil can help relax you before bed. |
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A warm oil scalp massage, once or twice a week, stimulates the scalp and helps balance the mind. |
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Balanced Weight Control |
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Reduce cold, heavy, oily, sweet, sour and salty foods. |
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Include all six ayurvedic tastes (sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent) in at least one meal each day, to help balance unnatural cravings. |
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Avoid heavy meals and leftovers which are hard to digest. |
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Exercise daily. Vary the intensity and amount according to your age, weight and overall health. |
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Avoid fasting or other sudden changes in your diet. |
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Savor your meals. Don’t divide your attention by reading, working or watching TV. |
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Avoid cold drinks and food. Cool is okay. |
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Favor light, nutritious foods. Fill up on sweet, juicy fruits and vegetables. |
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Cook with fennel, cumin and turmeric. |
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Don’t fast or skip meals. |
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Add barely and mung bean soup to your diet. |
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At meals, only eat until you are about ¾ full. |
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Ayurvedic Hair Care |
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Cook with “hair-friendly” spices such as cumin, fenugreek, turmeric and black pepper. |
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Stay away from harsh chemical-based topical hair products; they can cause long-term damage to the health and luster of your hair. |
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Never attack wet tangled hair with a brush, use a wide-toothed comb instead to gently untangle hair. |
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A warm oil massage twice a week will help stimulate the scalp; leave oil on for at least an hour or two, then shampoo it out. |
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Use healthy fats to cook with Ghee and olive oil, for example. |
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Try and dry your hair naturally as far as possible, then brush into place; excessive blow-drying can cause hair to split and become brittle. |
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Botanical-based topical products shampoos, conditioners, and hair-oils can help nourish your hair as well as clean and condition it. |
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Add dairy products such as milk fresh yogurt and fresh cheese to your diet. |
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Avoid processed, refined or canned foods and foods with artificial preservatives or colors Ayurveda considers such foods stripped of their “ intelligence” and, therefore, not useful. |
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Manage day-to-day stress with relaxation techniques; prolonged stress is injurious to hair health and color. |
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Include plenty of green leafy vegetables and sweet juicy fruits in your diet. |
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Fresh coconut is excellent for hair sprinkle fresh grated coconut over salads, fruit or cooked rice. |
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Tips for Exercise |
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The key is to stay within your comfort zone stop or slow down when you start breathing hard, breathing through your mouth, or you feel you are straining. |
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Balance and mind-body coordination are key to experiencing the zone of peak performance. |
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Only exercise to 50% of your body’s capacity. |
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It is best not to exercise on a completely empty stomach some juice, milk or light fruit will help. |
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Ayurveda recommends yogasanas yoga postures and pranayam breathing exercises. |
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A brisk walk is beneficial for everyone. It calms nervous Vata energy, relaxes Pitta and stimulates Kapha. |
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Give your full attention to the process of exercising. Do not divide your attention by watching TV or listening to music while you are working out. |
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If you are a Vata type, light and thin, you need less exercise than Pitta and Kapha types. Low impact sports are best: dance aerobics, gymnastics, yoga and walking. |
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If you are a Pitta type with a medium build, a moderate amount of exercise is good. Sports that help you stay cool are best: swimming, surfing, skiing and ice-skating. |
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If you are a Kapha type with a large build you need regular, vigorous exercise. Sports that require stamina and physical endurance are best: aerobics, cycling, running, weight-lifting and football. |
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