Vidangadi Churnam – Herbal medicine to prevent Obesity, Excess Fat, Diabetes, Urinary Disorders and their complications

Vidangadi Churnam is a simple yet an effective prophylaxis herbal medicine used in preventing the onset or controlling the progression of Sthoulya (Obesity), Medovriddhi (Excess Fat) Prameha / Madhumeha (Urinary Disorders / Diabetes Mellitus) and other metabolic disorders. It is also used for the effective treatment of the above mentioned disorders. It is used only with the guidance and supervision of an Ayurvedic doctor.

Vidangadi Churnam / Vidangadi Choornam:

Ref: Ashtangahridayam

Composition of Vidangadi Churnam / Vidangadi Choornam:

• Vidanga – Embelia ribes
• Nagara / Shunti / Shunthi – Zingiber officinale
• Kshara – Alkali
• Kalaloharaja – Ash or calcined preparation of Iron
• Yava – Hordeum vulgare (Barley)]
• Amalaki – Emblica officinalis (Indian gooseberry)

Available form:

• Churnam / Choornam – Herbal fine powder

Use:

• Internal Application

Dose:

• 5 to 10 grams or as directed by the physician

With……..

• Honey or warm water

Indications:

Vidangadi Churnam / Vidangadi Choornam: It is used to prevent the onset of the below said diseases and disorders, to halt the progression and cure of the same.

• Sthoulya – Obesity
• Medo Vriddi / Medovriddhi – Excess fat, Metabolic errors of fat / lipid metabolism
• Apachi / Apachee – Lymphadenitis
• Prameha / Madhumeha – Urinary Disorders / Diabetes Mellitus and its complications

Disclaimer:

• These blogs are written for informative purpose and not for self prescription
• Application / Intake of any medicine without prescription of a qualified Ayurveda doctor is dangerous
• A thorough examination of the disease and the diseased by a qualified Ayurvedadoctor followed by diagnosis and prescription is mandatory
• Dietetic & Lifestyle advices, co-prescriptions, treatments etc may be essential and may prescribed by your doctor
• Ayurveda medicines are time tested and are not universal (all medicines do not suit everyone)

Pictures courtesy (with thanks):

http://www.keralaayurveda.biz/content/why-ayurveda-considers-obesity-be-more-dangerous-weight-loss

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/obesity-indicators-c-reactive-protein-research-jodi-smith

http://www.fitfathers.com/overweight-and-obesity-rates-increase-in-u-s/

Study Expects 113 Million Obese Americans by 2022

Dr Raghuram Y.S.

MD(Ay), Ayurvedic Rheumatology

Consultant Ayurvedic Physician

Speciality: Joint and Spine care

Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Ph: +91-9480071422

Email: drraghuramys@gmail.com

 

Medoroga / Sthoulya (Obesity) – A Risk Factor for Hridroga (Cardiovascular Diseases)-An Ayurveda Perspective

Medoroga / Sthoulya: The terms (diseases) Sthoulya or Medoroga explained in Ayurveda can be simulated with the modern day disease Obesity (Weight Gain).  There are other terms like Medo Vriddhi etc which fall into the category of Obesity. I shall discuss the meanings of all these terms in the forth-coming articles and also about how different are they or how similar are they to each other. In this context we shall discuss the term Medoroga or Sthoulya wrt Obesity.

Hridroga: Similarly I shall discuss the term Hridroga wrt Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD) though the term engulfs a wide array of diseases.

What is the relationship between Medoroga / Sthoulya (Obesity) and Hridroga (Cardiovascular Diseases)?

Obesity and Cardiac Disorders can very frequently be encountered in the modern era. They may be considered as 2 sides of the same coin because they are very often considered and practically evidenced as inter-related ailments.

If you are over-weight or obese…well….you may be highly prone to get a heart disease!!!!

Medoroga / Sthoulya (Obesity) is considered as one of the important modifiable risk factors of Coronary Artery¹ Disease (CAD). A positive correlation has been established between obesity, plasma cholesterol concentration, familial hyperlipidemia and physical inactivity and prevalence of morbidity² and death from coronary disease.

Similarly excessive obesity may increase the work load over the heart leading to excessive cardiac output which in-turn may event in Cardiac³ Hypertrophy⁴, Cardiac Dilatation⁵ and Abnormal Ventricular⁶ Function.

Ayurveda Perspective:

The classical words Sthoulya and Medoroga as available in textual references of Ayurvedic literature may be considered to be related terminologies to the modern words of Obesity, Hypercholesterolemia⁷ and Hyperlipidemia⁸ etc.

Similarly a limited reference of cardiac related disorders is available in the explanation of Hridroga but the cardiac manifestations in systemic disorders have been given different terminologies like Hritshoola, Hritpeeda, Hridgraha, Hridayaashuddi, Hridishoonyata etc.

But the references indicating relationship of Sthoulya or Medoroga as a causative or risk factor of Hridaya Sambandhi Vikaras cannot be directly obtained from the classics. But the terminologies explained in Medoroga Prakarana of Madhava Nidana text and Ashtounindhita Adhyaya of Charaka Samhita viz Ayukshaya, Ashaktaha-sarvakarmasu, Alpaprana, Nashayatyashu-Jeevitham, Kshudra-Shwasa, Pushyanti Anye Na Dhatavaha etc will indirectly point towards the possible Cardiac Manifestations which could be understood only by Anumana (inference).

Comparative Analysis of the Ayurvedic and Modern concepts of Obesity (Medoroga/Sthoulya) – As a Risk Factor for Cardio-Vascular Diseases (Hridroga)

Medasavrita Margatvat

• The Meda or fat obstructing the margas or different srotas in the body i.e. Rasa-Raktadi Srotas, point towards the atherosclerosis and hyperlipidemia which in turn may lead into the formation of CAD’s

Pushyanti Anye Na Dhaatavaha (Under Nourishment of other Dhatus)

• The Meda(fat) which has gained an abnormal increase by consumption of meda vriddhikara aharas and viharas⁹ tend to cause avarodha¹¹ in all the margas or Srotas’s¹⁰ which leads to deficient supply of nutrients and requirements to the other dhatus¹² which in turn leads to their qualitative and quantitative depletion. At the same time there is excessive accumulation of only meda snatching away all the nutrients. This produces a functional overload over the heart which tries to compensate the requirements of other tissues. This chain of events may lead to many a cardiac manifestations like hypertrophy, dilatation of the heart, hypertension¹³
• The Hridaya and its Dasha Dhamani’s¹⁴ being the Moola Sthana’s¹⁵ for Rasavaha Srotas¹⁶ and Rasa¹⁷ in turn is involved in Preenana Karma¹⁸, the nutritional demands of other dhatus are met with only in the normal functioning of Hridaya and Rasavaha Srotas. The Medas poses to be a major obstacle in this process and leads to imbalanced nutrition.

Medastu Cheeyate (The fat accumulates)

• It indicates the impending atherosclerosis¹⁹ and plaques²⁰ in the blood vessels which form a risk factor for the CVD’s. Atherosclerosis in coronary vessels may cause IHD (Ischemic Heart Disease²¹)

Ashaktaha Sarva Karmasu (Inability to do any work), Dourbalya (Extreme weakness, Loss of strength) & Javoparodha (Breathlessness)

• The person suffering from Medoroga or Sthoulya will suffer from loss of strength and energy and will be unable to perform the daily routine activities. This mechanism probably points towards the exercise intolerance due to the functional overload produced by excess fat over the heart, which in turn functions to meet the metabolic needs of excessive adipose tissue, to metabolize and mobilize the excessive fat. This hyper-functioning of the heart may lead to hypertrophy and dilatation of the heart and abnormal ventricular function, pulmonary congestion²², peripheral oedema²³ and exercise intolerance.

Kshudra Shwasa (Dyspnoea, Difficulty in breathing)

• Dyspnoea²⁴ (on mild exertion) may also be due to functional over load over the heart and lungs produced by excessive fat, as the hyper-functioning heart may cause pulmonary congestion.

Alpaprana (Decreased Life expectancy and Hypoxia)

• The person suffering from Sthoulya will have Alpapranae. decreased life expectancy and Hypoxia, which cannot be caused by the meagre increase of Medas. The abnormal increase in Medas producing hypercholesterolemia, hyperlipidemia, atherosclerosis etc. may in turn produce cardiac manifestation’s like cardiac dilatation, ventricular hypertrophy etc. leading to hypoxia²⁵, nutritional impairment, hypertension, renal insufficiency²⁶ etc. This chain of events may cause a threat to the life and may be responsible for decreased life expectancy.
• Hridaya being a sthana (place) for ojus²⁷ the sroto-avarodha²⁸ caused by meda (fat) in medoroga may cause depletion of Dhatus (tissues) and hence ojokshaya (depletion of ojus) which may be a causative factor for Dourbalya, Ashaktata, Alpaprana and Javoparodha.

Vikaaraan Dhaarunaan Kritva Naashayatyaashu Jeevitham (Causes complicated disorders and quickly causes death)

This explains that the meda (fat) is responsible for manifestation of life threatening disorders in the body.

• Obesity is generally responsible for hypertension, which in turn may cause hypertensive cardiac diseases²⁹. The patients of hypertensive heart disease have advanced coronary atherosclerosis and may develop progressive IHD. Weight reduction seems to reduce the systolic³⁰ BP significantly. As a result of atherosclerosis and hypertension there is an increased risk of MI (Myocardial Infarction³¹) and stroke³² in obese individuals, thus producing a threat to life.
• Atherosclerosis in coronary vessels may cause IHD. Myocardial ischaemia³³ may event in MI, chronic IHD MI in turn may cause arrhythmias³⁴, Congestive Cardiac Failure³⁵ (CCF), Cardiogenic shock³⁶, thrombo-embolism³⁷, cardiac aneurysm³⁸, pericarditis³⁹ etc. all of which may be life threatening.
• Acute coronary syndromese. acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina⁴⁰ and ischaemic death are often precipitated by fixed coronary atheromatous⁴¹ plaques
• Obesity causes hyperinsulinaemia⁴² and Non Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM)⁴³or Type2 Diabetes which are responsible to produce hypertension which in turn is responsible for heart diseases.
• Obesity is related to hypo-ventilation syndrome⁴⁴ which events in polycythaemia⁴⁵ and eventually right sided heart failure

Ayurveda has accepted Medoroga or Sthoulya as a Santarpanottha Vyadhi⁴⁶, so as to the obesity being included in nutritional disorders in modern medical science. Though Hridroga has not been told to be caused by Santarpana⁴⁷, it has been included under the indications of Langhana⁴⁸ which probably may indicate the relationship of Hridroga with Santarpana or Santarpanottha Sthoulya⁴⁹, which again is curable by Langhana or Apatarpana Chikitsa⁵⁰. Hridaya Shuddhi⁵¹ or feeling of comfort in the heart (chest) is one of the lakshanas of Samyak Langhana⁵².

All the above said factors indicate the probable relation of obesity with CVD as a risk factor

Few Tips to keep the heart safe from fat (Preventive and Therapeutic):

• Keep away from over eating
• Get indulged in regular daily exercises (Physical and Mental activities) and avoid sedentary life style.
• Avoid calorie rich diets and the diets derived from carbohydrates and fats (Medhya-Fat rich and fat enhancing food, Shleshmala ahara-foods which cause vitiation of kapha in the body which in turn causes Obesity and CVD, Madhura anna rasa-Foods and drinks rich in sweet taste, Sneha-Oil rich foods etc)
• Therapeutic starvation – Only water, no caloric drink with vitamin mineral and protein supplements in very obese (Langhana, Apatarpana etc)
• Undergoing Panchakarma therapies (Ayurveda cleansing and detoxifying therapies), Yoga and Naturopathy will surely help
• Monitoring stress, dealing with conditions like Depression etc are essential

Hridaya being a sthana for ojus, the sroto-avarodha caused by meda in medoroga may cause depletion of dhatus and hence ojokshaya⁵³ which may be a causative factor for dourbalya, ashaktata, alpaprana and javoparodha

To conclude….

Regularly following the above mentioned tips religiously can minimise fat in the body, thus reducing the risk of CVD’s which in turn improvise the life expectancy of an individual and also will have a global impact

“Control-Fat-Protect your Heart” should be the thought for the modern world, the principles being alike in Ayurveda and the present day medical sciences

Dictionary

1. Coronary Artery-Blood vessels nourishing the heart
2. Morbidity-The relative incidence of a particular disease
3. Cardiac-Relating to Heart
4. Hypertrophy-The enlargement of an organ or tissue from the increase of size of its cells
5. Dilatation-Getting stretched beyond normal dimensions
6. Ventricular-Relating to Ventricle, the lower chambers of the heart
7. Hypercholesterolemia-Excess of Cholesterol (Bad Fat) in the blood stream
8. Hyperlipidemia-Abnormally high concentration of fat or lipids in the blood
9. Meda vriddhikara aharas and viharas – Food and activities which cause increase in fat
10. Srotas’s – Channels or duct system or conduction system of the body/mind
11. Avarodha – Blockage / Obstruction
12. Dhatu’s – Tissues
13. Hypertension – Abnormally High Blood Pressure
14. Dasha Dhamani’s – 10 Great blood vessels getting their origin from Heart which in turn give off many branches
15. Moola Sthana – Place of origin
16. Rasavaha Srotas – The Channels carrying and transporting Rasa Dhatu (which is in the process of transformation) to the site of requirement
17. Rasa – The first tissue formed from the essence of our food according to Ayurveda which further takes part in a cycle in which other tissues are formed consecutively
18. Preenana Karma – Function of Nutrition
19. Atherosclerosis – A disease of the arteries (blood vessels) characterized by the deposition of plaques of fatty material on its inner wall
20. Plaques – A sticky deposit
21. Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) – Most common type of heart disease and cause of heart attacks. (Also called Coronary heart disease, Coronary arterial disease, atherosclerotic heart disease). This is caused due to less blood supply to heart and its muscles.
22. Pulmonary Congestion – Filling in excess of blood or any other fluid in the lungs
23. Swelling of tissues especially in the lower limbs (legs) due to accumulation of excessive watery fluids
24. Dyspnoea – Difficult or laboured breathing
25. Hypoxia – Less amount of oxygen reaching the tissues
26. Renal insufficiency – Deficient excretion of wastes from kidneys
27. Ojus – Essence or active principles of dhatus
28. Sroto-Avarodha – Blockage of body channels
29. Hypertensive Cardiac Diseases – Heart Diseases caused due to raised Blood Pressure
30. Systolic – The phase of the heartbeat when the muscles of the heart contract and pumps the blood from its chambers into the arteries
31. Myocardial Infarction (MI) – Destruction of Heart tissues due to the deficit blood supply to the muscles of the heart. (Another name for Heart Attack)
32. Stroke – a sudden disabling attack or loss of consciousness caused by an interruption in the flow of blood to the brain, especially through thrombosis
33. Myocardial ischaemia – Less blood supply to the muscles of the heart
34. Arrhythmias – Fast/slow, Regular/Irregular heart beat – Disturbance in the rhythm of heartbeat
35. Congestive Cardiac Failure (CCF) – Heart failure, failure of heart in the function of pumping blood, not meeting with the demand of the body’s requirements
36. Cardiogenic Shock – Shock caused by cardiac (heart) arrest
37. Thrombo-embolism – Obstruction of a blood vessel by a blood clot
38. Aneurysm – Excessive localized enlargement of an artery caused by weakening of the arterial wall
39. Pericarditis – Inflammation (swelling) of outer layers of the heart
40. Unstable angina – Condition in which heart does not get enough blood and oxygen supply. It may lead to heart attack. Angina is a type of chest discomfort or pain due to poor blood flow through the blood vessels (coronary) of the heart muscles (myocardium). It may present as a chest pain also.
41. Atheromatous – Degeneration of arterial walls due to accumulated fatty deposits and scar tissues obstructing blood supply
42. Hyperinsulinaemia – Excessive level of insulin circulating in the blood than expected in relativity to the level of glucose
43. Non Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM) – Also called Type2 Diabetes or adult-onset Diabetes. In this the body either resists the effect of insulin – a hormone that regulates movement of sugars into the cells or do not produce enough insulin to maintain a normal glucose level
44. Hypoventilation syndrome – Also called Pickwickian Syndrome. In this the severely overweight people fail to breathe rapidly enough or deeply enough, resulting in low blood oxygen levels and high blood carbon dioxide levels
45. Polycythaemia – Abnormal increase of haemoglobin in the blood
46. Santarpanottha Vyadhi – Diseases caused due to over-nutrition
47. Santarpana – Over-Nutrition
48. Langhana – Lightening therapies
49. Santarpanottha Sthoulya – Obesity caused due to over-nutrition
50. Apatarpana – Less nutrition / Starvation
51. Hridaya Shuddhi – Feeling of lightness in the region of heart or chest
52. Samyak Langhana – Signs and symptoms of the Lightening therapy having administered properly
53. Ojokshaya – Decrease in Ojus

Pictures courtesy (with thanks):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/0/21702372

http://hrprofessionalsmagazine.com/how-to-weigh-in-obesity-in-employment-decisions/

http://nypost.com/2013/09/30/obesity-up-25-percent-in-nyc/

Dr Raghuram Y.S.

MD(Ay), Ayurvedic Rheumatology

Consultant Ayurvedic Physician

Speciality: Joint and Spine care

Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Ph: +91-9480071422

Email: drraghuramys@gmail.com

Straight from Samhita’s: Lekhaneeya Mahakashaaya – The Natural Ayurvedic Herbal Weight Reducing Drugs / Revulsives

For extremely health and figure conscious people, weighing scale is one of the favourite things which show its presence in the vicinity. Many people are obsessed with their weight management and they keep mounting the scale every now and then. Over weight and obesity has become a global epidemic, thanks to the modern day luxuries, lifestyle, stress, food and sophistications at easy disposal. Things have been so easy that we need not do anything, things will happen. Overweight problems and obesity apart from being of utmost cosmetic importance, are a point of worry since they give origin to many metabolic & psycho-somatic disorders. Obesity management is also a trendy business for medical professionals and some profit seeking & experimenting non-professionals also.

Ayurveda has many good options towards total holistic approach of Obesity management. One among them is the classical reference of Lekhaneeya Mahakashayaa’s mentioned in Charaka Samhita Sutra Sthana. They are 10 very effective drugs which have a tendency and efficacy of scraping down the excess of fat and muscle tissue which are contributing towards weight gain. They can be used either individually or in combinations. It goes in various permutations and combinations as per requirements of different personalities.

यत्किंचिल्लाघवकरं देहे तल्लंघनम् स्मृतम्।{चरक सूत्रस्थानम् २२}

Anything which debilitates your body or causes thinning and also brings about lightness in the body is called Langhana.

LEKHANA (to scrape) or Karshana (to cause thinning) are the synonyms of Langhana

धातून् मलान् वा देहस्य विशोष्योल्लेखयेञ्च यत्।

लेखनं तद्यथा क्षौद्रं नीरमुष्णं वचा यवाः।{शा}

That which removes or scrapes out the excessive tissues or wastes (toxins and excreta including those accumulated in the cells) is called Lekhana. Example: Honey, Hot water, Vacha (Acorus calamus) Yava (Barley) etc.

लेखनमनिलानलभूयिष्ठम्।{सुश्रुत सूत्रस्थानम् ४१}

The Lekhaneeya Dravyas (Emaciating or weight reducing drugs) are predominantly made up of Vayu (Wind) and Agni (Fire) elements. Both these can deplete the accumulated wastes and unwanted tissues. They are mainly antagonistic to the muscle tissue which is predominant in Prithvi (earth) and Jala (water) elements and thus scrape out the excessive muscle tissue bringing about thinness & lightness of the body resulting in weight reduction.

The 10 Lekhaneeya Dravyas based on their excellence in their Weight reducing qualities are as said below:

मुस्तकुष्ठहरिद्रादारुहरिद्रावचातिविषाकटुरोहिणीचित्रकचिरबिल्वहैमवत्य इति दशेमानि लेखनीयानि भवन्ति॥{चरक सूत्रस्थानम् ४/८–३}

1. मुस्त – Cyperus rotundus
2. कुष्ठ – Saussurea lappa
3. हरिद्रा – Curcuma longa
4. दारुहरिद्रा – Berberis aristata
5. वचा – Acarus calamus
6. अतिविषा – Aconitum heterophyllum
7. कटुरोहिणी – Picrorrhiza kurroa
8. चित्रक – Plumbago zeylanica
9. चिरबिल्व – Holoptelia integrifolia
10. हैमवती – Paris polyphylla

So when you are aiming about reducing your weight….think about natural ways…..& when you are going a natural way………..think about Ayurvedic way………..

Prevention or interventions…when you think of handling things in a natural way…think of AYURVEDA

For Health Awareness

By: Dr Raghuram Y.S. 

MD(Ayurveda)

Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Ph: +91-9480071422

Email: drraghuramys@gmail.com

Simple tips to keep your Kidneys safe & avoid Kidney Diseases

Kidneys are important organs in our body which act as filtering units and keep our system detoxified. They maintain the fluid balance which is essential for easy run and maintenance of the body. The smooth functioning of vital organs like heart etc depends on the proper functioning of the Kidney.

Every year, the 2^nd Thursday in the month of March marks the “World Kidney Day” which aims at creating awareness about the Kidneys and the importance of maintaining their health in order to maintain a good overall health, to reduce the frequency of Kidney diseases and their allies globally.

Here are some of the tips to maintain your Kidneys in a good condition and to avoid Kidney diseases:

Get into Exercising habits and keep yourself fit: Blood pressure is one of the leading causes for Kidney diseases especially of chronic nature. Long standing Blood Pressure can cause Kidney diseases which may prove to be a lethal combination of Silent Killer category. They can further influence each other in a troublesome way. By the time their association is detected and declared as dangerous, the time would have slipped out of our hand. Good exercising in the form of walking, jogging, workouts etc will reduce the Blood Pressure and hence avoid the Kidney diseases.

Keep monitoring your Blood Sugar levels and see if they are under control: Studies show that around 50% of people who have diabetes might develop kidney damage and consequential Kidney disease on the background. Therefore it becomes a great responsibility of the Diabetics to keep a check on their blood glucose mathematics and also keep a check on the kidney functions by means of regular tests. Keep in touch with your doctor. Controlled Blood Sugar will give surety of safe kidneys.

Monitor your Blood Pressure: As already mentioned, Blood pressure, especially the uncontrolled one is the most common cause of kidney damage. When your hypertension is associated with other factors like diabetes, high cholesterol and cardio-vascular diseases, the chances of getting a Kidney disease is magnified. The platform will always be ready. Therefore you should keep your Blood Pressure values under control.

Take healthy foods and monitor your body dimensions: Taking good home-made foods and avoiding the outside food, processed foods and junks, having a control on salt intake (recommended: 5-6 grams per day) can prevent conditions associated with Kidney diseases like Diabetes, Heart diseases etc. At the same time see that you do not burden your weighing scale. Keep your weight under control by implementing proper food, lifestyle, controlled stress and adequate exercise in your lives. Being overweight or having obesity might prove dangerous to Kidneys and Heart.

Water your body plant regularly: The maintenance of a healthy fluid intake in the form of water is very essential to prevent Kidney damage and diseases. 1 ½ to 2 litres of water per day per person is the minimum requirement (Universal quantity has not been bottom lined). When we consume plenty of fluids, the kidneys will flush excessive sodium, urea and other toxins from the body. This detoxification lowers the risk of developing kidney damage and diseases. The right level of fluid intake for any individual depends on many factors including gender, exercise, climate, health conditions, pregnancy and breast feeding. People who have already had a kidney stone are advised to take 2-3 litres of water per day daily.

No Smoking: Smoking slows down the blood flow to the Kidneys. Insufficient blood supply to the kidneys impairs their functioning. Smoking also increases the chances of Kidney cancer risk by 50%.

No Self drugging: Do not self medicate. Do not develop a habit of purchasing over-the-counter pills without a prescription. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (like ibuprofen etc) taken regularly have proved to cause kidney damage. If you have a chronic pain which need to be dealt with, work out different alternate methods of combating it with your doctor.

Check your kidney functions in presence of risk factors (1 or more): The risk factors are –

• You have diabetes
• You have hypertension
• You are obese
• One of your parents or other family members suffers from Kidney disease
• You are of African, Asian or Aboriginal origin

Do not interfere in the Kidney business: According to Ayurveda, you should not control the urge of urination. It is a natural cleansing mechanism. If you make a practice of avoiding urination for long time regularly, you are harming your urinary apparatus. You are training the kidneys and bladder to hold back the things which are not required. This will have a reverse effect on multiple tissues and organs and cause extensive damage other than kidneys. Avoiding the impending urination is also a cause of many urinary disorders.

Courtesy:http://www.worldkidneyday.org/faqs/take-care-your-kidneys/8-golden-rules/

Prevention or interventions…when you think of handling things in a natural way…think of AYURVEDA

For Health Awareness

By: Dr Raghuram Y.S. 

MD(Ayurveda)

Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Ph: +91-9480071422

                                                                                                                                                                                               Email: drraghuramys@gmail.com

9 Ways of Dealing with a Lazy Stomach

This is in continuation of my article “What type of Stomach do you have?”

 Let us brush up and see what a LAZY STOMACH is before going to ways of dealing with it…

 Recap:

 Lazy Stomach: This stomach is very lazy, at peace and settled. It digests the food slowly in comparison to other stomachs. The space between hunger episodes is very long. These people can tolerate hunger and are fine without eating for many hours. They eat slowly, and in less quantities. There is a sort of rejection of food from the mind. This happens in a person who is by nature watery (Kapha Prakriti / Physical Constitution @ birth). Basically these people are of good / large built, slow, sluggish, steady, peaceful and at times lazy in their activities and mannerisms.

Such people are bound to get diseases caused due to decreased Metabolism. It causes slow digestion, accumulation of unwanted materials in the cell thus slowing the tissue metabolism. They are prone to diseases such as obesity, diabetes, thyroid problems (involvement of pitta and vayu is also seen), excessive sleep, lethargy, respiratory diseases like asthma, cold, bronchitis etc, depression, formation of stones, swelling / oedema, etc.

9 Ways of dealing with a Lazy Stomach {What should people having Lazy Stomach do?}:

1. These people can train themselves to have an active, sharp and enthusiastic approach towards life.
2. They need to awaken themselves and their cells from deep relaxation phase and motivate themselves into active mode. Good exercise, in the form of walking, jogging and workouts will work.
3. They should avoid cold foods and cold environment. Their living areas and working areas should be comfortably warm and not having comforts.
4. They should avoid heavy foods and taking foods in large quantities. Small amounts of easily digestible food many times will work. Large quantities of food, a couple of times are not advised. They should not have a slow approach towards eating; rather they should retire quickly from the table before the mind gets sick of food.
5. They should avoid Sweet and tasty, sour and salty foods in excess
6. Their food should be at regular timings, easily digestible, in small quantities, hot and fresh and predominant with hot and pungent, bitter and astringent tastes.
7. Their stomach and gut will be cold and damp by nature. Digestants and appetizers in the form of kitchen spices like ginger, turmeric, cumin seeds, pepper etc should form essential part of the diet. Honey is ideal for Kapha.
8. They should monitor the quality and quantity of sleep. The sleep format should be short and not comfortable. They should avoid sleeping during day time.
9. Loss of appetite is the root cause of many systemic disorders. They should see that they do not get into low appetite and if they are suffering from loss of taste or appetite or indigestion, they should get rid of it. They should not feel proud that they don’t feel much hunger or that they are gifted to tolerate hunger.

Prevention or intervention…when you think of handling things in a natural way…think of AYURVEDA

For Health Awareness

By: Dr Raghuram Y.S. 

MD(Ayurveda)

Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Ph: +91-9480071422

Email: drraghuramys@gmail.com

Ayurveda concepts: What type of Stomach do you have?

What type of stomach do you have?

If I ask this question many of you may feel it so weird!!!

But it is true that all of us have Stomachs of different nature and behaviours…

Stomach is a small bag in our belly, which receives food, holds it for a while, digests it and sends it to the intestines for further processing and utilisation. If this initial mechanism is not done properly, it may lead to many metabolic disorders, improper nutrition to tissues, accumulation of waste products in the cells, loss of energy and immunity and many such conditions.

How bad or good is our stomach depends on how good or bad we are in taking care of it over a period of time.

By nature (constitution) we are given one among the below mentioned stomachs:

Confused Stomach: This stomach is very moody. It sometimes digests the food very well and sometimes we are put at the extremity by facing serious indigestion and related problems. This happens in a person who is by nature windy (Vata or Vayu Prakriti / Physical Constitution @ birth). Basically, these people are thin built, quick, hurried, anxious and confused in their activities and mannerisms and are very erratic with their food schedules.

Such people are bound to get Neurological diseases, Diseases related to bones and joints like osteo-arthritis, skin, pelvic organs, ear, breathing and circulation,  constipation & are prone to early degenerative changes / diseases

Ferocious Stomach: This stomach is very angry and ferocious. It quickly digests any type of food and any quantity within no time. The hunger pangs are more frequent in comparison to other stomachs. If neglected it leads to craving. This happens in a person who is by nature fiery (Pitta Prakriti / Physical Constitution @ birth). Basically, these people are of moderate built, quick, pushing, competitive, aggressive and dominating in their activities and mannerisms.

Such people are bound to get diseases due to increased Metabolism, Diseases related to stomach and intestines like gastritis & ulcers, colitis, cholesystitis, pancreatitis etc, Eye disorders, mood swings especially anger, irritability, migraine, excessive sweating, blood pressure, skin diseases etc & are prone to early inflammatory changes / diseases. They get irritated and frustrated when they do not get food in time i.e. hunger tolerance is very low

Lazy Stomach: This stomach is very lazy, at peace and settled. It digests the food slowly in comparison to other stomachs. The space between hunger episodes is very long. These people can tolerate hunger and are fine without eating for many hours. They eat slowly, and in less quantities. There is a sort of rejection of food from the mind. This happens in a person who is by nature watery (Kapha Prakriti / Physical Constitution @ birth). Basically, these people are of good / large built, slow, sluggish, steady, peaceful and at times lazy in their activities and mannerisms.

Such people are bound to get diseases caused due to decreased Metabolism. It causes slow digestion, accumulation of unwanted materials in the cell, thus slowing the tissue metabolism. They are prone to diseases such as obesity, diabetes, thyroid problems (involvement of pitta and vayu is also seen), excessive sleep, lethargy, respiratory diseases like asthma, cold, bronchitis etc, depression, formation of stones, swelling / oedema, etc.

Happy Stomach: This stomach is happy, relaxed and serene. This state is achieved when all the 3 factors operating in our system i.e. Vata, Pitta and Kapha are evenly balanced, complementing and supplementing each other without interfering into each other’s business. This happens only in an absolutely healthy individual and finding these factors is like getting a diamond amidst a heap of coal. Such people if any are said to have Sama Agni (Balanced fire or metabolism). These people are healthy physically and mentally, can digest food with ease and utilize it in the form of hat, energy and immunity. They hardly get any diseases and if they happen to get a disease, they naturally get rid of it without any medical aid.

According to Ayurveda, all the systemic diseases take their origin from the gut / stomach and a disturbed metabolism. So the best way of avoiding the diseases and keeping ourselves healthy and happy is to take utmost care of our stomach.

Do not wait for things to go out of limits. Prevention is always the best remedy.

Prevention or intervention…when you think of handling things in a natural way…think of AYURVEDA

For Health Awareness

By: Dr Raghuram Y.S. 

MD(Ayurveda)

Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Ph: +91-9480071422

Email: drraghuramys@gmail.com

9 Tips to avoid Obesity

“Obesity”…the name itself is alarming and it is not possible that we do not know our best enemy. This enemy is always at our gates. We might have seen an overweight boy or an obese man or woman in our neighbourhood or as a part of our family. We might have seen obese people suffering from psychosomatic suffering and running away or hiding from the society, ashamed and guilty and many with a strong will to end their lives. It has enveloped in such a way that it has become a global epidemic and has held the universe by its collar. Meanwhile, many of us do not know that it is not difficult to beat it in its own game by taking early action. Ayurveda too declares that an obese person is one among the Ashta Ninditas (8 Physical perversions or 8 socially unfit / abused). The below said tips might be handy to avoid obesity……

1. Exercise Regularly:

• Among the benefits of Exercise, Medasaha Kshayaha (Reduction of accumulated fats) has been mentioned in the Ayurvedic texts.
• Regular Exercises including walks, jogging or strolling in the gardens for at-least 30 minutes a day (minimum 60 minutes in kids), including weekdays and weekends is ideal.
• Do not give break to exercises on holidays.
• Workouts in Gym’s or Treadmill or Cycling or any physical exercise out of the box will do.
• Exercises will burn out some calories and keep us fit, energetic and enthusiastic.
• Schedule a mandatory family walk.

2. Eat Sensible:

• Ayurveda advices Hita Bhuk-Mita Bhuk (Good foods and Limited foods) for a healthy life.
• Eat small quantities, many times rather than taking 2-3 big feeds.
• Eat only when hungry.
• Work out on food portions and plan the food as per calories according to the needs of the family.
• Have varieties and do not stick to the patterned, monotonous and customary foods.
• Know what, when and how much to eat.
• Be wise to make a choice or reject.
• Avoid Junks and eating in eateries often.
• Remember that homemade foods are best for health.
• Kids eat what you eat. Set an example to them and make home and your dining table a first nutrition class.

3. Prefer healthy foods:

• Increase the servings of fruits & vegetables, which are healthy and natural options.
• Dietary fibres including green leafy vegetables help in burning calories, keeping bowels clean and decrease craving.
• Whole grains and healthy fats should be a part of diet.

4. Avoid unhealthy foods:

• Avoid eating at eateries, junks, and stale and carried over foods.
• Avoid carbonated and sugared drinks and beverages.
• Limit refined grains and sweets, potatoes, fried foods, red and processed meat.
• Avoid saturated fats available in the form of butter, cheese, fried foods, coconut oils, vegetable oils, whole milk, meat, peanut, white sugar etc

5. Avoid spending time on Gadgets:

• Modern day gadgets are very useful to us but the more time spent in front of them will decrease the time available for good exercise and enjoy healthy diet.
• More time spent in front of Computers (browsing and gaming), Televisions, Phones etc will cause lowing of brain activities, cause depression and will steal time which could be used for exercising.
• Modern day kids and teenagers are behind these sophistications and should be educated otherwise. This is a part of sedentary lifestyle and will help in putting calories.

6. Peep into Family flashback:

• Recent studies show that a family history of Obesity, Hypertension, Diabetes or Stroke increases a risk of developing Obesity and Hyperlipidaemia (More fats in blood).
• Therefore, looking into the family flashback will help us learn that we are prone to get overweight or obese in future and the ground is being prepared. We can take early caution and set right our eating and living habits at the earliest.

7. Track your dimensions:

• We should always keep a check on our dimensions.
• Have a check on your BMI and be aware so as to which category you fit into.
• Being overweight or even on the threshold of being obese can put brakes on the functions of many organs and put a burden on a few.
• Once your dimensions are above acceptable range of normal, you need to push on to more disciplinary measures.
• Measure of waist circumference, Lipid profile, Sugar Levels and Liver function tests done and knowing your thyroid will help in taking caution before your body spreads out of reach.

8. Sleep well:

• Studies show that less sleep at night can cause obesity.
• Those having poor sleep quality get too tired to exercise. In such people calories are held back in the body without being burned. This causes increase in weight and getting obese.
• People who have sleep deprivation stay awakened during night for longer times and tend to munch on whatever they get. They thus put on calories and get obese.
• Sleep deprivation imbalances the hormones that control hunger and thus push one to eat more.
• According to Ayurveda, those who sleep during the day time tend to put on weight. Those who do not sleep well at night compensate by sleeping more during day and noon. This too makes one obese.
• The baseline is that we need to improve quality and balance quantity of sleep. If you are not able to sleep well, you may get obese. Take your doctor’s opinion to avoid getting obese.

9. Reduce Stress:

• We are all trained to invite stress and allow it dominate our lives. It is easy to tell that we are living in a stressful world, but the fact is that we are habituated to stress and have accepted it as a part of us.
• Stress has bad impact on our physical, mental and emotional health.
• Stress also causes some biochemical changes in our body. These changes trigger cravings (untimely and unreasonable want of food) and lead to obesity.
• The best way to keep away from stress is to be happy and create a happy environment around us. If you are too stressed make a determined decision to get better of it. Take a counselling, try Yoga or meditation, Exercise, avoid getting home to office and office to home, Go outing with family / friends and give time to yourself, Get indulged in the activities you love like singing, painting, gardening, listening music etc.

We are provided with a dimension of our own. We should not try to manipulate with it. Respect your “SELF”. Remember that we are not living for others or making makeovers to impress others. We should know the difference between loving ourselves and being obsessed with ourselves. The mind controls the body dimensions and “A happy mind is a happy body”. Obesity is a global problem and it is encroaching the generation next. It is our responsibility to know about it and create awareness among our successors. Obesity is the root of many diseases and by tackling it we can avoid many of those.

Do not wait for things to go out of limits. Prevention is always the best remedy.

Prevention or intervention…when you think of handling things in a natural way…think of AYURVEDA

For Health Awareness

By: Dr Raghuram Y.S. 

MD(Ayurveda)

Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Ph: +91-9480071422

9 Signs Which Show That Your Immunity is “Not Good”

Immunity: It is an inbuilt protective mechanism. Many of our smaller health issues and infections heal spontaneously and naturally with time if our immunity is good. When the immunity drops down due to various reasons we become susceptible for easy infections and diseases, do not respond to medicines, get sick often, will be in want of rest have low energy, strength and endurance and many others. The below mentioned 9 signs may help you to identify the lowering immunity and seek medical help at the earliest:

1. Intolerance to heat and cold:Feeling of discomfort on hot sunny days and / or cold winter days. We should generally tolerate the change of seasons well and should be able to enjoy them. But unable to bear the effects of changing weathers and getting frequent health upsets indicate a lowered immunity.

2. Frequent Health upsets: Getting health disturbances often in the form of allergies (mainly cold, flu), infections, intolerance to seasonal changes etc demanding frequent medical interventions, prolonged medications and rest, not getting well with medicines and pushing to take sick leaves are earlier signs of immunity disturbance

3. Fatigue / Loss of energy: Feeling low energy in-spite of taking good food and nutrition, inclination to rest, tiredness, weakness and waiting for the day to finish are signs of lowering immunity.

4. Weight gain: Gaining excess weight and getting obese has its ill effects on many body systems, organs and tissues. Obesity indicates that a continuous imbalance of hormones (chemicals governing body and mind functions) and or inflammatory process is going on in the body. These, in-turn will reduce immunity in your body.

5. Stress: Long standing stress or habitual stress can be a cause of lowered immunity. Likewise lot of stress, emotional highs and lows might also point out towards the immunity getting towards its lower side. When immunity gets low, it becomes difficult to handle even small issues or small quantity of stress effectively. We get depressed or overreact to situations and small health issues looks magnified and difficult to handle.

6. Sleeplessness: Sleep according to Ayurveda is a supportive pillar for a good health. Along with relaxation to body, mind and senses, sleep is a brief pause to many systems, organs and tissues before they start with refreshed and rejuvenated energy. Immune system too rejuvenates after a good sleep. Sleeplessness or low quality of sleep can disturb immunity and in-turn a disturbed immunity can cause worrying insomnia. Lack of sleep also worsens conditions like flu, cold etc.

7. Hunger games: According to Ayurveda almost all the diseases have their roots in the disturbed (hyper or hypo or perverted) agni (core and or tissue fire / metabolism). We should not neglect our hunger and should attend it with love and care, whenever the body gives a call. Any variations in appetite and digestion process, for a longer period should not be ignored. They may be earlier signs of something grave to come.

8. Short of breath: Finding difficulty to breathe easily, especially after a small amount of exercise or minimum exertion strongly suggests improper circulation of blood, oxygen and nutrition. This when associated with breathlessness on climbing steps or an uphill road, extreme tiredness and body aches, feeling of heartbeats, sleeplessness, headache and pallor of hands, skin and eye strongly points towards anemia (low quality and quantity of blood and its cells). According to Ayurveda, Blood is an indicator of the life in activity and its health s a mirror image of good health of each and every cell. Shortness of breath reflecting anemia points towards low immunity and low functioning of many organs and tissues. In this condition, the heart and lungs work under pressure to compensate the needs of tissues.

9. Depression: A diagnosed depression of a mild to moderate type can lower the immunity in our body. Depression causes excessive production of stress hormones (chemicals) and other substances which cause inflammatory changes in the tissues and organs. Functions of varies organs will slow down and the ability of the body tissues to repair and recover themselves from external or internal injuries will decrease. Body will be susceptible to many diseases like arthritis, infections, osteoporosis, etc and worsening of pre-existing diseases.

Good immunity is good health and Good health is a good life span…

God has given you a good life. Lead and enjoy it to the maximum…

Do not wait for things to go out of limits. Prevention is always the best remedy.

Prevention or intervention…when you think of handling things in a natural way…think of AYURVEDA

For Health Awareness

By: Dr Raghuram Y.S. 

MD(Ayurveda)

Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Ph: +91-9480071422