By focusing on disease, we create anxiety and fear, which itself creates disease by causing stress and disarming the immune system. Instead, by focusing on health, women can move from a position of fear to a position of empowerment.

For the benefit of our beloved womenfolk, I now share vital (from the Latin vitalis “of or belonging to life”) information on staying healthy.

Vital foods

Eat organically-grown foods with vital colors – the bright greens of broccoli and avocados, the bright reds of tomatoes and strawberries, the sunny colours of lemons and pomegranates, the purples of grapes and blackberries. These and many other vegetables and fruits are chock-full of antioxidants and proven anti-cancer agents.

The colorful signals of health-giving nutrients

The rich colors of spices are similar signals of health-giving nutrients and digestive stimulants. According to Ayurveda, strengthening the digestion with spices helps eliminate toxins and optimises absorption of food nutrients. Turmeric and ginger are known anti-cancer spices.

Rosemary and broccoli are known to promote healthy oestrogen over cancer-causing oestrogen, while resveratrol (found in red grapes and wine) blocks harmful oestrogen.

Don’t believe the anti-fats hype, and balance your fat intake with fish oils, olive and flaxseed oils, and saturated fats like butter, ghee (clarified butter) and coconut oil.

Good fats are necessary to nourish the nervous system and our cell membranes, and to prevent inflammations and cancers.

Definitely avoid hydrogenated fats (also called trans-fats) found in many commercial foods – these are artificial fats which wreak havoc with the body’s messaging systems and immune system, and promote uncontrolled cell division in the breasts.

Smart skincare

What you apply on your body goes into your body. Would you eat your detergents, lipstick and skin creams? If not, think twice about applying them. Breast tissue has been found to store many cancer-causing substances found in detergents and skincare.

Use products which are as natural as possible – and use the least possible. Allow your skin to breathe – it is a major organ of elimination.

Regularly soak your bare skin in early morning sunshine, just for 15-20 minutes. Research has found that vitamin D can significantly reduce cancer risk – perhaps by over 50%. What is the cheapest and best source of vitamin D? Sunshine! Plus, it reduces stress and improves mood – further strengthening the immune system.

Become more proactive in demanding safer personal care, cosmetics, and household products for our women, children and men.

Relaxation for breast health

Chronic stress is known to disrupt the immune system – the healthy functioning of which is the key to preventing cancer. My dear women, whether you are mothers or career people, you owe it to yourselves and your loved ones to take time out to relax. Relaxation is the body’s most powerful healing mechanism.

Yoga postures & breathing for relaxation

Yoga postures and breathing, done with awareness, are among the most effective methods of relaxation known – they have been tried and tested over thousands of years. Adopt a daily personal practice, and you will reap many benefits.

Moving lymph

Lymph forms part of the body’s immune and waste-disposal system – and the breasts are surrounded by lymph tissue. Tight bras restrict breathing – and deep breathing is the lymphatic system’s main pump.

Regularly allow the breasts “breathing space” by spending time without a bra. Practice movements like yogic Sun Salutations, emphasising deep in and out breaths. Women with larger breasts can perform more gentle movements.

Another way to move lymph and increase circulation is to get regularly massaged, or perform self-massage as part of your daily routine. When having it done for you, ask for the breast area and underarms to be gently massaged.

Breast self-massage is a much more positive, enjoyable and loving act than anxiety-inducing breast “self-examination”. Use a nourishing oil like warming sesame or cooling coconut – depending on your body type (see Body Types article).

Thermography – the safer testing method

Thermography is a gentle, non-invasive method of detecting early abnormalities which may lead to cancer. It does not expose womens’ breasts to X-rays, which are known to cause cancer – rather it detects changes in the temperature of the breasts.

As cancer is now understood to begin with inflammation, it makes more sense to detect early signs of inflammation, which enables women to proactively take charge of their health with a natural anti-inflammatory regime.

Breast thermography is becoming more available, and there are now a number of centres in New Zealand. Ask Gerald for further information.

Detox and rejuvenate

Breast tissue is fatty, and is a prime target for accumulation of environmental toxins such as pesticides, which can remain for decades. It is advisable that women periodically undergo a detox programme. Research on ayurvedic detox programmes called Panchakarma, have shown that they can significantly clear PCBs and other fat-soluble toxins.

Following detox, Ayurveda considers it essential to support the tissues with diet and herbs that are nourishing, and that offer antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-stress and anti-cancer actions. This is Ayurveda’s secret for slowing the ageing process and maintaining optimum health.

Recovering our lost treasure

Last year, I asked the foremost female writer and authority on Ayurveda, Swamini Mayatitananda (formerly Maya Tiwari), what she felt was the essence of breast health. Her message, specially for this ezine article, is this:

“ Over thousands of years we have lost touch with nurturing Mother energy and consciousness. This has resulted in wars, pollution and disrespect for our bodies and for each other.

Breast cancer is a product of that disconnection. Women – as well as men – need to reconnect with the archetypal, primal Mother consciousness.

Awareness is the key, self-awareness gained by pausing our obsessive Doing, and practising the state of Being. ”

The breasts are more than private organs to be stowed away for the most part of the day. The human tragedy is that womens’ breasts have been the subject of shame, guilt and conflicted thinking – both for women and men. Conflicted thinking causes disturbed energy, or Prana; finally causing a disturbance and breakdown in cellular organisation – also known as cancer.

Yet, in truth, breasts are profoundly symbolic organs of femininity and nurturing motherhood. They are the energetic guardians of the heart, of the emotions of bonding and family, of feminine sensuality. To men, they create a deep longing, usually interpreted as sexual attraction. But I believe it is a longing for something more primordial – perhaps the longing for the return of nourishing Mother consciousness on Earth.

My beloved women, may you care for yourselves and stay eternally healthy, and may we share in the return of a nurturing consciousness.

If you feel this article would help someone you know, please share it with them by clicking below!

For a comprehensive breast health programme, have a consultation with Gerald. Call on 0800 23 50 23 or book online.

Copyright Gerald Lopez 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Blue lotus - symbol of the heart chakra

The Art of Eating

Have you ever wondered why some people may eat all the “right” food but still get sick? Whilst some eat “wrong” food but remain healthy?

Part of the solution may be due to HOW they eat.

Our eating habits have changed drastically over the last 50 years:

Where we used to sit at the family table and say Grace, we now eat on the run or in front of the television. Where we used to feel grateful for a successful hunt or harvest, we now take pre-packed, processed foods for granted. Where we used to eat heartily, we now feel guilty about our many little “indiscretions”.

The Indian ayurvedic author Charaka offered a number of eating rules around 2,500 years ago — See for yourself if they still make sense today…

Eat food that is warm and unctuous

Warm, unctuous food is appetising and delicious, and thus stimulates digestion. Hippocrates (Charaka’s Greek contemporary) said, “It is better to have worse food that is palatable; than better food which is unpalatable.” Research recently found that eating unctuous foods (i.e. foods containing fats) helped obese people lose weight. It satisfied them sooner than when they ate fat-free foods – and so they ate less.

Eat food in proper quantities

Charaka said that food taken in the right quantity “promotes the life-span, easily passes down to anus, does not disturb the digestive fire, and gets digested without discomfort.” Modern research has found that over-eating significantly reduces life-span. How do you know what is the right quantity? By eating with more awareness (your body will tell you). A good rule of thumb is to eat until half full — Charaka said to leave 1/4 for fluids to moisten the food, and 1/4 empty for the digestive “fire” to work!

Eat only when previous food has been digested

Piling new food onto partly-digested food messes things up — Would you add fresh pasta to a pot of already half-cooked pasta? The best signal of completed digestion is your hunger – usually 3 to 6 hours after the last meal. Learn to differentiate real hunger from emotional need for food.

Eat in a favourable place

A pleasant environment is relaxing, and medical texbooks tell us this activates our digestive function. Avoid eating in noisy, messy places; in cars; in front of the television. Instead, create a beautiful table setting and celebrate your meal!

Eat at a moderate pace

Eating too fast doesn’t allow proper chewing and digestion, and disrupts our awareness, concentration and full enjoyment of the food. We also tend to overeat, as the body’s signals of sufficient food take time to register. On the other hand, slow, long-drawn meals encourage us to overeat as well – think Christmas lunch!

Avoid excessive talking and distractions while eating

Modern medical textbooks talk about the “Cephalic Phase” of eating, i.e. how the sight, smell and taste of food stimulates the brain, which then stimulates digestion. This phase, plus proper chewing, prepare the food so it can be easily digested in the stomach. So give the food all your attention for ultimate digestion.

Relax into your meal — before, during, and after

Digestion is a major process, which uses up a lot of energy. When you are involved in work, study and travel, your body is in active (“Fight or Flight”) mode and shuts down digestion. When you allow your mind and body to enter relaxation mode, the digestive function is re-activated. Calm your mind, take some slow deep breaths, bless the food — Choose your method to enter relaxation mode, and try to maintain it for at least half-an-hour after the meal.

Digestion is no longer given its due importance today. We eat to fill a hole, and to keep going through the day. We eat on the run. We feel guilty about what we eat. Preparing and eating food is an inconvenience which needs to be got out of the way as easily, cheaply and speedily as possible. We imagine that some scientifically-calculated “balanced” formula of dietary chemicals can keep us healthy.

I hope this article reminds you that the nourishment comes not only from WHAT we eat, but also from HOW we eat; from actively and mindfully receiving the gift of food. By shifting our attitude to our food and to the process of eating, our body will respond differently, more positively — Eating then becomes a relationship with the world, a meditative ritual, an opportunity for intuitively knowing what our body really needs to stay healthy.

Stress creates the opportunity for growth – physically and mentally. The important point is that periods of stress must be followed by periods of recovery for growth to occur – otherwise, instead, there is damage or burnout. This is the principle that is used in world-class athletic training – and can be applied to all aspects of life.

Burning the candle at one end…

In the 21st century, we find ourselves burning the candle at both ends. We have increasingly-plentiful causes of stress, for example:

• more changes in life – in jobs, homes, locations, friends and colleagues
• more brain stimulation – ads, tv, news, email, computers
• more electromagnetic stimulation – radio waves, microwaves, house appliance electromagnetic forces
• more body challenges – chemicals, poor food choices, stimulants, drugs (even medicines!)
• social challenges – raising families in isolation, immigration, urban living
• economic challenges – “recessions”, corporate restructuring, higher costs of living

Then at the other…

Yet we have less opportunities for recovery, such as “time out” after work, silence, family time and support, etc.

The problem is, when we are stressed we start “coping” – we accept higher and higher levels of stress. Then – too late – we reach a tipping point when we definitely “feel stressed out”, or worse, “burned out.” Even worse still, our bodies can break down with diseases like inflammation (heart attacks, arthritis), autoimmune disorders, or cancer.

This happened to me two years ago: all the signs of stress were there, and I ignored them. Then my left eye became completely inflamed and I lost my sight. Six months later the retina detached, needing emergency surgery. After two years, my eyesight has not yet recovered. How many people are paying the price for ignoring the symptoms and signs of stress?

I see this every day: a little prevention is better than a huge amount of cure.

The signs of stress

Here are some signs of stress:

• feelings of anxiety and reduce ability to cope – often feeling overwhelmed
• pain or tightness in the shoulders, neck or other places; headaches
• digestive problems, increased cravings and need for stimulants
• raised blood pressure, palpitations
• increased frequency and duration of colds and flus
• impaired sexual function
• fatigue, lethargy, poor sleep
• irritability, impatience, not having “enough time” – especially for relaxation

Unmanaged stress is a serious condition. As a health practitioner seeing so many victims of unmanaged stress – including myself – my sincere advice to all of you is: Have a stress management plan – it could save your life, and possibly the lives of others as well.

I often see overhwelmed mothers who feel they can’t take time out because of their children. They become tired, sick, and miserable; and then they snap at the kids. What model of healthy, sensible, organised lifestyle are they teaching their children? I have offered free massages and treatments to these women – and still they didn’t come!

Read this carefully:

A sure sign of stress is when you feel you don’t have the time to do something to manage it!

If you didn’t get it the first time, please read it again.

Stress nutrition

For a start do what the ancients have always done: stop what you are doing, and sit down properly for meals. A meal is an important event – and not an opportunity to fill a hole on the run. Consciously wind down before eating, and you will experience improved digestion, better resistance to stress, and improved mood.

Eat meals made from fresh, wholesome ingredients. Avoid processed foods and high-sugar foods. Increase colourful vegetables and fruits. Cut down on coffee, cola drinks, and alcohol.

Good eating habits, and nutritious foods, not only promote relaxation rituals to counterbalance stress during the day. They also provide the essential ingredients for your body to deal with stress efficiently.

Relaxation is the opposite of…

You got it! Nature’s remedy for stress is proper relaxation! This does not mean beers at the pub, or Martinis in front of the tv; nor gossiping with the girlfriends, or surfing the ‘Net (except for reading a page like this one!).

Proper relaxation involves turning your attention inwards – to yourself. How often do you do this?

There are thousands of relaxation techniques for stress relief. It doesn’t really matter which techniques you use; what matters is increasing self-awareness and consciously relaxing the body, emotions and mind. One of the profoundest, most systematic and most comprehensive methods for doing this is the science of Yoga.

Here is a powerful relaxation tip:

1. Sit comfortably with the spine upright, chest open, eyes and mouth shut.
2. Become aware of the natural flow of breath through the nostrils.
3. Deepen the breath and follow it in and out for several minutes.

Deep relaxation

After many years of “coping” with stress, it may take many people quite a while before they can recover a true sense of relaxation. Deep relaxation is a feeling of complete letting go, and of stillness of mind and body. It is at this point that a natural sense of serenity and joy resurfaces. It is at this point that the body can rebalance itself – and repair and regenerate itself.

Most people nowadays need to be guided towards deep relaxation. They need to be led to a space where they are reminded of what it feels like to be deeply, truly relaxed.

For people with serious illnesses like cancer, hypertension and depression, deep relaxation can offer them the best chance for healing, in whatever way is appropriate for them.

We can guide you

At Science of Life, we have created an amazingly effective programme to manage stress and allow you to lead a more productive, healthy, joyful, fulfilling life – for the whole of your life. We know how frustratingly difficult it can be to manage stress by yourself – and manage it you must.

After an in-depth consultation, we offer a programme of time-tested, synergistic tools to help you achieve deep relaxation, recover from chronic stress, and henceforth skilfully manage your stress as part of a healthy lifestyle.

The programme may include:

• diet and lifestyle recommendations
• traditional herbs for stress-adaptation, mental relaxation, improved sleep, and rejuvenating the tissues
• massage and body therapies to induce deep relaxation and improve health
• training in Yoga exercises, breathing techniques, meditation and guided relaxation
• Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation (CES), an effective and safe microcurrent technology
• counseling and mental tools to reshape your beliefs around “stressful” factors

Stress management is the key to growth

As I said earlier, stress is the key to growth on all levels. It provides the opportunity to stretch your limits, to strengthen your muscles, to discover yourself. In the ancient Sanskrit writings it was described as Tapas, the fire that tempered the steel of your mind, to amazing sharpness and strength.

By managing stress in an organised way, you will come to see obstacles as challenges rather than as “problems” – in fact you will welcome them for the gift they bring. This is an incredibly empowering shift of consciousness. In a flash you will no longer see life as a series of fatalistic stressful events; but as a glorious journey of growth and creativity.

At Science of Life, we consider it a privilege to assist people achieve this shift in consciousness. In the future, I plan to offer more material to guide and inspire you in this process of transforming stress.

In the meantime, to find out more about the Science of Life Stress Management Programme, email us or call on 0800 23 50 23.

Copyright Gerald Lopez 2009. All Rights Reserved.

The main distinguishing features between cold and flu symptoms, are that flus are often accompanied by muscle aches and high temperatures. Flu in addition tends to infect the lungs and cause  more malaise (feeling “under the weather”).

In most cases colds and flus are self-limiting – the body’s immune system just deals with it. However, if the immune system is compromised – due to stress, poor diet, prescribed drugs, etc – complications can arise, the most common being pneumonia.

There has been a lot of government and media coverage about Swine Flu (a so-called H1N1 virus) with assertions that it will mutate into a virulent and fatal pandemic, similar to the 1918 Flu Epidemic. This prediction appears entirely untested and unproven, which calls into question the agenda behind the coverage. The Swine Flu symptoms are the same as any moderate common flu.

Treatment of colds and flus

There is no current medical treatment for cold or influenza. There is a French saying: “An untreated cold goes on for seven days; a treated cold lasts for a week!”

The best course is to allow the body’s immune system to do its job:

• Take a rest, relax the mind and sleep.
• Reduce heavy, energy-draining diet and go on a light, digestible diet such as soup and stewed fruits.
• If there is moderate fever, try to go through with it – fever is the body’s way of dealing with the viruses and should be encouraged until sweating occurs.
• Take lots of warm fluids – water, lemon water, ginger tea, Tulsi (Holy Basil) tea, licorice tea.
• Reduce sugar, take honey instead.
• See a health practitioner for herbal support for sinuses, lungs and fever. For those in poor general health, or for young children, see a health practitioner in high fever or if cough has persisted for several days. If a child has high fever, stiff neck and/or a high-pitched cry, take to ER immediately!

Prevention – the best policy!

The most sensible plan is to avoid prolonged colds and flus by boosting the immune system and actively managing excellent health. Here are some tips for you and your family:

• Manage your stress – today, fear and stress is the prime cause of compromised immunity. Do Yoga, breathing techniques, relaxation techniques. Remember, the 1918 Flu Epidemic happened in a time of extreme stress.
• Avoid smoking in the house – better still, don’t smoke.
• Eat well – freshly-made foods from high-quality, organic, local ingredients.
• Sleep well – good-quality sleep relieves stress and enables the body to grow, repair and heal.
• Moderate exercise boosts immunity. Extreme exercise can cause stress and fatigue. Yoga is ideal, especially the strengthening poses.
• A daily deep breathing exercise reduces stress, enlivens Prana (subtle energy), and strengthens the lungs. Ask a good Yoga consultant about a suitable technique for you.
• Take fruits and vegetables which are high in vitamin C.
• Take immune-boosting, stress-adapting and anti-viral herbs as prescribed by a natural health practitioner.

There is an ancient ayurvedic formula that contains one of the most potent vitamin-C fruits – Amla or Amalaki (Embilica officinalis) – and is in the form of a delicious paste called Chawanprash. This is excellent for maintaining good immunity throughout life. A high-quality product is Ayush Herbs Amla Plex, available at our online store.

Visit your ayurvedic or other natural health practitioner, and get an effective seasonal health plan. You will then find colds and flus become less frequent, less disturbing and don’t last as long. In addition, you will find yourself worrying less about the flu pandemic hype, and getting on in life with a positive attitude – your best protection.

Copyright AmUnivers

Natural health is all about understanding the influences around you – your foods, local geography and climate, the seasons; and even the clothes and gemstones you wear, and the positions of the planets and stars!

The seasons of Spring and Autumn represent major shifts in energy – Spring being the time of renewed vigour and the rising sap; and Autumn the time of slowing down, of withdrawing for hibernation and rest. In traditional societies, Autumn is the time of the final harvests; processing and storing foods; and preparing for the short days and cold, dark nights of Winter.

Here in the Southern Hemisphere, Autumn is upon us with its qualities of change, of wind and sudden cold. Many people experience cold, cramps, anxiety, insomnia, dry skin, constipation – the symptoms of increased Vata.

To balance these qualities and symptoms, we need to bring in the opposite qualities: of warmth, regularity and rhythm, sweetness, grounding, settling, nourishing.

Cleanse first…

Before balancing, it is a good idea to detoxify the body first; to eliminate the accumulated wastes, toxins and doshas (humours) from Summer. Regular detoxifying is one of the secrets of excellent health and longevity, and Ayurveda does this with Panchakarma. Panchakarma consists of a cleansing diet with detoxifying herbs, ingestion of ghee or oils to penetrate the fatty tissues, massage and heat treatments to mobilise the toxins, and a powerful elimination therapy. This is followed by a special diet to normalise digestion, and a programme of anti-ageing herbs.

Consult an ayurvedic practitioner about a Panchakarma programme; or contact us to discuss a programme we could offer you.

Alternatively, you could do a gentle 3-5 day detox diet at home – having freshly-made veggie soups for lunch and dinner, stewed fruits for breakfast and snacks, and sipping hot water and ginger tea through the day.

Then nourish…

Then think of a warming, nourishing routine. Eat warm, unctuous, slightly heavier foods; reducing the salads, toast and raw fruits. Think of stews, casseroles, thick soups. The ideal tastes are sweetness, and some sourness and saltiness. For sweetness, eat roots such as kumera (sweet potato), vegetables such as pumpkin, and grains such as basmati rice and quinoa.

Use warm or sweet spices such as ginger, black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom – in your savoury as well as sweet foods. You can use that combination to make delicious chai teas!

Increase your intake of high-quality fats and oils. Good fats and oils are not as bad for health as many people think – they have just been the victims of bad press. Take olive oil, coconut oil, butter or ghee (clarified butter). This will stimulate digestion, reduce the amounts of food you need to eat, and keep your skin (and the rest of your body) moist and well-lubricated. Good fats also decrease the risk of inflammations causing rheumatism, heart disease etc.

Take a formula of nourishing, anti-ageing herbs; such as Shatavari Gulam or Amla Plex, which can be purchased at our online store.

Massage for health

Use raw, warmed sesame oil for self-massage – daily or at least every few days. Rub it vigorously on your head, face, arms, shoulders, etc., working down to the feet. Keep it on for 15-20 minutes, then take a warm shower. Use a gentle soap, and just soap the “necessary” bits – this leaves a warming layer on your skin. Soon your skin will be glossy and radiant – unlike the dry and dull skin many people have at this time of the year. Try this for at least a month and see! You can obtain a good quality massage oil at our online store.

Every few weeks, have an ayurvedic massage given to you. This is wonderful for the body, emotions, mind and spirit. Increased Vata can create a sense of isolation and emptiness; of depletion and loneliness. Receiving care from another person fills the heart and raises our self-esteem. We feel reconnected, and feel valued. This has very profound effects on our mental and physical health.

At Science of Life, we use rich herbal oils for the massages we offer. Gerald has over 20 years experience in giving massage, and uses ayurvedic principles to tailor the massage to suit each client. Our clients almost invariably say that the ayurvedic massages are beyond anything they have experienced in the past…

Massage is one of the mainstays of ayurvedic medicine – it just offers so many benefits.

Strengthen with Yoga

Autumn is a time for rhythmic, strengthening, grounding ways of practising Yoga. Sun Salutes are great, done slowly and smoothly. Use Warrior Poses to strengthen the legs and feel the ground. Warm up the hips, stretch the legs and strengthen the core.

Do warming breathing exercises such as Bellows Breath (Bhastrika), followed by a calming exercise such a Alternate Nostril Breath (Nadi Shodhana). Finish with a relaxation in which you connect with the ground beneath you.

Honour the seasons

All traditional cultures have honoured the seasons, and celebrated the changes. This keeps us aware of the universal rhythms and what they mean to us on physical, emotional and mental levels. Being connected to natural rhythms gives deep meaning to our lives, reducing the effects of stress and enhancing our health and happiness.

Wear warming colours, eat the right foods, change your Yoga and exercise with the times; be aware of the shifts, and flow with them. And teach your children to do the same.

The root is often dried and ground into the characteristic bright yellow powder, so powerful it can be used as a dye. It’s taste is bitter, astringent and pungent, with a warming effect on the body. It is used in cooking to provide a spicy flavour in India, Malaysia, Indonesia and other Asian countries. Turmeric is a gentle digestive and promotes good bacteria in the gut.

It has antibacterial properties, and can be used externally on cuts and bites, to kill germs, stop bleeding and reduce pain.

Turmeric – often sold as the extract Curcumin – is a well-researched anti-inflammatory, and is commonly prescribed by natural health practitioners for arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. As an anti-inflammatory, it may also play a major role in reducing the world epidemic of heart disease.

As well as being an excellent digestive, turmeric improves cell metabolism. It particularly helps with fat metabolism, helping with weight loss and diabetes.

Turmeric supports the liver by helping it’s detoxification action. It is now recognised that many illnesses are caused by a liver that is stressed with toxic overload.

Research has shown turmeric to have significant anti-cancer properties. Ayurvedic experts say this is best achieved by slightly cooking the spice in oil, as in stir-fries or curries.

Because of its astringent properties, turmeric is often prescribed by ayurvedics for many forms of internal bleeding or excessive secretion.

Turmeric is said to improve skin complexion. Indian women make a turmeric paste and apply this on the skin. I often use a traditional herbal massage oil enriched with turmeric, for clients needing a warming massage.

With so many wonderful properties, turmeric should be considered as a regular nutrient for optimum health. For convenience you can take it as a Curcumin capsule daily. You can buy a high-quality source of Curcumin at our online store.

For more information on turmeric see:

Dr.Mercola’s recent article

World’s Healthiest Foods article

Technical monograph on BNet

Committing to a simple, achievable daily routine is one of the most far-reaching decisions you can make.

1. Wake up early – before the sunrise – or at around 6.00am. This will help you feel lighter through the day. Vata people can awake a little later, and Kapha people can awake a little earlier.

2. Drink a glass of water with some fresh lemon juice, and, if desired, some ginger juice and raw honey.

3. Go to the toilet and evacuate bowels if possible.

4. Scrape tongue, brush teeth, gargle with warm water and 1 tsp sesame oil.

5. Self massage with warmed sesame oil, with vigorous strokes from head to feet. Pitta people can use coconut oil, and Kapha people can use sesame oil or raw silk gloves. This stimulates circulation and nourishes the skin.

6. Have a warm shower and dress.

Alternate Nostril Breath

7. Exercise. Some stimulating exercise in the morning increases the metabolism for the whole day, improving digestion. A brisk walk, some Yoga; for 20 minutes or more. Sun Salutations are an excellent idea, 6-12 rounds according to ability.

8. Breathing. Doing a breathing technique helps increase your body’s energy reserves, and calms the nervous system. Alternate Nostril Breath is a classic yoga exercise, breathing gently for 3-5 minutes.

9. Meditation or lying down relaxation, to clear the mind; creating a calm mental state ready for the day.

10. Breakfast — light and simple. Stewed apples are great, or porridge in winter. Take 10 almonds that have been soaked overnight, remove skins before eating. Try to keep regular mealtimes.

11. Sip warm water through the day. This helps digestion and detoxification.

12. Lunch — main meal of the day, with some carbo ( i.e., kumara, rice, pasta, etc.).

13. Dinner — lighter warm meal. Small dessert only.

14. Use ayurvedic super-nutrient foods in meals or as snacks: almonds, raisins, dates, saffron, ghee, honey, warm milk (organic, unhomogenised, full cream if possible). These nourish the subtle tissues, and increase Ojas, the ayurvedic principle or substance that maintains youth and immunity.

15. 1 hour before sleep — calming-down time. Withdraw from tv, computer, vigorous social interaction. Do some light stretches, especially forward bends. You can have a small cup of heated milk with a selection from the following: saffron, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger powder; with some raw honey. You can also massage the feet with sesame oil for good sleep.

16. Sleep before 10 pm. Consciously relax as you lie down, focusing on your body or your breath.

Buy a copper tongue scraper, massage oils and raw silk gloves at our online shop!

Vata

Vata governs movement in the body: breathing, digestive movement, the nervous system, excretion, childbirth, ejaculation and others. It comprises the elements of Ether and Air.

Qualities: cold, subtle, light, active, dry, rough

Vata-predominant people usually have slight build with fine features, prominent joints, coarse dry hair and skin, and small dark restless eyes. They are active, creative, enthusiastic. They are the artists, dancers, idealists, the spiritual and sensitive healers.

When imbalanced, they tend towards wind, constipation, dry skin, cramps, nervous and bone problems, anxiety, insomnia.

To balance, they benefit from:

• staying warm, especially in Autumn and Winter
• eating warm, nourishing, unctuous foods with sweet, sour and salty tastes
• using warming spices like ginger, black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom
• massaging with sesame oil
• having a stable, regular lifestyle
• avoiding suppression of natural urges such as sneezing, yawning, coughing, belching, urination, etc
• avoiding excess stimulation, travel, cold winds

Pitta

Pitta governs transformation in the body – digestion, metabolism, enzymes, hormones. It also governs the skin, eyes and intelligence. It comprises the elements of Fire (mainly) and Water.

Qualities: hot, light, sharp and penetrating, oily, flowing

Pitta-predominant people tend to be average in size, with a reddish, yellowish or flushed appearance. They can have green eyes with a focused gaze. The mental expressions are passion, intellligence, drive and ambition, and Pitta people are cheerful and organised. They are the managers, entrepreneurs, the life of the party.

When imbalanced, they tend towards irritability, anger, impatience; and loose stools, inflammations, skin problems, vision problems, and greying or thinning hair.

To balance, they benefit from:

• staying cool, especially in summer
• eating cooling foods with fresh, bitter, astringent and sweet tastes
• using cooling spices like cumin, coriander, fennel and mint
• avoiding excessive exposure to sun
• taking walks in nature
• scheduling time-out in their very busy activities
• doing calming activities like yoga and meditation

Kapha

Kapha governs growth, structure, lubrication and fluid metabolism in the body. The elements are Earth and Water.

Qualities: cool, heavy, slow, soft, dense, sticky

Kapha-predominant people tend to have big, strong structure and great fertility and endurance. They have rich, moist skin and hair; with large, soft, attractive eyes. They have a deep understanding of people, and are the pillars of society – caring, loving, patient, strong.

In imbalance, they tend towards slow digestion, weight problems, fluid retention, lung and head congestion; and their stickiness can tend towards jealousy, possessiveness, inability to change, and deep depression.

To balance, they benefit from:

• staying warm and dry, especially in Spring
• eating warm, light, dry foods with spicy, bitter and astringent tastes
• using hot spices like mustard, black pepper, ginger, cayenne
• regular vigorous exercise and sex!
• avoiding cold drinks, heavy dinners and day sleep

Everyone has all three doshas – in some one dosha is predominant, in some two; and rarely, all three doshas are equal. This means that keeping each dosha in balance can be a simple or complex skill, using seasonal routines. See a qualified ayurvedic practitioner for advice.

Images are from Ayurveda: A Life of Balance by Maya Tiwari, available from amazon.com

People predominantly of the Air element (called vata in ayurveda) are like the wind – flighty, erratic, gusty! They benefit from some routines and regular rituals to anchor them in time, to help them feel more settled, so their lives can be in better order, allowing them to express their creativity and love of movement.

Fire people (called pitta in ayurveda) are focused – but can also be driven and relentless, leading to burnout and health problems. They need to break their driving rhythm, have short stops to smell the roses, time-out to assess the meaning of their activity within their life goals and values.

Earth and Water people (called kapha in ayurveda) are slow, steady, patient – and sometimes grind to a halt… They can get stuck in sedentariness (think weight gain) and brooding emotions. To pierce that inertia, they need bursts of stimulation – spicy foods, hard exercise, wild nights, passionate sex!

Observe the different rhythms of the animals, from the flitting of the sparrows to the languid meanderings of cows. Which is your rhythm?

Healthy skin should be clear and fresh. Give your skin the chance to glow this summer!

Make a healthy skin your priority this Summer, and look your very best!

To get you started…

To give your skin a good start, I am offering – for the first time – the following Skin Rejuvenation Treatment at the Milford Clinic:

• A 60-minute ayurvedic massage to completely relax the body and mind
• Followed by a 20-minute salt scrub with energising essential oils, to stimulate the circulation, exfoliate and renew the skin, and leave you tingling!
• Finish with a 40-minute Vibrosaun sauna treatment that gets you sweating out the wastes and toxins, stimulates the kidneys, and excites every cell of the body
• Take home a Summer diet plan to help keep your skin fresh and alive-looking

This profound 2 hour treatment costs only $150 – less than an equivalent amount of time in a spa!

A great gift idea! To order a gift voucher go to our online shop.

Call on 0800 23 50 23 to make a booking, or send us an email.