Body Beautiful - Yours

I came across this link which I thought might be of interest for you to read.

Prepare Your Body for Autumn

We make sure we prepare our homes, gardens, and vehicles for winter, but we often overlook the fact that our body too goes through an adjustment as seasons changes. This is especially true in Ayurveda.

I read this article which gives simple steps on how to transition your body from summer to fall.

Ayurveda - Art of Being Part 4

I am absolutely without a doubt, enjoying following the principles of Ayurveda.  Since eating foods that are good for my dosha ( body type) I have noticed many benefits.   In particular, I am never hungry, and have more energy.  I have lost weight and feel in balance emotionally and physically.

However, getting used to eating lunch type foods for breakfast is taking some getting used to.  And when I am travelling it is even more difficult to eat foods that I should be eating especially for breakfast.  But when   I stayed at the Mayfield Inn in Edmonton, and I ate at the Botanica Restaurant  I had a pleasant surprise. I requested a "green smoothie" and they made it for me.  I told them it was an easy smoothie, just lettuce, fresh ginger, and berries blended with a cup of water.   My server came back and said  that the cook asked what planet I was from, but after making it, said he would put it on the menu.  yay!!!

Ayurveda - Art of Being Part 3

Image via Wikipedia

I hope you are enjoying these short clips.

In my quest for eating healthy, and since the last jar of honey I had was so amazingly delicious, which I consumed rather quickly, I set out in search of more. What I found instead was something so abhorrent it must be really healthy! Bee Porpolis(Propolis is a resinous mixture that honey bees collect from tree buds, sap flows, or other botanical sources) in honey, and believe me when I say to you it is disgusting. Clearly though, it is good medicine, and I close my eyes, pinch my nose and swallow quickly with warm water.

Not one for being wasteful, I will consume this jar, albeit not as quickly as my last one. And I resolve to sticking with royal jelly and bee pollen honey from now on.

The use of beehive products is called apitherapy. Blogger link did not work, so I've copied this from www.apitherapy.org

What Is Apitherapy?

APITHERAPY, or “bee therapy” (from the Latin apis which means bee) is the medicinal use of products made by honeybees.

Proudcts of the Honeybee include bee venom, honey, pollen, royal jelly, propolis, and beeswax.

Some of the conditions treated (not in any special order) are: multiple sclerosis, arthritis, wounds, pain, gout, shingles, burns, tendonitis, and infections.

Therapies involving the honeybee have existed for thousands of years and some may be as old as human medicine itself. The ancient rock art of early hunter-gatherers depicts the honeybee as a source of natural medicine. Bee venom therapy was practiced in ancient Egypt, Greece, and China—three Great Civilizations known for their highly developed medical systems. Hippocrates, the Greek physician known as the “Father of Medicine”, recognized the healing virtues of bee venom for treating arthritis and other joint problems. Today, growing scientific evidence suggests that various bee products promote healing by improving circulation, decreasing inflammation, and stimulating a healthy immune response.

It is important to note that Apitherapy is not only the use of the venom for healing, often called Bee Sting Therapy, but the use of all the hive products, and usually a combination of them. These products are also sometimes mixed with other ingredients, specifically different essential oils, dependent on the condition being treated.

The more modern study of apitherapy, specifically bee venom, was initiated through the efforts of Austrian physician Philip Terc in his published results “Report about a Peculiar Connection between the Bee Stings and Rheumatism” in 1888. Bodog Beck (Budapest, Hugary 1871 – NYC, 1942) followed Terc, and brought Apitherapy to the United States. More recent popularity has been credited to Charles Mraz (1905 – 1999), a beekeeper from Vermont, who knew Beck. Some of the Board Members of the American Apitherapy Society, as well as some general AAS members, have been trained by and/or treated and inspired by Mraz. The Society’s annual educational and training event, CMACC, is named for him, the Charles Mraz Apitherapy Course and Conference.

Ayurveda - Art of Being Part 2

I enjoy watching this mini movie!

Day 12, and I’m amazed that I have been able to follow this prescribed cleanse 90.5 % of the time. An aspect of the program I have not been doing is my brisk walk twice daily. I know the verdict said it was very important. But those pesty deer-flies really disturb my walk and made it quite unpleasant. However, I have incorporated some Yin yoga, which does not increase my heart-rate, so, I’m not sure if it counts.

The food is pleasant enough, and thus far, I am not too bored with it. As amazing as it sounds, I have not experienced any food carvings, not ice cream, not bread, or any Starbuck's goodies. This is good, huh!

A few days ago I received my herbs in the mail. I enjoy getting stuff in the mail, but my delight was short lived. Yucky!!!! Most of the stuff tastes pretty dreadful, especially the v 2352 Syrup. Thankfully, I take only three teaspoons, diluted with ten teaspoons of warm water, twice a day.

I am half way through the 30-day program and it feels great. There is still days that I feel pretty exhausted but I think it is the unbearable heat we’ve been experiencing these past couple of weeks. Temperatures in the high 30’s, ouch!

A startling benefit I found, is I have the most sound and peaceful sleeps. And my dreams that are very lucid. I wake up refreshed and ready to begin my day.

Ayurveda - Art of Being Part 1

This video will give you a brief introduction into Ayurveda.

Oh Honey, I Love you

Who would have thought that I would enjoy adding honey to my tea as prescribed by the Verdic doctor as part of my 30 day cleanse. He suggested I add two teaspoons to my morning and noon teas, and one teaspoon to my evening tea. To tell the truth I’m not much for adding sweetener to my beverage and was not sure if I was even going to add honey to my tea initially. But then I decided that since I am committed to this process I should be sweet to honey by trying it out.

Wow, it has changed how I drink my tea… maybe forever. I can’t seem to get enough of this sweetness (Royal Jelly and bee pollen). Yummmy!

There are many health benefits of honey that I didn’t know about. It is high in antioxidants. For instance, honey has been successfully used in the treatment of a number of ailments. In particular, respiratory diseases, skin problems, wounds, urinary track diseases, gastrointestinal disease, to name a few. To learn more about the Health benefits of honey go here, here, and here for honey in Ayurveda.

I’m on day four of my detox without cheating. I realize you don’t have feel hunger when you are trying to detoxify your body. Because not only don’t I feel hunger, I have energy, clarity and general feeling of well-being.

Lonely is Me

As much as I would like to have my family be part of my new healthy meals, it is not happening. Indeed it would make it easier to plan and prepare meals if we were all eating the same food, not to mention they would absolutely gain the positive benefits as well. Why is it that the food I prepare for them looks more delicious than what's on my plate? Oh, well, I am resisting taking one little morsel from their plates and sticking to my plan.

But dancing in my head are ice cream cones!!! All I want is ice cream, cool, creamy, ice cream...this heat wave is getting to me. With the humility it is in the high 30's!

A Day Without Cheating

I am beginning my day with the intent not to cheat. I've already had my brisk walk, although those deer flies are very annoying. And I did my TM meditation. I'm feeling really positive about the day even thou it is going to be another hot one.

For Breakfast today I had a tasty green smoothie, actually, it was so good I had two glasses. This is what was in it:
two cups of water
one inch of ginger including skin
two large chard
1/2 a cup of blueberries
8 red grapes
2 oz of Aloe vera juice
1 tbs of flaxseeds

After the green smoothie, I drank barley water, not as pleasant a taste. But it is apparently good for flushing the kidneys and it is a diuretic. If you want the recipe email me.

It was another scorching day, temperature was in the mid thirties. I so wanted a frappuccino, but order a bottle of water instead.

Today was a great day!

It Begins Today, Drumroll Please

I Welcome you to this simple blog about my plan to get fit and stay healthy using Ayurveda's five thousand year old health strategies for balancing the mind and body.

I decided to blog about my 30 day Ayurevda cleanse because I believe that it’s a great way to chart my progress. Besides, I need something to keep me focused and on task which blogging tends to do. I am not going to worry about weighing in or measurements at this point. I think, to obsess about weight loss tends to add stress and urgency to lose weight and if I am noticing I’m not shedding the pounds quick enough, I may just go for a chocolate croissant. Besides don’t you think we know our bodies well enough to know if we have lost weight without stepping on the scale?

We’ve read many books and tried numerous diet fads. Many of us (I’m including you because I pray I’m not alone here) who want to lose weight know what I’m talking about, especially if those pounds are as reluctant as anything to come off. We start diets, cleanses, fasts, anything short of starvation. Most times we get bored and lose interest, especially if the results we are seeking are not immediately achieved.

However, sometimes we discover something that we absolutely find no difficulty in maintaining. For me, it was a green smoothie challenge, which I totally loved. In fact, I’m addicted! It was the easiest challenged ever!!! The problem is the results I was looking for just did not materialize, or should I say, stayed materialized in my midsection, and I have too much junk in my trunk. Darn those extra pounds for loving me so much!!!

I am at a stage in life where I don’t want to be constantly preoccupied about my weight. I want to continue to be healthy and have enough energy to keep up with my 12-year-old son and then have some to spare.

So, this is the thing. I’ve been on this mission since after my son was born when I realized I could not use his birth as an excuse for the extra weight anymore. I kept telling myself “I just had a baby”, but after 12 years, that does not hold water. During the years between when he was born until the present I had many excuses, some I must confess were very creative. My intent is that by starting this blog I will have no more excuses or justifications.

Yesterday, I went to see an Ayurvedic physician (Vaidya). I am pretty impressed with his assessment, which he got by reading my pulse for 30 seconds. Although, I must stress he is not a M.D. and his advice should not be given the same weight as a M.D.. Fortunately, other than wanting to lose some unwanted pounds I am very healthy.

The following is the 30-day program that I am starting today. The only proviso is I will continue to drink my green smoothie in the mornings without the forbidden fruits of course.

His evaluation:
➢ Good pulse, strong, vitality, pleasant
➢ Some blockage, metabolism slow and sluggish
➢ Pressure on mind and nervous system
➢ Heaviness in muscles, tissues, and joints
➢ Some fatigue in joints, weak circulation
➢ Some ama in pulse

His recommendations:
➢ Massage with sesame oil
➢ Be trim tea with honey 3xs daily, prior to breakfast, lunch, and dinner
➢ Barley water 4 cups daily
➢ Exercise very important – 1 hour daily Recommends brisk walk until light sweat

Diet

Breakfast any of the following
1. Greens chopped with garlic, some roasted sesame seeds, few walnuts, pecans or pine nuts. Put into a tortilla with pesto sauce roll and eat.
2. Flat bread with pesto or honey roasted nuts, pumpkin seeds, flax seed, roll in flat bread and eat.
3. Barley water with greens, ginger, basil as soup

Lunch (absolutely no grains)
1. Flat bread 1-2 cups of vegetables, leafy greens, steamed with dal mung, split pea, or red lentils. If desired can have cottage cheese. Steamed chicken or fish only at lunch.
2. Pasta (small portion if necessary with green leafy vegetables)
3. Fruit crisp, pie (thin crust)

Mid-noon snack
➢ Digestive lassi
➢ Herbal tea

Dinner
1. Flatbreads, vegetables, dal soup

Foods to Avoid
➢ Anything raw, cold, frozen, packaged, processed
➢ Mushroom, banana, avocado, cheese, chocolate, ice cream, bread, dairy

Herbal Program (www.mapi.us)
➢ MP 16
➢ V 2352
➢ Aloe vera juice
➢ Digest tone
➢ Be trim tea
➢ Honey

How did I do on my first day?

I added a routine recommended by Deepak Chopra, M.D. from his Perfect Weight book that is to sit at the table mindfully each time I ate no matter how small a portion. I found today it added a ritual to eating that made my meals enjoyable and special.

I know aloe vera juice has amazing healing qualities but it sure taste yucky. This morning, I put it in my smoothie to conceal the taste. Did I say I love smoothies? Yup, I really do.

It was extremely hot today, near 43 degrees. After I picked up my son from camp I suggested we go to Starbucks. Big mistake. Before I knew it we were driving home and I was enjoying a nice cold, icy, green tea frappacino, whipped cream and all! Holly molly, I totally forgot I could not have it. But as soon as it was on my lips I remembered. So to make amends, I drank it entirely mindfully, enjoying each and every cold sip.

Brisk walk? It is way too hot for that, do you think if I stand outside in this heat sweating it counts? Yeah, I didn’t think so either.