Category: diet

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Benefits of Tulsi Ayurveda

Not always traditional medicine is the solution to common conditions.  Having said that, Ayurveda teaches us about the benefits of Tulsi as a natural alternative.

Tulsi leaf
Benefits of Tulsi

At this time of year we are very susceptible to catching colds and the flu, due to the change of season. In the morning the sun is shining and warm then by the afternoon it is cold and raining. For this reason, you may not have taken enough warm clothes and have got caught out.

Apart from Tulsi’s religious and medicinal significance, it has many great benefits as a prime herb in Ayurveda treatment. Tulsi is a kind of  "elixir of life" as it promotes longevity.  The healing power of Tulsi is marked by its strong aroma and a stringent taste.  Because it is used to prevent the onset of many illnesses and common ailments such as:-

  • Common cold
  • Headaches
  • Stomach disorders
  • Inflammation
  • Heart disease
  • Various forms of poisoning
  • and malaria.

The natural benefits of Tulsi for your health

tulsi 1

Healing Power of Tulsi

The Tulsi plant has many benefits and medicinal properties. Also the leaves are a nerve tonic and sharpen memory. They promote the removal of the inflammation and phlegm from the bronchial tube. In the same way, the leaves strengthen the stomach and induce copious perspiration.

The seed of the plant ia mucilaginous. Mucilaginous herbs derive their properties from the carbohydrates they contain. These carbohydrates have a 'slippery', mild taste and swell in water. They produce a gel-like mass that can be used to soothe and protect irritated tissues in the body. For instance dry irritated skin and sore or inflamed mucous membranes.

Fever and Common Cold

The leaves of the Tulsi (perennial basil) plant are specific for many fevers. During the winter and rainy seasons, tender leaves, boiled with tea, act as preventive against disease.

In case of acute fevers, a drink made of the leaves boiled with powdered cardamom in half a litre of water and mixed with sugar and milk brings down the temperature and fever. With this intention the extract of Tulsi leaves in fresh water should be given every 2 to 3 hours. In between,  keep giving sips of cold water.

Coughs

Tulsi is an important constituent of many Ayurvedic cough syrups and expectorants. It helps to mobilise mucus in bronchitis and asthma. Chewing tulsi leaves relieves cold and flu.

Sore Throat

Water boiled with perennial basil (Tulsi) leaves can be taken as drink in case of sore throat. This water is also used to gargle with.

Respiratory Disorder

The Tulsi herb is useful in the treatment of respiratory system disorder. A drink of the leaves, with honey and ginger is an effective remedy for bronchitis, asthma, influenza, cough and cold. A drink of the leaves, cloves and common salt also gives immediate relief in case of influenza. Boil in half a litre of water till only half the water is left.

Tulsi leaves

Yoga and Ayurveda Therapy Works for Over 40s

We combine Yoga with Ayurveda so that the practice is beneficial to the mind, body and digestive system. Many illnesses can be attributed to eating foods that are not suitable for your body type. For this reason we like to include Ayurveda Everyday tips as a bonus in our subscribers. Our Private facebook group Yoga Works better with Ayurveda has recipes and everyday tips as well as class replays. In this way we are offering the these ancient teachings as traditionally taught.

Click here for more information on our Yoga Therapy classes :- Good Morning Yoga, Lunchtime Chair Yoga and Sleepy time Yoga Therapy classes.

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ayurvedic diet Yoga therapy Yoga therapy, yoga Ayurveda, yoga, zoe campbell

14 Fake Olive Oil Companies Are Revealed Now

Avoid These Brands

It was found that even 7 of the biggest olive oil makers in the USA, mix their items with cheap oils to get more profits. Namely, one of the products we regard as healthiest and a remedy for longevity has been corrupted.

Apparently, even 70% of olive oil sold in the U.S. stores is fake, as they have been cut with cheaper, inferior oils like canola and sunflower oil! This is similar to the 2008 practice in Italy. This meant seizure for 85 oil farms that mixed some percentage chlorophyll with sunflower and canola to the olive oil.

fakes

The oil was mixed, colored, perfumed and flavored too, and these things made the Australian government investigate their oils. The results were awful. After that, not one brand named extra virgin olive oil got the 2012 certificate of approval.

These scams made the University of California to study 124 imported brands of extra virgin olive oil and discovered that more than 70% of the samples did not pass the test.

THESE ARE THE BRANDS THAT FAILED THE TEST:

Carapelli

Mezzetta

Pompeian

Mazola

Primadonna

Colavita

Sasso

Antica Badia

Star

Whole Foods

Felippo Berio

Safeway

Coricelli

Bertolli

ON THE OTHER HAND, THE FOLLOWING BRANDS ARE TRUSTWORTHY:

Lucero

McEvoy Ranch Organic

Corto Olive

Omaggio

Bariani Olive Oil

California Olive Ranch

Lucini

Ottavio

Cobram Estate

Olea Estates

Kirkland Organic

HOW TO TEST OLIVE OIL:

Additionally, you can also test the olive oil you have at home. You should put the bottle in the fridge for half an hour, and if it starts to solidify, it means that the oil is pure, as it contains a large amount of monounsaturated fat.

On the other hand, if it does not solidify, it is fake. Yet, just to be sure, look for official governmental seals of approval on the label, like “Australian Extra Virgin Certified” and “California Olive Oil Council Certified Extra Virgin.”

We really hope you find this article helpful and don’t forget to share it with your friends and family. Thank You.

http://naturalcureshouse.com/the-14-fake-olive-oil-companies-are-revealed-now-avoid-these-brands/

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ayurvedic Classes Bondi diet Yoga therapy Yoga therapy, yoga Ayurveda, yoga, zoe campbell

Yoga in the Sun 

Personally I don’t like yoga in the sun or out in the open around people and the elements. 

 I prefer to practise yoga so I can listen internally and connect with my intuition & become aware of a deeper awareness that may be stored up in areas within body  – as it was said to me once – yoga is not a work out but a work in.


Sunday afternoon a headstand is performed in Bidigak park north Bondi beach  – with many people picnicking with their loved ones and pets running around 

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diet

Artifical chemicals make us FAT

Three artificial chemicals that are making us fat

by Michael Ravensthorpe

(NaturalNews) In 2006, Felix Grun and Bruce Blumberg, two developmental biologists at the University of California, Irvine, published a research paper about artificial chemicals known to contribute towards obesity. These chemicals, which the researchers named “obesogens,” are foreign compounds that compromise the balance and development of lipid metabolism, often by disrupting endocrine function.(1)

Since 2006, peer-reviewed studies have identified approximately 20 substances as obesogens.(2) Worse still, at least 3 of these substances are commonly found in the average American household. How many of the following obesogens are you aware of?

Bisphenol A

Bisphenol A (BPA) is perhaps the best-known obesogen and one of the most destructive. A synthetic compound that has been in commercial use since 1957, BPA is used to make polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins — in other words, consumer goods such as water bottles, food containers and metal cans.(3)

Though the Food and Drug Administration has claimed that BPA exposure is safe in small quantities, scientific research says otherwise. One study published in The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, for example, showed that BPA — which can leak from its containers into our food and drink — influences multiple endocrine-related pathways.(4) Many studies have also linked BPA exposure with obesity in both human and animal models.(5,6,7)
bisphenol

Phthalates 

Phthalates are a group of chemicals added to plastics and other products to soften and increase their flexibility. They are found in hundreds of consumer goods, including children’s toys, cosmetic products, pharmaceuticals, food containers and paints, and have been linked to weight gain.

In fact, 3 independent studies have found that phthalate levels in the body are associated with increased waist circumference and abdominal obesity.(8,9,10) Another study, published in the journal Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology in 2009, showed that phthalates could trigger weight gain by disrupting a hormone receptor that plays a key role in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism.

(11)
phthalates

Perfluorooctanoic acid

Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) is a long-chain chemical, which, like all obesogens, does not occur naturally in the environment. PFOA is commonly found in non-stick cookware made from Teflon and is shown to be present in the blood of 98 percent of the United States population.(12)

The negative effects of PFOA on human health are well-documented. According to a study featured in Environmental Health Perspectives, exposure to higher levels of PFOA is linked to thyroid disease among American adults.(13) Other studies have also associated higher PFOA exposure with chronic kidney disease(14) and various cancers.(15)

Though studies into PFOA’s association with obesity in humans is limited, animal studies suggest that PFOA does deserve its classification as an obesogen. For example, a 2009 study showed that high PFOA doses “significantly increased” brown adipose tissue weight in mice.(16)


perflorooctanoic acid

Limiting our exposure to obesogens

While it might be impossible to completely avoid exposure to obesogens in today’s polluted world, there are some steps we can take to greatly minimize it. Purchasing organic whole foods instead of processed foods, avoiding plastic drink bottles, and replacing non-stick cookware with cast iron or stainless steel cookware are effective ways to reduce our exposure to BPA, phthalates and PFOA. Purifying our tap water through distillation or reverse osmosis before drinking it will also minimize our exposure to obesogens, as well as a large number of other health-destroying toxins.

obesogens

Sources:

(1) http://press.endocrine.org/doi/pdf/10.1210/en.2005-1129[PDF]

(2) http://www.nytimes.com

(3) http://www.mayoclinic.org

(4) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21605673

(5) http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935111001435

(6) http://press.endocrine.org/doi/abs/10.1210/jc.2011-1989

(7) http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0892036211000742

(8) http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935111003112

(9) http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1476-069x-7-27.pdf[PDF]

(10) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1892109/

(11) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19433246

(12) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18007991

(13) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2866686/

(14) http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/174/8/893.full.pdf+html[PDF]

(15) http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1205829/

(16) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19433254

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ayurvedic diet

How Ayurveda Diet works

What we eat effects our health

Ayurveda, the ancient healing art of India, teaches that food plays an essential part in our health and sense of well-being. Recipes are formulated using herbs and spices that help balance the constitution of each person.

The Ayurveda diet works because it looks at the effect of the foods on the individual constitution. This is included with every recipe together with the medicinal properties of many of the foods.

Ayurveda is a way of healing and a way of life that always takes into consideration the whole person. According to the teachings of Ayurveda every aspect of life contributes to overall health. 

Ayurveda lunch

Poor health seldom has a simple or single cause and diet is the best place to start.

Dosha’s our unique make up

Our sense of well-being reflects the inner state of health. Good health is the maintenance of our unique combination of the Dosha’s. For the Ayurveda diet to work for you, It is equally important to have the following:-

  • A balanced condition of the Agni (digestive fire) and
  • the seven body tissues and
  • three water systems (urine, sweat & faeces)
  • as well as a balance in the mind, senses and consciousness.
  • to have love, happiness and clarity in daily living.

Doshic imbalance governs internal biochemical changes that eventually lead to either high or low metabolism.

The Pitta dosha and how the Ayurveda diet works

If the Pitta dosha is out of balance there will be an increase in digestive fire which will burn the skin and digestion will be too fast to absorb any nutrients. Anger and controlling impulses will become more dominant.

Pitta dosha governs all physical and bio chemical changes that take place within the body. Through this process foodstuffs are transformed into energy, heat and vitality. It is the Pitta that performs these functions throughout one’s life, but is especially prominent during the adult years. All these activities of Pitta depend upon the “digestive fire or Agni.” Poor Agni means poor health.

Wrong diet such as hot spicy foods, wrong lifestyle such as living in a hot climate and repressed emotions alter the normal function of Pitta.

Doshas Ayurveda

The Kapha dosha

Kapha dosha is from the heart upwards and when in excess weight increases as well as fluid and mucus. When out of balance the kapha can lose motivation and sleep a lot.

Anabolism is the process of building up the body. It is the repair, growth and creation of new cells. This process is managed by Kapha and is most active in the baby child and teen years. Kapha dosha is disturbed by excessive intake of sweet, dairy and cold oily foods.

Vata dosha

The Vata dosha symptoms are from the navel down. Vata being made of air and either is effected by either an upward or downward flow. When disturbed the vata can cause constipation, insomnia, anxiety and fear.

Catabolism is the destructive, but necessary stage of metabolism. Larger molecules are broken into smaller ones. This molecular death is governed by Vata dosha and is most active in old age. Repeated intake of Vata provoking food, such as salads and popcorn, and over-exercising escalate Vata and disturb health.

Improper eating habits

  1. Overeating
  2. Eating soon after a full meal
  3. Too much water or no water during a meal
  4. Drinking very chilled water during a meal, or indeed anytime
  5. Eating when constipated
  6. Wrong time of day-either too early or too late to eat
  7. Overuse of heavy foods or too little light food
  8. Drinking fruit juice or eating fruit with a meal
  9. Eating without real hunger
  10. Emotional eating
  11. Incompatible food combinations
  12. Snacking in between meals

Eating time of day and season

The bodies’ biological clock is regulated by the Dosha’s. The time of maximum activity of Kapha is during early morning and early evening, 6am to 10 am and 6am to 10 pm.

Pitta period is during midday and midnight, 10 am to 2am and 10pm to 2am, while Vata hours are dawn and dust, 2 to 6 am and 2 to 6 am.

Thus a Pitta-type disease, like ulcers, cause the most discomfort late at night in the Pitta time and of the bio-clock. Likewise the reverse is also true, in the sense that experiencing a sharp pain in the stomach region late at night may signify ulcers or another Pitta type aggravation.

Every act you perform around food should be in a loving honouring and sacred manner.

Food is medicine

When growing the food, selecting it in the supermarket or preparing it for cooking always demonstrate respect. The amount of loving awareness and respect you give transfers exactly to the food and to the hungry stomachs. Food that is prepared in a loving manner brings truly healing results to everyone.

Yoga Works for Over 40s Ayurveda Therapy Programs

Currently our Yoga Ayurveda Therapy personalised programs are conducted online. There are so many benefits from combining Yoga and Ayurveda, together.  

Indeed together they make a complete therapy for body and mind. Yoga and Ayurveda are taught together the traditional way. As a final point you will be given a personal practice that suits your individual needs.

To start with, we work with each person who may be:-

  • working in a job that is sapping energy
  • experiencing menopausal symtoms
  • recovering from surgery
  • in chronic pain and injury
  • anxious or stressed
  • any chronic condition
  • ageing and adjusting to life’s challenges
  • in the corporate world

We are currently running all our classes (online). They are Good Morning Yoga Therapy, Lunchtime Chair Yoga Therapy and Sleepy Time Yoga therapy.

Read about the 7 benefits of Yoga for Seniors here and more information send us a note, we would love to hear from you or call +61 407 956 071 or email Zoe at contact@yogaworksforover40s.com