From an energy point of view all disease begins in the GI tract The energetics of the foods taken in can produce flares and the continuing chronic condition of the IC bladder pain syndrome(interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, fibromyalgia, chronic prostatitis, IBS, and GERD) This is why nutrition is so important in the management of any chronic disease and as you know particularly with IC As we have talked about in recent blogs the importance of bowel health and specifically digestive power is a major step in improving not only your general overall health but also to help control the flare symptoms of IC syndrome
Wouldn’t you think it unusual for someone not to ever take some time off? To maintain mental strength and creativity we all need breaks from work and a little R and R
So if it’s true for our lifestyle choices shouldn’t it be true for parts of us as well? However the idea of giving the bowel some time off doesn’t seem to be part of the equation Trigger words such as water or juice fasting come up for many and cause people to cringe at the thought of going without food
But a bowel vacation means that the heavy foods normally consumed(pizza, rich cream sauces, lots of meat, heavy dairy. ice cream as examples) are removed from the nutritional meals for 3 or 4 days and a more simple diet is taken
You see the enzyme systems(the chemical fire if you will) need to be replenished and if you’re continually asking our agni or digestive power to be used over and over again it becomes overtaxed These above wet logs as I call then place a heavy strain on your campfire(agni) and at times it is not up to par leading to toxic accumulation In essence increase of toxic load is what is behind the whole idea of detoxification
1 Make something simple to digest Kitchari is a time honored energy science nutritional tool to give your bowel enzyme systems a break from their work You can find it here at this link Do this for 5 days and notice how your bowel symptoms begin melting away!
2 If hungry snack on a piece of fruit but not in the meal
3 Consider an occasional juice day
4 Use cooling spices(cumin coriander fennel vanila turmeric cardamom) and avoid hot ones (eg garlic oregano sage rosemary thyme etc)
5 Use 2 handfuls as a guideline as to how much to eat at any one time
These simple things done based on your energy constitutional makeup will go a long ways toward improving your digestive power and enhancing your health
IC (interstitial cystitis) bladder pain is a result of inflammation and the energy science describes this in terms of the hot quality As I have talked about in the past there are many different things that people can do to reduce this quality in the gut: aloe vera gel, CCF tea, spices such as turmeric fresh basil and ginger, and herbs Click here to take survey But not only do you want the antiinflammatory effect but it would be great if you could also enhance digestive strength at the same time Aloe does this but colostrum does this as...
read moreIn all of Nature you only learn by contrast You can’t know hot if you haven’t experienced cold You can’t know the bladder pain of IC unless you’ve experienced the pleasure of being pain free And then there is the contrast of male and female, quantitative and qualitative models of healing Why is this important? Because different models of healing lead to different results due to the way they view the disease process Results Oriented Healing for IC When you know the strengths and weaknesses of the models of...
read moreI think it’s pretty much consensus that pharmaceuticals are not the panacea for IC and bladder pain. At least that was my experience with the IC patients who I worked with. Herbs offer an alternative to pharmaceuticals and we have discussed a number of them for use such as CCF tea, the use of turmeric in cooking, as well as aloe vera gel. Herbs fall into 3 categories when looking at their functional effects. Unlike pharmaceucals one herb category enhances digestive strength in all its various aspects of function, for example...
read moreThere is nothing more discouraging to IC patients than to get their hopes up that a new therapy is going to work only to find unfortunately after feeling well for a while the symptoms come back and it appears that things are back to the same bladder flares You begin feeling a real sense of hopelessness Why did it work for others and not work for me? And these therapies run the gamut from those suggested by your doctor, urologist, acupuncturist, physical therapist, or friends Because these treatments cover a wide spectrum,...
read moreThe painful bladder flares of IC that disrupt relationships, affect social planning, and by and large make life very hard are poorly understood from a molecular point of view The matter science medical perspective of disease is that the molecules cause disease In contrast the energy science medicine sees all disease beginning in the GI tract as an imbalance as an imbalance of qualities This contrast is important because it means the difference between tolerating the misery of flares versus clearing the disease that causes the...
read more“Self empowerment is the key to a healthy life. Simply put, it means you can take charge of the things you do in your life in order to create and maintain the health you want. If you suffer a life threatening illness, you are fully capable of making the choices and changes necessary to help your body heal. It’s up to you and you alone; no one else can do it for you. Healing and maintaining your health is your responsibility, not the doctor’s. The doctors job is to help you buy time to heal.” Use this time well and begin...
read moreIn the energy science world of healing it’s not just one thing but a mulitiplicity of treatments that you do that brings about healing of your IC This is in contrast from the matter science model of healing that says if you do just this one thing (take a pill) you will get major benefit such that you won’t have to do anything else For example if your blood pressure is high then take this pill and you’ll be better Or better yet, take two or three different types of pills and you’ll be better So pill popping...
read moreIn many different encounters with IC patients over the years I’ve found that there is often a feeling of ungroundedness from lack of direction, a feeling of being without a rudder, and the uncertainty as to whether this problem will ever go away This feeling gives a sense of insecurity about the future (will I have this the rest of my life?), a feeling of hopelessness, and overall anxiety born out of the fear that IC will never go away There is a feeling of loss of control over the body (not making to the bathroom) due to not knowing...
read moreThe accompanying graph depicts what happens in the formation of any disease process of imbalance There is a gradual buildup of excess qualities such as the hot quality in IC This can occur over years of unconscious choice making that leads to at first GI tract symptoms that then eventuate in dissemination of the quality(ies) to various parts of the body In the case of IC the dissemination of the qualities of hot, light, mobile, dry, rough, and subtle to the urinary tract leads to the early symptoms of...
read moreIt is estimated that many people with fibromyalgia(FM) have an IC like symptom complex in mild form as well only to exacerbate as the years progress As a matter of fact that’s why IC is now looked upon as a syndrome of diseases rather than an isolated disease of the urinary bladder The energy science due to its way of looking at disease doesn’t create disease labels but sees all problems in the body as imbalances of qualities and hence with such a system of healing leaves clustering of disease labels as the way to understand...
read more
As discussed in recent previous blogs the energy science states that agni is fundamental to good health and that when disease such as the IC bladdder pain syndrome(interstitial cystitis, irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, chronic prostatitis, GERD and vulvodynia) part of the solution and management must include helping the debilitated agni
But improving agni does NOT cause inflammation Increasing Pitta increases inflammation but improving agni balances and improves Pitta inflammation Seems counterintuitive but this is the value of the energy science model
The concept of agni while central to health in the energy science model is completely missing in the matter or molecular science approach for managing disease
This major departure from the way the matter or molecular science approaches disease has a rippling effect in terms of understanding the disease process, the timeliness of recommendations about bowel symptoms, the approach to bowel symptoms(often Pharma related), and ignoring the importance of lifestyle behavior patterns around nutrition
This lack of understanding of agni also percolates into the molecular approach to nutrition There is much misinformation from the ADA(American Dietetic Association) because of this simple lack of understanding the concept of agni
The energy science of Ayurveda offers many suggestions to enhance agni But what’s the value of improving agni?
If you have the IC bladder pain syndrome by taking care of your agni you essentially do 5 things 1 you improve your bowel symptoms that are invariably not healthy 2 you prevent your IC bladder pain symptoms from getting worse 3 by improving agni you have the possibility of reducing the severity of your IC and the flares of IC 4 you improve your overall health 5 you improve mental clarity
When agni is improved it’s like turning up the digestive heat Now of course we don’t want to turn up the heat of Pitta which is responsible for the hot qualities of the IC bladder pain syndrome But these are methods to improve the agni yet not increase Pitta
1 Kitchari monodiet….for easy digestion along with simple veggies
2 Homemade yogurt to make lassi….for probiotic
3 Herbs to increase agni without heating the system….chitrak, CCF tea, fresh ginger(not dry)
4 Lifestyle behavior patterns ….biggest meal at noon,no ice, exercise, sleep patterns
5 Pranayama……..to balance agni…..by correcting disturbed agni one can make significant strides toward correcting the imbalances causing disease
These 5 simple methods can enhance agni and reduce the IC bladder pain syndrome symptoms but can go a long way toward improving health longterm In the coming weeks I’ll take each one of these and discuss them in greater detail
IC (interstitial cystitis) bladder pain is a result of inflammation and the energy science describes this in terms of the hot quality As I have talked about in the past there are many different things that people can do to reduce this quality in the gut: aloe vera gel, CCF tea, spices such as turmeric fresh basil and ginger, and herbs Click here to take survey But not only do you want the antiinflammatory effect but it would be great if you could also enhance digestive strength at the same time Aloe does this but colostrum does this as...
read moreIn all of Nature you only learn by contrast You can’t know hot if you haven’t experienced cold You can’t know the bladder pain of IC unless you’ve experienced the pleasure of being pain free And then there is the contrast of male and female, quantitative and qualitative models of healing Why is this important? Because different models of healing lead to different results due to the way they view the disease process Results Oriented Healing for IC When you know the strengths and weaknesses of the models of...
read moreI think it’s pretty much consensus that pharmaceuticals are not the panacea for IC and bladder pain. At least that was my experience with the IC patients who I worked with. Herbs offer an alternative to pharmaceuticals and we have discussed a number of them for use such as CCF tea, the use of turmeric in cooking, as well as aloe vera gel. Herbs fall into 3 categories when looking at their functional effects. Unlike pharmaceucals one herb category enhances digestive strength in all its various aspects of function, for example...
read moreThere is nothing more discouraging to IC patients than to get their hopes up that a new therapy is going to work only to find unfortunately after feeling well for a while the symptoms come back and it appears that things are back to the same bladder flares You begin feeling a real sense of hopelessness Why did it work for others and not work for me? And these therapies run the gamut from those suggested by your doctor, urologist, acupuncturist, physical therapist, or friends Because these treatments cover a wide spectrum,...
read moreThe painful bladder flares of IC that disrupt relationships, affect social planning, and by and large make life very hard are poorly understood from a molecular point of view The matter science medical perspective of disease is that the molecules cause disease In contrast the energy science medicine sees all disease beginning in the GI tract as an imbalance as an imbalance of qualities This contrast is important because it means the difference between tolerating the misery of flares versus clearing the disease that causes the...
read more“Self empowerment is the key to a healthy life. Simply put, it means you can take charge of the things you do in your life in order to create and maintain the health you want. If you suffer a life threatening illness, you are fully capable of making the choices and changes necessary to help your body heal. It’s up to you and you alone; no one else can do it for you. Healing and maintaining your health is your responsibility, not the doctor’s. The doctors job is to help you buy time to heal.” Use this time well and begin...
read moreIn the energy science world of healing it’s not just one thing but a mulitiplicity of treatments that you do that brings about healing of your IC This is in contrast from the matter science model of healing that says if you do just this one thing (take a pill) you will get major benefit such that you won’t have to do anything else For example if your blood pressure is high then take this pill and you’ll be better Or better yet, take two or three different types of pills and you’ll be better So pill popping...
read moreIn many different encounters with IC patients over the years I’ve found that there is often a feeling of ungroundedness from lack of direction, a feeling of being without a rudder, and the uncertainty as to whether this problem will ever go away This feeling gives a sense of insecurity about the future (will I have this the rest of my life?), a feeling of hopelessness, and overall anxiety born out of the fear that IC will never go away There is a feeling of loss of control over the body (not making to the bathroom) due to not knowing...
read moreThe accompanying graph depicts what happens in the formation of any disease process of imbalance There is a gradual buildup of excess qualities such as the hot quality in IC This can occur over years of unconscious choice making that leads to at first GI tract symptoms that then eventuate in dissemination of the quality(ies) to various parts of the body In the case of IC the dissemination of the qualities of hot, light, mobile, dry, rough, and subtle to the urinary tract leads to the early symptoms of...
read moreIt is estimated that many people with fibromyalgia(FM) have an IC like symptom complex in mild form as well only to exacerbate as the years progress As a matter of fact that’s why IC is now looked upon as a syndrome of diseases rather than an isolated disease of the urinary bladder The energy science due to its way of looking at disease doesn’t create disease labels but sees all problems in the body as imbalances of qualities and hence with such a system of healing leaves clustering of disease labels as the way to understand...
read more
In the past we’ve discussed CCF tea(cumin coriander and fennel seeds) to bring about cooling in the urinary tract in patients with IC bladder pain syndrome(interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, GERD, and chronic prostatitis) Each of these herbs target specifically the urinary tract and have a cooling affect So CCF reduces the severity of IC flares due to its reduction in inflammation
But as we’ve discussed in the several blog posts agni is an important aspect of health and healing IC As a matter of fact agni or digestive power must be addressed in any chronic disease in order to have any chance of healing
Agni is all the enzyme and bacterial systems for digestion, absorption, and assimilation from the mouth to the anus So you can see how all encompassing this system is But there’s more The energy science states that the central system of agni indicates the strength of all metabolic systems in the body including cellular metabolism because agni is in essence the metabolic fire of the body
The matter science talks about agni but in a way that does not make the association between the GI tract(GIT) and the rest of the body This primary difference in the disciplines allows the energy science to state the origin of disease is known while the matter science continues to struggle to find the molecules responsible for chronic illness
But there’s more If you have strong agni you’ll have better mental clarity You’ll make better choices for your health and healing chronic disease Disease is often self perpetuating due to this “brain fog” For most people they dont realize they’re fogged until they look back and compare with where they are now and where they were back then(whatever that timeline is) and realize that now they have more clarity This is the benefit of rejuvenative herbs They help us with mental clarity….eing able to see things with better understanding and awareness Sometimes it’s hard to see this because we’re in a fog and the proverbial “Whatever” occurs
Whenever energy is low then agni is low This may or may not be associated with a change in bowel habit(diarrhea, constipation, or both) This is the first symptom of disturbed agni and needs to be corrected
So CCF tea is not only medicinal to the urinary tract and helpful in the IC bladder pain syndrome but is also very valuable in building agni Ahh that’s a tremendous benefit But it gets even better….CCF tea helps improve agni without heating the system up as well Spices(using the terms spices and herbs interchangeably because spices ARE herbs) can heat the system and provoke IC flares such as garlic, oregano, sage, rosemary, and thyme
And some of the best rejuvenatives you have for improving mental clarity are in your kitchen How so? Spices are agni builders which as we discussed earlier enhance the mind, reduce “brain fog”, and create better decision making
You can make CCF tea by placing equal amounts of the seeds(not the powder) in a ziploc bag, toss them around so there is an even mixture of the seeds and then add a 1T of the mixture to 6oz of boiling water for 5minutes If you want more volume, more tablespoons and boiling water
So the first item on the agenda in healing IC is to improve digestion, absorption, and assimilation of the GIT
1 CCF tea Cumin, coriander and fennel tea is elemental to improve digestion because it stokes agni That’s why sipping on this tea all day, everyday is helpful for clearing AMA
2 Stop putting wet logs on your digestion When I entertain foods that don’t resonate with my energy makeup(Pitta diet at icdiet or VP diet at foodsheal) or use IFC(incompatible food combinations at foodsheal) it’s like dampening my agni which is all the enzyme systems of the GIT from the mouth to lower rectum including the bacteria which are also part of agni And avoid difficult to digest proteins like gluten(wheat rye barley), lactose, and fats found in nuts and dairy
3 Using other agni enhancers Fresh ginger tea with a dash of cayenne(agni tea), cardamon, vanilla, cinnamon, turmeric are all excellent agni enhancers that you can use in my cooking or beverages to enhance agni
4 Breathing techniques(pranayama) Interestingly the yoga tradition has many different ways to physically enhance agni These breathing techniques can change the course of IC due to the power of clearing AMA
5 Yoga postures The digestive system is represented in the space of the abdomen and when you do postures that engage this area you literally engage agni and improve it From a molecular point of view this cannot be understood but energetically it makes perfect sense
So there you have it A starter sequence that can get you on your way to healing IC Oh, BTW, if you have poor agni chances are you have undigested and unprocessed food And because you feel OK, doesn’t mean you don’t have toxic load
IC (interstitial cystitis) bladder pain is a result of inflammation and the energy science describes this in terms of the hot quality As I have talked about in the past there are many different things that people can do to reduce this quality in the gut: aloe vera gel, CCF tea, spices such as turmeric fresh basil and ginger, and herbs Click here to take survey But not only do you want the antiinflammatory effect but it would be great if you could also enhance digestive strength at the same time Aloe does this but colostrum does this as...
read moreIn all of Nature you only learn by contrast You can’t know hot if you haven’t experienced cold You can’t know the bladder pain of IC unless you’ve experienced the pleasure of being pain free And then there is the contrast of male and female, quantitative and qualitative models of healing Why is this important? Because different models of healing lead to different results due to the way they view the disease process Results Oriented Healing for IC When you know the strengths and weaknesses of the models of...
read moreI think it’s pretty much consensus that pharmaceuticals are not the panacea for IC and bladder pain. At least that was my experience with the IC patients who I worked with. Herbs offer an alternative to pharmaceuticals and we have discussed a number of them for use such as CCF tea, the use of turmeric in cooking, as well as aloe vera gel. Herbs fall into 3 categories when looking at their functional effects. Unlike pharmaceucals one herb category enhances digestive strength in all its various aspects of function, for example...
read moreThere is nothing more discouraging to IC patients than to get their hopes up that a new therapy is going to work only to find unfortunately after feeling well for a while the symptoms come back and it appears that things are back to the same bladder flares You begin feeling a real sense of hopelessness Why did it work for others and not work for me? And these therapies run the gamut from those suggested by your doctor, urologist, acupuncturist, physical therapist, or friends Because these treatments cover a wide spectrum,...
read moreThe painful bladder flares of IC that disrupt relationships, affect social planning, and by and large make life very hard are poorly understood from a molecular point of view The matter science medical perspective of disease is that the molecules cause disease In contrast the energy science medicine sees all disease beginning in the GI tract as an imbalance as an imbalance of qualities This contrast is important because it means the difference between tolerating the misery of flares versus clearing the disease that causes the...
read more“Self empowerment is the key to a healthy life. Simply put, it means you can take charge of the things you do in your life in order to create and maintain the health you want. If you suffer a life threatening illness, you are fully capable of making the choices and changes necessary to help your body heal. It’s up to you and you alone; no one else can do it for you. Healing and maintaining your health is your responsibility, not the doctor’s. The doctors job is to help you buy time to heal.” Use this time well and begin...
read moreIn the energy science world of healing it’s not just one thing but a mulitiplicity of treatments that you do that brings about healing of your IC This is in contrast from the matter science model of healing that says if you do just this one thing (take a pill) you will get major benefit such that you won’t have to do anything else For example if your blood pressure is high then take this pill and you’ll be better Or better yet, take two or three different types of pills and you’ll be better So pill popping...
read moreIn many different encounters with IC patients over the years I’ve found that there is often a feeling of ungroundedness from lack of direction, a feeling of being without a rudder, and the uncertainty as to whether this problem will ever go away This feeling gives a sense of insecurity about the future (will I have this the rest of my life?), a feeling of hopelessness, and overall anxiety born out of the fear that IC will never go away There is a feeling of loss of control over the body (not making to the bathroom) due to not knowing...
read moreThe accompanying graph depicts what happens in the formation of any disease process of imbalance There is a gradual buildup of excess qualities such as the hot quality in IC This can occur over years of unconscious choice making that leads to at first GI tract symptoms that then eventuate in dissemination of the quality(ies) to various parts of the body In the case of IC the dissemination of the qualities of hot, light, mobile, dry, rough, and subtle to the urinary tract leads to the early symptoms of...
read moreIt is estimated that many people with fibromyalgia(FM) have an IC like symptom complex in mild form as well only to exacerbate as the years progress As a matter of fact that’s why IC is now looked upon as a syndrome of diseases rather than an isolated disease of the urinary bladder The energy science due to its way of looking at disease doesn’t create disease labels but sees all problems in the body as imbalances of qualities and hence with such a system of healing leaves clustering of disease labels as the way to understand...
read moreMind and body are intimately spliced We cannot separate them physically What happens in the mind happens in the body and vice versa But we do separate them because the symptoms of mental stress seem different than physical stress But anyone with a painful bladder flare will tell that it’s intimately associated with mental duress Chronic disease such as the IC bladder pain syndrome(interstitial cystistis, vulvodynia IBS, fibromyalgia, chronic prostatitis, and GERD) no matter how minor the symptoms takes a toll on mental function
Also as our population ages, declining mental faculties can take first place on the list of one’s health concerns. Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of senile dementia affect some 25 percent of all people over 80.1 Research, though, is revealing Ayurvedic approaches in helping to support the natural strength of the mental faculties.
Medhya is an Ayurvedic concept that implies intellect, or wisdom. Medhya remedies promote mental development and act as mental rejuvenatives, and they also suggest a mind that is mighty, vigorous and pure.
There are many ways to bring medhya into play in the mind. Anything that promotes the sattva guna can help in our quest, and the yamas and niyamas of Patanjali are aimed at this. Ayurvedic herbal medicines also play a role. They engender and summon intelligence, memory and mental perception. They make the mind worthy of sacrifice to higher consciousness.
Bitter taste is made from air and space energies, and these forces predominate in the mind. Bitter foods and herbs open the mind, increase sensitivity, awareness and mental functioning. Since bitter herbs are cooling and calming they combat mental dullness, allowing us to reach our full potential, becoming radiant and elevated.
Mind supplements include a large array of herbs and foods recommended to rebuild body tissues and restore lubricating juices.2 Five of these mind-nourishing herbs stand out as pillars of an Ayurvedic lifestyle.
Ashwagandha, sometimes named “winter cherry” or “Withania”, is a top mental rejuvenator. Ayurvedic herbalists use the herb to reestablish long-term sleep rhythms. Ayurvedic herbalism also uses ashwagandha for general strength for support in times of occasional fatigue and exhaustion; and to support healthy memory and a strong nervous system.
This tonic herb, a relative of tomatoes and potatoes, is not stimulating, but rather relaxing. That allows one to use this in larger amounts on a regular basis without concern for overstimulation, so this root is a superb remedy for nervous system support.
Study after study continues to confirm the benefits of this herb on stress tolerance, performance and endurance.3,4,5 One study indicated that the herb supported the brain in times of stress.6 In another, ashwagandha was shown to support strength and physical working capacity.7,8
Ayurveda considers it a “grounding” herb, one that nourishes and regulates metabolic processes and supports a naturally balanced mood. Ashwagandha also supports memory, helping those such as students for whom learning and testing are priorities.9 One recent study looked at sleep and stress. Ashwagandha was effective in supporting naturally healthy sleep patterns.10
As well as being a slow-acting tonic herb, ashwagandha is a superb herb for balancing elevated vata, a common problem as age advances and in chronic disease. It takes about a week to work up to an appropriate amount, and about another week for the herb to reach maximum effectiveness. Since ashwagandha is a slow-acting herb, you may take your daily serving at any time during the day.
A typical serving of ashwagandha is about a gram per day, taken over long periods, up to many years, as a rejuvenator, but, since ashwaganda is very safe, larger quantities are often used short term. In India, Withania is given with pungent, heating herbs (ginger, pepper, etc.) to ensure that it gets sufficiently digested.
Conscious communication is the essence of yoga. From your chakras to your nervous system to the words you speak, your very molecules are vibrating with the energy of your being, and transmitting that energy to all the other parts of our bodies and to people in your life.
Yoga exercises, pranayama and lifestyle practices all support conscious communication, and there is one special herb that yoga reveres above all others for clarifying and expanding that special spiritual voice we all share.
Calamus root is a major herb for the mind. Though it is not clearly allowed for internal consumption in the US, it can be used topically, either as a dry powder, paste, or as part of an herbalized oil. As a historical and international perspective, ancient yogis and seers used this herb, and it was said to stimulate the power of self-expression and to enhance intelligence.
This herb was often combined with gotu kola, which is cooling and mild. The complementary energetics made the combination suitable for a wide variety of people. To support attention and focus, it was combined with gotu kola, shankpushpi and licorice. Over the long term, calamus warms the body and pacifies the mind. Vacha was also combined with triphala as a general rejuvenative that bestows intelligence, longevity and good memory.11
Vacha has a long and very special history in Ayurveda.
Thinking about thinking? Feel like you’re about to max out your personal hard drive? Gotu kola is an herb with a long history of brain support. Gotu kola, also called Mandukaparni, is a mainstay of herbal medicine in Ayurveda. Widely considered a superior herb for the nervous system, gotu kola has a host of benefits.12
Gotu kola supports healthy memory, concentration and intelligence, as well as the voice, physical strength and the complexion.
Gotu kola is a jungle creeper that grows in hot moist climates. After all, it’s the food of the elephants, and we all know about their memories! Fresh, it’s a delicious salad vegetable. The juice of the fresh leaves is available at some juice bars.
More recently, a study out of Korea shows that components in gotu kola show potential for supporting healthy memory, a very promising direction.13
Since gotu kola is basically a mild salad vegetable, the serving can be a larger quantity. Try one to four teaspoonfuls of fresh juice every morning. Many people use a modest amount of 1 gram per day in capsules or tablets for daily rejuvenation. Try a cup of gotu kola tea with honey.
Water hyssop (Bacopa monniera), also refered to as brahmi in certain parts of India, is a steadfast mainstay of traditional Ayurvedic medicine. An indication of the respect for this herb is the name: “brahmi” means “god-like”. It’s used in Asia for support of the nervous system, mental energy, and healthy memory—it’s a powerful brain food. Use it to increase comprehension, concentration and recollection. Because it traditionally supports a person’s natural ability to solve problems effectively, it is often found in Ayurvedic formulas to cope with stress.
With nearly 300 studies in the scientific literature, it has built up a solid base of scientific support for its many functions.
In support of the traditional use for promoting healthy memory, Australian researchers recently gave Bacopa to seventy-six adults, aged 40 to 65 years, in a double-blind randomized, placebo control study in which various memory functions were tested. Numerous memory tests before and after taking the brahmi showed that the herb significantly supported the learning process.14
Brahmi has traditionally been used for children as well. Indian schoolchildren take it at home. In 1987, Indian scientists gave brahmi to 40 schoolchildren aged 6-8 in a single-blind trial. The study showed support of learning, memory and perception. The dose was 1 gram per day for three months, of the dried plant extracted into a syrup form, and no side effects were recorded.15
The traditional serving can be up to two grams of the whole herb, in capsules, tablets or tea, twice a day with warm water.
When we need mental peace and sleep, we may call upon shankhapushi to help restore clear quality of the mind and relaxation. Its flowers resemble the shankha or conch shell, thus the name. It usually is a foot tall plant, with dome of flowers, in open fields in North India.
This herb is an outstanding rejuvenative tonic for the mind and nerve tissue. The plant is said to have profound mystical properties, with an affinity for the heart, throat, third eye and crown chakras.
The herb is especially effective for mental peace and tranquility. Often taken with or prepared in ghee, it promotes serenity without dulling the mind. As it is balancing, its effect can be both uplifting and calming. Students traditionally use it to support a calm mind during exams. For support of focus and attention, it combines well with brahmi and licorice. For support of healthy sleep patterns, use shankpushpi at bedtime (traditional use allows for up to 6 grams). According to the Astanga Hridyam, ghee, cooked three times with shankpushpi juice and milk, makes even the dullest mind sharp.
Ayurveda places special attention on the health of the mind, and fundamentally teaches that, ultimately, all physical imbalances start in the mind, so a healthy mind is at the forefront of Ayurvedic practices. These five herbs form the core of a superb mental rejuvenative chest. They are waiting to help us stay calm, centered, intelligent and exalted, so now might just be the time to give this collection of herbs a try.
Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa is the lead instructor of the nutritional therapy and professional herbalist training programs at Portland Community College, where students pursue their credential online or in classrooms study, and on the founding faculty of Bastyr University Department of Ayurvedic Sciences. Khalsa is the President of the American Herbalists Guild and on the board of directors of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association. He is the first person to be board certified in herbalism and Ayurveda.
http://www.pcc.edu/climb/health/
http://www.kpkhalsa.com/
http://www.internationalintegrative.com/
IC (interstitial cystitis) bladder pain is a result of inflammation and the energy science describes this in terms of the hot quality As I have talked about in the past there are many different things that people can do to reduce this quality in the gut: aloe vera gel, CCF tea, spices such as turmeric fresh basil and ginger, and herbs Click here to take survey But not only do you want the antiinflammatory effect but it would be great if you could also enhance digestive strength at the same time Aloe does this but colostrum does this as...
read moreIn all of Nature you only learn by contrast You can’t know hot if you haven’t experienced cold You can’t know the bladder pain of IC unless you’ve experienced the pleasure of being pain free And then there is the contrast of male and female, quantitative and qualitative models of healing Why is this important? Because different models of healing lead to different results due to the way they view the disease process Results Oriented Healing for IC When you know the strengths and weaknesses of the models of...
read moreI think it’s pretty much consensus that pharmaceuticals are not the panacea for IC and bladder pain. At least that was my experience with the IC patients who I worked with. Herbs offer an alternative to pharmaceuticals and we have discussed a number of them for use such as CCF tea, the use of turmeric in cooking, as well as aloe vera gel. Herbs fall into 3 categories when looking at their functional effects. Unlike pharmaceucals one herb category enhances digestive strength in all its various aspects of function, for example...
read moreThere is nothing more discouraging to IC patients than to get their hopes up that a new therapy is going to work only to find unfortunately after feeling well for a while the symptoms come back and it appears that things are back to the same bladder flares You begin feeling a real sense of hopelessness Why did it work for others and not work for me? And these therapies run the gamut from those suggested by your doctor, urologist, acupuncturist, physical therapist, or friends Because these treatments cover a wide spectrum,...
read moreThe painful bladder flares of IC that disrupt relationships, affect social planning, and by and large make life very hard are poorly understood from a molecular point of view The matter science medical perspective of disease is that the molecules cause disease In contrast the energy science medicine sees all disease beginning in the GI tract as an imbalance as an imbalance of qualities This contrast is important because it means the difference between tolerating the misery of flares versus clearing the disease that causes the...
read more“Self empowerment is the key to a healthy life. Simply put, it means you can take charge of the things you do in your life in order to create and maintain the health you want. If you suffer a life threatening illness, you are fully capable of making the choices and changes necessary to help your body heal. It’s up to you and you alone; no one else can do it for you. Healing and maintaining your health is your responsibility, not the doctor’s. The doctors job is to help you buy time to heal.” Use this time well and begin...
read moreIn the energy science world of healing it’s not just one thing but a mulitiplicity of treatments that you do that brings about healing of your IC This is in contrast from the matter science model of healing that says if you do just this one thing (take a pill) you will get major benefit such that you won’t have to do anything else For example if your blood pressure is high then take this pill and you’ll be better Or better yet, take two or three different types of pills and you’ll be better So pill popping...
read moreIn many different encounters with IC patients over the years I’ve found that there is often a feeling of ungroundedness from lack of direction, a feeling of being without a rudder, and the uncertainty as to whether this problem will ever go away This feeling gives a sense of insecurity about the future (will I have this the rest of my life?), a feeling of hopelessness, and overall anxiety born out of the fear that IC will never go away There is a feeling of loss of control over the body (not making to the bathroom) due to not knowing...
read moreThe accompanying graph depicts what happens in the formation of any disease process of imbalance There is a gradual buildup of excess qualities such as the hot quality in IC This can occur over years of unconscious choice making that leads to at first GI tract symptoms that then eventuate in dissemination of the quality(ies) to various parts of the body In the case of IC the dissemination of the qualities of hot, light, mobile, dry, rough, and subtle to the urinary tract leads to the early symptoms of...
read moreIt is estimated that many people with fibromyalgia(FM) have an IC like symptom complex in mild form as well only to exacerbate as the years progress As a matter of fact that’s why IC is now looked upon as a syndrome of diseases rather than an isolated disease of the urinary bladder The energy science due to its way of looking at disease doesn’t create disease labels but sees all problems in the body as imbalances of qualities and hence with such a system of healing leaves clustering of disease labels as the way to understand...
read moreFrom an energy science view symptoms that occur in the physical body such as those with the IC bladder pain syndrome(interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, chronic prostatitis, fibromyalgia, IBS, and GERD) are expressions of physiologic imbalance in the energy body In the energy science world of healing it’s all about balance or harmony in the mindbody When there is no disease or imbalance then there is no expression of qualities Everything is good
These imbalances are expressed in a qualitative way, that is, too much hot or too much mobility or movement in the physiology This imbalance of quality leads to expression either in the GIT(gastrointestinal tract) or peripherally In IC the imbalances of these qualities lead to the symptoms of burning in the bladder vulvar area, prostate in men, and frequency of urination, most notable during flares
But the qualities expressed in the body as disease such as the IC bladder pain syndrome are merely the tip of the iceberg because they represent the imbalance that is occurring throughout the mindbody…..but oh by the way they are showing up in the pelvic area specifically the pelvic plexus of nerves
So when you undergo techniques and methods to reduce the imbalance of these qualities you are actually reducing the imbalance of the qualities throughout the mindbody not just in the pelvis
A bandaid is something that covers up a problem There are many drugs that serve as bandaids Yes they take away symptoms but don’t get to the heart of the matter which is being caused from the qualities being expressed At least that’s the way the energy science views the disease process
It’s important to understand that methods such as nutritional formats and supplements such as aloe are energy science bandaids They like pharmaceuticals make life reasonably comfortable because they prevent further loading up of the qualities that brought about the disease in the first place
So when you engage in specific techniques in energy science healing you are participating in real healing….not a bandaid but healing that gets to the heart of the problem This is because qualities are REMOVED rather than simply preventing more qualities to accumulate
These specific techniques fall into 5 broad categories The first we heard about last week called oleation, either internal or external as in shirodhara The second is basti which we have discussed in previous blogs Thirdly nasal therapies remove excess qualities particularly in the central nervous system but is a great technique to help remove the excess qualities of Kapha the energy pattern of stability The fourth technique is removing excess mucous from the stomach and lastly removing excess Pitta by blood donation(women do this on a monthly basis when menstruating)
So real healing requires very specific energy science techniques to clear the IC bladder pain syndrome Or there’s always bandaids
To health as a Skill DB
IC (interstitial cystitis) bladder pain is a result of inflammation and the energy science describes this in terms of the hot quality As I have talked about in the past there are many different things that people can do to reduce this quality in the gut: aloe vera gel, CCF tea, spices such as turmeric fresh basil and ginger, and herbs Click here to take survey But not only do you want the antiinflammatory effect but it would be great if you could also enhance digestive strength at the same time Aloe does this but colostrum does this as...
read moreIn all of Nature you only learn by contrast You can’t know hot if you haven’t experienced cold You can’t know the bladder pain of IC unless you’ve experienced the pleasure of being pain free And then there is the contrast of male and female, quantitative and qualitative models of healing Why is this important? Because different models of healing lead to different results due to the way they view the disease process Results Oriented Healing for IC When you know the strengths and weaknesses of the models of...
read moreI think it’s pretty much consensus that pharmaceuticals are not the panacea for IC and bladder pain. At least that was my experience with the IC patients who I worked with. Herbs offer an alternative to pharmaceuticals and we have discussed a number of them for use such as CCF tea, the use of turmeric in cooking, as well as aloe vera gel. Herbs fall into 3 categories when looking at their functional effects. Unlike pharmaceucals one herb category enhances digestive strength in all its various aspects of function, for example...
read moreThere is nothing more discouraging to IC patients than to get their hopes up that a new therapy is going to work only to find unfortunately after feeling well for a while the symptoms come back and it appears that things are back to the same bladder flares You begin feeling a real sense of hopelessness Why did it work for others and not work for me? And these therapies run the gamut from those suggested by your doctor, urologist, acupuncturist, physical therapist, or friends Because these treatments cover a wide spectrum,...
read moreThe painful bladder flares of IC that disrupt relationships, affect social planning, and by and large make life very hard are poorly understood from a molecular point of view The matter science medical perspective of disease is that the molecules cause disease In contrast the energy science medicine sees all disease beginning in the GI tract as an imbalance as an imbalance of qualities This contrast is important because it means the difference between tolerating the misery of flares versus clearing the disease that causes the...
read more“Self empowerment is the key to a healthy life. Simply put, it means you can take charge of the things you do in your life in order to create and maintain the health you want. If you suffer a life threatening illness, you are fully capable of making the choices and changes necessary to help your body heal. It’s up to you and you alone; no one else can do it for you. Healing and maintaining your health is your responsibility, not the doctor’s. The doctors job is to help you buy time to heal.” Use this time well and begin...
read moreIn the energy science world of healing it’s not just one thing but a mulitiplicity of treatments that you do that brings about healing of your IC This is in contrast from the matter science model of healing that says if you do just this one thing (take a pill) you will get major benefit such that you won’t have to do anything else For example if your blood pressure is high then take this pill and you’ll be better Or better yet, take two or three different types of pills and you’ll be better So pill popping...
read moreIn many different encounters with IC patients over the years I’ve found that there is often a feeling of ungroundedness from lack of direction, a feeling of being without a rudder, and the uncertainty as to whether this problem will ever go away This feeling gives a sense of insecurity about the future (will I have this the rest of my life?), a feeling of hopelessness, and overall anxiety born out of the fear that IC will never go away There is a feeling of loss of control over the body (not making to the bathroom) due to not knowing...
read moreThe accompanying graph depicts what happens in the formation of any disease process of imbalance There is a gradual buildup of excess qualities such as the hot quality in IC This can occur over years of unconscious choice making that leads to at first GI tract symptoms that then eventuate in dissemination of the quality(ies) to various parts of the body In the case of IC the dissemination of the qualities of hot, light, mobile, dry, rough, and subtle to the urinary tract leads to the early symptoms of...
read moreIt is estimated that many people with fibromyalgia(FM) have an IC like symptom complex in mild form as well only to exacerbate as the years progress As a matter of fact that’s why IC is now looked upon as a syndrome of diseases rather than an isolated disease of the urinary bladder The energy science due to its way of looking at disease doesn’t create disease labels but sees all problems in the body as imbalances of qualities and hence with such a system of healing leaves clustering of disease labels as the way to understand...
read more
When you subscribe to our site, you’re sent a short list of questions in order to get to know your interests One of the questions specifically asks about whether the topic of sour and pungent tastes interests you 50% of you have responded that you wanted to hear more…so here goes
In the energy science foods play a predominant role in creating imbalances which in turn produce disease such as the IC bladder pain syndrome(interstitial cystitis, irritable bowel syndrome, vulvodynia, chronic prostatitis, GERD, and fibromyalgia) Of course not all foods will produce imbalance but HOW DO WE KNOW WHICH FOODS are good and those that are not good for our disease state
The energy science provides the answer in the form of food lists that have foods that you should avoid(NO column), those that can be taken in moderation, and those that can be used all the time See foodsheal.com or icdiet.com to review these formats
There are 6 energetic tastes that are recognized: sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent Each of these are composed of specific qualities but for our IC bladder pain syndrome interest the ones that stand out are sour, salty, and pungent These are important because all 3 have the hot quality among others that will produce the imbalance that leads to the disease complex of the IC bladder pain syndrome
This is why the tastes of the sour and pungent can be provoking for those with IC The sour taste is the acid taste in Nature(bitter being the alkaline taste) and the pungent taste is the sensation we have when we eat a hot chili or horseradish
The importance of the lists is that they have built within them what predominance of tastes are within the food being evaluated, that is what qualities are present that may be provoking There are two benefits here 1 tells you which foods are imbalancing to you seeing your body as an energy field and 2 tells you which foods will produce disease for you And included within this construct is whether the foods are heating, that is have the hot quality or the sour and pungent tastes
1 As discussed we would want to follow the nutritional formats described at foodsheal.com(should take the questionnaire to determine your energy pattern constitution) or simply follow the icdiet format at icdiet.com The advantage of the former is that it gives you a broader choice range But both get the job done by cutting out the excessive hot quality
2 Avoid incompatible food combinations that are outlined at either of the above sites One of the fundamental principles of this list is the avoidance of fresh fruits in combination with other foods This is because the fruit with other foods can interfere with digestion and create as a byproduct toxic load called ama Ama is part of most disease processes and has to be cleared as a part of the IC syndrome
3 The use of a churan will give you all 6 tastes necessary for having healthy digestion but not giving the excess hot quality that will produce imbalance
Until next week To Health as a Skill Love DrBill
IC (interstitial cystitis) bladder pain is a result of inflammation and the energy science describes this in terms of the hot quality As I have talked about in the past there are many different things that people can do to reduce this quality in the gut: aloe vera gel, CCF tea, spices such as turmeric fresh basil and ginger, and herbs Click here to take survey But not only do you want the antiinflammatory effect but it would be great if you could also enhance digestive strength at the same time Aloe does this but colostrum does this as...
read moreIn all of Nature you only learn by contrast You can’t know hot if you haven’t experienced cold You can’t know the bladder pain of IC unless you’ve experienced the pleasure of being pain free And then there is the contrast of male and female, quantitative and qualitative models of healing Why is this important? Because different models of healing lead to different results due to the way they view the disease process Results Oriented Healing for IC When you know the strengths and weaknesses of the models of...
read moreI think it’s pretty much consensus that pharmaceuticals are not the panacea for IC and bladder pain. At least that was my experience with the IC patients who I worked with. Herbs offer an alternative to pharmaceuticals and we have discussed a number of them for use such as CCF tea, the use of turmeric in cooking, as well as aloe vera gel. Herbs fall into 3 categories when looking at their functional effects. Unlike pharmaceucals one herb category enhances digestive strength in all its various aspects of function, for example...
read moreThere is nothing more discouraging to IC patients than to get their hopes up that a new therapy is going to work only to find unfortunately after feeling well for a while the symptoms come back and it appears that things are back to the same bladder flares You begin feeling a real sense of hopelessness Why did it work for others and not work for me? And these therapies run the gamut from those suggested by your doctor, urologist, acupuncturist, physical therapist, or friends Because these treatments cover a wide spectrum,...
read moreThe painful bladder flares of IC that disrupt relationships, affect social planning, and by and large make life very hard are poorly understood from a molecular point of view The matter science medical perspective of disease is that the molecules cause disease In contrast the energy science medicine sees all disease beginning in the GI tract as an imbalance as an imbalance of qualities This contrast is important because it means the difference between tolerating the misery of flares versus clearing the disease that causes the...
read more“Self empowerment is the key to a healthy life. Simply put, it means you can take charge of the things you do in your life in order to create and maintain the health you want. If you suffer a life threatening illness, you are fully capable of making the choices and changes necessary to help your body heal. It’s up to you and you alone; no one else can do it for you. Healing and maintaining your health is your responsibility, not the doctor’s. The doctors job is to help you buy time to heal.” Use this time well and begin...
read moreIn the energy science world of healing it’s not just one thing but a mulitiplicity of treatments that you do that brings about healing of your IC This is in contrast from the matter science model of healing that says if you do just this one thing (take a pill) you will get major benefit such that you won’t have to do anything else For example if your blood pressure is high then take this pill and you’ll be better Or better yet, take two or three different types of pills and you’ll be better So pill popping...
read moreIn many different encounters with IC patients over the years I’ve found that there is often a feeling of ungroundedness from lack of direction, a feeling of being without a rudder, and the uncertainty as to whether this problem will ever go away This feeling gives a sense of insecurity about the future (will I have this the rest of my life?), a feeling of hopelessness, and overall anxiety born out of the fear that IC will never go away There is a feeling of loss of control over the body (not making to the bathroom) due to not knowing...
read moreThe accompanying graph depicts what happens in the formation of any disease process of imbalance There is a gradual buildup of excess qualities such as the hot quality in IC This can occur over years of unconscious choice making that leads to at first GI tract symptoms that then eventuate in dissemination of the quality(ies) to various parts of the body In the case of IC the dissemination of the qualities of hot, light, mobile, dry, rough, and subtle to the urinary tract leads to the early symptoms of...
read moreIt is estimated that many people with fibromyalgia(FM) have an IC like symptom complex in mild form as well only to exacerbate as the years progress As a matter of fact that’s why IC is now looked upon as a syndrome of diseases rather than an isolated disease of the urinary bladder The energy science due to its way of looking at disease doesn’t create disease labels but sees all problems in the body as imbalances of qualities and hence with such a system of healing leaves clustering of disease labels as the way to understand...
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