Bodhimed

Even the most die-hard natural health devotee can be tempted to buy pharmaceutical allergy medication when the symptoms get really bad.  Some just plow through the fatigue and congestion while constantly trying different herbal products to see if they'll help.  If you're suffering from allergies because you still haven't found an effective natural remedy, you're in luck.  Over the years I've put together an allergy treatment protocol that is easy to use and that really works.  I'm going to lay it out step by step so that you can start your allergy relief program right away.  Follow these steps and you'll be breathing and thinking clearly in no time.

The Yummiest Ayurvedic Medicine Around

Sitopaladi is an ancient Ayurvedic herbal formula that tastes like chai and eliminates congestion. Because it comes in a powdered form, you actually taste the herbs, which is fantastic because some of the herbs in Sitopaladi are cinnamon, cardamom, and Indian pepper.  According to Ayurveda, every taste yields an action, and the ingredients in Sitopaladi stimulate digestion to reduce congestion.  This is one of my patients' favorite formulas to take. You can take 1/2 tsp. directly on your tongue and wash it down with warm water three times a day. Or you can put the 1/2 tsp. in warm water and drink it.  You'll love it.

Reduce Sinus Inflammation With Ayurvedic Nasya Oil

Sinus inflammation is a major part of why people experience nasal congestion during the allergy season. The mucus membranes in the sinuses get so irritated and inflammed by the pollens and grasses that they can either secrete excess mucus or become too dry.  The Ayurvedic remedy for this irritation is the application of herbal oil to the sinuses.  Nasya oil (literally means "in the nose" in Sanskrit) comes in different varieties, but the kind I like contains eucalyptus, gotu kola, calamus root, and skullcap in a base of sesame and olive oils.  You can easily apply nasya oil twice a day by hanging your head over the edge of the bed and squeezing 3-5 drops into each nostril.  Then lie there for a minute while massaging your nose and cheeks in a motion towards yoru forehead.  This will allow the oil to drain up into the sinus cavity and lubricate the mucus membranes.  Nasya oil has the extra added benefit of relaxing neck tension and promoting mental clarity. People notice a huge difference in their sinus congestion with just nasya alone. Nasya is not recommended for pregnant women.

Systemic Enzymes For Allergies

One of my very favorite natural products of all time for allergies is a systemic enzyme formula called Vitalzym.  I like to think of systemic enzymes like little Pac-Mans that go around "munching" mucus, inflammation, fibrin, viruses and scar tissue in the body.  Not to be confused with digestive enzymes, systemic enzymes reduce inflammation by "munching" the protein chain created by the immune system that manifests as inflammation. While Vitalzym is most commonly used for pain as an anti-inflammatory, it's ability to cleanse the blood and reduce congestion is amazing.  I use it all the time for congestion due to allergies or colds because it works on both the irritation and the mucus. For allergies, take 2 capsules 3 times a day.  Vitalzym is contra-indicated for anyone currently taking anti-coagulants.

No More Ice Cream

Nobody wants to hear this, but diet definitely does make a difference when you're suffering from allergies. Most people suffer from Kapha type (phlegm) of allergy symptoms - sinus congestion, sneezing, lung congestion, watery eyes, fatigue, lethargy, mental fogginess.  So it's important during allergy season, and even for several weeks prior, to start a Kapha reducing diet.  This means cutting out or drastically reducing dairy products, wheat, fried foods, and cold or iced drinks.  During this time you want to add warming spices like ginger, drying grains like rye and barley, and lots of fresh vegetables including leafy greens. 

The Sure-Fire Approach Means All 4 Steps

While each one of these steps might help a lot on their own, the 4 steps put together are my sure-fire approach.  You really don't need to stay inside all spring, or suffer for months, or take Claritin every day to breathe freely and feel normal.  Try this Ayurvedic treatment, boosted by the natural power of the systemic enzymes, to breeze through the allergy season and feel better than ever.

Bodhimed is a proud to be a part of Prevention Not Prescriptions.

I think a lot of you can relate when I say it can be challenging to figure out what to make for dinner every night. Especially when we're aiming to make something really healthy and tasty, and for the whole family! Recently I got the brilliant idea to throw all my favorite super-nutritious beans and grains in the crockpot and call it chili.  On top of natural corn chips and with lots of fun toppings, this awesome version of a tostada is high in protein, minerals and fiber, and is easy and quick to prepare. This nutrition-packed recipe is sure to become one of your favorites too.

While last week's post stressed the necessity of uncovering your history of chemical exposure, this week the good news is that there are easy, effective ways to rid yourself of toxic environmental pollutants.  Mainstream media, from CNN to National Geographic, has been revealing the omnipresence of environmental contaminants,  in our bodies, in the water and food supplies, and even in newborn babies.  The links between various diseases and their toxic chemical causes are also becoming more widely studied and publicized. With all that you do to maintain optimal health, it is extremely important to make this easy chemical detox an immediate high priority on your personal health list.

Has your doctor ever asked you about where you've lived in order to detect if you've had some chemical exposure? Unlikely. Whether or not you've ever lived near Love Canal or Three Mile Island, it's possible that where you have lived has had an effect on your personal health.  Call it the missing link, the overlooked and rarely asked about important factor when trying to figure out what has contributed to your current health situation. Now being called Geomedicine, this incredibly important common sense approach could help you unveil risk factors from your past and potential health issues to look out for.

Remember when you were a kid how you believed you could do anything?  Kids have an inherent ability to learn, appreciate and apply new knowledge when it's presented in a way that's exciting and fun. The ancient medical system of Ayurveda is particularly easy for kids to understand because it is simple and based in nature.  Most kids are totally grounded in their physical bodies.  They can relate directly when an explanation of health also describes the natural world they see around them. When I had the opportunity to teach Ayurveda to my son's class,  I had no idea that I'd be creating such a riot of epiphanies.

Can we really solve the national health care crisis with these two simple words: Real Food? I don't believe I'm oversimplifying things to say that we can make a huge dent in improving public health by supporting and encouraging a return to eating real food. By real food I mean identifiable, beautiful, natural, unadulterated and easy to pronounce food. It's almost hard to find it anymore, but it's out there and it's making a comeback. Do you know the difference when you see it? Is eating whole grain bread the same as eating whole grains? Does your body tell the difference between taking Vitamin C and eating a grapefruit? I'll answer these questions so you can navigate through all the nutritional health information coming at you in the media and make choices that benefit your health and public health policy.

If you're one of the millions of people that suffer from insomnia, you know how trying to find an effective sleep remedy can completely take over your life. It seems like a biological necessity, but getting a peaceful night's sleep is rare for a lot of people. With so many technological distractions and a culture of over-stimulation, sometimes our nervous systems just can't calm down.  Ayurveda may be 5000 years old, but it still offers several tried and true practices that even today can finally give you that restful sleep you've been looking for.

1. Don't eat or drink alcohol too close to bedtime.

Our body generates heat and energy in order to digest food. Our liver also works harder to process alcohol. Asking our bodies to do this close to bedtime is asking for interrupted sleep.  The body needs to rest during the night, so it's best not to give it any extra jobs to do. A lot of people find that they don't sleep as well if they eat or drink late at night. For people who already suffer from insomnia, this can make a big difference.

Do you struggle to align your eating habits with your ideals?  If you're like me, sometimes your taste buds take control and you find yourself eating something you know isn't the healthiest choice for your body and your spirit.  In this post I want to address the timeless question of whether or not to be a vegetarian.  At this moment in history where the environmental impact of every one of our choices, especially the 3-times-a-day ones, is so critical, it's important to examine how we choose what we eat.  The decision affects our health, the environment, the economy, and global society.  Personally, I am the kind of person who needs to gather a lot of information from many different traditions before I make big decisions.  So I've compiled a surprising list of unusual theories  about eating meat.  If you're on the fence about becoming vegetarian or if you go back and forth, the following considerations and anecdotes may help you finally decide what is best for you.

Are you proud of being an excellent multi-tasker? Do you thrive off the adrenaline rush that comes from doing at least 10 things at once?  Maybe you feel like there's not enough time in the day to get everything done, so you never do just one thing at a time. It's hard not to do a lot of things at the same time, but new research shows that multi-tasking actually means you get less done and it's not done as well. The impact of multi-tasking on your health may take a while to show up, but according to yoga and Ayurvedic philosophy, this lack of focus creates Vata imbalance and keeps you from achieving optimal health.

Research Shows Multi-Tasking Is Less Efficient

In a 2009 Stanford University study, the researchers found that people considered to be high multi-taskers had an inability to ignore distractions and to keep things separate in their minds.

I've told the Donut Story to dozens of my patients over the years. Sometimes I call it "Enlightenment in a Heapful of Glazed Donuts" because it wasn't until my teacher ordered me to admit and give in to this denied desire that I realized how blindly and foolishly principled I had become. It perfectly illustrates how feeling guilt and anxiety about eating certain things is far more unhealthy than actually just doing it with clear intention and pure joy...and then truly letting it go.