Summer is upon us, and thanks to climate change it feels hotter than ever in Santa Fe. I wish I could tell you that the ancient medical science of Ayurveda holds the key to controlling the weather. But the truth is that it does contain the secrets to staying cool when the temperature is reaching record highs. Summer is fire season, and when you learn what to eat and how to act to balance this element, you will feel cooler and more comfortable all season long.
Cooling Foods
Ayurveda describes summer as Pitta season. Pitta is made of fire and water, and its qualities are hot, sharp, oily, and light. During summer season you can reduce Pitta heat within your own body by eating a diet of cooling foods.
These days just about everyone I know in Santa Fe is either suffering or just recovering from a nasty stomach flu. It seems these little buggers have become stronger and more obnoxious because hardly any adult or child seems to be immune to it. When this type of virus strikes, what can you do to shorten its duration? Here's some natural health tips from various traditions to ease the suffering and an excellent Ayurvedic recipe for your first meal when you're ready to start thinking about food.
Probiotics To The Rescue
One of the most important things you need to do when you come down with a stomach virus is to take a high quality probiotic supplement. We are exposed to harmful bacteria and viruses all the time, but they only "win" when either they are super-strength bugs, or when our own intestinal immunity is low.
It's not easy for me to admit that I wasn't able to cure my son of his chronic stomachaches. After all, I've spent the last 20 years studying and practicing natural medicine. Putting my ego aside, I recently sought help from yet another doctor in Santa Fe who focuses on food sensitivities and heavy metal toxicity. Now that the results are in, I want to encourage all parents of children who suffer from any chronic health problem to consider these tests. It's a sign of the times that our children likely carry a toxic burden that makes them hyper-sensitive to everyday whole foods. If your child gets headaches, stomachaches, or any illness regularly, you'll want to investigate food sensitivities and heavy metal toxicity with these reliable tests.
Have you ever had a stubborn cough after a cold that just won't go away? You've probably tried every herbal cough remedy, and maybe even resorted to Robitussin, in an attempt to get some relief. I feel like I have A LOT of natural tricks up my sleeve that should treat a cough, but sometimes the darn thing won't go away. I hear this story a lot, and my own children experience this from time to time. Thank goodness there are onions, because they are the magical natural cough remedy you've been looking for. Both Ayurveda and herbal folk wisdom have suggested this onion solution for centuries. Here's a video of how to prepare the onion poultice for deep-seated coughs.
This is a super easy remedy to put together. And I'm not kidding when I say I've had 100% success with this for stubborn coughs!
Simply chop an onion (or 2 or 3, depending on your size). For increased antibiotic effect, you can throw in a few chopped garlic cloves.
Steam the onion (and garlic) for about 5 minutes.
Mix hot onions (and garlic) in a bowl with a few tablespoons of corn starch and one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Let cool for just a minute.
Place whole mixture in a natural fiber cloth and fold several times to form the poultice.
Place cloth on your chest with a heating pad or hot water bottle on top of the poultice. Keep it on for 30 minutes.
If desired, you may then repeat with the poultice on your mid to upper back for another 30 minutes.
Effective and Safe
This natural remedy is safe for everyone, including little kids and even babies. Just be careful that the onions are not so hot that they might burn the skin! Sometimes if the cough is just a dry one, the onion poultice is not the best choice. It is better for the phlegmy, wet cough that doesn't respond to any other treatment. You can repeat the treatment several days in a row, if necessary, but I've never needed to do it more than twice!
Leave a comment below to share your story with the onion poultice for deep-seated coughs!
Rheumatoid arthritis is an extremely painful and debilitating condition that in the U.S. affects over one milllion adults and 1 in every 250 children. Ayurveda classifies rheumatoid arthritis as Ama type of joint pain. I'm excited to discuss this last segment in the series because this Ama type can be so difficult to treat in conventional medicine. I'll also present the Kapha type of joint pain as we finish this series on keeping your joints healthy with Ayurveda.
Kapha Type of Joint Pain
People of Kapha (earth + water) constitution or imbalance tend to experience this type of joint pain where there is stiffness and dull achiness in the joints. There is likely to be swelling due to edema, or water retention. The affected area, or even the whole body, may feel heavy and cold. This type of pain is more pronounced in damp, cold weather as the attributes of Kapha are cold, dense, heavy, and slow.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an extremely painful and debilitating condition that in the U.S. affects over one milllion adults and 1 in every 250 children. 
