Ayurveda: Drink from a Copper Cup.

Purify and balance your body every morning by drinking water from a copper cup.  Fill your cup in the evening, let it sit overnight and drink from it the next morning.  The overnight soak allows the water to absorb pure copper, which is an important mineral for your body.  Drinking water after you wake up washes the GI tract, flushes the kidneys, and stimulates peristalsis (bowel movement).  Drinking water with traces of copper can change any tendency to attract respiratory problems including asthma.  It also purifies the blood and promotes a healthy complexion.  Compare this to starting your day with a cup of Joe which drains your kidneys, places stress on your adrenals, can cause constipation and is addictive.  Copper does require regular cleaning.  Clean your copper cup the holistic way with a mixture of flour, salt, and vinegar; lemon or lime juice; or tamarind.  Make simple changes to your morning routine and reap the rewards of perfect health.

Ayurveda: Scrape Your Tongue Daily to Remove Impurities.

Waking up with a white film on your tongue?  The ancient science of Ayurveda sees a build-up of toxins in your body and advocates cleaning your tongue daily before breakfast.  And a toothbrush won’t do.  All a toothbrush does is stir up bacteria; it doesn’t remove it.  And unless you are changing your toothbrush frequently, its wet surface harbors a myriad of bacteria.  In Ayurveda, you scrape your tongue from back to front with a U-shaped tongue scraper (Google Ayurveda and tongue scraper and your choices will be endless) 7-14 times.  Not only does tongue scraping stimulate digestion, your taste buds are ready to go.  If you can’t taste your food, you will tend to overeat as you continually feel unsatisfied.  Cleaning the tongue is also important in Chinese medicine where the tongue’s surface is considered a reflexogenic zone.  As in reflexology, your organs and entire body can be located in specific regions on the tongue.  By cleaning the tongue, you are messaging your internal organs and enhancing the detoxification process.  Tongue bacteria also contribute to periodontal problems including tooth decay, gum recession and eventually tooth loss.  So, freshen your mouth and improve your health by cleaning your tongue today. 

Understanding the Doshas in Ayurveda: No Checklist Required.

In Ayurveda, understanding the doshas is the first step in restoring your equilibrium and ultimately good health.  Ayurveda believes that the five elements (ether, air, fire, water, and earth) exist in all living things.  Each dosha consists of a different combination of these elements.  The Vata dosha is composed of ether/air; Pitta is fire/water; and Kapha is earth/water.  It is the dominance of any one, two, or three of these doshas that makes up your Prakruti, your individual constitution established at birth and maintained throughout your life. While the three doshas are always present, one is usually dominant.  Sometimes two are equally present; rarely do all three coexist in equal proportions.  Your doshas are cited numerically in relation to each other.  For example, Vata-3, Pitta-3, and Kapha-1 means that you are equally Vata and Pitta and to a lesser extent Kapha. 

If your doshas are not the same as your Prakruti, there is imbalance.  Ayurveda believes that an imbalance in the doshas is a precursor to disease.  Hence, the doshas act as a protective barrier or a warning signal. Any imbalance is called Vikruti.  You must be aware of the imbalance in order to take steps to restore equilibrium.  Adopting an Ayurvedic lifestyle may be the first step in transforming your health and life. 

Yoga Sun Salutations: Revive the Vigor of Youth.

Yoga sun salutations offer a complete low-impact workout for your body.  Start with four rounds (right and left) and work up to twelve.  Sun salutations combine resistance training (traditionally weight training) with cardiovascular training.  You can adjust the pace to suit your fitness level; a faster pace produces a good cardio workout while a slower pace is more meditative and grounding.  Done properly, sun salutations stimulate and condition all systems in the body.  They strengthen all major muscles; improve balance and flexibility, oxygenate the blood; strengthen the heart and ventilate the lungs; improve digestion; and if breath is coordinated with the movements, improve memory.   This says nothing about how they trim your waistline or bring an ageless quality to your skin.  Think of the money you will save when you no longer have to invest in skincare products promoted in books like “The Wrinkle Cure” or those of similar ilk.  Time is a wasting.  Get down to your local yoga studio and observe the postures and breath coordination and wake up to your dream body.  YouTube has plenty of demos; search “sun salutation” or “yoga sun salutation.”  Beware however as YouTube makes no guarantee that the performer is certified.

Hey, My Sweat Doesn't Smell: Deodorant Toxicity.

There has been much controversy over the health risks associated with aluminum in deodorant and antiperspirant products.  A 1998 study linked aluminum containing antiperspirants with Alzheimer’s disease.  Other evidence linked breast cancer with aluminum containing antiperspirants.  Aluminum is usually not present in a non-antiperspirant deodorant.  It is established that aluminum is considered a neurotoxin in high doses.  The Alzheimer’s Association views the evidence as circumstantial and does not recognize a causal relationship between aluminum and Alzheimer’s disease.  Aluminum in underarm deodorants and antiperspirants has also been linked to breast cancer, but both the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute find the evidence to inconclusive.  Of course, the absence of evidence is not evidence of the absence of a harmful effect.  Instead of doing research, many individuals have opted to avoid antiperspirants entirely and have sought aluminum-free deodorants.  Until the debate is settled, there is no harm in avoiding aluminum.