By: Dr Onkar Rajiv Bilgi- Co-founder We R Wellness
Ayurveda is a natural healing system to heal humans from disease and enable natural ageing. Everything in nature has a healing property. How and when to use it, is the key. The ‘How’ part is little bit known to many but ‘When’ is the key. In ayurveda, nature has a timing factor. Same ingredient can act differently when used at a different time.
There are five elements and three either energies which govern the body’s health. Whenever we fall ill or age then there is an imbalance of the above element and either energy. Every being has these, and the only difference is the composition of elements that defines the change in every substance. It acts as basic components like genetic material which even changed with a slight percentage will denote a difference between bananas and human beings. In this all complexity, time as a factor is key for using natural ingredients.
During the day the first four hours is earth either energy, later four hours is fire either energy or later four has dominance of Air based either energy. It’s difficult to lay down the details of each pattern here but in short first is heavy, later heat dominating and last is more mobile or movement based or non-inertia based. Same in natural ingredients when consumed in the morning can act in a way and different actions can be seen when consumed in evening.
Natural ingredients act differently when used in food and differently when used in Ayurvedic preparation. In ayurveda we say Food expresses its properties more in guts and Herbs can express it right from when they enter the body. Natural ingredients should be used in the right manner and right quantity also.
Water– Water is the most important natural ingredient and is like a neutral medium. It takes up the properties of whatever we infuse it with. With ginger it helps in digestion alongwith its heat properties and with cardamom it is cooling yet helping in digestion. Try to use water wisely, too much alkaline water will not help us nor too much acidic. Avoid too much alkaline water before meals.
Coconut oil– Healing fats in coconut oil is known to everyone. Best thing is to have it early in the morning with a pinch of pepper on an empty stomach.
Pepper– Helps in digestion and absorption of food. It is the most useful natural ingredient available to keep our system’s metabolism going in the right direction.
Aloe Vera– Cooling nature and has healing properties, has good antioxidants in it.
Ginger – Best natural ingredient to improve immunity, can be best used with jaggery and a pinch of pepper.
Coriander seeds– Helps to cool the body but keeps up with the metabolism of the body.
Cumin seeds– Digestive and carminative.
Turmeric – Helps to build good immunity, helps cells to regulate their energy flow.
Betel leaf– Helps in digestion, it’s a medium to take other ingredients to rightful cell tissues.
It’s important to get in touch with those who really understand these details and then be open to the professionals about the health goals. Once this is clear it is easy to plan a balanced diet and lifestyle using the natural ingredients around it. Nature is slow but steady. The moment it shows unsteady features like earthquake, cloud burst, storm we tend to be not so happy. Nature has its own course to turn around, a season to season change or annual change all are gradual and we need to enjoy them. Same way Ayurveda can help along with these natural ingredients to make that change happen for good with in your body and mind as aging is a process but the experience, we accumulate through the journey are priceless
