THE WISDOM OF AYURVEDA

3 SIMPLE STEPS TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE

By Marcia Zimmerman, M.Ed., C.N.

Worldwide interest in natural products as preventive and therapeutic agents has led to a greater appreciation of the rich heritage of traditional systems of medicine. One of these is Ayurveda. The Ayurvedic system recognizes that both the internal and external environments of the human body are constantly changing. An individual's ability to adapt to these changes determines survival. Therefore, treatments are based on bringing mind and body into harmony with the environment.

Dietary and lifestyle modifications are the basis of Ayurvedic medicine, with herbal formulas rounding out therapeutic programs. Ayurvedic formulas contain many balancing herbs, offering a high degree of safety and efficacy. Texts that date back to a treatise on Hindu medicine, Charaka Samhita (c. 1000 BC) reveal a clear approach to treatment for stress-related diseases and aging, which can benefit our health today.

Here are three age-old steps toward long-term health (with modern explanations):

I

Stress is a normal part of life, and a certain amount of the body's reaction to stress is essential for survival. Stress activates brain centers that have a profound effect upon every cell in the body, and the central nervous system. But over the long term, high levels of the stress hormone cortisol disrupt internal balance by interfering with hormone, immune, and central nervous system functions.

When under stress, the adrenal glands release cortisol in response to prompting from the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus. Increased cortisol levels change the actions of growth hormone, insulin, and thyroid-stimulating hormone, all of which have a profound effect on cell function. Other hormones and brain chemicals are also affected, leading to alterations in brain and immune function. High cortisol levels are involved in skin disorders such as acne, seborrhea, hair loss, skin aging, and wrinkles. One strategy for reducing cortisol levels is to use stress-reducing herbal combinations.

Ayurveda teaches us to look within ourselves, using meditation or prayer, deep breathing, yoga, and visualization techniques to relax, renew, and gain perspective. Sufficient sleep is important, too. Ayurvedic formulas that treat stress contain herbs with adaptogenic (antistress) effects. Such formulas have been shown to reduce tension, headache, irritability, and anxiety - and to prevent loss of cortisol and vitamin C from the adrenal glands. Herbs typically found in such formulas are winter cherry, or ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)); arjuna (Terminalia arjuna); licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra); and asparagus root (A. racemosus). A combination of spicy herbs called chayavanparsh is also a popular stress tonic. Dosage of these formulas is usually around 2,000 mg during periods of high stress. This can be reduced to 500 to 1,000 mg daily once stress is under control. The action of herbal stress formulas can be augmented by taking B vitamins (25 to 50 mg of B complex per day); vitamin C (500 to 1,000 mg daily), and bioflavonoids (250 to 500 mg a day).

2     SUPPORT YOUR BODY,
    (REDUCE OXIDATIVE BURDEN)

Whether it's externally or internally induced, stress increases your oxidative burden, or the free-radical hits that your cells encounter. That's why Ayurvedic formulas contain antioxidants to reduce free radical damage to DNA, enzymes, sugars, and fatty acids that are charged with carrying out life's processes. Herbs with high antioxidant activity include tinospora, (T. cordifolia), gotu kola (Centalla asiatica), cloves (Syzgium aromaticum), and amla (Emblica officinalis). These herbs are often found in stress formulas because stress and free radicals are closely related. Antioxidant supplements, including several natural carotenes (totaling 10,000 IU of Vitamin A activity), Vitamin E (400 to 800 IU), alpha lipoic acid (100 mg/day), and coenzyme Q10 (60 to 120 mg/day), round out antioxidant support.

Limiting your consumption of coffee while substituting green or black tea may be a good way to begin changing your diet. Caffeine increases the release of catecholamines, a group of brain chemicals that produce the "fight-or-flight" response to stress, while tea contains flavonoids (potent antioxidants). Eating plenty of fresh yellow, orange, red, and yellow-green fruits and vegetables will provide a wide range of antioxidants. Use antioxidant spices such as rosemary, oregano, cumin, sweet and hot paprika, turmeric, and saffron liberally in your food and salad dressings. Flaxseed oil also helps counter stress effects.

3     CONTROL YOUR APPETITE,
    (PREVENT CHRONIC DISEASE)

Limit what your eat to an amount that satisfies hunger, rather than feeding your cravings. Don't eat when you're angry, bored, depressed or otherwise stressed (either mentally or physically).

Sugary goodies are comfort foods that many of us seek when under stress. In a recent study, Princeton University researcher Bartley Hoebel, PhD, deprived rats of food for 12 hours a day and then allowed them to feed freely and consume a beverage containing the same concentration of sugar as found in soda for the next 12 hours. After one month, the rats became dependent upon their sugar fix. Dr. Hoebel found that natural opioids were released in the rats brains that acted upon the same feel-good receptors as opioid drugs.

Today, Americans eat, on average, more sugar - 300 to 400 calories per day - than our prehistoric ancestors ate in an entire lifetime. According to the American Dietetic Association, sugar intake, primarily from beverages and snacks, is a major cause of rising rates of obesity, particularly among children. As the rates of obesity rise, so does the incidence of insulin-resistance disorders, including diabetes.

Researchers at the Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Center at Tufts University in Boston found a significant reduction in the risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease among participants in the Framingham Offspring Study who switched to eating whole grains instead of refined carbohydrates (white pasta, breads).

Ayurvedic formulas for sugar control are aimed at reducing sugar cravings, improving carbohydrate metabolism, and preventing sugar interactions with proteins. Herbs typically included are gymnema (G. sylvestre) and bitter melon (Momordica charantia). Other herbs commonly found in sugar-control formulas are listed in the table following this article. Important minerals for sugar control are chromium, vanadium, copper, zinc, manganese and selenium. The last four mentioned are essential for helping the body rid itself of oxidized sugar before it can stick to proteins.

In addition to substituting whole for white grains, add legumes, lean poultry, fish, cultured low-fat dairy products such as unsweetened yogurt, and green vegetables. Cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower), the onion and garlic family, and pungent greens are best. And don't forget to add healing, pungent spices to your food: mustard, black pepper,ginger, cinnamon, basil, parsley, and cayenne. §

COMMON HERBAL INGREDIENTS
FOUND IN AYURVEDIC FORMULAS

Copyright©, 2001 by The Zimmerman Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

No part of this article may be used for the promotion of product or services without the express written consent of the author. The information in this article is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace the advice of a health care provider. Nor is it to be used to diagnose, treat or cure any condition.