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3 Reasons for Fasting during Navratri

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Image Courtesy : Prasanta Kr Dutta via pexels.com

Updated on 16th October, 2020 : I could not write a post for today but did not really want to go without publishing so this is straight #fromthearchives. And, with the navratri starting from tomorrow, may be its time for a little detox. What say? 

I would love to hear your comments down below on how you fast in these 9 days and how you enjoy the festival. The bhog at this time is the yummiest! Though with the pandemic going on, not sure how many of you are venturing out. I would say – Stay Home, Stay Safe!

Are you honoring the tradition of fasting in these days of navratri? It is said that the process of fasting is more scientific than a religious belief, may be a good post in itself. But, today, it is about why you should be fasting during navratri? For me, fasting is always a time when you detox your body. Though, in case of navratri, you could always say we end up eating more oily food comparatively. But, are you aware that there is a reason why we are supposed to eat more oily food in these days? Yes! But, more about that later. Let me start by giving you three really good and healthy reasons why you should fast during navratri.

3 Reasons for Fasting during Navratri

You avoid eating Junk

The idea for this post came to me when I came across this acronym called CRAP (carbonated soda, refined carbohydrates, added sugar and processed foods). In fact, this is trending so much these days.

So, the whole idea of fasting is to avoid eating anything of the above in these nine days. In fact, we also eschew garlic and onion making our diets more sattvik which should be the case according to ayurveda. More sattvik our diet becomes, more is our intake of fresh and seasonal foods which means more ‘life force’ or energy in our body. To summarize, we end up preparing food at home or eating freshly prepared food as opposed to ordering it right away on a food delivery app.

Eating in Moderation

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5 Healthy Takeaways from “Perfect Digestion” by Deepak Chopra {Five Series}

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Finally, I have also started reading some of the books which would be useful for the blog and me 🙂 And, this one has scored high on my list. For a beginner health enthusiast, it can serve as one of the foundation books. It explains ayurveda in a simpler way than I could ever understand it till date. So, check out 5 new things I learned from the book.

One holistic system

Ayurveda treats our entire body as a single unit with each part having its own portion of intelligence as opposed to a machine controlled by a central engine. The nutrients from our food enhance the said intelligence. Ayurveda also believes that perfect digestion is the key to keep the body free of any disease.

Our thoughts, our imaginations, our feelings, desires and energies are as much “us” as are our fingernails, our blemishes and our digestive tracts.

Ayurvedic Doshas

Pitta characteristics so do check out if they concur with your nature!
Ayurveda understands a body as a part of three doshas – Vata, Kapha and Pitta. 
Vata – controls movement like breathing, blood circulation, food passing through the digestive tracts, nerve impulses sent to and received from the brain. 
Pitta – represents metabolism or digestion like processing food, air and water and facilitate proper intellectual functioning. 
Kapha – governs body structure, holds cells together and forms muscles, fat, bones and sinew, also governs digestive fluids int he body. 
Everyone has all 3 doshas in equal measures but some imbalances in the body may lead to one or other dosha dominating over the others in which case the said dosha must be pacified and balanced . Our body is in a harmonious state when all these three doshas are in perfect balance. 
Digestion is considered a heating process in Ayurveda which is why it is denoted by the agni or digestive fire. 
  • Too high digestive fire means pitta dosha which leads to excessive appetite.
  • Too low digestive fire means kapha dosha which leads to low energy and weight gain. 
  • Too variable digestive fire means vata dosha which leads to extreme hunger or loss of appetite. 
  • Perfect digestive fire in which all doshas are balanced. 

Kapha characteristics so do check out if they concur with your nature!

Small Intestine and Its Role

Small intestine is one the major organs where the maximum digestion and extraction of the intelligence from the foods happens. To keep it healthy,

  • eat variety of foods everyday
  • foods should not be over-cooked or raw
  • foods must not be too hot or too cold  

That is why ice cold water is not a preferable option, as much you might crave it!!

Spice to eat to keep the digestive system in healthy order – black pepper, ginger and nutmeg.

Vata characteristics so do check out if they concur with your nature!

Ama and Ojas

When the body is in perfect harmonious state, it produces a biochemical called Ojas which represents the positive flow of energy in the body. It means the body is in complete harmony with the mind.

A complete opposite to this harmonious state is when the body feels sluggish. A sticky biochemical called Ama is produced in such a state. It can be due to improper lifestyle, improper diet or improper digestion.

Signs of ama production in the body – lethargy, feeling of  heaviness, weakness, weak immunity, fatigue, emotional instability, low energy levels.

Visible sign – white coating on the tongue which is also present throughout the digestive canals of the body. That is why tongue scraping should be done right after brushing your teeth.

How to eliminate Ama from the body?

  • Eat in a settled and quiet atmosphere where there is no television or talking. 
  • Rest quietly for a few minutes after a meal to begin the digestive process in a effortless way. 
  • Always eat while sitting. it helps the body relax. 
  • Do not eat while upset. Wait for a few minutes to stabilize your emotions and then start eating. 
  • Do not overeat. Always eat only 3/4th of your total capacity. leave eating when you feel almost full and still feel light. 
  • Always avoid cold drinks or foods. Cold freezes the digestive fires and may lead to creation of ama. 
  • Always eat slowly. After a bite, chew and wait till you swallow it before taking another bite. 
  • Do not eat till your preceding meal is digested. It takes 3-6 hours for the previous meal to digest so if you feel heavy but crave something to eat, snack on a fruit or any warm beverage. 
  • Always eat fresh food. 
  • Drink hot water throughout the day, as often as possible, to dissolve the ama in your body. 

sort of diet you should maintain according to your specific dosha

6 Ayurvedic Tastes

Ayurveda identifies 6 tastes in order of digestion – sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent. It is important to incorporate all these tastes in all our meals throughout the day. And, one should eat them in their order of digestion as specified.

For example, sweet should be eaten before anything sour which should be eaten before a salty dish which should precede a pungent one which should precede bitter and lastly, follow with an astringent. That is why dessert should be taken first and salad should be the last meal.

Have you read the book? Do you think digestion is the key element to our well-being? 

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From the Archives : Use ginger to get rid of acne {DIY}

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PS: Everyone has been asking me about how to get rid of acne so this is an old and a very useful post on the same topic. Hope this helps 🙂

Ginger is a very useful spice. And, it has great anti-oxidant and anti-aging properties along with its astringent properties which comes handy when you are dealing with a stubborn problem like acne. Acne can come in form of pimples, outbreaks or even worse. So, let us discuss what all you can do from ginger.

Ginger is great as a drink every day. Yes, it is pretty bitter in taste but it improves your skin from inside. It helps your body fight the free radicals and keeps your digestive system in order. It cleans out the toxins from your system. Ginger improves the blood circulation throughout the body and also cleans out the blood. Not only this, it also improves the skin tone and helps in getting rid of blemishes and spots.

Squeeze out a little of ginger juice and apply it on your face or just the acne-affected areas and see your skin improve in a matter of days. It works very well for unexpected outbreaks and pimples. You can also use the juice as a face mask for blemished and sun-burnt skin. And, you can also help your body by including this spice in your daily diet.

A little every day goes a long way. You can also use a little ginger in your spinach-lettuce juice in the morning. Pass a small slice of ginger along with spinach and lettuce while making the juice. It would give a spicy taste to your drink. And, not to mention, ginger is really good for throat infections, dry coughs and colds.

So, have you used ginger on your acne ever? Does it help?

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From the Archives : Do you clean your tongue? {Oral Hygiene}
From the Archives : Do you clean your tongue? {Oral Hygiene}
From the Archives : Acne – How to take care of your skin?

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Ayurvedic Tips I have incorporated in my Daily Routine

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ayurvedic tips, ayurvedic lifestyle, oil pulling, triphala eye wash
Photo by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels

Updated from June 18, 2013. It has been a long time since I have followed these ayurvedic tips. Now, I am revisiting them slowly and making them part of my daily life. I shall keep you posted. But, before going, I request you to go through the entire article and please try make them a part of your life as well.

Have you ever tried Ayurveda in your daily routine? I did it. It had started with one day my mom telling me to wash my eyes with the triphala infusion. She had seen it on some program which imparts these ayurvedic tips for healthy living. And, once it starts, the tips just keep on coming.

But then how many things can you incorporate? So, I just left it at that. Here I am listing a few steps which have been extremely beneficial for me and do not take much of effort or time. And, their benefits are too good to pass up. I have been doing these things on and off for the past one month or more. And, I can talk about the benefits I have seen in my skin or hair or body!

Triphala Eye Wash

Every morning right after I get up, I wash my eyes with the triphala infusion. And, the results?

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Clay Body Mask {DIY}

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Multani Mitti is easily available and very cheap and is a type of a clay. And, as I have said, clays are very important for detoxification of the skin and body masks are of growing demand at the spas. So, why not make a body mask of your own. Ok, may be the treatment is not as pampering but is of equal value. And, you can add a little treat for yourself by adding essential oils and various things available at home. I did try out this DIY twice and I would say it does take time but results are fab!!!

Ingredients
  • Multani Mitti (or any other clay)

  • Water (I like Amla Juice)
  • Essential Oils (optional)
Method
Mix the ingredients and spread the mask on your skin starting from the feet and proceeding upwards.Cover the entire body. You may also include the neck and face and let it stay on the skin for 15 minutes. Wash off with warm water. The mask wouldn’t dry in the bathroom coz its humid but that’s fine. Instead, you can make the bathroom steamy and enjoy a mini-sauna like experience.
Results
The entire body has a superb glow. Its just awesome.

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Detox your home this Diwali

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Diwali is just a week away. And, I am damn excited about it 🙂 It is my favorite festival in whole of the year. And, it is a age old custom to clean our homes inside out before Diwali. I have seen that this custom has lost its importance over time due to our busy lifestyle and hectic schedules. But, there is more to this custom than just being a tradition. You can call this ‘Detox your home’ to make a more specific effect on people. In a sense it is what we do, removing all the junk piled up in the house over the course of year, taking the house inside out, buying new things for the house to welcome the new year. So, what all can be done while doing the detox of the house:

  • Start with the entrance of the house. Do you wash your door mats regularly? They becomes so dirty due to constant usage and dirt being accumulated. They are potential source of infections in the house so it is advisable to either wash it regularly with an antiseptic solution using a vacuum cleaner or you can even replace it with a new one every year.
  • Do you place door mats in front of your bathrooms? I know most of the people do but do not know how regular they are in washing it. So, same goes for washing these bathroom mats.
  • Now, lets go for bathrooms first. We do wash bathrooms really regularly. But, do you remember to wash the walls of the bathrooms, the shower head, the taps, soap holders and other cabinets in the bathroom. Do not forget it this time. Oh, by the way, do wash the shower curtains too if you have one. Of course, toilet rims are most prominent places to wash but do you wash inside the commodes? Then, again the buckets and mugs and other things we use.
  • Lets move to the bathing accessories. The flannels, loofahs, scrubbers, dry brushes, combs, hair brushes, makeup brushes and any other accessory which you use should be washed regularly and kept in sunlight for some time every week. Even 15 minutes is enough. That kills the bacteria in them. And, dry them every day before storing.
  • Do not forget to dry the tooth brush with hair drier or in sunlight before storing it to prevent molds and bacteria growing in it.
  • By the way, do you open the windows in your bathroom if you have any? Do open them at least once a week for a complete day to allow fresh air circulation. It also allows sunlight to come into your bathrooms.
  • Now, let us go to laundry. You wash clothes then put them in the drier. Today’s automatic washing machines give you fully dried clothes which you can simply put on and go. But, drying them in shade once a while or even in sunlight for 15-290 minutes helps them smell fresh and last longer.
  • Same goes for bed sheets. Change the bedding every week. And, if you suffer from acne and other breakouts, change bedding in 3 days at max making sure to use clean pillows almost everyday.
  • Do you launder your carpet? Do not forget to expose it to sunlight for a day this Diwali for a clean floor. Removing the carpet also helps the cleanign of the floor properly and removing the dirt in the carpet.
  • Same goes with the mattress. You can not launder your mattresses so keep them in sunlight for a day or two at least twice a year or once in three months.
  • Lets move to curtains. Curtains are ones which go completely beyond attention unless one day you are trying to remove it and find a plethora of dust settled on it. Change the curtains once in three months. That brings freshness to your rooms also in matters of look. You can use dark colored curtains or double curtains for bedrooms and light curtains for drawing room.
  • Now, cupboards are one places which are dark and become smelly quite easily. So, take out all the material from the cupboard, clean it nicely once in three months or every season change. Use a disinfectant with water while cleaning. After cleaning, leave the cupboards open to let lot of air inside. Then, after half a day, you can replace all the things inside the cupboard again. This way you can get the unnecessary junk out of the house regularly too. And, do not forget to donate the things which you do not need.
  • Place moth balls inside your cupboard every month. Always try to keep the cupboards in an orderly way but I know it is very difficult because I face the same problem. The more I try to be methodical, the more messy the place becomes.
  • When you remove the things from your cupboards whether it is clothes, suitcases, blankets, simple accessories, keep them in sunlight too for a day. This is again a nice way to freshen up things.
  • Before winters, always keep your winter clothes in sunlight for a week to freshen them up. This also includes the blankets and your jackets and other stuff too.
  • Open all the doors and windows in the morning to allow maximum natural light inside. Do this daily to reduce the usage of artificial light and hence, electricity.
  • Avoid using air fresheners as they have chemicals which are not good for you. Instead, keep your houses clean by using dried neem (margosa) leaves or homemade potpourri from rose petals and jasmine flowers. Also, keep lots of plants outside the house. Plants purify the air. If you can keep some inside, you should do that too.
  • There is a tradition of using mango tree leaves int he houses before any festival. The reason for this is because mango tree leaves are considered auspicious and control the evil elements for one and the second is because they are anti-bacterial and prevent the insects from entering the houses.
  • Use soap nuts or baking soda to clean your homes instead of any chemical detergents. You would be surprised by the results!!
Thus, detoxing your home is as good an idea as detoxing your body. Obviously, it is the basic hygiene which should be observed. A weekend is a perfect time to do this. So, happy detoxing and do share with me your own tips for cleaning out your houses.

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Health Benefits of Buck Wheat (Kuttu ka Atta)

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Did you know that this ‘Kuttu ka atta’ is really very nutritious. It is a fruit not a grain as you all must be aware of. But, it is equally rich in the nutrients it possesses. Buck Wheat is especially high in fiber.

Fiber is important for our body to clean out all the toxins making detoxification of body easy and weight loss. More fiber, better digestion and better we look.

Fiber also helps in curbing our cravings. If you eat an appropriate amount of fiber in all your meals, you tend to eat less in between your meals and you would likely not munch on junk foods any way.

Not only that, buck wheat is very rich in its proteins content and B vitamins apart from minerals like phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper and manganese.

The good news for all is that Buck Wheat is also rich in essential fatty acids for our body which keeps our skin soft and glowing from the inside. It lowers blood pressure, cholesterol and manages diabetes as it is low in glucose.

Buck Wheat has been known to reduce haemorrhaging in people with high blood pressure due to the presence of a chemical which straightens the capillary walls in the body.

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