Health, Wellness, Ayurveda, Whole Food

Daily Routine – Sleep; a well-rested and recharged body

| herbalgeek

The body is a complex yet simple machine. It requires fuel (nutritious foods), time to regenerate (sleep), keeping it clean, movement, mindfulness and being in nature to unplug and recharge.

Daily routine, or as it is known in Ayurveda, Dinacharya, is a series of actions that we should do each day to nourish and detoxify our bodies. By creating an adhering to a daily routine, you can rebalance your circadian rhythm, digestive fire plus other health benefits.

This is the first in a series that I will be delving into the various practices for you to try to incorporate into your schedule. Who knows?  You might even find yourself with more energy, less brain fog and maybe even help with your digestive issues.   

Photo: Pixels.com

Let’s talk about sleep.                                        

It is important to get yourself into a regular sleep routine. My personal schedule is I stop looking at electronics about 9:30pm and generally I’m in bed by 10pm. I may read for a little while, but generally lights are out no later than 10:30pm and I will sleep through the night until about 6am. I do this every day, not just Monday through Friday.  Occasionally there will be events, parties or travel that will disrupt this schedule as we need to live in the world and enjoy all the experiences of this beautiful life.

If our bodies get used to going to sleep and waking at the same time every day (ensuring that you have had enough sleep according to what your body needs) you should wake feeling rested and not in need of caffeine to jump start your day.

Giving yourself a set schedule of rest also allows the body to perform its nightly repairs and cleaning that it needs to do. According to Ayurveda there is an internal schedule of time that your body goes through to clean each organ and system. For example, the time of 4am to 6am is associated with the descending colon and bladder. How often do you wake early in the morning before your alarm goes off to go to the bathroom?

Each individual is unique and you will have to experiment as to what feels right for you for the proper amount of sleep that your body needs to feel well rested and ready to conquer the day! If you sometimes suffer from insomnia, please refer to this post  for some solutions.

Next, we will look into what you can do in the morning to help ground and nourish you for your busy day.

                                                                                                         

What is Health?

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According to Sushruta, who was an ancient Ayurvedic Indian physician, health is defined as:  

“The one who is established in self, who has balanced doshas, balanced agni, properly formed dhatus, proper elimination of malas, properly functioning bodily processes, and whose mind, soul and senses are quiet and content is called a healthy person.“

Ayurveda literally means the science of life. It is an ancient healing science that originated in India over 5000 years ago.  To be extremely basic, Ayurveda teaches us how to correct disturbances in the body through eating a seasonal diet, performing cleansing and rejuvenation treatments, getting exercise and practicing mindfulness all appropriate for your individual constitution.

The body and mind are controlled by the Doshas aka Vata, Pitta and Kapha. The Doshas are made up of the elements of Ether, Air, Fire, Water and Earth.  Vata is the combination of Ether and Air which is the energy of movement. Pitta is the combination of Fire and Water which are important for digestion and metabolism. Kapha is Water and Earth, which give the body stability and strength.

Agni is our digestive fire to transform both food and information into energy. If we are lacking in appetite or feel that we are mentally cloudy, we need to work on our Agni through the use of herbs, the type of food that we eat and breathing exercises.

Dhatus are the tissues of the body and relate to plasma / lymph, red blood cells, muscle tissue, adipose tissue, bones, bone marrow, nervous tissue, connective tissue, reproductive tissue. The tissues of the body are created from the foods we eat. We have the ability to create healthy or weak tissue depending on the foods we eat and our mental state while eating. Poor quality food will create deficient tissue which is more likely to create a defective space within the body for disease to move in.

Malas are the waste products of the body – feces, urine and sweat

To maintain or correct health, daily routines known as Dinacharya (deena-char-e-ah) and seasonal routines known as Ritucharya (rit-u-char-e-ah) should be performed to both the body and the mind. Daily routines include proper rest, eating seasonally, performing exercise, and practicing mindfulness.

From a western perspective, if we are not presenting symptoms of illness, we are healthy. There is no consideration of the state of the mind – is it calm? Or emotional state – is the person truly happy and content?

Eating healthy foods and not exercising, or living in a destructive environment can also lead to disease.

Take time to reconnect to your body ~ mind ~ spirit to ensure that you are both physically and mentally healthy.

Baby Steps to Better Nutrition

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If I can give you one piece of advice on how to take back your health, I would recommend that you reduce eating “food like substances” that are manufactured and have an almost indefinite shelf life.  The extended shelf life of these products shorten your life.

Make a fist. Take a look at it. That is the size of your stomach. Your entire meal, including liquids should not be more than that size. Pay attention while filling your plate. If eating out, you can always bring home leftovers for another meal. We as a society have a problem with consuming too many calories, both at home and when dining out.                               

When grocery shopping, experiment with fresh seasonal produce and try something new each time you shop. This will keep you from getting bored from eating the same thing each week. Shop at your local farmer’s market. Ask the farmer what their favorite way is to prepare the vegetables that they are selling to give you some fresh ideas.

Experiment with different grains. Rice, quinoa, barley, millet, faro, bulgur, wheat berries, are just few of the favorites that are staples in my pantry to have on hand to create a base for many of the dishes that I make. When cooking grains, always cook more than you need for today’s meal. Leftover grains can be used to create a quick stir fry or added to a soup to give it more heartiness. In the summer, grains make a great base for salads. Add some finely chopped vegetables, fresh herbs and finish with a vinaigrette dressing – a simple yet satisfying meal on a hot summer’s day!

Explore the YouTube or Instagram channels of cooks who post interesting pictures and videos of the foods that they make. Watch cooking shows on PBS. Check out cookbooks from your local library. These are all free resources that only require your time to expand your creativity.

To build your confidence, take a cooking class. Check out your local college continuing education programs. Hire someone (like myself) to provide you with individual instruction so you can become a culinary alchemist. Through learning techniques and practicing, soon you will be able to create all sorts of yummy creations that will impress your friends and family!

Simple Satisfying Dal. Photo and recipe by Brenda.

Ah-Ah-Chooo!!!

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Springtime, my favorite time of the year! Windows can be opened to allow the fresh air in and Mother Earth awakens with life and color. Suddenly, microscopic things are in the air to irritate my eyes and nose. Oh, but what to do????? I want to be in nature, but dread the itchy eyes and runny nose.

Like millions of Americans, I suffer from allergies. I am one of the lucky ones and only have spring allergies that go away once that initial growth burst settles down. I have unfortunate friends that are so allergic that they have to endure weekly allergy shots just to survive from spring through winter.

I do not do well with the over the counter remedies that are out there. Either they make me spacey or dry out my mucous membranes. Living in the high desert, I already have to deal with dryness in my daily life, so I do not need any medication that further sucks the moisture from my being!

What I find works best for me in allergy season is to treat my symptoms as if I had a cold. Warm ginger or mint tea sipped throughout the day, a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil on a wash cloth on the shower floor help open my sinuses. I will eat foods that are easier to digest such as clear soups or vegetable stews so that my body can focus on combating that pollen instead of having to divide its energy to also breaking down a heavy meal. 

To help combat the snot monster, I use a combination of herbs such as ginger (zingiber officinale), wild cherry (prunus serotina), long pepper (piper longum) and black pepper (piper nigrum). These herbs have a gentle drying effect and reduce the amount of mucus that I create during allergy season.

At some point a cough will develop from all of the post nasal drip and my lungs will get irritated. I love to use mullein (verbascum spp.)  for its mucolytic action (thins mucus) as well as being an expectorant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial.

When my eyes start to feel irritated and inflamed, I will take chilled chamomile tea bags or a cold wet washcloth, place them on my eyes and enjoy that soothing cool. I have tried some eye washes made from various herbs with limited success and still have to rely on allergy eye drops to pacify my symptoms.

Find what herbs you are attracted to for your symptoms and see how they make you feel. Remember to shower off the pollen (including your hair!) after spending time outdoors so it doesn’t linger around your home.

Foothills, Albuquerque NM. Author’s photo

My allergies won’t hold me prisoner inside my home. Being in nature has so many benefits for our body and mind. It will brighten your mood, clear your mind and exercise your muscles. So, go get out there and discover some spring beauty!

I would love to hear what herbal remedies you are using to pacify the symptoms of your allergies.