Ayurveda Asia Co. Ltd.- Our Company which managed the Integrated Medical Clinic and Ayurveda School as a unique healthcare facility, combining the strengths and knowledge of both traditional western and alternative medicine in a holistic manner.
Monday, July 21, 2008
AyurGold - Maintain Optimal Blood Chemistry
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Ayurtox - Total Body Cleansing and Rejuvenation
If you want to enjoy optimal health and eliminate fatigue, loss of energy, depressed appetite, allergies, muscle cramps, digestion problems, frequent headaches, and poor general health, there is proven help available. India's men and women have been reaping the powerful benefits of Ayurveda Medicine Medicine for the past 5,000 years!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Exercise Combats Cancer Fatigue
(HealthDay News) -- Exercise may help improve fatigue caused by cancer and its treatments, new research says."A lot of time, the medical response to patients is that they should expect to be fatigued, that it is a normal side effect. If patients are told that fatigue is just a side effect and to accept it, what they are not getting is any advice or support to help them cope," review lead author Fiona Camp, a lecturer at the University of the West of England in Bristol, said in a prepared statement.
Camp and her colleagues examined data on more than 2,000 cancer patients in 28 studies, which tested exercise programs that lasted from three weeks to eight months. The typical duration was 12 weeks. Walking and stationary bike riding were the most common types of exercise in the studies.
The researchers found that exercise is more effective at combating cancer-related fatigue than the usual care provided to patients.
"Exercise shouldn't be used in isolation but should definitely be included as one of the components in the package of interventions used during and after treatment," Camp said.
She said a clearer "exercise prescription" for cancer patients can be developed after experts learn more about what intensity, frequency, duration and kinds of exercise best suit cancer patients. Until then, available evidence shows that exercise therapists, physical therapists and exercise physiologists need to part of cancer patients' treatment teams, she added.
The review was published in the current issue of The Cochrane Library.
The first step in treating cancer-related fatigue is to check for any underlying medical conditions (such as anemia or an underactive thyroid) that can cause fatigue-like symptoms, said exercise researcher Karen Mustian, an assistant professor in the department of radiation oncology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine. She was not involved in the review.
"There will still be a fair amount of patients dealing with fatigue after we get other situations under control," Mustian said in a prepared statement.
"I think it's safe to say at this point that the sort of generalized guidelines of walking 30 minutes a day three to five times a week generally help patients. We can't say what specific doses are best. With the evidence currently out there, we can't say much beyond that," she said.
More information
The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about cancer-related fatigue.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Abilify Approved as Additional Treatment for Major Depression
Abilify, approved in November 2002 to treat schizophrenia, is among a class of medications called atypical antipsychotics. The latest approval followed clinical studies involving 743 patients.
Elderly people with dementia-related psychosis who are treated with atypical antipsychotics are at greater risk of death, drug maker Bristol-Myers Squibb warned in a statement.
Abilify is co-produced by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. of Japan.
Side effects of Abilify may include akathisia -- a syndrome characterized by feelings of inner restlessness and the urge to move. Other "adverse events" reported among clinical users included insomnia, constipation, fatigue, and blurred vision, the companies said.
More information
Learn more about this drug from the FDA.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
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more information:
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Monday, November 05, 2007
Immunice
DOCTORS AND AYURVEDA SCIENCE AGREE ... Immunice's Herbal Formula Gives Safe, Lasting, and Meaningful Results.
If you want to enjoy optimal health and eliminate allergies, recurring chest discomfort, exhaustion, weakness and fatigue, aches and pains, and a generally poor immune system, there is proven help available. India's population has been reaping the powerful benefits of Ayurveda Medicine for the past 5,000 years!
Immunice is a natural supplement geared towards rebalancing your metabolism and rejuvenating and optimizing your immune system to regenerate and grow better and stronger each day naturally.
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Thursday, October 04, 2007
Health Tip: Nicotine Withdrawal
(HealthDay News) - Nicotine is an extremely addictive substance that causes physical and psychological reactions in the body when it is no longer available.The highly addictive nicotine in cigarettes is what makes quitting smoking so difficult.
The American Cancer Society lists these common symptoms of nicotine withdrawal:
- Dizziness.
- Insomnia, restlessness and difficulty concentrating.
- Depression, irritability and moodiness.
- Feeling frustrated or anger.
- Headache, fatigue and increased appetite.
Some people have found using the nicotine patch or chewing gum with nicotine in it as useful transitional methods for quitting smoking
But, health experts warn, eventually it is your own will-power that's needed to quit.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Health Tip: Signs of Hyperthyroidism
The American Academy of Family Physicians lists these common warning signs of hyperthyroidism:
Sudden, unexplained weight loss.
Weakened muscles and fatigue.
Feelings of nervousness and anxiousness.
Excessive sweating.
Rapid heartbeat.
Tremors.
Eyes that are red, wide, or swollen.
The academy says other diseases and conditions can mimic these symptoms, so your doctor may run some tests to confirm a suspected diagnosis.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Help Your Child Excel! Preventing ADHD
With sharpened pencils and colorful new backpacks, millions of school children have returned to the freshly scrubbed hallways of the nation's schools to begin a new year of learning and development. How can you make sure your child is getting the most out of hours spent in school?One way is to enhance learning ability with the natural techniques of Maharishi Ayurveda. Ayurvedic texts describe three aspects of mental ability: dhi (the power of acquisition or learning), dhriti, (the power of retention), and smriti (the ability to recall).
When the three mental functions are not in balance, either individually or in their coordination with one another, then learning problems can crop up. Children who have learning problems often feel like failures in school, which leads to frustration and low self-esteem.
When these three mental functions are coordinated, then the child's memory is quick and bright. If impurities (ama) are obstructing the channels of communication between these three functions, then not only learning problems but behavioral problems can begin. The high incidence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in this country is a prime example of a learning/behavioral problem for millions of children.
According to a study in Advanced Pediatrics, the frequency of ADHD among school children has been estimated to be as high as 20 percent.
What Maharishi Ayurveda Says What causes some children to thrive on learning while others struggle? According to Maharishi Ayurveda, most learning problems are caused by eating food that is lacking in intelligence. By this we mean food laced with chemicals, junk food, and food that is not fresh. Food lacking in intelligence disturbs the intellect and mind, and it disrupts the intellectual rhythm between dhi, dhriti, and smriti. This is especially true for children, who are naturally more sensitive than adults.
Modern researchers are just discovering the link between learning disorders and harmful food additives such as the chemical food preservatives BHT and BHA, the cake rising agent calcium silicate, and other colorings, flavorings and emulsifiers. Unfortunately, these harmful food additives and preservatives are found in most packaged foods. A rather shocking study showed that the average person consumes 8–10 pounds of additives a year.
Because children have lower body weights and are in the critical developmental years, the harmful effects of these additives are magnified many times. And artificial flavors, colors and preservatives can cause more allergic reactions in children because they are more sensitive than adults.
When children are eating unintelligent food, they are not nourishing the mind with minerals, vitamins, and other aspects of nature's intelligence. And modern researchers confirm ancient ayurvedic wisdom -- that any nutritional deficiency can result in diminished mental function. Another cause of mental deficiency in children includes not getting enough sleep. If children do not go to bed on time, or if they watch violent TV shows or read frightening comics before bed, that can disrupt sleep and aggravate the doshas, which then can be expressed as poor memory and recall in school. But diet is still most important, because diet also affects the quality of sleep. Diet is the primary focus for enhancing mental ability, because even herbal compounds won't work if the child is eating unintelligent food.
Addressing Three Types of Learning Imbalances To understand how Maharishi Ayurveda can help nourish the memory and attention span in children, it's important to understand the three subdoshas involved in memory.
These are Prana Vata, which governs the brain, sensory perception, and the mind; Sadhaka Pitta, which governs the emotions and their effect on the functions of the heart; and Tarpaka Kapha, which governs the spinal fluids, sinus cavities, and sensory organs. In ayurveda, three types of imbalances of the mind are described, and each is associated with a different subdosha.
We can correlate diminished learning ability combined with a hyperactive mind, with a breakdown in Prana Vata. A disturbance in Sadhaka Pitta is associated with a learning imbalance that carries over from childhood into adolescence and young adulthood -- the Pitta time of life. And imbalances in Tarpaka Kapha correlate with problems with learning that occur without hyperactivity involved.
For all three types of learning imbalances, Maharishi Ayurveda recommends fresh, organic foods that are prepared using intelligent cooking methods. This means that they are prepared in a way that does not destroy nature's intelligence, and in a way that creates bliss after eating. Also follow an ayurvedic diet that pacifies the specific subdosha causing the imbalance.
The daily ayurvedic oil massage is also a powerful way to balance the doshas and help enhance learning ability. If time does not permit a daily massage, doing it regularly every weekend will help. At night, Slumber Time aroma oil can be added to an aroma pot by the child's bed to help provide a deeper, more balanced night's sleep.Mind Power with Ayurvedic Herbal Compounds Besides diet and daily routine, Maharishi Ayurveda offers another sophisticated method for addressing imbalances in memory and attention.
These include traditional herbal compounds, called Medhya Rasayanas, that provide powerful nourishment for the mind. Medhya Rasayanas enhance dhi, dhriti, and smriti individually, and they enhance the coordination between these three mental factors. Medhya Rasayanas have also come to the attention of modern researchers. Take Mandook Purni (Centella Asiatica) for instance.
The ancient texts say, 'This Mandook Purni is medhya, giving consciousness and rasayana value. And modern research published in the Journal of Psychiatry shows that this herb produced a significant increase in the mental abilities of 30 mentally disabled children. Brahmi, (Bacopa Monniera and Herpestis Monniera) is another important Medhya Rasayana.
The texts mention that Brahmi is both medhya and hridya, meaning that it supports both the heart and the mind. A study in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology shows that Brahmi improved acquisition, retention and delayed extinction of newly acquired behavior in rats.
The third Medhya Rasayana, Shankhapushpi or Aloeweed, appears in the following verse: "Shankapushpi has a specific action as medhya action. It is also being researched as a memory-enhancing herb. Using these Medhya Rasayanas as a base, Maharishi Ayurveda Products International, Inc. has developed several powerful products to help enhance learning and memory. For instance, the Study Power herbal formula is ideal not just for children but students of all ages, because it helps enhance attention span, focus, and the ability to acquire new information and to apply it later.
An impressive 1995 research study published in Free Radical Biology of Medicine found that Study Power helps increase intelligence. The Medhya Rasayanas are also found in Mind Plus Syrup, which is ideal for helping to calm the mind in stressful situations. It is effective in enhancing problem-solving ability, retention and recall. Youthful Mind is especially designed for people over forty, nourishing and revitalizing all three mental functions as the mind ages. These products are ideal for people of all ages who use their minds at school or on the job, and want to feel fresh, creative, and fatigue-free.
Mental performance can be expanded to its full potential. All it requires is going back to the basics -- proper nutrition, quality sleep and the balanced wisdom of herbs that can help nourish the mind in a natural, safe way.Six Keys to Mind Power -- at Any Age
Eat fresh, pure foods -- The Council of Maharishi Ayurveda Physicians' advice for kids holds true for everyone -- stay away from foods with chemicals, pesticides or additives. The purer the foods you eat, the more of their intelligence you absorb.
Balanced Nutrition is Essential—A diet rich in healthy proteins, such as from soy, with plenty of fruits and vegetables, is good for enhancing mental potential. Don't count fat out entirely, fat plays some essential roles in the physiology.
The Power of Antioxidants -- Recent research shows that blueberries are powerful food for the brain because of their antioxidant value. The brain is especially vulnerable to free-radical damage. Take Amrit everyday for superior antioxidant protection—it has been shown to have 1,000 times the free-radical scavenging power of vitamin C or E!
Get Your Zzzzs -- Research has confirmed that sleep deprivation leads to diminished mental performance. Ayurveda considers sleep to be a basic building block for good mind/body health, just like diet.
Manage Stress -- High levels of stress negatively impact both mind and body. Practice the Transcendental Meditation technique, or find other ways to relax.
Keep that Brain Working! -- Like the battery in your automobile, you have to keep your mind active to keep it running. So keep those creative juices flowing and exercise your brain regularly!
*To receive your own copy of the Vata, Pitta, and Kapha-pacifying dietary guidelines, please call MAPI at 1-800-ALL-VEDA and we will mail them to you. Ayurvedic recipes are also available at http://www.mapi.com/.
References
B.A. Shaywitz et al "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder," Advanced Pediatrics, Vol 44 pp. 331-67 (1997).
T. E. Duormaa, "The adverse effects of food additives on health: a review of the literature with a special emphasis on childhood hyperactivity," Journal of Automolecular Medicine, Vol. 4, pp. 225-38 (1994).
Ann Seingold, Why your child is hyperactive, New York, Random House (1975).
M. Krause, L. Mahan, "Nutritional care and disease of nervous system and behavioral disorders," Food Nutrition and Diet Therapy, pp. 654-670, Philadelphia W.B. Saunders (1984).
R. Dsend et al, "The relationship between nutrition and student achievement, behavior and health," Review of the literature by Sacramento, California, State Department of Education (1980).
Sharma, H. et al, Free Radical Biology and Medicine, Vol. 18. No.4, p. 687-697 (1995).
Appa Rao, et al, Indian Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 19 p. 54-59 (1977).
Singh H. K. and Dhawan B.N., Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Vol. 5, p. 205 (1982).
Monday, December 11, 2006
Don't Blame Racket for Tennis Elbow
An improperly-sized -- either too small or too large -- tennis racket grip does not cause the common malady, according to a study in the December issue of the American Journal of Sports Medicine.
"An optimal grip size may influence the force with which a player hits the ball, but variations in grip size are unlikely to be contributing factors in overuse injuries such as tennis elbow," researcher Dr. George F. Hatch III, of the department of orthopedic surgery at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles, said in a prepared statement.
The finding goes against traditional advice from doctors, he added.
"Clinicians who treat patients with tennis elbow often tell them to try a different size grip in order to alleviate muscle fatigue. Our study demonstrates that those recommendations have no scientific basis. Therefore, it is reasonable to recommend whatever grip size feels most comfortable for them," Hatch said.
He and his colleagues studied 16 NCAA Division I and II tennis players (10 men, 6 women) with no prior history of elbow problems. The players were told to do single-handed backhand strokes using identical tennis rackets with three different grip sizes. While the players used the rackets, the researchers measured the firing patterns of muscles in the players' forearms.
The different grip sizes did not affect the firing patterns of the muscles.
"Based on our data, we recommend recreational tennis players use the currently accepted grip size measurement technique as a starting point when picking a grip size. However, the player should feel free to increase or decrease the size of the grip based upon what feels most comfortable," Hatch said.
Instead, players should look to changing their technique to help ease tennis elbow, he said, since "previous studies have shown that improper form is one of the biggest risk factors for the development of tendonitis."
More information
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons has more about tennis elbow.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Ten Ways for Better Relationships
1. Eat "Happy" FoodsYou not only are what you eat, but you act like what you eat, too. Food affects mood, behavior and relationships. If you eat foods that create bliss, your relationships will be happier, too.Foods that support happy moods are fresh, whole, and organic. The more fresh and digestible the foods, the more they create ojas, the biochemical equivalent to bliss and happiness. Meals that include lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fresh milk products such as panir and lassi, healthy oils such as ghee and olive oil, and unprocessed sweeteners are recommended in Maharishi Ayurveda. Foods that are cooked fresh each day by yourself with love or by someone who loves you are considered the most ojas-producing.A school in Appleton, Wisconsin, banned all fast food chains, candy machines and soft drinks from the premises. Instead they fed the children and teenagers whole grain breads and well-rounded meals cooked with old-fashioned recipes. Since instituting the program, the principal and teachers report that violence, fighting, and truancy are markedly down, while grades and attention spans have soared. Other area schools are adopting a similar program as a result.
2. Prevent Relationship MeltdownAlmost everyone wants to be loving, kind, considerate and supportive. The trouble comes when the stress of daily living becomes too great, and then tempers flare, anxiety surfaces, and you find yourself saying or doing something you later regret.
To prevent this type of relationship meltdown, plan your day to prevent stress from building up. The ayurvedic routine aligns your daily rhythms to be in tune with Nature. Exercising every day, for instance, is extremely helpful in keeping the emotions balanced. Breathing deep and inhaling fresh oxygen while outdoors is especially helpful in banishing fatigue, depression and anxiety.
3. Give Yourself A BreakGetting enough sleep is another key to preventing relationship meltdown. Lack of sleep can cause anxiety, anger and depression and certainly doesn't help relationships.
Research shows that most adults need 8-8 1/2 hours a night, and children need up to 12 hours.The most direct and effective means of dissolving stress—both the day-to-day kind and the deep-rooted stresses that can ruin relationships—is to practice the Transcendental Meditation® program. Give yourself and your family a TM® break twice a day and watch your relationships blossom.
4. Practice Unconditional Forgiveness
It's important to forgive unconditionally. Saying you forgive a person if she changes her behavior is conditional forgiveness. This creates a hidden slow poison that later manifests in the relationship as a dangerous, deadly sickness.
The heart craves unconditional forgiveness. The mind is always trying to set some conditions, but if you forgive someone unconditionally it will be more healing for yourself. If you practice this over time, your overall attitude and behavior will become more nourishing—and that helps build and maintain relationships. Unconditional forgiveness keeps the mind under the influence of the heart. That's what you need in relationships—your heart predominating over your mind.
5. Look to Yourself First
Problems in relationships are often caused by an imbalance in Sadhaka Pitta, the subdosha of Pitta concerned with the heart.When Sadhaka Pitta is out of balance, the first symptom is to think, 'I am right and my friend is wrong. At a time when you should look to yourself to correct the situation, you end up blaming others.
The Council of Maharishi Ayurveda Physicians suggests following the lead of the saint Kabir. Kabir said that when he started to look honestly at his life, he found that he had to rectify his own behavior more than others did theirs.
Whenever your heart tells you to blame your spouse, your partner, or your friend, take that as an opportunity to scan your own behavior, to see what you might have done to create that difficult situation. If you are honest, most of the time you will find that that you have done something to create the crisis-and maybe the other person has also made a mistake, but not as big an error as you first may have thought. This sort of attitude goes a long way in preventing a fight.
To keep Sadhaka Pitta in balance, eat plenty of sweet, juicy fruits and other cooling, Pitta-pacifying foods. Rose Petal Preserve is a delicious tonic for Sadhaka Pitta. Add it to warm milk before bed, or spread it on toast. Any time you feel yourself blaming someone else, take a teaspoon of Rose Petal Preserve and watch your thinking become more balanced. The Blissful Joy herbal tablets is also designed to uplift emotions and balance Sadhaka Pitta.
6. Know Your Limitations
It helps to know your own strengths and weaknesses. If you tend to get cranky when you delay or skip meals, do yourself and your loved ones a favor and organize your life so you can regularly eat your meals before you get too hungry. Keep a juicy pear or other healthy snack handy for those times when you really can't eat on time.
For anyone with strong Pitta, eating three regular meals is important, and you may need to plan a late-afternoon snack as well. Eat your main meal at noon to pacify Pitta, and lighter meals in the morning and evening, and take Blissful Joy tablets.for Kapha body types, you may find that lethargy gets in the way of healthy relationships. Take care to wake up early, before 6:00 a.m.; eat light, Kapha-pacifying foods; exercise every day. The invigoration you'll feel from balancing Kapha dosha will infuse new life into your relationships as well.Vata types should be careful not to let excessive worries or anxieties cloud perceptions. Be sure to get plenty of rest, meditate regularly, do a daily ayurvedic oil massage, and eat a nourishing, warm Vata-pacifying diet. Worry Free Tea and tablets help calm mental stress and improve relationships.
7. Understand the Needs of Others
Paying attention to the influence of the doshas can also help you understand the behavior of others. While you may be able to process disappointments quickly, for instance, your wife may take much longer to get over a negative situation. Rather than criticizing her, it's best to recognize that she needs more time to recover, and to give her the love and encouragement she needs.If your child is often disorganized and forgetful, this may be due to a Vata imbalance. You can help him feel more grounded by preparing foods that are warm, nourishing, cooked and unctuous. Using the Vata, Pitta and Kapha Churnas and teas makes it easy to accommodate each family member's needs even if their body types are different from yours.
8. Practice Harmonizing Behaviors
It helps to make a habit of harmonizing. Positive behaviors not only help relationships, research shows that they also make us feel healthier and live longer. The ancient ayurvedic texts emphasize this connection between behavior and health, and offer guidelines for health-producing behaviors called achara rasayana. These behaviors are considered to be as longevity-enhancing as the special herbal elixirs known as rasayanas.Achara rasayana includes being truthful, calm, free of anger, nonviolent, charitable, simple, well-behaved, positive, self-controlled, unconceited, devoted to love and compassion, and having control of the senses.
Achara rasayana doesn't mean forcing yourself to think positively--it means cultivating a state of health in which it's natural to act harmoniously. These choices include the ayurvedic diet and daily routine, and in particular abstaining from alcohol, engaging in meditation, staying balanced in sleep and wakefulness, eating saatvic foods such as ghee, knowing the measure of time and place, and keeping the company of the wise.
9. Plan Quiet Time TogetherSometimes the sheer noise of our busy lives can get in the way of relationships. Try infusing some soothing scents and sounds into your home environment. Gandharva Veda music, for instance, even if played at a low volume in a corner of the house, creates a harmonizing, calming effect on the entire household. Maharishi Ayurveda aromas as Calming (Vata), Blissful Heart, Slumber Time or Worry Free can make everyone feel more relaxed and blissful.
Try creating "noise free" zone each evening in which you turn off the TV, turn down the lights, and spend a half hour listening to music, talking, or reading a book out loud. Spending quiet time together before bed can be as nourishing to adults as children.
10. Make Blissful Choices
By now you may be thinking: "How am I going to find time to cook healthy foods, follow an ayurvedic routine, work my job and still take care of my family?"
This is where your power of choice comes in. Will you feel happier watching the latest episode of hotest TV show or getting an extra hour of sleep? Is your time better spent preparing a loving and healthy meal for your family or poring over work you have brought home?Eating the right foods and following an ayurvedic routine does take time, but it is time well spent. The good thing is that taking care of your own physical, mental and emotional health will nurture your relationships too. And that is a win-win situation we all want to cultivate.
Maharishi Ayurveda Products International, Inc.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Energizing the Elderly?
My father is almost 80 years old. He is getting weaker and weaker. Is there anything that can boost a little energy into an old body? – Hasani
Yes, there are some effective tonics and supplements that can help seniors whose energy is flagging. Here are my suggestions:
Cordyceps (Cordyceps sinensis): This Chinese fungus is a tonic that can help overcome general weakness and fatigue and increase physical stamina, mental energy, sexual vigor and longevity. You can get it at the health food store in the form of tincture, extracts or powder or order it from Fungi Perfecti (www.fungi.com). The recommended dosage for general weakness is one to two capsules daily.
Eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus): Tinctures or capsules from the root of this woody Siberian plant work as a tonic to combat lethargy, fatigue and low stamina. Look for Eleuthero (aka eleuthero ginseng) products standardized to .08 percent of eleutherosides. Most Siberian ginseng products vary in concentration and potency, so pay extra attention to the label instructions. The usual recommended dose is two capsules or one dropperful of tincture twice a day unless the product directs otherwise.
Rhodiola (R. rosea): Sometimes called arctic root or rose root, rhodiola rosea grows at high altitudes in the Arctic areas of Europe and Asia. It is used in Russia as a tonic and remedy for fatigue, poor attention span and decreased memory, and in the Scandinavian countries as a general strengthener and to increase the capacity for mental work. A recent review in HerbalGram, the Journal of the American Botanical Council, reported that over the years, numerous studies of R. rosea in humans, in animals and in cells have shown that rhodiola helps prevent fatigue, stress and the damaging effects of oxygen deprivation. Evidence suggests that it has an antioxidant effect and enhances immune system function.
Another approach to combating age-related weakness is strength training. After age 40, we lose one quarter to one-third of a pound of muscle each year (it is replaced by fat). This leads to a loss of strength of one to two percent per year. Fortunately, these changes can be slowed, even reversed. Evidence from a number of studies has shown that even the frail elderly can benefit from strength training. The payoff can include stronger muscles, improved walking speed and an increase in overall strength.
Andrew Weil, M.D.–Author of:
Eight Weeks to Optimum Health
Spontaneous Healing
The Natural Mind
The Marriage of the Sun and Moon
Health and Healing
Natural Health, Natural Medicine
From Chocolate to Morphine (with Winifred Rosen)
Treating Polymyalgia Rheumatica?
Q: What should my wife take for polymyalgia rheumatica? -- Richard Williamson
A: Polymyalgia rheumatica is an inflammatory disorder that causes muscle pain and morning stiffness (sometimes both quite severe) in the upper arms and legs, neck, shoulder and hip areas. It occurs primarily in older people (the average age at diagnosis is 70), rarely is diagnosed before age 50, and affects women twice as often as men. Although no one knows what causes it, immune system abnormalities and genetic factors are suspected.
Polymyalgia rheumatica seems to be related to another condition, giant cell arteritis (also called temporal arteritis and cranial arteritis), which causes inflammation in the arteries in the head (usually those in the temples). The inflammation causes swelling which narrows or stretches the arteries and may pose a threat to vision. About 15 percent of people in the United States who have polymyalgia rheumatica also have giant cell arteritis, and about half the people with giant cell arteritis also have polymyalgia rheumatica. Because of the threat to sight, those with giant cell arteritis in addition to polymyalgia rheumatica must take the steroid drug prednisone until symptoms disappear and tests show that there is no longer a risk of blindness. Signs of this disorder can include headache, pain in the temple, blurred or double vision, and flu-like symptoms.
Polymyalgia rheumatica may begin abruptly but usually develops in a gradual manner over a couple of weeks. Mild or early cases are marked by morning symptoms (lasting one to two hours after waking, then returning after periods of inactivity) as well as fatigue, a sense of weakness, weight loss and low-grade fever, all of which can accompany the pain and stiffness.
The disease often goes away without treatment in a year or more, but prednisone can bring the symptoms under control within a day or two. The drug really works well for this condition although you always want to take the lowest possible dose and discontinue treatment as soon as possible. Typically, the initial dose is increased until symptoms disappear, and then gradually decreased to the lowest amount needed to relieve symptoms. Treatment usually continues for six months to two years but may be restarted if symptoms recur.
At first, your wife will need prednisone for the relief it offers. She also might try aerobic exercise, which a friend affected with this condition has told me makes a big difference. I also recommend whole licorice for treatment of inflammatory disorders. You can find whole licorice as a root or extract. Look for products with six to 10 percent glycyrrhizin and follow the dosage direction on the package. Since whole licorice can worsen high blood pressure, check with your doctor before taking it if your pressure is high. Licorice root capsules can be used in the amount of 5-6 g per day. Concentrated extracts can be used in the amount of 250-500 mg three times per day. This approach may enable your wife to lower her prednisone dose. In addition, she should try to maintain an anti-inflammatory diet. I also recommend using the herbal anti-inflammatory agent Zyflamend from New Chapter. Chinese medicine and mind/body techniques such as hypnotherapy and guided imagery can also help; visit the Mind/Body/Spirit section on this site for more information on these and other techniques.
Andrew Weil, M.D.–Author of:
Eight Weeks to Optimum Health
Spontaneous Healing
The Natural Mind
The Marriage of the Sun and Moon
Health and Healing
Natural Health, Natural Medicine
From Chocolate to Morphine (with Winifred Rosen)
Sunday, May 21, 2006
To Succeed at Any Diet, You Must Know Your Metabolic Type
To Succeed at Any Diet, You Must Know Your Metabolic TypeBy William Wolcott, Founder, The Healthexcel System of Metabolic Typing
Author, The Metabolic Typing Diet (Doubleday)
Part 1 of this series on metabolic typing introduced the idea that whether a given food or a particular diet is good for you or bad for you is a matter of your genes -- not whim, appetite, preference, philosophy, belief or even "expert" opinion.
It is important to realize that the idea of metabolic typing is not new. The roots of the concept of metabolic individuality can be traced to antiquity. The 5,000 year old East Indian system of medicine known as Ayurveda was based on the interaction of the 5 elements and the 7 energy centers in the individual and primary treatment addressed one’s dosha (one's metabolic type) before it addressed the symptom or disease.
Similarly, the ancient system of Chinese medicine recognized 5 elemental, constitutional types. Diagnosis and treatment in ancient Egyptian medicine was based on the 7 organ systems in the body. Greek physicians were concerned, as Hippocrates stated, with the patient who has the disease instead of the disease that has the patient, and evaluated the 4 humors (liver-bile metabolic types). The ancient Roman philosopher Lucretius is attributed with the saying, "One man’s meat is another man’s poison."
The modern background of metabolic typing
In modern times, there have been some well-known and many not so well-known medical researchers who recognized the value of addressing biochemical individuality. In 1919, Frances Pottenger, M.D., published his Symptoms Of Visceral Disease, where he established the autonomic nervous system as the basis of metabolic individuality and correlated the influence of various nutrients on the autonomic nervous system.
Dr. W.H. Sheldon, in the '40's, published his famous Varieties Of Human Physique, providing photographic illustrations of his somatotypes (ectomorph, endomorph and mesomorph metabolic types). In the '50's, Dr. Melvin Page and Dr. Henry Bieler concurrently developed concepts of endocrine types and their relationship to various foods. Dr. George Watson, also in the '50's, in his astounding book, Nutrition And The Mind, published his research on the variable influences of oxidation (glycolysis, beta oxidation, citric acid cycle) in different individuals he classified as fast, mixed or slow oxidizers.
In 1956, the noted biochemist, Dr. Roger Williams, published his genetotrophic theory on biochemical individuality, based on his research which suggested that every human being has, because of his genetic makeup, distinctive nutritional needs that must be met in order to achieve optimum health and well-being. Dr. Royal Lee's extensive writings in the 50's and 60's correlated nutritional influences of the autonomic and endocrine systems.
Dr. Emanuel Revici, in the ‘60’s, recognized the critical necessity to address biochemical individuality and devoted his life's work to the development of an entirely new system of medicine based upon the variances between individuals in their catabolic and anabolic influences.
Dr. James D'Adamo, in the '70's, put forth a system of individual classification based upon ABO blood types. In the mid '70's, Dr. William D. Kelley met Dr. Roger William’s call for "metabolic profiling" by becoming the first to apply William's concept of nutritional individuality to computer science in identifying the autonomic types, sympathetic, balanced and parasympathetic.
Further efforts to address metabolic individuality can be seen in current works of numerous other pioneers. Among the more recent who have joined the ranks are Dr. Elliot Abravanel, Dr. Paul Eck, Dr. David Watts, Dr. Rudolph Wiley, and the insightful founder of Nutri-Spec, Dr. Guy Schenker, to name a few.
What exactly is metabolic typing and why is it important?
Metabolic typing is a systematic, testable, repeatable, and verifiable methodology based on research and extensive clinical experience over the last 25 years that combines the wisdom of the ancient systems of medicine with our modern scientific understanding of physiology and biochemistry.
Metabolic typing analyzes, evaluates, and interprets objective physiological and biochemical indicators along with symptomatology in order to define one’s metabolic type -- the specific, individualized, genetically-based patterns of biochemical metabolic individuality that dictate one’s physiological and neurological "design limits" and requirements for nutritional substances.
The food that we eat is intended as the "fuel" for our body’s cells, our engines of metabolism. Our cells in turn convert the fuel to energy to be used in all the life-supporting processes of metabolism that keep us alive and healthy. But like any engine, our body needs a certain kind of fuel to function optimally. A gasoline engine requires gasoline for fuel. A diesel engine is designed to run on diesel for fuel. But try to run a gas engine on diesel or a diesel engine on gas and not only will the energy output be deficient, but using the wrong fuel for the engine will cause real problems for the engine itself.
Similarly, our bodies have genetically-based requirements for specific kinds of foods and balances of nutrients in order to produce optimal energy and function in a state of optimal health. If we meet these "design requirements," we can expect to be healthy, energetic, fit and trim.
Failure to obtain on a regular basis the kinds of foods our body’s are designed to utilize will initially produce sub-clinical health complaints such as fatigue, aches and pains, headaches, indigestion, weight gain, constipation, rashes, dry skin, low blood sugar, etc.
But long-term deficiency of the right foods for the metabolic type will lead to degenerative conditions like asthma, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, etc. In other words, it’s not just that the Eskimos can eat up to 10 pounds of meat and huge amounts of fat and almost no carbohydrate, they need to eat that way in order to be healthy because that’s what their metabolisms are genetically programmed to utilize as fuel. Similarly, each of us has very specific requirements for nutrients that must be met in order to obtain and maintain good health, energy and well-being for a lifetime.
Without metabolic typing, there is no way to discern one’s "medicine" from one’s "poison." Without metabolic typing, there is no way to know how nutrients behave in one person as opposed to another. In essence, without metabolic typing, no rational basis exists from which to select proper diet and nutritional supplementation because one’s metabolic type dictates individual responses to nutrients.
This gets to the heart of some core premises of metabolic typing that have not only great significance for each individual in identification of a proper diet, but also have profound implications for scientific research. Let’s look at two of these core premises of our system of metabolic typing. Here’s the first one:
ANY NUTRIENT AND ANY FOOD CAN HAVE VIRTUALLY OPPOSITE BIOCHEMICAL INFLUENCES IN DIFFERENT METABOLIC TYPES.
The metabolic type defines the way in which the body reacts to nutrients. Different metabolic types react differently to the same nutrient. For example, in one metabolic type 100 milligrams of potassium or eating, say, an orange (also high in potassium), will cause the body’s pH to shift alkaline and produce a sedating effect. But in a different metabolic type, the same amount of potassium or an orange will produce an acid shift and a stimulating response. This has been observed tens of thousands of times through both objective metabolic type testing as well as through changes in symptomatology.
Now the second core premise:
ANY ADVERSE SYMPTOM OR DEGENERATIVE CONDITION CAN ARISE DUE TO VIRTUALLY OPPOSITE BIOCHEMICAL IMBALANCES.
This same principle applies to any adverse health complaint, from simple to complex, from cramps to cardiovascular disease (CVD), from rashes to rheumatoid arthritis. For example, we have seen just as many cases of high cholesterol and CVD resolve through a high carbohydrate, low fat, low protein diet as we have seen resolve through the opposite low carb, high protein, high fat diet. Match the diet to the metabolic type and any degenerative condition has a chance to reverse. But eat the wrong foods for the metabolic type, even high quality, organic foods, and degenerative processes will only worsen.
The implications of these premises are staggering.
If they are true, then allopathic nutrition has no rational basis. Seeking a common therapy for all people for every condition is a wild goose chase and is doomed to failure. Any success with that approach has been and will continue to be by chance -- not systematic, reliable predictability.
If any nutrient or food can have totally opposite influences, biochemically speaking, in different people, how can there be a treatment, for any condition, that can work for all people?
The answer is that there can’t be only one treatment. This is precisely why what works for one person can worsen the same condition in another person. This is why what makes your friend thin can make you fat. This is why what improves energy and performance for one person can worsen it in another. As it turns out, metabolic typing explains why Lucretius’ adage, "One man’s food is another man’s poison," is literally true.
And, if it is true that two people with the same degenerative disease can have virtually opposite biochemical imbalances, and that when two opposite biochemical protocols are administered the problem resolves, then this clearly means that it’s not the diseases that should be treated but the underlying metabolic type imbalances that have caused the diseases that need be addressed.
From this viewpoint, the diseases are not the problems; they are the symptoms, the manifestations, the expressions of the underlying, foundational imbalances. The reality of metabolic individuality demands that the person who has the disease -- not the disease that has the person -- be treated!
These premises of metabolic typing also explain why scientific research on nutrition is usually so inconclusive and produces such inconsistent results. For example, researchers have been confounded why calcium can lower blood pressure in some but raise it in others. Similar findings occurred with the effect of potassium. Until research on the effect of a given nutrient on a given condition is performed on a like metabolic type subject population, you will always see variable results.
In summary:
Biochemical individuality is responsible for the fact that nutrients behave differently in different metabolic types
The variable influences of nutrients on different metabolisms along with the same condition arising from totally different biochemical imbalances make it impossible to treat conditions with a standardized treatment protocol
Successful, predictable, reliable therapy can only be chosen once you know the metabolic type because only then will you know how nutrients behave in that person’s metabolism.
Degenerative conditions account for well over 80% of all of the adverse conditions that afflict the peoples of our country. This means that only a little over 1 out of every 10 people that go to doctors has crises or infectious conditions that require and respond to allopathic treatments.
More and more people every year fall prey to degenerative conditions and, sadly, at younger and younger ages. Diseases once viewed as accompaniments to old age are now commonplace in our children. Yet, currently, there is no orthodox cure for nearly any degenerative disease.
So-called alternative practitioners, as a group, fare little better. Even those who meet with "success" often find that when the therapy is stopped, the condition returns and no real, lasting healing has taken place. Or they are baffled by the universal phenomena of failing to help the next patient with the same condition with the very same protocol that worked so well for the former patient.
We find ourselves, practitioners and lay people alike, trying futilely to absorb the avalanche of information and research in nutrition that has descended upon us and only promises to gain speed with ever-increasing volume. We’re bombarded with seemingly endless newspaper and magazine articles, health books, interviews on radio and television, internet sites, all touting opposing points of view. What are we to do with the blessing/curse of this information explosion?
The problem is that there hasn’t been a reference point or a framework in which to organize and understand the thousands upon thousands of research findings, many of which are outright contradictory in nature. It’s like an enormous jigsaw puzzle that arrives without the picture on the box. How do the pieces fit together? How can we possibly make sense and make use of this research? A PDR (Physician’s Desk Reference) of nutrition?
Even if it was possible to know the effects of every single vitamin, mineral, fatty acid, herb, etc., and then to organize them item by item, of what practical use would that be? How would we be any further along? We would still have 100’s or even 1000’s of choices to make for each nutrient. And every day more and more effects are being found for every nutrient known to us.
Even so, it is every practitioner’s experience that what works for one patient does not work for another with the same condition.
The total body of scientific research is one gigantic pool of randomized information that is only growing in complexity. And yet, this is precisely the path that researchers and practitioners are following. The wrong path was chosen and it is leading us deeper and deeper into the dark forest of confusion. The more that research uncovers, the less clear the picture becomes.
The wrong questions have been and are still being asked. Instead of seeking answers to the effects of biochemical substances on diseases, we need to turn our attention to understanding how nutrients effect individual metabolisms. Instead of thinking in terms of treating disease, we must learn to think in terms of building health and meeting and optimizing genetic functional capacity by addressing the needs of each individual’s metabolic type.
The adverse influences in the environment will continue to increase in the years ahead. In order to survive and live a full, productive life in the current millennium, especially if one wants to live a healthy life, it is becoming increasingly important that each individual take responsibility for his own health and address the inescapable requirements of his biochemical individuality, for it is only in so doing that the body will adapt and maintain its defenses against the adversities of the environment and that the joy and exuberance of true good health can be known.
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Ayurveda to treat health problems in IT industry
Ayurveda is all set to target the IT industry to treat the backaches, insomnia and blurring eyesight which many techies are generally prone to.
A detailed treatment protocol for treating software professionals would be outlined at the three day Global Summit on Ayurveda at Thrissur next month, said eminent ayurveda expert Neelakantan Mooss here Thursday.
Mooss, who belongs to the Ashtavaidyan Thaikkattu Mooss Vaidyaratnam Oushadhasala, said detailed examinations had been carried out among techies in the age group of 25 and 35 years.
"We have found that they suffer from computer vision syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome, insomnia, lumbago and cervical spondylosis and we are coming out with a treatment protocol," he told reporters.
According to Mooss, big IT firms like Infosys and the Indian Institute of Management at Bangalore are planning to start ayurveda centres in their campus.
"We already have had talks with these institutions," he said.
He denied that his institution was going to commercialise ayurveda among the techies.
"Our hospital in Thrissur does not entertain clients, especially foreign tourists, just for giving massages. What we strictly follow is consultation-based treatment and not packaged ayurveda treatment protocols. For the techies we would devise a capsule form of treatment because they might be unable to spend three or four weeks for the treatment," he said.
Treatment protocols to be unveiled at the Global Summit include computer vision syndrome, which impairs vision and presents dryness in eyes, fatigue, headache and also carpal tunnel syndrome, which makes the wrists and hands numb. Lumbago or low back ache is another common ailment of the techies and also cervical spondylitis.
Vaidyaratnam Oushadhasala was set up in 1941 and has played a pioneering role in setting standards for the ayurveda industry in the state as well as in the country.
(IANS)
More informations here:
http://www.dreddyclinic.com/ayurvedic/ayurvedic.htm
http://www.dreddyclinic.com/education/education.htm
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