Danger of “ANTIBACTERIALS”

Years ago my husband Bob had a conversation with a co-worker about the additives in the fast foods he ate every day for lunch.  He asked the guy,

     “Does it worry you that these chemicals maybe unhealthy for you? 
The guy replied,
     “I love this stuff and I’m building up a resistance to the harmful effects by eating like this regularly.” 
My husband responded,
     “That resistance just might be called cancer.”
     
     Where do you stand when you here the latest information about something that COULD be bad for you?  As I have been getting more involved with gardening Organic Gardening magazine now pops up on my email, almost daily so I get to read a lot of this news breaking information.  Today the subject I thought I should share as it is particularly appropriate for spa people as the subject is about the problems with antibacterial cleaners.

     The latest villain is Triclosan an ingredient in almost every “antibacterial” product from dish soaps to your toothpaste.  Like many of the chemicals in common household use today Triclosan is known to interfere with human hormones and is suspected of contributing to a rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria.  But wait there’s more! 

     It could be damaging your heart and muscle tissue.

     University of California, Davis found that even moderate triclosan exposure significantly reduced muscular strength and cardiac function in mice and slowed the swimming pace of fish. 

     Even the FDA does not acknowledge that there are additional benefits to using this ingredient and maintain that good old soap and hot water is just as effective. Tufts University reports Triclosan in soap breaks down when exposed to chlorinated water, rendering it ineffective.  What they don’t say is that it also reacts with the chlorine to form chloroform, a carcinogen.  The only reason that it is there is the new and improved excuse or that someone had to make their money back on the deal as far as I am concerned.

What to DO?

• Skip "antibacterial" everything.  It can pop up in unexpected places like the insoles of your sport shoes or the lining of a pillow case.  Be suspicious of anything that says  "germ-killing," "antibacterial," or "odor-killing".  Unbelievably it does not have to be listed as an ingredient in household items.  You will find it on the label of personal care products.

• Check your personal care products.  For a great source of information about “safe” products check the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep database.  As you know the skin is an organ of absorption this is particularly so in the mouth, under the arms and on the soles of the feet so check toothpaste, deodorant and soaps particularly carefully.

• Have faith in hot water.   Maybe Granny was onto something, it seems regular old soap and hot water cannot be beat. 

My opinion – it took centuries to discover that maybe Rome fell because they were all just a little mad from the lead in their revolutionary pumping systems and decades for us to find that certain plastics are really disruptive to our hormone.  So, when I read a report like this I tend to ere on the side of caution and go as green as I can and extend the wish that the world comes to its senses one day so none of us has to suffer, mouse, fish, factory worker or grandchild.

CHOOSE ORGANIC FOOD

Since the mid 1970’s Bob and I have eaten mostly organic whole grains, vegetables and fruits.  We have also avoided refined sugars and synthetic additives.  From time to time have been vegan, vegetarian, and even followed a Tibetan “white” foods diet for a month. Like many people now closer to 60 than 30 we have seen organic food shops develop from hippy coops to mega supermarkets, and the choice of organic move from being counter culture to an accepted way of taking care of yourself and the planet.  For myself, I can say I have journeyed from being a tight brown rice eating macrobiotic to a happier, rounder omnivore. I will eat anything given with love or just plain anything available when travelling but still prefer low sugar, non-dairy and wheat free items.  My attitude has become much looser and I can honestly say most of the time I am happy with my broader choices.  Recently, however, I have been wondering if I have been too neurotic all these years.  Then, as chance would have it, an article from Organic Gardening Magazine popped up on my email and I realize I have been on the right track all along and I felt proud about the way I fed my three kids.  I also felt inspired to share the “bones” of the piece on this blog.

 

Let’s be clear all pesticides are designed to kill living things.  They kill by the introduction of:

·         nerve gases that work by disrupting the bug’s nervous system

·         chemicals that unbalance of key reproductive hormones

·         stunting of a plant's ability to absorb life-sustaining trace minerals from the soil so the bugs that eat them are weakened

These chemicals are designed to be harmful to life and to weaken vitality of all living things.  They don’t just get sprayed onto food they get right into our food taking their life diminishing toxins with them and lowering mineral levels.  If you have ever wondered why organic produce tastes better than commercially raised items it is because of the mineral content.  The higher the mineral content is the better, stronger and sweeter the taste of the food.

If you have thought "the dose makes the poison" think again.  Science is now proving that incredibly tiny doses could set a person up for health problems that might not crop up until decades down the line. As these chemicals make it into our air and water our food, cleaning products and cosmetic choices (things we can better control) become ever more important.

If you are still sitting on the fence read the list of illnesses that are now linked to pesticide use.  Then check the list called the DIRTY DOZEN, produce that has the highest level of pesticide sprays and the CLEAN FIFTEEN the least sprayed produce.

SEVEN HEALTH PROBLEMS LINKED TO PESTICIDE USE.

 

1.    Diabetes - tolyfluanid, a fungicide used on farm crops, creates insulin resistance in fat cells and overweight people with higher levels of organochlorine pesticides in their bodies also faced a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

 

2.    Cancer
More than 260 studies link pesticides to various cancers, including lymphoma, leukemia, soft tissue sarcoma, and brain, breast, prostate, bone, bladder, thyroid, colon, liver, and lung cancers, among others.

 

3.    Autism & Other Developmental Diseases
Many insecticides effectively kill bugs by throwing off normal neurological functioning. That same thing appears to be happening in some children. Children with organophosphate pesticide breakdown materials in their urine were far more likely to live with ADHD than kids without the trace pesticide residues.

 

4.    Obesity
Pesticides interfere with your body's ability to regulate the healthy release of hormones. More than 50 pesticides are classified as hormone disruptors, and some of them promote metabolic syndrome and obesity as they accumulate in your cells.

5.    Parkinson's Disease
More than 60 studies show a connection between pesticides and the neurological disease Parkinson's, a condition characterized by uncontrolled trembling.

6.    Infertility
Atrazine, a common chemical weed killer used heavily in the Midwest, on Southern sugar cane farms, and on golf courses have been linked with increased miscarriage and infertility rates. While other pesticides cause a plunge in male testosterone levels.

7.    Birth Defects
Babies conceived during the spring and summer months, a time of year when pesticide use is in full swing, face the highest risk of birth defects.

The Environmental Working Group has released an updated list of the DIRTY DOZEN the fruits and vegetables with the worst pesticide levels.

• Apples
• Celery
• Strawberries
• Peaches
• Spinach
• Nectarines (imported)
• Grapes (imported)
• Sweet bell peppers
• Potatoes
• Blueberries (domestic)
• Lettuce
• Kale/collard greens

Avoid these if you can, wash them very well if you cannot.  If you cannot afford organic everything organic then try shopping for more on the CLEAN FIFTEEN list.

• Onions
• Sweet Corn
• Pineapples
• Avocado
• Asparagus
• Sweet peas
• Mangoes
• Eggplant
• Cantaloupe (domestic)
• Kiwi
• Cabbage
• Watermelon
• Sweet potatoes
• Grapefruit
• Mushrooms

Remember, the market responds to demand.  The more people asking for clean food, pure water and fresh air as a birthright the more it will happen.  Bob and I, personally, have seen amazing changes in the last forty years.  The trick now is to get organic produce to be affordable and make organic items more widely available.  That might mean growing your own.  Basic health and beauty should never be only for the 1%.  The 99% can always find ways to plant seed.  Organic Gardening Magazine might be the best place to start.  I just ordered mine for the year.

Our Kansa Vataki Story

Back in the late 1990's I was invited to teach in the south of France at a beautiful retreat center run by a Dutch couple.  My hosts were a couple from Belgium and the young woman had studied Ayurvedic techniques both in Paris and in Brittany.  Her teacher was Dr Kiran Vyas.  Unfortunately, his book is only published in French (Les Massage Indien).  She was the one that first introduced me to Kansa Vataki for foot massage.  From the very beginning I was impressed that it seems particularly those either unaccustomed or just plain cynical about the benefit of massage that loved this technique and seemed to melt at each the simplest touch with the magic little metal bowl. 

That was the start of our Pedikarma(TM) treatment.  In 2005 we produced the video, now a DVD, along with the support products: Ayurvedic Bath Salts and two massage products - Anise Lotion (based on the Tibetan tradition) and Aromatice Golden Ghee (based on the Indian Ayurvedic tradition).  At that point we used either a simple kansa saucer shaped little bowl or one with a decorative brass handle that looked like a little metal basket. 

As time went by an Indian manufacturer found us sent as the large kansa foot wand we use today.  Beautifully made with the purest kansa is is a joy to use and the results are marvellous.  It is wonderful for normalizing high skin tone, easing headaches and nausea, gentle detoxing and very grounding.  We are happy to say that those that prefer no handle at all now have that option.

Then as so often happens in American more innovation was a foot.  We started to hear that people were using the kansa on the face and getting a better face lift than by using low current galvanic stimulation machine ($5000 worth!).  We were impressed by the before and after pictures and so we had a small kansa wand made.  It was amazing to see the jojoba oil we used as a massage medium go really grey as acids left the skin and the face came back alive.  We now have an even smaller face massage kansa designed for home use that is small enough to travel in a cosmetic bag.



Then, just this spring we were attending the NAMA (National Ayurvedic Medical Association) annual conference and showing the tools to our dear teacher Dr. Vasant Lad when he came up with an idea.  Being the artist that he is he immediately sketched it out for us and we in turn sent it off to India.  just a few weeks later the tool, a mini kansa on a T shaped handle was with us.  Dr.Lad used it in his Marma (vital energy point) class this summer and we will wait to hear the stories.



But, I have just one from personal experience I would like to share.  Since January of this year I have had a problem with my left shoulder.  It started after I was doing very heavy garden work and a new form of yoga.  Not only was it painful but I suddenly had limited range of motion.  It has slowly been improving to the point to where it now feels like a tight muscle down the front of my arm.  I was happy to let it heal slowly when Bob, my husband, suggested I use the new mini kansa tool.  I rubbed up and down the bone and all round the head of the bone at the shoulder joint.  To my amazement after less than five minutes I had 30 degrees more movement.  That gain has continued.

Today we made a new page on the website for all the kansa products so please visit then let us here your stories. 

Check here for Kansa page on DiamondWayAyurveda.com
Email ayurveda8@earthlink.net or call 805-543-9291

Essential Oils and Ayurveda

We have recently read an article from an Ayurvedic practitioner warning people off of the use of essential oils other than in the form of inhalants and incenses.  The claim is that as the essential oil is the fire element of the plant, that across the board, they will aggravate pitta dosha if ingested either in foods or in products applied to the body.

The warning is a good one, in so far as in the West we tend to think that if a little is good, more should be better.  Thus there are people, even companies, which encourage people to use essential oils with little discrimination or reservation.  I for one can attest to what happens when too much is used in a product.  While visiting a spa in Australia, a technician who did not know the proportions of how much peppermint essential oil was to go in a seaweed body wrap froze me to the core.  I shook for about 30 minutes.  Worse still, it shut down my bowel function for 3 days!

But the fact is that when used in the dosages that are recommended by classically trained professional aromatherapists, this caveat need not be taken wholly to heart.  For example in Tisserand's stellar works, one is given proper dilutions of essential oil to base oil, etc...  And within the context of Ayurveda itself, I have attended a class with Dr. David Frawley who said that if the vaidyas had had access to essential oils the way we do today, they would have been using them rather than always using the decoction methods.

We are delighted that this issue has come up.  It is a serious one.  We hope that as Ayurveda develops in the west, that people will avail themselves of the knowledge it takes to use these gifts of nature properly.

SHORTAGES or ABUNDANCE, YOU CHOOSE

     Like many mornings my day starts with a conversation with my husband and business partner about the just what HAS to be done today.  Like many of you, we are a small business and to get things done we wear many hats in a day.  So many in fact we have invented imaginary people and even named them who work for us.  Viola does her best in the office, Juan is the warehouse manager, Laramie is the shipping queen and so on.  It keeps us sane and gives us a way of voicing praise but more often disapproval of one anothers performance without the atmosphere getting too heavy.  Mostly this happens from a shortage of time to do things as fully as either one of us would like.  Time shortage is a reasonable difficulty for a small business, busy is good remember.

     But this is not what I am talking about today. Going back to this morning, I told Bob I just had to place a few orders before I got the house ready for my daughter and grandson to visit.  When I use the world JUST it reminds me of my Dad.  In our house a "just job" was like a "honey do......job".   In other words there was no JUST about it.  That is how my morning went. 

     I called to see if the rings for the Shirodhara equipment were ready.  We work with a wonderful small local company and they have always been efficient and on time, not today.  They are having a problem finding copper.  Not copper at a great price, copper at any price.  Ordinary copper bar has not been available for weeks apparently.  The reason, China is buying it all.  So much so that the company that make our beautifully designed copper lotas in India are just selling the raw material and not even bothering with manufacture anymore.  After looking at alternatives that turned out to be twice the price, copper bar was found, production delayed but up and running again I am happy to say.

    Then I called for jojoba oil.  Sorry none until February, I was told.  Oh no, this is a first.  They had a fire in the warehouse and stocks are low.  Bad but not tragic.  Another local business I am loyal too but I need oil.  I started to call everyone I could find on the web, same story.  My only source, one gallon for over $400.  That is nearly six times the "normal" price.  There is world wide shortage I was told.  Why, I asked, thinking I know the Chinese need copper for all the cities they are building but jojoba oil, really.  What to do?  So far I don't have a solution.  We are working on it.  Will shortage be the next hurdle for small business?  Let's all visualize abundance and once again be flexible. 

Kansa Face Wand

What is it?
Imagine a small bronze saucer shaped disc about two inches in diameter with a wooden handle attached so it looks a little like a pestle or a mortar and pestle used to grind herbs and spices.

How did we come to have them at Diamond Way Ayurveda? Many years ago now I met a beautiful Belgian girl who had learned an Ayurvedic foot massage technique from an Ayurvedic doctor in Paris. For awhile his school provided us with little bronze bowls so we could show our students the benefits of this usual foot massage technique they called Kansa Vataki. We then got a stronger tool with a little handle. Unfortunately about half of those in any shipment came with a broken handles. So that slowed us down a little. Then fate smiled on us and an Indian manufacturer contacted us. For a number of years he provided us with a beautiful and consistent product and the foot massage we called Pedikarma(TM) caught on. With the sucess of this treatment our dear customers started to ask if this kansa could be used on other parts of the body. We told them there was not a tradition behind it but no harm in it either. We wondered what was happening out there in creative spa therapy land when we got a call telling us that the kansa worked miracles on the face, better that the electronic machine that had just been purchased. This customer asked if a smaller kansa was a possibility. It was, and the kansa wand was born.

What does it do?
We think it is the best face massage tool on hte market it takes just minutes to eradicate stress, tiredness and give a gentle lift. It is a wonderful add on for professional facials but equally easy to use for home use. You can use it anywhere, by which I mean at home, at work, in the car aswell as on your head, face, neck and shoulders. We hope spas will think of them for retail this holidays.

How do we learn more about it?
Just email ayurveda8@earthlink.net or call 866-303-3321 and we are happy to send out more information. If you are a visual type we have a short DVD we can send that is $5 plus postage.

It is in other countries?
It is now officially in Australia distributed by our dear friends at Heritage Healers. We have had some interest in England too.

Against a background of the OCCUPY movement we have no idea what is in store for our civilization but stress reduction and working togehter to help one another is always a good idea. Here is another of our contributions to that cause.

Busy August

So many events this month.

• The Kansa Face Wand Class on August 7th, then Special Techniques, August 21st-23rd.
• We also have a presentation with MedicineCrow Live on August 17th and you can click HERE to become part of the presentation.
• Also, Melanie will give a talk for AAPNA on August 20th which you can learn more about by going to their SITE.

You can find more details from our site as well: http://www.DiamondWayAyurveda.com.

New Tread meets Ancient Knowledge

It was expected that “wellness” would become a $1 trillion industry by 2010 with the fastest growing and most lucrative market sector in this market being anti-aging products and services. i am not sure if this figure was reached but we are definitely seeing more interested in organic products and supplements to support young looking skin. Is this trend being driven by baby boomers refusing to get old like their parents? Partly so, but it seems everyone from young teens to the thirty some things are also looking for the miracle cream or pill that will slow the hands of time. And, if you think it is just a girl thing, think again. A report published by the Natural Marketing Institute (NMI) in 2007 showed that the fastest growing segment of today’s wellness industry is the men’s cosmeceuticals.

Cosmeceuticals are topical cosmetics that are pharmaceutical hybrids intended to enhance health and beauty through ingredients that influence the skin’s biological function.

But it is not just we put on our skin that is fascinating us there is a growing interest in what is being called “nutria-cosmetics”. These are nutritional cosmetics, products you eat or drink, that promise to improve the results of a skincare routine by working from the inside.

You may think this is a new trend but for those of us interested Ayurveda we acknowledge that humans have been looking for what keeps us healthy, happy and deeply inspired from beginning less time. Indeed, one of the translations of the word Ayurveda is, the study of longevity or more simply out how to age well or look and feel good for as long as possible.

I was fascinated to discover just recently that hundreds of years old texts talk about the same the very same issues our modern cosmetics are designed to address. You may not recognize the Sanskrit terms but their translations come up in advertizing slogans all the time.

• Vayasthapana: age defying
• Varnya: brighten skin-glow
• Sandhaniya: cell regeneration
• Vranaropana: healing
• Tvachya: nurturing
• Shothahara: anti-inflammatory
• Tvachagnivardhani: strengthening skin metabolism, and
• Tvagrasayana: retarding aging.

Ayurvedic texts mentions over 200 herbs, minerals and oils to maintain and enhance the health and beauty of the skin and these same ancient texts describe in detail how they should be applied or ingested. Packs, oils, herbal waters, powders of every kind were offered to promote ageless skin by tonifying, smoothing imperfections, and increasing hydration level, thus restoring a radiant and healthy look. You can find a number of these recipes in either of my books, Ayurvedic Beauty Care or Ayurvedic Spa. But, I would like to take this opportunity to offer a little more information about a few common Ayurvedic herbs and how they fit into the anti-aging puzzle by placing them in their ancient categories.

Vayasthapana means “maintaining youthfulness” or “arresting age”. These herbs nourish the skin and ensures its optimum physiological functions. Gotu-Kola is the foremost anti-aging herbs. One of its many properties is to enhance collagen synthesis thus supporting good skin tone.

Varnya means “youthful radiance”. This radiance or glow is one of the major signs of youthful skin according to Ayurveda. Herbs that are said to promote this glow include sandalwood powder, vetiver or khus, Indian madder or manjistha and Indian sarsaparilla or anantmul.

Sandhaniya means “protection from normal wear and tear”. These herbs are healing and regenerative for the skin. A commonly used herb in this category is Sensitive Plant or lajjalu which is said to enhance healing and regeneration of the nerves by 30 to 40%. Shea nut oil and meadowfoam seed oil in our pitta face blend are also protective.

Vranaropana means deep healing. These herbs enhance deeper healing abilities in the skin. Both gotu kola and sensitive plant, and are known for their ability to heal wounds. In the west plantain would hold this position.

Tvachya means “enhancing and nurturing”. These herbs support moisture balance and provide overall nourishment to the skin. Gotu Kola, Silk Cotton Tree, Costus and Rose
Petal are among those most widely used for this purpose.

Feeding the skin properly is very important to prevent premature aging which is why we call our face oils skin food and encourage our clients to feed their face and body.

Shothahara means “anti-inflammatory”. Inflammation is considered to be the primary cause of aging; an inflamed site forms a micro-scar that over time develops into a wrinkle or blemish. By protecting the skin against allergens, inflammatory substances, chemicals and even stress, this group of herbs provide the anti-inflammatory effect, essential to all anti-aging formulations. Rose petal, Silk Cotton Tree and Aloe Vera are examples of common Shothahara herbs.

Tvachagnivardhani means to “enhance the luster of the skin” by enhancing the skin’s own metabolism. With age or poor health the body’s metabolism generally slows down; similarly the skin’s own metabolism also weakens. Enzymes that help digestion are disrupted and through indigestion primarily metabolic toxins are created. Ayurveda calls these toxins ama. Ama in the skin clogs the subtle channels, leading to wrinkles, dryness and color anomalies and other signs of aging. Clogged channels is also said to create dullness and lack of youthful glow. Application of gota kola improves circulation promoting inner cleansing of deep impurities, it helps prevent varicose veins, cellulitis, premature aging skin, and weakened immunity to allergens and many skin diseases.

Tvagrasayana means skin rasayan or “skin rejuvenator”. These include powerful herbal formulae designed to prevent sickness and retard aging of the skin. In these category amalaki, is supreme, being a potent antioxidant, rich in Vitamin C, tannins and gallic acid.

It seems like the latest trends in beauty, health and wellness sectors are giving rise to a new realm of possibilities for Ayurvedic practitioners. These are indeed interesting times and it will be fascinating to watch the rise in popularity of Ayurvedic herbs in cosmetics and supplements.

Indeed, Ayurveda offers vast amounts of information on principles of anti-aging, skin care and anti-aging herbs and we may it see this knowledge come forward first in the spa and beauty industry.

Are We Bothered about CO2 emissions?

Being further north, nearer the icecap, an island nation,having a government that acknowledge global warming as something other than junk science and a freer media means that Brits get to hear some interesting stuff on the "Beeb", BBC radio four. If you are interested in informative, well research material about what our European neighbors are doing to be green, tune into the BBC through your computer.

Here are the action items I gleaned from a recent show. A longer piece will soon be in LNE magazine. Check out www.lneonline.com if you don't already get the magazine. Their most recent editor is waving the green flag and publishing about all sorts of holistic treatments. It is really worth a read. Great pictures too.

HOW HELP YOUR STAFF AND CLIENTS BE BOTHERED AND TAKE ACTION -Advise from British psychologists.

Paint a heavenly future when you talk about your green goals rather than describing the hell we all want to avoid. Pictures of gloom and doom turn us off, sap our energy and paralyze us rather than energizing us into action.

Talk about ordinary tangible things that the average client or staff member can choose to do. Don’t talk about tipping points, deadlines beyond which there is no hope. They are great to motivate serious funders that are used to planning on predicted numbers but totally freak out, bore or plain turn off the average person.

Introduce changes as being positive for everyone that are just plain common sense and demonstrate common ethical values. Don’t use saving money as the single motivator for change. This entrains people to make decisions that help our environment only if they are cost effective.

Be inclusive. Green initiatives, especially here in the US, are either thought of as hippie/environmentalist, liberal democrat especially as we had an ex-democratic vice President Al Gore presenting the movie, “An Inconvenient Truth” or even elitist. These habit changes must be something everyone can get on board with irrespective of social group, political persuasion or any other socio economic reason. Every spa can be green in some way.

Green must not be associated with austerity, not having, but having something better and more rewarding. We see this trend in magazines like Real Simple whose by line is cleverly, “life made easier, everyday”. Most of us thing easier is better . Let’s make green easy and better too.

Green must become the new glamorous. How about hosting what in Europe they are calling a “swishing party” which tries to replicate the buzz women get from clothes shopping, but in a carbon neutral way. Buying clothes from foreign countries accounts for about 10% of our carbon foot print. Green action must become fun and status-rich, rather than signing clients or staff up for a life of grim austerity, SWISH.

Talk to people, every client and staff member as if green actions are normal and the smartest thing to do for everyone, which they are of course. Marketing geniuses tell us clients don’t respond well to words like global warming, climate change, or even pollution. But interestingly everyone seemed to respond positively to working to take care of our deteriorating atmosphere. Even though CO2 is not poisonous breathe, maybe the intimacy of the very air we breathe is present and understandable so start there.

Use local examples. In Britain they had a campaign to highlight the melting northern ice cap with a jingle, whose punch line was, “Don’t make the polar bears cry”. It failed on two fronts. Firstly, people thought they had to be environmentalists to be concerned and secondly they believed the world of polar bears was a long way off and didn’t have much relevance to normal life of the average Brit.

Make every green suggestion sound and feel important. If the solutions offered in a message are too simple or painless such as turning off the lights or unplugging your phone charger, unintentionally we might be encouraging the idea the problem can't be that serious if the answers are so trivial and so not worth doing?

Do your part to connect clients with nature. People will value the natural world if they experience the bliss that this connection offers. Many destination spas are in beautiful places but even the small city bound day spa can have local flowers, fruits and skin care products. This approach is now being tested by WWF the World Wildlife Fund with projects like Natural Change in Scotland.

Give it a try.

SPICE AS MEDICINE

As a new member of AAPNA (Association of Ayurvedic Professionals of North America) I decided to tune into their monthly free conference call. Unfortunately the advertised speaker had a bad sore throat that did not resolve in time for her to host the call so instead we had a "phone panel discussion".

I was so impressed by the level of expertise of the other callers but even more impressed by their willingness to ask the difficult questions that we so often overlook. I shared my enthusiasm for the Healing Spice book by Bharat Aggarwal Ph.D. which prompted a very interesting discussion.

Dr. Aggarwal was raised in India in a tradtional household that made use of Ayurveda but his higher degrees are from american universities and he is now involved in western research. I have found the book fascinating and I had no idea so many foods and spices were being studied for there possible medicinal benefits. Dr. Aggarwal is articularly famous for his ground breakiing research on turmeric. On the call the question came up, "Do you like the idea of clients taking turmeric in capsules?" The answer was interesting.

The thought is that if a capsule burst in an empty stomach it could irritate the stomach lining. Turmeric is better delivered in food, mixed as a tea or taken in milk if dairy foods are well tolerated by the client. The Ayurvedic idea is that you cannot just jump on one spice and start taking loads of it and see results. There is more to it than that. Also, interesting to hear the doctors on the call say if the researchers think they will get the same healing results by islolating the ingredients they think are the active ones in a spice, they will not. They may record great results initially but eventually taking just part of a spice, they will eventually see side effects like those that happen with other modern drugs. It reminds me of the slogan Dr. Lad taught me years ago, "Anything can be a medicine , but if it had side effects Ayurveda would not call it a medicine."

So Ayurvedic teachings ask us to understand that nature made spices whole and that is the way they should be used. Ofcourse, prevention is better than cure so please use spice in your food. Spice not only makes food taste great so your body is primed to digest but it brings prana into food and provides phytonutrients just not available in grains, fruits and vegetable, dairy and meat products alone.

I very much hope we will see a greater emphasis on cooking in Ayurvedic studies and that student will be encouraged to discover how people the world over use spice.

SPICE

In his wonderful book Healing Spices, Dr. Bharat Aggarwal describes spices as, " the jewels of the plant kingdom". Meaning, they are the most precious foods that bestow health and promote healing in a variety of ways. He goes onto say, that most spices are powerful antioxidants that act in the body to control and disarm "free radicals" the very chemicals thought to damage cells and cause illness and aging. Many contain phytonutrients that calm inflammation another root cause of several deadly health problems such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and Alzheimer's. He discribes this process as fighting inner rust in the body, an image I love. Interestingly, recent research has found that cultures whose native diet makes regular use of spice have lower rates of colon cancer, heart disease and mental problems. We have all been led to believe that your five servings of fruit and veg is enough but apparently spices contain unique compounds that have been shown to

• protect tissues against cancer
• boost our immune systems
• protect brain cells
• ease arthritis pain
• relax menstrual cramps
• tame nausea
• control appetite, helping weight loss
• benefit and protect the skin

So get ready to spice up your life. Still not convinced?

I have to tell you this book is a fascinating read, the recipes are fantastic and original and the whole text inspired me to use even more spice on, in and around my body. Just a taste of the gems of wisdom Dr. Bharat has to share...

Acne- 500mg of turmeric twice a day

Age spots - blend of oil using essential oil of oregano

Depression- 15mg of saffron twice daily bet out Prozac in a good number of cases

Unwanted hair growth in women - 2 cups of spearmint tea during and five days after your menstrual cycle.

Interested now ? I've been glued to this book and it has prompted a search for more spicy ayurvedic skin care formulas. I'll keep you posted.

COFFEE - A HEALTH DRINK?

If you are health conscious but still are attached to your morning cup of Jo you might be cheered to hear what Dr. Frank Hu of Harvard School of Public Health has to say about coffee.

“There is certainly much more good news than bad news,

in terms of coffee and health.”

The present studies are not completely conclusive because it is possible that coffee drinkers in general have better diets, exercise more or have protective genes. But, the findings are interesting and truly support the Ayurvedic idea that every substance can be healing. This is good news since the average American downs 416 eight ounce cups of the delicious java annually (2009 statistic) and it is thought to be the main source of antioxidants in much of the population. Here are 10 disorders that coffee may help or at least have a preventive function in terms of deducing risk factors.

1. Type II Diabetes: More than 15 studies point to the fact that the type of diabetes that is not inherited may benefit from coffee. Interestingly, decaf and full caffeine coffee have similar effects. Possibly because it is chlorgoenic acid found in coffee that is thought to be the active ingredient responsible. Though Dr. Hu thinks more ayurvedically, when he says,“It’s the whole package.” Coffee is rich in antioxidants -- nutrients that help prevent tissue damage caused by molecules called oxygen-free radicals. Coffee also contains minerals such as magnesium and chromium, which help the body use the hormone insulin, which controls blood sugar (glucose) the main difficulty in diabetes.

2. Cancer: According to the Harvard Health Publications of Harvard Medical School, studies have shown that those who drink coffee are 50 percent less likely to suffer from cancer. Most specifically studied were breast, rectal and colon cancers.

3. Parkinson’s Disease: Coffee has also been linked to lower risk of Parkinson’s disease, dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. A 2009 study from Finland and Sweden showed that, out of 1,400 people followed for about 20 years, those who reported drinking 3-5 cups of coffee daily were 65% less likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, compared with nondrinkers or occasional coffee drinkers. The reasons for this are still unclear and are not conclusive as other environmental factors have not been isolated.

4. Heart Problems: Possibly because coffee is actually a natural antioxidant source coffee is thought to help decrease risk factors for heart attack, stroke and heart rhythm disturbances. Antioxidants help to keep the blood clean, thus possibly helping to prevent high blood pressure and heart disease. But remember, these benefits were found in tests where men or women were drinking 1-3 cups of coffee a day, no more.

5. Cirrhosis of the Liver: Cirrhosis of the liver is a common ailment among alcoholics, though others can suffer from it too. Fortunately, several studies have shown that those who drink coffee regularly are 80 percent less likely to develop cirrhosis of the liver. Again we are not sure why but those coffee enemas deep clean the liver.

6. Losing Weight: Coffee really can get you doing in the morning. In fact, it boosts your metabolism which can also help to burn off calories. But only if you do get up and go! That combined with the fact coffee is naturally low in calories, makes coffee a prime drink for losing weight. It also helps with regular bowel movements, literally moving out dead weight. Just keep in mind it’s all the sugars and creams added to coffee that can make it fattening. A 6-ounce cup of black coffee contains just 7 calories. Add some half & half and you'll get 46 calories. If you favor a liquid nondairy creamer, that will set you back 48 calories. A teaspoon of sugar will add about 23 calories.

7. Asthma: Medicines for asthma almost always contain high does of caffeine because caffeine helps with the symptoms of asthma. So what’s more natural than coffee for a dose some caffeine?

8. Natural Diuretic: Need to shed a little water weight? If so, then you should try drinking coffee. Not only is coffee a natural diuretic, but it also naturally cleanses the stomach as it passes through. Beware, however, because this is not true for everyone; some people have shown to have upset stomachs after drinking coffee. So just try a little and see how your body reacts to it.

9. Gall Stones: Coffee apparently lowers the levels of cholesterol in stomach bile, thus helping to prevent the body from building up gall stones. Studies have shown this works best for those who drink lots of coffee.

10. Exercise: Coffee is even good for exercise. No, it won’t give you supper muscles, but the caffeine in coffee gives your body some extra energy, which can allow you to run or workout all that much longer, and possibly harder. As always, beware ingesting too much caffeine.

BE WARNED!
The effects on pregnant women drinking more than 12 ounces of coffee a day might increase the risk for miscarriage, low birth weight and premature delivery.

Drink a lot of coffee and you may head to the bathroom more often. Caffeine is a mild diuretic – that is, it makes you urinate more than you would without it. Some sources say you need to drink thee glasses of water to compensate for one cup of coffee. In Europe coffee is often served with a cup of hot water. Decaf on the other hand has about the same effect on urine production as water.

Decaf drinkers are more likely to be suicidal.

Both regular and decaffeinated coffee contain acids that can make heartburn worse.

CHECK OUT SHAKTI SHOTS

A new product coming soon from Diamond Way Ayurveda

It's a blend of liquid spice essences that make coffee taste great while buffering the strong effects of the coffee acids for a gentling of ht eimpact on the stomach and kidneys.

Ayurveda local or Indian?

It has come up once this last week and it took me back a little then it came up again and that got me thinking. Ayurveda local or Indian?

The first time the question came up recently was when I was on a radio talk show. I was giving information about abhyanga and the use of various custom oils. I made the suggestion of mahanarayan oil to help comfort rheumatic joints. A caller came back with the request not for the best source of organic mahanarayan oil but what could I suggest that could be sourced more locally. I suggested ginger or garlic oil.

The second time was on an email contact from a company in Peru asking if using Ayurvedic spa techniques with local herbal oils and plant materials would be something I thought would be a viable idea.

My response in both cases is on the one hand, we are blessed to have Ayurveda because it is a very complete system of totally trust worthy principles and, on the other hand, I believe the spirit of Ayurveda calls us to apply these principles in our own lives, in our own way with the materials we find talk to us. So yes, I support the idea of oils made from local ingredients, and I think Amazonian Ayurveda would be fantastic. I am all for honoring the principles and discovering American Ayurveda or in my case Californian Ayurveda. I look forward to the day when I can get castor oil from Californian castor plants or understand our native plant medicine enough to heal ourselves.

My latest find is powdered plantain leaf form Mountain Rose herbals. It is a gentle facial exfoliant and terrific mask ingredient even for my very sensitive skin.

Let us know your Ayurveda Local remedies.

melaniesachs@earthlink.net

Benefits of a Good Hot Bath

For the last two weeks I've been struggling with one of the nastiest, fluish colds I've ever experienced in my adult life. As I flopped around the house wondering what to do help myself some words of wisdom from my wonderful mother floated up in my consciousness. She would always say, "What you need is a nice cup of tea and good hot bath and you'll fell so much better." So that is exactly what I do. A herbal tea, a hot bath and an afternoon nap and I did feel so much better. So much so it really got me to thinking and feeling deep gratitude for the wonders of modern pumping. A hot bath was not something available in the average household a hundred years ago. You would have had to have been wealthy or near a natural hot springs to experience such a thing.
The benefits of bathing are talked about in Ayurvedic texts but they are also very much part of the European spa tradition. As I was mooning around unable to focus for long on anything I rediscovered the book, Inner Cleansing by Carlson Wade. It is one of those slightly funky natural medicine texts that promises miracle cures for pennies using ingredients you might find in your pantry. I was trickles to discover in first chapter a few paragraphs on how to take a bath for joint health. I've followed his instructions to the T for the last three days and I really think it is the main thing that has helped in my recovery. So when ever you feel tired, achy, have joint pain or just want to perk up a bit try this. Be sure to pay attention to times and temperatures because they make all the difference.
CARLSON WADE - "STEAM CLEANING"
Fill a bath with water that is 96-103 degrees.
Immerse yourself and rest covered by the water for 15-20 minutes.
Stay in the bath but let it drain.
Stand up and put on a hot shower then gradually reduce the temperature to tepid. Stay in the tepid shower for 5 minutes.
Pat yourself dry and get into bed and rest.
Bathe like this once in the morning and before you try to rest at night.

BENEFITS
The soak opens your pores and allows toxins to float out.
The warm soothes the nerves, allow the body and mind to relax and heal.

It is great to oil the body afterward with one of Diamond Way Ayurveda Body oils.
You can also try the Tension or Joint Lotion on particularly sore spots before you soak.

The Beauty of Women - a quotefrom the Karma Sutra

A beautiful analogy:

" It took the lightness of the leaf and the elegance of the fawn, the rejoicing sun rays and the tears of the mist, the inconsistency of the wind and the shyness of the hare, the vanity of the peacock and the smoothness of the swallow's neck. It was also added the hardness of the diamond, the sweetness of the honey, the cruelty of the tiger, the warmth of the fire and the coldness of the snow. And to this it was added the cooing of the dove and the twitting of the jay. Then it was all mixed up and a woman was formed. "

Tvashtri, Hindu's mythology (over 2000 years old).

Raw Milk - what the Vedas were talking about

RAW MILK

Coming to Ayurvedic diet from Macrobiotics it was hard for me to accept milk as part of a healthy, healing diet. Yet, milk has been considered a "health food" for thousands of years all over the Indian continent and in my native Europe. Was it just that our macrobiotic teachers were Japanese and part of a people who fermented soy beans rather than dairy foods? Or, did they know that what the American people were being offered by the gallon at the store ready pasteurized and homogenized was not remotely similar to the milk of our ancestors.

Raw milk is a whole food and still contains all its pro-biotic bacteria, enzymes and fats and is as the vedas promised highly anti-inflammatory. It is well tolerated by the lactose intolerant due to the natural bacteria in milk producing lactase enzyme. It helps rather than chokes up asthma and air born allergy sufferers. It contains phosphatase that is destroyed in the pasteurization process which help the body absorb vital minerals including calcium making a great food of choice for those with osteoporosis. Both raw milk and fermented raw dairy products such as kefir and yogurt are healing for the GI tract and have been shown to help with ulcers, irritable bowel and even Crohn's disease. Healing the intestines heals 80% of the immune system, just as Ayurveda has always taught. Take care of digestion first!

For more information check out www.rawmilk.com.

Sweet Prayer

This was sent to me by a couple we have never meet. They found us on this wonderful internet. They live in northern Australia and are truely a world away but our hearts are close. They called and spoke to us so gently. Then they gave us this gift which is meant for sharing. May many find it eventually.

"May today there be peace within.

May you trust you are exactly where you are meant to be.

May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others.

May you use the gifts you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.

May you be content with yourself just the way you are.

Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance praise and love.

It is there for each and everyone of us."

COSMIC VIBRATION

Ayurvedic treatments rely in part on what is now being called energy medicine. Diamond Way Ayurveda treatments that include work with both marmas and chakras are obvious examples of energy medicine. But energy is also at work in less obvious ways when we use a bell, gong, take time for a prayer at the beginning or end of a treatment or simply extend the hope that we are doing something useful to bring the client into better balance.

Recently I was sent a quote by an Indian yogi that explains energy healing in a beautiful way. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

"When we vibrate in the same way as cosmic vibration, we get in tune with the cosmos. That is why when we repeat OM, we feel cosmic peace. That cosmic vibrations vibrates in our own body. It bring a a sort of realignment in all of the cells of the body, an adjustment or new rhythm. When the cells of the body run restlessly in different ways, we feel sick. But, when we arrange that vibration to make it run smoothly, we feel happy and get healed. By constant repetition of OM, we will be able to mend many physical ailments and, ultimately, the mind also. Then you will experience physical health, mental peace and pure happiness." SWAMIJI

Repeating OM is one way. Touching with love is another. Intention heals too.

WHAT IS FAIR TRADE

WHAT IS FAIR TRADE?

“Fair Trade is a people-powered solution to global economic injustice.”
People powdered means bringing about a solution by voting with your choices and your dollars. If people demand more Fair Trade then more businesses will endeavor to become fair trade. We have already witnessed this trend with organic products. Fair trade is the next level in some ways and demand is growing.

What is this economic injustice and how is Fair Trade a solution? The injustice is basically that very often the original producer is paid barely enough to keep them alive while others down the production chain pull in disproportionately large profits. Fair Trade is changing this equation and more besides.
In order for a product or ingredient to be called a Fair Trade item it must be certified by an American or International Fair Trade organization and to gain that certification the producer has to prove three main things.

1. People along every step in the production chain must receive a fair living wage.
2. Workers and their communities are must be treated with dignity.
3. Artisans and producers must take steps to preserve the health of themselves and their environment.

A Fair Trade economy is based on real justice, personal dignity, empowerment of workers, transparency of business practices and respect for all people and the planet we all depend on for life itself.

Know that all essential oils used in Diamond Way Ayurveda products are Fair Trade and support organic farming practices all over the world.

Green America’s Guide to Fair Trade which you can download at www.fairtradeeaction.com or order copies by calling 800/58-GREEN.

Continuing Education Hours Now Available for Distance Learning

Diamond Way Ayurveda is very happy to announce that registered massage therapists and massage practitioners can now get Continuing Education Hours (CE Hours)for completing our distance learning programs.

CE Hours are now available in three subject areas

Ayurvedic Face Rejuvenation

Tibetan Shirodhara and

Pedikarma(TM)

All three of these Ayurvedic programs use both our book Ayurvedic Spa (LOTUS PRESS) and one of the three DVD’s which have always been available on our website www.DiamondWayAyurveda.com.

Each program takes on average 3 hours to complete so we can offer 3 CE hours per subject area.

Each program costs $80 which includes the cost of the book, Ayurvedic Spa the DVD, delivery and return of test materials (postage as needed) and administrative fees for grading the test and registering results with NCBTMB.

$80 for 3 CU’s

The cost of the program can be adjusted if you already have exactly the same book or exactly the same DVD already in your possession. $30 credit will be given for either the book or the DVD. $55 for the book and the DVD.

You can find further description of the courses and register for the distance learning classes by going to www.DiamondWayAyurveda.com and checking on the

HOME PAGE

CALENDAR OF EVENTS or

SHOPPING CART

We hope this exciting development will serve more of you and help the spread of Ayurvedic Body Work. We also hope that it will encourage you to come to classes and/ or check out the products that support the treatments.

As ever you can always call 866-303-3321 for further information.