Guest guest Posted June 19, 2006 Report Share Posted June 19, 2006 Sat Nam Guru Ravi, When I wrote to you regarding vegetarian diets, you mentioned that triphala, shardunika and Guduchi help with sugar cravings. The problem is that I have never heard of any of those things before. I do know that breath of fire seems to keep me more centered and balanced. Will you please explain the other three? You also asked if I had seen, "What the bleep do we know?" Once again, I'm not sure if that is a movie or a t.v. show!! Where would I find that? I am grateful for your teachings in this area. I am slowly coming to accept the inextricable link between mind, body and spirit. At the moment, I am focussing on eliminating sugar from my diet. The next step will be caffeine. It doesn't make sense to get up at 5:00 a.m. do sadhana, find the still point......and then consume three cups of high octane coffee.. Some of us are slow learners!!! Thanks for your patience. Blessings. Abinashi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 19, 2006 Report Share Posted June 19, 2006 Guduchi Scientific Name: Tinospora cordifolia Common Name: Guduchi, Gilo Ayurvedic Name(s): Guduchi, Amrita, Ambrosia English Name: Amrit, Heart-leaved Moonseed Family: Menispermaceae Part Used: stem (mainly) and root, powdered bitter starchy extract Temperature: hot Tastes: bitter, astringent, sweet Dosha effects: VPK= Tissues: blood, fat, reproductive Actions: bitter digestive, febrifuge, diuretic, aphrodisiac, rejuvenative Uses: fever, malaria, convalescence form febrile diseases, hyperacidity, hepatitis, jaundice, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, hemorrhoids, gout, skin disease, tuberculosis Cautions: use with care during pregnancy Preparation and dose: powder- 3-10 grams per day Guduchi is a vine plant from the Moonseed (Menispermaceae) family. It is often found climbing neem trees throughout tropical India and Southeast Asia. As medicine, it has a broad spectrum antimicrobial and immunostimulating activity. It is a source of berberine. This herb is primarily used in acute infection, at rather high dose, but also sees some application in chronic immune support. It is said by some to be the best her for clearing the srotas. It is a potent, yet well tolerated, detoxifier that is found in many Ayurvedic formulas. Because of this ability, it is included in formulas to assist the delivery of herbs to the tissues. Guduchi aids all aspects of healthy metabolism (the 13 agnis). It particularly clears the srotas in the brain, facilitating mental activity (medhya rasayana). It supports proper function of shleshaka kapha, so it also aids proper communication and coordination between all the various cells and their many related functions, promoting better overall health. Guduchi balances and purifies fat tissue and assists in the breakdown of fat. According to Ayurvedic philosophy, fat is an important raw material for building healthy bones. Yogi Bhajan was fond of this medicine and often recommended it for acute respiratory infection. Tridoshic guduchi is commonly used for fevers, infectious skin diseases, tuberculosis, bronchitis, syphilis, cancers and malaria. Researchers have confirmed the antipyretic activity of guduchi. Bitter herbs with hot temperature are rare. This combination of energetics is specific for detoxification while still promoting circulation of the body’s fluids. As a bitter, it finds application for gastrointestinal disturbances. Its detoxifying nature lends it to uses in ama inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, hepatitis and jaundice. Other uses include impotence, spermatorrhea, and general debility. One herbal combination for BPH includes guduchi, along with shilajit, purified zinc mineral ash, kachnar, turmeric, punarnava, sandalwood and sarsaparilla. Guduchi directly nourishes the hair for better quality and strength (Keshya effect). The juice is diuretic and a snakebite antidote. Guduchi lowers blood sugar, so shows promise in treating diabetes. It is also prepared as a sedimented extract that is predominantly starchy in nature (guduchi satwa, gulwelsatva or Indian quinine). The satwa is produced by crushing the stems and roots in water, removing the fibrous material and decanting, followed by sun drying the sediment. It treats chronic dysentery, fever, headache, urinary diseases and malabsorption. _____ Kundaliniyoga [Kundaliniyoga] On Behalf Of dkellylyon Monday, June 19, 2006 9:26 AM Kundaliniyoga Kundalini Yoga sugar cravings Sat Nam Guru Ravi, When I wrote to you regarding vegetarian diets, you mentioned that triphala, shardunika and Guduchi help with sugar cravings. The problem is that I have never heard of any of those things before. I do know that breath of fire seems to keep me more centered and balanced. Will you please explain the other three? You also asked if I had seen, "What the bleep do we know?" Once again, I'm not sure if that is a movie or a t.v. show!! Where would I find that? I am grateful for your teachings in this area. I am slowly coming to accept the inextricable link between mind, body and spirit. At the moment, I am focussing on eliminating sugar from my diet. The next step will be caffeine. It doesn't make sense to get up at 5:00 a.m. do sadhana, find the still point......and then consume three cups of high octane coffee.. Some of us are slow learners!!! Thanks for your patience. Blessings. Abinashi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 19, 2006 Report Share Posted June 19, 2006 Gurmar Scientific Name: Gymnema sylvestre Common Name: Gurmar Ayurvedic Name(s): Meshasringi, Shardunika, Madhunashini English Name: Gurmar Family: Asclepiadaceae Part Used: leaves Temperature: heating Tastes: astringent, pungent Dosha effects: K- VP= Tissues: blood, plasma Actions: digestive stimulant, diuretic, astringent Uses: diabetes, obesity, hypoglycemia, kidney stones, enlargement of liver and spleen Cautions: none known Preparation and dose: powder - 1 gram to 5 grams per day An exciting herb, gurmar leaf, well known in Ayurvedic medicine, is just beginning to get serious attention here. It is particularly appropriate for American audiences, because it represents a serious chance of treating diabetes, which is increasing in epidemic proportions in the U.S. Gymnema sylvestre is a woody climbing plant that grows in the tropical forests of central and southern India. The leaves, when chewed, interfere with the ability to taste sweetness, which explains the Hindi name, gurmar, “destroyer of sugar.” Gurmar disables the tongue’s ability to taste sweet taste for about 4 hours when a leaf or a pinch of powder is chewed. Gurmar carries astringent and pungent tastes, with a net heating effect. It is balances Kapha and essentially neutral to Pitta and Vata. Gymnema certainly could be the backbone of a natural diabetes program. This herb has been used in India for the treatment of diabetes (madhu meha, or “honey urine”) for over 2,000 years. Used primarily for adult-onset diabetes (NIDDM), it continues to be recommended today in India.. Gurmar leaves raise insulin levels, when administered to healthy volunteers. The leaves are also noted for lowering serum cholesterol and triglycerides. Gurmar tends to be a blood sugar normalizer, lowering glucose significantly only in hyperglycemic people. It significantly improves cholesterol and triglyceride levels, as well. It is not yet clear what specific constituent in the leaves is responsible for sugar and blood fat lowering action. Some researchers have suggested gymnemic acid as one possible candidate. Traditionally, 6-12 grams of the powdered leaf per day is used. Studies recently performed in India have used 400 mg per day of an extract of the gymnema leaves. In adult-onset diabetics, ongoing use for periods as long as eighteen to twenty-four months has been successful. In juvenile onset diabetic patients, a similar amount has been used as an adjunct to ongoing use of insulin. In one recent study at the University of Madras, gurmar showed the potential for pancreas repair, raising the output of insulin to normal levels. Another Indian study reported that 25% of the participants were able to discontinue all diabetes medication with the use of gurmar alone. Gymnema’s antidiabetic action appears to be due to a combination of mechanisms. Two animal studies with diabetic rats indicate that Gymnema extracts doubled the number of insulin-secreting beta cells in the pancreas and returned blood sugars to almost normal. Gymnema upgrades the activity of enzymes responsible for glucose uptake and utilization and suppresses peripheral utilization of glucose by somatotrophin and corticotrophin. Plant extracts have also been found to inhibit epinephrine-induced hyperglycemia. In addition, gurmar has also been used in the treatment of upper respiratory infections and fevers. Applied topically to the skin, a paste of gurmar draws out infections. Khalsa’s experience shows that gurmar will reduce sugar cravings over the long haul if taken daily. Use it in capsules- it’s extremely bitter. This precludes the sugar numbing capability, but few real world patients are inclined toward that, anyway. The typical therapeutic dose of an extract, standardized to contain 24-percent gymnemic acids, is 400-600 mg daily, but very broad variations exist. It is better to start with a very small amount and titrate the dose, based on blood sugar monitoring. _____ Kundaliniyoga [Kundaliniyoga] On Behalf Of dkellylyon Monday, June 19, 2006 9:26 AM Kundaliniyoga Kundalini Yoga sugar cravings Sat Nam Guru Ravi, When I wrote to you regarding vegetarian diets, you mentioned that triphala, shardunika and Guduchi help with sugar cravings. The problem is that I have never heard of any of those things before. I do know that breath of fire seems to keep me more centered and balanced. Will you please explain the other three? You also asked if I had seen, "What the bleep do we know?" Once again, I'm not sure if that is a movie or a t.v. show!! Where would I find that? I am grateful for your teachings in this area. I am slowly coming to accept the inextricable link between mind, body and spirit. At the moment, I am focussing on eliminating sugar from my diet. The next step will be caffeine. It doesn't make sense to get up at 5:00 a.m. do sadhana, find the still point......and then consume three cups of high octane coffee.. Some of us are slow learners!!! Thanks for your patience. Blessings. Abinashi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 19, 2006 Report Share Posted June 19, 2006 Triphala (Balances all doshas - has all six tastes) This is the most widely used herbal blend in Ayurveda. The name means “three fruits” in Sanskrit. The formula contains the fruits of amla (Emblica officinalis), bibitaki (Terminalia belerica), and haritaki (Terminalia chebula). The fruits are dried, powdered, mixed together, and encapsulated. This blend is the most compatible medicine for all the doshas, and will benefit literally anyone who takes it. Since it balances all three doshas and contains all six tastes in proper proportion, it is suitable for all people from childhood to elderhood. The uses for triphala fill volumes in the Ayurvedic literature. Besides being a general tonic, it is a light laxative, skin, eye, and liver nourisher, and a general detoxifier. It is used as a cleansing throat gargle, and as a dry massage powder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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