viparitharthakari upashaya,

[Guest guest]

Dear Todd at al,

Regarding yr point raised, there are certain other related issues.

Like : There is always need for enhancement of agni in all cold climatic

regions.

Still, mother nature has grown most of the agni promoters and spices in tropical

countries, where people should not need to use it much.

May be viparitharthakari upashaya theory can apply here, and you can see that in

Indian cooking, the percentage of herbs are very low.

 

Haritaki usually known in common people for its laxative quality, but an

ayurveda practitioner can use it as 'grahi' herb to control loose motion

Example of viparitharthakari upashaya.

 

I am using simple terminology for the group members, having limited knowledge of

ayurveda, so that they can have clear idea.

 

With best wishes,

 

Dr. Prerak Shah

www.ayulink.com

[Guest guest]

Dear Prerak,

There is a little confusion for me in your example of Viparitharthakari

upashaya.

Haritaki is a laxative when given in large quantity.

Haritaki is a grahi when given in small quantity.

With thismuch knowledge, a vaidya administers this drug to a person having

loose motion in a small dose.

This is vyaadhi viparita aushadha chikitsa.

If he gives the same medicine in a large dose with the laxative quality in

mind, then it is vyadhi viparitarthakari aushadha chikitsa.

Regarding spices, tropical countries and Indian cooking, I am still in

confusion. I will try to sort it out later. Or Todd may help me out.

Regards,

KKGanesh.

[Guest guest]

> Regarding spices, tropical countries and Indian cooking, I am

>still in confusion. I will try to sort it out later. Or Todd may help

>me out.

 

hi ganesh

 

i don't know if i can, but as in my last post perhaps we can

understand heat as the essential vitality of the body that in some way

cannot move freely - thus the energy backs up, becomes concentrated

and forms heat symptoms

 

in such as scenario, there is usually some congesting factor

(ama/kapha), and the heat represents the vitality of the body trying

to remove this obstruction through hyperemia (enhanced blood flow) -

if the obstruction isn't removed then we have chronic heat symptoms,

similar to what we might call damp-heat in chinese medicine (sama

pitta) (note the utility of virechna in such cases, to forcefully

'purge' the cells/tissues/bowel of excess heat, relieving the stagnation)

 

in the case of cold weather, it helps force the heat inwards,

enhancing agni - thus spicy herbs need not be used, although milder

herbs can be used to regulate samana vayu, such as the non-pungent

aromatics such as rosemary, basil, parsley, dill, fennel, mint etc

 

in hot weather, there is nothing to keep agni contained in the body,

and thus it spreads into the periphery - spicy herbs coax agni back to

the stomach, as well as act to commute the interior to the exterior,

opening up the pores for sweating, thereby cooling the body

 

for westerners living in a cold climate, they don't need spicy indian

herbs - their traditional diet is much heavier in the proteins and

fats, which makes sense given the effect that cold weather has on

digestion and metabolism; all the dietary recommendations of

hemanta/shishira should be followed for a much longer duration

 

a local ayurveda doctor recently commented to me about all the

problems westerners have with candida and parasites - in reality,

these are just symptoms of poor digestion and a biologically

inappropriate diet

 

typical indian approaches (read, not necessarily ayurvedic) don't work

so well here, because of the unique ancestral and climactic factors

that aren't present in india

 

thus, you can easily clear up most of these issues but creating a more

appropriate diet

 

while i really enjoy cooking and eating indian food, it really only

make sense to eat it during the hot season, when the appetite is weak

and the heat makes one feel lethargic

 

i should add that certainly spicy herbs can also be used to treat

coldness, but my experience is that at best they can be used to

compliment a diet that feeds/regulates the internal heat properly

 

agni-enhancing dishes, for e.g. like powha, don't generate enough heat

in the tissues for winter, but are good in summer - to me, they are

like kindling in a fire, but they don't provide sufficient 'burn time'

like a heavy piece of hardwood to generate the tissue heat needed to

gracefully survive a cold wet winter

 

using this analogy, better for winter and cold climates like

canada/northern europe are heavier, warming foods such as meats, fats,

root vegies and whole grains, prepared with mild flavors - this

balances agni and nourishes and warms the body

 

it may not be indian, but i believe this approach is solidly built

upon ayurvedic principles

 

 

best... todd caldecott

[Guest guest]

Thank you Todd.

This discription is widening my view.

With regards,

KKGanesh.

[Guest guest]

Dear Todd and Ganesh ,

Regading your thoughts on different foods in different seasons and different

food adaptations in different countries, Ayurveda already has principles

elaborated in 1)Rutucharya (Seasonal Regimes) and

2)Saatmya-Asaatmya (Compatibility/Adaptability and

Non-compatibility/Non-adaptability) issues.

These principles are influenced by ten variables -

i) Dushya ( vitiated elements in body )

ii) Desha ( place of reference / country )

iii) Bala ( strength / immunity)

iv) Kaala ( time reference related to day / season / food timings )

v) Anala ( digestive capacity )

vi) Prakruti ( constitution )

vii) Vaya ( age )

viii) Satva ( mind )

ix) Saatmya ( compatible food / activity )

x) Ahaar ( food )

These variables are applied when computing health status, illness condition,

diet pattern and treatment modules.

All these variables influence a person at the given instance. Hence there will

be differences in food patterns in various climates, in various countries and in

various people. Generalisation can be useful to only a limited extent. That's

why you have a different experience than Indian approach.

 

Dr.D.B.Muzumdar

M.D.Ayurvedic Medicine (INDIA)

< dahpc >

 

<snip> typical indian approaches (read, not necessarily ayurvedic) don't work

so well here, because of the unique ancestral and climactic factors

that aren't present in india

 

thus, you can easily clear up most of these issues but creating a more

appropriate diet

<snip>