USE IT or LOSE IT...!!!

        As you age, you lose bone faster than you produce it. Over the 5 to 7 years after menopause, women can lose up to 20% of their bone mass due to oestrogen deficiency. Paying extra attention to bone health can lessen the damage, however. Men are also affected by age related skeletal loss, but not as dramatically, since their larger frames provide higher peak bone mass and their hormones don’t plunge after age 50.

     Our skeleton needs regular exercise at every age to stay strong, but we’re not exercising enough. We’re getting more and more sedentary. “Physical activity is very critical for retaining bone mass.” Children’s and adults should exercise to keep their bones healthy. 60 mins of physical activity a day for kids and 30 mins for adults. A combination of weight bearing routines (such as walking, jogging, stair-climbing, or dancing, plus resistance exercises like weight lifting) is the ideal recipe for bone health.

     For children jumping is fun a way to bone up, other weight bearing exercises with kid appeal include skipping, tennis, and team sports, such as football. “You have to start building your bone mass itself.” “But even if you haven’t, it is never too late to start exercising. This way at least you do not lose bone mass any further.” Even at 80, when the risks of fractures are very high, regular physical activity and exercise are still worthwhile.

“It’s never too late to adopt bone-friendly habits—exercise, get enough sunlight, have adequate calcium. This way we can keep our bones healthy and prevent osteoporosis.”

Vitamin D is essential for our body so it can absorb the calcium it gets from food or supplements and helps in forming new bones. Are you getting enough vitamin D? Unfortunately, Vitamin D is found in a just a handful of foods like egg yolk and cod liver oil. People can get this vitamin naturally, through exposure to sun.

"LIFE IS LIKE AN ONION. YOU PEEL IT OFF ONE LAYER AT A TIME, AND SOMETIMES YOU WEEP."

          About Onions…Onion is another one of those foods that surprise one, in terms of its qualities. Onions can be used in almost every type of food, including cooked foods and fresh salads and as a spicy garnish. Usually chopped or sliced, they are found in a large number of recipes and preparations spanning almost the totality of the world's cultures. Depending on the variety, an onion can be sharp, spicy, tangy, pungent, mild or sweet.

             The whole plant is edible and is used as food in some form or another. While it is quite pungent in taste, it is not warming to the digestive tract the way most pungent in taste, it is not warming to the digestive tract the way most pungent foods are. It’s unusual or prabhav is its cooling virya. This means it has a cooling effect on the digestive tract, thereby inhibiting digestion. Those who have difficulty consuming raw onions will attest to this. And this why raw onions are not on Vatas most recommended list. Cooking onions sweetens and lightens them, thereby making them balancing for both Pitta and Vata in gentle qualities. The pungency of onion in all forms makes it well suited for Kapha.

              Wide-ranging claims have been made for the effectiveness of onions against conditions ranging from the common cold to heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and other diseases. They contain chemical compounds believed to have anti-inflammatory, anticholesterol, anticancer, and antioxidant properties, such as quercetin. Preliminary studies have shown increased consumption of onions reduces the risk of head and neck cancers. Onions may be beneficial for women, who are at increased risk for osteoporosis as they go through menopause, by destroying osteoclasts so they do not break down bone. As onions are sliced or eaten, cells are broken, allowing enzymes called alliinases to break down amino acid sulphoxides and generate sulphenic acids. Tear glands produce tears to dilute and flush out the irritant

When serving fruit...... !!!!!

“Kind hearts are the gardens, Kind thoughts are the roots, Kind words are the flowers, Kind deeds are the fruits, Take care of your garden And keep out the weeds, Fill it with sunshine Kind words and kind deeds.”

ABOUT FRUITS..When serving fruit, it is best to eat it alone or at the beginning of the meal. Fruits is so readily digestible that it deserves to be first place in the stomach’s list. Otherwise it ferments. Whatever goes in stomach first is digested first, and sets the pace for the rest of the meal to come. Fats and proteins are digested much slower than most fruits and vegetables. If fruits are eaten after bread, butter, and beans for ex. they are forced to wait in the stomach for as long as it takes these heavy foods to digest. This delay in a hot wet acid environment causes fermentation, gas and belching, unnecessarily.

       Fruits are one of the cleansing and most valuable foods. Used in proper position and appropriate time they are key to calming Doshas and clearing ama/toxins out of the system. They must be ripe and unpolluted to have this effect; otherwise they will create toxins itself. Unfortunately most of these sold in market neither ripe nor chemical free. Fruit is picked green often, often with a heavy residue of pesticides and other synthetics. Chemical indigestion cause wide variety of ills, including skin rashes, fever, headaches and diarrhea.

ABOUT TRIDOSHIK FRUIT

      A number of fruits can be used by all constitutions. Preparation and proper combination is the doorway to healing tridoshik use. Well-ripened mangoes are well tolerated by all doshas. Stewed or soaked raisins are appropriate for all constitutions. Sweet purple grapes, sweet cherries and sweet apricots, and fresh sweet berries can be enjoyed moderately by all. Raw sweet pineapple is best for Vata-Pitta, but can be eaten in moderation by Kapha. It calms gastritis and overactive liver and act as antihelmentic. Apples and pears can be stewed or backed with liquid to suit all doshas. Ripe banana is fine served for Vata. It can be prepared with pinch of ginger for Kapha and bit of turmeric for Pitta. Dried figs can be stewed and served as they are for Vata and Pitta; Kapha can eat those with pinch of ginger or nutmeg as a balancing garnish. Cranberries can be sweetened   with sweet orange and cinnamon to make them workable for all Doshas in small amounts.

"Foods high in bad fats, sugar and chemicals are directly linked to many negative emotions, whereas whole, natural foods rich in nutrients - foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes - contribute to greater energy and positive emotions."

ABOUT POTAOES AND NIGHTSHADE FAMILY….

NIghtshades

                  The nightshades – tomatoes, white potatoes, eggplant, peppers and tobacco…were used in New World for centuries with little difficulty. The deadly nightshades get their name for a definite reason: they concentrate poisonous alkaloids in various parts of their anatomy, particularly their leaves. Nightshades leaves were used, ground up with poisonous mushroom, as deterrent to flies in the old world. But their fruits were highly mistrusted. Are they all dangerous? We are not sure. The solanines in them certainly are. It is often recommended to avoid nightshade family if you are seeking to eliminate a condition of rheumatoid arthritis.

                 White potatoes are cool, light and dry, therefore they imbalance Vata and assist Kapha, and essentially have neutral effect on Pitta. They are one of few nightshades fruits that can accumulate enough toxins in their edible portion to be overtly toxic. Fortunately, it is relatively easy to tell if they have done so. If potatoes have green shade to its peel, it is suspect. The toxic alkaloid solanin and chaconine accumulate close to the surface of the peel in these areas, especially if potatoes are allowed to sit in light or are stored in very cold or fairly warm places. A cool dark storage spot serves potatoes best. Cooking will not remove these toxins. Cutting out the green portion, usually the surface 1/8inch or less, will. Besides greening, a sharp burning sensation on the tongue upon eating the potato is another sign of excessive alkaloid levels. Cutting the potato is usually sufficient.

                 The preparation of potato has a great deal to do with whether it is calming or irritating to a given dosha. While potato is beneficial to Kapha, French fries, potato chips and baked potato with sour cream are not.  Each of these contains lot of oil, inherently light potato become heavy by preparation. Similarly many Vatas can handle backed potato on occasion, if it has generous amount of ghee, yoghurt or sour cream on it. Pittas and Kaphas get best with their potatoes boiled or stewed in dishes, not fried. Backed potatoes are fine for Pitta if they do not over do it on the fatty condiments. Vatas need their potatoes well spiced and moistened. Potatoes are being rich in Vitamin C, have been used in centuries. They are also recommended as an easy digest starch for those with nervous indigestion related to liver weakness.   

ABOUT GREENS (VEGIE)… ‘’BITTER IS BETTER!”

ABOUT GREENS (VEGGIE)… ‘’BITTER IS BETTER!”  and dark leafy greens  are one of the best way to get bitter taste pleasantly. We find ourselves recommending dark leafy greens very frequently, as an excellent way of counteracting the heaviness. Light, pungent and rich in vitamins and minerals, dark leafies like kale, collards, arugula, dandelion, chicory, and mustard and turnip greens are all specific healers for the liver and immune system. They also provide superb support for the skin, eyes and mucus membranes. Properly prepare they are easy to digest and will stimulate elimination. They can be eaten as much as 3 to 4 times a week or more for their healing properties. They make an excellent spring tonic. Most greens have a pungent Vipak, which is why it is best to prepare them with generous amount of cooling coriander powder.

           Spinach, swiss chard and beet greens are bit different. While fast to cook, they are a concentrated source of oxalic acid. This compounds bind with calcium, preventing its absorption. An occasional meal of these vegetables does no harm, but they are best not eaten as regularly as other greens recommended above.

            Spinach cools, nourishes and soothes, with light, dry attributes and a pungent Vipak. In large quantities it is aggravation to Pitta and Vata, and best served to Kapha. Small amounts are well tolerated by all, and are useful medicinally in the treatment of lung and liver disorders.

              Some greens are obviously more pungent than others, mustard greens being hotter than collards or kale for example. Pittas especially need to take taste into account when choosing their greens. The more pungent greens – mustard, arugula, turnip greens, water cress are easier for mostly Kaphas and Vatas to catabolize, and are best minimized by Pitta. Vatas do well to take their greens well cooked, not raw. Pitta and Kapha can handle them either way.

Vegetarianism..

Vegetarianism…alternative names as Lacto-ovovegetarian; Semi-vegetarian; Partial vegetarian; Vegan; Lacto-vegetarian.

Definition of Vegetarianism:

       A vegetarian diet is a meal plan that contains little or no animal products.

Types of vegetarian diets include:

• Vegan: Diet consists of only foods of plant origin.
• Lacto-vegetarian: Diet consists of plant foods plus some or all dairy products.
• Lacto-ovovegetarian: Diet consists of plant foods, dairy products, and eggs.
• Semi- or partial vegetarian: Diet consists of plant foods and may include chicken or fish, dairy products, and eggs. It does not include red meat.

Function:

                A person may choose to follow a vegetarian diet for a variety of reasons, including religious, moral or political beliefs, economics, or the desire to eat more healthy foods.

The American Dietetic Association states that a well-planned vegetarian diet can deliver good nutrition. Dietary recommendations vary with the type of vegetarian diet. For children and adolescents these diets require special planning, because it may be difficult to obtain all the nutrients required for growth and development.

Nutrients that may be lacking in a vegetarian's diet include:

• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin D
• Riboflavin
• Zinc
• Iron
• Protein

               Protein is necessary for good health. There are two types of protein: complete and incomplete. Complete proteins contain adequate amounts of the essential substances (amino acids) needed for health. They are found in meats, milk, fish, soy, and eggs. Incomplete proteins contain all of the essential amino acids, but not enough of them.

You do not have to eat animal products to get complete proteins in your diet. You can mix two incomplete proteins or an incomplete protein with a complete protein to get the proper amount. Some combination's are milk and cereal, peanut butter and bread, beans and rice, beans and corn tortillas, and macaroni and cheese.

Ref: UMMC.