Honey is a sweet, viscous food substance made by bees and some related insects. Bees store honey in wax structures called a honeycomb. Honey gets its sweetness from the monosaccharides fructose and glucose, and has about the same relative sweetness as sucrose (granulated sugar). Honey has been used for thousands of years for its health-promoting [...]
The joints get a lot of hard use over the years, and if we don’t look after them, they can start giving problems. Joint issues are called arthritis. There are two main types of arthritis: osteoarthritis (sandhivata), where the cartilage and bone starts breaking down, and rheumatoid arthritis (amavata), where there is excessive inflammation. As [...]
The system of Ayurveda and ayurvedic medicine is based on the qualities (Gunas) of nature. It is the combinations of gunas that differentiate the Five Elements (earth, water, fire, air and ether) which in turn make up the three doshas (Vata, Pitta and Kapha). The various gunas (heaviness, temperature, texture, density, subtlety, movement, rhythm, etc) [...]
Pitta is one of the three ayurvedic doshas, and is made up of fire and water elements. Pitta is considered to govern the health of skin and hair, and where there is an excess of Pitta, skin health can be adversely affected, and there is a tendency for early greying of hair, and premature hair [...]
In the Summer when the weather is hot, our digestive fire (agni) is diminished. We are less hungry, and easily feel uncomfortable when we overeat. In addition, people with a strong Pitta (fire) component become overheated. They may have loose stools, become irritable, and their skins have problems. In this post we will talk about [...]
Now that Spring has come round in New Zealand, us Kiwis are thinking about what we are going to do in Summer – don our light dresses, shirts and pants, go running in our shorts, spend time on the beach where we will be exposing our Summer Bodies! We will be thinking of starting our [...]
People with asthma need to take more care during the Spring/Summer season. There can be many reasons behind asthma, such as air pollution, increased mould growth, high humidity environment; all these can trigger asthma conditions in adults as well as children. According to Ayurveda, asthma is caused by an accumulation of impurities that disrupt the delicate biochemistry [...]
An Ayurvedic Spring Cleanse is ideal for clearing and renewing the body for the coming Summer months! Do you feel heavy and congested? Are you suffering hay fever, sinus issues, colds and flus? Many people are concerned about runny noses, scratchy eyes and mentally feeling a little cloudy. Some have headaches that don’t seem to [...]
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a root that has many health benefits, and been used as medicine from ancient times to support the blood, liver, immune system and joints. It is called Haridra in Sanskrit, or generally Haldi. The taste of turmeric is bitter and pungent and it gives heat to body, which enables body to [...]
