Healing Through Ayurveda Herbs – In Your Kitchen Garden
Book Synopsis
‘If diets are wrong, medicines are of no use and if diets are right, medicines are of no need’ – Classic 500 BC. The ancient holistic healing wisdom of Ayurveda lays substantial stress on the healing power of diet and nutrition fortified with the healing power of natural herbs. The simple herbs in your kitchen garden are a boon for gaining as well as maintaining health and longevity. These herbs bestow both preventive as well as curative benefits. In case you are afflicted by as simple malady as common cold, you could find much relief using the kitchen herbs, without taking in un-necessary medications. Also, if you are already taking medicines for some chronic ailment like diabetes, the home-remedies which can be prepared with these herbal healers, would work as added advantage and support for your immune system. This book is easy to understand and contains significant knowledge about 50 healing herbs in your kitchen garden as well as the kitchen shelf condiments. Each herb carries with it brief description, natural properties, Ayurveda dosha healing tips as well as medicinal uses and benefits. This is all along with the part used and recommended dosage for the herb. This book would be great help as and when there is the knock of some disturbance in your body system, and also when you are into lookout for harmless natural remedies available to you right in your kitchen garden!
About the Book
As per Ayurveda, herbs are used both in the form of food as well as medicine. The basic aim of Ayurvedic therapy is firstly to restore the health of a healthy individual, and secondly to do away the affliction of the diseased one. Therefore, in order to achieve either of these objectives, a herb comes into use.
Ayurvedic treatment rests on four pillars viz. doctor, patient, helper and drug. Drug is generally referred to the herb, which comes in extensive use in treating a disease.
Kitchen Herbs
The herbs are used on the principle of the existing properties, which tend to either increase or decrease the basic body humors present in the patient’s body. The three doshas are ‘Vata’ or the air, ‘Pitta’ or the fire and ‘Kapha’ or the phlegm. A balance in all the three doshas ensures health. Yet, if either of the three is distorted i.e. increased or decreased than their normal limits, this results into production of a disease.The herbs work on simple principle that it tends to increase the humor which is similar in properties to that existing in the herb. There might be some exceptions. The drugs (herbs) are believed to be made up of ‘Panchbhootas’ or the five basic principles viz. earth, water, fire, air and ether. Similarly, our body is also made up of these five basic principles. Therefore, the herbs come to use in curing an ailment that crops up in the body. This further attributes to the presence of taste, after taste, properties and actions of the particular drug. These can be acknowledged by the help of the five sense organs viz. the smell, taste, sight, touch and sound.
The simple herbs that can be grown in your own kitchen gardens find meritorious and handy use in treating day to day maladies. Herbs are the ‘medicinal plants’ used in treating and curing ailments as well as enhancing the health, vigor and vitality of an individual. Other than this, herbs have also been associated with providing seasoning, flavoring and essence to the food items. Today, herbs find immense usage in the field of medicine, food industry and also in manufacturing of beauty products. In the recent years, herbs have found a lot of acceptance worldwide. This is because these are easy to use, safe with no side effects and an asset that puts our bodies in harmony with the nature. It has been rightly said that ‘ A herb is a physician’s friend and a cook’s pride’.
Book Excerpts
Isabgol is a annual hairy herb. Seeds and husk are generally used for medicinal purposes. The seeds obtained from the fruit of Isabgol are boat shaped. More specifically these have been compared to the ears of a horse, hence the name (Ashava means horse and Karan is the ear). These seeds comprise of a whitish layer on the external side and the inside of the seed is red in color. This provides an overall effect of pinkish color to the seeds. The Latin name is Plantagoovata and in English it is commonly known as Spogel seeds. In Sanskrit some of the adjectives used to describe the herb are Ashavgol, Ashvakaran and Sheetbija.
Properties
Isabgol is heavy, slimy and mucoid by nature and cold in potency. The taste as well as after taste are sweet.
Chemically, the main ingredient is mucilage, which has the tendency of getting converted into jelly form when added to water. Furthermore, this is formed from the components like xylose, arabinose, galecturonic acid and galactose. Other than this, there is presence of a stable oil, tannins, aucubin and acetylcholine and linolic acid.
Dosha Healing
As per Ayurveda, Isabgol being slimy and sweet is destroyer of Vata dosha or the air and as it is cold in action; it causes a decrease in the Pitta or the heat body humor.
Uses
• Isabgol comes to use in curing constipation as well as diarrhea. Although this statement seems to be contradictory, yet this is the marvel of the drug. It is essential to keep in mind that when the drug with laxative action is taken along with warm water or milk, it will induce a purgative action. While on the other hand supplementing the same with a cold beverage would result it to bind the stools.
• The better way of taking the herb is to add approx. one glassful of water or milk to the husk of Isabgol and let it soak the sufficient amount of the liquid at least for one to two hours. Otherwise, you could simply mix it into the liquid and take preferably at bedtime. It is desirable to take the Isabgol preparation with sugar added to it. (This would supplement the laxative action).
2) The fruit of Papaya is a destroyer of Vata and Kapha doshas or the air and phlegm body humors. This is in accordance to the special properties it contains. All the more in the ripe state, papaya also tends to combat an aggravation in the Pitta dosha or the fire humor.
Uses
• Papaya is a natural source of a number of vitamins, minerals and digestive enzymes. You need to make it a regular supplement to your daily diet and feel the energy boost.
• The fruit of Papaya also benefits by increasing the blood pressure as well as the blood sugar levels. This is highly suggestive for those suffering from the symptoms of fatigue, lack of vigor and occasional loss of sleep.
• The fruit of papaya contains digestive enzymes that benefit by easy absorption and assimilation of food. Not only do they stimulate the liver for proper functioning, but also cause an overall improvement in the digestion and as a result provide an increase in the health and vitality.
• The milk extracted from the raw papaya tends to combat intestinal worms, especially the roundworms. For this purpose, the 3 to 6 grams of the milk of papaya is to be taken with equal amount of sugar or honey added to it.
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