Common Colds in Ayurveda
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Some people start out hot and or phlegmatic, as above, but end up with a dry throat and dry cough. This is fire-stimulating wind, or Pitta-aggravating-Vatta. These people will, for example, need to use more hot milk and honey with the below herbs, and more moistening foods, like pear juice. The Role of Ama or Digestive ToxinsThe other very important factor, especially for people that get repeated colds, or more than the average amount, is the role of Ama or digestive toxins. When the food we eat is not fully digested, what should be a clear extraction supplying the organs and tissues with high quality nutrition (Ojas) becomes instead toxic sludge that clogs the channels and tissues. This toxic sludge is called Ama. People with this disease factor have what Chinese Medicine calls dampness and chronic food stagnation. Symptoms include pasty puffy skin, constipation, digestive disorders, allergies, chronic fatigue, susceptibility to lung and sinus infection, and above all frequent colds that drag on and on. Do I Have Ama Accumulation?People with an Ama accumulation commonly have the following symptoms:
One of first organ systems to be affected by Ama accumulation is the respiratory system, and that makes these people more susceptible to colds and creates the conditions favorable for phlegm and mucus in the lungs and sinuses. It is as if the soil in a potted plant cannot drain well and starts to develop mold and smell badly. How Do I Develop Ama?The enemy of Ama is Agni-digestive fire. When Agni is burning bright, it is harder for Ama to collect. However, Kapha and Vatta types tend to have weaker Agni, especially Kapha types. Both Kapha-Vatta or Vatta-Kapha have a hard time, as both doshas are cold, whereas Pitta has naturally strong Agni, so much so that Pitta can be troubled by excessive fire in the body. Obviously then its hot weather that aggravates Pitta, and cold weather that aggravates Kapha and Vatta. Dry cold raises Vatta more and wet cold Kapha more. (Go to the Chopra Center Dosha Quiz to find your dosha type.) Why We Are More Prone to Ama in Winter?Midwinter and on is dominated by Kapha, because the weather is itself Kaphic: cold and wet. This makes us more vulnerable, especially if our Kapha is already elevated. And Kapha, being naturally cold and wet, has a more difficult time keeping strong Agni. That is why Kapha needs a diet that is light, lean, and high in vegetables and spices and low in damp-producing foods like wheat, dairy, and fatty meat. The problem, too is that the average American diet is heavy in Ama-engendering, Kapha-building wheat, dairy, and meat, and light in cleansing green leafy vegetable and warming Agni-engendering digestive spices. This gets even worse around holidays, with lots of sugar and heavy feasts that further weaken Agni and build Ama. The key then is to eat a diet in the Winter that engenders Agni that keeps the body fires burning bright. This is easy once you understand the common sense logic of Ayurveda. But Aren't Colds Caused by the Rhino Virus?Yes, of course. But that begs the question of why some people never catch them and some people always do and others do occasionally. The ability to withstand exposure to a virus is a function of your immune system. Ayurveda describes this in terms of Ojas/Vigor: Ojas is the end result of an Agni-engendering healthy diet, healthy living, a calm mind, and the blessing of a strong inherited constitution, too. You see Ojas in sparkling eyes, beautiful skin and hair, and healthy energy levels. It governs immunity, and when weak, makes us susceptible to disease. So the issue of susceptibility is key. Yes, colds are the result of an infection by a Rhinovirus. And though colds are not "caused" by exposure to cold in the sense of cold being itself an infectious pathogen; it is true that if your immune system is already weakened, and you are over-exposed to cold, wet, windy weather, that may be the last straw that makes you unable to fight off the bugs that are going around. So, one thing to do when you are exposed to cold, wet weather, or when you have symptoms that are in and of themselves an excess of wet and cold in your body (phlegm and mucus, feeling cold, chills, sneezing) is to warm and dry the soil of your inner garden. Ayurvedic Guidelines to Prevent Colds
Ayurveda Treatment of ColdWhen I studied Ayurveda in Sri Lanka, my teacher Vaidhya Wickeramasinghe taught me how to make a tea out of kitchen spices. This is a powerful remedy for Kapha-type common colds with any combination of chills, subjective feelings of cold, aversion to wind, mild cough, stuffed nose, runny nose, easy-to-expel mucus, low fever, or mild sore throat. It can also be used with the flu, though in that case I would combine it with other anti-viral, heat-clearing herbs from Chinese Medicine. In Sri Lanka it is used especially during the rainy season, when colds are more predominant. It is an excellent balance for the very bitter cold herbs like Echinacea and Goldenseal that are popular in the United States and Europe for colds. Try the below remedy for yourself. Dr. Wickeramasinghe's Ayurvedic Tea for Colds and FluIngredients
Directions
Drink a lot of this through the day as soon as you start to feel sick. If you sweat, change clothes so you don't get a chill. Stay indoors. Eat light food like toast or rice soup. Try to use whole spice rather than powder. If you use whole spice you get a clear liquid; if you use powder you can get a muddy broth. SamahanIf you are too busy to make the above, a product that is very popular in Sri Lanka that is now available on line at Samahan. It is very similar to the above recipe, but it is very hot. If you are a Pitta dominant you must mix it with milk. You might still get some burning sensations in the lower GI, and use with care if you have a tendency to hemorrhoids. Anu ThailamOne other product I like is Anu Thailam. I get it from TriHealth. It is especially useful for allergies and Sinusitis, but if you are catching a cold, and you have runny nose as a chief symptom, a drop of this oil in each nostril is very helpful. Read about it on the above website. Stewed Fruit Good for All DoshasHere is an example of a stewed fruit that is eaten very sweet out of a can at holiday dinners. You can make it at home with much less sugar and the additional benefit of thermogenic spices. Natural Low Sugar Cranberry Sauce with Dates and SaffronIt seems silly to buy canned cranberry sauce with a ton of sugar and the bonus of toxic Phtalates, when it is so easy to make it homemade. Takes literally minutes. Boil water, add cranberries and sweetener. Simmer 15 minutes. Voila! Ingredients
RecipePlace it all in a saucepan, bring to the boil, and simmer for 15 minutes. That's it! This is sour, astringent, sweet, and even bitter (the saffron) so it pacifies all three doshas in small amounts. Excellent to help you digest heavy winter food like baked meat. Chinese Medicine HerbalsFor colds with heat signs, like strong sore throat, Laryngitis, and dark phlegm, I like to use a Chinese formula called Yin Qiao San If the person is very run down, I like to use Source Naturals Wellness Formula Why I use these and not Ayurveda in this case is two-fold:
Sadly, Ayush does not have the same kind of anti-viral herbal formulas that my Chinese herb companies do. And my Chinese herb companies, Blue Poppy and Kan, are able to furnish independent lab reports. The first dictum in the Hippocratic Oath is "do no harm!" Happy Holidays! |
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Eyton J. Shalom, M.S., L.Ac., has been in private practice in San Diego since 1992. A Magna Cum Laude graduate of UCSD, he began his study of Yoga in 1972 with Kriya Yogi S. A. Ramaiah. The next 12 years involved intensive Yogic practice, including three years in India and Sri Lanka, where he also began his study of Ayurveda. Eyton became licensed in the practice of Chinese Medicine in 1992, and has been the owner of the BodyMind Wellness Center in San Diego since 1997. Eyton offers individual and group instruction in both meditation and progressive relaxation. He can be reached by email or at 619-296-7591. Also, be sure to visit his website and blog and read his past articles. © Eyton Shalom, San Diego, CA. All rights reserved. Use only with permission. |
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is excellent for warming up after being out in the cold. Get it at Greek, Persian, or Arab markets. 
is an excellent spice that builds immunity and reduces Ama. So is fresh ginger. Use them in lentils, beans, meats and veggies. Any Indian cookbook or cook website will have great recipes. Substitute black pepper for chili pepper unless you are very Kapha dominant. 
, which I combine with the above herbal decoction, and take at a high dose for a couple of days. 
at a high dose for a couple of days. 
, is the only company I know of that can supply test results from independent labs. There are some very popular companies whose products have been found to contain Lead, Mercury, and Cadmium. This may be the natural result of high levels in the soil, or it may be a result of the deliberate use of heavy metal in the processing of herbs, which was part of Ayurvedic and Western herbal practice until recently when heavy metal toxicity began to be understood. 