I have always been alternative, which can mean many things, but in this case; what can give an effect outside of school medicine and the belief in the natural effects of herbs and spices. It has always interested me, had I not ended up with Masalamagic, Ayurvedic medicine is something I would have chosen. Already on my first tour of India in 1987 I bought several small booklets and Indian weekly magazines to read on the train journeys about how different herbs work on the human body (as medicine). It was before the Facebook generation and I did not find such an environment or encouragement in my circle so these ended up in the basement eventually. Only in adulthood did I find myself returning to these Ayur means life and veda means knowledge or teaching. It means knowledge about life. The word comes from Sanskrit the mother tongue of several Indo-European languages including Hindi, which is the mother tongue of India.
Ayurveda is about 5000 years old, an alternative treatment method where sleep, yoga, diet, massage and meditation are a holistic philosophy. Imbalance in one of these, creates imbalance in our body. An interaction of these is necessary to achieve balance and harmony. Not only the exterior, but body and soul are closely connected, which is why meditation and fasting are an important part. Digestion also needs rest and different types of meals at different times of the day. It is fun to read about such things in magazines today in the form of detox and cleansing cures, which has been practiced in India for thousands of years. I am happy! Welcome to the club , I say then. Note : it is a separate education that goes much more in depth than the simple explanations that appear here. Thorough interview pulse, iris and tongue are examined to make a diagnosis.
Our body is composed of five elements, these are air, fire, earth, water and wind. Based on these five elements, the human body is defined or divided into three body types or doshas: Kapha (earth), pitta (fire), vata (wind). Different types of herbs, spices and vegetables have different properties and promote one of the above-mentioned energies. For example, chili and ginger promote pitta because they increase the temperature in the body. Coriander , mint and sour milk are needed to balance when this type of diet increases pitta in the body. Different types of oil are heated to 100 degrees with different herbs depending on which diagnosis you have and which energy is to be balanced. It is incredibly exciting! Only when you have received a diagnosis from an Ayurvedic doctor can you find out what kind of diet suits different types of people. Much of this is already in the Indian diet as the composition of the menu and which spices go in which dishes. There are some completely logical theories that unfortunately many have forgotten over time. For example, people drink chai with fried foods because it makes the fat flow through the body more easily, instead of an ice-cold cola with French fries, which is common in the West. You can see what happens to the fat then? Ideally, you should not drink water until half an hour after a meal so that the food is properly digested first.
Here I am lucky to have a knowledgeable mother. If there is something I wonder about, I call her. The next thing I am lucky with is the opportunity to get a consultation in India because in Norway it is very expensive! With great patience and faith that this works, I have gotten rid of severe inflammations and other problems where you rely on school medicine. You may have heard me say it before: old is gold!
What is now so nicely called detox can be easily done with, among other things, this health drink, a cleansing chai:
2-3 cups water 15 cm ginger, preferably grated 1 cinnamon stick 2-3 crushed cardamom pods Boil everything together and let it steep under a lid for 5 minutes. Strain and drink anytime, preferably 3-4 times a day.
