गणपतीबाप्पाला जांभूळ आणि कवठफळे का प्रिय आहेत?

 

               या वर्षीचा मिनुच्या घराचा गणेशोत्सव थोडा खासच झाला.  त्यांच्या घरचा गणपती म्हणजे संपूर्ण सोसायटीचाच असे जणु. त्यामुळे या वर्षी कोरोनाचे सावट असल्याने प्रत्यक्ष दर्शनाला जाता आले नाही तरी तरुण मुलांनी जोशीकाकांची प्रतिष्ठापना-आरती , सगळ्यांचं live streaming  करण्याची सोय केली. मग बच्चे कंपनी थोडी मागे राहणार?? त्यांनीतर स्पर्धाही online घेतल्या. अनयाने उकडीच्या मोदकांबरोबरच इतर वेगळ्या आणि हटके मोदकांची पाककला स्पर्धा, श्रीया आणि नीलने सहस्रावर्तन झाल्यावर श्लोकांची स्पर्धा घेतली. अगदी ‘वदनी कवळ घेता....’ ‘मोरयामोरया…’ ‘नेत्री दोन हिरे....’ , ‘स्वस्ति श्री.....’ पासून ‘प्रारंभी विनंती…’ , ‘गणाधीश जो....’, ‘विघ्नेश्वराय वरदाय....’ , ‘मूषिकवाहन मोदकहस्त...’, ‘एकदंताय शुध्दाय....’ ‘अमेयाय च...’ 'गणनायकाय गणदेवताय.... " असे वेगवेगळे श्लोक म्हटले.स्निग्धाची पाळी आल्यावर तिने एक श्लोक म्हटला.

गजाननं भूतगणाधिसेवितं कपित्थजम्बूफलचारुभक्षणम् ।

उमासुतं शोकविनाशकारकम् नमामि विघ्नेश्वरपादपङ्कजम् ॥

(गज-आननम् भूत-गण-अधिसेवितम् कपित्थ-जम्बू-फल-चारु-भक्षणम् उमा-सुतम् शोक-विनाश-कारकम् नमामि विघ्नेश्वर-पाद-पङ्कजम् ।)

मुलांसाठी हा श्लोक नवीनच होता. “याचा  अर्थ काय गं  मावशी ?”

“गजमुख असलेले, भूत-गणांच्याद्वारे ज्यांची सेवा केली जाते , कपित्थ (कवठ) आणि जांभूळ फळे आवडीने खाणारे ,शोक (दुःख / कष्ट)विनाशकर्ता अश्या या उमा-पुत्राला मी नमन करते , विघ्नांचे नियमन करणाऱ्या श्री गणेशांच्या चरण-कमलांना मी स्पर्श करते .”

मितूने विचारले,”पण मावशी , तू तर मागच्या वर्षी म्हणाली होतीस कि गणपतीबाप्पाला दूर्वा आणि मोदक प्रिय आहेत. मग आता हे कवठ आणि जांभूळ कसे काय?”

“हो मावशी , नक्की काय आवडतं ?”

“अरे अरे , तुम्हाला कशी,पुरणपोळी,लाडू आवडतात तसेच वडापाव,कोथिंबीर वडीपासून अगदी पिझ्झा,पास्ता,चॉकलेट,आईस क्रीम सगळेच पदार्थ सारखेच आवडतात ना तसेच गणपतीबाप्पालासुद्धा वेगवेगळे पदार्थ खूप प्रिय आहेत.”

“पण मग २१ पत्रीप्रमाणे या वनस्पतीसुद्धा महत्त्वाच्या आहेत का?”

“अरे वाह शिवम, २१ पत्रींविषयी सांगितलेली  लक्षात आहे तर तुझ्या. हो, कवठ आणि जांभूळ ही दोन्ही फळझाडे आहेत.या दोन्ही फळांचे गर (फलसार) अतिशय चविष्ट असतात. आणि एक गमतीची गोष्ट सांगायची म्हणजे गणपती बाप्पाला इंग्लिशमध्ये एलिफन्ट  गॉड म्हणतात तर कवठाच्या झाडाला एलिफन्ट ऍपल (हत्तींना कवठाचे फळ खायला खूप आवडते.) या फळाला बाहेरून जाड कवच असते ज्याच्या आत मऊ गर असतो. आयुर्वेद शास्त्रानुसार कच्चे कवठफळ कडू-तिखट आणि तुरट चवीचे असून वात-पित्त वाढवणारे आणि कफ कमी करणारे, संग्राही (द्रवभाग कमी करणारे), लेखन (शरीरातील चिकटपणा,अवरोध दूर करणारे) आहे. पिकलेलेफळ आंबट-गॉड चवीचे,थंड गुणाचे आणि त्यामुळे वात-पित्त कमी करणारे आहे.”   

“पोटाच्या आजारासाठी कवठ फळाचा विशेषत्त्वाने वापर केला जातो.उलटी,डिसेंट्री,भूक न लागणे,अपचन,रोज पोट साफ न होणे, जुलाब,मूळव्याध,पोटाचे अल्सर, अश्या वेगवेगळ्या पचनसंस्थेच्या आजारात कवठ फळ औषधी म्हणून वापरले जाते.

कवठाच्या फळातील काही रसायने जंतुघ्न (अँटी फंगल/अँटी प्रोटोझोअल) म्हणजेच बऱ्याच कृमींना,जंतांचा नाश करणारी आहेत.त्यामुळे त्वचाविकार,पोटात जंत होणे,टायफॉईड-मलेरियासारखे ताप अश्या आजारात ते वापरले जाते.”

“मधुमेह,रक्तदाब  कवठ लाभदायक आहे.”

"तसेच जांभूळसुद्धा तुरट गोड चवीचे मधुर विपकी फळ आहे. वात वृद्धी करणारे आणि कफ-पित्त दोषांचे शमन करते. रक्तदुष्टी कमी करते.अग्निदीपक, पाचक, ग्राही (शोषक) , रुचीकर ,असते.जांभळाच्या बीयांमध्ये ‘ग्लुकोसाईड जांबोलिन’ असल्यामुळे साखर वाढल्यावर हा घटक पिष्टमय पदार्थाचे साखरेत रूपांतर करण्यावर आळा घालतो. म्हणूनच जांभूळ व त्याचे बी मधुमेह या आजारावर अत्यंत गुणकारी आहे.

जांभळामध्ये लोह, कॅल्शिअम, फॉस्फरस, क जीवनसत्त्व यांचे प्रमाण अधिक असते. तर किंचित प्रमाणात ब जीवनसत्त्व असते. यामध्ये प्रथिने, खनिजे, तंतूमय व पिष्टमय पदार्थ व अत्यंत अल्प प्रमाणात स्निग्धपदार्थ असतात. त्याचबरोबर कोलीन व फोलिक आम्लही त्यामध्ये असते. जांभळाचे पान हे उत्कृष्ट स्तंभक आहे. तसेच कोवळ्या पानात ई जीवनसत्त्व भरपूर प्रमाणात आहे. अतिसार (जुलाब),वारंवार होणारी मूत्रप्रवृत्ती, उलटी होणे , स्त्रियांचे आजार अश्या वेगवेगळ्या परिस्थितीत औषध म्हणून वापरले जाते.”

“"अच्छा , म्हणजे या बहुगुणी वनस्पतींचे रक्षण व्हावे म्हणूनच पत्रींप्रमाणेच यांचासुद्धा समावेश गणपतीबाप्पाच्या आवडत्या पदार्थांत केला आहे ना?”

“हो ते एक कारण तर असतेच. पण या लंबोदराचे मोठे पोट  जगातील सर्व चांगल्या-वाईट गुणांना पचवण्याचे प्रतीक आहे. तर हातातील मोदक हे आनंद,इच्छा यांचे प्रतीक आहे.वैद्यकीय भाषेत सांगायचे झाले तर मोठे पोट हे त्या व्यक्तीला चयापचयाचे म्हणजेच सूक्ष्म पचनाचे विकार* असल्याचे दर्शवितात. आपल्या देशात सुटलेले पोट असलेल्या व्यक्ती किती सर्रास दिसतात. आणि बारकाईने तपासले तर अशा व्यक्तींना सूक्ष्म पचनाशी संबंधित  काहीनाकाही त्रास नक्कीच असतो.तसेच हातातील मोदक हे सतत आहारात असलेल्या गोड (पिष्टमय) पदार्थांचे प्रतीक मानले तर अति गोड सेवनामुळे (चुकीच्या खाण्यामुळे) होणारे दुष्परिणाम दूर करायचे असतील तर कवठ आणि जांभूळ किती समर्पक आहेत ना?”

“नक्कीच,आपल्या परंपरा शास्त्राधिष्ठितच आहेत पण त्यामागचे विज्ञान समजून न घेता,विचारांऐवजी कृतीचेच स्तोम माजवल्यामुळे कालौघात कुठेतरी त्या हरवून गेल्यात आणि म्हणूनच रूढी म्हणजे अंधश्रद्धा असा उलटाच कांगावा सुरु झाला आहे.”

“खरंय आता आम्ही कोणतीही रीत पाळताना त्याचे शास्त्र समजून घ्यायचा नक्की प्रयत्न करू.” मुले एकसुरात उद्गारली. 

“आणि मीसुद्धा लगेचच जांभूळ आणि कवठ आणतो आणि रोज रतीब सुरुच करतो.” श्रियाचे बाबा म्हणाले. 

 “अनिल,ऊस गोड लागला म्हणून मुळासकट खाऊ नये, अति सर्वत्र वर्जयेत.हो ना गं ?” श्रियाच्या आजीनेच त्यांना सांगितलं.

“हो,खरं आहे. कवठ आणि जांभूळ , दोन्ही फळे वात दोष वाढवणारी आहेत त्यामुळे अति प्रमाणात खाऊ नयेत आणि आहारीय फळे असल्यामुळे  कधीतरीच खायची असल्यास चालेल पण आजाराच्या ट्रीटमेंटसाठी म्हणून रोजच खाणार असाल तर मात्र तरी वैद्यांच्या सल्ल्यानेच घ्यावीत.”

“थँक्स स्निग्ध मावशी , कसलं भारी सांगितलंस तू.एवढं सायन्स बेस्ड आहे आपलं शास्त्र पण माहीतच नव्हतं.”

“म्हणूनच सांगितलं रे बाळांनो आता यापुढे सण साजरे करताना हे नक्की लक्षात ठेवा.”

“बोला, गणपती बाप्पा मोरया.”

टीप - वैद्यांचा सल्ला घेताना ते शिक्षित आणि नोंदणीकृत वैद्य आहेत याची खात्री करून घ्यावी.

आपली मते व काही शंका असल्यास त्या आपण मला वैयक्तिक क्रमांक अथवा इमेलद्वारे विचारू शकता. यापुढील लेख दर रविवारी सकाळी ब्लॉगवर प्रसिद्ध केले जातील. हे लेख आपल्याला व्हाट्सऍप /ईमेलद्वारे हवे असल्यास आपण खाली दिलेल्या क्रमांकावर मेसेजद्वारे संपर्क साधू शकता. अथवा आमचे फेसबुक पेज like करा.

https://m.facebook.com/drsnigdhasclinic/ 

डॉ. स्निग्धा चुरी-वर्तक. 

9870690689

samanwayaayurveda@gmail.com 

(सदर लेख वैद्य स्निग्धा चुरी-वर्तक यांनी 23 ऑगस्ट 2020 रोजी आपल्या https://samanwayayurved.blogspot.com/2020/08/blog-post_22.html या ब्लॉगवर प्रथम प्रकाशित केला. याचे सर्व अधिकार लेखकाधिन आहेत. इतरत्र शेअर करायचे असल्यास कृृपया कोणतेही बदल न करता व मूळ लेखिकेच्या नावासहित शेेेअर करावा.)

Five White foes in the Kitchen - Part 4 - Rice

 "Aunt Snigdha, as you had asked, I have read about today's food substance"

“Wow, let's start then with the information you have gathered. Tell me what have you read? ”

Shriya enthusiastically started, “Today I have read about rice. I've been curious about this ever since you first mentioned it. Rice is an important element of our diet because we get carbohydrates from rice/rotis in a wholesome diet of carbohydrates, proteins, fats and vitamins. Rice is the staple food in coastal regions. In olden days, they used to eat hand pounded rice. But nowadays the rice is over-polished to make it look whiter. This process removes the * bran and vitamins * too from the rice grain and only the starch remains. This starch due to their high * GI*,  increase blood sugar levels. This increases the risk of developing diabetes. So if not everything, one should avoid eating this polished rice atleast. ”

"Oh wow, well done. You shared a lot of information. Now, I will tell you only a few parts related to Ayurveda. In Ayurveda, rice is called 'Shali' and today's common word 'Sali' is derived from the same. Earlier there were different varieties of rice like Raktashali, Mahashali, Shashtik Shali, Kolam widely available.

शाल्यान्न कफवातघ्न स्वादु पित्तनिवारण ।

रूप शुक्र महातेज सत्त्व बुद्धि बलप्रद ।।

Rice is pacifies vAta. Being sweet in taste it reduces the pitta.Increases kapha. It bestows beauty (rupa), shukra;  bright glow of aura (mahateja) ; mental strength(satva); intellect (buddhi)and bala (power). These days we are familiar with varieties like Ambemohor, Indrayani, Kolam, Sonamsuri. Rice has been such a significant part of Indian diet that the alternative name of rice is * Odan (meaning food) * During convalescence, rice soup, porridge etc. is given as rice it is easy to digest. Even infants are fed rice first when its time for them to have soild food. Rice pacifies vata-pitta dosha and increases kapha as well. Hence one should use aged rice instead of new rice to reduce the problem of phlegm. (Remember the ad commercial where they say their rice is aged for 2 years). Earlier, while cooking, rice was cooked in a large vessel with lot of water the excess water was drained once the grains were cooked. Then the rice was covered so that the grains were steamed well. In this method, the excess starch goes away and the GI of rice comes down as you said and you can eat rice guilt free. But these days we cook rice in pressure cooker. The excess starch is not removed when rice is cooked in pressure cooker making it difficult to digest.

"So if you want to eat rice, what is the solution?"

"You can look for hand-pound or single polished rice which is good for health. We can buy such rice. One should eat rice that is aged for at least 6 months to a year. Such rice grain has less water content. Or one can dry roast the rice well before cooking it. Another very important aspect i must tell you, that all across India traditional meals comprising rice  are Varan-Bhat, Amti-Bhat, Rajma-chawal, Sambar-Bhat, Dal-Khichdi, Fish curry-rice and Biryani. If you give this a thought, you will notice that in all these dishes, rice is paired with proteins, i.e. pulses, cereals, meat. Additionally we have salads, leafy vegetables, fruits in our diet. Therefore, we don't end up eating a rice only meal. "Okay aunty, I mean when you eat rice this way, you should take care that other fibrous foods too are consumed instead of just carbohydrates. Otherwise, the habit of eating a heap of rice with pickles avoiding veggies and salads will only get starch in your tummy, right? ”

"That's right, I'm deviating a bit from our topic bit let me mention that pickle-rice, sauce-chapati, bread-jam, jam-chapati should also be avoided as much as possible. Alright, now let's decide what to discuss tomorrow?"

"Oh I'm going to keep that a suspense for you, auntie," said Shriya and ran away.

(To be continued)

Dr. Snigdha Churi-Vartak.

9870690689

Translated by Mrs Madhura Poduval.

(This article was first published by Vaidya Snigdha Churi-Vartak on 19th August 2020 on her blog *https://samanwayayurved.blogspot.com/2020/08/five-white-foes-in-kitchen-part-4-rice.html*. All rights are reserved by the author. If you want to share elsewhere, please make any changes.) And share with the original author's name.)

Five White foes in the Kitchen - Part 3 - Salt

 

#Samanwaya_Ayurveda

# Five_white_poisons_part_3

#healthy_diet_series_ Swasthyaveda

                 The next day, as Shriya's phone rang, I was ready.

"So today's white foe is * salt. *"

"Oh yes, they say not to consume too much of salt, it raises blood pressure. But salt helps balance the electrolytes in the body; And if we take out salt from our diet, how can we enjoy the bland meal? ”

“Oh dear, salt is concerning but Ayurveda does not completely prohibit salt. But it is clearly stated that * we should consume it in moderation * As per ayurvedic texts, salt pacifies Vata dosha, elevates Pitta dosha and liquifies kapha dosha. It also acts as appetizer (ruchikara), reduces muscle stiffness , promotes perspiration, creates softness, oleation, and breaks adhesions.the body helps to increase absorption. the body helps to increase absorption_ and As you said, the balance of electrolytes in the body is maintained. But if your diet consists of eating too much of salty food, you may get hair loss, premature wrinkles on the face, various skin problems, rheumatism and other ailments. Occasionally there can be bleeding from the skin and gums, frequent thirst. Excessive salt intake also leads to Water retention in the body causing swelling. Sea salt is considered to be difficult to digest and increases phlegm. ”

"It's about Ayurvedic aspect. Moreover the salt we use every day is procured from sea water, but not sea salt."

“One minute, made from sea water but no sea salt ??? Means ?? ”

“Oh, sea salt, which is called sea salt, is made by sublimation of seawater. The saltpans that you see when you go to Bhayander or Alibaug is the salt that accumulates when the sea water is blocked and is left to evporate naturally. This salt is mainly comprised of Sodium Chloride but also has Magnesium, Potassium and Calcium. Our previous generations used this salt which used to be in form of granules. But used to leaked give out moisture and had to be stored with a lot of precaution. So when the brands of Vaccume evaporated, free-flow and the purest (??) salt arrived in the market, so the housewives immediately turned to it as it was convenient to use and store. Now the catch here is, during the process of vacuum evaporation, along with impurities, other salts too are removed and only sodium chloride is left. So while we use this salt, we end up consuming Sodium and Chlorine only which eventual causes electrolyte imbalance. Also anti-caking agents are added to give it free flowing texture. At present situation, it is better to eat the good old moist salt. ”

"Oh my God, if I don't want to eat salt, what do I replace it with?"

"Oh, it's not that you don't eat salt at all. Just take it in moderation, don't go for that extra salt every time. Don't add salt to the roti dough/rice, use rock salt (saindhav) whenever possible. In Ayurveda in fact, it is said that where the word 'lavana' is used, only saindhav should be used. ”

"But then aunty, will it not cause sodium deficiency?"

"Good question, Shriya, adults need 1.5 to 2.5 grams of salt per day. That means, one only needs to take 1 teaspoon of salt in an entire day. That is enough. And then dairy products, eggs, fish, coconut, beetroot, spinach and other such vegetables also contain sodium. So there is no reason to be afraid of sodium deficiency.

Let's talk about the next thing tomorrow. "

(To be continued)

Dr. Snigdha Churi-Vartak.

samanwayaayurveda@gmail.com

Translated by 

Mrs Madhura Poduval.

(This article was first published by Vaidya Snigdha Churi-Vartak on 17August 2020 on his blog https://samanwayayurved.blogspot.com/2020/08/samanwayaayurveda-fivewhitepoisonspart3.html . All rights reserved to the author. Share elsewhere If so, please share without making any changes and with the original author's name.)

Five White foes in Kitchen, Part 2 - Refined Flour

 #Samanwaya_Ayurveda

# Five_white_foess_part_2

#healthy_diet_series_ Swasthyaveda

                “So Shriya, shall we start? The first food foe is Maida. ”

 * Maida i.e. Refined Wheat Flour * means the finest white flour processed of wheat by removing all bran. The wheat that is available in the market is in different forms daliya(broken wheat), rawa(semolina) or flour. In all these varieties, wheat bran i.e. the outer husk is present in small amounts. This wheat bran is, I would say, is more important than flour. This is because bran contains a large amount of fiber, vitamins and minerals. Flour without this bran which we call maida is almost 98% of non-nutrient white powder containing carbohydrates only. Everyone prefers this flour because it is used to make popular bakery products like bread, biscuits, cookies, rusks, pizza base, ladi pav, puffs, cakes, samosas, pasta, naan, kulcha, rumali roti and the list will go on”

"Yes, Auntie, I love pav bhaji and pizza."

“We love all these foods because of their soft touch and sweet taste. ,but  there was no maida in olden days. All the delicacies were made with fine whole wheat flour only. Maida and Bread was introduced in India after british raj. Even earlier in Europe , bread and other bakery products were prepared from different types of freshly ground whole wheat or other grains as per requirement. Refined flour was invented somewhere between the 18th - 19th century . It gained popularity as it yielded softer baked good.This happens because of the presence of gluten in wheat. Gluten is a protein found in most of the grains. Among these, wheat has the highest concentration of gluten. And it is this gluten that makes wheat flour sticky and stretchy, which is important while making all these bakery products.

Here is a Fun Fact. The word Gluten is derived from the Latin word 'Glue'.

 “Other grains also contain gluten, so we can make bread out of those flour too. But wheat comparatively has a higher content. So refined flour, in absence of fibrous bran, has even higher percentage of gluten. Therefore, this refined flour forms a thin sticky layer on the inner wall of our intestines. This layer staggers the digestion food and absorption of nutrients in the intestines. This leads to indigestion, acidity, constipation, bloating etc. Moreover, the refined flour does not contain any minerals or vitamins. Therefore, the nutritional value of flour is as good as zero. Frequent consumption of refined flour causes disorders like * mouth ulcers, dermatitis, diabetes, obesity, indigestion, heart disease *. ”

"Oh my God! Aunty, this refined flour is pretty nasty, but then what to snack on in the evening ??"

“Ayurveda has never endorsed refined flour , and There are so many different items that can be made from whole wheat flour i.e. aata, such as chapati, tandoor roti and even puranpoli. Cakes, breads can also be made from wheat flour. Anyways these foods should be eaten once in a while and in smaller portions. Instead, choose to eat home-made snacks like laddus, chiwda, dried fruits and nuts. ”

"Hmm, I can give up eating all these products but birthday cake on mine and Dada's birthday is okay to have right?"

(This article was first published by Vaidya Snigdha Churi-Vartak on 17 August 2020 on her bloghttps://samanwayayurved.blogspot.com/2020/08/samanwayaayurveda-fivewhitefoesspart2.html . All rights reserved. If you want to share, please share without making any changes and with the name of the original author.)

* Five White foes in Kitchen - Introduction *.

#Samanwaya_Ayurveda

# Five_white_poisons_part_1

#healthy_diet_series_ Swasthyaveda

               Even during the lockdown, Anaya, Shriya and their group was busy with daily online classes from school, art and crafts activities and various projects were keeping them occupied. One such afternoon, my phone rang and it was Shriya at the other end.

"Auntie, I wish to make a presentation at the science conference on 'Your diet - Your health '. How shall I prepare? ”

Me: "Wow, that's a good thing. Have you thought of something? ”

Shriya: “I think our health depends on what we eat. That means we'll be healthier if we eat a home-cooked balanced meal every day. "

Me: "Good to start with, anything else?"

Shriya: "Yes, as you always say, we should eat seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables. We should also eat all the vegetables without any fuss or not being picky about them”

Me: "Wow, what's more?"

“More??? What else? Oh yes, stay away from junk food.”

Me: "That's right, you made some very good points, Shriya. Along with this, there are 5 foods that are always present in all of our kitchens and have become part of staples of our daily diet, they are * sugar, salt, flour, milk and rice *. Currently these are called White Poisons.

“What ??? Aunty milk and rice too ?? Mom keeps telling me to eat less sweets. Scolds if I ask for extra salt. Grandpa has also been advised to consume less salt and sugar due to blood pressure and diabetes. But milk and rice too?? What should one eat then? ”

"Alright, take it easy. See, I shall explain everything to you in detail, so then you prepare your presentation, is this okay? ”

(Continued)

Note - The next five parts of this series will be published one every day from today.

Dr. Snigdha Vartak.

* 9870690689 *

English Translation

Mrs. Madhura Poduval.

(This article was first published by Vaidya Snigdha Churi-Vartak on 16th August 2020 on her blog *https://samanwayayurved.blogspot.com/2020/08/samanwayaayurveda-five-white-foes-in.html *. All rights reserved. If you wish to share elsewhere, please do so without making any changes and with the original author's name.)

निद्रा - भाग २.

नमस्कार, 

कालच्या भागात आपण झोप आणि जैविक घड्याळ यांचा संबंध,झोप न येण्याची करणे आणि त्यांचे परिणाम याविषयी माहिती बघितली. आजच्या या लेखात अजून काही तथ्ये घेऊया.

1. दिवसा झोपणे योग्य आहे कि टाळावे?

आपण जेव्हा झोपतो तेव्हा शरीरावर कफदोषाचा अंमल वाढतो. त्यामुळे रात्री झोपणे योग्य  असते. याउलट दिवसा झोपले की कफ वाढल्याने अपचन,रक्ताभिसरणात अडथळा,स्थौल्य, तंद्रा(सतत झोप  आल्याप्रमाणे वाटणे ) असे त्रास जाणवतात.

मात्र याला काही अपवादही आहेत हं. गायक-जास्त रियाज करणारे ,खूप व्यायाम-शरीरश्रमाचे काम करणारे,आजारी व्यक्ती,रात्री जागरण करणारे विद्यार्थी, रात्रपाळीचे कामगार यांनी दुपारी थोडा वेळ झोप घ्यावी.तसेच ग्रीष्म ऋतूमध्ये दुपारी झोपले तर चालते.

2. वामकुक्षी आणि दुपारची झोप यात काय फरक आहे?

वामकुक्षी आणि  दुपारची झोप हे पर्यायवाची नाहीत. आधी सांगितल्याप्रमाणे  दुपारी कोणी झोपावे याचे काही निर्देश आहेत.याउलट वाम = डावी आणि कुक्षी = कूस या नावाप्रमाणेच डाव्या कुशीवर झोपणे म्हणजे वामकुक्षी. दुपारच्या जेवणाचे पचन नीट व्हावे यासाठी वामकुक्षी सांगितली आहे. पण त्यासाठी जेवल्यानन्तर १.५ ते २ तासांनी डाव्या कुशीवर १५-२० मिनिटे झोपावे असे सांगितले आहे.दुपारी आडवा हात मारून जेवल्यावर २-३ तास ताणून देणे म्हणजे वामकुक्षी नाही. 

3. झोप येण्यासाठी आहार कसा असावा?

पचायला जड असणारे पदार्थ हे कफ वाढवणारे असतात. उदा. म्हशीचे दूध हे कफ वाढवणारे आणि उत्तम निद्राकर  असे सांगितले आहे.रात्री झोपताना दूध पिण्याची सवय झोपेसाठी चांगली आहे. ताजे दही, दुधाचा चीक,जलचर पक्षांचे मांस, मासे हे पदार्थही पचायला जड असल्याने खाल्ल्यावर झोप येते. पण हे सगळे जड पदार्थ सेवन करण्याआधी आपली पचनशक्ती जरूर तपासून पाहावी. 

4. झोप येण्यासाठी अजून कोणते उपाय करता येतील?

१. संपूर्ण शरीराला तेलाने हलके मालिश करणे, टाळू भरणे, डोक्याला तेल लावणे. 

२. पायाच्या तळव्यांना काशाच्या वाटीनं तुपाचा मसाज करावा. 

३. सैल कपडे घालावे, झोपण्याची खोलीसुद्धा हवेशीर असावी. 

४. मन चिंतामुक्त असावे . यासाठी ध्यान-धारणा किंवा मंद संगीत ऐकता येईल. मात्र तीव्र संगीत ,प्रखर प्रकाश, वाचन - टीव्ही बघणे टाळावे. 

५. शक्यतो झोपण्याआधी कोणत्याही प्रकारे  स्क्रिन (टीव्ही ,लॅपटॉप,मोबाईल ) पाहू नयेत. 

६. रात्री उशिरा जेवू नये. 

७. संध्याकाळी  उशीरानन्तर चहा,कॉफीसारख्या उत्तेजक द्रव्यांचे प्रमाण टाळावे. 

5. चांगल्या झोपेसाठी काही औषधे घ्यावीत का?

वारंवार झोपेच्या गोळ्यांचे सेवन हे मुळात झोपेची प्रत ( क्वालिटी) बिघडवते.या गोळ्यांनी झोप तर येते पण ती आपल्या नैसर्गिक झोपेप्रमाणे नसते.  त्यामुळे वैद्यकीय सल्ल्याशिवाय या गोळ्या घेऊ नयेत. शक्यतो आपल्या वैद्यांशी बोलून आपले आहार व दिनचर्या यांबद्दल मार्गदर्शन घेऊन योग्य ते बदल करावेत. तसेच शिरोधारा,शिरोभ्यंग ,कर्णपूरण नेत्रतर्पण यासारखी काही पंचकर्मे आम्ही वैद्य करतो ज्यामुळे झोपेचे चक्र नियमित व्हायला मदत होते. तसेच काही बाहेरून लावण्याची आयुर्वेदिक औषधे वैद्यकीय सल्ल्याने आपापल्या शरीर प्रकृतीनुरूप वापरता येतात. 

खरे तर रात्री झोप येणे हीच शरीराची प्रकृती आहे. पूर्वीच्या काळी  दिवेलागण झाली की प्रार्थना,परवचा झाल्यावर जेवणे होत आणि लवकरच आवराआवर होऊन सगळे झोपी जात. पण आता विजेचा वापर वाढल्यामुळे उशिरापर्यंत जागरणे होतात. हल्ली टीव्हीच्या नादात  सीरिअल संपेपर्यंत रात्रीची जेवणे होत नाहीत. त्यामुळे आपल्या झोपेवर परिणाम होत आहे.आणि मग काल सांगितल्याप्रमाणे त्रास होतात. मग हे सगळे टाळायचे असेल तर आपल्याला कुठेतरी हे टाळावे  ना ?

(समाप्त)

टीप - वैद्यांचा सल्ला घेताना ते नोंदणीकृत वैद्य आहेत याची खात्री करून घ्यावी.

आपली मते व काही शंका असल्यास त्या आपण मला वैयक्तिक क्रमांक अथवा इमेलद्वारे विचारू शकता. यापुढील लेख दर रविवारी सकाळी ब्लॉगवर प्रसिद्ध केले जातील. हे लेख आपल्याला व्हाट्सऍप /ईमेलद्वारे हवे असल्यास आपण खाली दिलेल्या क्रमांकावर मेसेजद्वारे संपर्क साधू शकता. अथवा आमचे *Samanwaya Ayurvdic and Panchakarma Clinic* हे फेसबुक पेज like करा. https://m.facebook.com/drsnigdhasclinic/ 

लेखिका -

डॉ. स्निग्धा चुरी-वर्तक. 

*9870690689*

samanwayaayurveda@gmail.com 

(सदर लेख वैद्य स्निग्धा चुरी-वर्तक यांनी ०६ जुलै २०२० रोजी आपल्या https://samanwayayurved.blogspot.com/2020/07/blog-post_5.html    ब्लॉगवर प्रथम प्रकाशित केला. याचे सर्व अधिकार लेखकाधिन आहेत. इतरत्र शेअर करायचे असल्यास कृृपया कोणतेही बदल न करता व मूळ लेखिकेच्या नावासहित शेेेअर करावा.)

Secrets of Immunity -Confusions about Corona

picture courtesy : internet , alfenergy website. 

When her phone rang in the early morning, Snigdha was a bit concerned seeing Shriya’s mother’s name. She thought of their earlier project about ‘5 white poisons in the kitchen’. But Sonia was ghastly worried about something else. 

“I have so much stress these days that sometimes I feel I can't breath. I pretend to be alright, try to immerse myself in daily chores but still I keep worrying all the time. Anil has to go to the office everyday. But he is very precocious. Always takes a bath right after returning and washes his clothes immediately afterwards.We disinfect his phone,belt,shoes,car keys every time. He even Avoids direct contact with us but I still feel worried.Few of his colleagues were tested positive a few days back. Anil asnt in direct contact with them but such news makes me anxious. Is there anything that we can do? We are already following Ayurvedic immunity booster measures that you have sent us earlier. Pills have also been distributed in the society. Chyawanprash was still out of stock when I checked earlier. But I will definitely manage to procure some. I have to… My mother in law suffers from BP and diabetes.. And now the rains have started already.I have to manage Shriya and Aryan’s online class schedule….. Oh, sometimes this is all just too much for me…what do I do?”

“Sonia, first take a deep breath. Just hold your horses. Don't you know the law of attraction?? You get what you keep thinking. Our desires, though wanted/unwanted can change our lives.”

“................ I guess you are right.”

“I understand your concerns. This disease shows no distinguishing symptoms. Starts as simple fever, cough-cold symptoms, which we earlier used to brush off as just flu (bukhar ho ti hai !) But now ,if ignored, can get serious very quickly. Moreover, what scares everyone is unavailability of a definitive line of treatment or vaccine yet. But please see the other side as well.Many institutions have already started working for the vaccine. Doctors are trying to find proper protocol with definitive medicine. Government has also *allowed AYUSH medicines for corona treatment which are showing promising results*. In the current scenario, There are many patients who recover fully from Corona (SARS COVI 2) infection. Latest status of COVID - 19 cases shows that out of 308993 cases , 154330 have been recovered and 8884 patients have been deceased. This confirms that *not every corona infected person is going to die. The rate of recovery is much more than the rate of deaths*. Mortality rate of COVID-19 much less than his previous siblings SARS and MERS. Also there is another aspect in these deceased cases,which needs to be considered is ‘Comorbidity’.”

“What is comorbidity?”

“Many of the deceased patients had preexisting health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, respiratory (breathing) conditions, heart disease, obesity, cancers. Also senior citizens were affected more. This *indicates that the possibility of fatal complications increases if the body has already suffered long term damage because of preexisting health issues*. Such condition is known as ‘ *Comorbidity* ’ in medical science.``

“Oh ,is it? But my mother in law already suffers from hypertension and diabetes. Anil is also taking medication for cholesterol problems. Can we do anything for them? Some other immunity boosters or any ayurvedic vaccine for this?”

“Sonia, you are again going back on the same track of desperation. I do understand your frustration and helplessness. But there is no such thing as ayurvedic vaccine. And how does any vaccine work? Usually smaller portions (known as *live attenuated or toxoids* ) of a bacteria or a virus, capable of causing any contagious disease, are injected in the body. Our body responds by forming antibodies against these external antigens. These antibodies help our body to remember these infections and also fight against such infections in future. But such *vaccine generated immunity works against contagious diseases only and they are disease specific* . That means for each contagious disease, we need to take different vaccines. But Ayurveda has explained the concept of ‘ *Vyadhikshamattva* ’ which can be loosely translated as ‘Immunity’ but it is *much more comprehensive*. ‘Vyadhikshamattva’ is  _not only limited to the body's combat power against various pathogens but also the body's ability to resist every systemic disease,infectious disease,Allergic disease and even autoimmune disease_ . In short, *It's not just resistance but also the resilience of the body* . And that's why , there is *no instant formula to boost one's immunity* . There is a known saying ‘Rome was not built in a day but they were laying bricks every hour.’ It explains that _focusing on your habits is more important than worrying about outcomes._ Similarly *immunity cannot be developed or maintained by popping pills, it needs regularity and discipline in your daily routine.*

Ayurveda further explains, 

 

*‘समदोष: समाग्निश्च समधातु मल:क्रिया* ।

*प्रसन्नात्मेन्द्रियमनसश्चेति स्वस्थ इत्याभिधियते* ।।

_Samadoshah samagnishcha samadhatu malahkriyah_ |

Prasanna atma indriya manasashcheti swasthah iti abhidhiyate_ ||

Which means, an individual can be called ‘Swastha’ (Healthy) if his Tridoshas (Vata-Pitta-Kapha namely), Agni (digestion & metabolism), Sapta dhatu (rasa-rakta-mansa-meda-athi-majja-shukra) and three malas (urine-faeces-sweat) are in equilibrium, keeping his atma (soul) , eleven indriyas and manah (mind) in serene and stable state. It was described in Sushrut sanhita in 600 BC. If you understand it thoroughly, you will realise that this definition of Swastha is more in depth than the definition of health which was stated by WHO IN 1948. (Health is astate of complete physical,mental and social well being , not merely the absence of disease or immunity.- WHO)

“Is it possible for everyone to have these components in equilibrium??”

“No, because the state of these components depends on the individual's genetic predisposition , season (rutu), habitat at the time of fertilisation of embryo. That's how our Prakruti (body type) is decided. We need to maintain our vyadhikshamattwa by maintaining our lifestyle as per our prakruti. It can be achieved by following proper *Dinacharya-Ritucharya-proper panchakarma* as advised in texts. Dincharya means daily routine habits and Ritucharya means seasonal regimen as per ayurveda. It is advised because Earth’s rotation and revolution create day-night time and also different seasons which have certain effects on our body. Hence dinacharya-ritucharya helps us to maintain equilibrium of doshas-dhatus-malas.”

“But still something else must be making some difference otherwise everyone will live a long life.”

“You are absolutely right. Not every prakruti (body type) is meant for longevity. There are some genetic diseases as well. Also nowadays we see many diseases for which patients do not give any family history but are caused by mutation in genes due to faulty food habits and lifestyle. *Ayurvedic texts have explained weaker individuals,obese, people consuming improper diet, people with disturbed emotional and mental health are more susceptible to diseases.* ”

“Right even we see that mentally strong people can overcome serious diseases while some may succumb to the fear and stress.”

“Correct , hence *one needs a proper planned routine , diet with fresh and home cooked meals, daily exercise, yoga and pranayama practice, proper sound sleep and regular body detoxification with panchakarma*. But always practice these procedures with guidance of vaidyas as you may need a tailor-made (customized) plan as per your preexisting health conditions. Using one plan for everyone is not at all advisable. 

Also we must understand that Unlock 1 is already in progress and many developments are expected to follow the suit. Many epidemiologists around the world have already stated that this procedure, though unavoidable , may cause this disease to keep showing its existence in near  future causing it to come back in waves. Hence one needs to *maintain and improve ‘Vyadhikshamattwa’ by above mentioned measures. Make sure that we embed good hygiene habits like social distancing, washing hands thoroughly with soap and water, avoid unnecessary touching and avoid crowded places*. Do not brush off flu-like symptoms (Cough-Cold-Fever) as simply viral onel. _Seek for medical advice quickly and practice self isolation when sick._  

Please try to understand this disease scientifically. Don't be so desperate that you will be vulnerable to any quacks.”

“Thank you Doctor,We will definitely win this war against corona.”

Note - *please make sure that you are taking advice from qualified and registered ayurvedic practitioners* . 

You can ask your queries on the SMS/email/whatsapp on the contact given below. Articles will be published every Sunday either in Marathi or in English language. You can contact us if you wish to receive these articles via email/whatsapp or like us on Facebook @samanwaya ayurvedic & panchakarma clinic.

Dr. Snigdha Churi-Vartak.

09870690689

samanwayaayurveda@gmail.com

(disclaimer -  this article was first published by Dr Snigdha Churi-Vartak on blog https://samanwayayurved.blogspot.com/2020/06/secrets-of-immunity-confusions-about.html . All rights are reserved to the author. Kindly forward/share without making any changes in writing.)