Good Health Is For Life Not Just For New Year
February is a time when good intentions for the New Year can start to go out the window. It’s important to reconnect to why you wanted to make those changes in the first place, in order to have the motivation to keep going.
For many of us, New Year resolutions centre on our health and happiness. What we put into our bodies is a huge factor in both of these things.
How many times did you promise yourself to take care of your health, to stop stuffing your shelves (and belly) with carbs, booze, fizzy drinks? To finally have the LAST cigarette? To move your stagnant muscles in the right direction?
The truth is- it doesn’t matter what you did or didn’t do in the past. Every day we have the chance to start creating new habits, and a new way of life! So keep this in mind and concentrate on the NOW, Believe in yourself and the strength you have to make a real change to your life.
According to Ayurvedic philosophy, choices that you make regarding your daily routine either build up resistance to disease or tear it down. Ayurveda, with its long lasting knowledge and tradition offers TRIED and TRUE, EASY and CHEAP ways to get rid of the build-up toxins we carry and cultivate new habits that promote better health.
10 TIPS TO A HAPPIER, HEALTHIER YOU
1. Discover Triphala – one of the most effective detoxifying herbs. It cleanses the gastro – intestinal tract in a natural and gentle way, removes excess fats, purifies the blood, reduces high blood pressure and removes toxins from the liver.
2. Get to know your body and its needs - Ayurveda has an individual approach to health, believing that there is not a one pill, one size, quick fix. There are 3 body-mind types called Vata, Pitta and Kapha that determine your preferences and needs. Juicing and raw food diets are great for the ones that have excess heat in the body, but not highly beneficial for someone who suffers from constipation and bloating. Right food choices, specific daily routines, and exercises suiting your needs will have a huge impact on your health and good mood.
3. Become a friend with ginger and lemon tea – drink it first thing in the morning and after every meal. Ginger is a miraculous toxin dissolvent. It strengthens your digestive fire and speeding up sluggish metabolism. Lemon is a wonderful alkaliser – it balances you pH, flushes the waste products out of the system and strengthens your immunity.
4. Ayurvedic massage is a pleasurable yet effective way to flush away toxins form the system. Massaging with sesame oil effectively detoxifies the body by pulling these toxins to the surface level of the skin due to its lipophilic (attracts other oils) nature. Hence sesame seed oil is extensively used in the ayurvedic detoxification process. Certain strokes and sequences following energy pathways in the body help drag out any waste and blockage from the body.
5. Oil pulling, a traditional Ayurveda practice called ‘Gandushi’, with some warm sesame seed oil, reduces bad breath, plaque and strengthens gums and teeth. Done every morning for 10-15 minutes it will help to pull out deeply seated toxins from the body.
6. Udvartana is a unique massage treatment that uses a fragrant blend of purifying herbs in a powder form which is gently rubbed into the body. Udvartana helps to remove stagnant toxins out of the body. This herbal paste when rubbed on the body in a specific manner creates friction, which opens the pores, removes blockages in vessels, increases the heat in the tissues and percolates inside to stimulate fat metabolism. For those who wish to remove fat and dead cellulite, it is advisable to follow up Udvartana with Abhyanga moisturising massage. Regular Udvartana is good for not only cellulite but it helps to lose weight by increasing the basal metabolic rate. A minimum course of 6 treatments is recommended for intense and long lasting results.
7. The Abdominal area is where the digestive fire (Agni) is located. Healthy Agni governs our metabolism and is vital to our wellbeing, keeping us young and strong. Nabhi Abhyanga, an abdominal massage, stimulates and regulates our inner digestive fire. This non- invasive massage tones the abdominal organs, assists in weight loss around the stomach area and beautifully detoxifies our body from stagnated toxins. It benefits the following ailments and illnesses: constipation, IBS, obesity, bloating, gases, high cholesterol, under active thyroid, diabetes, lethargy, chronic fatigue.
8. Marma massage is another great way to cleanse you. During this massage, warm medical herb infused oil is applied and the Marma (energy) points are stimulated to awaken and restore your inner energy and bring relief to the entire body. Marma points are considered a distribution centres in the body through which the life force energy (Prana) flows, therefore by working on them the accumulated blockage, tension and toxins are removed. Marma therapy activates agni (digestive fire) and effectively detoxifies and cleanses the whole body. Marma stimulation can improve metabolism, circulation, nutrition and rejuvenation of the tissues. It can also significantly calm the mind to reduce stress and anxiety.
9. Ayurvedic Foot massage (Pada Abhyanga) is one of the most detoxifying treatments. The feet are the seat of the meridians, marma points and many nerve endings which get blocked easily due to the fact that we spend most of the time in the upright position. Stimulation of marma points in the foot restores free flow of energy in the whole body, clearing accumulated blockage. Foot massage is very helpful for people with stress and sleeping disorders, stress, anxiety, circulation disturbances, accumulation of toxins, fatigue, cramps and helps in treating varicose veins, swelling and soreness.
10. Eat loads of leafy greens, artichokes, parsley, garlic and beetroot. Favour warm cooked food and make sure you have enough liquid.