Q: I am helping a friend who suffers from Crohn’s disease (chronic inflammatory disease of the intestines, in her case inflammation/scarring of the colon) with Ayurvedic remedies. She has had two surgeries and is looking for natural treatments. From what I can tell, Crohn’s is a vata disease. Can you suggest dietary recommendations along with herbs and any other Ayurvedic healing modalities that will help her out? She also suffers from herpes and she has the virus for HPV. She eats meat, drinks coffee and soft drinks, sometimes smokes cigarettes and has asthma! From what I can tell she is pitta/kapha but has many vata vikriti symptoms. Thank you dearly!
A: Seems like your friend has multiple problems. Since you have mentioned Crohn’s disease (you forgot to mention what her symptoms are), here are a few things I can recommend.
Do not just go by what conventional diagnosis says. You have to find signs to substantiate your diagnosis. I do not categorize any disease only as vata, pitta or kapha. You have to determine which doshas are involved and take care of each case individually. Most of the time in Crohn’s disease, there is an inflammation of the small intestinal wall and rectal bleeding, diarrhea and pain. If that is the case, you have to pacify pitta. Eating meat, smoking cigarettes and consuming soft drinks will worsen her condition. You also have to assess her state of agni (digestive fire) and ama (toxins). She already had two surgeries, which must have removed quite a bit of her intestine.
If your friend is really looking for Ayurvedic treatment, she should be on a strict regimen.Musta and kutaja will be the best herbs for her. They are deepana (strengthening agni), pachana (digesting ama) and grahi (regulating flow), so will strengthen her agni, digest ama and will also help reduce loose motions. The herbs also help in stopping the bleeding.
For her diet, it is recommended that she eat more grains (pitta and vata balancing), warm foods, mild spices, cooked vegetables and mung beans. Ghee will help reduce the inflammation and also strengthen agni. Khichadi will be the best option for her.
Drinking 1 tsp. ghee in one glass of lukewarm water in the morning on an empty stomach will help heal the inflammation. Abhyanga (massage) with sesame oil will make her feel grounded and nurtured.
Q: My friends tell me that Ayurveda has weight loss techniques and I am willing to try. I am female, 39 years old, kapha/pitta, 5’2” and my weight has steadily climbed over the last 10 years from 130 pounds to 175 pounds. Since New Year’s when I started working with a trainer I have lost 10 pounds and I am committed to a long-term weight loss. What suggestions do you have for me?
A: Congratulations for losing 10 pounds! Keep it up. Actions speak louder than words. Your physical efforts are helping you lose weight. There is nothing as important as exercise. A diet may help you keep a steady weight, but to take them off, you have to exercise hard.
Exercise increases internal heat, opens up energy channels (srotas), removes toxins (ama), strengthens digestive fire (agni), makes you feel lighter and more energetic and helps you sleep well. These are the reasons it helps one lose weight. Ayurvedic texts recommend guidelines about eating, but for people who exercise regularly – there are no guidelines. They can eat everything they want as long as they work out.
Here is an Ayurvedic mantra for losing weight and keeping it that way. “Like increases like and opposites balance each other.” Light is the opposite of heavy and you want to create lightness in the body, so you have to give up anything and everything that is HEAVY.
Dietary recommendations:
- Cut down on heavy foods such as sweets, cheeses, ice creams, cookies, chips and add spices to your food. To make it light, eat grilled, broiled, baked veggies, light meats, rather than sautéed, stir fried or steamed.
- Do not drink ice cold water or drinks – they weaken digestive enzymes.
- Eat only three meals – a light breakfast, good lunch and light dinner. Zip your lips in between.
- Do not go to “all you can eat” places. Cut down on the portion size.
- Fruits such as cherries, berries and pomegranate are better than banana, peach, mango and papaya (sweet, pulpy and heavy fruits).
- Fast once a week. It will make you lighter by strengthening agni and breaking down fat cells.
Lifestyle recommendations
- Continue exercising every day. Have a variety of exercise routines – aerobics or a brisk walk for an hour daily. Join a dance class. It is a fun way to lose weight. Join a tennis group or an adult soccer team. In essence, you have to move your body to stay in shape.
- Get up before sunrise. Do not sleep during the day.
- Always be active, don’t be a couch potato.
Herbs – guggulu, shilajatu, ginger, haritaki, chitrak are good Ayurvedic herbs. With their heating qualities they remove blockage and improve digestion and create lightness in the body.
The most important thing is consistency. You can’t quit. An active lifestyle should be part of your daily routine
Q: My condition is pancreatitis and I have had several sudden attacks in the last decade in which I’ve had to be hospitalized. I don’t seem to be making much progress although I am on a special diet. I have never drunk much alcohol and since this diagnosis, none at all. I am vata/pitta, 35 years old, female. Does Ayurveda have treatments for pancreatitis?
A: What are your current symptoms? I don’t go by only conventional diagnosis.
What was your diet before and after? It always comes down to our eating. Instead of us eating the food, unfortunately the food starts eating us, blocking many digestive organs and causing many digestive problems.
Herbs such as kutki, guggulu, gokshur, turmeric, guduchi and haritaki work well for pancreatic problems. If you would like to follow an Ayurvedic regime, please see an Ayurvedic practitioner in person.
As always, consult a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner before undergoing treatments or starting medications.
