Q: Recently I have developed floaters in my right eye and they are bothering me a lot. Is there any permanent cure for this in Ayurveda? Do you recommend any specific medicines and food habits to stop this?
A:Floaters may develop due to a variety of reasons, very often due to aging.
The Ayurvedic recommendation is to:
- Take Triphala with licorice orally.
- Wash eyes with Triphala tea (Boil 1/2 tsp of Triphala powder in a cup of water for a few minutes. Let the water cook down to room temperature. Strain. Use an eye cup to wash the eye).
Alternatively, use a few drops of Triphala ghee/oil in both eyes once a day.
- Do eye exercises. Imagine a clock in front of you and move your eyeballs clockwise and anti-clockwise. Roll eyeballs from the left and to the right, up and down and in diagonally opposite directions – for a few minutes.
- Watch a candle flame in the dark for few minutes. It strengthens all parts of the eye.
- Netra basti – This is a special Ayurvedic treatment that bathes the eyes in Triphala ghee for a few minutes. It is a very nurturing, lubricating and soothing therapy for all eye problems.
Q: I have been reading articles and talking to Ayurvedic practitioners. It is my understanding that the mangosteen fruit from Southeast Asia has been at the center of the Ayurvedic practice for centuries. Yet, I see nothing mentioned in articles and find the practitioners I have encountered seemingly dismissive. Why is that?
A: Mangosteen is described as the queen of the fruits. Many companies advertise mangosteen juice being high in antioxidants, being an immune system booster and an energy booster, Mother Nature’s true wonder and many more claims. Its origin is in Southeast Asia, probably the Malay Archipelago. The botanical name is Garcenia mangostana.
Sometimes it is compared to a fruit called Kokam, which is very sour in taste and is used in cooking in many states of India. Its botanical name is Garcenia indica. It is recommended in many pitta conditions (although sour, it reduces pitta). Both these fruits may be in the same family but not are identical.
It is recommended to use any fruit, vegetable, herb or spice grown anywhere in the world, according to Ayurvedic philosophy. The herb or spice need not necessarily come from India. Study its Ayurvedic energetics (effect on doshas, dhatus, agni, its qualities, actions, etc.) and then tell your Ayurvedic friends how they can use it.
Q: I am a kapha and a good bit overweight. I am confused about Ayurvedic exercise guidelines. The recommendation is to exercise just until sweat begins to form on the forehead, spine and underarms. But, it is simultaneously recommended that kapha exercise “vigorously.” I am confused because frankly, I begin to sweat after only 5 - 10 minutes of light exercise. If I exercise vigorously, then sweat pours off of me in rivers. But a few minutes just doesn’t seem like enough for me to ever lose any weight. Which guideline should I follow?
I am 32 years old and my lifestyle is fairly sedentary. I work at a computer for about 8 - 9 hours a day (No, this is not optional, it’s just how my profession is). I exercise every now and then (either yoga or elliptical trainer) but do not have a regular routine.
A: This is an excellent question. Many times people get confused about the Ayurvedic guidelines. The guidelines are a part of wasthavritta, preventive science. Those guidelines are for people who are already in balance and want to maintain it. In cases of imbalance we have to look at the guidelines differently.
In kapha imbalance, the recommendation is to exercise vigorously at least for an hour. Generally kapha people sweat only moderately (not profusely), but when they gain excess weight the meda dhatu, fat tissue, keeps on increasing (mainly due to weak meda dhatu agni). The by-product (mala) of meda dhatu is sweat. So as body builds more fat, it creates more sweat too.
This is the reason the sweat pours off of you in rivers. Right now do not gauge your exercise by the amount of sweat. You will notice that as you start losing weight, there will be less sweat (less fat, less sweat).
Continue the good vigorous work-out daily. Along with it, take Ayurvedic herbs to strengthen digestive enzymes (agni) and scrape off fat cells. Use herbs such as ginger, pippali, chitrak, guguulu, shilajeet, etc.
Q: I recently read that for steak eaters who drink coffee with their steak, they’re not getting the iron they think they are because the caffeine interfers with iron absorption. Regarding iron, what are some foods that assist in its digestion and absorption? I am a vegetarian, but there are lots of meat eaters who practice yoga and could read this.
A: Iron is very essential for the body because the iron in the hemoglobin carries oxygen (prana – the life energy) to each and every cell in the body. So you should eat iron rich foods such as whole grains, grain cereals, leafy greens (kale and watercress), legumes (lentils, kidney beans, chickpeas), eggs, some dry fruits (apricots, figs), tomatoes, strawberries, beetroot, red cabbage, red radish, etc.
Tea and coffee contain compounds called polyphenols which may reduce or prevent iron absorption, so the best thing is not to drink tea or coffee with your meals or within half an hour after meals. Drink between meals. (Cut down your consumption to a cup or two each day).
Vitamin C helps absorb iron. So, having a glass of orange juice with a meal, squeezing lemon or lime juice in food or including vegetables such as broccoli, Brussel sprouts, green peppers or potatoes (good sources of Vitamin C) will help absorb more iron from the food you eat. Amla (amalaki) is the richest source of Vitamin C. Take 1/4 tsp. of amla powder everyday for your natural Vitamin C supplement.
Eating Ayurvedically is ideal, because Ayurveda recommends combining all the six tastes – sweet, sour, salty, pungent, astringent and bitter.
This approach provides balanced nutrients.
As always, consult a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner before undergoing treatments or starting medications.
