Spices are considered medicine within Ayurveda, the traditional medical system of India. You may associate them with meat rubs for barbecue or the occasional curry but you may not realize what a profoundly positive effect they could have on your health. Spices are the most nutrient-dense and antioxidant-rich foods on the planet. As a Harvard-trained M.D., I integrate…
This soup is easily prepared and well balanced for early postpartum. Methi (fenugreek) has been around for thousands of years and is well known in India as medicine, spice and food for both humans and animals. Methi is a galactagogue due to its content of flavonoids and phytoestrogen and is used by nursing mothers around…
“My doctor says my LDL cholesterol is really high and he’s concerned,” is a recent question I received from a reader. “Now you’re saying that I should eat more fat, which should improve my cholesterol. I thought fat was the last thing I should be eating with high cholesterol.” I know how confusing cholesterol and…
“Everyone seems to be talking about fat these days. That fat somehow is good now and can help with weight loss and disease prevention. How can that be true when for decades we all were told that fat was the bad guy? What are its benefits? Are there any downsides to eating more fat?” Is…
The word ‘courage’ in the English language is derived from the latin word ‘cor’, which means heart. In our culture, we use phrases like “it takes heart” to describe the courageous quality of achieving something extraordinary. The heart is also considered central to our emotional experiences of love, generosity, compassion and sympathy. We all know…
Herbs are like people in that they have unique personalities that can be understood through dravyaguna. Dravyaguna is the system of Ayurvedic pharmacology that was developed thousands of years ago before chromatography and mass spectrometry and so it relies on qualities deciphered through taste. This is the herb monograph for Neem. Neem To Reduce Inflammation Neem,…
Ancient medicines like Ayurveda and Chinese medicine are brilliant for their herbal wisdom, such as the benefits of turmeric. But even more so, they are brilliant for their genius in combining substances to enhance their effectiveness. Making meals, tonics or formulas to create a balanced, whole intelligence is a unique forte in ancient medicines. Remember Mary…
The Vedic philosophy teaches us the idea of “Anna Brahma”, which means “Food as God”. This description is a symbolic statement made by the poetic ancestors of India. It symbolizes the importance of food to life – suggesting it is as essential as God is to life. For this reason, traditional Ayurvedic cooking methods were…
The body is an exquisite machine that calibrates all measures of health towards balance. One such measure of health is Blood sugar. The body is engaged in a constant game of see-saw between the hormone insulin and glucagon to help maintain blood sugar within normal limits. If the blood sugar becomes too low, it can…
