Dr Gowthaman, Medical Director, Dr Gowthaman’s Ayurveda Panchakarma Center, Chennai, answers readers’ questions on Ayurveda. Get your doubts cleared and see them featured on our FAQ page every Tuesday.
This week’s answers:
I have recently noticed that some white hair on my beard in in my face. Is this normal? I am a 29 years old male and my normal hair color is black. I have never indulged in drug/smoking activities. I have never even touched a cigarrette. so please guide me the treatment.
Rakesh Agarwal
Hi Rakesh,
Stress plays a vital role in early grey. Reduced water intake, reduced sleeping habits, day sleep, no proper sleep at nights, having spicy, salty fast foods and drinks, reduced anti oxidants causes this trouble. The most effective and well practiced home remedy is applying coconut oil processed with fresh curry leaves. This should be strictly applied on the white hair for 90 days. Gentle massage with this mixture for 15-20 minutes helps. Ayurveda Recommends Narasimha Rasayanam – Anti ageing rejuvenative medicine for this condition. Take 1 tablespoon with warm milk twice daily before food helps.
Hello sir, I had previously asked a question about pcos and you had replied,thank you.you had advised me to take DNA noni twice everyday. i am not taking clomid this cycle.can i start this drink at any time or is there any particular day from your periods to start?how many months should i take it and can it be taken along with clomid? I had taken clomid 100 mg and had ovulated on 3 cycles.i had taken same dose this cycle too but there is no follicular growth shockingly..doctor told me to take a break for one month from clomid..why is this like this?
pooja ms
Hi Pooja,
Please take DNA Noni 15 ml + 100 ml of warm water twice daily before food. Its health supplement very effective in bringing back hormonal balance. Hence, no scheduled time required to start this. You can also take this tonic with regular other medicines. It does not cause any side effects. Usually long time medicine induced cycles may lead to non-follicular cycle.
Dear Sir,
I am suffering from Incomplete Evacuation of Bowl from last 15 days. I dont have any symptoms not even stomach pain. I have tried with motion tablets . But its only working for that day. From next day onwards again the same problem. I am not even getting sensation of motion. Please suggest me what is the solution for the the problem.
Regards,
Kiran
Hi Kiran,
Summer due to excessive sweating, people are tend to get this problem. Supporting water and fiber intake are the ways to solve it permanently. Plan your water intake between 2-3 liters and 200 gm of any one of papaya, apple, pine apple, Guava or corns helps for free bowels. If the problem still persist, take Avipattikara choornam 1 tablespoon at bed time with warm water. Its a stool softener helps easy bowel evacuation.
My Name is Maya Ima Rudolph. I am 24 years old.I have a problem with hyperpigmentation above my mouth under my nose. I have been following the low fat raw vegan lifestyle called 80 10 10 for a year now, and then I got this pigment spot. I have send 3 pictures in this email. One from 2011, 2012 and 2013. The spot has grown larger.
I have been drinking alot of green juice too, from wild edibles like dandelion and nettles, but in the wintertime(november-march) I had green juices of spinach and parsley. I have had a spiritual practice for a long time as well, and I had a shift in consciousness in january 2012, where I went into Cosmic Conciousness, am I have been going through energetic changes in the nervous system, brain etc. due to that. Of cause it has affected my entire body-mind in every way imaginable.
I have come to the conclusion the hyperpigmentation, or melasma can be due to: Hormonal changes detoxification too much of some nutrients lack of some nutrients(like B12) But I am really confused. My overall heath is very good, better that ever. I have always had a very sensitive body. In 2007, when I ate an organic wholefoods diet with animal products, I was told by an ayurvedic doctor i am mostly Vata, but it seemed I was Kapha because I had so much Ama in my body.
Eating raw foods has changed my life, so now I am actually functioning normally. Before this I was sick and had alot of issues with my digestion, ears and too much mucus in the body etc. I don’t know what else to tell. I have no sexual life, cause I have no partner.
Maya Ima Rudolph Denmark
Hi Maya,
Please apply butter on the spots and wash it away after 15 minutes. The spots are like extreme dryness. Pure butter can make it disappear in no time. Its not Melasma.
Avoiding the following food items helps in prevention and healing of Melasma
a. Tamarind
b. Spicy, salty foods and drinks
c. Garlic and Green chillies
d. Brinjal
e. Curd (Yoghurt)
f. Buffalo milk products
g. Alcohol and alcoholic products
h. Sugarcane
i. Eggs
j. Fish
k. Chicken
l. Avoid exercise in hot heat, exposure to hot sun, birth control pills and long time hormonal therapies
Hi Dr,
I am 36 years old and suffering from obesity for the last 5 years since the 1st child birth, last year I was weighed 83kgs and I have tried numerous fad diets but no results, my weight loss process is really slow and my effort on diet will go on drain when I just eat 3 meals of rice in one day.
I have been really careful with my diets on last 8 months and has started with physical fitness ,with the effort I have reduced my weight to 72kgs now but I need guidance on healthy weight loss tip via Ayurvedic way. Appreciate your guidance on a food plan that can help on my weight loss.
Thanks,
Lhara.
Hi Lhara, Weight loss in Ayurveda is personalized. Ayurveda’s understanding of obesity is different from Modern medicine or any other systems of medicine. Ayurveda try to evaluate the weight gain through its unique Prakriti analysis which can be compared as a genetic coding of an individual. This helps the Ayurveda doctor to understand the cause, pathogenesis, management and recommend better result oriented treatment program or life style modification.
Ayurveda treatment pedagogy
In Ayurvedic medicine, there is no single approach to treating obesity. Depending on the Prakriti the medications, purification therapies and diet varies. For example, for a vata dominant person, the vata purification therapies like cleansing and Oleation enemas are part of the treatments. Abhyanga and herbal steam bath does play a major role in Vata type of person’s treatment plan. For Kapha type obesity, treatment plan includes external powder applications with giner, mustard etc. If the obesity is due to excessive accumulation of toxins (Ama dosha) both internal medications and external applications are advocated.
Ayurvedic guide lines for Medo Roga
a. Usage of Barley, Green gram, Red gram and Horse gram is recommended b. Honey is recommended in minor doses
c. Always drink warm water to eliminate the toxins
d. For cooking Sesame oil/ Mustard oil is indicated. Spices like turmeric, black pepper, ginger and rock salt are advised for obesity.
e. Vegetables with astringent, bitter and pungent taste, soup with such vegetables as diet improves the weight loss
f. Avoid sweets prepared from wheat, cakes, pastries, milk and sugar, cold drinks, alcohol, deep fried foods and non vegetarian diet.
g. Active physical life is very important to prevent and manage weight gain. Staying awake at night and day sleep will increase the Medo Dhatu which in turn ends up in Obesity.
h. Ayurveda recommends herbs like Amrutha (Tinospora cordifolia), Mustaa (Cyperus rotundsa) Haritaki (Terminalia Chebula), Bibhitaka (Terminalia belerica) and Aamalaka (Embica officinalis) for prevention and management of this condition.
i. Ayurveda recommends a special weight loss recipe called “Takra Arishta” – Fermented buttermilk for active weight loss
Conclusion
As we all are genetically different with different constitutions and patterns, we respond to treatments in many different ways. Hence Standard Ayurvedic Treatments for obesity are always individually formulated. In Ayurvedic medicine, there is no single approach to treating obesity. After taking the pulses and examining the patient, an Ayurvedic practitioner designs a treatment plan to bring the doshas back into balance which in turn addresses obesity swiftly and permanently.
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