Ayurvedic Medicine – A Primer

In order to understand what Ayurvedic Medicine does, it is equally important to know what Ayurveda is. We are going to give our readers a primer course on Ayurveda; its roots, its development, and its overall practical approach to natural health and well-being.

Over 5,000 years ago, ancient far eastern civilizations began realizing that, like nature, the human body, was a complex structure of balance that, if that balance faultered, the human body suffered and possibly died. For thousands of years previous to that realization, civilizations used some natural substances to soothe injuries and pain but it was not until the connections were made, that the extent of healing energy available to them was actually studied. Ancient scientists began looking at the human mechanism more closely and its relationship to the natural world around them and began a process of medical discover that, to this day, is unrivaled.

Thus began Ayurvedic Medicine and the study of Ayurveda – the close alignment of body, mind and spirit.

Ayurveda is a system of medicine that originated in India and in its Sanskrit origins loosely translated means the “Science of Life”. Ayurvedic Science is an all-encompassing medical syste, that looks to balance the three main aspects of humanity – the body, the mind, the spirit. The latter aspect or “spirit” is that which is considered Holistic. As the science of Ayurveda advanced, it looked to investigate treatments of specific health problems with known materials typically found in nature. The more the brilliant minds of the day studied these natural ingredients, the quicker they realized that their primary aim should not be treatment but rather maintaining a natural balance within the body and, as a result, Ayurvedic Medicine is often looked to as a preventative medicine with curative force. The essence of Ayurvedic Medicine is to re-establish the harmony and balance that is necessary for optimal health.

Ayurveda has long been the main system of health care in India.  About 70 percent of India’s population lives in rural areas; about two-thirds of rural people use Ayurveda and medicinal plants to meet their primary health care needs.  In addition, most major cities have an Ayurvedic college and hospital.  There are 587,536 registered traditional medical practitioners, 2,860 hospitals providing Ayurvedic treatment, and 22,100 dispensaries for traditional medicine in India.  This allows over 500 million people in India to rely solely on Ayurveda today. Ayurveda and variations of it have also been practiced for centuries in Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Tibet.  The professional practice of Ayurveda in the United States began to grow and became more visible in the late 20th century.

According to World Health Organization report, over 80% of the world population relies on plant-based traditional medicine for their primary healthcare needs.

In Ayurveda, the distinction between food and medicine is not as clear as in Western medicine.  Food and diet are important components of Ayurvedic practice, and so there is a heavy reliance on treatments based on herbs and plants, oils (such as sesame oil), common spices (such as turmeric), and other naturally occurring substances.

Currently, some 5,000 products are included in the “pharmacy” of Ayurvedic treatments.  Historically, plant compounds have been grouped into categories according to their effects.  For example, some compounds are thought to heal, promote vitality, or relieve pain.  The compounds are described in many texts prepared through national medical agencies in India.  The following are examples of commonly used herbs:

* The spice turmeric has been used for various diseases and conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, and wound healing.
* An extract from the resin from a tropical shrub (Commiphora mukul, or guggul) has been used for a variety of illnesses.  In recent years, there has been research interest in its use to lower cholesterol.
* The essential oil extracted from Holy Basil is used to counteract depression and mental stress.

Clearly, Ayurvedic Medicine and its pharmacology are not quite the same as going to a modern day pharmacy to have a prescription filled. The balanacing of the 5,000 possible ingredients is an onerous task that should be fulfilled by properly qualified doctors of Ayurveda. For maintenance and optimization of your health, there are a wide range of potent pre-manufactured formulations that can be purchased directly through the Ayurvedic Medicinal Pharmacy listed at the right. For more complex requirements it is recommended that you take advantage of an Ayurvedic Medical consultation to get on the path to Natural Health and total balance.

In our first published blog, we talked about the very early days of life and the need to protect children through proper nutrition. We felt it fitting that in this second instalment, we should deal with the other end of life – Old Age!

The term “old age” is relative by any standard and indeed, it is meaningless. Perhaps the correct phrase might be more appropriate as “Quality of Life For How Long” or “QLHL”. Life is full of inherent hazards that can impact our quality of life and, indeed, shorten it. From the presentation of a significant illness to being obese that brings along its own set of health issues. Of course, pollution, traffic accidents, gunfire and lightning strikes are external forces that we cannot control. However, if we can avoid those latter calamities, how are we going to fair in the search for a “QLHL”?

It seems that the care we look to take with unborn children and our precious offspring might be equally important in later years than in the pre/post birth years. What we eat and how we eat it; not to mention the activity our body receives all play important roles in our life but are not the be all and end all; they are a significant part of the solution. The biggest problem is that most people do not exercise, do not eat properly, and do not take proper care of their body. When the stress factors of adulthood are put into the mix, most adults are walking timebombs that are counting the days until death. What a shame to screw up the miracle of life.

In this blog and over time, we will be addressing aspects of health that are both modern as well as over 5,000 years old. We are not talking about mystic mumbojumbo but valid science that has endured the test of 5,000 years of success. It is over the long term that we will give you nuggets of truth to help you not only live healthier but enjoy that “QLHL” Factor we spoke of earlier. It can be done. There are people who are circling 100 years of age that are active and successful and alert to everything around them.

How long do you want to live?

Stay tuned – Next time we are going to talk about Ayurvedic Science and what Ayurveda is and does. We are not going to do the same with modern medicine since most of our perceived readers will have a better overall understanding of modern medical practice.

When was the last time a pregnant woman was told by her physician to continue smoking a pack a day; to drink as much alcohol as she desired; to take drugs of any kind? Most women adamantly adhere to their doctor’s orders for fear of harming their unborn child. While that new, precious life grows within them, they do everything possible to ensure its good health. It is a mother’s instinct. As the fetus grows within, the tiny body forms into an amazing collection of cells that, over time, create a remarkable little being who begins functioning in preparation for a life in the world. A tiny heart beats! The liver and kidneys begin to work in conjunction with the mother’s and the lungs begin to develop readying that wee person for its first breath. It is the joy of motherhood and the incredible miracle that is life. Every parent wants to do everything possible during a pregnancy to make sure that baby is healthy.

With all of that care, how is it that once the child is born and moves from mother’s milk to solid food parent’s have no objection to destroying that hard work by feeding their child, their sweet beautiful child, the poison that is prepared food and “fast food”? To make matters worse, the child is allowed to refuse physical activity and quickly grows overweight all under the watchful eye of the parents who declare the pudgy little person to be “cute”. Unhealthy, unfit – but oh definitely “cute”.

Healthy adults grow from healthy children and since children do not have the skill sets to make the proper nutritional decisions, it is up to the parents and parents need to stop giving their children choices of what they want for dinner because we all know that given the option of a sugar and chemical laced hamburger or a proper portion of grilled chicken with steamed vegetables, the hamburger will win every time. Health is a lifelong commitment that begins with the parental guidance to eat the right thing and to lead an active lifestyle. Children are extremely smart – much smarter for which we often give them credit.

What message are you sending your child?

WELCOME To Your Good Health where we will be undertaking the challenge of bringing you vital information about all aspects of your health. It is here at To You Good Health that we will talk about health from the very basic level to more advanced aspects that will allow our readers to get the most out of both their mind and their body. From modern medicine to Ayurvedic Science that is over 5,000 years old, we will share with you, on a regular basis, some interesting aspects but also critical issues that will help you live a healthier life. There is no subject that will go untouched in this blog nor will we import any information from other blogs that will be repetitious to our readers.

We are diligent in our focus on giving you the details, the side effects and the advantages of what we tell you. In some cases where background information is necessary, we will deliver that to you as well regardless of the length of the article. If you are well-informed about your health and your lifestyle, then you have a better opportunity to be the best you can be.