Meghan Hays Ayurveda meghan@meghanhays.com Ayurveda Salt Lake City 

Inflammation has been a buzz word and popular topic lately, especially in relationship to the COVID pandemic, an aging baby-boomer population, and an uptick in the diagnosis of autoimmune disorders. 
 
So, first let’s answer the question:
What is inflammation?
 
Inflammation is an essential part of the regeneration and healing process in the body.  Inflammation is actually a beneficial process that keeps up healthy.  Inflammation as one job: to wake up the immune system and stem cells.  It says, “Hey, something is wrong!  We need to either wake up the healing system, the immune system, or both.”  Which systems become activated depends upon the illness or injury.  Once the healing is done or your illness has run its course, the anti-inflammatory system activates and shuts the process down to get you back to normal. 
 
Problems come in when this system doesn’t shut off.  This sets us up for a myriad of health problems; in fact, chronic low-level inflammation is the underlying cause of weight gain, early development of various diseases, and acceleration of the aging process.  It’s estimated that about 60 percent (that’s over half!) of American live with an inflammation-related chronic condition, such as Type 2 Diabetes and autoimmune disorders, like Hashitmoto’s Thyroiditis, which is the leading cause of hypothyroidism. 
 
And when you start out with high levels of inflammation, it’s a vicious cycle.  Take, for example, obesity: the adipose, or connective, tissue in the body produces its own inflammatory proteins.  So then the fat cells, residing in the adipose tissue, sense the extra inflammatory proteins, and this induces them to make more…which not only causes more inflammation, but can also cause even more weight gain. 
 
Often, by the time the inflammation causes a real health problem, it’s been going on for a long time and doing loads of damage behind the scenes, AND, quite often, we’ve been ignoring the subtle warning signs that the body has been trying to give us: skin redness, swelling, join pain, and digestive problems, which Ayurveda would tell us is the first indication that there is something wrong – fix your digestion, heal your entire body).  But most people take a pill, or some Pepto, or get on a prescription, which just masks the symptoms so that the inflammation can continue to go unchecked and wreak havoc. 
 
But not to fret!  There are SO MANY WAYS to immediately reduce your inflammation and take charge of your health.  Some are obvious and some are more subtle.  They include (and we’ll go over these in more detail and how they affect inflammation): stop smoking, moderate your alcohol consumption (no more than one drink a day for women), eat more plants, don’t overeat, get at least 7 hours of sleep each night, exercise most days of the week, and reduce stress through purposeful breathing exercises, mindfulness, and meditation daily.   It’s all the stuff we work on in an Ayurvedic health and healing plan.  Small changes each day have PROFOUND results…when done consistently.  That’s truly the key: creating daily habits that you can stick with everyday.
 
So let’s talk a little more about the inflammatory process. 
 
What triggers inflammation?
 
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) classifies inflammation as your immune system’s response to an “irritant” – which could be an everyday injury like a cut, sprain, or strain, to a serious infection, and everything in between.  Some of the common symptoms of inflammation are redness, heat, pain, swelling, and loss of function…all the things that come up around a simple ankle sprain to a major infection. 
 
One of the most common inflammation triggers is infection from a virus or bacteria.  You feel miserable when you get the flu for 2 reasons: your respiratory symptoms come from the flu virus itself, like runny nose, cough, and shortness of breath, but your muscle aches and fever are from the inflammatory response.  They’re actually a good sign that your body is doing its job of fighting the infection.  Here’s what’s going on behind the scenes:
-When acute inflammation (your body’s immediate and natural response to an injury or infection) happens, your immune system starts producing cells and hormones it needs to heal, so some of those cells dilate or expand your blood vessels to allow for more blood and immune system cells to get to the affected area.  So this can cause some general “achiness.”
-Fever is also part of the inflammatory response in that a higher body temperature creates an inhospitable environment for pathogens—they can’t survive at even a degree or two higher than our normal body temperature.  This, in turn, can affect other body processes in that urination, elimination, and sweating are a way for the body to release heat, so you might urinate more frequently, suffer from some loose stool or diarrhea as the body moves food through the system more quickly, and you might sweat in an attempt to allow the skin to cool off as the sweat evaporates.  This is why it’s a BAD idea to take fever reducers, even at high fevers of up to 103*; it disrupts the body’s natural healing process and takes longer to heal.  A better use of your energy would be to fast, according to Ayurveda, so that your body can devote energy to this natural inflammatory, or healing, process, instead of having to digest and deal with food.  Staying hydrated, however, is key, so consuming natural electrolyte drinks, like water with a little sea salt, lemon, and maple syrup (vs. Gatorade or Powerade, which is full of sugar) is best. 
-If you have an injury, you will notice other symptoms like swelling, redness, and pain at the local sight of the cut, sprain, or break.  Your body responds to injury by sending molecules like white blood cells and platelets, which aggravate the injured area and draw in other chemicals, to start the repair process. 
 
So these processes are great, healing, and will stop on their own (or should stop on their own), when the healing or repair has occurred.  The problems come in when this process doesn’t stop, is too powerful, or targets the wrong place at the wrong time. 
 
So let’s talk about when inflammation is “bad.” 
 
1)Infection: When the immune system stays active for too long or too strongly, something called a “cytokine” storm occurs.  This is when the body is overwhelmed by an infection, and the immune system works too hard to protect itself, resulting in an overproduction of inflammatory proteins called cytokines, which can result in multi-organ shutdown.  We saw this in COVID-19 patients as a result of other infections, autoimmune conditions, or other diseases. 
 
2)Autoimmune disorders: Normally, our body produces cytokines in an orderly fashion, and everyone knows where they need to go.  If the body is overwhelmed with danger, however, inflammation can become systemic (all over the body), and could even cause death.  In other instances, too much inflammation can occur when there’s no infection at all, and this is the case with autoimmune disease.  We’re not actually sure why this happens, but autoimmune diseases are characterized by an overactive immune system which mistakenly attacks healthy tissues.  These disease often result in inflammation and, sometimes, irreversible damage of organs, muscles, joints, or other parts of the body. 
 
3)Aging: Unfortunately, increased inflammation is a “normal” part of the aging process (often called “inflammaging”).  As our immune systems decline with age, our protective (“good”) inflammation declines as well, which could trigger “bad” inflammation in that, if you can’t handle everyday irritants, injuries, and infections, the ongoing inflammatory response won’t turn off, resulting in an increase in health problems…which also cause more inflammation. 
 
4)Diet and Lifestyle: Too little sleep, poor quality diet, and/or sedentary lifestyle / not enough exercise can case “oxidative stress.”  This is the situation that occurs when there’s an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants in the body.  This triggers the immune system to respond with inflammation.  The problem is that there’s no specific disease or injury to respond to, so that body ends up targeting normal cells.  Then the body has to repair cells its actually damaging, which causes more inflammation.  The results are subtle but can include muscle and joint pain, fatigue and insomnia, weight loss or weight gain, depression and anxiety, digestive issues, and frequent infections.    
 
So let’s talk about weight and inflammation b/c they are related. 
 
Here’s one way inflammation can cause your weight to fluctuate.  Low-grade, chronic inflammation can cause fluid from your blood vessels to seep into your tissues, which then manifests as “water retention” and “weight gain.”  If you don’t drink a lot of liquid (or alcohol) before bed, and always have to wake up in the middle of the night to pee b/c your bladder is full, your body is releasing inflammation while you sleep and, therefore, this excess fluid that builds up during your day.  If this is you, begin to improve your diet and reduce your stress, and this will stop happening.  I think it’s a good, natural indicator of how much low-grade inflammation you have. 
 
Inflammation also sets you up for weight gain in that it affects your insulin and blood sugar responses.  Remember when we talked about fat cells producing more inflammatory chemicals?  And remember that cytokines are a type of inflammatory protein?  Fat cells in people with Type 2 diabetes actually produce higher levels of these cytokines; cytokines activate certain proteins that suppress your insulin response.  So if your body isn’t responding to insulin, which is what tells your body to uptake glucose, or blood sugar, after you eat, your body will produce more insulin and more insulin (b/c it sees that you still have high levels of sugar in your blood).  This, in turn, raises your blood pressure, makes you unnecessarily hungry, and makes you gain even more weight…eventually leading to pancreas and liver problems—not to mention the complications of diabetes to your eyes and extremities. 
 
There’s also a direct relationship between stress and insulin in that, when you are stressed all the time, your body is always producing cortisol (the hormone that helps you get ready to run from a perceived threat).  When you have more cortisol in your system, your body suppresses insulin so that you have more sugar, or glucose, in your blood (so that you have the energy to run from that danger your body thinks is always right around the corner when you’re chronically stressed).  Having high levels of blood sugar also leads to Type 2 diabetes, which then leads to more inflammation through the extra fat cells and cytokine they producing. High levels of blood sugar also cause damage to all of your organs over time. 
 
Inflammation also leads to a decrease in leptin, the hormone that tells you you’ve had enough to eat, so this also contributes to more weight gain, and in turn, more inflammation.  Fun, huh? 
 
Couple that with the possibility that you’re one of the many people who suffer from inflammation of the thyroid, the organ that regulates our metabolism, and this could compound the problem by eventually causing the organ to shut down and stop working altogether.  This is a topic for another time (considering it for October or November), but suffice it to say, our diet is the place to start, and COMPLETELY REVERSE, inflammation. 
 
There are new studies everyday proving that our gut health (also called the microbiome, which is the name for the trillions of organisms living in your digestive tract that control just about every bodily process and affect every gene we have)…proving that our gut health is the link between humans and disease manifestation.  Science is proving what Ayurveda has said for thousands of years: you ARE what you eat; therefore, all health (or disease) begins in the digestive tract.   (Learn more about the 5 elements, or foundational principles of Ayurveda here!) 
 
So our “standard American Diet” (SAD) and lifestyle are huge culprits.  They cause this “bad” inflammation as well, which then leads to type 2 diabetes, obesity, cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer's just to name a few.   These are all diseases that can be directly attributed to lifestyle choices.  Sure genetics come into play, but over 99% of inherited diseases are non-determinant.  This means that just because you inherited a propensity for the development of a disease, doesn’t mean you will actually develop it.  In other words, your diet and lifestyle choices turn on or off your genes.  YOU HAVE THE POWER TO DETERMINE YOUR HEALTH (OR DISEASE).  This is great news and also scary news for some b/c, more often than not, we don’t want to take ownership over our health.  Sometimes it’s easier to be a victim and blame our genetics than take ownership of how we got there.  And there’s no shame or blame in owning up to the lifestyle and choices that brought you were you are; there’s opportunity to CHANGE.  You can absolutely your health into your hands and reverse what’s going on.  I’ve heard someone put it this way, “If genes load the gun, your environment pulls the trigger.” 
 
So here are the big inflammatory foods that you should first work to eliminate:
 
-Processed foods (anything with more than 4-5 ingredients on the label or anything you don’t recognize as food)
-Sugar and sugar-filled foods, like soda, candy, pastries, and cereals
-Fried food
-Anything with “partially hydrogenated ­oil” or trans fats
-More than one drink a day for women and 2 for men (the higher the drinks per day, the higher the inflammatory markers go)
-And if you smoke, now’s the time to quit in that it spikes inflammation
All of these foods led to higher inflammatory and autoimmune diseases as well as higher inflammatory markers
 
Once you reduce these inflammatory foods, make sure to introduce more anti-inflammatory foods:
-Blueberries
-Apples
-Broccoli
-Cauliflowers
-Cabbage (If cabbage gives you gas, eat it as sauerkraut or kimchi – have a tablespoon or two on the side of your meals each day)
-High fiber foods (oatmeal – great delivery vehicle for blueberries and apples – whole grain bread – look for low sugar – other whole grains like bulgur, quinoa – actually a seed – and barley, as well as fruits and veggies)
-Micronutrients such as Vitamin D (salmon, canned tuna, and mushrooms – I supplement – good to have tested – levels higher than 50ng/dL associated with lower risks of all cancers and greater neuroprotective benefits) and magnesium (nuts, legumes, avocado, and spinach – I also supplement)
-Fish oil (I supplement) and turmeric (use on food or take capsules or you can order here from Banyan Botanicals – I can make for you – 1-4 caps twice daily depending on symptoms – I increase dosage around times I need more healing), cinnamon (natural blood sugar regulator), and ginger (natural digestive and anti-inflammatory)
-Tips:

• Include blueberries or apples + walnuts (omega-3’s + fiber) in your morning oatmeal each day.  Or have them over yogurt or just have them alone if you’re not a big breakfast eater. 
• Have fish (cod, halibut, salmon, or tuna – all should be wild caught – farm-raised won’t cut it) at 2 meals a week
• Have legumes at 2 meals a week (make a big batch, freeze in batches; eat for an easy lunch, served alone or over rice, quinoa, or barley – more whole grains!)
• Commit to one or more servings of cruciferous veg a day (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage/kimchi, kale, bok choy, collards, or arugula) – if you are prone to gas, cook these in oil with seasonings and eat with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice
• Eliminate or severely restrict lunch meat, sausage, and all processed meats from your diet – they’re linked with cancer and heart disease (therefore, inflammation) more than any other animal product out there. 

 
All of these foods lower inflammatory markers. 
 
*BTW: Inflammatory markers in blood testing, which you can ask your dr. for are:
- CRP (C-reactive protein)
- ESR (Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate)
- PV (Plasma Viscosity) – not as widely used
*Raised levels of these are indications of inflammation in the body. 
 
So eating these foods in the right way is also a BIG part of the picture:
 
1)Eliminate distractions and CHEW YOUR FOOD.  This is a game-changer for most people with digestive problems.  If you’re about to swallow your food, stop for a split second and ask yourself, “If I spit this out, would I recognize it (aside from obvious colors)?”  If the answer is yes, you need to keep chewing.  There’s no magic number of times to chew; just make sure it’s a consistent texture. 
2)Leave at least 3 hours between meals before you eat again (if you’re genuinely hungry, eat a snack or have your meal at that time, even if it’s less than 3 hours, but DO tune into that).  By leaving yourself time between meals, you allow your body to break down and assimilate all the nutrients properly, and by actually getting hungry, you allow your liver an opportunity to take stored fat and turn it into fuel.  (Talk about 3 digestive stages and raw rice analogy.)
3)Similarly, everyone should be giving themselves a natural intermittent fasting window of about 12 hours at the least.  You should be done with dinner at least 3 hours before you go to bed.  If you’re aiming for a 10pm bedtime, you’ll want to be done eating dinner by 7pm; likewise, dinner should be a smaller meal, while lunch the largest to reflect your metabolic levels at those times of day (metabolism is higher in the middle of the day, just like the sun).  This gives your liver plenty of opportunity to get rid of toxins and for your body to release any inflammation built up over the course of the day—to go from fight-or-flight mode to rest-and-digest.  If you go to sleep with good on your stomach, the liver has to, instead, assist with digesting it.  This is one of the easiest ways to use fasting (a natural way to decrease inflammation) every day.  (including your mini-fast between meals).   
 
Losing weight generally lowers inflammation and decreases load on joints, which are a common place to experience inflammation symptoms for many people.   So reducing portions, giving yourself proper fasting windows, and staying active / moving purposefully for 30 minutes 5 days a week (doesn’t have to be 30 minutes all at once) are all key.  People who exercise the most (but not the most intensely b/c that can cause chronic inflammation if you’re always damaging your body without enough recovery time) have the lowest levels of inflammation markers. 
 
You don’t have to run a marathon or go to Cross Fit.  30 minutes of moderate walking, dancing, calisthenics, gardening…anything that gets your heart rate up, warms your core body temperature, and makes you just break a sweat before you cool down is all you need.  Stressing the body and causing a little, temporary inflammation is good; you come back stronger once you’re repaired.  This also strengthens the muscles around and, again, takes load off the joints that may have been damaged from chronic inflammation, whether you suffer from osteoarthritis or an autoimmune disease like rheumatoid arthritis. 
 
Exercise also reduces stress, which let’s face it, is a reason many of us overeat, gain weight, get sick and/or have chronic levels of inflammation.  We live in a world in which we have “unnatural” stressors.  We don’t have to worry about where we get our food or even cooking or preparing it most of the time; we don’t have to worry about the next tribe over invading our village or whether we will get attacked by a lion when we’re out hunting for dinner.   The human body adapted over millennia to deal with these stressors by creating a stress response, or an inflammatory response, and then going away once the danger went away. 
 
Today, we have constant stressors from media, which shows us war in other countries, natural disasters all over the world, and violent crime…we are bombarded with worries about dramas we can’t control.  Not to mention that many of our work environments are overly demanding, ask too much of us, and refuse to take into account other responsibilities we might have, like family, children, or even our own well-being.  Many of us are in chronic fight-or-flight mode, so it’s no wonder that inflammation and auto-immune disorders are on the rise. 
 
We have to intervene with stress-reducing practices, like connecting with other humans through regular social activities and meaningful interaction (which is a huge component and a common thread among all the communities of the world that live the longest) AND daily mindfulness practices like breathing and meditation.  Even 5 minutes a day, everyday, can have PROFOUND healing effects and can lower inflammation greatly by giving your immune system a (good) boost, clearing your mind to focus on something other than daily drama, and by initiating the rest-and-digest (parasympathetic nervous system response, which is the opposite of fight-or-flight / sympathetic nervous system).  You have to develop a daily practice that gets your body to this state while you’re awake to truly have a meaningful impact on your stress: 20 minutes of yoga nidra, 5 to 10 rounds of breathing (alternate nostril or inhale/retain/exhale), and/or 5-10 minutes of meditation in which you focus your mind on your breath, a mantra, or a guide.   
 
You also help calm and ground the nervous system and reduce stress when you eat at the same time, sleep and work at the same times, and do your mindfulness and exercise practices at the same times each day.  Your body knows what’s coming and can relax.  This greatly reduces stress and, therefore, inflammation. 
 
I have a feeling you already know and are working on all of these things, so I hope this gives you more reasons to continue to work on these things.  Inflammation is fascinating: on the one hand it’s useful; when it goes on for too long, it can be deadly; the most important thing that I want you to take away from this is that it’s completely reversible.  Start with one thing: diet, sleep, exercise, or mindfulness practices.  Do that for one month regularly; make it a real habit; a real part of your lifestyle; then move on to something else.  Let me know if I can support you in any way by emailing me at meghan@meghanhays.com!
 
Meghan Hays Ayurveda meghan@meghanhays.com Ayurveda Salt Lake City 
 

Meghan Hays Ayurveda in Salt Lake City

Like many of you, I've been supplementing with magnesium for many years. I find it improves my sleep, when taken before bed, as well as my morning elimination patterns.  Magnesium does this by acting as a natural muscle and tissue relaxer and by blocking stress hormones, like cortisol.  (Scroll down a little for links to the products I take everyday.)

Magnesium helps 300 enzymes perform vital functions throughout the body, helping our bodies build bones and synthesize proteins.  Unfortunately, dietary surveys show that 64-67% of Americans under age 71 and 81-82% of those above age 71 aren't meeting the minimum requirements for daily magnesium.  Low blood magnesium levels are associated with increased risks of cardiovascular disease, including stroke, coronary artery disease, heart failure, arrhythmias, and death. 

This widespread deficiency is even more unfortunate if you look at this list of the potential benefits to your health of higher blood levels of magnesium:

• Lowered risk of heart arrhythmias (abnormal conduction of the electrical impulses that govern heartbeat, which is the leading cause of strokes);
• Lowered risk of atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries that restricts blood flow and increases risk of heart attacks and stroke) by enhancing endothelial function, dilating blood vessels, and reducing blood pressure;
• Lowered blood pressure (taking 600 mg of magnesium daily lowered, on average, systolic blood pressure (the higher number) from 144mmHg to 134mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (the lower number) from 88mmHg to 81mmHg);
• Improvements in heart function and exercise tolerance in patients with coronary artery disease by improving blood flow and oxygen delivery;
• Improvements in blood glucose metabolism among people with diabetes and those at high risk of developing it by lowering fasting plasma glucose levels, improving insulin sensitivity, and enhancing insulin secretion;
• Reduction in muscle spasms and cramps;
• Reduction in occurrence and intensity of migraines;
• Reduction in risk of osteoporosis, tooth decay and loss, and periodontal disease by enhancing the activation of Vitamin D (Vitamin D from the sun, food, and supplements is inactive until it is processed in the liver and then the kidneys; it needs magnesium's help to do this by, among other processes, enabling Vitamin D to bind to carrier proteins, increasing the number of Vitamin D receptors in cells, and supporting the synthesis of parathyroid hormone.  Likewise, you need Vitamin D to help enhance uptake of Magnesium in your intestines.  So if you're supplementing with Vitamin D, which I know many people are, you might consider supplementing with Magnesium to enhance absorption and assimilation of Vitamin D.);
• Reductions in risks of osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease by enhancing rerouting and uptake of excess calcium to and by the bones instead of allowing it to collect in the arteries (Vitamin D does this as well, so once again, if you supplement with one, you might consider supplementing with the other);
• Reducing chronic inflammation and oxidative stress by enhancing production of glutathione, one of the body's most potent antioxidants;
• Reducing risk of depression in women;
• Reducing incidence (often complete cessation) of heart palpitations;
• Reducing PMS symptoms;
• Noteworthy:  If you are taking proton pump inhibitors (PPI's), like Prevacid, Prilosec, or Nexium for things like GERD / reflux, you might consider having your blood magnesium levels checked in that studies have repeatedly found PPI's to cause low levels of magnesium, which is associated with increased risk of all of the above diseases and symptoms!  

Here's the Extended Release Magnesium I take before bed every night to help enhance my sleep quality and encourage a morning elimination pattern. 
As you read above, if you take magnesium, you might also consider supplementing with Vitamin D and vice-versa; they have similar benefits to the mind and body and are associated with the prevention and reduction in risk of similar diseases. (Here's the liquid Vitamin D, also from Life Extension, that I take with meals twice a day). 
Consider getting both blood levels of magnesium and vitamin D tested first; here's the link the to test magnesium and test vitamin D privately through Life Extension. 
I take their comprehensive Female Panel blood test every year to stay on top of any increased risk factors or deficiencies that I can work on through diet, supplements, lifestyle, and Ayurvedic herbs.  

Let me know if you have any questions regarding this topic at Meghan Hays Ayurveda Salt Lake City - meghan@meghanhays.com or www.meghanhays.com; I hope it was informative and that it possibly even helps prevent disease in you and your loved ones!  

Turmeric Benefits
Pure Gold: How Ayurvedic Herb, Turmeric, Prevents and Heals Disease
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Meghan Hays Ayurveda
Ayurveda Salt Lake City

Turmeric has been used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic medicine to season food, heal the liver and skin, and prevent and cure a myriad of health challenges.  You've probably heard of some of turmeric's medicinal properties, like its ability to reduce pain and inflammation in the body (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19594223/), but it seems like new studies are published monthly affirming its uses for so many more diseases and health challenges--turmeric benefits so many diseases from IBS to cancer, just to name two.

Turmeric is probably my favorite Ayurvedic herb (and that's saying a LOT!), so I wanted to give you a little summary of some of the most compelling studies that have come out over that last several years about the turmeric benefits, or the benefits of curcumin (the active constituent in turmeric), for everything from the brain the digestive system. You can decide for yourself, whether or not turmeric has a permanent place in your spice repertoire.  (If you'd like more information about Ayurveda, check out Meghan Hays Ayurveda's quick, introductory videos by clicking here!)

Studies in humans and animals show curcumin's/turmeric's ability to:

• reduce stress, anxiety, and fatigue;
• support weight loss, healthy lipid/cholesterol levels, and healthy blood pressure levels;
• increase lifespan by up to 26% of those who consume turmeric regularly (!);
• reduce symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease;
• reduce neuroinflammation (inflammation in the nervous system that damages brain cells)
• reverse memory loss;
• form new neurons (messengers in the brain and nervous system);
• protect against the cognitive decline of aging;
• alleviate oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage in animal models of Parkinson's disease;
• aid in myelin sheath repair to reduce symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis;
• reduce diabetes-related hyperalgesia (increased sensitivity to pain);
• reduce damage from ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes by reducing oxidative stress, cell death, inflammation, and fluid in the brain;
• encourage cell autophagy (the normal death of abnormal cells; this is a normal process that is supposed to happen regularly in our bodies; when it doesn't, those "undead" cells can disrupt cells around them and even turn into cancer);
• increase length of telomeres (the end-caps of our chromosomes, or genetic material; as they divide and replicate throughout out lifetimes, they also become shorter, which disrupts our cellular functions and can cause early aging and disease);
• prevent cancerous tumors from forming their own "blood-lines" to our circulatory systems (turmeric "starves" cancer cells!);
• and the list could go on, but I know you only have so much time!

So how do you get it into your diet?

• Add it to salad dressings, marinades, and sauces.
• Sprinkle it into stir-fries, grains, and soups.
• Take it in supplement form (here's a great one from Life Extension).
• Order capsules from me (I'm happy to make them for you with organic, sustainably sourced, turmeric powder - meghan@meghanhays.com).

• Drink "Golden Milk" before bed (here's a lovely recipe with great info from Elizabeth Ridder).
• Bonus: turmeric dip/marinade/dressing recipe here by Clean Cuisine!

I hope that gives you some inspiration to incorporate more of this amazing herb into your daily diet.  You can start to see the benefits of turmeric today!  I believe it's pure gold!

See you in our 90's! ;)

To learn more about Ayurveda, Ayurvedic herbs, Ayurvedic medicine, and how Ayurveda can help you, contact Meghan Hays Ayurveda. 

Meghan Hays Ayurveda serves Salt Lake City and greater Utah, as well as all around the world through virtual appointments and care.  

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A Very Versatile and Ayurvedic Curry Vegetable Soup for Vata Dosha

It's fall and according to Ayurveda, this means that Vata Dosha is becoming aggravated. 

Soothing Vata Dosha according to Ayurveda can be achieved by eating foods that have the opposite quality of Vata Dosha (cold and dry) which are warm and wet. 

Here is a Vata Dosha Soothing, Ayurvedic Curry Vegetable Soup Recipe. 

Feel free to omit any ingredients you find disagreeable.

But be careful about adding too many herbs to this wonderful dish unless you are familiar with Vata Soothing Herbal Formulation. 

To learn more about the Three Ayurvedic Doshas - Visit our Doshas Page

Very Versatile Ingredients
(I've given lots of options - feel free to leave out or add more!):

1-2 Tbs. Ghee (or oil of your choice - sesame is good for vata, sunflower good for pitta, safflower nice for kapha)
1 Medium Onion, chopped(or 2-3 Shallots, chopped)
4-5 Cloves Garlic, minced or grated 
1 in Fresh Ginger, grated or minced (or 2 tsp. dried ginger powder)
1-2 Heads Baby Bok Choy, chopped
3 Medium Carrots, chopped
4 Stalks Celery, chopped
2 Small / 1 Large Russet Potato(es), chopped
(or 2 Small / 1 Large Sweet Potato(es) or 4 Small-Medium Yukon Gold Potatoes, chopped)
Half Pint (about 1 Cup) Cherry/Grape Tomatoes, sliced in half  (these are optional - could instead use a 14-oz can diced or crushed tomatoes or 1-2 chopped, plum or Roma tomatoes)
1 lb. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast, chopped into bite-sized pieces
(or a Rotisserie Chicken, shredded; or 1 lb. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs, or 2 Cans Chickpeas, or 1 block of tofu, cubed, or meat substitute of your choice)
1 quart / 4 cups Vegetable (or Chicken) Stock/Broth + a bit more in case you need to thin out the stew (No broth?  No worries!  Use water!)
1 Can Coconut Milk, unsweetened (lite is fine)
8 oz. Dried Noodles, broken into 1-2 in pieces, or Macaroni or whatever shape you like!
(or 3-4 cups cooked noodles, chopped into small pieces or 1/2 cup uncooked  or 2 cups cooked rice/quinoa/grain of your choice)
2 Tbs. curry Powder
(or 1 Tbs. Turmeric Powder and a little extra pepper or 1 tsp. Chili Powder)
1 Tbs. + 1 tsp. Cumin Powder (start with 1 tsp. if unsure and then add more to taste)
1 Tbs. + 1 tsp. Coriander Powder (start with 1 tsp. if unsure and then add more to taste)
1 Tbs. Sea or Pink Salt + more to taste at the end
1/2 - 1 Tbs. Pepper, depending on taste 
Juice of 2 Limes (optional - start with just one or half of one if unsure)

Directions: 

• Heat ghee or oil in large pot over medium-high heat.
• Saute' all vegetables EXCEPT ginger, garlic, and grape tomatoes, stirring frequently to prevent any burning/sticking (turn down heat if necessary) for about 10 minutes, or until everyone is a bit softened.
• Add chicken or protein, stirring frequently, or until slightly cooked/warmed through (about 5-7 minutes).  Don't worry, you will be finishing the cooking process when you add the stock/water.
• Add ginger, garlic, grape tomatoes, and all spices, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes to prevent burning/sticking to bottom of pot.  Things should start to smell pretty good at this point.  
• Add all the broth or water, scraping bottom of pot to remove any yummy, brown bits.  Add coconut milk, if using, stirring around to "melt" and incorporate.
• Bring to a boil, add pasta or grain if using uncooked (wait until the end if you're pasta or grain is already cooked).  Stir everyone around a few times to make sure pasta/grains aren't stuck together or to the bottom of the pot. 
• Reduce to simmer with lid cracked a little for 20-30 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender and grains/pasta is done.  Check on it after about 15 minutes to add any extra broth or water if getting thick and to give everyone a good stir to remove any stuck grain or pasta from the bottom of the pot.  
• Add cooked pasta/grain if using; stir well to incorporate and warm through.
• Add lime juice, if using; then taste for salt and spices, adding more if necessary. 
• Enjoy!  (Better yet, store it in the fridge overnight; it's even better the next day!)
  Tip: if you add too much salt, throw in a few more chopped potatoes and broth, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer for 20 more minutes, or until potatoes are done; they will absorb a great deal of the salt and fix things right up for you.  

We hope you enjoy our Vata Dosha soothing, Ayurvedic Curry Vegetable Soup Recipe.

If you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to send them to: 
meghan@meghanhays.com or drop them in the comments section below. 

If you interested in a full Ayurvedic Consultation, please Contact Meghan

Meghan Hays is an Ayurvedic Practitioner located in Salt Lake City Utah. If you are interested in Ayurveda Salt Lake City - Please email: meghan@meghanhays.com 

Ayurvedic Elements - Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether - Introduction to Ayurveda

Thousands of years ago, the original Ayurvedic scholars, called "rishis," observed that everything in nature, including ourselves, is made of five ayurvedic elements: earth, water, fire, air, and ether.  While these elements are not to be taken literally (rather, they are metaphors for all the molecules and energies that make up our universe), we can find health and harmony in our lives by observing and working to balance these elements through Ayurvedic diet, lifestyle, and daily habits/practices.  

Here is an overview of what those elements might look like in your mind and body.  When these elements come together, they are called the Ayurvedic "doshas."  You can read more about the doshas here.  

The Earth Element = Structure and Stability

The earth element is what gives everything shape and form--anything you can touch or feel contains the earth element.  In the body, earth gives us our form and shape. It gives rise to all of our bodily tissues.  In the mind, earth brings stability.

When we have too much earth element in the body, we will have too much tissue (weight gain).  When we have too much earth in the mind, it leads to dullness and lethargy. Conversely, when you have deficient earth element in your body, you will also be deficient in tissue.  When you have deficient earth in the mind, you will experience instability and have difficulty maintaining information.   

The Water Element = Moisture and Flow

The water element gives rise to all substances that contain or involve moisture.  In the body water represents all bodily fluids, specifically the lymphatic and interstitial fluids.  The water element is also involved in byproducts and waste fluids like mucous, sweat, urine, tears, breast milk, and male and female reproductive fluids. 

The water element In the mind is involved in flow, which allows you to flow from one task to another in your day and allows you to experience a healthy flow of thoughts.  When we have excessive water element in the body, you might experience swelling, or edema, and excess fluid production. 

In the mind, excess water element will manifest in excessive emotional flow (ex. excessive tears and even excessively deep feelings of sadness).  When water is deficient in the body, we will experience dry mucous membranes and tissues.  In the mind, deficient water element will show up as an inability to "flow"--or an emotional "dryness" of sorts. This could be seen in an inability to form emotional attachments.  

The Fire Element = transformation/metabolism/clarity

The Fire Element is involved in anything that produces heat.  The fire element, therefore, is involved in digestive fire, and metabolism in the body at both the gross and cellular level,

The fire element gives you the ability to transform food into healthy bodily tissue.  In the mind, fire element gives you the ability to transform sensory input into clear concepts and to discern and experience clarity.

In excess, the fire element produces too much heat, or inflammation, in the body. This could manifest in your metabolism processing food and energy too quickly. It can potentially "eat up" tissue when it runs out of fuel and cause symptoms like redness, heat/fever, and/or  weight loss. 

Excess fire in the mind results in angry emotions, intensity around work and projects, and criticism of others.  Laci of fire element in the body can cause coldness, sluggishness, and even weight gain.  In the mind, deficient fire element will cause lack of clarity and discernment, making deciding things difficult, and motivation scarce.  

The Air Element = Motion

The air element is involved in all movement in the universe. It is a unique element in that it is the only element that has innate movement, and can move around the other elements. 

The Air Element, like the wind, has a variable nature to it. It is always changing.  Becuase of this, the air element is inherently unstable. 

The air element governs all the movement in the body: everything from nutrients and wastes moving in and out of cellular membranes, to blood circulating through your veins, to the movement of your limbs, to the movement of your thoughts, and especially the movement of food and waste through your digestive tract. 

Excessive air element in the body can result in dryness and coolness (think of air evaporating sweat from your skin and cooling you off), nervous ticks and tremors, and variable digestive symptoms. 

Excessive air element in the mind will usually result in agitation, "circling" thoughts, repetitive thought patterns, fear, anxiety, and worry. 

If you don't have enough air element you might experience dullness, lethargy, and potentially slow reflexes.  Deficient air in the mind will be reflected similarly as dullness, heaviness, and potential difficulty recalling concepts.
  
The Ether Element = Idea of "connectedness" / Space

The Ether Element is the container in which all of the other elements reside.  It is the context within which the other f0ur ayurvedic elements assemble or manifest. You can think of the ether element as the "vacuum" of space.  Ether element tends to have a diminishing effect on the other elements.

As an example, the ether element increases in you as you age. Think about the changes aging brings about.  Your hair grows thinner, your skin and bones grow thinner/diminish, Your mind becomes more unstable. 

It follows, then, when the ether element accumulates in the body, we have weaker and drier tissues; when it accumulates in the mind, we become ungrounded, unfocused, and spacey.  When we don't have enough in the body, we become heavy and dull; when ether is deficient in the mind, we have trouble connecting concepts, connecting with others, and connecting with the Divine.  

The Five Elements and the Doshas
The five elements come together to make up your unique constitution.  They also come together to form the three, Ayurvedic Doshas. 

Since we interact with the world and elements around us, it is inevitable that we will accumulate too much of one or more elements or become deficient in them throughout our day, throughout the seasons, and throughout our lifetimes.  

Ayurveda seeks to teach us about ourselves so that we can take responsibility for our health and bring ourselves back into balance through diet, lifestyle, daily habits, and remembering that we are Nature--we are Divine.  

In your 2-hour Initial Ayurvedic Consultation and 50-min Report of Findings, we will determine the unique combination of elements in you--at birth and in the current moment.  We will give you the tools you need to bring yourself back into balance--to heal yourself from the inside-out.  

Combinations of all the elements make up all of nature, including our bodies and minds.  Each one of us has all five elements in different combinations. The elements make up the three, Ayurvedic doshas, or the fundamental energy in the universe and in our bodies and minds.  Each of us has a unique balance of these elements and doshas at conception, or birth.  These energies tend to go out of balance at different times in our lives due to environmental factors, such as diet, lifestyle, climate, relationships, daily habits, and even thought patterns.  

Summary
The Five Elements of Ayurveda Are: Earth, Fire, Water, Air, and Ether. Everything in nature that can be said to exist are comprised of these five basic elements. Ayurveda seeks to restore balance to the individual through balance of the five Ayurvedic Elements. 

To learn more about the five Ayurvedic Elements, click here for a video by Meghan Hays Ayurveda Salt Lake City. 

To schedule an appointment or ask for more information,
email meghan@meghanhays.com.

To book your initial consultation now, click here. 
 
Email me today to set up your 2-hour Initial Ayurvedic Consultation and 50-minute Report of Findings.  I am an Ayurvedic Practitioner and Ayurvedic Health Counselor in Salt Lake City; I can also meet with you anywhere in the world via Skype, Zoom, or FaceTime.  
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