Magnesium Benefits

7/29/2022

Magnesium Benefits

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 - [email protected] or www.meghanhays.com; I hope it was informative and that it possibly even helps prevent disease in you and your loved ones!

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Turmeric Benefits

4/6/2022

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Turmeric Benefits
Pure Gold: How Ayurvedic Herb, Turmeric, Prevents and Heals Disease

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 - [email protected]).

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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Ayurvedic Diet Tips: How Apples and Walnuts Can Extend Your Life and Protect Your Heart

3/17/2022

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Ayurvedic Diet Tips

I guess the old adage, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away," wasn't a complete fabrication. Just one apple a day is associated with a lowered risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all-cause mortality, but a more recent study shows that eating two apples a day can reduce LDL cholesterol AND lower triglyceride levels (Br J Nutr. 2016 Mar 14;115(5):860-7; Am J Nutr. 2020 Feb 1;111(2):307-18). That's an easy Ayurvedic diet tip if I've ever heard one.

Researchers hypothesize that the high level of phytochemicals, like quercetin, flavonoids, and carotenoids could play a part in reducing numerous types of cancer, as well as lower risks of cardiovascular disease, asthma, and type II diabetes.

Don't go shopping just yet; add walnuts to your list of healthy Ayurvedic diet tips!

In a landmark study using data collected over 20 years, researchers found a link between eating more walnuts and a lower overall risk of death among older adults. (https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/925845).

To sum it up the study and incorporate this Ayurvedic diet tip:
- 60-year-old Americans who at 5 of more servings of walnuts per week lived roughly 1.3 years longer than those who never ate them;
- these people also had a 14% lower risk of death from ANY CAUSE;
- furthermore, they had a 25% (!!!) lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than their counterparts.

Here's probably why:

Walnuts contain fiber, magnesium, alpha-linolenic acid, and omega-3 fatty acids, which, researchers conjecture, may improve blood lipids (fats and cholesterol), enhance the function of the endothelial cells that line the arteries, and prevent oxidative stress.

Past studies have shown daily walnut consumption to reduce blood pressure as well as total cholesterol, LDL, IDL (Intermediate Density Lipoprotein), and triglycerides.

Walnuts also have cancer-fighting properties; their peptide fractions have been shown to inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells by about 63% and colon cancer cells by about 51%.

What's more, walnut consumption has been shown to reduce oxidative damage and inflammation in brain cells, providing promising correlations between throwing some walnuts into your daily diet and reducing your risk of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, stroke, and depression.

How much is enough?
Most studies show that just 1-1.5 oz (about 1/4 to 1/3 Cup or 28 - 42g) of walnuts 5-7 days a week can give you all of these benefits.

What's the easiest way to get in an ounce of walnuts and two apples a day?
You can do what I do and have oatmeal ("old-fashioned," or rolled oats) almost every morning. I cook a chopped apple into it (so yummy with cinnamon and cardamom), and, along with a drizzle of maple syrup or honey, I sprinkle an ounce of chopped walnuts on top. Then you can snack on an apple later in the day. Done! Both are also great in salads or fabulous for a simple snickety-snack.

I hope this inspires you to make a few easy shifts in your daily diet! If you'd like to know more, Meghan Hays is an Ayurvedic Practitioner in Salt Lake City, Utah. She offers Ayurveda both in person and virtually. Email her to get more info or book your 2-hour Initial Consult and 75-min. Report of Findings here!

BOOK NOW!

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Very Versatile Curry Vegetable Chicken Noodle Soup Ayurveda Recipe - Great for Fall and Vata Dosha

11/23/2021

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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:
[email protected] 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: [email protected]

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Ayurvedic Soup Recipe - Cozy Up to Fall, the Vata Season.

10/3/2021

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Ayurvedic Soup Recipe:
Coconut Curry Root Veggie Soup
for Vata Season and Vata Dosha

Ayurvedic Soup Recipe - Fall and early winter are the "vata season" in Ayurveda. Vata dosha is made of the elements, air and ether (learn more about the Ayurvedic elements here; and then read more about the Ayurvedic doshas here). Throughout summer, vata is in the "accumulation phase" in our world and in our bodies, preparing for what Ayurveda calls the "aggravation phase" in the fall. When fully expressed, or aggravated, vata is dry, cold, mobile, unstable, and light. Aggravated in our bodies, we can see this as dry skin, eyes, and mucous membranes, dry hair, unstable joints, gas, bloating, and constipation. Aggravated in our minds, we can see this as worry, fear, anxiety, overwhelm, and depression.

Do you dread fall? You might already have a great deal of vata in your Ayurvedic constitution (the way your genes express themselves through the elements and doshas, when you came into this world). On the other hand, you might have a great deal of vata aggravation, or imbalance, especially if you live a fast-paced lifestyle with a lot of movement, "busy-ness," and/or travel (and not a lot of rest or routine).

To balance the vata symptoms you might experience any time of the year, and especially in the fall, or vata season, Ayurveda tells us to bring in the opposite qualities of vata: warmth, moisture, stability, and heaviness (fire, water, and earth elements). So we eat more soups, stews, curries, and stir fries, cooked with more oils for moisture, spices for warmth and improved digestion, and root vegetables for stability/earth quality.

Here's a fabulous recipe that you can use as a "template" for soups, stews, and curries all fall and winter long! Feel free to change out any of the veggies for others, add any protein (great with shredded chicken), and change up the spices to suit your tastes. Don't like onion and/or garlic? Throw in a pinch of hing (asafoetida) powder.

However you like it, here's to balanced vata dosha!

Ayurvedic Coconut Curry Root Veggie Soup Recipe for Vata Dosha and Fall Season

Ingredients:

1 tbs. Ghee (can sub Butter or Oil of Choice)
1 tbs. Sunflower Oil (can sub Sesame/Oil of Choice or more Ghee)
1/2 Medium Yellow/Sweet Onion, diced
2 Small or 1 Large Russet Potato(es), chopped into 1/2" cubes
1 Small Butternut Squash, chopped into 1/2" cubes (about 2 cups if using frozen cubes) (feel free to toast the seeds, if you're starting with a whole squash, to sprinkle over your soup!) - you could also sub in sweet potato, parsnips, rutabaga, more russets, or more carrots and celery here
3 Medium Carrots, sliced into thin coins
3 Large Celery Stalks, sliced in half lengthwise and then sliced across thinly
1/2 lb. Shiitake Mushrooms - optional, but they make it so earthy and further strengthen the immune-boosting power of the ginger and garlic! (de-stem and slice the caps -- save the stems for a mushroom or veggie broth later)
1-2 inches Fresh Ginger, peeled and grated (or sub in 1-2 tsp. Ginger powder)
3-4 Cloves Garlic, peeled and grated
1 Tbs. Curry Powder (or if you don't like the heat, 1 Tbs. Turmeric powder)
1 Tbs. Cumin Powder
1/2 Tbs. Coriander Powder
4 Cups Vegetable Broth (I like to make my own with leftover and accumulated, frozen veggie peels and scraps, including those aforementioned mushroom stems.)
1 Can Light (or Regular) Coconut Milk
1 Can Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed (or chopped, boneless, skinless chicken breast/thighs - about a pound total works here)
2 Tbs. Sea Salt (or more or less depending on your taste and how salty your broth is)
1 Bunch Cilantro, chopped - save stems for another use, like tossing them in with your next stir fry (optional - can sub in flat-leaf parsley if you don't like cilantro)
Juice of Limes (optional)

Directions:

Heat ghee and/or oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat.
Add onion, potatoes, squash, carrots, and about a tablespoon of salt to help soften/draw out moisture from the veggies; sauté, stirring frequently, until softened (about 7-8 minutes).
Add celery and mushrooms, sautéing another 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until also softened.
Add garlic, ginger, curry/turmeric, cumin, and coriander and stir constantly so everyone is coated in seasoning and to avoid burning the garlic.
Add broth, coconut milk, and chickpeas (or protein of your choice--great time to throw in chopped, skinless, chicken breast or thighs); stir well until combined.
Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Allow to simmer, partially covered, for 30-40 minutes, or until potatoes and squash are fork tender.
Stir in optional lime juice and cilantro.
Taste and adjust for seasoning, adding the remaining tablespoon of salt (or more or less, depending on your taste).
Serve it up, and enjoy!

Meghan Hays is an Ayurvedic Practitioner offering Ayurveda Salt Lake City. To Schedule Your Initial Ayurvedic Consult, Please Contact US

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How to Get Better Sleep - An Ayurvedic Perspective

9/14/2021

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How To Get Better Sleep From An Ayurvedic Perspective

Sleep is one of the three pillars of health in Ayurveda, along with diet and creative output. Arguably, sleep is the most important pillar in that, if you don’t get enough sleep, you won’t have the energy to do the other two—you won’t have the energy to make healthy and supportive food choices, and you won’t have the energy to bring forth into the world what you are inspired to create or manifest (at the very least, you won’t be able to work to support yourself).

Sleep is what we, as humans, spend a third of lives doing (assuming you’re getting the recommended 8 hours). Sleep is perhaps the cornerstone of our health, and ironically, I’d say most people would admit that they’re either not getting enough sleep, or they’re not getting quality sleep—they’re not feeling rested upon rising in the morning.

How To Get Better Sleep:

Schedule
If you have a schedule that allows you to sleep at night (versus a job that requires you to take a night shift, etc.), Ayurveda tells us to be in bed by 10pm at the latest. Ideally, we would be asleep by this time. If you stay up later than this, you’ll get a “second wind.”

Why? Well…Ayurveda tells us that the liver is doing really important detoxification jobs between 10pm and 2pm. Among the 500 or so other metabolic processes it assists with, the liver gets “revved up” around 10pm to clean up any toxins you consumed over the course of the day that it couldn’t get to (because it was assisting with digesting your food), recycling old blood cells, and turning all of that into bile.

So your metabolism gets going to do its nighttime janitorial duties around 10pm. If you’re asleep, you won’t even notice, unless you’ve done something to interfere with this process like consume a lot of alcohol or eat too close to bedtime (in which case you’ll probably wake up nice and warm, even hot—more on this later). If you’re awake, however, you might notice that, no matter how tired you are, you “become alive,” or get a second wind, and want to start watching a new series on Netflix, interact with social media, or start cleaning out your closet.

For me, I notice this begins around 9:30pm or so. So I have to start winding down around 9pm in order to thwart this tendency; otherwise, I’ll be up until 2am organizing my pantry and planning my calendar for the next year. True story. And obviously, this unsupportive habit sets you up for a vicious cycle of waking up groggy, exhausted, and sleepy, slogging your way through the workday, plopping yourself down on the couch, ordering take out because you’re too tired to cook, watching TV and checking your phone all night, interfering with your circadian rhythms with all that blue light (more on this later too), and then getting that second wind to repeat it all over again, only to try to catch up on the weekends or on your days off, which then messes up your rhythm even more.

So what do you do?

1) Eat an earlier, lighter dinner.
Be finished with your dinner and all eating by 7pm at the very latest (I, personally, try to eat around 6pm and be done with the meal by 6:30pm). This will give you at least 3 hours between dinner and bedtime. If you go to bed with food on your stomach, your liver won’t be able to do all those nighttime janitorial duties about which I just spoke. This is also where I feel a lot of diet pitfalls come into play for so many of us. We eat at night for comfort, looking for a reward for doing a hard job all day or just for making through the day. I promise you will drop weight if you stick to this rule of finishing dinner and all food by 7pm or earlier.

Also, make sure dinner is not the largest meal of your day. Your metabolism is higher around Noon, so eating your largest meal at that time is best and ensures you’ll digest any heavier choices well before bedtime. Your metabolism is beginning to lower to get you ready for sleep in the evening, so make dinner a smaller version of lunch, or choose lighter options like soup or salad at this time.

Have a family or partner that expects dinner to be a big event? Do what I do and cook a big pot of soup or stew and just have a smaller portion of it. What if your family likes to eat later? Have a cup of soup or a lite salad on your own, and then join them when they eat dinner with a cup of herbal tea for yourself. Explain to them what you’re trying to do and why you’re doing it. Ensure them that you’re so happy to sit down and join them, catch up with them about their day, etc. even though you’re not eating with them.

Maybe you have a partner who likes to cook, but they always do it later in the evening. Have them put aside a portion for you to eat for lunch the next day. Make sure to tell them how much you loved and appreciated it. Again, join them while they eat and enjoy the company and conversation. Explain to them what you’re doing.

I’ve seen all of these strategies work really well for people, when they actually mean business about improving their sleep and getting their digestion and health back on track. You have to stand in your confidence and conviction; be loving but firm in your resolve. It’s possible to make this work, even if the rest of your household isn’t on board.

If you need a little treat or get hungry about an hour before bed, have ½ a cup of warm oat, almond, hemp, or dairy milk with a ¼ teaspoon of Ashwagandha powder (you can order this from Banyan Botanicals), a pinch of nutmeg to digest it (incidentally, it’s also a mild sedative), and a little raw honey or maple syrup. This will help you sleep, satisfy a sweet tooth, and it’s light enough that it won’t interfere with your liver’s clean-up-on-aisle-six job. Limit it to half a cup so you don’t have to wake up and pee in the middle of the night.

On a side note, cut out any beverages an hour before bed to help with that issue, if it is one for you.

2) Limit Alcohol Consumption
Speaking of beverages, alcohol is one of the main culprits for disrupted sleep. It requires a LOT of work from your liver since it is basically poison (don’t get me wrong: I love my wine!), disrupts your hormones, and dehydrates you. If you drink more than one drink a night, you’re probably waking up in the middle of the night, usually hot and thirsty, possibly with anxiety or problem-solving on your mind, or you have to get up to pee multiple times in the night because of alcohol’s diuretic qualities. If you choose to consume alcohol, limit it to one drink, have it with a meal (incidentally, the Mediterranean diet correlates red wine consumption WITH food to its positive health benefits), and have it before 7pm so your liver doesn’t have to spend its nighttime janitorial duties processing alcohol while you sleep.

3) Evening Activities
In order to induce sleep at the right time, you’ll need to allow your eyes and your brain to observe the increasing darkness outside. You are part of nature; just like the animals that are awake with the sun and asleep when it’s dark, so should you be in order to prevent disease and feel your most balanced self. Screens and bright lights interfere directly with this process.
-Blue light from screens interferes with our circadian rhythms (biorhythms that follow the light of the sun) – blue light suppresses melatonin, which is the hormone that makes us sleepy – okay during the daytime but problematic after sunset b/c it will keep you from being sleepy at appropriate times
-Blue light is emitted by fluorescent lights, LED lights, and all of your devices/screens
-Some ideas:
Turn off screens at LEAST 1 hour before bed (2-3 if you are having serious sleep problems)
Dim lights / use more candles (carefully)
  Trade your regular reading lamp’s light bulb for a red or orange light (longer wavelengths than blue, so doesn’t penetrate the skin like blue light) – one that doesn’t emit blue light – or try candlelight if it doesn’t cause you to strain your eyes
  Blue-light blocking or amber glasses to mitigate the melatonin-suppressing effects of the blue light if you have to/want to look at screens after dark

So what do you do instead of look at screens or eat? Try some of these options to wind down:
At 9pm, turn off the TV and/or put away your phone (go ahead and set your alarm for in the morning, if you use your phone for that).
  Take a warm, Epsom salt bath (I like 2 cups per bath) to absorb muscle and nervous system-relaxing Magnesium. Drop 20-40 drops of Lavender and a few drops of Chamomile essential oils into your bath. Relax.
  Rub almond or coconut oil on your skin, massaging gently and with self-love.
  Slip on some PJ’s you don’t care about getting a little oil on.
Use my 30 minute Relaxation/Restorative video or any of the techniques and stretches in those videos to get your body prepped for sleep.
I like to sit outside under the stars and listen to an audiobook. I get to “read” without using a screen.
  I also like to curl up after my bath/nighttime beauty rituals with an actual paper book or magazine (remember those?).

Creating a ritual that you start one hour before bed will get your body and nervous system back into the habit of getting sleepy at an appropriate time each night. Give it time; be patient. It might be hard to do this at first, and you might not be sleepy the first couple of nights or even the first week. But trust me, you will feel so much better once you get into the groove.

4) Bonus Tips To Help You Get Better Sleep
- Lower the temperature of your sleeping room/bedroom to somewhere between 60 and 69 degrees Farenheit (some sources say even lower!). We like 68 degrees.
- Invest in blackout curtains OR wear a sleeping mask (cheap ones that work really well on Amazon). I can’t live or travel without mine now. It’s amazing how much light can come in from streetlights, automatic lights on your house, etc. The darker the better.
- If you are a light sleeper, consider investing in some earplugs. I like Mack’s silicone putty ear plugs. They’re a little tricky to get used to the first time you use them in that you’ll hear the sound of your own breathing very distinctly (kind of like being in a sound deprivation tank), but trust me, once you get used to it, you will be amazed at how much sounder you sleep and how much less you awaken to random noises in the night.
- Try my Ayurvedic Sleep Tincture! Link here! Take one whole dropper-full (you might need to "dip" the dropper twice to get the whole dosage) when you're tossing and turning and need a "nudge" to get some Zzzz's.

I hope this helps give you some ideas about how to get better sleep. If you simply adhere to having an earlier, lighter dinner by 7pm (6:30pm even better), you will improve your digestion, your weight, AND your sleep.

Summary - How to Get Better Sleep

_Bed/Asleep by 10pm
_Dinner/All Food by 7pm or earlier (I try for 6:30pm)
_Dinner should be lighter than lunch.
_½ cup warm Milk, ¼ teaspoon Ashwagandha powder, pinch nutmeg, and honey or maple syrup to taste about an hour before bed
_Limit all other beverages/liquids one hour before bed
_Limit alcohol to one drink/glass of wine with a meal and be done by 7pm.
_Turn off all screens 1 hour before bed.
_Create a nighttime ritual that you start that 1 hour before bed that can include anything you’d like, as long as it doesn’t involve screens.
_Create an optimal environment for sleep by lowering the temperature a great deal and investing in a sleep mask and/or ear plugs that work for you. Try a few until you find the one(s) that feel good.

If you'd like Ayurveda in Salt Lake City and to work more closely on sleep and insomnia, feel free to email me at [email protected]. I also offer virtual appointments to anyone in the world. You can learn more about Ayurvedic Health Counseling by clicking here.

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The 5 Ayurvedic Elements - Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether - Introduction to Ayurveda Salt Lake City

9/4/2021

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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 [email protected].

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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Ayurveda For Salt Lake City Utah

8/18/2021

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Ayurveda For Salt Lake City Utah

Ayurveda for Salt Lake City Utah - How is practicing ayurveda in Salt Lake City (or anywhere in Utah or the desert west region) different from practicing ayurveda in other parts of the country.

When we relocated from New Orleans to the high desert, my ayurveda Salt Lake City had to change. In New Orleans, the environment was hot and wet most of the time. So coming here to Utah where it is "high and dry" - I had to alter the way my husband was practicing ayurveda because he has a lot of Vata already, and being here was just going to further complicate the potential imbalances. Without all of that hot and wet air from the Gulf of Mexico tamping his Vata Dosha down, I was worried he might end up with a terrible Vata Imbalance, so we had to make a lot of adjustments to his diet and daily routine to help keep him in balance.

That got me thinking - there are probably a lot of people in Salt Lake City and Utah who need Ayurveda to help stay on top of the dryness and altitude to prevent a Vata Imbalance.

Let me explain Ayurveda and Geographical Environment to get started. First off, it is important to think about your region and it's qualities. The Salt Lake City area could be called "high and dry" to put a fine point on it. So when you are looking at Ayurveda for a region, you have to think about what elements qualities correspond to the elements of where you live.

As an example - the qualities of the Air Element are cold and dry, but certainly "high and dry" fall directly into the Air Element, which in Ayurveda is called Vata.

So if you live want to do ayurveda salt lake city, then you have to think, "O.K., it is high and dry where I live. That is a lot of Vata in my environment. So if I already have a lot of Vata Dosha (air element) in my constitution, and then I live in a place that also has the qualities of Air, then you get air on air, and that isn't good. It is going to go out of balance. I should work hard to balance all of that air."

How might you do that? Add the OPPOSITE QUALITIES into your life.

If the qualities you are trying to offset are cold and dry (the qualities of the air element), then you want to add the opposite qualities of Warm and Wet.

How do you do this?

Easy - Add:
- eating foods that are warm and wet - like soup.
- put oil on your body and moisturize your skin every day (abhyanga in Ayurveda)

Remove -
- Cold Dry Foods from you diet
- Carbonated Beverages (cold and full of air bubbles)
- Excessive Movement
- Excessive Meditation
- Extreme anything - Vata equals movement, so slowing down and avoiding anything extreme in your life will help reduce Vata Imbalance.

Vata imbalances can lead to dry joints, dry hair, anxiety, and eventually disease. Vata (being like the wind) is the easiest of all of the doshas to become imbalanced, and the hardest to contain and balance. This is doubly true, when you live in the high desert.

If you are wondering how to apply ayurveda Salt Lake City, please contact Meghan today by e-mail [email protected] or visit our Contact Page where you can book an Ayurvedic Consultation at her Ayurveda Clinic Salt Lake City.

Email: [email protected]

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Ayurveda and Weight Loss - Part 2

8/7/2021

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Ayurveda and Weight Loss - Part 2 Sustainable Solutions to Attain Your Healthiest Weight

Ayurveda and Weight Loss Part 2 - If you haven't read "Part 1," on Ayurveda and Weight Loss, you can do that by scrolling down to my last post. Now that you understand the root causes of weight gain, let’s talk about why you’re probably here: what can I do about this weight gain? How do I bring myself back into balance?

Ayurveda Diet - From an Ayurvedic perspective, we always want to address the root of the problem. So you’ll want to consult with a practitioner to determine your prakruti, or your underlying constitution. Are you a vata working with a kapha imbalance? Are you a kapha, working with a kapha imbalance? You get the idea. Online quizzes are helpful, but don’t often differentiate clearly between prakruti and vikruti (underlying constitution and current imbalance). More About Ayurvedic Diet

And then you’ll also want to look at a what, exactly, has happened in your life that is causing you to gain weight? What do your daily habits look like (do you have any, or is everything changing from day to day)? After that, we bring in the diet, lifestyle, and daily habits that will work best for you, as each individual is unique with different needs.

That being said, I’m going to give you some solutions today that ANY constitution can use to heal their relationship with food and the underlying causes of their kapha imbalance, or weight gain.

1) Take back your relationship with food. Working on digestion is one of the highest (maybe THE highest) physical practice in Ayurveda. Your body is your vehicle for contributing love and light to this world. Ayurveda wants you to treat it as such. And how do we build that body and its tissues? Through food we eat, of course. We literally are what we eat. Eating, therefore, is a sacred act. We do it at least three times a day; therefore, you have at least three opportunities every…single…day to get back in touch with and even take control over the type of body and the type of tissue you build. HOW you eat is even more important than WHAT you eat with regard to building healthy digestion and strong bodily tissues. Here are the guidelines to create a healthy eating environment at least three times a day:

A. At the same times each day, sit down, eliminate distractions, and create a calm environment. Let’s unpack that guideline b/c there’s a lot there.

“At the same times” = create a routine around your meals. Eat breakfast each morning at the same time. Designate a lunch break (and take it) at the same time each day. Same for dinner.
“Sit down” = no standing at the counter over the food container. Put your meal on a plate/in a bowl, put it on the table, and then sit down at the table to eat it. No one ever created healthy tissue by wolfing down a sandwich, while driving their car.
“Eliminate distractions” = no TV, no podcast, no reading, no work. Sorry. Your brain prioritizes a low level of distraction all the time over digestion, so if you’re engaging the brain in the task of emails, the drama of the news, or your favorite TV show, it’s not going to give digestion the proper energy it needs to know which and how much of each digestive enzyme it needs to secrete to properly digest your food. This leads to gas, bloating, burping, and/or reflux. And let’s face it, how long does it really take to eat a plate full of food (without rushing)? Ten minutes max? You and I can both sacrifice ten minutes out of our day to give digestion a fighting chance.
“Create a calm environment” = This could be anything from agreeing not to talk about politics and religion at the dinner table to eating in silence; this could mean committing to getting away from your desk at work to eat lunch outside, with a co-worker in the kitchen/lounge, or even sitting in your car if you have no other peaceful options; this could mean always putting fresh flowers on your breakfast table, lighting candles at dinner, or pulling out the good china for lunch. Let’s create something sacred out of the seemingly mundane.

B. Before eating, take 3 deep breaths, a moment of silence, or say grace (if that’s in your comfort zone/tradition). This is a real game-changer for me. If I can remember to do this, it’s so much easier to follow the remaining guidelines. My digestive system is so much happier, and I experience less indigestion in general. I like to put my hands over my food, close my eyes, and take three deep breaths while feeling gratitude for every being, who contributed to my meal (the people who picked the produce, the animal that gave its life, the truck drivers who brought it to the store, the workers in the store, the person who cooked it (probably me!), etc.).

C. Chew thoroughly. This one can be groundbreaking. If you’re like me and have a lot pitta and a strong appetite, you probably have a lifelong habit of shoveling your food and eating very quickly. This is not such a great approach for creating healthy tissue. As strong as your digestive system might be, it’s going to have a really hard time digesting whole pieces of food. Slowing down and chewing your food can help to eliminate all kinds of problems, from reflux to gas and even chronic diarrhea. Give your digestive system some help and focus on chewing your food to an even consistency before you swallow. Again, if I take those three deep breaths before I dive in, I remember to do this way more often than not.

D. Only eat until you are about 70% full. Here’s the key to finding an ideal, supportive body weight that’s right for your frame. If you can give yourself the space and patience and time to find what this means for you, it can be incredibly rewarding. This ensures that you never feel stuffed and never overload your digestive system, which can create toxicity and, eventually, illness and weight gain in the body. Again, this can really take some time, especially if you never sit to eat, take designated meal breaks, or have no routine or rituals around food. You probably don’t pay much attention to natural hunger and fullness signals either. And that’s okay! You’re going to now, right? Good.

E. .Wait at least three hours before eating again to allow your system to properly digest your food. According to Ayurveda, there are three stages of digestion, and they happen in the stomach, the small intestines, and then the large intestines, in that order. If your last meal is still being worked on in the small intestines, where a great deal of nutritional absorption takes place, and you go and eat something else because you’re bored (or anxious, or whatever), your body has to take energy away from that digestive process to then go back up to the stomach and work on whatever you just ate. So now neither process is getting the right amount of attention, and this is usually when problems like gas, bloating, reflux, and diarrhea like to rear their ugly heads.

And I would like to add a caveat: wait until you’re actually hungry again to eat, especially if you’re working on this 70% full principle. It can take some time to get this right. If you don’t eat quite enough, you might be genuinely hungry two hours after a meal. In the name of trying to keep your body from thinking that famine is coming, there’s not need to deprive yourself in the name of trying wait three hours. Go ahead and eat again, but sit down, take a few breaths/say grace, chew thoroughly, and stop at 70% full.

One more thing here: if it doesn’t bother you to go a little longer than 3 hours to eat again, waiting a bit more can give your body an opportunity to use stored fat as fuel. This can aid in your weight loss efforts. I want to point out, however, if you have a lot of vata in your constitution, or prakruti, this can backfire. Going a long time without eating for vata can increase ether (emptiness), causing you to feel ungrounded, even dizzy, and then possibly reaching for whatever junk food is available and possibly even binging on it. Instead, vata does better with smaller, more frequent meals, eaten when truly hungry. This is difficult for vata, but it’s worth cultivating in that noticing true hunger and fullness signals gets vata out of the clouds and back into their bodies, which was the problem that created the weight gain in the first place, remember? If you’ve got more pitta and/or kapha in your constitution, or prakruti, you might do better with going a little longer between meals. Bottom line: pay attention to your body. Set an alarm or alert on your phone or calendar to remind you to check in with yourself throughout the day, if needed.

F. Sit for 10-15 minutes after a meal, or take a stroll. This is a tough one for me in that I’m ready to get “back to business” after I eat. I’m ready to do another task or get back into whatever I was doing before the meal. But I’m getting better and better at reminding myself that sitting and reading something fun (for me), like a magazine or good book, is a real privilege that I can carve out the time for. If the weather permits, taking a five-minute stroll is a great way to aid in digestion (the movement of walking helps with peristalsis, or the movement of the smooth muscles that line the digestive tract). We’re not talking power walking or working up a sweat—it’s a “stroll.” (Okay, vata? Okay, pitta?) Get too fired up about this, and you’ll probably have cramping or diarrhea. Take it easy, enjoy the scenery, notice your breath. Again, we’re trying to get you back into your body, noticing its processes, and its needs.

G. Take no more than ½ cup water or liquid with meals; any more will interfere with the digestive process and your ability to note when you’re at that 70% full mark. If you have something like soup or stew with your meal, you don’t need that beverage at all. Additionally, beverages should be taken warm (especially if you have a lot of vata in your constitution in that vata is cold and dry, so we don’t to add more of that cold quality) or room temperature (even if you have a lot of pitta in your constitution in that the digestive system and metabolism have to “roar up” to bring that cold water back to body temperature, thus causing a temporary surge in heat…and pitta, as you know, is already hot enough). On that note, drinking water between meals is really important in your weight loss efforts. Every organ needs water to function efficiently. We also, a great deal of the time, mistake thirst for hunger. Sipping water or even herbal tea (something non-caffeinated) throughout the day is important for keeping all tissues of the body hydrated and also to keep you satiated between meals/snacks. Guzzling water will just overtax your kidneys in that you can only absorb about ½ cup of water at a time. So keep a reusable water bottle or thermos of herbal tea on hand at all times, and sip frequently.

H. .A few tips if you know you’re dealing with an underlying vata imbalance, or you experience a great deal of dryness, anxiety, and variability in your digestion (gas, bloating, constipation, and even alternating diarrhea and constipation):

Raw food is not your friend in that it is very hard to digest. Instead of salads and smoothies (which are cold and drying…vata is already cold and dry, so we don’t want to increase those qualities), bring in soups, stews, chilis, and stir fries instead. These warming, nourishing, “comfort foods” can take the place of other foods that have become comforting but are not supportive, like sugar, white flour, etc.
Vata digestion is variable and often low, so smaller, more frequent meals might suit a vata constitution or underlying vata imbalance better than “three squares a day.” But remember to apply the principles we talked about before: eat when truly hungry, stop when about 70% full, bring in those mindfulness practices like grace and chewing.
Since vata digestion can be variable or even low, your food should be seasoned well, so use lots of yummy spices, like ginger, cumin, fennel, turmeric, basil, thyme, oregano, etc. Since vata is dry by nature, a little salt goes a long way to keeping moisture in the tissues of the body. Same goes for oil: use it in your cooking and drizzle a little high quality extra virgin olive or sesame oil on your cooked food, or finished product. Don’t be afraid of oil and salt; many of your health problems probably stem from dryness as a root cause, and these things will help immensely in grounding, calming, and satisfying vata.
Don’t be afraid of carbs. Whole grains, like rice, quinoa, bulgur, etc. can be incredibly nourishing and grounding for vata (and pitta alike). These active (often overly active) brains and nervous systems need the replenishment from the B-vitamins these foods offer as well as the feel-good hormones (like serotonin) they cause our systems to emit. While low-carb diets might get fast results, that’s not what we’re looking for here, remember? We want awareness, nourishment, and sustainability. Ayurveda gives us long term solutions to the underlying cause(s) of our imbalances. Again, let’s embrace that idea of sustainability.

OK, enough about food now, let’s talk about the mind and emotions; they play SUCH a large part in our daily lives and relationship with food and our bodies.

2) Take back your relationship with your emotions. If you recognize and pay attention to them, you might not feel the need to “eat them” instead. What I mean by that is, we often use food as a comforting coping mechanism, when we have emotions we don’t want to recognize or deal with.

One of the best ways I’ve found to deal with my emotions is to write them down first thing in the morning and/or before I go to bed. If you’re resistant to the idea of journaling, that’s okay. Sometimes, in the morning, I just write down my dreams. Sometimes, I just write down what I have to do that day or some ideas for a project that’s on my mind. I used to hate the idea of journaling. I really don’t know why. I guess because, like so many of us, I didn’t really want to address my feelings. The mind can be a scary place, no? What I’ve found is that, if I approach this “journaling” with a light-hearted attitude, it’s so much easier. I wake up, do a few morning self-care practices, pour myself some tea, and bring it and my notebook with me outside to write for a few minutes and watch the hummingbirds come to our feeder. I promise myself that I can read the morning headlines and check my email (and drink my tea because it’s cool enough by then) right after I do a few minutes of journaling. I get an immediate reward for taking just 10 minutes to write down what’s in my head, and the pay-off for the rest of the day is HUGE. Since my thoughts are now down on paper, they’re not whirling through my head all day, sending me into a thought or action spiral that results in sitting down with a bag of chips or candy because I needed some emotional comfort. I already took care of myself…and before I even checked my email. It’s a win-win.

Find what works for you. For many of my clients, writing down their thoughts or to-do’s before they go to bed is what works best. I call this a “mind-dump;” dump out the contents of your mind before bed so they don’t wake you up at 2 or 3am. If you still wake up at 2am, you can now tell yourself not to worry; you already wrote that down and can look at it in the morning. Writing is a very effective tool for dealing with emotions, and can help you avoid “eating your feelings” later. I encourage you to try it. Set a time each day that you’ll do it. I tack it on to my morning tea, but you can tack it on to anything you already do every day.

3) Take back your relationship with stillness. This is going to be hard for vata in that they don’t feel comfortable without motion of the body or mind; they see this mobility (remember the mobile quality of air?) as part of the creative process. And maybe it is, but in order to have balance (remember balance?), you have to bring in opposite qualities of the doshas in order to prevent them from running away with us and causing disease. So we have to find a way for vata to be okay with being still, again, so we don’t end up eating our feelings later because that’s the only way we get comfort and balance.
This will be hard for pitta as well in that they often don’t see the value in sitting over “doing” and productivity. But maybe a pitta mind will respond to something like, “Hey, if we spend just 10 minutes in stillness each day, we can be even more productive later.” Same for vata: “If we calm and ground now, we will have even more energy and freedom for creativity later.” Bottom line, if you don’t create stillness somewhere, your nervous system never gets a break, and you never train the mind to focus on the present moment. We age faster, turn to food for comfort, and we miss opportunities that come our way because we’re distracted all the time.

So find a way, each day, to sit in silence, whether it’s through a meditation practice (it can be guided, which, I know, isn’t exactly silence, but at least you’re not the one doing the talking), a breath practice, a restorative yoga session, or even sitting at a window, watching the birds go by. Whatever it is for you, do it everyday, and again, tack it on to something you already do everyday. For me, I tack this on to my morning shower and self-oil massage practice (called abhyanga in Ayurveda). I need to allow some time for the oil to absorb into my skin before I get dressed, so I put on my robe, and I sit to do my breathing (pranayama) and meditation practices. This keeps my blood pressure down, clears my energy before I interact with clients, and gives me a sense of calm and focus that seeps into every part of my day. If I do this in the morning, I am less prone to making unsupportive food choices later.

4) Take back your relationship with movement. This can be a tough one. We grow attached to our exercise routines, often because we are trying to burn calories, are afraid of gaining weight, or we need to “make up for” previous food choices (ie. punishment). I encourage you to find a way of exercising that you enjoy—that you look forward to. For me, that means I want to change it up each day. One day a week I do yoga, then Pilates, then circuit training using my own body weight (ie. calisthenics), then a hike, then an Eliptical or treadmill workout. This keeps me engaged and having fun. I do make sure that there are two things that are always the same: 1) I do my exercise at the same time each day. This ensures that vata isn’t running away with me; I’m creating grounding routines, and the nervous system isn’t left to guess what’s going to happen, staying on high alert all the time, trying to conserve resources and hoard food and calories. It knows we workout at 7am each day (or whatever time you decide works for you). 2) I use Ayurvedic principles to keep my intensity levels in check. Ayurveda says that exercise should only be intense enough to just begin to break a sweat. Then, you cool down. For me, that’s about 20-30 minutes of exercise, and I make sure that I’m always able to breathe through my nose. Once that is no longer possible, I’m pushing too hard, and my nervous system is going to have to work way too hard to bring me back down to homeostasis (too much air/movement and too much fire/intensity). 20-30 minutes might not sound like much, but I do it everyday, so over a week, I’m getting 140-210 minutes of exercise, which is right in line with what the American Heart Association recommends (150 minutes a week) to prevent a myriad of diseases.

Think of it this way: if you’re trying for an hour a day, you’ll probably only hit the mark a few times (or maybe even only once). 20-30 minutes each day not only adds up to more than 60 minutes once a week, I’m creating a grounding, nourishing, reliable routine that balances out vata—that balances out the underlying cause of my weight gain. Remember? Yep, it’s all about balance so that we break the cycle of punishment with exercise and reward with food. A little each day goes a really long way.

So I hope this gives you some tools to work with in your personal journey. I hope, too, that this gives you an idea of what a sustainable way of living can look like. It’s all about the journey and not necessarily the destination. Use these tools at every meal, at every workout, every day, and you might not even care what the number on the scale says anymore. You’ll develop a sense of confidence in your ability to take care of and nourish yourself. Over time, your body will let go of what’s not serving it anymore, and this could be anything from excess weight to a health condition you thought you might be on medication for the rest of your life. The possibilities are endless when you start to put faith in your own ability to heal.

Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to set up an initial Ayurvedic consultation to learn more about bringing your body, your mind, and your heart back to balance.

Meghan Hays Ayurveda offers Ayurveda Salt Lake City - Ayurvedic Consultations Salt Lake City and is a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner. To Schedule Your Initial Ayurveda Consultation, please Book Now

[email protected]

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The Three Ayurvedic Doshas - Vata, Pitta, and Kapha - Introduction to Ayurveda Salt Lake City

8/1/2021

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The Three Ayurvedic Doshas - An Introduction to Ayurveda in Salt Lake City Utah.

Disease in Ayurveda is thought to be the natural end result from living out of balance with Nature. Disease symptoms are the body's natural way of communicating that imbalance.

Conversely, Ayurveda views healing as a natural result of living in harmony with our environment. Ayurveda teaches us how to achieve that balance by balancing what is knowns as the Three Doshas, which are Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.

Ayurveda is organized around the concept of the five elements which are: earth, water, fire, air, and ether. You can read more about the 5 great elements here.

The elements make up every part of ourselves and our universe, and the combine to form the three ayurvedic doshas.

What Are The Doshas?
The doshas are the fundamental energies that make up the universe and operate in our bodies. Each of us has a individual, and unique composition of the doshas in our bodies and minds when we are born. This combination of the three doshas does not change throughout our lives. They determine what we’re naturally attracted to and what we are repelled from. They are also what cause us to become out of balance with our environment, which causes us to become sick, or become diseased.

Understanding your constitution gives you the power to choose and create a diet and lifestyle that best supports your unique constitution, which will keep you free from disease and disharmony. This is what an Ayurvedic consultation will help you do.

A Description of the Three Ayurvedic Doshas - Vata, Pitta, and Kapha

Vata Dosha is composed of air and ether (space). Individuals with a primarily vata based constitution will tend to be drawn to creative pursuits; they love movement and variety.

Physically, people with Vata Dosha tend to have small, thin, and delicate features. They will tend to be "dry." Their digestion will tend toward having a variable appetite, gas, bloating, and constipation.

When in balance, people with Vata Dosha are enthusiastic and energetic. When they are out of balance, they will have a very difficult time staying still, maintaining commitment to projects or tasks, and keeping focused on completing what is in front of them.

People with Vata Dosha are prone to fear, worry, and anxiety. However, when they live in balance with their environment and practice a vata reducing diet and daily practices, they will find relief from these difficulties.

Pitta Dosha is comprised of a mixture of fire and water (to contain the fire). People with pitta dosha constitution tend to be drawn toward leadership and intellectual pursuits. They love to achieve goals and will generally have a tendency toward being intense in everything they do - especially work.

Physically, people with pitta dosha tend to have moderate features. They tend to be a bit oily and have very strong digestion, strong appetite and have a tendency toward overly acidic (hence the tendency toward ulcers) if they abuse their digestion for too long.

When in balance, people with pitta dosha are warm, friendly, and focused.

When out of balance, people with pitta dosha become intense, angry, and prone to inflammation. However, when practicing a pitta reducing lifestyle, none of these become a problem, but something they will need to monitor or pitta will go out of balance.

Kapha D osha is made of earth and water. People with a kapha constitution tend to be drawn to routine and comfort.

Being the heaviest of the elements, earth and water cause more solid features (thicker bones and skin, larger features, etc.). People with kapha dosha tend to have more moisture in their bodies and more emotional “flow” in their minds. Their digestion will tend to be on the slower side and can cause them to weight gain. People with kapha dosha often have a very low appetite and feel better when they fast.

When in balance, kapha people are nurturing, steady, and reliable.

When out of balance, they are withdrawn, sluggish, and emotionally attached to their possessions, routines, and relationships. By practicing a kapha-reducing lifestyle, these troubles can be mitigated and maintained at a low level.

During your session with me as an Ayurveda Clinical Specialist and Ayurvedic Health Counselor in Salt Lake City (or online) we will identify your unique makeup and constitution, which is achieved looking at your physical features, physical tendencies, and lifelong digestive, psychological, and emotional tendencies, From this, we will determine your Ayurvedic constitution, which ayurveda calls “prakruti.”

We will also determine the imbalances in your body and mind. This is called your “vikruti."

Once we determine what is out of balance, we will determine which practices, including diet and herbs, will bring you back into balance and harmony with your environment,

To schedule an appointment or ask for more information about Ayurveda Salt Lake City,
email [email protected].

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.

Book Now!

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email OR CALL for an appointment or FOR more infoRMATION, ​OR click here to book online now. PLEASE READ DISCLAIMER & TERMS AND CONDITIONS BELOW.

ADDRESS

Email and phone

Ayurvedic Soup Recipe:
Coconut Curry Root Veggie Soup
for Vata Season and Vata Dosha

email OR CALL for an appointment or FOR more infoRMATION,
OR click here to book online now. PLEASE READ DISCLAIMER & TERMS AND CONDITIONS BELOW.