Prakasarao V Velagapudi PhD, President, Global Hindu Heritage Foundation

(A short version of this paper was presented at Veda Mela organized by TAPAS – Texas Ayurveda Professionals Association on October 7, 2023, in Dallas TX)

National Center for Health Statistics states that the United States has seen decreases in life expectancy and increases in obesity and drug overdose rates, as well as steadily increasing overall health care costs.

Chronic Deceases:

Heart diseases and stroke, cancer, Opioid addiction, infectious diseases, Diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, Brain injury, Parkinson’s diseases, mental health issues, obesity, etc. are some of the chronic diseases that are inflicting the US population. For example, Diabetes affects 30 million American adults and children. NIH-funded technological advances offer much promise.

Cost

According to a report by The Balance, health care costs in the US totaled $4.1 trillion in 2020, accounting for 19.7% of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) 1. This is a significant increase from 1960 when national health expenditures were just 5% of GDP.

1. Ayurveda treatment

Ayurveda, which literally means "the science or knowledge of life," has 5-10,000 years of history. Ayurveda understands each person and the disease the person is manifesting as a unique entity. It could be said that no two people are alike, and no two diseases are alike. Therefore, Ayurveda does not approach the cure of a disease as much as it approaches the cure of a person. Hence, through diet, aromatherapy, color therapy, sound therapy and touch (massage) therapy along with yoga and meditation, Ayurvedic practitioners slowly guide their patients back to living in harmony with their true nature. It is individually tailored.

Ayurveda describes the human being as being composed of Panchabhutas (five elements), three doshas (biological energies), seven dhatus (tissues), and numerous srotas (channels). SEVEN Dhatus are plasma, blood, muscle, fat, bone, bone marrow and reproductive fluid. In Ayurveda, they are called Sapta Dhatus - Rasa, Rakta, Mamsa, Meda, Asthi, Majja and Sukhra respectively.

Ayurveda treatment is one way to address these health problems. Many people go to India to various treatment centers to address their health issues. Ayurveda treatment starts with an internal purification process, followed by a special diet, herbal remedies, massage therapy, yoga, and meditation.

The concepts of universal interconnectedness, the body's constitution (prakriti), and life forces (doshas) are the primary basis of ayurvedic medicine. The goal of treatment is to aid the person by eliminating impurities, reducing symptoms, increasing resistance to disease, reducing worry, and increasing harmony in life. Herbs and other plants, including oils and common spices, are used extensively in Ayurvedic treatment.

Ayurveda is considered as the panacea for the modern world.

These days in this fast-paced life, people are stressed out and not able to balance their work pressures with proper health. They seek better health and long life with a holistic approach. So, how can one achieve this? The answer lies in the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda – an extremely effective healing system that combines physical, psychological, and spiritual health. It works on the basic principle of identifying the root cause of the disease and working towards its total eradication. It tries to enhance the body’s inherent capability to fight disease and restore good health and happiness. Ayurvedic treatment is not only about treating physical ailments, but also about achieving better health and happiness. Ayurveda can help cure physical illnesses and address various mental health issues.

Ayurveda traces the root cause of the disease and tries to eradicate it. It enables the body to become stronger and develop the ability to fight diseases better. The constitution of an individual is determined by three doshas – vaata, pitta and kapha which are based on the interconnectedness of Panchabhutas – air, earth, fire, akash and water.

1. Ayurvedic treatments ensure all three doshas are at their optimum levels. The duration and method of the treatment may vary depending on the Prakriti or inherent constitution of the individual.

2. Ayurveda’s aim is to maintain an equilibrium between body, mind, and soul to increase immunity and enable the body to develop the ability to fight and cure diseases.
3.  It helps to repair the body parts and tissues that may have been impacted due to the disease and the corresponding imbalance caused.

2. Nutrition and Health Problems

Adults who eat healthy food live longer and have a lower risk of obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. Healthy eating can help people with chronic diseases manage these conditions and avoid complications.

Scientific research has demonstrated a strong association between our dietary patterns and the development of chronic diseases. Conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer have been linked to poor dietary choices. Excessive consumption of processed foods, refined sugars, unhealthy fats, and high-calorie meals contributes to weight gain, inflammation, insulin resistance, and other metabolic disorders.

The phrase "you are what you eat" is commonly used in conversations about health and the connection between food and the body. Eating an unhealthy diet can have serious consequences and can increase someone's risk of dying from heart disease, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes.

Processed Food:

The Mayo Clinic Researcher Dr. Dr. Stephen Kopecky says, “About 57% of the calories we consume every day in this country are ultra processed foods,"  While ultra processed foods tend to be convenient and cost-effective, they are inflammatory and can cause a host of health issues over time.

"It bothers our tissues. It bothers our heart. It bothers our arteries, our brains, our pancreas, our liver and our lungs. And that leads to disease," says Dr. Kopecky. "It could be in the brain with Alzheimer's, the heart with coronary artery disease, or cancers elsewhere."

But it is never too late. We can change our habits and live a healthy long life. The time for Ayurveda has come.

Ayurveda is a holistic system of medicine that can provide benefits for various health conditions and diseases. Some of the benefits of Ayurveda include:

Reducing stress and anxiety through meditation, yoga, herbal treatments, and breathing exercises

Weight loss or maintenance through a proper Ayurvedic diet

Hormonal balance and improved vitality

Minimizing inflammation and pain

Reducing symptoms of illness and disease such as Alzheimer's, dementia, acne, constipation, fatigue, and obesity

Cleansing the body and blood through detoxification

Improving digestion, mental health, and skin tone

Helping cure insomnia and spinal disorders.

Nutrition plays a central role in Ayurvedic living. Ayurveda places special emphasis on "Ahara" (diet) and "Anna" (food) as a means to good life, health and wellness. Healthy and wholesome food nourishes the mind, body and soul. Ayurveda asserts that although the digestive capacity of each person may be different, the quality and appropriate quantity of food are necessary for a healthy life. Food taken in proper quantity provides strength, vigor, good complexion and nurtures the health of the tissues.

“With a wholesome diet there is no need for separate medical treatment.

with an unwholesome diet, even treatment becomes questionable.” — Vaidyajivanam

Ayurvedic herbs play a major role in Ayurveda. They can provide benefits such as improving vitality, purifying and detoxifying the body and blood boosting mental health improving digestion aiding weight loss improving skin tone 2. Ayurvedic treatments have shown some benefit in clinical trials for conditions like anxiety, brain function, high cholesterol, osteoarthritis, and low testosterone 3. Ayurvedic herbs, practices and recommendations have also been shown to be helpful in treating acne relieving chronic constipation or irritable bowel syndrome fighting chronic fatigue syndrome reducing pain lowering obesity risk.

Cooking

Cooking is referred to as paaka. Paaka Sastra means science of cooking. First known culinary is Soopa Sastra. Annam is considered Param Brahma. Many rules are observed while eating – maintain silence, chant slokas, avoid talking, etc.

Maintaining balance between Spices and Taste:  that means using enough spice so that the food is lifted by the taste, but not so much so that one taste stands out in the finished product, is the goal of the skilled Ayurvedic chef. Learning to use spice combinations is a science and an art.

From earth herbs, from herbs food, from food seed, from seed man. Man thus consists of the essence of food. (Taittiriya Upanishad)

'From food are produced all creatures which dwell on earth. Then they live by food, and in the end they return to food. For food is the oldest of all beings, and therefore it is called panacea. (Taittiriya Upanishad)

Ayurvedic Nutrition

Cooking based on Ayurvedic way emphasizes us of variety of Spices, herbs, roots et. Every root is considered medicinal.

1. Spices in Ayurvedic Diet:

According to some estimates, there are over 100 different spices commonly used in cooking around the world. These spices come from different parts of plants, such as roots, stems, seeds, fruits, and flowers. Commonly used spices are ginger, turmeric, mustard seeds, red chilies, coriander seeds, fenugreek, cumin, mustard, asafoetida, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, curry leaves, salt, etc.  These herbs and spices play an important role in Ayurvedic nutrition, for they are used to bring humoral balance in the food. For example, ginger neutralizes the heavy quality of the food thus adding ginger will convert the property of heavy food into a lighter state. Similarly, when combined with different food agents it will change its mode of action such as ginger when taken with rock salt will reduce vayulvata symptoms, with rock candy it will reduce pitta and when used with honey it will reduce kapha. With its versatile qualities ginger is used for treating indigestion, flatulence, colic, vomit, stomach spasm, cold, cough and asthma. In addition to their medicinal qualities herbs and spices enhance the taste and flavor of the food and aids digestive secretions.

2. Cooking should be tasty Rasas (Taste)

Tastes (Rasas):

According to Ayurveda, six tastes can be ascribed to all foods. These are: sweet, salty, bitter, astringent, pungent, and sour. All six are needed to balance a meal, and hence to balance your individual nature or in Sanskrit, your prakriti.

Each taste stimulated by the food contributes to the nourishment of the body when consumed in appropriate quantity. Sweet promotes life as a whole, provides overall strength, lusters to the skin and is beneficial for the throat (Charak). However, excessive use will aggravate kapha and contribute to obesity, congestion and other diseases. Sour taste stimulates "Agni" (proper digestive forces), provides energy, awakens the mind and stimulates salivation. Yet, excessive use will cause heartburn, indigestion, and water retention. Salt is heavy and oily and when consumed in moderation is antispasmodic, promotes energy and helps maintain water and electrolyte balance. However, when used in excess salt induces water retention, elevates blood pressure and induces vomit. Ayurveda recommends the use of rock salt in the diet due to its mineral content. Pungent, in moderation, improves digestion, absorption and allows cleansing of sinuses, aids in circulation, and helps in elimination. It acts as a blood thinner and contributes to the vitality and vigor of the body. Yet excessive use may cause sterility, fatigue and excessive thirst. Bitter foods, like turmeric, dandelion, aloe Vera, fenugreek stimulate all other tastes. They act as antipyretic, tone the pancreas, and reduce fat. Over consumption may cause dizziness. Astringent foods like unripe bananas, pomegranate, and chickpea aid in absorption and are binding. Excess use will induce griping, constipation, and blood coagulation.

As I said, Ayurveda time has come to address numerous diseases inflicting on all of us. It is time to change for good to live a healthy and productive life. Let us delve into Ayurvedic treatment and Ayurvedic nutrition. Strat looking at balancing the body, mind and soul with a goal to eliminating impurities, reducing symptoms, increasing resistance to disease, reducing worry, and increasing harmony in life.