Introduction to Ayurveda - Keeping Healthy the Ancient Way

Book excerpt: Introduction to Ayurveda - Keeping Healthy the Ancient Way Table of Contents Introduction Knowing More about Alternative Medicine Practices Introducing Ayurveda The Quality of a Substance Ayurvedic Medicine Ayurveda and Traditional Medicine Tips about Food for Healing Bananas Figs Dates Lemons Limes Tomatoes Ginger Turmeric Appendix How to Make Traditional Yogurt Traditional Buttermilk Making Butter Out Of Cream What Are the Health Benefits of Buttermilk? Digestive Buttermilk Traditional Ancient Buttermilk Recipe Spicy Salt Salty Buttermilk Traditional Clarified Butter – Desi Ghee Conclusion Author Bio- Publisher Introducing Ayurveda Millenniums ago, an alternative medicine science based on natural ingredients, began to be practiced in the area, which is now called the Indian subcontinent. This science was known as Ayurveda. The exact Sanskrit meaning of this word means life knowledge. For millenniums, the art of healing knowledge based on this science has been passed down through the generations to heal and cure people of the diseases known to man. More than 5000 years ago, two of these great wise men, who practiced this science, named Charaka and Susrutha made medical compendiums, which talked about healing procedures, operational procedures, and medicines which would be used to heal the diseases known to man down the ages. These classics written in Sanskrit have been considered to be the foundation of the ancient science of Ayurveda. At the same time, traditional Chinese medicine was also making a name for itself, thanks to great medical practitioners, who took the help of these compendiums in order to develop well-known medical systems. Nowadays, these systems are considered to be alternative and complementary treatments, supporting the more conventional forms of modern medicine. This science is practiced in the USA, as a complementary health care licensed practice. This science is divided into eight parts – General medicine, surgery, pediatrics, dentistry/ENT/ophthalmology, toxicology, psychiatric treatments, anti- aging remedies and remedies for bearing healthy children. So, one can see that even at that time, all the ills of human beings were studied and remedies hunted for them. Ayurveda is based on curing disease or disorders from the root level. It uses herbs which are 100% natural, and are definitely not going to have a detrimental effect upon the body, when you stop using them. According to ancient Ayurveda, a living body is made up of five elements. The proper balance between the five elements so that they work in harmonious tandem with nature. [Prakriti.] Prakriti can also be called Constitution, when it is applied to another substance like a mineral, a fruit or a vegetable, etc. A healthy person is going to have an inborn and natural combination of three important elements, which are going to put him in harmony with nature. That means he is in good health. When these important elements are imbalanced, you are going to suffer from diseases. Ayurveda is the method in which these three elements are balanced by helping to modulate the surrounding environment, the human diet, lifestyle and the behavior of a suffering patient so that he can be healed. An Ayurvedic lifestyle concentrates on more of fruit and vegetables in your diet to keep healthy.