There are many different approaches you can take to support excellent health and wellbeing and help keep illness and disease at bay, alongside following a well-balanced diet and getting plenty of exercise on a regular basis… and something you might want to investigate if you are keen to give your health a boost is ayurvedic medicine.
Tracing its origins back to India over 3,000 years ago, ayurveda takes a holistic view of health, based on the idea that everything in the universe is connected and we all have different life forces within us (known as doshas).
In ayurvedic medicine, it’s believed that when one part of the body develops an imbalance of some kind it affects the body elsewhere. If this imbalance isn’t addressed, illness and disease can take hold. To help restore balance to the body, natural supplements, changes in lifestyle and nutrition are advised.
Practitioners will devise a bespoke treatment programme for each individual based on what their particular ailments are, but generally treatment will involve purification and internal cleansing, use of herbs, plants and spices, yoga, meditation and massage therapy… all of which sounds great to us here at Detox Trading!
Prevention is generally better than cure, however, so why not get one step ahead of the game and start adding some delicious ayurvedic powders to your diet now?
It couldn’t be easier to use these powders and you can simply throw them in with your regular recipes without affecting the taste, so there’s very little to worry about in terms of effort. Once you’ve selected your products and have them in the kitchen, the world of health is your veritable oyster!
But which powders to choose? There are many different options and it can be a bit overwhelming, so here are just a few of the most popular ones available to help you work it out, along with the potential health benefits you can reap by taking each one. Happy supplementing!
This resin is a very common ayurvedic supplement, containing all sorts of health-boosting antioxidants that have the potential to help in all sorts of ways. It’s a very sticky substance that is typically found in the Himalayas, formed by the slow decomposition of plants over hundreds of years.
One of the main components of shilajit is the antioxidant fulvic acid, which has been found to help support cognitive health by stopping buildup of tau proteins.
While these do form an important part of the central nervous system, an accumulation can lead to brain cell damage, so it’s possible that by taking shilajit on a regular basis you can help protect yourself against diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s.
You may have heard shilajit referred to as mineral pitch, but its direct translation from Sanskrit is actually ‘invincible rock’, because it’s thought that it has the power to heal any ailment or disease.
As well as potentially helping to protect against cognitive decline, shilajit can also possibly give you more energy and make you feel revitalised, while helping to regulate your hormones and immune system, alleviate your pain responses and fight inflammation… so it’s a great all-rounder, if that’s what you’re looking for.
As a herb, rhodiola rosea has been used for centuries as a Chinese medicinal herb to help improve mental clarity, reduce fatigue, support natural energy levels and boost physical endurance… so if you’re an exercise enthusiast and want to hit – and exceed – your fitness goals, this supplement could be a great choice.
Rhodiola is an adaptogen, which means that it can potentially help you to adapt to fatigue, stress, anxiety and so on thanks to the active ingredients contained within the root.
Also known as the golden root, rhodiola can be found in the colder regions of Asia and Europe, traditionally used to improve work performance, increase endurance and support tolerance of high altitude. Interestingly, it has also been found to be effective at helping to tackle feelings of stress, as well as mental health conditions like anxiety and depression.
Ginseng is one of the most widely used supplements in both traditional Chinese and ayurvedic medicine – and it’s starting to curry serious favour in the western world as well.
It’s a very slow-growing plant that has light-coloured fleshy roots that is taken as a supplement to potentially help with blood sugar and cholesterol levels, as well as boosting energy, reducing stress, improving sexual performance and promoting relaxation.
Several studies have been carried out that suggest panax ginseng can help lower glucose, indicating that it might be effective to help people with diabetes manage their condition, so this is also something to bear in mind if this is a particular concern for you.
Research also shows that the root could also help to lower cholesterol, thereby potentially preventing the onset of coronary artery disease.
And ginseng has also been found to help with inflammation of the body, which is one of the leading causes of various diseases and conditions, including cancer, all of which suggests that panax ginseng would be another good all-rounder to add to your regular diet.
Ashwagandha – or the Indian winter cherry – is an evergreen shrub that can be found in India, Africa and some regions in the Middle East, a herbal medicine that’s been used for centuries in ayurvedic medicine to help treat inflammation, anxiety and pain, while improving general health and wellbeing, and helping to boost energy levels.
Stress, in particular, appears to be especially receptive to the effects of ashwagandha – and, as we all know, life in the 21st century can be incredibly stressful and overwhelming, with all sorts of challenges being thrown at us constantly from all quarters… or so it seems, at times.
It’s important to deal with feelings of stress as soon as you can, rather than ignoring them, because these emotions can be a significant contributor to a range of different physical and mental health conditions, thanks to increasing cortisol levels in the body.
When faced with chronic stress, it’s more difficult for your cortisol levels to return to normal and this can lead to persistent inflammation, which is a precursor for a lot of other diseases.
By taking ashwagandha as a regular supplement, you can potentially help to control your cortisol levels and thus reduce your body’s stress responses, keeping inflammation at bay.
Research has also found that this plant has other associated health benefits, such as reducing the risk of cancer, helping with anxiety, improving memory and supporting immune function, as well as boasting anti-ageing effects.
One of the most sacred plants in Hinduism, tulsi (which means the incomparable one) is native to south-east Asia and has a long and revered history within ayurvedic medicine to help treat all sorts of health conditions, everything from ringworm to eye disease.
Also known as holy basil, different parts of the plant are used to treat different ailments, whether it’s your body, mind or spirit that’s afflicted. For example, the fresh flowers have been used traditionally to treat bronchitis, while an ointment made from the shrub can be used to treat eczema.
Nutritionally, the plant contains lots of wonderful minerals, including calcium, iron, zinc, chlorophyll and vitamins A and C, all of which come together to create a powerful adaptogen that can help support mental balance and enable your body to adapt to stress more effectively.
It’s also a great option for anyone who’s suffering from anxiety as it can help reduce these negative emotions. And it’s been found to help revitalise the body, potentially protect against cancerous cell growth, support wound healing and recovery, lower blood sugar and cholesterol and ease joint pain and inflammation.
Give powders a go!
Of course, these are only a couple of the top choices available to you in ayurvedic medicine and it’s advisable to do further research into the different options so you can find the best ones to suit you and your specific circumstances.
If you’d like any further help or advice relating to powders and supplements, get in touch with the Detox Trading team today.