Tag Archives: turmeric

IC and Toxic Load: Where Does It Come From? 5 Things To Do

bladder, bladder pain, chronic prostatitis, fibromyalgia, GERD, IBS, IC, Interstiial cystitis, vulvodynia, , , , , , , , , ,

FireIn the energy science of Ayurveda there can be no disease without the presence of toxicity  In this discipline it’s called AMA(this doesn’t stand for the American Medical Association) which means undigested, unprocessed food  Hmmm, if I have unprocessed, undigested food hanging around in my GIT(GI tract) that must mean that my digestive capability is in some way impaired?  Bingo

Toxicity and Disease

So in the end the root cause of all disease is the presence of bodily AMA  And to heal any disease whether it be the IC(interstitial cystitis) bladder pain syndrome or CPPS(IC, IBS, GERD, chronic prostatitis, vulvodynia, fibromyalgia) or any other disease I must address AMA in the body

AMA physically is a substance that is thick(dense), sticky, heavy, slow to move, cold, slimy, and gross(meaning easy to spot in the body)  Think of a thick plaque in a vessel wall that obstructs blood flow and you have a good idea of what AMA is  And just like that plaque impairs flow of blood to the tissues that it supplies, energetically it impairs the flow of energy in the body

When there is energy stagnation in the physical or mental body there can be pain, either physical or emotional

So when you have pain from a bladder flare it implies that there is energetic stagnation and the free flow of energy has been disrupted

The Importance of Digestive Fire

So if all diseases have AMA and my digestive fire is weak, then if I want to clear the diseases such as IC then I should work on improving my digestive power or agni(the words fire, power, strength, and agni are all used interchangeably here)  This is a radical departure from current medical thinking since the models are so different  But then again that’s why the energy model can be successful since it understands the origin of disease from an energy science view

So the first item on the agenda in healing IC is to improve digestion, absorption, and assimilation of the GIT

1 CCF tea  Cumin, coriander and fennel tea is elemental to improve digestion because it stokes agni  That’s why sipping on this tea all day, everyday is helpful for clearing AMA

2 Stop putting wet logs on your digestion  When I entertain foods that don’t resonate with my energy makeup(Pitta diet or VP diet) or use IFC(incompatible food combinations) it’s like dampening my agni which is all the enzyme systems of the GIT from the mouth to lower rectum including the bacteria which are also part of agni

3 Using other agni enhancers  Fresh ginger tea with a dash of cayenne(agni tea), cardamon, vanilla, cinnamon, turmeric are all excellent agni enhancers that I can use in my cooking or beverages to enhance agni

4  Breathing techniques(pranayama)  Interestingly the yoga tradition has many different ways to physically enhance agni  These breathing techniques can change the course of IC due to the power of clearing AMA

5  Yoga postures  The digestive system is represented in the space of the abdomen and when you do postures that engage this area you literally engage agni and improve it  From a molecular point of view this cannot be understood but energetically it makes perfect sense

So there you have it  A starter sequence that can get you on your way to healing IC   Oh, BTW, people have AMA and because they feel OK, they don’t think they have toxic load  They’re only fooling themselves  Everybody has it, it just depends where it’s going to show up

Another thing  The AMA that occurs in the urinary tract channel has a good chance of getting cleared  When the AMA starts showing up in other places (like fibromyalgia) it’s more difficult, doable but harder

IC and the Antiinflammatory Effects of Colostrum

bladder, bladder pain, IC, Interstiial cystitis, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , ,

Colostrum from the sourceIC (interstitial cystitis) bladder pain is a result of inflammation and the energy science describes this in terms of the hot quality  As I have talked about in the past there are many different things that people can do to reduce this quality in the gut:  aloe vera gel, CCF tea, spices such as turmeric  fresh basil and ginger, and herbs

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But not only do you want the antiinflammatory effect but it would be great if you could also enhance digestive strength at the same time  Aloe does this but colostrum does this as well and makes this bovine derived product an excellent choice for the treatment of IC

Digestive Strength and Enhancers

I have alluded to digestive strength in the past but not gone into much detail   This week in our webinar series the group will work on agni or digestive strength because it’s so important for gut health

Anything that enhances digestion induces agni (the word ingnite comes from this word)  So spices are important in food preparation because they stimulate agni or digestive strength

Probiotics enhance agni as well as herbs such as aloe vera   Research has shown that colostrum that has been used in IC with excellent results not only reduces the inflammatory response but also helps improve digestive fire

 

 

Colostrum:  A Two Headed Winner

This first milking substance is an amazing resource of substances necessary to support the  development and repair of cells and tissues, assure the effective and efficient metabolism of nutrients and establish and maintain a healthy immune system

Because of its physiologic functions it mimics the activity of growth hormone, a rejuvenative that could build tissues in people with chronic disease    The link has great resource information so you should check it out

In India, where cows are sacred, colostrum is delivered to the home with the milk and is used for medicinal purposes to treat everything from
age-related symptoms to the common cold   This practice began several thousand years ago with Ayurvedic physicians and sacred healers

In the Scandinavian countries, the birth of a calf is celebrated by the making of a pudding for human consumption from the extra colostrum after the calf is fed   This practice has gone on for centuries and is intended to promote good health   Research conducted in these countries as early as the late 18th century showed the benefits of colostrum on the health and development of cattle and laid the groundwork for the early medicinal use of colostrum by humans   The early Amish farmers in America practiced this same ritual

Where Available

Capsules of colostrum can be obtained in health food stores, on Amazon, or on the ic-solutions Amazon store 

Have a great week     To health as a Skill       Love DB

PS  My book Foods Heal is downloadable for FREE this week only on all mobile reading devices by going to http://amzn.to/fLYS3i under Kindle

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9 Herbs That Aid in Healing IC

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There are many herbs that can be adjunctive in healing IC but they should be used in the context of who is the person using them.  By now you now know that each of us are unique expressions of VPK and this can change the use of a herb suggested.  And even though IC is the common disease label being treated, the person has unique imbalances that may dictate the use of one herb over another.

Having said that there is a uniqueness to the prescribing of herbs that are commonly used herbs in IC.  I have heard people talk about allergy to certain herbs and while I don’t discount those experiences, I would say that allergies are very uncommon.  Often times the “allergy” is a result of other products being taken and not the herb in question but this must be sorted out an individual basis.

Aloe vera(Kumari, Aloe barbadensis)  This herb is an excellent choice for inflammatory conditions of all kinds and can be used by all mixes of VPK.  As mentioned earlier certain herbs can be rejuvenative and aloe is one of them.  This enhances its tonifying quality to tissues.  It specifically balances the hot quality due to its cold quality.

Aloe can be used with pomegranate juice which augments its anti-inflammatory characteristic.  Diarrhea can occur if too much is dosed and reducing the dose after the diarrhea has subsided will be usually sufficient.  Dosing is 1 T  three times per day.

Aloe vera is best used as a gel due to its slow release in the GI tract such that it lavages the gut mucosa in the upper intestinal tract, ie the stomach and small intestine.  The natural thickener carrageenan is used to make juice thicker hence making it a gel.  At times there has been consumer concern that carrageenan could be carcinogenic or that it would irritate IC.  Although it is a seafood plant which energetically would be salty and hence aggravate IC, in the amounts that it is used it is likely safe.

Ginger(Ardrakam, Zingiber officinale)  Called the universal medicine ginger as a herb can be used dry or fresh.  When used dry it has a hot quality and therefore would not be beneficial in IC.  Since it promotes digestive fire it  is a digestant in cooking in its fresh form is medicinal to GI tract function.

Ginger can be used as an appetite(indicator of digestive fire) stimulant by using a 0.25 inch disc of sliced ginger soaked in lime juice with a pinch of rock or sea salt.   Again given the clinical situations there are many different combinations with other herbs in which ginger can be used.

Turmeric(Curcuma longa Haridra)  This rhizome that is similar to ginger in physical appearance imparts the yellow color to the food when using it.  It is an incredible spice for inflammation particularly for skin conditions.  The spice is very safe to use and you can use literally grams of it at one time without deleterious side effects.

As a herb as noted above it promotes digestive fire without overheating the system which is a particularly valuable property in IC patients.  Turmeric helps in the digestion of protein and strengthens  and balance all metabolic functions.  It helps stretch the ligaments and is therefore helpful in the practice of yoga.

Triphala is a mixture of 3 different herbs, haritaki, amalaki, and biblitaki each respectively pacifying the energy patterns of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.  Each herb can bring balance to function of the energy patterns in the colon, small bowel, and stomach respectively.  Each is a rejuvenative until itself which makes this mixture or formula highly effective and prescribed commonly.

There are many different ways to use these herbs separately or in combination based on the clinical situation.  Dosing is 0.5t steeped in hot water 30 minutes before bed.

Cumin Coriander Fennel  The use of these three herbs in the management of IC underscores how cooking spices are herbs which the medicinal extension of foods themselves.  All three of these herbs are medicinal to the urinary tract and because they are cooling digestants they provide the cold quality to the hot urinary tract of IC patients.

Each seed is placed in equal amounts in a Ziploc bag and from that 1T of the mixture is used for one cup of water to make a tea.  A larger volume can be made and placing in a thermos to sip on all day is a nice way to lavage the urinary tract mucosa throughout the day.

Castor oil(Ricinus communis)  This herb is interesting in that its application externally is cooling and when used internally it is hot.  The energy science takes advantage of this by using external packs in the pelvic region for relief of symptoms.  Of course the internal effect of castor is increasing bowel motility due to the hot quality leading to diarrhea, making it an effective laxative.

Chamomile(Anthemis nobilis)  Like the CCF mixture above, chamomile as a tea is a Pitta pacifying beverage and has been used successfully for staving off IC symptoms.  It is balancing to the emotions making particularly effective for PV patients who are having trouble coping with the waves of flare.   It has an effect of sedating nerve pain.

A little fresh ginger prepared with it makes chamomile a completely balanced beverage and counters any emetic effect it might have.  Externally it can be used as a poultice for nerve pains.  For most medicinal purposes its action is mild and serves as a harmonizing adjunct.

Have a great week              To Health as a Skill           DB