Author name: Tanmatra Ayurveda

Women have been told to put up with period pain by everyone, from gynaecologists to mothers. The truth is that there isn’t adequate research being done to understand painful conditions such as endometriosis. In recent times, celebrities such as Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi, American actor and writer Lena Dunham and others have shared their turbulent journey with endometriosis, the former even co-founding EndoFound to raise awareness and promote research so that future generations have a solution to the problem.

Menstrual cramps occur in waves don’t they? Don’t even talk about the PMS. We’re monsters then, not wanting any human contact, not to mention that one round of tears that is guaranteed when the periods are around the corner. Some of us even have migraines, bouts of burping, bloating, anxiety. For others it is a sudden onset of hairfall or an achy body. The body is definitely signaling an SOS there. 

In Ayurveda though, the solution isn’t that far away. Sometimes, changes in food and lifestyle make all the difference while in more severe cases, Ayurvedic herbs become necessary. ⁠Some basic food habits include keeping the diet light and easy to digest on the gut with congee, khichdi or soupy meals without skipping meals entirely, keeps you grounded and warm. Black coffee and black tea, green juices such as those with celery or ash gourd, salads of cucumber and leafy greens and deep-fried foods can be given a miss during this time apart from protein-rich foods such as dal, chickpea and rajma. Sip on water boiled with spices such as roasted fennel while taking care not to douse the agni or digestive fire with chilled water. 

Check where your lifestyle needs correction too. Sleeping two hours before midnight and waking 90 minutes before sunrise is the best gift to give your body as it promotes healthy digestion. Avoid intercourse during this time as it also causes the Apana Vata to go haywire. If you are familiar with the role of Apana Vata, such pain occurs from the imbalance caused by it. For a deeper understanding that will help you make the necessary corrections, read up all about Apana Vata here (https://www.instagram.com/p/C5-RbWNyIC7/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== ). Spending long hours in front of the screen also increases pitta energy leading to eye pain, headaches or a general feeling of ‘zoning out’. Bring yourself to ‘rest’ your mind and body, keeping stimulating sources at bay, listening to calming music or taking a gentle walk in nature instead of exercising during the ‘weeping phase’ of the uterus.

Ayurveda relies on the use of certain spices that are easily available in every Indian kitchen to ease the contractions of the uterine walls thereby reducing menstrual cramps. Have you tried our period care tea? Get the recipe here: https://tanmatraayurveda.com/freebies/

Listen to your body, bring in the necessary changes, for the rest, there are treatments in Ayurveda. Get in touch with our team to know what mode of treatment you need at https://wa.me/message/SR73NJKR3NXPG1

Millets are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. As recent years have paved the way for many new diseases, mankind has started moving towards being fit and healthy. A key component of health and development is nutrition. Among various measures adopted for this purpose, dietary changes play a vital role. These altered dietary practices have incorporated the use of millet into our diet by highlighting its nutritional richness and health benefits.

Understanding Millets: An Ancient Grain for Modern Health

Millets have been cultivated and consumed for thousands of years. In the Indian subcontinent, the use of millets dates back to ancient times, with Ayurveda recognizing their importance. Ayurveda, giving immense importance to the diet of both healthy and diseased, has explained these millets in detail under Dhanya Varga (category of cereals).

Types of Millets

Millets are categorized into major and minor types:

Ayurvedic Perspective on Millets

Ayurveda explains millets in detail under Dhanya Varga. Millets have been given many synonyms like, Kudhanya (Inferior among cereals), Kshudra Dhanya (small sized cereals), and Trina Dhanya (grass derived cereals). The general qualities and effects of millets according to Ayurveda are:

Rasapanchaka of Millets (Properties of millets):

• Rasa (Taste): Kashaya-Madhura (Astringent-Sweet)
• Vipaka (Post-digestive taste): Katu (Pungent)
• Veerya (Potency): Sheeta (Cooling)
• Guna (Quality): Laghu (Light), Ruksha (Dry)
• Karma (Action): Lekhana (Scraping), Vrishya (Aphrodisiac), Kledashoshana (Drying up excessive moisture), Baddhamalakara (Constipating)

Effect on Tridosha & Dhatu:

• Kapha-Pittahara (Pacifies Kapha and Pitta doshas)
• Vatala (Aggravates Vata)
• Rakta Shamaka (Pacifies blood)

Specific Millets and Their Properties

1. Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica): Heavy for digestion, absorbs excessive fluids, nourishes body tissues, dries up excessive moisture, promotes fracture healing, and is an aphrodisiac.
2. Barnyard Millet (Echinochloa frumentacea): Absorbs excessive fluids, dries up body tissues.
3. Kodo Millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum): Sweet-bitter in taste, heavy for digestion, absorbs excessive fluids, anti-poisonous, best diet in wounds and ulcers.
4. Proso Millet (Panicum miliaceum): Heavy and difficult for digestion, nourishes body tissues, promotes fracture healing.
5. Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana): Bitter-sweet-astringent in taste, cold in potency, unctuous, promotes strength, and is an aphrodisiac.
6. Adlay Millet (Coix lachryma jobi): Pungent-sweet in taste, emaciating, pacifies Kapha Dosha.
7. Sorghum (Sorghum vulgare): Anti-aphrodisiac, enhances taste perception, pacifies excessive thirst, pacifies excessive moisture content.

Choosing and Using Millets Wisely

Analysing the general qualities and effects of millets gives an obvious idea that millets are best advised in Kaphaja Roga (diseases due to Kapha), Pittaja Roga (diseases due to Pitta), and Raktadushti (vitiation of blood). It is always necessary to avoid the use of millets in Vataja Roga (diseases due to Vata) as it aggravates the condition.

Potential Drawbacks of Millets

Despite their multiple health benefits, millets contain antinutrients — compounds that block or reduce our body’s absorption of other nutrients and may lead to deficiencies. One of these compounds — phytic acid — interferes with potassium, calcium, iron, zinc, and magnesium uptake. Additionally, goitrogens in millets can cause sluggishness and enlargement of the thyroid, making them unsuitable for individuals with hypothyroidism.

Who Should Consume Millets?

Advising millets according to an individual’s Agni Bala (digestive capacity) is essential as they are heavy and dry, making them difficult to digest. However, their high dietary fiber and protein content provide satiety for a long time. They have scraping and drying actions which are useful in treating diseases due to over nourishment of tissues.

Considerations Before Consuming Millets:

1. Check if it is a staple for you.
2. Monitor for any immediate metabolic complications.
3. Ensure it suits your body Dosha:
   • Heating Millets (Foxtail, Bajra, Barnyard): Ideal for winter or Kapha imbalance.
   • Cooling Millets (Little, Proso): Suitable for summer or Pitta imbalance.

While millet has been declared a superfood for health and nutrition, it is important to double-check whether it suits your body, providing you with the right kind of energy and nutrition. If you are planning to switch to millets due to gluten concerns, consult with your doctor or nutritionist. For those struggling with hypothyroidism, it is advisable to avoid millet consumption.

Learn more about why millet is to be avoided in thyroid dysfunction here.

Everything under the sun, including stone, is rich in one vitamin or mineral, but before you reach out for something called a superfood, here’s a question you should ask yourself: ‘How well can it be metabolised?’ Simply put, is your digestion strong enough to absorb it?  

All nuts and most seeds are Vata pacifying in general. They are oily, nutrient rich, and they offer a power-packed combination of proteins and fats that is highly beneficial to Vata. At the same time these said nuts and seeds are quite heavy and should be eaten in small quantities so as not to overwhelm Vata’s fickle digestive capacity.

Brazil nuts are now a superfood everyone thinks they ought to have. You might have probably seen them in bowls of mixed nuts – large, oblong and when you crack open their tough triangular shells, a smooth texture and almost buttery taste awaits. Obtained from the Bertholletia tree which thrives in the Amazon rainforest, these unusual looking Brazil nuts top the list of ‘Superfoods for Thyroid’.

High in selenium, micronutrients in the nuts ensure a healthy thyroid which help to keep your immune system functioning at its best. The thyroid gland, small and butterfly-shaped, situated at the base of the neck, secretes essential hormones for growth, metabolism and body temperature regulation. The thyroid gland is concentrated in selenium. It is utilised for the production of thyroid hormones as well as proteins that protect your thyroid from cellular damage. Having an adequate amount of selenium in your diet can help reduce the risk of Hashimoto’s disease, Graves’ disease and thyroid cancer. 

Is the Brazil nut actually good for everybody with thyroid dysfunction?

The answer is ‘No’, because bio-availability of the nut is compromised in those with

• Delayed metabolism
• Inflammation and painful joints
• Severe fatigue and heaviness

Post anti-inflammatory management, the Brazil nut is recommended, as it: 

• Nourishes your thyroid gland
• Improves your immunity
• Enhances the functioning of the brain

So how to consume it for best results?

• After roasting it with pink salt, as an evening snack.
• One Brazil nut a day, for ample quantity of selenium, to promote proper thyroid functioning.
• Pairing it with a cup of warm herbal tea aids in better digestion and can prevent any inflammatory changes that can arise due to indigestion.

Prakriti-wise:

• For Vata people – with 1 cup of cumin herbal tea.
• For Pitta people – with 1 cup of fennel and coriander herbal tea.
• For Kapha people – with 1 cup of dried ginger boiled herbal tea.

A word of caution: Nuts can be a little heavy to digest so it is important to know how to consume so that the body can use them effectively. If you are on a light diet to reduce ama or inflammation, then it is best to avoid nuts. Always ensure good agni (sound gut health) before moving to heavier foods like nuts.

The closing ceremony of the International Year of Millets, observed all through 2023, was held last week in a hybrid event at the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations headquarters and the Sheikh

Zayed Centre in the UAE. Millets continue to have their moment in the sun with the FMCG industry jumping on the bandwagon as well with an emphasis on its health benefits and as an aid to weight loss. But let’s look at its effects on someone with thyroid dysfunction. 

Losing weight can become a real struggle if you have an underactive thyroid gland as it slows down your metabolism. You might still gain weight, even with a healthy lifestyle. This is because your thyroid hormones triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) are responsible for metabolism and proper digestion. The less T3 and T4 you have, the less able your body will be in burning calories leading to weight gain.

What does Ayurveda say about millets?

Ayurveda gives immense importance to the diet of both healthy and diseased individuals. Millets come under the dhanya varga (category of cereals). Its synonyms are kshudra dhanya (small-sized cereals) and trina dhanya (grass-derived cereals). 

Analysing the general qualities and effects of millets, it is observed that they are best advised for diseases that occur due to aggravation of Kapha, Pitta doshas and Rakta dushti. At the same time, due to its ruksha (dry), vatakara (Vata-increasing) properties, it is always necessary to avoid the use of millets in diseases caused by aggravation of Vata dosha as it also worsens the condition.

There are many varieties of millets available, each recommended in different conditions. But are they the right choice of diet for everyone? This needs further analysis. 

Consumption of millets is not recommended for those having an underactive thyroid gland because it slows down thyroid functioning. It can increase the Vata in your body leading to impaired metabolic function and even worsen your thyroid symptoms.

Troublemakers in Millets?

• Phytic acid (leading to metabolic error)
• Goitrogens: C-glycosylflavones (C-GFs), such as glucosyl vitexin, glucosyl orientin and vitexin (causing sluggishness and enlargement of thyroid)

Millets come with multiple health benefits but they also contain nutrient compounds that block or reduce your body’s absorption of other nutrients and may lead to deficiencies. One of these compounds — phytic acid — interferes with potassium, calcium, iron, zinc and magnesium uptake.

It is not recommended for people with hypothyroidism. People with thyroid disorders too should reduce or restrain from consuming millets because it causes enlargement of the thyroid gland. 
If you experience bloating, constipation or any discomfort after consuming millets, it would be wise to consult an Ayurveda practitioner. These signs may be indicative of other underlying health issues which need to be resolved before introducing new foods or adopting new dietary practices.  

For the longest time, Arya*, 43, believed she suffered from depression. When she sought Ayurvedic treatment, it was for her long-standing issue of menstrual cramps. But two weeks into the treatment, she felt a freshness, a clarity of senses never experienced before. It wasn’t depression Arya suffered from. The ‘dark cloud’ that she often felt clogging her brain, was in fact, brain fog – a side-effect of the inflammation that had caught hold of her body over the decades. 

With a vata-pitta prakriti, she was always underweight, but as within most Indian communities, she was coaxed to eat more to gain weight, even when her appetite, like her bowel movement, remained erratic. As with all cases, Arya’s treatment too began with a cleanse of the inflammation first. Any treatment without that would merely worsen her existing issues. Weeks into the treatment, Arya was experiencing a sudden burst of cre

Now a keen follower of Ayurveda, Arya is aware when there is ‘ama’ or the accumulation of toxins in her body, though rare, usually after a particularly stressful period at work or continuous nights of disturbed sleep. She also knows how to manage it.

So if inflammation is ‘ama’ (pronounced as “aa-ma”)in Sanskrit, does ayurveda mention it? Very much. The concept of Ama is the most important fundamental principle of Ayurveda in understanding the physio-pathology of diseases. Ayurveda describes Ama as the biological entity responsible for many pathological events inside the body. They are the toxins that build up in our body due to factors like weak digestion, impaired sleep, stress, incompatible food, exercising after food, pollution etc.

Formed due to the improper functioning of ‘Agni’ or digestive fire that helps break down food, it is formed from unmetabolised food material. This Ama vitiates the doshas and disturbs dhatu (tissues – structure) after combining with them and initiates the pathogenesis of diseases.

Confirm the Presence of Ama in Your Body

It is present in three levels, beginning with the digestive system or the gut (i.e., home of Jatharagni) and then moves towards the dhatus (i.e., tissues), before disrupting the body at a cellular (or elemental) level.

1. At Level 1 – Your Gut, symptoms such as heartburn, diarrhoea, lack of bowel urge or incomplete bowel evacuation, indigestion, a bloated stomach, loss of appetite or a lack of taste for food can lead to weight gain, lethargy and tiredness. Take note of a gassy feeling in the stomach, smelly stool or foul breath as these indicate Ama in the digestive system.
2. At Level 2 – your Skin: Eczema, breakouts, sensitivity, boils, inflammation and dry patches are signs of Ama clogging the pores and blocking oxygenated blood from entering the affected region. Remember, your skin needs to breathe too. This ‘suffocation’ of the skin often appears as red rash, swollen skin and itchiness – other symptoms of Ama.
3. Level 3 – your Mind: Brain fog and decreased cognitive activity are signs of Ama at the mental level. Memory lapse, mental fatigue, disorientation are symptoms of accumulation of Ama in brain tissues, inhibiting brain cells from natural regeneration.

Ama does not manifest as full-fledged disease overnight. There are various phases:

Formative phase: Clinical symptoms do not appear yet. Āma forms and accumulates in the body. While all indigestion does not lead to Āma it does when Kapha is involved. Ama shows differently for each prakriti: In Vāta-types, indigestion is known as Viṣṭabdha, leading to drying up and degeneration while in Pitta constitution, indigestion is known as Vidagdha and leads to inflammation.

Interactive phase: Āma becomes more active and complex as it interacts with the three doṣas. Āma in conjunction with Vāta creates a condition known as Sāma Vāta while with Pitta and Kapha, it creates conditions known as Sāma Pitta and Sāma Kapha respectively. Āma can also interact with the Dhātus in a similar manner.

Disease manifestation: An acute condition, the sama stage is where degenerative, inflammatory or infectious disease manifests.

Complications: An extreme stage where there is development of Āmaviṣa, it can even lead to death.

Resolution: Active interactions amongst Āma and doṣas and dhātus have resolved, the body may recover with mild, moderate, severe or no damage. In some cases, the disease may persist in a chronic or nirāma phase.

Inflammation is treatable provided the signs are taken note of early on. No discomfort in the body is worth living with as it is a call for help. Ignoring it only leads to us being on the losing end, with ease of living compromised, valuable time around loved ones being spent irritably, and not being able to give our best at the workplace. Eventually, it will lead to medical intervention that may be too little too late whereas reaching out to an Ayurvedic physician and following the prescribed routine for a few weeks will lead to improved health and living life fully. 

Inflammation check-list

If you are wondering what in your lifestyle has been causing inflammation, start here. Have you been?

• Having incompatible foods?
• Overeating? Eating compulsively (especially oily, sugary, or fried food)?
• Are your eating habits irregular?
•  Is your sleep disturbed?
• Do you have stressful routines?
• Are you prone to being inactive for prolonged hours?

*name changed to protect privacy of patient

Are you facing any of this? Book your consultation now.