Move into Fall with Vitality

We have been blessed with a remarkable autumn season, which has felt more like an Indian summer here in the Pacific Northwest this year. I have not written anything about the changing of the season because it hasn't been changing, but the rains are due anytime now. Ayurveda (the science of life) tells us that the two toughest seasons to transition through are Fall and Winter. They tend to bring a host of illnesses that create havoc in homes, schools, and work environments. The signs of a vata imbalance (the dosha that tends to move out of whack when we get colder, windier weather) all have to do with dryness. Hair, nails, skin, eyes, and mucous membranes can dry out. You might notice cracks on your tongue. Your colon might get sluggish and constipated as it gets dry. People with asthma or a history of bronchitis or GERD (esophageal reflux) might notice more spasms. Vata is also quick moving so thoughts can leave just as fast as you get them (ADHD like). You may find yourself forgetting where you put your keys, your glasses or your car in the parking lot. Vata time of day is from 2-6 a.m. and p.m. so if you find yourself waking up between those hours in the early morning and unable to calm racing thoughts, think about your vata and come in for a seasonal routine adjustment.

As you think about changing your wardrobe to warmer weather gear, think about changing your shopping list at the market too and your food choices at home. Remember, always eat local, organic and what is in season. Our friends at Joyful Belly offer us the beautiful vata reducing Apple-Ginger-Ghee recipe that follows...

Does an apple a day really keep the doctor away? Well according to Ayurveda, it's a cooked apple not a raw one that keeps the doctor away. Raw apples can be cold, drying and might not digest as easily, especially if un-skinned. Cooked apples are warm and soft, like soups, and digest in a snap.

A spoonful of applesauce on the tongue registers sour, a taste that increases saliva and stimulates the digestive tract. Sour taste also cleanses the liver and cools the blood by drawing bile out of the body into the small intestine, somatically experienced as a softening of the eyes. Malic acid, the constituent responsible for the sour, tart taste, has a particular affinity for liver cleansing and support. Apples are also sweet, a taste that nourishes the body and awakens our delight.

After we chew and swallow the cooked apple, it descends to the stomach and passes to the small intestine. Although absorption of sweet taste here increases blood sugar, apples have a relatively low glycemic index (38) and calorie count (72). Next, the applesauce moves into the colon. Sour taste continues to warm and stimulate secretions that maintain a moist colon. The high fiber (2.9 grams/cup) bulks up stool for an easy elimination that cleanses the colon.

A clean colon and clean blood is a clean bill of health for many of us. Applesauce is a nourishing tri-doshic experience woven into our American cultural fabric and healing history.

The two most challenging times of year are the temperature shifts of October and February. October illnesses tend to arise from deficiency, and February, from excess. Warm, soft, and comforting Apple-Ginger-Ghee compote nurtures the body through the transition to autumn and prepares our tissues for winter. In addition to the healing benefits of apple described above, ginger stimulates and lemon enhances digestive efficiency. Ghee and raw coconut palm sugar are extra nourishing after loss of fluids from a long, hot summer.

Find an apple tree that needs its harvest picked and go home and make some Apple-Ginger-Ghee; it's like an apple pie without the crust. Enjoy a warm cup on a cool autumn night with warmed almond milk and nutmeg (good for sleep).

Ingredients:

1 tsp                 Ghee

1/4 whole         Lemon

1 tbsp               Raw coconut palm sugar

1/4 tsp              Ginger (Dried)

1 1/2 c              Apple (organic and cooked)

Preparation:

Step 1: Peel, core, and thinly slice apples. Combine apples in a saucepan with 1/3c water and simmer until the apples are tender, stirring frequently. Add in lemon juice and coconut palm sugar.

Step 2: Mix and bring ghee, ginger, and applesauce to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Serve warm and if desired with a dollop of cashew cream (kapha aggravating so if you are already struggling to lose weight don't add this)

Cashew Cream:

1. Put the cashews in a bowl and add cold water to cover them. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
2. Drain the cashews and rinse under cold water. Place them in a blender with enough fresh cold water to cover them by 1 inch. Blend on high for several minutes until very smooth.
3. To make thick cashew cream, simply reduce the amount of water when they are placed in the blender, so that the water just slightly covers the cashews. Add a small dollop of maple butter, stevia, agave or coconut nectar to slightly sweeten.

Makes about 2 1/4 cups thick cream or 3 1/2 cups regular cream
Prep time: 10 minutes, plus soaking overnight.

What is "health"?

Ayurveda is the traditional medical system of India. It has been in continuous use over the last 5,000+ years in India and is seeping it's way into our western culture (even on Dr. Oz and Oprah!) because it offers us a view on health and longevity not present in our current medical paradigm. We use it at Fern Life Center in every patient visit as a way to customize care, to assess and treat the individual, not the disease or distress that has come seeking help. We won't treat your high blood pressure, asthma or eczema by simply matching your symptoms to a guideline written for the masses and write you pharmaceutical prescriptions. We look deeply into the elements of each person's life that has fostered this set of symptoms and angle upstream for change. This may include everything from the physical environment, the quality of close relationships, an attitude towards a job or career or the story we hold about the meaning of our lives, in addition to symptom management.

But why? Often this way is more work, more money and well, frankly, more hassle. We find clarity in examining two "sutras" from ancient Ayurveda. Right at this root are the only answers we need. The first is the purpose of life, with its four aims, as described by the ancient surgeon Sushruta. (Yes! a surgeon talks about the meaning of life!).

Health is the best foundation for the four aims of human life: dharma, artha, kama and moksha.

1) Our dharma is our unique path, be it as a confident, parent, professional, or otherwise. This is the daily work we are meant to do. It's also described as "conduct appropriate to one's nature".

2) Artha is the material sustenance, the "wealth" that flows from finding and engaging in our dharma. This is the satisfying of the basic needs of life: food, shelter, clothing.

3) Kama is the pleasure that derives from finding our path and being supported by it. Life should be filled with joy and happiness.

4) Moksha is liberation. It is the freedom that releases us to move beyond the daily rhythms of dharma, artha and kama. It is here we emancipate from limiting perceptions and emotions and are able to evolve and grow.

But what is health? Is it the absence of disease? The absence of symptoms? Is it true success if your lab values have normalized and your symptoms are controlled with daily medications? Sushruta also offers us an amazing and comprehensive definition of health, none the likes of which I have ever seen in western medicine.

The healthy person has balanced doshas, appropriate digestive fire, well-formed bodily tissues, completely eliminated waste products, clarity of the senses, bliss in the mind and soul, and is well-established in Self.

All of these are necessary to called "healthy". Let's go through them individually.

1) Balanced doshas: the doshas include vata, pitta and kapha, are composed of combinations of 20 different qualities (examples: hot, cold, heavy, light, mobile, stable). These are the elemental factors that form our unique constitution at birth and carry us throughout our life. (This is a huge topic- check our website or come in for an Ayurvedic consultation to learn more about your specific constitution.)

2) Appropriate digestive fire: Agni is the Sanskrit term for the fire in our belly that cooks our food into digestive molecular components as well as the metabolic machinery that produces our energy, builds our tissues, turns light into image and wave into recognizable sound.

3) Well-formed bodily tissues: Dhatus are physical tissues in Ayurveda. There are 7 types: plasma, blood, muscle, fat, bone, nervous, and reproductive. Without healthy tissues, our ability to reach the four aims becomes impaired.

4) Completely eliminated waste products: The malas are urine, feces and sweat and it's important that they are formed well and then completely shed. They carry out our toxins. Constipation and kidney troubles also cause well-known problems in western medicine. This is a final stage of digestion.

5) Clarity of the senses: Ayurveda places an extraordinary value on the senses, not just in the sense that they work (i.e. our eyes perceive light and pictures), but also that information from our senses is digested accurately. How often do we see a snake instead of a stick in dim light? How often do we abuse our hearing with loud sounds?

6) Bliss in the mind and soul: It is not enough to have physical prowess. We must also have access to bliss and serenity, in both our thinking mind and our collective spirit.

7) Well-established in Self: We must have that sense that we belong, that our skin is rightfully our own.

At Fern Life Center, this is the health care we seek - true wellness, grounded in our full person, within the context of our lives and families. Keesha and I hunger for this in our own lives, with all its required efforts - we know this is not always easy - and love sharing the journey with our patients.Thank you for being part of our community!