You Are What You Eat

In the last article, we explained the benefits Ayurveda can have on your mind and body. We also included some rituals/routines to incorporate into your everyday life for you to improve your health whilst staying at home.

This time, we decided to give you some tips to improve the health of your immune system using Ayurvedic practices.

But first, I’ll start explaining, from a scientific perspective, the importance of the immune system to reach optimal health.

 

Dr Shiva

Dr Shiva Ayyadurai is the inventor of email, scientist and entrepreneur who holds four degrees from MIT and a PhD in Biological Engineering. He uploaded on his website a video explaining ‘The Immune System – Your Body’s OPERATING SYSTEM’ on the 31 March 2020 which made me think of the importance of our body systems.

When our body is in its natural system state, all systems are working properly. Our body wants to stay healthy, but it also needs our collaboration by fueling it with the right ingredients, the right inputs.

The Immune System

The immune system is the operating system of the body; this means that it controls everything in it. But, what affects the health of our immune system? Two factors contribute to its health: our decisions and external decisions.

  1. Our decisions: what food and beverages we consume and what/ how much exercise we do.
  2. External decisions: environmental factors that are out of our control such as dirty water and polluted air.

Vitamins

Dr Shiva also points out the importance of vitamin D, vitamin A and vitamin C.

Vitamin D, aka the sun, is crucial for our well-being as it dissolves the membrane of the bacteria in our body. Vitamin A and C are also pivotal for our health as they determine if our body is in its natural system state. If we eat fast food and takeaways, the body won’t have the right fuel to keep itself healthy and vice versa.

Your Body, Your System

However, everyone’s different; our genes, environment, routines and other factors play a role in what we uniquely need to reach optimal health. That’s why Dr Shiva believes in personalized healthcare rather than ‘one size fits all’.  This is why, after 30 years of research, he created ‘Your body, Your System’, a survey to determine how your body works and what it needs to reach optimal health.

As seen in the diagram, he uses engineering terminology ‘transport, conversion and storage’ to determine where one stands. He also writes in brackets ‘Vata, Pitta and Kapha’, the three Ayurvedic constitutions from where he took inspiration from.

Dr Shiva is right, one size does not fit all, that’s why its so important, from both a scientific and holistic perspective, to uniquely take care of our immune system and body as a whole.

We recommend to check his website out, read Ayurvedic self care manuals or meet an Ayurvedic doctor (via digital means) in order to learn how to personally take care of yourself.

“Health begins with knowing the Unique You. Your body is a Unique system that needs the right inputs for the right conditions. Use this tool to know the Unique You on your journey to Real Health, and to understand the principles of all systems.”

-Dr Shiva Ayyadurai, PhD (M.I.T)

Tips, Tips, Tips!

But now, as promised, we’ll suggest some general tips to follow in order to keep your immune system strong and healthy.

I did some research on Coronavirus/Ayurveda and saw that many websites suggest the same things.

However, firstly, here are some quotes/lines from different articles:

“As the world scrambles to find a cure for COVID-19, health experts have suggested boosting the body’s immune system may help minimize the affects and hasten the recovery from the disease.”

“On the preventive front, many states, including Haryana, Goa and Kerala, have started using Ayurvedic medicines for asymptomatic patients and even frontline workers.”

“Coronavirus: Experts suggest Ayurveda helps boost immunity against COVID-19”

No one is 100% sure if Ayurveda works on this virus, nonetheless, it’s always beneficial to try to keep your immune system and body as healthy and strong as possible.

Tongue Scraping

After waking up in the morning, you should go to the bathroom, and before drinking or eating anything, scrape your tongue. By doing this simple action, you’re removing the micro-organisms and stimulating your organs.

Warm Water

After scraping and washing your mouth, drink hot or warm water, preferably before food or coffee. This action flushes out the toxins from the body accumulated during the night. Drinking warm water also improves digestion and congestion and clears the intestine.

Avoid

Please try to avoid iced beverages and cold foods as it will slow down your digestive system. Also, try not to ingest foods containing dairy products (yoghurt, cheese and ice-cream) as it will produce mucus and it will be easier for bacteria to attach to your systems.

Diet

Eat your veggies! Now, more than ever, its extremely important to eat the right products instead of having meal deals, takeaways and fast food. As stated in the last blog post, nature supplies us with right food during every season.

That’s why it’s crucial to eat local produce and fill your body with all the vitamins it needs to work properly. Also, for the immune system to work, it needs vitamin D. During quarantine it’s especially hard to stay outside if you don’t have a balcony or garden. We suggest taking supplements when this isn’t possible.

Spices and Herbs

Use these herbs to make tea or to add to foods whilst cooking. It will help your digestive system, boost energy, clear mucus, help the lungs, clear congestion, increase blood flow and more.

  • Turmeric
  • Ginger
  • Tulsi (holy basil)
  • Coriander seeds
  • Cumin
  • Liquorice
  • Cinnamon
  • Cardamom
  • Cumin
  • Garlic
  • Black pepper
  • Mint

Respiration

Improve your respiration by doing some steam inhaling and meditation/yoga. By breathing boiled water with essential oils such as eucalyptus and thyme will help you breathe freely. Also, doing daily meditation/yoga will help you create a breathing pattern as these activities focus on inhaling and exhaling.

Namaste

We really hope this article has helped you understand the importance of taking care of your immune system and that, through these tips, you’ll be able to stay safe and simultaneously reach optimal health by having a strong body system.

Bibliography

Ayurveda.com. 2020. Ayurvedic Perspective On COVID-19. [online] Available at: <https://www.ayurveda.com/ayurvedic-perspective-on-covid-19> [Accessed 22 April 2020].

Ayyadurai, D., 2020. Dr.SHIVA LIVE: The Immune System – Your Body’s OPERATING SYSTEM – Dr. V.A. Shiva Ayyadurai. [online] Dr. V.A. Shiva Ayyadurai. Available at: <https://vashiva.com/dr-shiva-live-the-immune-system-your-bodys-operating-system/> [Accessed 22 April 2020].

Centre enacts law to protect doctors, h. and Coronavirus live updates: Maha, t., 2020. Coronavirus: Experts Suggest Ayurveda Helps Boost Immunity Against COVID-19. [online] Deccan Herald. Available at: <https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-experts-suggest-ayurveda-helps-boost-immunity-against-covid-19-821669.html> [Accessed 22 April 2020].

Das, S., 2020. Coronavirus Outbreak: India Plans Ayurvedic Trials On Patients Soon. [online] Business-standard.com. Available at: <https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/coronavirus-outbreak-india-plans-ayurvedic-trials-on-patients-soon-120041500073_1.html> [Accessed 22 April 2020].

Delightyoga.com. 2020. 10 Ayurveda Tips To Boost Your Immunity For Coronavirus Prevention | Delight Yoga. [online] Available at: <https://delightyoga.com/blog/ayurveda/10-ayurveda-tips-boost-immunity-coronavirus> [Accessed 22 April 2020].

Yourbodyyoursystem.com. 2020. Your Body, Your System: Be Happy, Be YOU. [online] Available at: <https://www.yourbodyyoursystem.com/> [Accessed 22 April 2020].

Images

Self Care: Photo by Madison Inouye from Pexels

Spcies: Photo by Marta Branco from Pexels

Yourbodyyoursystem.com. 2020. Your Body, Your System: Be Happy, Be YOU. [online] Available at: <https://www.yourbodyyoursystem.com/> [Accessed 22 April 2020].

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