Few days back I got an opportunity to listen to the talks of Rajeevji on Ayurveda. He took a base of the books of Vagbhata, a renowned Ayurveda Doctor. I was amazed to see how much study & research Rajeevji has done on these very valuable books of Ayurveda. And more than that, his pure intentions to make everyone healthy, to make everyone independent for their own health by using age old wisdom of healing science of India, Ayurveda.
Almost all the facts he puts in front of us are very important to keep our health good and emphasizes what Vagbhata says. But about some facts his statements are creating confusions or are not so correct according to me. (According to whatever Vagbhata I understood). Sometimes the facts he says are right but the explanation he gives about them doesn’t seems right. I don’t understand from where these misunderstandings came from. Definitely I don’t want to criticize his views but it is very important to clear some of them otherwise following them as it is will harm the basic intention of giving health . I will like to highlight those facts which are useful and also which are confusing according to me.
The fact which are useful ---
- In 80-85% of the diseases one can take care of oneself, if he knows the basics of Ayurveda. And also can prevent most of the illnesses. For remaining 10-15% which are of serious nature one has to take help of Doctor.
- We are using tons & tons of medicines and pharmaceutical companies are enjoying the benefits of that. Our kitchen has lots of medicines. Know how to utilize them.
- Don’t use fast acting modern equipment’s such as pressure cooker, refrigerator, microwave, electric chakki. This leads to loss of valuable vitamins and minerals. Rather they increase pollution. He emphasizes on using hand operated chakki which serves double purpose of getting a good quality flour and exercise to the body. (For those who cannot shift to such chakki can try to find electric chakki which moves at slow speed. This won’t increase the heat to that extend and will save some nutrients.)
- Don’t use aluminum vessels for cooking. And the best are earthen pots. Cooking dals in earthen pots, pital vessels retains most of its nutrients. Dals made in pressure cooker loses most of its nutrients. His explanation on it is worth listening.
- Eat freshly made food, within 48 minutes s of cooking. And use flour fresh, freshly taken out from the chakki. (Not older than 15days). Freshness is health. So reduce the use of freeze.
- Adapt food & lifestyle according to region of the world. North Indian food is perfect for North India & South Indian for south India.
- Having Pan along with chuna, sauf, ajwain etc is good after the food. It helps in digestion and rather than making the mouth dirty it cleans it, takes out the stickiness of mouth. So the organisms cannot grow there.
- The facts about opposite food he mentions are very important to follow. E.g. don’t have fruits and milk together.
- The best position to have food is cross legged position.
- Taking some rest after the lunch, 20-40 minutes and not to do heavy physical activity after having food. He explains in detail the benefit of it.
- have a gap of two hrs. In between the dinner & going to the bed.
- Mind should be peaceful while having food. So meditate or sing some prayer before having food.
-Everything he talks about oils is so much important for a good health. Really an eye opener to us. Oil is the best medicine of Vata diseases. Use traditional oils such as Sesame, Mustard, Ground nut etc. Don’t refine them; you will lose all the goodness of it. Therefore use filtered or oils taken out from Ghani.
- Best medicine of Pitta is ghee and the best medicine of Kapha is honey.
-then he talks about many medicines, some of it is very important. Such as medicines of Kapha & Vata, information about triphala, about Gomutra, chuna for calcium etc. The facts I don’t accept I will give later on.
-he also gives very valuable information about the cleaning of teeth, exercise and massage.
The facts which are confusing or controversial to Ayurveda—
-He says that in hot countries wind (Vata) is more & in cold countries Kapha & Pitta is more. In hot countries naturally the heat will be more so the Pitta problems will be more & in cold countries how can be Pitta problems be more? In cold countries the Kapha & Vata problems will be more.
- Then he talks about having the best meal in between 7- 9.30 in the morning. He gives an explanation as the digestion is at its best during this time after the sun rise. The digestive fire is best after two and half hours after the sunrise. As per Ayurveda 10am to 2pm is the time of Pitta and the best work of Pitta that is digestion is at peak during this time. (The Sun’s heat is at its peak) Actually morning 6—10 am is the time of Kapha, the digestion cannot be good at this time. So one can have lighter breakfast if need so & then should have good lunch during 10am -2pm. If someone is not hungry during Kapha period he can directly have a good lunch during Pitta period.
Having a food without having good hunger in Kapha period will lead to Kapha diseases. He emphasizes in giving food to children in Kapha period. They must have food before going to school. These will be disaster for them. Naturally they have Kapha dominance at that age & on top of that this unwanted food will cause tons of Kapha in them, very dangerous suggestion.
Another important indication of hunger is your own body. Check “Are you having really, a very strong hunger at that time”? Actually the lunch should be the heaviest food not breakfast.
-Then lot more to talk about water. How much water one should drink early in the morning? He talks about one to one & quarter liters. It is about 5-6 glasses, if the glass is of 200-250ml. Most of us today get up in a Kapha period that is after six am. Drinking so much of water will lead to all sorts of Kapha issues. May be, this will hold true, if one gets up in a Vata period that is before six am and drinks little more water. But still one has to check whether he is not developing Kapha problems by drinking so much of water. Best is to have one or two glasses of water in the morning, preferably warm.
Secondly he talks about always drinking little warm water, close to the body temperature. This is good for some people (Those having Kapha & Vata issues) but not for all. People having a Pitta, hot constitution will develop Pitta issues with this hot water. Their body will always favor normal temperature or little cold water from earthen pots. Yes, it is correct not to have fridge cold chilled water.
Thirdly he guides how much water one should drinks & there he gives a formula which suggests that 70 kg person should drink around 5 liters of water & 60 kg person should 4 liters etc. This will be another disaster. Ayurveda says one should drink water as per the thirst, if one has thirst of 0ne liter one should drink that much & if one has of two liters one should drink that much, very simple law; nothing to do with the weight. Rather if he drinks unnecessary he will land up in hundreds of problem & diabetes is one of them.
He also talks about not to have water immediately after meals. It will be a poison if one drinks it. So drink it after one & half hrs. Personally I have not came across any such information in Ayurveda books. They mention that don’t drink before meals, drink little water in between the meals if required so and quench the thirst whatever is there, after the meals. Naturally today we lack oil and ghee in the food so we end up with very high thirst after the meals and this high water intake won’t be good for digestion. Or sometimes very pungent (spicy) food also asks for excess water. But it is very relative. One has to learn Ayurveda to know the signs of indigestion, the signs of over intake of water. But this doesn’t seem right not to drink after the meals.
-Oil is a 100% fat, there cannot be a trace of proteins into them. He mentions about the proteins in the oil. Yes, all the oilseeds have proteins into them e.g. Ground nut, sesame seed, almond etc. but not the oils. The proteins from the oilseeds remains in the oil cake.
- Then while explaining food & seasons, he says in winter Vata & Kapha increases and pitta is low. So as Kapha is more one should have heavy food. One should have heavy food is right but not because of more Kapha. Actually winter is the best season for health, no dosha — Kapha, Pitta, Vata are not imbalanced in this season. Due to the cold outside the digestion, the pitta is at its best, need heavy & more food to pacify this strong hunger. This heavy food in a way gives warmth to the body, calories to the body to fight these excess cold.
-Then he substitutes Jaggery for honey as a best medicine of Kapha. (If one does not want to use honey.) But I have not come across such information anywhere in the books. Rather if Jaggery is new, it will increase Kapha. That is why Jaggery should always be used which is one year old. Rather Lord Buddha has used Jaggery water to get read of Vata which is exactly opposite to the qualities to Kapha.
- He says Kakwi (the liquidize product made from sugarcane) is better than Jaggery or Sugar. The book says the best amongst the products from sugarcane is Khadishakkar (Rock sugar), then the plain sugar (not refined sugar of today but little brownish color sugar), then Jaggery & lastly the Kakwi. Rather kakwi increases Kapha.
- Then he talks about the Pitta medicines. The Ajwain (Owa), cumin (Jeera), Asafoetida (Hing) & Coriander seeds (Dhaniya) all are of worm qualities, how can they reduce Pitta? Rather they will increase it.
-Gulkand as a Kapha medicine? It is good for Pitta, not for Kapha
- Children should sleep more—the explanation he gives this to balance the Kapha. They should sleep more is right but that is not to balance Kapha but due to influence of dominating Kapha in them.
This is my sincere effort to clear certain things which I don’t agree to. Pl feel free to discuss on this issues and correct me if you feel that my views are wrong at some points. This will help all of us to strengthen our wisdom of Ayurveda. Once again salute to Rajeevji’s efforts to make all of us health independent.
Dr Nikhil Mehta, Pune
nikhilmehta68Yahoo.co.in, Mobile: 9665012251
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