Build the quality of blood with the Ayurveda

Today’s theme is not quite meant only for the senior citizens who are Porosh’s members but also for all age groups. While discussing among ourselves on a certain issue we realized that if quality (or, one may even say purity) of blood improves then a lot of ailments that we are subjected to, cutting-across various age groups, can be addressed. So, we are reproducing an article published in https://vibrantayurveda.com.au/build-the-quality-of-your-blood-with-ayurveda-2/

On April 2, 2019.

Blood is a bodily fluid in humans and animals that delivers oxygen and nutrients to the body’s cells and transports metabolic waste products away from the cells. Blood is the fluid of life, as its role is fundamental to the basic process of life.

Ayurvedic view on blood

Blood is known as rakta dhatu in ayurvedic medicine. Interestingly, Ayurveda views blood and plasma as two different tissues.

Rakta Dhatu is influenced by the pitta dosha. If pitta is in good condition, then the quality of the blood tissue will also be good.

The liver and spleen are the principle organs that produce rakta dhatu. The main function of rakta dhatu is to support the body and maintain life.

Qualities of pure blood

• Glowing skin and attractive complexion

• Sense organs work well

• Optimal digestive power

• Healthy and happy outlook on life

• Body tissues receive good nourishment

• Energetic and active

Blood disorders

• Visarpa – herpes

• Vidradhi – abscess

• Kushta – skin disorders like acne, pimples, psoriasis, etc

• Vata rakta – gout

• Rakta pitta – hemorrhagic disorders

• Gulma – tumours

• Kamala – jaundice

• Vyanga – pigmentation of skin

• Agni nasha – indigestion

• Sammoha – syncope

• Raktatwaknetra mootrata – redness of eyes, skin and urine

Signs of poor blood condition

• Feeling cold

• Reduced volume of urine and sweat

• Skin loses its lustre; becomes pale, dry, rough, and cracked

• Coldness causes the body to hold on to heat, leading to constipation

• Craving for hot, spicy, sour, citrus, and iron-rich foods

• Collapsing veins

• Becoming mentally dull, having difficulty processing and understanding new information, confusion and misunderstanding.

Causes of blood imbalance Foods

• Deficiency of iron or vitamin B12

• Excess sugar or salt

• Consuming heating oils and fried foods

• Toxins such as alcohol, nicotine, drugs & chemicals, pesticides, artificial colors, and preservatives.

• Unhealthy food combinations

• Eating sour and fermented foods

• Eating excess cheese, curds and pickles

Body

• Excessive exposure to the sun

• Exposure to radiation

• Liver & spleen disorders

• Working in a hot environment

• Excessive or insufficient physical exercise

Mind

• Repressed aggression or anger

• Envy and hate

Ayurvedic management of blood disorders

Purgation therapy (virechana)

Medicated purgation therapy cleanses pitta and purifies blood toxins that have accumulated in the liver and gallbladder. It completely cleanses the gastrointestinal tract.

Therapeutic fasting (langhana)

Fasting brings about lightness of the body. It rests the digestive system and provides the body with an opportunity to detoxify itself.

Bloodletting therapy (raktamokshana)

Bloodletting therapy contributes to organ detoxification, immunity boosting and enhanced blood circulation. It supports the elimination of toxins from the body. Traditionally bloodletting was done with the use of leeches, however in modern times, regular blood donation can achieve the same results.

Ayurvedic herbs for blood cleansing

Single herbs possessing bitter, astringent and pungent tastes (tikta-kashaya-katu rasa) are beneficial for purifying the blood. Such herbs possess qualities of lightness, minuteness, and liquidity. They are usually neither too cold nor too hot. Some of the potent herbs in this category are

• Neem (Azadiracta indica)

• Manjistha (Rubia Cordifolia)

• Saffron (Crocus Sativus)

• Turmeric (Curcuma Longa)

• Guduchi (Tinospora Cordifolia)

• Amla (Emblica Officinalis)

Blood and Emotion

Blood carries emotion and memories. Blood heats up with anger and cools down with depression. As blood carries hormones and genetic codes, it passes to the next generation. So-called blood relationships also mean emotional connections.

Lifestyle to balance rakta dhatu

• Eat neutral-tasting foods and reduce spicy foods.

• Drink plenty of water, and eat more fruits and vegetables.

• Don’t skip meals and maintain regular timings for eating.

• Drink 1/4 cup of fresh aloe vera juice daily.

• Avoid daytime sleep and go to bed before 10 pm.

• Reduce anger.

• Relax and meditate regularly.

Importance of blood circulation

Proper blood circulation is essential for the efficient transportation of nutrients and energy to all parts of the body. Blood circulation disorders can cause many health problems including, in extreme cases, organ failure.

Some tips for good circulation

• Keep moving your body every day. Exercise regularly and keep looking for opportunities to do physical activity of any sort.

• Manage stress. Pause. Take deep and relaxing breaths. Find healthy relaxation activities that work for you. Receive regular massages.

• Align your spine. Stand tall. Shape your spine for proper blood flow.

• Eat a balanced diet and find natural sources of vitamins K, C, and E.

• Eat oranges, sunflower seeds, garlic, ginger and turmeric.

We hope you have gained useful insights from the article on what, why and how of blood and maintaining its quality.

Desire for relationship changes with time

A recent research has thrown light on why when you have an idea of a picture-

perfect holiday season, what actually transpires doesn't always measure up.

An explanation for what actually happens sometimes doesn't match your fantasy of a joyful, picture-perfect holiday season has been provided by a new research.

According to Samia Akhter-Khan, a graduate student at King's College London and the study's lead author, loneliness originates from this. The journal Perspectives on Psychological Science published it.

"Loneliness results from a discrepancy between expected and actual social relationships" Akhter-Khan said.

Together with Duke psychology and neuroscience PhD. Leon Li, Akhter-Khan and colleagues co-authored a paper on why people feel lonely, particularly in later life, and what we can do about it.

"The problem that we identified in the current research was that we haven't really thought about: What do people expect from their relationships?" Akhter-Khan said.

"We work with this definition of expectations, but we don't really identify what those expectations are and how they change across cultures or over the lifespan" In every relationship, we expect certain basics. We all want people in our lives who we can ask for help. Friends we can call on when we need them. Someone to talk to. People who "get us." Someone we can trust. Companions with whom we can share fun experiences. But the team's theory, called the Social Relationship Expectations Framework, suggests that older people may have certain relationship expectations that have gone overlooked.

Akhter-Khan's first clue that the causes of loneliness might be more complex than meets the eye came from a year she studied ageing in Myanmar from 2018 to 2019.

At first, she assumed people generally wouldn't feel lonely -- after all, "people are so connected and live in a very close-knit society. People have big families; they're often around each other. Why would people feel lonely?"

But her research suggested otherwise. "It actually turns out to be different, "she said. People can still feel lonely, even if they don't spend much time alone. What efforts to reduce loneliness have neglected, she said, is how our relationship expectations change as we get older. What we want from social connections in, say, our 30s isn't what we want in our 70s.

The researchers identified two age-specific expectations that haven't been taken into account. For one, older adults want to feel respected. They want people to listen to them, take an interest in their experiences and learn from their mistakes.

To appreciate what they've been through and the obstacles they have overcome.

They also want to contribute: to give back to others and their community and pass along traditions or skills through teaching and mentoring, volunteering, caregiving, or other meaningful activities. Finding ways to fulfil these expectations as we get older can go a long way towards combating loneliness in later life, but research has largely left them out.

"They're not part of the regular scales for loneliness," Li said.

Part of the reason for the oversight may be that often the labour and contributions of older people are unaccounted for in typical economic indices, said Akhter-Khan, who worked in 2019-20 as a graduate research assistant for a Bass Connections project at Duke on how society values care in the global economy.

"Ageism and negative ageing stereotypes don't help," she added. A 2016 World Health Organization survey spanning 57 countries found that 60 per cent of respondents said that older adults aren't well respected.

Loneliness isn't unique to older people. "It is a young people's problem as well,"

Akhter-Khan said. "If you look at the distribution of loneliness across the lifespan, there are two peaks, and one is in younger adulthood, and one is in old age."

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, world leaders began sounding the alarm on loneliness as a public health issue. Britain became the first country to name a minister for loneliness, in 2018. Japan followed suit in 2021.

Because loneliness affects health, it is more than just an emotion. Chronic loneliness has been linked to increased risks of heart disease, stroke, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease, among other health issues. According to some researchers, it poses risks on par with or even greater than smoking and obesity.

The researchers believe that if we can better comprehend the causes of loneliness, we may be able to address it more effectively.

Adapted from Hindustan Times ‘As we get older, our desire from relationships

changes: Study’ in Nov 21, 2022

Alzheimer’s disease: 5 daily habits that increase risk of dementia

Are you using it or losing it? Maintaining brain health can be a tricky business especially in today's time and age due to drawbacks of our modern lifestyle. Instead of challenging our brains, we are making it lazy and the consequences could be disastrous. A mind that doesn't 'exercise' can shrink which could lead to cognitive decline and also increase risk of Alzheimer's disease. Our eating habits could also take a toll as sugar-laden and high-calorie food can lead to inflammation of brain. Besides, alcohol and drug use can cause early brain tissue loss which could cause brain to age prematurely.

As regards Alzheimer's disease, it is thought to be caused by the abnormal build-up of proteins in and around brain cells. Amyloid, a protein forms plaques around brain cells, while another protein tau could form tangles within brain cells. This process may start as early as at the age of 40 which is early-onset Alzheimer's.

Anyone leading a stressful, sedentary and unhealthy lifestyle could be at early risk of Alzheimer's or dementia. When the brain health starts to deteriorate, one doesn't really derive joy from life and it seems like a burden. To avoid risk of these brain diseases, one must make healthy changes in lifestyle.

Dr. Mazhar Abbas Turabi, Consultant Neurosurgeon, Masina Hospital, Byculla, Mumbai tells HT Digital about harmful habits that could put us at risk of Alzheimer's disease and also how we can turn around our lifestyle.

HARMFUL HABITS THAT CAN CAUSE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

1. Having a sedentary lifestyle: Sedentary lifestyles and inadequate exercise unquestionably slow down the brain as well as contribute to many lifestyle diseases. Exercise offers a number of advantages that fend off cognitive issues in addition to being essential for keeping our brains healthy and sharp as we age. They increase heart rate, release feel-good endorphins, and — most importantly — promote blood flow to the brain, which maintains brain health.

2. Insufficient sleep: Lack of sleep can cause sleepiness during the day and may lower your productivity and attention span. Not getting enough sleep for a long time may increase a level of protein in your brain called Tau, which is directly related to cognitive decline and can cause Alzheimer’s disease.

3. Dehydration: Normally, it is recommended to drink 8 glasses of water in a day as our body is made up of 70% of water. Therefore, not drinking enough water or consuming foods that contains liquid can cause dehydration which causes dementia.

4. Drug and alcohol use: Overindulging in alcohol for an extended period of time can harm your brain and raise your risk of dementia. Alcohol consumption in moderation hasn't been definitively linked to an increased risk of dementia, nor has it been demonstrated to provide much protection against getting dementia.

5. A poor diet: Reduce the intake of high saturated fats like cheese butter cakes, red meat etc as they are known to increase the risk of cognitive issues. Instead, replace these foods by consuming fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamins and minerals.

HEALTHY HABITS FOR BRAIN

To keep our brains healthy, we should try to follow the following tips:

- Eat healthfully

- Abstain from alcohol and drugs

- Take a break from work and enjoy yourself

- Take the time to see your family

- Exercise and practice yoga

- Prevent stress

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/health/alzheimers-disease-5-daily-habits-that-increase-risk-of-dementia-101667735434790.html