A Healing History
By Donn Brennan
Ancient Ayurveda still harmonising our health
A recently published document on health* revealed that one of the biggest risk factors today is high blood pressure. But people are choosing all sorts of options to combat this and we’re seeing lots of success through Ayurvedic techniques.
Ayurveda describes three causes or ‘types’ for health – ‘vata’, ‘pitta’ and ‘kapha’. Knowing your type helps you eat and exercise in ways that suit you. Appropriate routines, diets and supplements can help balance your type. A spa treatment, involving the continuous flow of oil over the forehead while lying relaxed, can also be helpful, as is TM or Transcendental Meditation.
A patient of mine began to practice TM and saw his high blood pressure decrease. After four months, he stopped but discovered his blood pressure was raised again. Two years on, he practices TM regularly and his BP continues to stay normal.
The American Heart Foundation has stated that TM has the evidence to support it being prescribed by doctors for hypertension. The DASH diet is beginning to receive scientific verification too. It may sound hurried but what it stands for is ‘Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.
Other important approaches include healthy weight loss for those who are obese, dietary supplements, including garlic and omega-3 oils and replacing caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, recreational drugs, sugar, refined foods and saturated fats with foods that are more beneficial to your well-being.
*The Global Burden of Disease’. 486 scientists from 302 institutions in 50 countries contributed.
