Some readers of this blog know that prior to becoming an Ayurvedic doctor, I spent almost 12 years in the advertising industry in New York City. I specialized in global coordination, which meant I existed on 4-5 hours of sleep a night before having to send emails and make phone calls to various countries as they were either coming online or going offline.

During that time, my health was at its worst; I traveled a great deal, I was in back-to-back meetings all day every day, I had no time to eat the food that would pacify my Pitta/Kapha constitution, my yoga practice became a luxury I would do on the weekend if I had time and my meditation practice went out the window.
Not only was I totally stressed out, my connection to the people around me and my connection to the universe was contrived and on my terms.

It was so bad one year; I was fighting a cold that seemed to be continuing all year long. I also developed allergies and ailments that I never had or would conceive of having.
Naturally, I had to make a change, but how? I was the busiest person I knew, and there was no opportunity for me to slow down. When I did finally see an MD (only because my husband threatened me if I didn’t) was that I had a wake up call.
I was almost 30Lbs overweight, my blood pressure was through the roof, and I was developing early symptoms of severe acid reflux and what looked like an ulcer.

I left his office with 3 prescriptions of different medications to help treat my assortment of disease.
Since I knew my lifestyle at the time was causing my ailments, I didn’t fill the prescriptions.
I decided to go home and meditate. I wanted to understand the huge gap between my body and my life. I realized that my body had been throwing up warning signs the entire time; I was just too focused on my work (or my ego) being successful.
I fundamentally understood that when it comes to health, there are no magic bullets. If I wanted my health to change, I was going to have to change my life. For those of you who are reading this and are thinking; “I know I have to make changes, but I don’t have any time to do so”, as a New Yorker and & somebody who worked 100+ hour weeks, take it from me; Yes you can!

Here are some examples that you can choose to incorporate into your daily routine for a better quality of life. Remember, Ayurveda is all about moderation and balance.

1. Evaluate your stress buttons: This is a very simple exercise when you become conscious of it. When you feel yourself starting to have a reaction to a stressful situation, rather than begin to react, stop and breathe. Focusing on your breath is a great way to tap into your “yogic power” and will allow you to enter a more grounded frame of mind that is more thoughtful than reactionary. If you are able to leave a situation and walk around the block, it will help immensely. Not only will you feel better for it, the people around you will. The less you let your stress buttons be pushed, the sooner you can build up your immunity against stress

2. Just say no to a cup of Joe: No matter how you slice it, Coffee is not a great option for any constitution in the way most of us have come to rely on it to “get us through the day”, particularly with Vata and Pitta types.
I have one friend here in NYC who has between 7-10 double espresso shots per day, and about 4-6 servings of cola. According to him, he doesn’t feel alive unless he’s in orbit. Since caffeine is a drug, one could say that my friend is abusing caffeine, but I’m sure that he would tend to disagree. The reality is that caffeine is addictive.

I know, from personal experience, that giving up caffeine is a very hard thing for us to do, but it can be done. Caffeine interferes with sleep patterns, increases metabolism, is a diuretic, increases heart rate and increases the production of stomach acid (for those who suffer from any sort of acid reflux, ulcer or any stomach condition, this is one of the most important substances to give up).

If you are drinking 3 cups of coffee a day at full strength, try half decaffeinated half caffeinated coffee and try to take yourself off the high octane and onto decaf in 2 weeks (the usual amount to time it takes for the body to be caffeine free). If you are a black or green tea drinker, the same rules apply – try watering down your tea. Remember, caffeinated tea has more caffeine than coffee!

3. Irritated sinuses? Irrigate them: When we can’t breathe, the flow of Prana (sacred breath) into our bodies is cut down. Since Prana is regarded as the sacred nutrient, we cannot live without it. Sometimes, we are susceptible to stuffy or runny noses or sinus infections. As our environments are not as clean as they used to be, and our reliance on therapies like decongestants and other drugs are the mainstream, the body has a hard time expelling pollutants, dust and waste that gets caught in the sinus passages.

The very best way to clear your sinuses is by using a Neti Pot. Neti is also an Ayurvedic therapy where one uses a combination of warm water and non-idolized salt (and some medicated oils, depending if the nasal passages are infected) in a copper, ceramic or food-safe plastic pot, which resembles a small watering can.

The process of irrigation is simple, by leaning your head over a sink and turning your head to the side, then putting the spout of the Neti pot into one nostril at a time and let the solution drain through the other nostril.
Long time suffers of hay fever, seasonal allergies and sinusitis swear by using the Neti pot. You can pick up a starter kit for about $20.00, and it only takes 2 minutes, twice a day.
Skeptical? Read an article on WebMD about the effectiveness of using an Neti Pot Here

Ceramic Neti Pot

4. Brush Teeth, Scrape tongue: I remember reading a study recently that people who brush their teeth on a regular basis have better emotional and physical health than people who don’t brush regularly. Bacteria and other toxins build up in the mouth after eating a meal or overnight. Ama accumulates on the tongue as well as the teeth. Ama is a white coat on the tongue, and can usually be visible in the morning, and is the cause of Morning breath. Scraping the bacteria from the tongue will reduce morning breath, and bacteria in the mouth.
If you are using a tongue scraper, but still experience a white coat on your tongue, consult an Ayurvedic doctor – you may have Ama (toxins) in your system.

Silver Tongue Scraper

5. Eat with your mind as well as your mouth: I can’t express this enough; there is yoga of eating. Even if you are eating a well-balanced meal that is ideal for your bodily constitution, if you aren’t eating consciously, it’s only half the story.
Yoga means Union. We are all united through the air, which we breathe, and the food, which we eat. When I was studying an Maharishi University of Management, I had no idea what people we going on about when they said “we are all connected.” It finally hit me when I understood the concept of Yoga in food and eating:

Food comes from the ground that nourishes it. We consume the food that nourishes us. When we pass on, our bodies go back into the Earth, which nourishes the soil and in turn nourishes the food that we eat. We are all connected through all the molecules in the food, which we eat, and the air, which we breathe. So what is conscious eating and Yoga of food?

Simple. Here’s a practical list of Food Sadhana (spiritual exertion towards an intended goal)

1. Prepare food with love
2. Cook with fresh food, never old food
3. Avoid overly processed food when possible
4. Chant when you cook
5. Don’t prepare, cook or eat food when angry
6. Eat with your family
7. Don’t eat in front of the Television, at your desk or in a car!
8. Chew food properly – not only will it be better on digestion and absorption, you can actually explore the tastes and textures of the food
9. Avoid ice-cold drinks whilst eating
10. Eat until you feel almost full

Remember that the first step to optimal health starts with the right attitude, and sometimes small steps are more important that large leaps!

Namaste.