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I’ve spent many months in India sitting with my teacher, Dr. Pankaj Naram, taking pulses of patients in the Ayushakti Ayurved clinic in Mumbai.  One of the first things that Dr. Naram pointed out to me was a common difference in the pulse between many Indians and Americans.  The American pulse has more “swelling” (fluid accumulation) due to obstructions in the lymphatic channels.  A big factor in this is the higher consumption of gluten-laden wheat products in the West, versus the more rice-based diet in India.

Early in the 20th century, American wheat farmers began to favor heavier, higher gluten strains of wheat in order to create a sensation of lingering fullness after eating, compared to the lighter and more easily digested rice.  They believed that consumers would favor wheat over rice if they felt more satisfied after eating a heavier grain.  This would give wheat farmers a competitive edge over rice growers.

Unfortunately, since wheat has become heavily laden with gluten, it has become  heavy, sticky, and difficult to digest.  This is true of whole wheat as well as the unbleached and bleached wheat flours.  The high gluten content in wheat contributes to celiac sprue (gluten intolerance), indigestion, reflux, chronic sinus congestion, allergies, and excess mucus production.  Having grown up with chronic sinus issues, I personally noticed that when I gave up wheat consumption I experienced an 80% improvement in my symptoms.  That got my attention!

Why would this happen?  According to Ayurveda, heavy, difficult to digest food contributes to the build-up of ama.  Ama is undigested food that remains in the digestive tract and is the underlying cause of imbalance in the doshas, and therefore the underlying cause of disease.

In our house we use grains other than wheat for baking and cooking.  For example, spelt is an ancient cousin of wheat and has a similar taste, but a far lower gluten content.  Other grains such as kamut, teff, amaranth, oats, barley, and rye are either very low in gluten or gluten free, and they taste great! Kamut pancakes are one of my favorites.

One of my favorite places to purchase whole grains or flour is from Barry Farm Foods at www.barryfarm.com.  They have a wide selection of grains, many of which are organic.  I love to purchase the whole grains and use my Vita Mix blender (www.vitamix.com - Enter code 06-004437 to receive FREE shipping) to grind the whole grain into fresh flour.  It’s delicious and it just takes a minute to grind a few cups of flour from whole grains.  Freshly ground flour contains a much higher nutrient level than stale flour that has been sitting in a bin or on a shelf for weeks or months.

When eating out, it’s difficult to avoid wheat, but you can search out restaurants that serve rice dishes.  At home, wheat pasta can be substituted with spelt or rice pasta.  If you cannot find spelt bread at your health food store, you can purchase 7 or 9-grain breads that contain less wheat.

If you have sinus congestion, allergies, or digestive complaints, try reducing or eliminating wheat from your diet.  I believe that you will notice a big difference in how you feel over time, and it will help prevent other health problems from developing by reducing ama!

REDUCING SEASONAL ALLERGY SYMPTOMS WITH AYURVEDA

Do you dread allergy season?  I used to, when I was in my late teens and twenties.  My allergies were so bad that I could not go outside during the month of May.  If I took over the counter allergy medications I found that I became so drowsy that I could only lie in bed and sleep.  Now I have very little problem with pollen, even though I live in North Carolina with its beautiful, blooming springtime and very high pollen counts!  I’d like to share with you some of the things that I have found helpful that you can do for yourself at home.  (If you have severe allergies I recommend that you also consult with an experienced Ayurvedic practitioner.)  You can also find home remedies for allergies in the “Home Remedies” section of BluePearlAyurveda.com.

1)  Nasya is the application of oil to the sensitive lining of the nose. It is helpful to apply plain sesame oil inside the nostrils.  Applying oil inside the nostrils helps to keep the sinuses lubricated so that the cilia can function properly.  (Cilia are the fine hairs inside the nasal cavity that work to push unwanted substances such as pollen out of the nose, so that they do not reach deep inside to the lungs.)

To apply sesame oil, use a clean dropper and place 3-5 drops of sesame oil inside the nostrils.  Close one nostril with your finger by pressing on the side of the nostril, and take a quick inhalation through the unobstructed side to force the oil up higher into the sinuses.  Repeat for the other side.  Do this one or more times a day and you will find that more pollen is trapped inside the nostrils and does not reach deeper inside the respiratory tract where it can cause greater discomfort.

You may also purchase naturally medicated sesame oil that has been prepared with herbs specifically designed to make nasya more effective.  Go to www.banyanbotanicals.com and look for their nasya oil.

2)  If your eyes are red and itching, place a few drops of rose water in the eyes with a clean eye dropper.  Rose water has an immediate cooling effect on the eyes.  Use one or more times a day and you will find that the itching and redness reduce noticeably.  Please purchase rose water in a glass bottle rather than a plastic bottle, since the plastic from the bottle will eventually leach into the rose water, potentially causing discomfort to the eyes.

3)  Avoid wheat, refined sugar, and milk products.  These all contribute to mucus and congestion, which will further exacerbate allergy symptoms.  Many people find that their allergy symptoms reduce substantially by avoiding these foods.  In my case, my allergy symptoms improved by more than 50% by avoiding wheat, sugar, and milk products!

4)  Refer to the “Home Remedies” section of this website for home remedies for allergies that come from the ancient Siddha Ved tradition.  They are very effective and there are no unwanted side effects.

5)  A western herb that many people find helpful for allergies is Stinging Nettle (urtica dioica).  Many health food stores carry Stinging Nettle in capsule form.  It has the unusual property of reducing allergies and mucus while at the same time having a cooling effect on the physiology, so it is safe for those with pitta imbalances to use.

Best wishes!  I encourgage you to seek natural solutions to your allergies that will alleviate the discomfort and at the same time build better health.  Again, if you have severe allergies please consult with an experienced Ayurvedic practitioner.