Category Archives: Disorders

The Coronil Confusion: Can Anu Taila Prevent Corona Infection?

Recently Patanjali launched a new Ayurvedic medicine for COVID-19 infection kit. Kit comprises of three medicines available – Anu taila, shvasari vati and coronil tabs.

However Patanjali has not been able to demonstrate the use of Coronil kit in current COVID-19 patients. Therefore, I would not recommend using coronil kit at an exclusive treatment for COVID-19 patients.

However, the let’s see if coronil can help us in the prevention or management of COVID-19.

Coronil has 3 medicines – Anu Taila, Shvasari vati, and Coronil Tabs. All this has three medicines work in different manners and exert multiple effects on different parts of the body.

In this blog, Let’s look at anu taila first.

The nose is a very complex structure with a lot of convolutions inside. the convulsions in the nasal passage trap thousands of pathogens that enter inside our nose with every breath. However, if this nasal passage provides host cells for the pathogens to decide then. 
But, if the cells in this nasal passage have low immunity we can become host to the pathogens entering through the nose. When pathogen irritates the nasal lining the first defense response of the body is to secrete excess mucus through the security glands in the sinuses and try to trap the pathogens in the nose itself. And that is why we face running nose whenever we have an infection inside the nasal lining.

As for the corona virus, the important factor ids the ACE2 receptors present in the nasal lining. These receptors are present all over the oral cavity, respiratory pathway, small intestines, blood vessels and multiple other organs. These receptors are the entry point of corona virus inside the body.

What is Anu taila ?

Anu Taila is a classical ayurvedic nasal drop mentioned in Ayurvedic text like Charak Samhita, Ashtanga Hridaya, Sushrut Samhita. The number and choice of herbs differ slightly from one text to the other. For example, Charak Samhita (uses 23 herbs) mentions use of Triphala, where else in Ashtang Hriday there is no mention of Triphala as an ingredients (27 herbs). 

Anu Taila is considered to be a Tridosha Nashak that helps balance all 3 dosha in the body namely Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Let’s see how Anu Taila works. 

Anu Taila – PHYSICOCHEMICAL EVALUATION OF ANU TAILA https://www.wjpps.com/Wjpps_controller/abstract_id/6847#

What is Nasya?

Interestingly, Anu Taila is not a tab, it is a nasal drop. According to Ayurveda, nose is the door to head region. And therefore all kinds of disorders of his head region as well as those of the respiratory system starts with the nose. If we are able to increase immunity instant immunity in the nose region then we will be able to protect our body for all the pathogens that can enter through those. Here we can see the first and the best benefit of Anu taila.

More about Nasya

Possible drug absorption and pathway for Anu Taila

  • The drug administered intranasally enters the nasal cavity through superior, middle and inferior meatus which further has six sinus openings.
  • The drug stimulates the olfactory cells. This Stimulation is further relyed through olfactory axons.
  • It crosses the cribriform plate of ethmoid bone Axons form olfactory bulbs. These bulbs form the Axons synapses with dendrils of the mitral cells. Many such synapses form olfactory glomerulai.
  • From olfactory glomerulai, drugs reaches olfactory cortex via axons of mitral cells continue to form olfactory tract.

Why Anu Taila is so effective? (coming next)

Preventive Action of Anu Taila

Links to supporting research studies given at the end of the blog

Anu Taila : A Mechanical Barrier

Anu taila forms an oily layer on the nasal surface that serves as an excellent mechanical barrier to all kinds of pathogens. This extra protective layer for the nasal passage also traps the pathogens before they touch the nasal lining.  It is as good as a mask that we are wearing inside the nose. 

So, with Anu Taila, there is a high possibility that any pathogen entering the nose will get trapped in the nasal passage itself, without causing any damage. After regular usage, this protection spreads to the deeper regions of the respiratory system, just like the effect of smoking affects the entire respiratory system. 

This layer stays on the nasal lining temporarily. However, on regular usage, it can serve as a great first defense against corona virus. So, probably we can apply Anu Taila before going outside!

In India, we have an ancient tradition of oiling the nose with cow ghee. and you can get this extra mechanical protection by applying cow ghee also. However, Anu taila offers some extra benefits as compared to plain cow ghee. And these extra benefits comes from the excellent combination of ingredients herbal ingredients it contains.


Anu Taila : An Antiviral Agent 

Anu Taila contains a big list of natural anti-microbial herbs.

Below listed are some special herbs with demonstrated anti-viral effects.

  • Choti elaichi  (Green Cardamom)
  • Tejpatta (Bayleaf)
  • Mulethi (Liquorice)
  • Nagarmotha (Cyperus rotundus
  • Khus (Vetiver)
  • Dalchini  (Cinnamon)
  • Pine (Cedrus deodara)

These herbs do not kill the virus, but they create a hostile and un-survivable environment for all pathogenic microbes. Their killing effect is neat. They kind of cut out the oxygen supply for the microbes. Microbes die their own death.

Selected important studies are mentioned, however there are hundreds of such studies proving the efficacy of these herbs

Anu Taila : An Anti-Oxidant

Most of the herbal ingredients esp.

  • Choti elaichi  (Green Cardamom)
  • Tejpatta (Bayleaf)
  • Mulethi (Liquorice)
  • Nagarmotha (Cyperus rotundus)
  • Khus (Vetiver)
  • Dalchini  (Cinnamon)

have a excellent anti-oxidant effect on the body cells, esp. the respiratory tract. With their anti-oxidant effect, these herbs may improve the overall immunity of all the body cells and makes them more resistant to viral infections.

  • Anti-oxidant Effect of Green Cardamom
  • Anti-oxidant effect of Cinnamon
  • Anti-oxidant effect of Cinnamon – Study 2
  • Anti-oxidant Effect of Nagarmotha
  • Bozan B., Karakaplan U. Antioxidants from laurel (Laurus nobilis L.) berries: influence of extraction procedure on yield and antioxidant activity of extracts. Acta Alimentaria. 2007;36:321–328. [Google Scholar]
  • El S.N., Karagozlu N., Karakaya S., Sahın S. Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of essential oils extracted from Laurus nobilis L. leaves by using solvent-free microwave and hydrodistillation. Food and Nutrition Sciences. 2014;5(02):97–106. [Google Scholar]
  • Elmastaş M., Gülçin I., Işildak Ö., Küfrevioğlu Ö., İbaoğlu K., Aboul-Enein H. Radical scavenging activity and antioxidant capacity of bay leaf extracts. Journal of the Iranian Chemical Society. 2006;3:258–266. [Google Scholar]
  • Mohsen K, Zahra K, Mehrdad R, Azizi Y. Anticonvulsant and antioxidant effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Cyperus rotundus rhizome on pentylentetrazoleinduced kindling model in male mice. Med Plants Res 2011;5:1140-6.  
  • K. R. Määttä-Riihinen, M. P. Kähkönen, A. R. Törrönen, and I. M. Heinonen, “Catechins and procyanidins in berries of vaccinium species and their antioxidant activity,” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, vol. 53, no. 22, pp. 8485–8491, 2005.View at: Google Scholar
  • Gruenwald, J.; Freder, J.; Armbruester, N. Cinnamon and health. Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr.2010, 50, 822–834. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  • Free Radical Scavenging Active Components from Cedrus deodara
  • Kilani S, Ben Ammar R, Bouhlel I, Abdelwahed A, Hayder N, Mahmoud A, et al. Investigation of extracts from (Tunisian) Cyperus rotundus as antimutagens and radical scavengers. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol 2005;20:478-84.  
  • [PUBMED] 

Anu Taila : An Immunity Booster

Almost all the herbs in Anu taila have a great immuno-modulatory impact on the nasal lining.

  • Majdalawieh, A.F.; Carr, R.I. In vitro investigation of the potential immunomodulatory and anti-cancer activities of black pepper (Piper nigrum) and cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum). J. Med. Food2010, 13, 371–381. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  • Gruenwald, J.; Freder, J.; Armbruester, N. Cinnamon and health. Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr.2010, 50, 822–834. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  • Stavinoha, R.C.; Vattem, D.A. Potential neuroprotective effects of cinnamon. Int. J. Appl. Res. Nat. Prod.2015, 8, 24–46. [Google Scholar]
  • Bisht A, Bisht GR, Singh M, Gupta R, Singh V. Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of essential oil of tubers of Cyperus rotundus Linn. collected from Dehradun (Uttarakhand). Int J Res Pharm Biomed Sci 2011;2:661-5.  
  • Samejima K., Kanazawa K., Ashida H., Danno G.-i. Bay laurel contains antimutagenic kaempferyl coumarate acting against the dietary carcinogen 3-amino-1-methyl-5 H-pyrido [4, 3-b] indole (Trp-P-2) Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 1998;46:4864–4868. [Google Scholar]
  • Imam H, Zarnigar, Sofi G, Seikh A, Lone A. The incredible benefits of Nagarmotha (Cyperus rotundus). Int J Nutr Pharmacol Neurol Dis [serial online] 2014 [cited 2020 Jul 15];4:23-7. Available from: http://www.ijnpnd.com/text.asp?2014/4/1/23/124611

Anu Taila : Ayurvedic Tridosha Nashak

According to Ayurveda, all these are kapha balancing herbs and they make body cells more resistant to all kinds of pathogens related to cough and colds. 

With prevention of vata and pitta dosha imbalance, Anu Taila prevents multiple symptoms like headache, loss in sense of smell or hearing etc. However, these points are more relevant in COVID-19 management. I will elaborate on these points in the COVID-19 management section.

Anu Taila as an Antiviral Humidifier

At any time, Anu Taila is a far better humidifier than vapor as it moistens the nasal lining. And the oily layer protects the natural moisture of the nasal lining. This quality of Anu Taila, combined with the natural anti-viral effect, protects the nasal lining from dryness and increased vulnerability to virus attack.

Therefore, we can see that Anu Taila can be a potential complementary preventive support in case of COVID 19.

Besides, the present corona infections are being treated by managing the symptoms. In the next blog, let’s see how Anu Taila can help to manage COVID19 symptoms in the infected patients.

The Great COVID-19 Deception

Ramdesivir – Does it really work in COVID19 infection?

Covid-19 infection rate may be 440% higher among children who received FLU SHOTS

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The Slap Medicine

In the previous article on concentration, we saw what is concentration and the Hidden factor behind the lack of concentration. 

In this blog, we will discuss one of the most common and convenient ways to develop instant concentration and its effects on the body.

The Slap Medicine

Performance-enhancing substance – Nootropic: smart drugs and cognitive enhancers 

The term “nootropic” is derived from the Ancient Greek words νόος (nóos) meaning “mind” and τροπή (tropḗ) meaning “a turning. We have many natural herbs like Brahmi that help to increase concentration, however, in this video let’s focus on artificially manufactured smart drugs., synthetic drugs

Normally we use chemical-based stimulants to improve concentration. Some of the examples are –

  • Adderall
  • Anabolic Steroids
  • Cocaine
  • Concerta
  • Crack Cocaine
  • Dexedrine
  • Ecstasy
  • Methamphetamine
  • Ritalin

These medicines remind me of teachers a few decades back, who would beat their students to produce instant focus! And yes, it used to work…

And a normal chemical stimulant works in a similar manner, it gives your body a tight slap, and then you suddenly feel radical levels of energy and attention. These Stimulants turn on the sympathetic system – the emergency response mode. They practically shake up the metabolism, they create havoc inside by raise heart rate, blood sugar, and blood pressure, constrict blood vessels, and open the pathways of the respiratory system. 

Quality of concentration

These drugs prepare the body for war! And yes, they bring concentration. But the problem is that in emergency situations, the conscious mind shuts down, the animal instincts of the fight, flight freeze take over. And therefore, the quality of concentration these drugs achieve might be unsustainable in the long run. 

Stimulants work for a short time

Cheetah is the fastest animal on earth, but it cannot run for miles, only for short distances. And after every run, it needs to rest. The same goes for stimulants.

According to the Yerkes–Dodson law, there is an empirical relationship between arousal and performance. This means that the arousal can increase performance up to a level. After a maximum point, increased arousal triggers a slowdown in performance. This happens because, after a point, the body becomes tired.

Stimulants are tiring

Natural concentration stimulates only the brain. And the brain, just like a computer needs very less energy to work. And that’s why, with natural levels of concentration, it is able to function for a long time, without getting tired.

However, because stimulants trigger the emergency mode – they stimulate both the mind and the body. So, it is like supplying energy to a whole robot and not only a small computer. They turn on the emergency mode, which supplies excess energy to not only the brain but also muscles! Because in emergency mode, you need to fight, flee, or freeze. But there is no need for muscle power when you are reading something. 

That’s the reason why stimulant-induced concentration works for a very short time and makes you feel very tired. 

The War Toll

These stimulants create a war-like condition, however, you cannot be at war all the time. This drug-induced concentration is not sustainable as it does not emerge from a restful state. On the contrary, it brings a lot of metabolic damage and repair work, just like a war. But if you expose the body to this emergency survival mode for a long duration or very frequently, then the body will get very tired, and severely damaged.

Besides, these drugs can be addictive!

The Addiction Trap

Let’s elaborate on the teacher’s example. Once the children are habituated to beating, one slap might not produce the desired effect. 

Also, if you get habituated to stimulants, you will have to go on increasing the dosage to get the same results,  but the problem is that it takes a huge toll on the body!

Short-Term Effects of Stimulants

Stimulants are generally abused for their euphoric, energetic effects. In the short term, stimulant effects can be very pleasurable and may include:

Other effects of stimulants include:

Side Effects

Long-Term Effects of Abusing Stimulants

 PSYCHOLOGICAL SIDE EFFECTS

  • Hallucinations.
  • Delusions.
  • Persistent anxiety.
  • Paranoia.
  • Depression.

PHYSICAL SIDE EFFECTS

WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS

Looking at the severe effects of these drugs, I would not prefer to experiment with them for fun.  These drugs should be taken only for specific disorders only under medical supervision . 
And  for better concentration, you definitely not need them., because there are far better and natural options available already. 

References:

  1. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2014). What are stimulants?
  2. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Chapter 5 – Medical aspects of stimulant use disorder. Treatment for Stimulant Use Disorders.
  3. https://www.harboroaks.com/addiction/stimulant/effects-symptoms-causes/ 
  4. https://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/ritalin/the-vicious-effects-of-prescription-stimulants.html   
  5. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Drug Abuse Warning Network, 2011: National Estimates of Drug-Related Emergency Department Visits. HHS Publication No. (SMA) 13-4760, DAWN Series D-39. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2013.
  6. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Drug Abuse Warning Network, 2011: National Estimates of Drug-Related Emergency Department Visits. HHS Publication No. (SMA) 13-4760, DAWN Series D-39. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2013.
  7. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2014). How do stimulants affect the brain and body?
  8. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2014). What are the possible consequences of stimulant use and abuse?
  9. Riezzo, I., Fiore, C., De Carlo, D., Pascale, N., Turillazzi, E., & Fineschi, V. (2012). Side effects of cocaine abuse: multiorgan toxicity and pathological consequences. Current Medicinal Chemistry, 19(33). 5624-5646.
  10. S. National Library of Medicine. (2015). Methamphetamine overdose.
  11. Australian Government Department of Health. (2004). The place of pharmacotherapies. Models of Intervention and Care for Psychostimulant Users, 2nd
  12. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2012). The Matrix Model (stimulants).

Sleep Fasting(Night Vigil) and Relief in Sinus Pain

I have been practicing sleep fasting/night vigil or Ratri Jagaran for past 1 year and I have seen some amazing results with it. This post is specially about my experience with night vigil on Ashtami night of 12th Jul.

As a child I always suffered from stuffy nose, so much that i won’t be able to go to sleep without Otrivin in my nose, sometimes many times during the night. Over the years, I might have developed mucus deposits in my sinuses. Fortunately, there was never any infection so I never has pain as in the case of sinusitis.

However, I got to know about these deposits when I started Ekadashi fasting and night vigil a year back, because during every Ekadashi fast, I would feel the excessive mucus flow from my head towards my throat. So, during these fasts, all the kapha got melted and flowed down to be excreted

Complete Relief from Mucus Accumulation in Sinuses through Dry Fasting – 48 Hours Ekadashi Observations

During this week, I faced some minor health issues due to frequently changing weather and diet pattern. I started no grain meal a few months back, and it had great results on my sleep and energy levels. This week I started “one meal a day” plan. And varsha ritu (monsoon) is a bad season to try anything new.

Possible Reasons

Since I started one-meal/day plan, I would always have this psychological need to eat, even when I was not hungry. So, in every meal, I would normally stuff myself till my stomach pained. At the same time, I would skip hunger in other parts of the day to train my body. But that was a mistake! I over-stretched my stamina.

I had ear pain, tooth pain, and for the first time I suffered from sinusitis pain in my right maxillary sinus. And I believe many people might have faced ear pain, tooth pain etc. in this season.

And it was surprising as I thought that after so much of dry fasting, there should be no more pathogenic deposits in my body. However, we forget that our body is a dynamic system and one input does not lasts forever. So, you need to be on constant health vigil.

Basically, my right maxillary sinus caught infection and the pain in ear and tooth was the referred pain from the hyper excited nerves in the infected sinus. There was no problem in the tooth or ear! I attribute this to abnormal food that I consumed this month.

The mucus is constantly formed and drained through the sinuses. The problem happens when there is an infection that creates excess mucus, blocking the normal drainage pathway and causing pain.

So, now I know that even after so much of mucus flow throughout a year of Ekadashi fasting, my sinuses are still not clear. At least not the right maxillary sinus.

Ayurvedic Treatment for Sinusitis Pain

After suffering the sinus and ear pain for half a day, I remembered what I keep telling other people – use Anu Taila. I used 15 drops of Anu Taila only for the right side of nose twice in the day. Along with Anu Taila, I practiced full night vigil on 12th Jul night.

Ayurvedic Basis for Night Vigil

According to Ayurveda, sleep increases kapha dosha. And all mucus related problems originate with excess kapha in the body. When we do night vigil, we are naturally reducing the amount of kapha in the body. I have personally seen the excellent results of night vigil in all kinds of kapha related disorders like common cold, seasonal flu, sinusitis, and all kinds of respiratory disorders.

Results

And next morning! the sinus pain, the tooth ache and the ear pain everything vanished completely.

Currently, I am not using Anu Taila as I want to experiment with the effects of fasting, cold water bath, night vigil and diet on sinusitis. But for anyone suffering from acute sinusitis pain, referred tooth ache, chronic head ache or ear pain, I would sincerely suggest use of Anu Taila, coupled with night vigil.

Anu Taila – Ayurvedic Usage Method

However, it is important that you should not force your body to stay awake. Start the night vigil and sleep whenever you feel sleepy. In my case, I started night vigil 6 months back. Initially, I would go to sleep around 2 am. However, now I can stay fully awake for 24-28 hours, without any tiredness or weakness.

I sincerely wish that everyone suffering from sinusitis benefits from this information.

Smarter Solution than Vaccine!

Namaste,  

I am Kanika and today let’s talk about what we can do before the vaccine for coronavirus arrives.

Let’s look at some of the past decades. We have seen so many serious disease outbreaks. And there has to be a way because vaccines always take a longer duration to develop.

How Vaccine Works?

The concept of vaccine has two aspects. The first aspect is vaccination; where we insert some kind of antigen inside the body. Now, this antigen can be special molecule from pathogens, dead pathogen or live attenuated form of pathogen. And second aspect is role of the body where it identifies the pathogen and develops an antibody for it.

So, you know, the vaccine is not exactly a cure for a disease. It is just an artificial method to trigger the immunity of the body and then the immunity, the immune system of the body makes the antibodies that are actually required to kill the virus or any pathogen, and because the fact is that we are not capable of making antibodies outside the body. We can only trigger the immunity.

But then there are so many people who are actually infected by this coronavirus, and yet they’re asymptomatic because their immune system was strong enough to handle the virus and keep it in check. And, you know, there is one very important question.

Can we all do it?

And if yes, then how?

Immunity is the reason why the slum children living by the side of gutter, survive and thrive; sometimes even better than kids living in very hygienic conditions, because they have a very strong immunity and even a common cold virus can kill an HIV person because he has low immunity.

So immunity is the key for survival against any disorder.

And corona virus has underlined the role of immunity. The elderly people esp. above 75 years of age have the highest death rate; as their natural immunity is lower as compared to children or youth. Besides people suffering from severe illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, cardiac disorders have a significantly higher death rate compared to people with no co-morbidity.

It is always advised not to get vaccinated when you are sick or suffering from a fever Because when you are sick, your body is already fighting one battle. And vaccines will provide more toxins or more pathogens inside the body and the body will have to shift its focus from one battle to the other battle. Therefore, vaccines also work on the basis of immunity. If there is no immunity, even vaccines are useless!

According to Ayurveda, there can be a countless number of diseases, given the complexity of our metabolic system. And even with a modern perspective, there can be a countless number of mutations, pathogenic mutations in all kinds of microbes and therefore, in every few years, we will have a new virus, a new fatal virus!

Here, the vaccine has a little problem.

You cannot develop a vaccine for an unknown pathogen. And normally vaccines are developed only after a significant number of people are infected by a particular pathogen. However, it is a dangerous approach because in this manner, a vaccine will develop only after a pathogen has killed a certain number of people and therefore vaccination is a great solution, but it is regressive in nature.

It is always behind schedule!

And with more frequent outbreaks of pathogens, new forms of pathogens, we need a more aggressive solution along with vaccination.

 Vaccination is an artificial support for developing immunity so that we can develop the technique to fight the real pathogen! but what if we are able to enhance the immunity so that we are ready for any unknown pathogen any time.

Here is another perspective.

Any pandemic epidemic is a vaccination drive by nature. And what if you are able to encounter the virus and your body is able to identify the virus and develop its antibody all at the same time in a very, very short duration? Then you will not fall sick!

And this is something which we can call a perfect state of immunity.

And what if your body can do that?

Is it not safer and more effective?

Because in that case, you would not have to wait for the vaccines!

And in this context, Ayurveda or any form of natural medicine has a very, very aggressive approach because it does not focus on the pathogen outside.  It focuses on the body.  It focuses on innate immunity, on enhancing the immunity and preserves the health of the healthy, irrespective of the external conditions.

And that’s why, whether it is coronavirus, Zika, Bird Flu, SARS or any new form of fatal pathogen,  your body will be able to encounter the pathogen; self-vaccinate itself instantly and you will not fall sick.

You might get the infection. The virus might get inside your body, but you will stay asymptomatic.

And we have already seen many such cases in case of coronavirus, there are people who are infected, but they’re not falling sick. If a person has great immunity, he will be able to develop resistance instantly without any vaccination. And this is the direction in which we should look at, because you don’t know when the coronavirus vaccine is going to actually be there.

And do you think that coronavirus is the last one?

They can be an endless chain of such mutated viruses every few years. and what if the drug-resistant pathogens attack??? We don’t even have proper medicines for them.

And therefore, the only Long-Term, Short-Term, and Real solution is to meet the body’s so strong that it would be able to fight off any and any pathogen.

Period!

Ayurveda and Law of Attraction-II – a blog that describes how a complete focus only on the pathogens may lead to growth in diseases and not health.

General Ayurveda Dietary Plan

According to the ethics of Ayurveda, a Vaidya(Ayurveda physician) should not charge for medical advice but only for medicines. I personally believe that no sick person should be forced to pay for medical advice. If you opt for free consultation, please go through the following steps –

REMOVE THE CAUSE

According to Ayurveda, without removing the root cause of the diseases, you can never reach a permanent cure. Most of the time wrong diet, lifestyle habits and stress is the cause.

Here are some steps that can help you to remove most of the root causes. I request you to implement the advice given in the free resource as a first step towards Ayurvedic treatment. More than 80% of your health problems will disappear once the recommended Ayurvedic daily and seasonal routine is already in place.

In some places, I have recommended fruits, ghee and organic food. However, even if you are not able to afford them, it is perfectly fine. Please practice mindful eating in whatever you eat, because energy that comes from vigyanamaya kosha (seat of wisdom) or anandamaya kosha (seat of bliss) is what keeps us alive and you can be healthy without any fancy food.

In fact, not eating can make you healthier. Fasting has most amazing benefits, including cancer prevention.

Correct The Diet

  1. Try to eat only when hungry, unless you are very weak, or thin. This is a crucial advice for patients of all lifestyle disorders like diabetes, hypertension etc. For detailed explanation –
    1. How much you need to eat
    2. Eat Healthy, Eat Less
  2. Fast at least once a week.
    1. Fasting Guidelines
    2. Fasting Recommendations for Ramadan
    3. My Fasting Experiments
      1. Sinusitis Relief with Dry Fasting
      2. Relief in Dental Pain with Dry Fasting
      3. Don’t stop fasting suddenly
  3. Go dinnerless (on the days when you are not fasting). This method works miracles in all kinds of Kapha related disorders like rhinitis, common cold, cough, sinusitis, tonsilitis etc. I personally practice this and it has helped me improve my health
    1. Guidelines.
  4. Ayurvedic Cooking Tips
    1. Rice
    2. Moong Dal
  5. Eat Healthy
    1. Go organic if possible
    2. Never eat these foods
    3. Best Foods in Ayurveda
    4. Eat these only in a tiny amount everyday
    5. Eat these rarely
    6. About non-vegetarian diet
  6. How to Deal with Anorexia
    1. Anorexia in Ayurveda
    2. Ayurvedic Tips for Anorexia
  7. How to Deal with Constipation
    1. Ushapaan : Daily Ayurvedic Water Detox for beginners
    2. Understanding Constipation through Ayurveda
    3. Food for constipation (coming soon)

I will soon add more resources in this section. Please let me know if you want any specific topic to be covered.

I sincerely pray for your early recovery. Best wishes!

Ayurvedic Self-Healing Protocol for Migraine

Namaste,

Migraine is a very depressing disorder, and it can make you feel utterly helpless. However, Ayurveda has a very promising treatment for migraine. And I have personally seen its amazing effects. The most fascinating thing is that this treatment protocol is very cheap. In fact, with little practice you can follow it at home and cure yourself. Let’s believe that priceless things like air and water are freely available to all. So is the natural treatment.

I hope that you know Ayurvedic perspective of migraine. It will help you relate with the logic of treatment procedures. I have tried to write elaborate descriptions and explanations so that you don’t have to refer to any other posts.

However, if you are completely new to Ayurveda, unfamiliar with the basics, or want to explore details, please refer to following links –

Dosha

Qualities of Dosha

Functions of Dosha

Ayurvedic Pathogenesis

Ayurveda and Law of Attraction and a lot more!

After the basics, you can get down to the real treatment.

It is extremely important to correct the diet and lifestyle before starting the treatment. I mean that diet and lifestyle change should be a priority when you start the treatment. Because food makes your body and your disease. Your disorder is born out of your dietary and lifestyle habits.

According to Ayurveda, Nidana (cause) Parivarjana (prohibition) is the first and foundation step for Ayurvedic treatment. Therefore, you might not find any change in your health status even after eating medicines, IF YOU FAIL TO CORRECT DIET AND LIFESTYLE.

And therefore, the first few steps form the foundation for the entire treatment, not to be missed or skipped at all!

Ayurvedic Self-Healing Protocol for Migraine

General Ayurveda Diet Plan

General Ayurveda Lifestyle Plan

Detox for Migraine

Ushapaan

Ayurvedic Diet for Migraine

Ayurvedic Lifestyle for Migraine

Nasya

Gandush

Karnapuran

I am going to add a few more posts soon to complete this protocol

Dhoomrapaan for Migraine

Head Massage for Migraine

Mindfulness for Migraine

Hope you benefit from this procedure. Feel free to write to me if you want to know anything specific, I will try to get back to you asap.

Best Wishes!

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Ayurvedic Nasal Drops – Nasya

Nasya in Ayurveda

If you want to repair anything inside a house, you must be able to get inside it. As we saw earlier, according to Ayurveda, the nose is the door to the head region. The nasal passage is the most critical route of medicine intake in migraine treatment. Therefore nasal drops are the fundamental treatment for all kinds of migraines in Ayurveda. 

By this week, you might already be taking Ayurvedic nasal drops like Anu tailam, Shat-Bindu Tailam, etc. for emergency migraine relief. In this blog, I will tell you some details about how to use these nasal drops systematically to get the best benefit. 

Anatomy of Nasya 

The term Nasya comes from “nasa” or the nose.

Nasya or nasal drops work on the nervous system more than any other part of the nasal passage. The primary focus of nasya is Shrigataka marma. Shrigataka marma is a vital point at the end of the nasal passage, which controls activity in the facial region. It is similar to a physical entity in the nose called Pterygopalatine ganglion. 

 The pterygopalatine ganglion is connected to almost all the parts of the head. It is the largest parasympathetic ganglion in the head. Pterygopalatine ganglion controls the secretions of lacrimal glands, nasal mucous glands, paranasal sinuses, palate, and pharynx. On the other side, it is connected to facial and maxillary nerves as well. It is also connected to the sympathetic system through internal carotid plexus. Pterygopalatine ganglion controls the sensation and motor response of the entire face region. 

For anatomical details of Pterygopalatine ganglion, please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2261IPz3W8

Physiology of Nasya

The nerves are covered with a thin sheath that protects the nerve signals and prevents rapid nerve deterioration. However, in some people, the protective covering of the nerves becomes fragile and ineffective. Unprotected and dry nerves are prone to irritation and pain. In the long run, the unlaminated nerves lose their signals on the way to their destination. This condition results in memory loss and dementia. Therefore, Migraine is sometimes also associated with dementia. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326303.php 

Looking from an Ayurveda perspective, The primary feature of vata dosha is dryness. For more information, please visit dosha qualities. Because of reasons mentioned in an earlier blog, dryness increases in the body, and vata dosha gets vitiated. The deterioration process of tissue cells and nerves results in migraine pain.

As the nerves in the cranium get irritated or hyperactive, they cause pain. Their irritation gets transferred to Pterygopalatine ganglion. That’s why Migraine also results in visual impairment, pain in eyes, ears, loss of sense of smell, etc. Migraine in Ayurveda

The higher nerves shed their hyperactivity to the Pterygopalatine ganglion. What if we can turn Pterygopalatine ganglion into a sink for all nervous hyperactivity? It will be able to absorb all irritation and pain and relieve us from migraines. In people, who do not suffer from migraines, the nerves are better lubricated and do not get hyperactive, thus no pain. 

However, we can reverse the above process by transferring medicated moisture via Pterygopalatine ganglion to the deeper cranium nerves. And this result can be effectively achieved by nasya or Ayurvedic nasal drops.  

General Procedure for Nasya 

There are many types of nasya in Ayurveda. It is a complete branch of body cleansing in itself. However, here, I will describe Snehana (moisturizing) nasya that is safe for everyday use by everyone. However, try not to use this nasya in children below 15 years. All kinds of nasya require a certain amount of control over breathing and willingness to tolerate a possible pain.

For all children below 15 years, use small amount of cow’s ghee, drop by drop, enough to moisturize the inner lining of the nose. Usually, the use of cow’s ghee as a nasal moisturizer is enough to solve all major problems like stuffy nose, congestion, body ache, etc. in children. Oral intake of cow’s ghee along with food is best tolerated and most effective in small children.

Back to nasya treatment – The following procedure suits people of all prakrati (body types). 

Choose your Nasya oil 

There are several options for Nasya. You can use edible quality of almond oil, cow’s ghee, olive, or sesame oil for nasya treatment. For faster and better relief, you must use Anu tailam or Shat Bindu Tailam. However, these oils might create a little painful experience. Probably, you can start with cow’s ghee, the mildest option, and gradually become more comfortable with other options. 

Nasal Drops according to their effects 

  • Shad Bindu Taila
  • Anu Taila
  • Cow’s Ghee
  • Almond Oil
  • Sesame Oil
  • Olive oil 

Shad Bindu tailam is highly recommended not only for migraines but for all kinds of head region disorders right from headache to facial paralysis. 

Anu thailam is another excellent remedy for migraines. Also recommended for everyday use by Acharya Charak even for a healthy person. It is a complete health supplement for all the organs in the head region.

In the beginning, you can start using two to three drops of these oils as nasal drops. You can increase up to 8 to 10 drops per nostril. 

It might pain to use all the classical ayurvedic oils as nasal drops. But if you are successful in consistent use of these Ayurvedic oils, you will never face migraines again.

Check your sensitivity for the chosen nasal drops 

Step 1: First, apply them on your toes and leave overnight. 

Step 2: If there is a reaction in the form of rashes, itching, etc. on the toes, repeat the same check with other oil options. 

Step 3: If there is no reaction, then put one drop of the chosen nasal drop in the evening on day 1

Step 4: Gradually increase up to 3 drops per nose. If you don’t face any problem, the nasal drops will work well for you. You can do this checking for 4-5 days. 

Precautions – 

Avoid mixing any essential oil in Nasya drops. 

Avoid using castor oil, mustard oil, flaxseed oil, and coconut oil without medical supervision. 

Nasya Treatment

Please read the full procedure before starting nasya treatment. You will need prior preparations in many places. 

Vata dosha is the fundamental cause of migraines. According to Acharya Sushrut and Vagbhatta, one should use nasya in the evening time. The evening is the time vata dosha is dominant, and therefore, medicine will have its best effect. Besides, the prana vayu (vata subtype that controls respiration and brain activity) is predominant during the evening time. The approximate time is 4 – 8 pm with maximum vata dominance. It is considered proper to avoid nasya right at the time of sunset (range of 20-30 min time window).   

Pre Nasya Procedure 

Shir Swedana (head sweating)

For best absorption of nasya and eradication of kapha(mucus) based obstructions, all the blood vessels in the head region must be well dilated. Mild head fomentation or Ayurvedic head spa can achieve this state. Head fomentation with gentle head massage also helps to improve blood circulation and eliminate dryness. 

However, if you are not able to follow the first step of head fomentation due to any reason, skip to the next. 

Day 1: 

Step 1: Check your sensitivity for massage oil(mustard/sesame/olive/castor oil/almond oil) by applying a small amount of it on your toes. Let the oil sit overnight. If you have no itching, rashes, etc. on the toes in the morning, the respective massage oil is appropriate for your head massage. 

You can use any other massage oil as well according to suitability. Coconut oil has a cooling temperament and is not the first choice of coldish vata dosha. Almond oil and castor oil are the best choices. 

Day 5: If you are planning to do nasya at 5 pm, plan to start the below procedure at 4 pm. Avoid eating or drinking during the process. 

Step 1: Do a mild head massage with the chosen oil (5-30 min.), more time better benefit. A circular motion massage is a good option. 

Step 2: Cover your head with a towel soaked with warm water (at a comfortable temperature).

Take care to avoid exposure to wind, cold air, high-speed fans, or any extreme temperature fluctuations. (drinking chilled water, scalding tea, etc.) during the process.

Re-soak the towel with warm water and warm the head for a total duration of 5-15 minutes, depending on your comfort, season, and local climate. If you feel uncomfortable or heated, stop the fomentation and lie down for some time. 

Avoid exposure of wet hair to wind, sunlight, or air conditioner. 

Step 3: After swedana, rest in a lying position for 5-10 min. Practicing Shavasana in this duration is a great idea. 

Nasya Procedure 

This procedure starts after 5-10 minutes after the pre-nasya process. 

Step 1: Lie down on a comfortable surface without a pillow. 

Step 5: Ready the Ayurvedic nasal drops (Anu Taila/Shat Bindu Taila/Cow’s ghee/Almond oil) in a dropper or cotton swab. 

Step 6: Put the thumb of your left hand below the nose tip and push backward. This step will ensure that nasal drops have a larger nasal opening for percolation. 

Step 7: Take the dropper/cotton swab in your right hand and put 5-7 nasal drops in your right nose. 

Step 8: Inhale deeply to ensure better percolation of Put the nasal drops in the left nose in the same amount.  

This procedure assumes that you are doing everything alone. In case you have a helper, let him do the massage, fomentation, and nasal drops for you. 

Post-Nasya Treatment 

Dhomrapaan or herbal smoking increases the heat and dilates the blood vessels in the head region. After Nasya treatment, herbal smoke helps the nasal drops to spread along with accelerated circulation in the head region and melt the mucous-formed obstructions in head channels.

Day 1: Prepare the herbal smoke 

Step 1: Take a mixture of the following herb in the dried powdered form. All the herbs should be in equal quantity. If you are not able to get all the herbs, start with as many as you can get, there is no need to wait. Even if you start with any 5 of the below-mentioned herbs, you will see an immediate benefit. 

  • Black cardamom
  • Green cardamom
  • Vetiver
  • Licorice
  • Guggulu
  • Sandalwood
  • Peepal Bark 
  • Banyan Bark
  • Indian Fig Tree Bark 
  • Lodh Tree Bark
  • Jatamansi
  • Cinnamon
  • Cardamom
  • Bay leaf

Step 2: Mix all the ingredients, add some water to make a thick paste. 

Step 3: Use a wire/thin pen/pencil and make a thick layer of this paste over it. This layer should be as thick as your thumb and approximately 7-8 inches in length. Step 4: Let the preparation dry. 

Step 5: Take out the herbal smoke cigarette from a wire/thin pen/pencil. It will have a hole inside it for a smooth smoking process. 

Smoking Process

Step 1: Put the herbal cigarette in a smoke pipe. Apply little ghee/cooking oil at the outer tip.

Step 2: Sit comfortably, keep the body straight and relaxed. Look straight in the front. 

Step 3: Close the left nostril and inhale the smoke from the right nostril. 

Step 4: Release the smoke from the mouth. This is a critical step, as smoke released from the nose can harm the eyes. Therefore, you must inhale the smoke from the nose and exhale ONLY from the mouth. 

Step 5: Repeat this process three times. 

Step 6: Close the right nostril and repeat the 3 clouds of smoke from the left nostril. 

Step 7: Continue this process for a maximum of 8-10 minutes. 

Ayurvedic herbal smoke can be used regularly, independent of the nasya treatment. In my future posts, I will describe the use of herbal smoke from instant migraine relief. I hope that your Migraine will be gone by then.

Precautions – 

Avoid going to sleep, bathing, eating, drinking (cold water) immediately before or after the entire Nasya treatment. 

Wait for a minimum of 30-45 min before starting your regular routine.

If you are using Nasya treatment before sleep, wait for 1 hour after the entire procedure and then go to sleep. 

Try to have food 1 hour before you start the procedure or 1 hour after the process ends.  

Complications of nasya

All good things have limits. If you use snehan (oil/fat) nasya in the following conditions, you might face kapha (mucus) related problems –

Indigestion

Indigestion is normally a result of excess kapha dosha or imbalance of the mucus element in the body. If you have excess kapha (oily, stable, cool etc.) link
When you add oily nasya to this condition, you are looking at a possible complication of excess kapha.

In this case, you must take some herbal digestive like Hinguvadi churna/Hinguashtaka churna or vati-(tablet) and relieve yourself from indigestion. Also, if you have practiced the initial detox, you should not face any kind of digestive problem during the nasya. For better advice, please get in touch with your physician.

Drinking water immediately after a meal

We need an optimal internal temperature and enzyme concentration to cook the food inside our stomach. However, imagine what will happen if you are trying to fry something and put cold water on it while cooking. You would need to heat it for a much longer time. Sadly, we don’t have that much time or resources inside the body (due to binge-eating) and therefore the undigested food rots inside the intestines as it passes (or gets stuck).

Nasya on a cloudy day

Our metabolic rythmns are deeply connected with the sun. And for this reason, our body as well as the mind gets affected by the presence or absence of the sun. Link
Since our metabolism and mood is on a low normally on a cloudy day, it is not a good idea to take nasya or any kind of panchkarma treatment. A faster rate of metabolism helps the body to absorb the effects of nasya and prevents kapha related complications.

A new infection of cold

Any new infection in the body, especially the nasal infection taxes the body. The body is focused on stablizing a fighting strategy and it is a very bad idea to give a new work to it, like to manage the nasya , esp the heavy dose of a oil nasya. Oil nasya, if unabsorbed, might lead to kapha imbalance and worsening of common cold or any other nasal/oral infection. So take to care to use a good thing in a good way.

Immediately after bath

Bath reduces the body temperature of the body drastically, epecially if it is a cold bath. Immediately, after a bath body is under the influence of coldish kapha dosha, And it is engaged in regaining the normal body heat. At this time a new work like managing nasya can be very straining.It can lead to nasal infections or make you suseptible towards them.

Immediately after drinking oil/fats (snehapaan)

Now fats/oils are the best way to balance vata dosha in the body. Snehapaan lubricates the alimentary canal, absorbs the toxins and removes dryness. But digesting the oils takes up a lot of time and energy. That’s why it is advised to drink only small amount of oils initially.And we don’t want an intrusion in this work by adding more work – nasya.

Immediately after Anuvasana Basti (oil enema)

Oil enema introduces enough moisture in the body. It helps to reduce vata dosha significantly. Besides, body needs time to manage the effects of enema. A nasya immediately after oil enema can encroach on the space of reduced vata dosha and aggravate kapha, thus causing slowing down of overall metabolism, reducing body heat and making you prone to kapha related disorders like cough, cold, indigestion etc.

Bottomline is that Ayurveda believes maintaining a complete homeostasis inside the body, in everything that you do. Because balance is the key to life, balance in body, in breathe and in the mind.

You can use this nasya treatment before Migraine, aura stage of Migraine, or during the migraine pain or post-migraine attack. However, it is better to use it before a migraine attack, if you are doing it for the first time.

Nasya treatment is the backbone of the entire Ayurvedic Migraine treatment. I hope that this post helps you to get permanent relief from Migraine. If you happen to find any relief through this series, please share your experience with me. 

Thanks a lot for reading and best wishes! 

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Ayurvedic Lifestyle for Migraine

Before we jump to the migraine specific lifestyle, you must familiarize yourself with

Ideal Ayurvedic Lifestyle

Migraine Special Lifestyle

What to Avoid

A migraine patient should avoid vata vitiation at all costs. And therefore he should avoid the following factors –

  • Excessive exercise
  • Excessive indulgence in sexual activity
  • Heavy manual labor
  • Controlling natural urges like defecation, hunger, sleep, burping etc.
  • Exposure to extreme temperature fluctuations
  • Cold water bath
  • Excessive use of a hairdryer
  • Exposure to harsh sunlight, strong wind, etc. for a long duration.
  • Eating extremely cold/hot food together in a meal – e.g., ice-cream with soup/hot chocolate.
  • Frequent mid-meal snacking
  • Cold food like Ice-creams, soft drinks, etc.
  • Eating excessive amount of dry food
  • Digging nose (if you do)
  • Alcohol intake
  • Any intoxicant – drugs, weed, etc.
  • Sleeping in the day time or daily light transition period (sunrise/sunset)
  • Eating heavy food after sunset or before sunrise
  • Misery/sadness/depression

All these factors disrupt the healthy metabolism of the body. They can trigger excess mucus production and clog the channels (ice creams, soft drinks), create dryness and lose of moisture (manual labour, alcohol etc.) and thus vitiate vata dosha as a result.

You might also have your unique triggers for migraine stimulation. I know a person who gets a migraine attack whenever he consumes Ashwagandha (an Ayurvedic medicinal herb). Be careful about your triggers and try to avoid them till the treatment protocol is over.

What to Do

Some of the Lifestyle changes highly recommended for migraine patients are –

Brahma Muhurata Jagarana

Waking up early morning before sunset can solve more than 50% aggrarvation problems in migraine. However, as stated earlier, you should take it easy and go for a gradual change over a few months.

Waking up early

Usha paan

Usha Paan is a traditional morning ritual of drinking water. Ideally, you should store water in the copper vessel overnight and drink it in the morning. You can drink water normal or lukewarm according to your comfort and the external climatic condition.

Ushapaan

The above link for ushapaan is the primary method. The advanced form of Usha paan drinking water in the morning is done not through the mouth but the nasal passage. Before the advanced stage, you must practice neti kriya, which is another important migraine prevention factor. I will have a future post on this procedure.

In this method, you insert the lukewarm water through the nasal cavity(nostrils) instead of the oral cavity (mouth).

After regular use practice of Advanced ushapaan. After daily use of advanced ushapaan, You will notice a definite decrease in the intensity and of Migraine within one month.

After you are comfortable with the basic stage, you can move to drink water through the nose, just like an elephant. Just like yoga, Ayyurvedic procedures also emerge from the nature. And elephants have the most remarkable memory among all animals, even better than humans!

Kill the Pain

Try to avoid pain killers for migraine pain. They don’t kill the pain. Pain killers hide the pain and kill our liver and kidney in exchange. Here are some alternatives that might help you combat the pain in a simple manner –

Nasya (painkiller nasal drops)
According to Ayurveda, the nose is the entrance to the head. And nasal drops are the primary treatment for all kinds of head disorders, right from the common cold to facial paralysis. Nasal drops can also effectively bring down the migraine pain without any side-effects. They have a faster action as compared to the medicines that go through the oral route.

Precaution – all nasal drops should be used at an average temperature, except cow’s Ghee. Solidified cow’s Ghee should be heated to a mildly high temperature to make it liquid again, before using it as a nasal drops.

For use in mild migraine pain or a pre-migraine aura
Almond oil: 5-6 drops
Cow’s Ghee: 5-6 drops

For severe migraine pain
Anu tailam: 5-6 drops
This Ayurvedic preparation might cause pain in the nasal passage. However, it effectively clears the mucus and reduces swelling in the nasal vessels. In fact, initially the pain is so sharp that it will put aside your migraine pain, ha ha ha, just kidding! I have personally used it many times and have found it incredibly useful. But yes, it does pain initially. To get used to the pain, you can start with 1-2 drops and gradually increase the dosage.

It is beneficial in short term pain control as well as long term migraine relief. In fact, Acharya Charak recommends use of Anu Taila everyday as a prevention of all imaginable disorders in head region, right from hair-loss to dementia. If you are fine with the piercing feeling, you can use it even before the migraine starts.

Shat-Bindu Tailam

This is the savior preparation for all migraine patients. Shat-bindu Tailam is a stronger and more effective option than Anu Tailam. And it also pains a little as Anu tailam.

You can safely use these nasal drops SOS in case of migraine pain. In future posts, I will cover their systematic intake for complete relief from migraine.

I sincerely hope that this information brings you the best of Ayurvedic benefits.

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti!

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Ayurvedic Self-Healing Migraine Protocol – Diet

If you are reading my migraine post for the first time, please refer to following links for more details –

What are Dosha?

Ayurveda on Migraine

Ayurvedic Detox for Migraine

I hope that the week one detox plan helped you gain some momentum. If possible, try to stick to Ghee detox as much as possible throughout this treatment protocol as it will eliminate the very foundation of migraine disorder.

However, mental satisfaction is the very essence of Ayurvedic treatment. Therefore, if you are not able to stick to the Ghee Detox, you can switch breakfast and lunch to a regular diet. However, I would advise you to still continue with an exclusive ghee diet at least for dinner (in a minimal amount enough to quench hunger).

In this blog, I am going to help you choose the best food options that will prevent vata dosha and migraine aggravation. However, the sutra remains – whatever you eat, cook it in Ghee (except fruits).

Fruits
In fruits, you already know what to avoid. Please refer to the fruit detox plan.

Soaked Almonds

Besides, organic almond soaked overnight in water are very good for migraine. After soaking the almonds overnight, peel off the cover, and slow grind them to a very fine paste. Mix brown sugar or powdered rock candy in 1:1 ratio. Eat the paste and drink lukewarm organic milk (optional) after that , for better absorption.

Avoid eating anything for next 30 min or when you feel hungry, whichever is earlier.

Vegetables –
Migraine patients must avoid following vegetables – brinjal, green peas, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, puli broccoli, mustard leaves, spinach, and all kinds of green leafy vegetables like spinach, bitter gourd, potatoes, water caltrop, etc.
However, vegetables cooked in Ghee are less harmful.

Spices –
Avoid the use of red chili powder, mustard seeds,

Grains –
Wheat and rice are the best options for migraine patients. However, avoid fine flour (maida) bread, white bread, cookies, cakes, and other sweets made out of any grain.

Migraine patients should avoid all kinds of pulses, lentils and millets unless advised otherwise. All these grains are very dry and cause vata vitiation in the body. Daily consumption of the above grains can aggravate migraines in intensity. However, lentils/millets tempered with Ghee are not very harmful. Only moong dal (green gram) is a lentil that does not cause vata vititation and can used safely in migraine condition.

Migraine patients must also avoid urad dal (black gram) at all costs, except south Indian dishes prepared from fermented urad dal.

Meat
Non-vegetarian fat from pig, deer, buffalo, bison, sheep, goat, horse, chicken, turkey crab, all kinds of the mollusk is highly recommended in the soup form for all migraine patients.
All kinds of fish and marine animals are also perfect for all migraine patients. Specially rohu fish is the best for migraines. It is essential to temper these soups with digestive herbs like black pepper, black cardamom, cumin, etc.

Avoid meat of rabbit, primarily fruit-grain eating small birds like the sparrow, parakeet, etc.

However, if you are a vegan, please avoid all meat as they will only add to migraines. Veganism itself is enough to cure not only migraines but all kinds of physical and mental problems!

Cooked food
Please avoid Idli/raw radish/curd at night, according to Ayurveda.
Try to avoid grain-based meals at night. Stick to fruits/boiled vegetables/meat soup at night.

Processed Food –
Try to avoid eating all processed/packaged/ready to eat/ready to cook and ready to kill food. If you have a problem cooking or have no access to freshly cooked food, better stick to the ghee-fruit diet. You can mix and match between ghee and fruit diet to satisfy your taste buds.

Fats

Pure ghee is highly recommended in migraine treatment. Other oils like cold-pressed sesame, mustard oil are also edible. However, if you have any kind of congestion, or kapha related disorders like chronic cough and cold, try to avoid

Appetizers –

It is important to ensure that you have good amount of appetizers and digestive Herbs to adequately digest and absorb the oily food recommended in migraine. Therefore, it is advisable to use a good amount of black pepper, Hing, cumin seeds, bay leaves, black cardamom, star anise, cinnamon etc. in your food. Appetizing soups also can be very helpful if only they do not contain flatulence-causing vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower etc. Also exercises will help the oil to spread throughout the body and relieve dryness.

Some recommended recipes for migraine patients

Fried Radish –

  • Take 500 grams of diced radish. Heat 50 ml ghee Sesame/mustard/olive oil in a frying pan.
  • Add a pinch of asafoetida, 1/2 tsp ajwain(caraway),1/2 tsp seeds cumin seeds and let them crackle for 10 sec.
  • Add diced radish and fry them till they turn soft. Add salt to taste.

You can The same procedure can be used for making Fried Arabi (colocasia), carrot, jackfruit, green banana, and air potato.
Please avoid the use of jackfruit if you have a weak digestive system. Raw jackfruit is an absolute no in Migraine. Also, avoid eating all raw vegetables.

Home remedy for Migraine relief for week 2

I have come across a home remedy that has helped me treat 6-7 migraine patients myself, without any medicine. This week you can start with this home remedy and see if it works for you too. Also, please share your experience with me, it will be helpful for everyone to know the effectiveness of this combination.

Mix equal amount of powdered almond, rock candy (misri), white pepper, cow’s ghee. Consume one tsp of this paste with normal water, everyday early morning empty stomach. Avoid eating anything for next 1 hour. You can also mix the ingredients and store.

In the next blog, I will share important lifestyle tips for migraine management.

Hope this information helps you to gain better control of your life.

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti!

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General Body Detox

Now, as we know no about how migraine happens according to Ayurveda, we can look at the Ayurvedic treatment of migraine.

This migraine self-healing protocol is derived from following classical Ayurvedic text – Charak Samhita, Ashtang Hridya, Bhaishajya Ratnavali, and Yogaratnakara. The treatment methods like nasal drops, ear drops, etc. have been used in the Indian traditional healthcare regimen for many centuries. They are safe and tested. However, I do not have a scientific data-based support this claim right now. Therefore, kindly use this information after consulting your physician.

Ayurveda considers prakrati or body type as one of the fundamental factors for any treatment. Your body is unique, and it may have individual requirements. This treatment provides suitable options for various body types. However, most of the practices are safe and effective for all. The medicines suggested are classical preparations and have a significant effect on all prakrati.

Ayurvedic migraine treatment is a two-pronged as it works on two dimensions mental and physical. Ideally, the migraine treatment must start with counseling and mindfulness training. However, I won’t expect you to meditate when you are reeling with pain. So let’s start with the easiest, practical, and effective procedures that you can follow at home. I assume that after a few weeks, you would in a better position to handle a post on Ayurvedic manas chikitsa (mind treatment) for migraine. Meanwhile, you might like to check some posts on mindfulness.

So, let’s kick-start the migraine self-healing protocol. I will cover the following parts in each blog with sufficient details.

  • General Detox
  • Diet Change
  • Lifestyle Change
  • Ayurvedic Nasal Drops
  • Ayurvedic Ear Drops
  • Ayurvedic Smoking
  • Ayurvedic Head Massage
  • Ayurvedic Mouth Filling
  • Neti Kriya
  • Ayurvedic Mini-Panchkarma
  • Ayurvedic general medicines and home remedies

Now food is the basic input that decides the output in the form of health or disease. And migraine needs a careful selection of foodstuff.

First of all, it is crucial to know what not to eat –
Please more details in these links –

Toxic food according to Ayurveda

Food to avoid

Food not to be eaten regularly

Food to eat very rarely

Food to be eaten in small quantities

And what to eat –

Best Food according to Ayurveda

All the above recommendations work for migraine patients as well as for healthy people. However, I would like to stress the idea of “Satmya.” You are the best judge of what suits you and what does not. Listen to your body, and it will help you to make the best choices.

Migraine Special Diet

With the above indications, let’s dive deep into a diet that will help you to balance your dosha. Vata dosha vitiation is the fundamental cause of migraines and all similar disorders. Therefore, a comprehensive treatment of migraines is based on achieving a vata balance. And vata balancing diet is the first step towards an effective and permanent migraine relief.

Week 1 – Basic Detox

I assume that you have reasonable stamina to follow the essential detox. Also, I assume that you are not suffering from severe lifestyle disorders like diabetes, Hypertension, etc. In case of any severe disease, kindly consult for a personalized regimen.

The most crucial sutra for a migraine patient is to eat only when hungry (unless you are extremely weak).

Option 1

Basic Fruit Detox –

Fruit detox is applicable for summer, and spring only. It is best for the obese, people suffering from compulsive eating disorders, excessive hunger, anorexia, and depression.

One of the best food for migraine patients is fruits (plant products that can be consumed raw, without any cooking). Try to stay on fruits for this week, if possible. You can boil, bake, fry, or simply eat them raw. Local, seasonal, and organic fruits are the best for consumption. In case you are not able to get fresh fruits; you can also try dry fruits like raisins, dates, cashew, almond, dried berries, etc.

Recommended fruits (naturally ripened and organic) – mango, spondias, banana, coconut water, fresh coconut, watermelon, melon, cucumber, elephant Apple, jujube, emblica, pomegranate, apple, pears etc

All the foods must be consumed; you must ensure that the food that you eat s adequately ripened. Consumption of raw fruits can aggravate the migraine problem. Also, do not make them into juices, shakes, etc. Eat them along with their fiber content for the best results. Avoid making milk shakes. Keep your diet strictly limited to fruits.

The use of Almonds is very beneficial for migraine patients. You must soak the elements overnight, peel their coat in the morning and eat with Rock Candy for the best benefit. You can also similarly use walnut and raisins.

Alternatives to Fresh Fruits: Some people have kapha problems like cold, stuffy nose, congestion, etc. if they consume fruits at night or early morning. However, this is abnormal metabolism, and one should try to correct the same. But before you fix it, the alternatives for dinner are – warm milk (A2 organic milk, preferably), dry fruits, boiled potatoes/sweet potatoes/beetroots, tapioca, carrots, etc. Also, these options might be useful to people who have meager availability of edible fruits.

Fruits to avoid – raw (unripe) or artificially ripened fruits, non-seasonal, exotic fruits, inorganic fruits, Artocarpus lacucha, (also known as monkey fruit, or Monkey Jack or barhar), water caltrop, grapes,and tamarind

Fruit Detox Routine
Day 1 – Normal breakfast and lunch, change in dinner
Day 2 – Change breakfast and dinner, Normal Lunch
Day 3 – Change all three meals
Day 4 – Only fruit/boiled vegetable meals
Day 5 – Only fruit/boiled vegetable meals
Day 6 – Normal Lunch, Fruit-based breakfast and dinner
Day 7 – Normal Lunch, breakfast, fruit-based dinner

I would suggest that you follow this detox once a week after the first week, throughout the migraine treatment protocol.

Option 2:

Basic Ghee Detox

Ghee is Indian Clarified butter than helps to normalize all the body functions. It is THE BEST GENERAL SOLUTION for migraine pain in Ayurveda. It is especially applicable for winter and autumn. However, it can be safely used in all seasons and body types. Ghee detox is best for weak, underweight, recuperating(from physical trauma), people with low stamina, and high hunger.

Ghee: Ghee is Deepan, pachan(appetizer, digestive) in nature. It helps to balance all three dosha in the body. Ghee is one of the best anti-toxin in Ayurveda. Ghee detox will ensure that that dryness in your intestine and overall body is reduced, and your nerves are less hyper excited.

Consumption of ghee at esp. at night time helps to balance Prana vayu, a subtype of vata dosha, which is primarily involved in migraines. For more information on how the timing of a medicine affects performance, please visit How to use Ayurvedic Supplements

Ghee Detox Routine
Day 1 – Normal breakfast and lunch, 10-20 ml Ghee in dinner
Day 2 – 20-40 ml Ghee in breakfast/dinner, Normal Lunch
Day 3 – Change all three meals (20-50 ml depending on the hunger, e.g you might be hungrier in winter than in summer)
Day 4 – Only Ghee meals
Day 5 – Only Ghee meals
Day 6 – Normal Lunch, Ghee-based breakfast and dinner
Day 7 – Normal Lunch, breakfast, Ghee-based dinner

Ghee intake is such a reliable and powerful procedure that it can eliminate migraine in the long run, without any other effort or medication.
People with obesity can also practice this method. However, they must ensure to eat only when truly hungry and consume only 1-2 tsp of ghee at a time. Consider this Ghee detox as a mini keto diet that will help to rejuvenate your body.

Later, as you heal, you can also use Ghee for cooking purposes.
Please ensure that it is A2 organic ghee for the best results. If not, then go for whatever ghee is available. Salted Indian butter available online also produces reasonable cleansing effects.

You can also consume good quality medicated ghee or Ayurvedic oils. Some good options are Baladi thailam, Mahanarayan tail, Brahmi ghrita, kalyanaka ghrita, Ashwagandhadi ghrita, puran ghrita et cetera. However, consult your physician before trying any of these.

These two detoxes can help to make a good foundation for further treatment. However, please make sure that you choose the detox according to the season, and your body condition. Also, it is important to avoid eating anything else during this detox. If you find it very tough, keep the lunch intact and change breakfast and dinner for 30 days to achieve the same result.

Also, you can choose to go for fruit detox and then try ghee detox as well. However, ghee detox is superior to fruit detox.

It is vital to ensure that you have the right amount of appetizers and digestive herbs to digest and absorb the oily food/Ghee recommended in migraine treatment. Also, mild yoga exercises will help the lubrication from Ghee to spread throughout the body and relieve dryness.

Some good classical digestives are –

  • Hinguvadi/Hinguashtaka churna (powder/tablet form)
  • Dadimashtaka Churna
  • 1/2 tsp Ajwain (carom seeds) with a pinch of black salt (esp. for bloating)
  • 1 tsp roasted cumin seeds powder + 1/2 tsp ajwain seeds (whole and raw) + 1 pinch of black salt, rock salt, roasted asafoetida each

There is a possibility that you neither like fruits or ghee. But fear not, there are so many ways to detox the body, depending on your health conditions. Kindly contact for more details.

In my next blog, I will specify on the kind of general diet you should follow to prevent migraine aggravation.

Hope this information helps all people in need!

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

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