The ancient healing science of Ayurveda, which means "the science of life" in Sanskrit, is considered by many scholars to be the oldest healing science. Ayurvedic knowledge originated in India more than 5,000 years ago and stems from the ancient Vedic culture. Great emphasis is placed on the maintenance of health (harmonizing our internal and external worlds) through close attention to balance in one’s life, right thinking, diet, lifestyle and the use of herbs. Ayurveda also teaches us to view food as medicine. I've found Ayurveda to be a helpful guide for health and well-being.
We each have the power and the responsibility to reach a balanced state of well-being. As Ayurveda teacher Dr. David Frawley puts it in his book Prakriti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution, you can make your fullest contribution to life only when you are healthy and health alone enables you to enjoy your life to the fullest in return.
Through mindful consumption we can lead a balanced healthy life. But what about those cravings for unhealthy foods? Thanks to Bianca, during week 1 of my 21-day Detox program I learned that on a basic level, your gut has "good" and "bad" bacteria. The "bad" bacteria feeds off the toxic foods you eat and causes cravings for more (so that it can thrive). The less you feed these toxic or "bad" bacteria in your gut, the less intense those crappy food cravings will be. So let's stop giving in to those toxic crappy food cravings!
Dr. Frawley cautions that full-time gratification is in fact bondage -- the more we consume the more captive we are of our consumption. This advice doesn't only apply to food, but to all things we consume in life -- the shows we watch, the music we listen to -- because our five senses serve as the portals between the internal and external realms. More on that later...
Because I am in detox mode (which is going well so far!), I've been focused on food and eating. This is just one aspect of our health that we can learn about in-depth. If you are interested in learning more about this aspect I suggest you follow Bianca and other resources on Instagram or whatever platform you use. And maybe pick up a book on Ayurveda if you feel so inclined!
p.s., Detox Week 1 went well! I experienced some headache and lethargy after giving up coffee, as well as joint pain and muscle soreness, all of which are normal symptoms of the body's detoxification process. Week 2 starting off strong and going well so far!
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